Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Horse Riding
There's something romantic about travelling across Tibet on horseback. The easiest place
to arrange this is in the Kham region of western Sìchuān, where it's just a matter of coming
to an agreement with local herdsmen. A kora (ritual circumambulation circuit) of Lake
Manasarovar on horseback is a great idea and a few travellers have managed to arrange
this. You may also be able to arrange day horse rental in villages in eastern Tibet.
Tibet Wind Horse Adventure
offers one- and two-day trips on horseback in the Dechen
Valley near Lhasa and can customise longer adventures.
Mountaineering
There are some huge peaks in Tibet, including the 8000m-plus giants of Cho Oyu,
Shishapangma and, of course, Everest, which are enough to send a quiver of excitement
through vertically inclined explorers. Unfortunately, the Chinese government charges exor-
bitant fees for mountaineering permits, which puts mountaineering in Tibet out of the range
of most individuals or groups devoid of commercial sponsorship.
Foreign travel companies, such as
Alpine Ascents
(
www.alpineascents.com
) and
Jagged Globe
(
www.jagged-globe.co.uk
) can arrange mountaineering trips in Tibet.
Rafting
Tibet Wind Horse Adventure
offers rafting trips between June and October, either a half-day
on the Tolung-chu, one or two days on the Drigung-chu or ambitious four- to 21-day trips on
the Reting Tsangpo. Prices depend on group size.
Bathhouses
Cheap hotels often don't have hot showers, but staff can normally direct you to a simple
bathhouse (
línyù; sugpo truya
in Tibetan), where you can get a hot shower for ¥10 to ¥20.
These are purely functional places, and sometimes a bit grotty, but after a few days on the
road you'll be glad for the chance to wash. Bring your own towel and flip-flops.
Children
Children can be a great icebreaker in Tibet and generally generate a lot of interest. Many
hotels offer family rooms, which normally have three or four beds arranged in two connec-
ted rooms. On the down side, children don't get on with Tibetan food or toilets any better
