The Shangri-La Express is modern, air-conditioned and has first-class sleeping compartments with two bunk-style twin beds. It is not a luxury train, but it is the best way to see this fascinating land of Tibet.
Accommodation
Twin-berth cabins are the perfect private retreat, comfortably furnished and traditionally decorated with the varnished wood and brass reminiscent of a different age. Each cabin includes a ‘Pullman’ table and deep armchair alongside a large picture window, a perfect place from which to take in China’s ever-changing scenery. A state of the art shower car complements the washrooms shared between every two cabins.
The Restaurant
Meals are served in the train’s spacious restaurant car, where dedicated chefs serve a western breakfast followed by a wide range of authentic Chinese specialities at lunch and dinner, using only the finest local ingredients. As well as soft drinks, tea and coffee, meals are accompanied by a selection of wines from around the world.
The Bar
However perhaps even more special is the unique ambience of the piano bar car, where an on-board pianist is always happy to take requests. Staying open until the last person leaves, the bar is the perfect place to get to know your fellow passengers, or simply while away some time, reading or taking in the scenery while enjoying your favourite drink.
Our last day we went up to the Drepung Monastery. It dates back to the early 15th century (1416) and was at one time the largest Tibetan community. Drepung means rice heap. Up until the Cultural Revolution they estimate 7000 monks lived in residence. There are a lot less now. We took the public bus through some very poor neighborhoods. Down some dirt roads and area that reminded me very much of the barrios in Mexico.
At the bottom of the hill, the boys said they need to relieve themselves. I thought the bathroom at the Potala Palace was primitive…this one was basically 1/2 of a wall just tall enough to give some cover. No privacy whatsoever. I admire their ability to overcome all social taboos that we have in the US. I guess, when in Tibet….
The climb up the mountain was bit more than we wanted to endure, so we took the “truck.” It was basically a pickup with a cover over the back. A bumpy ride up narrow roads. Rides like this are always fun. It gives the locals something to talk about.
Once at the top, we found a very simple but complex layout of buildings. We walked through the gauntlet of hawkers selling their wares. We walked up stairs surrounded by centuries old buildings. While I was obsessed with taking multiple pictures of one thing, a few monks passed us. They stopped to talk to Joe for a few minutes.
While this monastery looked pretty much like the others, it was still very impressive. I am not sure if the housing is all original, but some do date back to the 1500’s. There is a stillness here that is a nice change of pace from the hectic life of the Chinese cities in the east.
This Drepung Monastery was also a maze of little walkways and alleys. It took us a good 15 minutes to find our way out and back down the mountain. This time we were able to get on a real bus to go down.
More informations of the Drepung Monastery…
From the outside this hotel looks like a pretty boring and nondescript place but inside it is a little bit of Tibet. This is one of the better hotels in Lhasa, I am told, but like all Chinese hotels the beds are hard. It is classed as 5 star but in China this is usually 4 star. Here it is in the upper part of 4 star.
We were greeted on arrival by a local singer who was soon joined by a small group of musicians.
The Yaluzangbu Grand Hotel is also a living museum with a fully fledged museum on level 2 but on each level of the hotel along the corridors to the rooms are displays of Tibetan artifacts.
The rooms are a good size with all necessary amenities and each room has its own computer freely connected to the internet. Surfing the web costs nothing and it is at fast speed. So if you cannot live without your emails or daily fix of the newspaper then this is a great addition. The TV selection is pretty lousy if your first language is English. There are about 80 channels available but only 2 in English and neither one a news channel.
The buffet breakfast is pretty good by Chinese standards and there is enough western food available not to starve. The staff are friendly and helpful although the English is not that good at times.
Overall a nice hotel. Ask for a room at the back overlooking the sacred mountain. They are not as noisy as the ones facing the main street. However a Sheraton Four Points is being built just down the road so should be interesting competition once it opens.
