What comes to mind when you first hear the word “Tibet”? For some it conjures up images of monks and meditation, of high mountains and crystal clear lakes, of blue skies and red robes, and possibly the legendary Shangri-La.

What comes to mind when you first hear the word “Tibet”? For some it conjures up images of monks and meditation, of high mountains and crystal clear lakes, of blue skies and red robes, and possibly the legendary Shangri-La.

1.jpgTravel to Tibet

2.jpgTravel to Tibet

Nellie Huang is a traveling writer whose work has been published in several well known publications, as well as featured on CNN and the BBC. She has traveled to over 110 different countries across all seven continents. Recently, she decided to take a tour of Tibet, and booked one of our tours, with a couple of her friends. Read more about her on her blog: www.wildjunket.com.

3.jpgNellie and our tour guide Sonam at Everest Base Camp

She chose to take an 8-day tour that included the Everest Base Camp, and traveled at the end of May 2017. She was impressed by the devout Buddhist religion, the renowned cultural treasures, and the stunning landscapes.On her return, she published her own travelogue on her blog site, and you can visit the site to find out more about how she saw the true Tibet.

4.jpgUnforgettable Memory of Tibet Tour

The trip was one that she says she will never forget. The kind of trip that you wish would never end. Everyone had a great time on the trip, and they learned more about this remote region of the world that is so steeped in mystery, religion, and ancient traditions. The managed to see the region from the perspective of the locals, and though the trip was only short, they were able to experience more than they had imagined possible.

Highs and Lows of the Trip

One of the biggest challenges was getting everyone there. With so much red tape involved in organizing such a trip, the requirements seem like an immense hurdle. In order to get into Tibet, one has to have a valid Chinese entry visa, as well as the permit to travel within Tibet. Without it, it is impossible to even board the plane or train to Lhasa.

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Photo with travelling fellows

According to Nellie, the first day of the trip was the most stressful for her. All of the planning and organization had been done, but she was not really able to breathe freely until they were actually in Lhasa.

The Famous Potala Palace

6.jpgTake photo in front of the Potala Palace

The trip began with a visit to the famous Potala Palace. This iconic landmark of Tibetan culture and religion is probably the most well-known building in Tibet. And while there was a little issue with the ticket for one of the group, they were all able to get into Potala.

7.pngThe Potala Palace

The Endless Stairs of Drepung Monastery

8.jpgThe Drepung Monastery

On the following day, the group paid a visit to the outskirts of Lhasa, to take in the stunning sights of Drepung Monastery. The largest monastery in Tibet, it sits perched atop the Gambo Utse Mountain. Getting there was a chore, as there are lots of slopes and steps up to the monastery, and at these high altitudes, the group found it to be pretty tiring. Our guide, Sonam, kept them going with taunts of “Just one more flight of stairs and you’ll be there,” though there always seemed to be more each time they reached the top of one flight.

9.jpgSitting on the stairs of Drepung Monastery

The Debating Monks of Sera Monastery

10.jpgDebating Monks of Sera Monastery

Part of the learning of the monks in Tibetan monasteries is done through debating. These debates, which are held almost every day, give the monks a better understanding of Buddhist philosophies through questioning the doctrines with another, more senior monk. In majority of monasteries, these debates are private, but in Sera, which they visited later in the day, the monastic debates are open to the public. Watching the monks in their vigorous debates, with expansive movements and expressive hand gestures, was an eye-opening experience for the group.

The Epic Views along the Friendship Highway

11.jpgEpic Views of the Friendship Highway

After their visit to the monasteries, the following two days were spent on the road to Shigatse, from where they would journey to Everest Base Camp. The winding road climbed more than 2,000 meters from the elevation of Lhasa, and the views along the way were stunningly picturesque scenes of winding valleys, vast expanses of grasslands, lush meadows, and windswept mountains. When they reached the highest mountain pass in the region, Gyatso La, which stands 5,260 meters above sea level, they were greeted with the sight of thousands of Tibetan prayer flags blowing in the wind, and a spectacular panorama of five of the world’s highest peaks.

Everest, the Final Destination

12.jpgMt. Everest

When they finally arrived at EBC, everyone was on a high of excitement, although one of the group was suffering from mild altitude sickness. However, after Sonam hooked him up with a little oxygen, he felt a lot better. Although he did not want to let go of the oxygen again!

Taking the Scenic Route back to Lhasa

13.jpgSurrounded by pray flags

The drive back to Lhasa was longer, as the group was taken on a scenic tour of the region that took them to see the lime-green fields of barley, the crystal-clear, turquoise lakes, time-locked villages and stupa-studded mountains. The landscapes were as divers and they were spectacular. The first stop on the way back was at Mandak Lake, a man-made lake with sparkling, jade-green water. As they walked along the mountain pass, they were engulfed by hanging prayer flags in the viewing spots.

14.jpgPhoto with pray flags

Yamdrok Lake

15.jpgThe Spectacular Yamdrok Lake

Yamdrok Lake was bigger than they had expected, and much more spectacular. However, Nellie felt that the tourist industry had imposed too much on the area, with locals charging for tourists to have their photos taken with the yaks and Tibetan mastiffs. And at Karola Glacier, despite it being a striking reminder for her of similar trips to Alaska and Norway, she was struck by the aggressive touts and vendors at the location.

16.jpgPhoto with Yamdrok Lake

Catching up with the Guide at Gyantse Fortress

17.jpgVisit Gyantse Fortress

Majority of tourists who visit Gyantse go to the monastery, but Sonam convinced the group that the dzong, or fortress, was a better place to visit. And they readily agreed, despite being told there was a climb to get there. It turned out that the climb was indeed very steep, and they “huffed and puffed like grannies” on the way up. As Nellie noticed, Tibetans are like supermen in the thin air, as they are genetically adapted to living at high altitudes. While the climb was hard for the group, they all decided the views from the dzong were worth the effort.

A Word of Gratitude to Tibet Vista, from Nellie and her friends

“Putting together this trip wasn’t easy: Months of planning, communicating and dealing with red tape were involved. But I’m grateful to have Stephanie from Tibet Vista helping me every step of the way. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without her. She worked closely with me for months to make sure we had all our permits and train tickets before the trip and it’s all thanks to her that this trip turned out to be such a success.”

“I’m also extremely grateful to our awesome guide Sonam Tenphel, and driver, Nyima Tsering. Both of them were extremely professional and dedicated and they did a great job in showing us the best of Tibet. Sonam often went out of his way to make sure we experienced as much as we could, and he was always happy to answer any questions we had. All in all, I’m really glad to have Tibet Vista as a partner, and I definitely plan to run more tours with them in future.”

Read the detailed Tibet trip review from Nellie Huang here: https://www.wildjunket.com/first-time-travel-to-tibet/

For more up-to-date information about Tibet travel,scan the QR code to follow TibetVista tours, they offers innovative ideas on itineraries,things to do and see,places to eat and sleep, transportation and visa guidelines etc.

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