tibet

TIBET

Way back to Lahsa from Namsto

Potala

Johkang & Bakhor

Ganden

Miscellaneous

View from the flight from Chengdu to Lahsa. I was happy & excited upon seeing this scenery...can't wait to arrive in Tibet.

I spend the most wonderful part of my trip in TIBET. Initially, I was really afraid of coming to Tibet. I thought of Tibet as a very mysterious place which has a really harsh environment for travelers. However, after being there, Tibet is definitely a place I would want to visit again, and would highly recommend it to my friends. It is no longer mysterious, but a beautiful place filled with fond memories.
It was quite an abrupt landing at the airport, so must really fasten your seat belt. Just imagine that the basket of flower in the toilet dropped down into the toilet bowl upon landing. But well, the next minute, I was already in Tibet, and was jumping up and down with joy when I first see the snow capped mountains just in front of me. But don't jump too much, because you will be short of breath pretty soon and even faint due to Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS) at 3500m above sea level.

Something to Note About entering Tibet From Mainland China...
Apparently, you need a permit to get into Tibet, and we got a China Tour Agency in Traffic Hotel, Chengdu to help us with the permit and also the air ticket. At the Chengdu airport, when my sister cleared the custom, the China authorities found out that the passport number of hers on the list given to them by the agency was wrong, and they demanded that my sister be detained while the rest of us would board the plane and head for Tibet first. Of course we refused. After some time of discussing between the tour agency guy and the airport 'Gong An' (police), things were settled somehow, but deep down inside we all knew that it was bribery that eventually solved the problem. And guess what, we never got to see our permit for entrance into Tibet!!

I would dare say that it's very or even impossible to get into Tibet with the help of the local tour Agency. So approach a local agency for a less hazardous trip into Tibet, but always be on the guard of what they told you because they would make empty promises like promising you free accommodation in Tibet. They can even misplace your air ticket.