Brahmaputra + Indus River Source
Brief Overview of the Tour
Tour Name: Brahmaputra River & Indus Source
Duration: 21 days
Destinations: Lhasa, Namtso Lake, Nyenchen Tangla Range, Yamdrok Lake, Shigatse, Brahmabutra Source, Mt. Jeima Yangzom, Mansarovar Lake, Mt. Kailash, Gar, and Indus Source.
Trip Designed by: Tibetan Ecology Foundation
Tour Code: BRIST21
Group Size: 2 people
Cost: $3,880.00
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Overview:
On this trip you will sightsee in Lhasa city, where you will find fine art and ancient architecture, monasteries, many sacred sites and amazing culture. After that, you will journey to the sources of the Brahmaputra River and the Indus River. You will camp and hike with the assistance of knowledgeable, local cooks and guides. During this trip you will experience the wealth of water of the Tibetan Plateau and will see for yourself the importance of the Tibetan environment and its water for the rest of Asia. You will stop in ideal places to capture wonderful photos of the scenery. You will come to understand why people call Tibet the Third Pole.
Contact
| Operator: |
Tibet Tours, LLC Tibet Eco-Tours |
|---|---|
| Mailing: | P.O. Box 32991 Santa Fe, NM 87594 USA |
| Phone: | 847 772 1430 |
| Email: | info@tibetanecology.org |
| Site: | www.tibetanecology.org/tours |
Content
| Accommodations | Booking |Brief | Communication | Contact | Culture Shock | Currency Exchange | Departure Date | Emergency Contact | Evaluation | Foundations | Group Size | Health | Important Notes | Itinerary | Laundry | Legal Advice | Map | Meals | Overview| Papers | Payment | Spending Money | Style & Bonus | Tipping | Transportation | Travel Insurance | VISA |
Your Itinerary
Day 01: Arrive in Lhasa either by flight or train; we will receive and transfer you to a hotel in Lhasa. We suggest that you relax and spend a few days adjusting to the altitude. Your guide will explain your itinerary in the hotel. Please do remember to get your guide’s phone number. If you have any questions please feel free to call.
Day 02: Visit the Jokhang temple and Barkhor market in the morning and Men-Tse-Khang (Tibetan Medical and Astrology Center) in the afternoon, an easy and relaxing day.
Day 03: If you are not experiencing altitude sickness, you will visit the Potala Palace, a wonder of the world and former residence of the Dalai Lama, and Sera Monastery. It may take the entire day.
Day 04: Visit Drepung Monastery in the morning. In the afternoon you may do some shopping and prepare for the trip. We suggest having dinner with your trekking team so you can get to know each other.
Day 05: Drive from Lhasa to Namtso Lake and Nyenchen Tanglha range, one of the most spectacular areas for taking photos. You will stay in a guesthouse. At an elevation of 4,718 meters, Namtso Lake is the 24th highest lake on the planet.
Day 06: Drive north on highway G109 to Nagqu. You will sleep well in a hotel bed before venturing into the camping portion of your trip. Days 5 and 6 will be the best chance to look at the Tibetan Railway and its impact on the fragile Tibetan ecosystem.
Day 07: From Nagqu we’ll drive west to Baigoin county territory. We will camp overnight. If you hike to nearby hills, you may have a chance to see wildlife: the Tibetan antelope, wild ass, Tibetan gazelle or wolf.
Day 08: Continue driving west towards Nyima, an 8-hour drive of about 380 kilometers. This road is one of the locations where you may see wildlife. On your right you’ll see Chantang Nature Reserve and on the left side will be the Xainza Reserve. One of the world’s leading biologists, Dr. George Schaller, asserts that in this area, wild yak is almost extinct (Wildlife of the Tibetan Steppe, p. 133). More abundant are Tibetan gazelles. Camp overnight.
Day 09: Drive to Garze, 340 km. This trip may take up to 8 hours. Camp overnight.