Beijing-Lhasa Express - Another train-ride of a life-time has been offered to thrill-seeking travellers. A train-journey into the highest altitudes and along some of the great vistas, on its way to the “roof of the world”, from Beijing to Lhasa, commenced on July 1st, 2007. The celebrations and the first impressions were televised throughout the day, and some photos from my TV-monitor give some impressions of what I hope will become a personal journey. Please excuse the quality of the photos and remember, they are taken from my television-screen:
My father was a train-engineer, and I have memories as a child, when he would lift me onto his Locomotive. For a small boy, it was a massive iron-monster, puffing as if alive. I remember how tiny I felt. He was proud of his job, powering these massive machines, and it offered the family its bread and butter. To be employed by the DB (Deutsche Bundesbahn) or German Federal Railway meant job security and an income to feed my mother, sister, brother, and me. His work on the coal-powered locomotives made it possible to become who we are today, though the coal dust in his lungs took him from us in the prime of his life.
Working for the railraoad provided us reduced travel rates, and offered an early view into the world beyond “Muehlhausen”. My brother and I hoped for the window seats of the train-car, for we knew an adventure was about to unfold. We were beyond exited, to sit at a window to the world, to see and to be explored. I never wanted the train-ride to end.
Throughout my life-time of travels, the train has offered exiting means for exploration, not available behind the wheels of the car nor in the seat of a 747. The comfort of having an expert, like my father, command the engines of a train was something to be savored. Winding through the countryside and mountain tunnels, often pulled by several steam-locomotives, creeping the hights and valleys of mountains was always a thrill. The passing world on a train still fills me with awe and wonder.
Be it a trip across the Southern Alps of New Zealand, or the ride from Adelaide across the Outback to the North of Australia, or a journey on the Trans-Siberian Railroad from London to Beijing, or whisping along the Rhine-River on the ICE train, the train-travel of a life time will surely be the new direct link from Beijing to Lhasa, capital of Tibet.
Controversy has surrounded the construction of this modern feat of engineering, but it is the pride of most people here in China. For the moment, transport of vital goods to the West of China is accomplished by gas-guzzling trucks, polluting roads and country-side, only to benefit Gas Companies, Rubber Companies, and Motor Companies.
Train transport is cleaner, less wasteful, and the special GE-engines give greater honor to the pristine environment, than tens of thousands of exhaust-rich, noisy convoys of trucks, polluting every mile of travel.
Consider an evironmentally friendly, fast, and comfortable train system connecting the cities of Miami, Orlando, Tampa, the Villages, Gainesville, and Tallahassee, rather than thousands of fuming busses, that pass through the fragile eco-system on the crowed high-ways of our beautiful Florida. The idea of such trains has been shelved by our leaders as too expensive, though approved by the voters, who seem to understand the environmental benefits of modern train travel.
But let comment be restrained, until I have the experience of a personal railroad-journey to this dream country, and with it acquire the benefit of additional information and facts.
Chinese Visa
Firstly, please be noted that Chinese visa and Tibet travel permit is two things totally different.
To enter Tibet, or any part of China excepting Hong Kong and Macao (Visitors to Hong Kong, holding passports from the some countries DO NOT need a visa when staying for a specified free period), a Chinese visa is necessary. It may be best to obtain it before leaving your home country unless you are taking a package tour to enter Tibet overland from Nepal.
The first rule when applying for a visa as an independent traveler is to expect that you will be refused a visa if you mention plans to visit Tibet. There is a trick that when you apply for the Chinese visa, you can’t tell the officer that you have the plan for traveling to Tibet; you can only inform them you want to travel to somewhere else of China. Or else the application would become complicated and arduous.
Please keep in mind
1. When entering China it is best to have a visa covering the expected duration of stay. Getting extensions inside China can involve delays and other difficulties.
2. You need to apply for a double- or multiple entry visa when you need to leave and re-enter mainland China. Please note that, even when you leave for Hong Kong or Macao from mainland China, you still need to have a double- or multiple entry visas.
