Tibet

[Legitikick]

Has anyone ever been through Tibet before? I'd like to go from Laos into China, Tibet, and then down to Nepal, but I'm reading all sorts of differing stories about the requirements to get into Tibet. Since I'm only going to be there for a few weeks, I'd hate to spend $300-$400 on a permit and/or tour.

Can I go alone?
Do I need special permits, in addition to my Chinese visa?

[Legitikick]

Hmmmm . . . . well my research continues . . . and I'm kinda thinking about taking Tibet off my destination list. I have three months for the whole trip, and Tibet would be about three weeks of it. Maybe I should save money and forget China all together and spend more time in SE Asia and India and Nepal instead, and maybe throw Burma in there too.

[buzzingtalk]

three months to cover such a vast amount of space would be frustrating for me - maybe your better of ditching china and tibet like you say and coming back to them at a later date? SE Asia and india is a bit more realistic geographically but even then thats a lot of stuff to cover in 3 months!! what do you plan on seeing, or do you need any recommendations? i can help out with SE Asia!!

[Legitikick]

I think you're right, I think I'm going to cross China off the list. So now . . . ., should I schedule a flight to India/Nepal or just get it on the fly once I get over there?

[space virgin]

Eh, where would you be flying from? I can pretty much guarantee that flying into India from any other country will be less expensive than flying into Nepal. If you're coming from SE Asia, flying into Kolkata (CCU) or Chennai (MAA) will probably be your best bet. I honestly couldn't say if it would be cheaper to get your tickets now or later. *shrug*

[buzzingtalk]

well it depends if your a gambler or not if its an important flight, that is pivotal to your travels, you should book it before you go so it is secured. id the flight isn't so important, and your willing to take a risk, you could book the flight while youre there. but any substantial flights id book before hand. smaller internal flights are cheap and easy to acess, and can be done easliy on the go.

if your flying from SE Asia, id book your flight soon, as they might be fully booked at time of travel. keep an eye on flight prices - recently malaysia airlines dropped their prices for a sale and a flight to india from KL was only 200RM ( about 30 pounds!!) shop around, and let us know more details, like sates your looking at and places you want to go, i have good knowledge of asian flight routes and hopefully help you out

[Legitikick]

cool, thanks for the help! I'm just not sure exactly how much time I want to spend in SE Asia before going to India, and I want the freedom to figure that out as I go. I figured the flights would be more expensive if I bought them once I was there, but I didn't think that they might be booked. Hmmmmm . . . . not sure what to do.

[buzzingtalk]

when are you going? if im out in se asia before you get there i can ask around.

i think its nice to keep an open plan but maybe your better off looking for a cheap flight before you go. it will be guaranteed then and see what the costs are to change it. i think malaysia airlines charge £20 or so to change the date...or try and find an open dated one?

research the cost of flights from where you intend to fly from to at the time you want to, but also look at the cost if you were going say in a week or a month. try and ifnd out how much costs inflate and change, maye that will prepare you a bit for how much it will cost if you do leave it. also leave more cash if your flying in peak time.

you will find a seat from se asia to india - even at the last miniute. but the price might be very high.

[Legitikick]

Awesome, you're a great help! I'll be starting this trip from Bangkok on June 18th. I think I'll be ready to go to India and Nepal sometime around August 15th, that'll give me a month in Nepal and India before flying out of Delhi on September 15th.

[buzzingtalk]

ahh i might be in bangkok the same time as you, ill be travelling se asia at the same time shop around for flights - i have a good list of asian flying companies back home and will link you up in the week.

as for the first two months what do you plan to do? if you have any qwuestions about se asia i can probably help out, bangkok is a good hub for cheap flights around SE Asia - look at www.airasia.com also consider using trains if your travelling shorter distances - thailand-cambidia-vietnam, or even thailand-malaysia-singapore. you can fly to xiamen (south china) for around £30 i think, with air asia, from bangkok. bangkok international airport has flight booths in the departure lounge (i think) where you can see the local airways and speak to advisors. it might be a good thing to go there when you arrive to find out a bit more from the locals and speak to the competition.

[space virgin]

This is completely off topic, but I just wanted to say that I had the rather boring honor of working with the Xiamen Airlines and Boeing Corporation owners and executives as they celebrated the successful completion of a jet. They really liked the $70/bottle Jordan Cabernet we had with dinner.

/end hijack

[Legitikick]

Actually, my girlfriend and I already booked a flight through airasia.com up to Chang Mai on the 19th, and then we have no plans from there. We planned on staying in Thailand for three weeks while she's with me, possibly a little excursion into Laos, and then she flies out of Bangkok on July 7th, and I'll continue on through Cambodia and then into Vietnam where I'll hopefully be meeting a Vietnamese friend of mine to travel around Vietnam with. After that, no plans.

[my retro career]

'kay, this is inteeresttingggg...

so i've been daydreaming about going to tibet in august, as an extension of my far east trip coming up.

what got my imagination going was the launch of the new rail service from beijing to lhasa. it doesn't cost very much - something like USD$150 one way, for a 'soft bed' sleeper. it goes as little as (approx.) USD$50 for a hard seat' only ride, no bed.
it's a 48 hour journey that apparently goes through some of the most scenic regions in china, if not the world. and besides, it's also claimed to be the highest elevated train service as it peaks at over 5000 meters as the ride approaches the tibetan highlands towards its capital.

tibet, being an autonomous region, requires all visitors to apply for a separate visa - in addition to your china visitors visa.

it doesn't cost a lot - however, tibet visitor visas will only be issued if and only if you book a tour with any of the chinese govt pre-selected tour guides.

furthermore, all journalists and politicans, and would-be visitors who carry a diplomatic passport are not allowed access into tibet.

they (the chinese govt) does not allow the free-wheeling, roaming visitor into and around tibet. all visitors are to be guided by their tour guides at all times.

and the cost?

well, i've contacted two diff. lhasa-based tour operators ... and the cost for a mere 7 day visit ?

$1000 pp.

it includes a personal 4wd vehicle, personal driver and english speaking guide.
it does not include any transportation fees to and from lhasa.

however, the price drops significantly if 5 or more people are in a tour group.

darn it, i was really really looking forward to tibet but at that sort of price, it just not possible. not for one week.

[my retro career]

btw, that's USD$1000 pp

(it sure ain't 1000 yuan....)

[Esterina]

The chinese government knows how to keep visitors away or under its control...

The best price you'll find in Kathmandu. There are regular tourist buses/planes leaving for a tour of Tibet, so the cost decreases significantly. No need to organize yourself the whole thing, just walk into any travel agency of the city.

[my retro career]

thanks esther,

looks like if i'm going to tibet anytime soon, it's going to be via india, then nepal.

[Esterina]

FYI, direct flights to Kathmandu are also offered from Netherlands, Austria, Germany, China, and Thailand.