Day 10: Drive to Gegyai, 360 km, about 9 hours. Camp overnight. This is a dramatic location to photograph the reflection on the mountainside of the sunset and sunrise. Keep an eye out and you may see wildlife.
Day 11: Drive to Darcheng via Gar. Before you get to Gar, you will see the first dam near the Indus headwaters, and you will travel along its river stream. Locally, it is called Sangge Tsangpo, which means “Lion River.” You will see the source of the Indus in the coming days. Camp for the night in Darcheng.
Day 12-13-14: From Darcheng, you will trek to Mt. Kailash and camp overnight. Then, you will trek to the Indus River Source and again camp for the night. Trek back to Darcheng. Mt. Kailash is the most holy mountain in this region, and the Indus River Source is behind a few mountains north of Mt. Kailash. In this location, everything depends on the weather. Hopefully, you will make it to the Indus River Source in three days.
Day 15: Drive from Darcheng to Manasarovar Lake. Stay in a guesthouse, which you cannot compare to guesthouses in the US or Europe. The conditions may seem a bit rustic.
Day 16: Drive from Manasarovar Lake to Paryang. Stay overnight in a guesthouse. On the way to Paryang you will see Mt. Jima Yangzon on your right. It is the source of the Brahmaputra River, according to the Tibetan history. Some of the newly developed tourist maps say that Manasarovar Lake is the source. However, you will have the chance to see both. You cannot hike Jima Yangzon, but you will see it from the road.
Day 17: Drive from Paryang to Saga, where we will stay in a guesthouse. Driving from Paryang, after 30 km, you will see a large wetland, which is formed from the Brahmaputra’s tributary streams. This wetland is the upper source of the Brahamaputra River. You can visit the Brahamaputra River again when you reach Saga.
Day 18: Drive from Saga to Lhatse. Stay in a guesthouse.
Day 19: Drive to Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet. On the way you may want to visit Sakya Monastery, home of one of the earliest Tibetan Buddhist sects, Sakya Pa. In the Sakya Monastery, you can visit temples that hold vanquished demons or ghosts. When you get to Shigatse From here on, you will stay in a hotel. You can get great rest this night. We suggest you visit the monastery early the next morning.
Day 20: Visit Tashi Lhunpo monastery and drive towards Lhasa. Along the highway G318 you will see the Brahmaputra River on and off until Lhasa. You will stay in a hotel.
Day 21: Final day of your trip. You will be seen off, either to the airport or the train station.
Accommodations
In the larger cities of Lhasa, Shigatse, and Chengdu we use standard two or three-star hotels. In many counties and townships, we use guesthouses for our accommodations. In most places these guesthouses are the best we can find in the remote areas on the Tibetan Plateau. If camping is in your itinerary, we provide tents, but please bring your own sleeping bag. You can also buy one in Lhasa. Hot water will be available in hotels and guesthouses. Please note that you are sharing rooms with other members of the group. If you don’t want share a room, please let us know; we will have to charge you the supplement.
Booking
Please book your tour one month ahead or at least two weeks before your departure date. To apply for your Tibet Entry Permit and to buy some of your monastery entrance tickets, we need some time for processing. To book your tour, we require a deposit of $200. The deposit is NOT refundable. Full payment must be complete one week before your departure. Some of the wildlife tours require an 8-week advance booking because of paperwork and scheduling guides and drivers.
Communication
Email:
In Tibet many cities have internet cafés. Some of the guesthouses and hotels have internet access in their business centers. In most places, you will be able to find an internet source, but it may not be available in very remote areas. You may need some extra cash to use the internet.
Phone:
You can bring your cell phone but it will be very expensive to use. Almost every accommodation will have a phone that has international service. If you need to find a phone or internet, ask your guide for assistance.
Contact
Tibet Tours, LLC
Phone: 847 772 1430
Email: info@tibetanecology.org
website: www.tibetecotours.com
Mail: P.O. Box 32991 Santa Fe, NM 87594 USA
English is not commonly spoken in this part of the world. Often you will encounter comfort issues like an open toilet. Some of the local customs may shock you, but be aware that you are a stranger to the people in Tibet.
