Tibet Travel Guide help to us for planning a visit to Tibet Tours. Tibet has so much to offer to you before leaving for Tibet, it is very necessary to get well prepared and make your Tibet trip unforgettable.
Tibet Travel Guide to the visitor about the weather, people, custom, best time to visit Tibet, cost, permits, transportation, high altitude sickness, food, accommodation, currency, festival, religion, and map. To make it easier, here we have sorted out the most important Tibet Travel Guide as follows.
Documents
You are advised to own a small waist pouch or document bag to manage the following documents properly; Passport with Photostat copies Photographs, Identity card Diary for addresses, contacts, small notes, etc. Ball pens with spare refills Maps/Charts/Books etc. Travel Cheques, credit cards & Currency.Airline/Railway tickets/vouchers. Any other document for personal purposes.
Additionally
Once you finalized your plan to visit the Tibet tour or Holiest Mt. Kailash and Manasarovar, be sure you are holding a valid passport. A copy of your passport should be sent to us at least 1 month prior to start your Yatra. It is advisable to carry extra money [In addition to the tour cost] for personal needs or emergencies.
Travel cheques, Indian currencies [except 500 and 1000 currency notes], the credit card is accepted in Nepal. You can exchange your currency into Chinese currencies at the Chinese border. The unspent Chinese currency can be reconverted on return.
First Aid Kit
Vaseline Facial tissues, Dark sunglasses, Ban Aid, Toilet papers, Glare protection, Cotton Rubber bands, Cough drop Bandage rolls Small plastic bag Chopstick Dettol /Listerine Cologne, Antiseptic Vicks, Mouth Freshness, Candles/Lighter, Cologne Antiseptic, Face Masks, Body lotion, Nose Inhaler, Dust cover, Mustard Oil, In addition to above one should carry glucose-based items [mints, toffees, and mini chocolate bars for periodical consumption at high altitudes for energy. Multivitamins and vitamin-C tablets are required for daily consumption as a routine. Make a separate pouch for the First Aid Kit with a list of Medicine and their appropriate usage. Saving is not advisable since any cut or bruise may not heal quickly and may irritate with nagging discomfort.
General Effective Medicines
We would like to request you to bring the following effective medicines with you for successful of Tibet and Mt. Kailash tour. The entire Tibet Everest Base Camp tour begins after flying into Lhasa from Kathmandu, Chengdu or Beijing OR arriving by train to Lhasa as per convenience linked route. Upon arrival there you will allow for rest at the hotel and from the next day commences your tour following exploration visit with cultural and historic sites of Lhasa, Shigatse, Gyantse, Rongbuk Monastery and Mt. Everest base camp. A short excursion to Everest base camp visit enjoys awe-inspiring views and joins for onward journey.
Fever Chest congestion’s Loose motion Body & Joint pains
Sore throat Indigestion Stiffness Headache
Constipation Cold Acidity Diarrhea
Cough Stomach cramps Swellings Sneezing
Vomiting Muscle Pulls Nose Blocks Dysentery
Store eyes,
Trip Preparation
If you are planning Tibet tour and Holy Kailash tour, you should be aware that it is a rigorous and challenging trip where we have to spend all the time at high altitudes. So, at least a 2-month regular practice is recommended either 2 hours daily running, swimming, or joining on a health club may help to complete the Journey successfully. Reduce drinking alcoholic beverage & smoking habits. Consult your doctor to assess the state of your health to function safely within your own limitations. In addition to the personal prescriptions by your physician, a first aid kit is essential for the travel.
People in Tibet
The majority of Tibet’s population of 1,890,000 is Tibetans. Tibet is so thinly populated that it averages out 1.6 8 persons per square kilometers. About 90% of the people live on farming and husbandry. Farmers live in the valleys of Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra) and its major tributaries Kyichu and Nuuang-chu. This area produces barely, wheat, peas, and rape-seed, the great northern grassland which occupies a good half of Tibet is the home of nomads, yaks, and sheep. Nomads have no fixed abodes and keep roaming along fine pasture together with all their belongings-tents and Livestock. The remaining population, approximately 10%, live in towns earning their living mainly On business and handicraft, and many are factory workers and government officials.
