32 | TRAVEL HIMALAYA SPRING 2019 http://www.travelhimalayamagazine.com
TIBET
and go about their ritual, others will beam at you
in delight and some will even chat with you out
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Other attractions in and around Lhasa are of
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an amazing structure, though now it is devoid of
life, very dark and almost seems like the hollow
shell it must have once been. Norbulingka which
was Summer Palace to the Dalai Lamas and is
only a short distance from the Potala Palace and
also there is Sera Monastery, well known for the
debating monks (who literally shout at each other).
A little out of Lhasa are Drepung Monastery and
Ganden Monastery.
As mentioned earlier, the Friendship Highway
between Kathmandu and Lhasa is the classic route
taken by tourists in Tibet. Typically overnightingat Nyalam, Old Tingri, Shigatse (Tashilhunpo
Monastery [seat of the Panchen Lamas] and Sam-
druptse Dzong [reconstructed]), Gyantse (Kum-
bum and Gyantse Dzong) and often including a
stop at Everest Base camp.
There is so much more to see in this beauti-
ful province. More accessible now due to better
roads, but still very isolated are Mount Kailash
and the abandoned Guge Kingdom in Western
Tibet. Mount Kailash is sacred to the Buddhist,
Bon, Hindu and Jain religions and is an incredibly
important pilgrimage site and believed to be home
of Lord Shiva. The 6,638m mountain has never
been climbed and is near the source of several of
Asia’s well-known rivers, The Ganges, Indus and
Brahmaputra.
The abandoned Guge Kingdom is further west
of Mount Kailash and is even less frequented by
tourists. The kingdom was abandoned in the
1600’s. As well as large tracts of Western Tibet,
some of Northern India including swathes of Spiti
Valley, Zanskar and Upper Kinnaur were part of
the kingdom.
More accessible than Kailash and Guge is Nam
Tso (Heavenly Lake), which is only a few hours
drive to the north and slightly west of Lhasa and
can be made into a long day trip. It is the largest
and highest (4,718m) salt water lake in the world
and completely freezes over in winter. Nam Tso is
considered to be one of the main three holy lakes
in Tibet, the other two being Yamdrok Tso and
Mapam Yum Tso. Nam Tso is considered to be one
of the most beautiful lakes in Tibet and the views
are absolutely stunning and majestic.
One important consideration that many tour-
ists and tourist operators neglect to cover is accli-
matisation. The lack of acclimatisation prepara-
tion has in many cases ruined (or worse) many a
travellers dream holiday. It is vitally important
to tackle this issue accordingly and not cover as
much ground as possible in as short a time as pos-
sible, a recipe for disaster. Best Of Asia Overland
meticulously plan and run their trips with time to
acclimatise properly and as well as comfortably,
we even carry oxygen and constantly monitor our
client’s oxygen saturation levels. Remember if
you are on a trip from Kathmandu to Lhasa, once
traversing Lalung La (Pass) which is over 5,000m,
until arriving in Lhasa, the altitude travelled is
generally around 4,000m, give or take 100m or so.
Enjoy Tibet. If you are lucky enough to see a
wild yak, take plenty of photos. If you witness a
sky burial, please show your respect by not taking
any photos or going too close to the ceremony.
Travel in Tibet must be done in a group (mini-
mum two) and permits must be obtained.Guge Nam Tso (Heavenly
Lake), it is the largest
and highest (4,718m) salt
water lake in the world