Tibet


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USM

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Apr 25, 2002
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According to my research, the best time to go to central Tibet is from Apr to Nov.

I would like to hear from you guys who had been there before on the exact month to travel so that I can capture clear blue sky of the place instead of cloudy / rainy sky. :bsmilie:
 

aug is the rainy season...

oct is the best...cos the leaves already turn yellow and red....I went there in mid sep....a pity cos only SOME trees have yellow leaves.

but avoid early oct, u dun wanna crash with china long holiday...it will be ppl mountain ppl sea at all the touist spot. and its really no joke to fight for a spot to take pic.
 

According to my research, the best time to go to central Tibet is from Apr to Nov.

I would like to hear from you guys who had been there before on the exact month to travel so that I can capture clear blue sky of the place instead of cloudy / rainy sky. :bsmilie:

During winter time, the weather is super cold, and for this reason, I was told in my previous Tibet trip that most of the local travel agent are closed for this reason. And also, especially during Chinese New Year(Feb month), many of the local guides would have returned to their home town for celebration.

So you are right to say that Apr -Nov is a good time to visit Tibet.
 

I shall make a trip there this year. Yeah! ;p
 

a piece of advise, dun join the tour group from singapore...the itinerary sux...and most of them dun go to the Mount everest base camp.

I book the trip via a tour agency in tibet. 15days abt USD1000/pax ( total 4 of us, that was in 2005, and 1usd=SGD1.8), include accom, a 4wheel drive thru out, entrance ticket. exclude meal. and air ticket.
I fly to cheng du from SING, and than another internal flt to lahsa. need to pick up a entry permit at chengdu to enter tibet. this can be pre-arrange by the lahsa agency. if apply on your own, it will cost abt USD800...but via the agency, its part of the package.

I stayed somewhere near the base camp...
and this is my room view. full mount E.
rbs-11.JPG
 

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a piece of advise, dun join the tour group from singapore...the itinerary sux...and most of them dun go to the Mount everest base camp.

I book the trip via a tour agency in tibet. 15days abt USD1000/pax ( total 4 of us, that was in 2005, and 1usd=SGD1.8), include accom, a 4wheel drive thru out, entrance ticket. exclude meal. and air ticket.
I fly to cheng du from SING, and than another internal flt to lahsa. need to pick up a entry permit at chengdu to enter tibet. this can be pre-arrange by the lahsa agency. if apply on your own, it will cost abt USD800...but via the agency, its part of the package.

I stayed somewhere near the base camp...
and this is my room view. full mount E.
rbs-11.JPG

can i know the name of the agency please? :lovegrin:
 

a piece of advise, dun join the tour group from singapore...the itinerary sux...and most of them dun go to the Mount everest base camp.

I book the trip via a tour agency in tibet. 15days abt USD1000/pax ( total 4 of us, that was in 2005, and 1usd=SGD1.8), include accom, a 4wheel drive thru out, entrance ticket. exclude meal. and air ticket.
I fly to cheng du from SING, and than another internal flt to lahsa. need to pick up a entry permit at chengdu to enter tibet. this can be pre-arrange by the lahsa agency. if apply on your own, it will cost abt USD800...but via the agency, its part of the package.

Yes, I always prefer free and easy.
 

Yes, I always prefer free and easy.

you have to be with an agency in order to travel within tibet. I have a fren who "sneak" in from yunnan taking a local bus. but was stop halfway by police before even reach lahsa, and ganna fine USD100.

but you can try.....
 

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Hi, USM.
I am happy to hear that you are going.
Allow me to share just some experience, can?

My first trip was taken on 16th Sep 2007. 14 days.
Itinerary
Flew in from Kathmandu, Nepal right into Lhasa.
Then Lhasa - Gyantse - Shigatse - Tinggri - Qomolangma (Everest) Base camp - Zhangmu (Nepal border) - Kathmandu.
All by Toyota Land Cruiser 4WD.
Two of us only + Guide + Driver.​
Weather
Weather 0 degree early hours to 20 degree max day time.
Not rainy season for major parts. But Qomolangma Base camp was snowing, stormy. Couldn't see Mt Everest at all - misty.
Our very experienced Guide saw the clouds & told us we must leave one morning after two days at Base Camp cos storm coming. We took his advice & left. Another German group of 10+ tourists stayed on and were stranded there for another 3 more days when the storm came.
But because just autumn, it all can be cloudy & misty. I also missed quite a few far distance peaks and general landscape views.​
Tourist Crowd
Full of people, especially in Lhasa. In the major monasteries, we were rubbing shoulders with local Tibetan devotees and Chinese tourists.