The ideology of people in this land differs greatly from any other nationality both at home in china and in the world. Religion seems almost everything. Many live for the next life, rather than for the present. They accumulate deeds of virtue and pray for the final liberation-enlightenment. Lips and hands of the elders are never at still, either busied in the murmuring of the six-syllable mantric prayer OM Ma Ni Pad Me Hum (Hail the Jewel in the Lotus) or in the rotation of hand prayer wheels, or counting of the prayer beads. Pious pilgrims from every corner of Tibet day to day gather at Jokhang Temple and Barkhor Street offering donations and praying for heart and soul for their own Selves, for their friends, and for their friends' friends.
Frequent visitors to Tibet can make out folks from different regions judging by costumes and dialects. Folks from agricultural regions dress in woolen home-woven gowns, and those from the grassland clad in sheepskin. Men folk from campo wear huge tassels of black or red silk which were used in the old days for protection in the fight, while the Lhasa residents are more stylish and modern. Dialects in Tibetan are in variety, but mainly can be categorized into four: lhasa., Tsang (Shigatse and Gyantse), Chamdo and Amidon.
Tibetan Custom
Presenting Hada: Tibetan-custom present hada is a common practice among the Tibetan people to express their best wishes on many occasions, such as wedding ceremonies, festivals, visiting the elders and the betters, and entertaining guests. The white hada, a long narrow scarf made of silk, embodies purity and good fortune.
Proposing a Toast and Tea: Proposing a Toast and Tea When you come to a Tibetan family, the host will propose a toast, usually barley wine. You should sip three times and then drink up. To entertain guests with tea is a daily etiquette. The guest has not to drink until the host presents the tea to you.
Greetings: Greetings Don't forget to add "la" after saying hello to the Tibetan people to show respect. Make Way to others. Try not to make any sounds while eating and drinking.
Sky Burials: Sky burial is a common form in Tibet. There are many prohibitions. Strangers are not allowed to attend the ceremony. Visitors should respect this custom and keep away from such occasions.
Tibetan Buddhism: Also known as Lamaism, Tibetan Buddhism was introduced to Tibet from the mainland and India in the seventh century. The Tibetan Buddhism consists of four major sects, the Ge-lug-pa (Yellow) Sect, the Nying-ma-pa (Red)Sec, the Saturday-kya-pa(Variegated) Sect, and the Ka-gyu-pa(White) Sect.
Pilgrimage: The immediate motivations of pilgrimage are many, but for the ordinary Tibetan it amounts to a means of accumulating merit or good luck. The lay practitioner might go on pilgrimage in the hope of winning a better rebirth, cure illness and end a spate of bad luck or simply because of a vow to take a pilgrimage if a bodhisattva granted a wish. In Tibet, there are countless sacred destinations, ranging from lakes and mountains to monasteries and caves that once served as meditation retreats for important yogin. Specific pilgrimages are often proscribed for specific ills; certain mountains, for example, expiate certain sins. A circumambulation of Mt. Kailash offers the possibility of liberation within three lifetimes, while a circuit of Lake Manasarovar can result in spontaneous Buddha-hood.
Tibet Weather Information
Basically, the Tibetan climate is not as harsh as many people imagine it to be. The best time of year to be in Tibet is from April to the beginning of November, after which temperatures start to plummet. The central Tibet, including Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, and Tsedang, generally has very mild weather from April to November, though July and August can be rainy - these two months usually see around half of Tibet's annual rainfall. October and November often bring some dazzling clear weather and daytime temperatures can be quite comfortable at Tibet's lower altitude.
The coldest months are from December to February. It is not impossible to visit Tibet in winter. The low altitude valleys of Tibet (around Lhasa, Shigatse, and Tsedang) see very little snow. Spring does not really get underway until April, though March can have warm sunny days and is not necessarily a bad month to be in Tibet. More specific information in different areas :
Lhasa - the border of Nepal/China: The Friendship highway is basically in good condition year around. But from December to February, the thawed road could make some trouble Besides, try to avoid August - landslide could happen in the rainy season.
Mt. Everest Region: Early May and early October are the best time to visit Mt. Everest. Due to the clear weather, you have a great chance to see Mt. Everest's true face. From December to February, it's too cold to go to this region. But the magnetism of Mt. Everest always attracts people any time of the year.
