Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Regions at a Glance
Tibet is a huge land and you can't see all of it in a single trip. Almost everyone visits
Lhasa, Tibet's holy city, which still has a lovely old town despite being at the fore-
front of Chinese-led modernisation. The nearby Ü valleys offer great scope for
short excursions from Lhasa, as well as great trekking. Focus your efforts here if
you're short on time.
For most travellers the central region of Tsang means the excellent overland
route to Kathmandu and the trip to Everest Base Camp. More remote are the outly-
ing regions of western Tibet (Ngari) and eastern Tibet (Kham), which require 4WD
trips of two to three weeks through amazing scenery: one desert and steppe, the
other forested valleys and alpine pastures.
Lhasa
Tibet's Great Monastic Cities
The traditional seat of Tibetan power, the great Gelugpa monasteries of Drepung, Sera and
Ganden still buzz with monks and pilgrims. Smaller but equally charming monasteries are
in the old town.
