PILGRIMAGE: BODH GAYA TO KAILASH

Are you aware that you cannot travel in Tibet without a guide and driver? nor can you take public transport in Tibet?

When you enter Tibet from Nepal, the type of visa you must have is pretty restricted. It is a group visa (though you can be a group of one) and it is limited to somewhere between 15 and 28 days. Any Chinese visa you obtain in advance will be canceled and replaced by this special visa. It can only be obtained in conjunction with the Tibet Travel Bureau permit and it requires that your entire trip within Tibet be preplanned.

Since the cost of the driver and guide tend to be relatively high, most people share their trip with others. But if your plans are radically different from others, you are less likely to find fellow travelers with whom to split the costs.

You might want to rethink your plans.

Ruth

Dear Ruth,
Thank you for your insights. I myself am a Chinese citizen so it is not required that I have a tour guide and driver everywhere I go in Tibet. I acknowledge that this is not the case with everyone and am more than ready to help my trekking partners obtain the permission this trip requires. However, you are right about the time/itinerary restrictions on visas, even Chinese ones, so I will do further research in the matter.

Such is the exact reason I have posted regarding my planned trip so much in advance. I am hoping that among the many readers and contributors to the thorntree forum at least someone will have a slight interest in what I am doing or joining me on such a special trip.

Sometime between summer May 12th- August 12th 2011

Hi Jingniu. When are you thinking of going?

Ah, looking at going a bit later than that. Have a good trip, hope it works out.

Thanks! And for your trip later on, if you don't know already, I've discovered that GoogleEarth is an immensely useful tool. You can plan out a journey anywhere on the planet using its tools, ie drawing paths, getting elevations of the trails etc etc.

Bonjour !
We are a couple of French and would like to do the Kora during SAGA DEWA en June 2011, and continue to Guge Kingdom. We are planning to find partners to reduce the cost of the trip.
We have been twice in Bodgaya.
Are you interested in?

Dear Coliette,
From which way will you be entering Tibet?
Can you tell me a little bit more about traveling in Bodgaya?

Thanks!
jn

Bonjour , Thanks for your answer,

1.
Bodgaya is very easy to visit , there are many guest-houses all near the center . The town is a big village with a lot of Bouddhist temples and monasteries of the Bouddhist world . The Main Shrine is located in a park not very large and we have spent most of our time there , contemplating pilgrims , walking with them and meditating. We have met a young man who helped us for example to get some small Buddhas statues blessed there.
Near from Bodgaya , plan to visit Nalanda and Rajgir, it can take 2 days or 3 , it depends of your avalibility. Very beautiful and inspiring sites in the footprint of Lord Buddha and in the greater Buddhist University of the Past ( 5th to 13th century ). Don’t miss these sites if possible.
And after that avoid to stay in Patna , difficult to move, difficult to get good informations in Central Railway Station….
2.
We plan to hike 2 or more weeks in West of Nepal and enter China (via Simmikot ) at Purang, and after the Kora around Mount Kailash continue to Guge kingdom . We don't know if it is a good idea to begin the Kora at SAGA DEWA in June2011because of too many western tourists. We must arrange all the trip in China with an agency in KTM .
We have gone about 10 times in Hymalaya , but never walking such altitudes so this the reason we need to acclimate.
3 . More informations about you and pictures and films. Professionnal? Are you on Facebook, or is there a private way fore more informations?