We are two travelers wanting to enter Tibet from Shangrila (Zhongdian). We have looked into organised tours, but the prices are extortionate. We certainly cannot afford it on our own, but maybe it is possible if there are others out there wanting to do the same trip (leaving around end of August).
The other option is to try to enter independently, as it appears some people are doing at present... We speak (some, enough) Chinese, but are slightly concerned that without permits we could get into trouble. Basically, we don't want to get roughed up by the police! But soo many people are saying they are not getting their permits checked. And we were encouraged by the couple saying they are travelling this way (Manu2005) - if you are reading this please respond with some more tips!!!
Any info much appreciated!
From my experience of doing the trip independently I'd say it is very unlikely you will be roughed up boy cops. The cops I met in Mang Kang, while not happy I was there, certainly didn't get violent. All they wanted was me back in Sichuan and out of their hair. If I continued on to Lhasa (I did) they were happy enough to pretend they never saw me. Just use your Chinese, be polite and plead ignorance if confronted. The scarceness of buses is a good excuse to buy yourself a day if need be ("I'm so sorry sir, but we've already missed the bus back to there, we'll go first thing tomorrow - so sorry to have troubled you!").
Have fun out there!
Hi Anna,
we are two travellers too and we would like to make the same trip as you in the same period.
Same need, same problems: too much money to make the overland only in two.
Maybe we can contact each other to see if is it possible to make it together. Email me without problems if you want.
Bye,
Barbara
This is really great to get such speedy responses. Many thanks Bantonia, it is encouraging to know people are doing it without getting into trouble.
Anyone else wanting to do the same trip - we have heard one place can take up to 9 people to share 19 000 fee. Keep posting please!
Hi there,
we just made a succesful bus/hitchhiking trip from Zhongdian to Lhasa. We really recommend you to do this trip without an organised tour!!!!!!!
We have made it to Lhasa without meeting any policemen!!! We were very successful in hitchhiking (some people took us for free) and didnt even have trouble in Bayi at the bus station to catch a minibus to Lhasa!
A local helped us get on the sleeper bus from Zhongdian to Zuogong. The bus drivers told us to hide us a bit under the covers in the bus (as if we are sleeping) while going through checkpoints between Markham and Zuogong. No problems with this! I guess they dont expect foreigners in a bus full of Chinese, as you are normally not allowed to buy a ticket.
In Zuogong we stayed 1 night at a Tibetan families house (not a guesthouse) and another night at a guesthouse in the middle of the town. We dont know the name of it, but it is (coming from Zhongdian) between a building site and the police station. You have to enter through a gate made of tiles into a very dirty backyard and then go to the right up some stairs. there you will find beds for 20yuan. the owner didnt registrate anything. (In a more expensive hotel where we asked for the price, the owner wanted to registrate us before we even had seen the room, imagine!). We walked up and down the town, passed the police station several times, but no one cared about us.
Then we hitchhiked in the morning (starting at the end of the town) and found a local who brought us to Bangda for free! :)
There we had the luck to meet 2 English speaking Chinese tourists, who convinced a local bus driver to take us to Ranwu (100yuan). Normally the bus drivers are not allowed to take foreigners on their bus. The checkpoint in Bangda didnt take notice of us, although we were waiting for the bus not very far from it.
In Ranwu we stayed at the postoffice guesthouse, again without having to register anything. From Ranwu we got a free ride to Zhaxikang near Lunung.
From there we hitchhiked to Bayi and took a minibus from there to Lhasa.
A special recommendation for accomodation along the way: the "folk custom" village Zhaxigang (a few km before Lunung) offers great family accomodation in typical Tibetan houses with local food and the opportunity to meet some friendly local farmer families. Its a great landscape too, flowers, mountains, forests, very good for walking tours!!!
Enjoy the trip!
P.S. If you are unlucky and you meet a policeman, try to tell him the story that you came from Lhasa and just wanted to visit the town you are in at the moment and that you are now going back. Try to play the ignorant and be very very friendly. We heard, that with this you have a chance to get away with it. ;)
oh, about our costs: including all bus tickets and fees for hitchhiking we paid 560 Yuan per person for the trip, about the same like a sleeper bus ticket from zhongdian to lhasa.
Hi, Manu2005, could you please describe a bit more the process of getting onto the bus in Zhongdian? Did you buy the ticket at the bus station, did you talk directly to the driver? Did your friend talk to the driver? At what time is the bus leaving? Did you try to get onto the direct bus as well? thanks for any useful hints on travelling from Zhongdian to Lhasa. warm regards, mismis
Hi Mismis,
we knew this Chinese guy, who wanted to take the direct bus to Lhasa the same day (departure ca. 9am, but better ask, there are different busses, some sleepers, some only hardseats!).
We didnt know if the bus still has free places for us, so we went together with him to the bus station, where we were waiting first a few minutes at the ticket counter, but the Chinese guy had for some reason the telephone number of the driver and asked him over the phone if there is still space for us. There was, so we went directly to the waiting bus and paid to the driver. We could have gone all the way to Lhasa, but decided to get out in Zuogong, because we didnt want to spend 3 days in a bus. Then we hitchhiked the rest of the way slowly. We needed about a week to get to Lhasa.
We dont know, if it is possible to ask a local to buy a ticket for you at the ticket counter and then go with this ticket to the bus driver. It is possible that he then refuses to take you. Not sure.
Maybe try to talk to the driver directly. We know of other people who went without problems on the sleeper bus to Lhasa all the way, so they must have somehow got the ticket.
Good luck and enjoy the fantastic trip!
Regards
Manu2005
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