3. When you apply for China visa, please do not mention Tibet. After you get China visa you can easily get Tibet permit. Otherwise you have to wait for Tibet permit and then you can get China visa. Of course you will face the risk of that you might be refused to come to Tibet even if you get China visa but your destination is Tibet.
What is Tibet Travel Permit?
Tibet Travel Permit is necessary for entry to Lhasa or any other part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and are obtained through tour operators as part of arrangements for travel.
How to get a Tibet Permit?
All kinds of people can get Tibet travel permit through a travel agency except diplomats, journalists, and government officials who should travel to Tibet under the arrangement by the Foreign Affairs Office of Tibet Government.
Generally it takes three days to get the Tibet travel permit if you could supply the full necessary documents.
1) full name;
2) gender;
3) occupation
4) date of birth;
5) passport number;
6) nationality
all information exactly the same as on your passport. And you need to tell us your occupation because journalists and people that could be involved in political matters could be revoked (they need more complicated procedure to get a permit).
After having a permit, a travel agency could buy you the air tickets, and you can pass the check-in at the airport and the check point reroute with the permit.
Lhasa PSB will not issue travel permits to individuals and will direct you to a travel agency. Agencies can arrange a travel permit to almost anywhere but only if you book a Land Cruiser, driver and a guide.
How Can I get the Tibet Travel Permit while Travel to Tibet through Nepal
If you entry Tibet from Kathmandu, Nepal, you are required to obtain a Chinese visa in the consulate of P.R China in Kathmandu, the opening time for the Consulate of P.R China in Kathmandu is only available from 9:30AM-11:00AM on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Please note this visa application is compulsory despite you have already had a Chinese visa in your country or not since this is regulated by the border treaty signed between Nepal and China.
The Chinese visa you get in Kathmandu is a “group visa”. A “group visa” is not entered in travelers’ passports but is a separate sheet of paper issued in duplicate by the Chinese consulate in Katmandu, listing all members of the group. It usually allows a stay of 15 or 20 days. A “group” may be any number of travelers, and may be just one traveler. One or more travelers entering Tibet together with others may wish to have their own separate group visa so they are able to separate from the others. Obtaining a group visa requires at least two clear days in Katmandu.
Influenced by weather conditions, it is not always suitable to visit Tibet throughout the year.
Generally speaking, the golden season is autumn. During this time, the weather is fine and pleasant and the density of oxygen is, according to scientific statistics, the highest. In addition, several Tibetan traditional folk festivals are also celebrated in this season, such as the Shoton Festival, Buddha Unveiling Festival and Nakchu Horse Race Festival. These festivals provide tourists with chances to get profound understanding of Tibetan culture.
Actually, the best time to visit Tibet depends on many factors and it varies with different regions.
Lhasa , Shigatse and Tsedang are equipped with convenient facilities for tourists, and most places of interest in these cities are historical or cultural attractions. People can visit them in any season at will. Winter is okay as well. In winter, when there is only a small tourist volume, it is easy to get discounts in hotels, ticket offices, and airports.
Renowned for its picturesque natural scenery, southeastern Tibet, especially Nyingchi Region , is fascinating throughout the whole year. Roads there are also in good condition, so tourists can list it in their itinerary at any time. In northern Tibet, the wind is too strong in spring; roads are too likely to be blocked by landslides in summer and are too treacherous in winter owing to the heavy snowfall. So May to July and September to October are best seasons to visit. It is also the reason why we should avoid summer and winter to travel in the border area in the south.
To find out the best time to go, you should first work out your itinerary and then decide your time according to the information above. Or if you have decided your dates already, the information above may help you work out a proper itinerary.
I stayed in the Lhasa Hotel twice in June. In the first stay, I was in the newest wing, which is numbered “1″. The rooms were pretty nice and the bathroom was in good condition. I wondered where all those negative reviews, calling the hotel filthy and falling apart, came from. The room was pretty comfortable, but hardly a four-star hotel room. There is no air conditioning in the hotel, in spite of a thermostat which says “cool” on it, and the fan on the system did not work.