Currency Exchange
The exchange rate changes often. You may want to change money in the Bank of China or in hotels and restaurants that have exchange service. We don’t recommend carrying traveler’s checks because they are difficult to exchange in China. The best currency we recommend is US dollars and EUR (euro). We recommend you bring $500 USD for personal expenses during the trip. ATMs are available across the country but one thing you must be wary of is the fee for overseas withdrawal. Every bank or ATM is different.
You may check exchange rates before you depart at: http://www.xe.com/ucc/
Emergency Contact
Please provide your detailed emergency contact in case of an accident or death. We will give you our emergency agent's contact information after you book a tour with us.
You may consider seeking information about traveler’s insurance independently.
Evaluation
After your trip has ended, we would like to receive your evaluation of the tour and suggestions on how can we improve your next trip. Any comments on our guides, drivers and local agents will be appreciated.
Departure Date
The departure dates are effective from where your trip begins in China or an airport—NOT your departure from your home country. Sometimes the departure may change. If so, please contact your agent at info@tibetanecology.org
Tibet Tours, LLC & Tibetan Ecology Foundation
Tibet Tours, LLC was established to promote Tibet Eco-Tours as a Limited Liability Company to support the Tibetan Ecology Foundation. Ten percent of your payment goes directly to benefit the work of the Tibetan Ecology Foundation. TEF is non-profit 501 (c)(3).
Tibetan Ecology Foundation is an environmental education organization that promotes the conservation of Tibet’s natural ecology. Ecotourism is one of our awareness programs, offering on-the-ground exposure to the beauty of Tibet and bringing awareness to the threats to its ecosystems—beyond what you might learn from the news. Tibet Eco-Tours will allow you to experience Tibet firsthand. Our Ecotourism partners are local Tibetan tour companies run by Tibetans, and your participation greatly supports the livelihoods of these individuals and their communities. It will also help TEF to continue our educational programs. Please visit www.tibetanecology.org for more information.
Group Size
The group size will vary. There is no limit on the number of travelers. Please notify us if you are a student or a research group of more than 2 people.
Health
Tibet Eco-Tours require that all the travelers be in good health. You must be physically capable of hiking and handling cold weather. You must enjoy camping and trekking. Additionally, you must be mentally comfortable traveling or working with a diverse group of people. Please be open-minded and respectful of others’ boundaries, beliefs and traditions. People with special heart conditions or respiratory ailments are advised that the Tibetan Plateau lies at an average elevation of 5,000 meters or 16,500 feet.
You may experience altitude sickness for a few days, which is normal. We recommend that you take time to adjust to the altitude before doing any hiking and trekking, even in Lhasa. If you are seriously ill, we will provide transportation to a medical clinic for free, but any other expenses related to your health care will be your responsibility.
Important Notes=Paper
Before you enter Tibet (Tibetan Autonomous Region) we will need to acquire your Tibetan Entry permits and border permit. Also, some areas require applying for a special permit. Please send us copies of both your passport and Chinese visa. If you are entering Tibet through Nepal, you will need a few copies of a passport-sized color photo. The Nepali border officials will ask for this when you apply for a Nepali visa at the border, whether entering or exiting the country.
Itinerary
The itinerary on the site is final. The trip will proceed according to the itinerary, barring unforeseen obstacles due to nature or government policy. Otherwise, your guide will not deviate from your itinerary. You may print out the itinerary for yourself. Changing your itinerary during the course of the trip will not be possible. To extend your trip after your booking, please contact us before starting your permit process.
Laundry
Often, there will be a laundry service for a fee available in the hotels where you will be staying. You may need to change currency (Chinese Yuan/RMB). Sometimes, a laundry business will be available near the hotel. Most of these businesses are not self-serve and your laundry will be taken and returned to you.