Ali (Mt.Kailash): Even without climate restrictions, this area is already inhospitable. Big rain and snow could make the journey worse. However, for those determined tourists, the appropriate time is May, June, July, September, and October.
Eastern Tibet: Don't touch this area in July or August, the rain could ruin the road, and make terrible landslides. While in winter, the road could be frozen.
Northern Tibet: With the average altitude of 4,500m, this area offers very limited time for tourists. Summer is the prime time to enjoy the great plain in northern Tibet.
Temperature in Lhasa
Month123456789101112
The Highest (°C)6.89.21213.719.722.521.720.719.616.411.67.7
The Lowest (°C)-10.2-6.9-3.20.9?5.19.29.99.47.61.4-5-9.1
Tibet History
Tibetan history can be traced thousands of years back. However, the written history only dates back to the 7th century when Songtsan Gampo, the 33rd Tibetan king, sent his minister Sambhota to India to study Sanskrit who on his return invented the present Tibetan script based on Sanskrit. Tibet's history can be divided into four periods:
1. The Tsanpo's Period: This period starts from Nyatri Tsanpo, the first of the Tsanpos, in 127 B.C(historians differ in view of the date, but this date is taken from the White Annales, a reliable book on Tibetan history) and ends in 842 A.D. at the death of Lang Dharma, the last of the Tsanpos, who was assassinated by a Buddhist monk owing to Lang Dharma's ruthless persecution of Buddhism. During this period some 42 Tsanpos had ruled over Tibet among which Songtsan Gampo's rule was considered as the zenith. Songtsan Gamoi was an outstanding ruler, he unified Tibet, changed his capital to Lhasa, sent Sambhota to India to study Sanskrit and promulgated a script for the Tibetan on the latter's arrival to Tibet, married Princess Wencheng of the Tang Court and Princess Bhrikuti Debi of Nepal, built the Potala and the temple and the temple of Jokhang.
2. The period of Decentralization: This period began in 842 A.D. the year of Lang Dharma's assassination, and ended in about 1260 A.D, when Pagpa, the Abbot of Sakya monastery, became a vassal of Kublai Khan, the first Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. During this period a little is known in history except that Tibet became decentralized into a number of petty principalities.
3. The period of Sakya, Pagdu, and Karmapa's Rule: This period began with Sakya's rule over Tibet, followed first by Pagdu's rule in Lhaoka and then by Karmara's rule in the Tsang region(Shigatse). The Sakya period was the time when Tibet officially became an inseparable part of China. This period lasted from 1260 A.D to 1642 A.D during which political powers centered in the three regions of Sakya, Pagdu, and Tsang successively ruled over Tibet.
4. The period of the gandan Podrang's Administration: This period is the period in which the Dalai Lama ruled Tibet. It started in 1642 A.D. when the 5th Dalai Lama overtook the ruling power from the Tsang ruler. It basically ended in 1951 when tibet was liberated and came to a complete end in 1959 when rebellion led by the Dalai Lama was pacified and the People's Government of the Tibet, Autonomous Region was set up.
Equipment Information
Clothing & Equipment are very important for all Tibet, Mt Kailash and Everest Base Camp travels so we are recommending you following equipment for your own protection and safety.
- Sleeping Bag down with inside extra cove.
- Down Jacket, Polar fleece: Light quilted.
- Pure wool and thick cotton socks.
- Thermal underwear (Inner-full fitting) wool or mixed combination.
- Wool pullovers-polo neck, Flannel shirts.
- Warm light gloves, Snowcap(with ear covering).
- Wool monkey cap, Sun hats & scarves.
- Comfortable Trekking boots and Sandals.
- Sun / Snow glasses.
- Towels-including small hand towel.
- Hot water bottle.
- Light Trek bag (for the camera, and very essential things.) and duffel bag to keep your personal belongings.
- Raincoat with hood.
- Ladies can select other clothing materials as per her interest.
- Torch with spare cells & bulbs.
- Video camera: - as per the interest.
- Binoculars.
- Plastic mug/ whistle.
- Swiss knife (multipurpose).
- First aid box / personal medicine.
- Walking stick.