In the second stay, I stayed in the oldest wing, numbered “2.” Then I understood where the negative reviews came from. The room was pretty shabby and the bathroom had mold on the grout.
The Lhasa Hotel calls itself a four-star hotel. I think at least a couple of those stars are self-awarded, but I doubt that Tibet has a standardized system for hotel classification, anyway. In both stays, I found the staff to be pretty responsive and friendly, and the breakfast is pretty good. I routinely asked for fresh towels after taking a shower in the afternoon, which came within 5 minutes.
More informations of Lhasa Hotel…
Tibet has a highland climate, with lower temperature and less precipitation than most parts of China. It has thin air, long hours of sunshine and intense solar radiation. There is great difference in climate between the north — where the Northern Tibet Plateau has a mean annual temperature of -2℃. and is covered with snow half of the year — and the south where the Southern Tibet Valleys are much more temperate and humid. Lhasa, for example, has a mean annual temperature of approximately 8℃.
The topography and geographical location of Tibet and its great altitude create peculiar climate of Tibet. Generally speaking, the climate is rather harsh, with thin air, insufficient oxygen, intense sunlight and ultraviolet radiation. However, it is not impossible to visit this holy land. In summer it tends to be very cool, though in winter it is not as cold as people imagine due to the intense sunlight. Temperature extremes occur during both day and night due to the thin atmosphere being unable to either absorb or retain heat.
Sun radiation is extremely strong in Tibet. The sunlight in Lhasa is so intense that the city is called Sunlight City. The thin air can neither block off nor retain heat so that the temperature extremes can be met in daytime and the same night respectively in Tibet. However it is not impossible to visit the holy snow land. May, June and September are the tourism season in east Tibet.
With its flat land and mild weather, Lhasa is free of both frigid winters and unbearably hot summers, having an annual average daily temperature of 8 degrees C (43 degrees F). It enjoys 3,000 hours of sunlight annually, so much more than most other cities, it is sometimes called the “sunlit city.” Lhasa has an annual precipitation of 500 mm. It rains mainly in July, August and September. The rainy seasons in the summer and fall are widely regarded the “best” seasons of the year, when it rains mostly at night, and is sunny in the daytime.
Most annual rainfall comes in the rainy season that starts from June to September. Usually it rains at night in Lhasa, Shigatse and Chamdo area. The rainfall may block roads and make travel difficult but the scenery at the time will be the best.
So generaly speaking, the best time to travel Tibet is between April and October, and peak season is from May to September. The best months are May, June, September or October as July and August are rainy months. Those who travel in their own car or on foot should avoid the rainy season especialy when entering Tibet along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, and the sections between Lhasa and Nyingchi and between Lhasa and Ngari. There will be mudslides, cave-ins and mire on certain sections of the road, blocking the passage of vehicles. However, if you are only planning several days in and around Lhasa and getting there by air. There will be no problem for you to travel at any time from April to October.
Here is some more specific information in different areas:
Lhasa /Shigatse /Lhatse /Tingri /Nyalan:
Along the Friendship highway is basically in good conditions year around. But from December to February, the thawed road could make some trouble. Try to avoid August - landslide could happen in the rainy season.
Mt. Everest Area:
Early May and early October are the best time to visit Mt. Everest. Due to the clear weather, you have great chance to see Mt. Everest’s true face (if you are lucky). From December to February, you’d better not to go to this area because it is too cold - except you are real Great Adventure People.
Ali (Mt.Kailash):
Even without climate restrictions, this area is already inhospitable. Big rain and snow could make the journey worse. However, for those determined tourists, the appropriate time is May, June, July, September and October.
Eastern Tibet: Do not go to this area in July or August (the rainy season) because the rain could ruin the road, and make terrible landslides. In winter, the road could be frozen.