My second trip on 20th Nov 2009 - 10 days
Itinerary
Flew into Chengdu. Flew to Xining next day. Then Qingzang Railway to Lhasa (23 hours).
Then Lhasa - Gyantse - Shigatse. Did not do Qomolangma (Everest).
Toyota 12-seater minibus (solid & stable!).
My two old parents, both myself & SereneXMM and our three teenage children + Guide + Driver.​
Weather
Weather minus 11 degree early hours to 10 degree max day time.
No snow. No rain. Just very cold. And very nice.
It's winter already. The sky is deep blue. Hardly any clouds. But most fields were bare. Not much green left. Only yellow.
More importantly, the air is crisp and crystal clear.
No mist whatsoever. Best time for photography.
USM, just to share with you, this time round I saw every single mountain and snow-capped peak that I missed two years ago, as we drove along the long roads. It was magical!​
Tourist Crowd
All the major cities are almost devoid of tourists as most are too frightened to go during winter. We virtually had every monastery to ourselves & took own sweet time.
Whole Potala Palace ours, with the occasional Tibetan families on prilgrimage.

Conclusion
I will go again in winter the next time round. Enjoyed too much already.
Unless I want to see the Shoton festival, then will have no choice but to go during August.
 

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Bro limwhow, you surely like Tibet a lot. Went there twice sia. :thumbsup:

I am not sure whether free and easy is viable in Tibet, i.e. just buy an air ticket and fly to Lhasa. In there, I will just book a hotel, and rent a car, etc to roam around. If not, join the local tour to the places that I wanted to visit.
 

Bro limwhow, you surely like Tibet a lot. Went there twice sia. :thumbsup:

I am not sure whether free and easy is viable in Tibet, i.e. just buy an air ticket and fly to Lhasa. In there, I will just book a hotel, and rent a car, etc to roam around. If not, join the local tour to the places that I wanted to visit.

Haha... Tibet cannot go free and easy on our own.
The China Government does not allow foreigners to just book a flight in and roam without first being assigned a tour guide.
The tour company will need to apply for a Travel permit 批件 for us who are going in from Singapore.
Visa is not necessary for Singaporeans travelling to China for less than 14 days.
But take note, this Travel permit is different from Visa.

For certain places, and certain monasteries, the tour company need to apply for further permits. So it's damn troublesome one.
Either get a Singapore travel company to make the arrangements for you, or engage a China company to do the same.
 

Haha... Tibet cannot go free and easy on our own.
The China Government does not allow foreigners to just book a flight in and roam without first being assigned a tour guide.
The tour company will need to apply for a Travel permit 批件 for us who are going in from Singapore.
Visa is not necessary for Singaporeans travelling to China for less than 14 days.
But take note, this Travel permit is different from Visa.

For certain places, and certain monasteries, the tour company need to apply for further permits. So it's damn troublesome one.
Either get a Singapore travel company to make the arrangements for you, or engage a China company to do the same.

ya..and esp now after the riot, they already tighten up the access control. easy way is go chengdu and get the local tour agency to arrange while travel within si chuan for a few days. there are quite a few nice place around , can see the big buddha(just 1day trip will do) , er mei shan, or if got 3-4days extra can go jiu zai gou...
 

Haha... Tibet cannot go free and easy on our own.
The China Government does not allow foreigners to just book a flight in and roam without first being assigned a tour guide.
The tour company will need to apply for a Travel permit 批件 for us who are going in from Singapore.
Visa is not necessary for Singaporeans travelling to China for less than 14 days.
But take note, this Travel permit is different from Visa.

For certain places, and certain monasteries, the tour company need to apply for further permits. So it's damn troublesome one.
Either get a Singapore travel company to make the arrangements for you, or engage a China company to do the same.

Ya Bro, I guess that I am more those types who are more kang ho.

Anyway, I do understand that Tibet is tightly controlled by the chinese government bec of Dhalai Lama.


ya..and esp now after the riot, they already tighten up the access control. easy way is go chengdu and get the local tour agency to arrange while travel within si chuan for a few days. there are quite a few nice place around , can see the big buddha(just 1day trip will do) , er mei shan, or if got 3-4days extra can go jiu zai gou...

I reckon that it would be better to book a tour when I reach Tibet than booking in Singapore. At least, I can choose and pick what are the places that I like to visit.
 

I reckon that it would be better to book a tour when I reach Tibet than booking in Singapore. At least, I can choose and pick what are the places that I like to visit.

bro...the prob is...u cant even enter Tibet, u need to show ur travel permit when entering tibet at the airport or train stn.

thats why I advise u to book at cheng du ...or other places depending on ur mode of transport to lhasa.
I book the trip direct with a lhasa agency from singapore. and when I reach cheng du, the agency arrange some one to pass the travel permit to me at the cheng du hotel than I can enter tibet via plane.
one of my fren did a super kang ho way....take local bus from yun nan(the bus travel for at least 2-3days) ...got thru the 1st pass, but 2nd pass, the police stop him and fine him usd100, he was quite piss and decide to go somewhere else....

tibet is in China, but its run differently from other provience.
http://gogosc.com/enly_tibet_explanation.asp
 

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