Legal Advice
Illegal drug use is prohibited. Drug offenses will be subject to the Chinese court process. It will also put the entire group and travel agency at risk. Marijuana, opium and other drugs are culturally unacceptable. Also, political expression against the Chinese Government is strictly prohibited. We will not be responsible for violation of these rules.
Map
Names of the locations on our trip maps are based on National Geographic maps and Google maps. You may find different spellings on different websites. Most of the maps we use show locations that you will pass throughout the trip but are not necessarily where you will stay overnight.
Meals
- During your trip, our guide will bring you to the best local restaurants. Remember that your lunch and dinner is not included in the tour cost in the city. You may choose to go somewhere else to eat.
- If you have booked for trekking, our trekking department will organize a team to help you cook and set up your tent if you are camping overnight.
- While you are in hotels, your breakfast is included in Lhasa.
Payment
Your payment must clear one week prior to your departure. You may pay by check, credit card and cash. If you are writing a check, please make it payable to the Tibet Tours, LLC. For cash, please do not send by mail, but hand deliver it to a representative of Tibet Tours or Tibetan Ecology Foundation.
Tibet Tours will donate 10% of your payment to Tibetan Ecology Foundation. If you would like to deduct that money from your taxes, please speak to a representative about making two separate payments—one to Tibet Tours, LLC and one to TEF.
Spending Money
We suggest that you bring some spending money for shopping, bars or entertainment. Some may want to make an offering to the local monastery and having extra change on hand is a good idea.
Style and Bonus
The tour style is customized by the Tibetan Ecology Foundation in order to share an inside look at traditional life among wild nature, snowy mountains, great rivers and their sources. Tibet Eco-Tours also organizes tours to the northeast of the Tibetan Plateau to visit people living off the land in a traditional way—a lifestyle that has changed little over millennia in spite of modernization. It is also a chance to see the ancient architecture of cities and monasteries and a variety of art forms and folk crafts. Tibet Eco-Tours will invite you into an exotic and inspirational world of life and culture.
Mostly, we will let you have ample time to arrive at your destination, take pictures, and write notes. We limit your travel time to no more than 8 hours or 500 kilometers a day. This way, your trip will be safer and more comfortable. If you are a writer or blogger, we invite you to share what you have learned about Tibetan ecology or culture with us. We offer a refund of 5% of the tour payment to anyone who writes an article relating to Tibet’s ecology.
- You may submit a 2,000-word article for a 5% refund.
- Or 8 -10 pictures and a 1,000-word article for a 5% refund.
We would like to know what you think about Tibet, its culture, people and its natural and built environments.
Tipping
Usually tipping is not customary in this part of the country, but in the tourism business it is. Please feel free to tip, but please do not tip less than ¥1 (20 cents). We suggest a minimum tip of ¥5 for a hotel porter, restaurant waiter or waitress. You may tip your local guide and driver more than ¥10 a day. You may tip your trekking cook and assistant at the end of the trek.
Transportation
- Depending on your destination, we use a large bus or mini, depending on the group size in the cities. We use a 4WD Toyota Landcruiser as well. For any tours outside of Lhasa, your vehicle will be a 4WD Toyota Landcruiser.
- If you choose to take a train overnight, you will sleep on padded berths, and a blanket and hot water are available. To get from Beijing to Lhasa, a train ticket is very hard to get. You will need to book your tour a month and half before your departure. It is a wonderful way to see the Tibetan Plateau.
- Some of your trek tours will offer a chance to ride a horse or yak. Please check your itinerary.
Travel Insurance
We recommend you buy International Travel Insurance if you don’t already have it. We cannot be responsible for accidents, injury or death. We cannot be responsible for loss of personal valuable items, cash, camera, laptop, phone, etc. Insurance agreement form
VISA
Please apply for a Chinese visa from your home country or nearest Chinese embassy. For further information, please visit http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84246.htm For your Tibet Entry Permit, please send a copy of your Chinese VISA to us so we are able to apply for your TAR permit ahead your arrival.