Northern Tibet:
With the average altitude of 4,500m, this area offers very limited time for tourists. Summer (July to August) is the prime time to enjoy the great plain in northern Tibet.
Lhasa Weather Records and Averages
|
Month
|
Avg. High
|
Avg. Low
|
Avg. Precip
|
|
January
|
7.0° C
|
-10.0° C
|
0.00 cm
|
|
February
|
9.0° C
|
-7.0° C
|
0.00 cm
|
|
March
|
12.0° C
|
-3.0° C
|
0.25 cm
|
|
April
|
16.0° C
|
1.0° C
|
0.51 cm
|
|
May
|
19.0° C
|
5.0° C
|
2.79 cm
|
|
June
|
23.0° C
|
9.0° C
|
7.37 cm
|
|
July
|
22.0° C
|
10.0° C
|
11.94 cm
|
|
August
|
21.0° C
|
9.0° C
|
12.19 cm
|
|
September
|
20.0° C
|
8.0° C
|
5.84 cm
|
|
October
|
16.0° C
|
1.0° C
|
1.02 cm
|
|
November
|
11.0° C
|
-5.0° C
|
0.25 cm
|
|
December
|
8.0° C
|
-9.0° C
|
0.00 cm
|
My family and stayed here for one night. We were on the way from Lhasa to Tingri and Mount Everest, passed the town of Shigatse, and were thankful to have a place to sleep and rest. It was ok, considering that it is at the remote area of Tibet and everything needs to be transferred here from inland China. Sheets were clean, bathroom was relatively clean. We had two rooms, and when we checked in, one room smelled like someone had just taken a major dump in the toilet. We tried to air it out, but to no avail, and being so tired, we really didn’t care. The breakfast was good. Overall, it was OK–that’s all I can say.
This was a spare-no-expense type of trip, and we are usually accustomed to 4-5 star western hotels, so this was definitely NOT on the same level.
More informations of Shigatse Shandong Mansion…
“To repeat – ad infinitum – though train tickets are a lot easier to land these days, don’t expect next-day middle-berth hard sleeper miracles for the most popular routes. To wit: expect everyone and their dog to be trying to get on the Chengdu-Lhasa train.” —- Lonely Planet China
I hailed a taxi to Sim’s Cozy Guest House around 1pm and the adventure of arranging my travels into Tibet had begun. Successfully arriving at Sim’s was my first victory. I entered the reception area, turned to my right, and saw the big travel desk. Things were looking good.
I asked about getting a train ticket to Lhasa, and the initial response I got (which I had expected based on a recent Thorntree message) was that they weren’t available. Before I could be given an answer a to why they were so hard to come by, I was told a friend might be able to help. I agreed to explore that option, and confirmed my interest in a soft-sleeper (they are the most expensive option, which is probably why I was told they’re easier to get) and preferred departure date (Tuesday, March 18). The train departs from Chengdu to Lhasa every other day.
A few minutes and a phone call or two later and I had confirmation that I could get a soft-sleeper berth on March 18! I asked if I was lucky to get such a ticket, and the guy nodded yes. My heart went pitter-patter as I had just moved a colossal step forward in my desire to enter Tibet via the world’s highest railway. As a prop for the photo above, I pulled out a page I had torn out of National Geographic Adventure last year which listed the train trip into Tibet as one of the best new adventures for 2008.
Since the agency could confirm I was getting a ticket, they could also start to process my Tibet Permit as well. I put down a cash deposit, asked a host of questions, and was told I could pick up the train ticket after 3pm the following day. I would receive a photocopy of the Tibet Permit March 17, the day before my departure. I asked if there would be any reason I wouldn’t get it before my train departure. The woman indicated it’d be fine as long as there weren’t any government deemed problems in the region. I knocked on the wooden desk for good luck, feeling a tad concerned about the week’s turnaround on the permit, though ecstatic about the train ticket.
Articles also posted on: gobackpacking.com/Blog/2008/03/23/mission-impossible-obtain-chengdu-lhasa-train-ticket/