Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Back into the daylight (and after a quick round of butter tea) pilgrims continue to a side
cave, which is smaller but leads down to a subterranean pool (the spirit lake of a
dakini
). A
trail continues for 10 minutes to the ruins of a monastery on a spur.
Dzong Kumbum Caves
CAVES
(guide ¥5)
To visit the separate Dzong Kumbum cave complex you really need to spend the night in
the valley. Make your way back to Ngadrak village and drive 6km to a parking lot, from
where it's an hour's walk (gaining 400m) to the main cave entrance. There are four main
caves here.
The main cave is much larger than Drak Yangdzong and winds for several hundred
metres to a large Guru Rinpoche cave and shrine. A side shaft leads to an underground
stream and pool. Exit the cave and climb up the hillside with the aid of ropes to the shal-
low but wide third cave before scrambling up to the narrow fourth cave, where you'll have
to crawl on your belly to make much progress.
Sleeping
Chusi Nunnery Guesthouse
GUESTHOUSE
( 133 9803 6553; dm ¥20-30, d ¥100)
Cosy, clean rooms and a Tibetan-style restaurant make this a fine place to base yourself for
a night or two. The upper-floor, five-bed rooms are the best option; the pricier prefab
doubles have better beds but are noisy and charmless. There are communal squat toilets
but no showers.
Kimzang Dromkhang
GUESTHOUSE
(, Jiātíng Lǚguǎn 139 8903 7035; Ngadrak village; dm ¥30)
The Karthok family runs this charming homestay, one of several pilgrim guesthouses in
Ngadrak run by local families. It's at the south end of town and is a good base for a visit to
Dzong Kumbum. It's clean and well kept, with a sunny balcony.
Getting There & Away
