Tibet

Tibet Travel Guide - Expert advice and holiday information covering Lhasa hotels and restaurants, trekking, Everest Base Camp, tour operators and guides. Also included are suggested itineraries, Potala Palace, mountaineering, Everest, Amdo, Kham and Kailash, Lake Namtso, visas, safety, religious and political history, Dalai Lama, art and culture.

This new, thoroughly updated edition of Bradt s Tibet encompasses the wider region of ethnic Tibet with more detailed coverage of the Amdo and Kham regions than is found in other guides. It also includes essential information on new border openings and is particularly strong on map data, which is extremely difficult to find in Tibet itself, including new theme maps covering a range of topics, from Tibetan regions to the Three Parallel Rivers UN World Heritage Sites, sacred landscapes, permafrost and major river sources. Bradt s Tibet benefits from years of consistent research. Michael Buckley has been visiting and researching Tibet for more than 30 years and has a raft of books to his name. Thanks to his knowledge and expertise, Bradt s Tibet offers a more extensive language appendix than is found in other guidebooks, plus essential guidelines on cultural etiquette (including a special section on hand gestures to use), local customs and travelling with minimum impact on Tibet s culture and environment. There is also an appendix on fauna and an extensive list of recommended further resources, including books, music, films and even virtual reality Exploring ethnic Tibet independently is a challenge. The `land of snows possesses the world s highest peaks (including Everest) and its deepest gorges as well as some of the wildest and roughest road routes in high Asia. Bradt s Tibet provides all the practical information you need to explore ethnic Tibet independently, whether motoring, mountain-biking or trekking. Tibet has always fascinated travellers and armchair travellers because it is so difficult to access due to its remoteness and extreme altitude. Now, under Chinese rule, Tibet is a sensitive destination for Westerners. Visitors needs all the information that they can lay their hands on and this guidebook provides plenty. With flight routes and rail access to Tibet expanding, and new border crossings opening, Michael Buckley and Bradt s Tibet provide all of the information you need to make the most of a trip.

Introduction


PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION

Chapter 1 Background Information

Geography, Climate, Natural history, History and politics, Economy and resources, People, Language, Tibetan Buddhism, Mythology and the arts, Saving Tibetan culture

Chapter 2 Practical Information

When to visit, Highlights, Touring strategy, Trip design/itineraries, Tour operators, Red tape, Getting there and away, What to take, Money and pricing, Budgeting, Getting around, Accommodation, Eating and drinking, Shopping, Entertainment, Photography, Media and communications, Cultural etiquette, Dealing with officialdom, Travelling positively

Chapter 3 Health and Safety 

Before you go, Common health and safety problems in Tibet, Chinese medical facilities, Medevac

crews, Risky situations and evacuation, Safety and security, Women travellers, Travelling with a disability, Travelling with children, LGBT travellers

PART TWO THE GUIDE 

Chapter 4 Lhasa

Secrets of the city, Getting there and away, Getting around, Tour agencies, Permits and paperwork, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Entertainment and nightlife, Shopping, Other practicalities, What to see and do, Outskirts of Lhasa

Chapter 5 Exploring Central Tibet

North of Lhasa, Yarlung Valley

Chapter 6 Lhasa to Kathmandu

Th e greatest road route in High Asia, Gyantse, Shigatse, Shigatse to Tingri, Tingri, Tingrioverland to Kathmandu 

Chapter 7 Star Treks

High-altitude forays to Everest, Kailash and beyond, Trekking in the Everest region, Shishapangma base camp treks, West Tibet, Ali and the Guge Kingdom, Th e Kailash region

Chapter 8 East Tibet, Kham and Amdo

Access to Chamdo Prefecture, East Tibet, within the TAR, Kham and Amdo: Tibet outside the TAR

Chapter 9 The Tibetan World 

Tibet in exile, Tibetan kingdoms and fiefdoms

Appendix 1 Fauna Extraordinary

Appendix 2 Language and Useful Gestures

Appendix 3 Glossary

Appendix 4 Further Information

Index