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In the far
west of Tibet is Mt Kailash, the most sacred mountain
in Asia, which is venerated by Buddhists, Hindus,
Jains and the ancient Bon religion of Tibet. From
it flow four great rivers the Karnali, the Indus,
the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra which drain the
vast Tibetan Plateau. It is an important site
for Tibetan and Indian pilgrims who make a 53km
circuit, or kora, of the mountain. This circumambulation,
clockwise for Buddhists and Hindus and anti-clockwise
for Bon followers, is said to erase the sins of
a lifetime. The mountain itself is 6714m high
and with its four sheer walls and snow capped
peak is an awe-inspiring sight.
Only 30km from Mt Kailash is
another important pilgrimage site, the beautiful
and serene Lake Manasarovar. According to mythology
it was formed in the mind of Brahma, and Indian
and Tibetan pilgrims can also be seen circumambulating
this lake, a distance of 90km.
On this trip,
we drive from Kathmandu to the Tibetan border
at Zhangmu. We then drive across the wide open
spaces of the Tibetan Plateau to Lake Manasarovar,
before completing a kora around Mt Kailash. From
there we retrace our route to Kathmandu, enjoying
once again the arid beauty of the vast plains.
This is truly the trip of a lifetime with its
stunning scenery and cultural highlights.
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Itinerary: |
| Days |
Route |
01 |
Drive
to Zhangmu [2300m].
We leave Kathmandu early in the
morning, driving for 123km through the beautiful
Nepalese countryside to Kodari on the Nepal
- Tibet border. After completing the border
formalities at both the Nepalese and Chinese
immigration posts we drive up a series of
incredibly steep switchbacks to Zhangmu
on the Tibetan side of the border. |
02 |
Drive
to Nyalam [3750m]
It's a short drive today of only
30km to Nyalam, but again it's on a steep
winding road which passes through a mossy
gully with cascading waterfalls |
03 |
Rest
Day in Nyalam
We spend a rest day in Nyalam
today in order to acclimatise before heading
up higher. A short way out of town there
is a small temple, Nyalam Pelgye Ling,
which is associated with Milarepa. |
04 |
Drive
to Peiku Tso
Today we drive 150km to the huge
lake called Peiku-tso. From Nyalam, we
cross two high passes, before leaving
the Friendship Highway and following the
road towards the lake. |
05 |
Drive
to Zhongba
A longer day's drive today, 255km,
takes us first to Saga, where we join
the main route from Lhasa. Just before
Saga, we cross the Yarlung Tsangpo [Brahmaputra
River] on a ferry. We continue on across
the vast dry plains to the small town
of Zhongba. |
06 |
Drive
below the Mayum La
From Zhongba, we set out across
the plains once more to Paryang and this
section of our journey has some incredibly
panoramic scenery. Beyond Paryang, there
are several river crossings to negotiate
and we make our camp just below the Mayun-la.
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07 |
Drive
to Manasarovar [4560m]
Today we drive the final stage
to the beautiful Lake Manasarovar, just
30km south of Mt Kailash. It is separated
from another lake, Rakshas Tal, by a narrow
strip of land and the two lakes are linked
by a small channel. On the rare occasions
when water flows in this channel, it is
said to be a good sign for the Tibetan
people |
08 |
at
Manasarovar
Today will be spent at Manasarovar,
exploring this fascinating place. We will
visit the picturesque Chiu Monastery on
the north west shore of the lake, with
the imposing sight of Mt Kailash in the
background. |
09 |
Drive
to Tarboche [4750m]
Leaving the lake, we drive for
about 35 km towards Mt Kailash and Tarboche
which is marked by a tall pole adorned
with prayer flags. This is the starting
point for our kora, the 53km trek around
the mountain |
10 |
Trek
to Dira-puk
From Tarboche, we walk up the
Lha Chu Valley through beautiful green
meadows and streams with Mt Kailash towering
above us. We follow the river which enters
a narrow canyon with high, steep cliffs
and spectacular waterfalls. Continuing
up the valley, the north face of Kailash
comes into view before we reach the 13th
century monastery at Dira-puk |
11 |
Trek
to Zutul-Puk [4790m]
We now leave the Lha Chu Valley
and enter the Drolma Chu Valley, heading
up towards a high pass, the Drolma La
[5630m]. It's a tough climb to the summit
which is festooned with prayer flags but
from there it is all downhill or flat
to Zutul-puk, with views of one of the
highest lakes in the world, Thukpe Dzingbu
Lake, known as the Lake of Compassion.
As well as the monastery at Zutul-puk,
there are several meditation caves and
another cave containing an image of |
12 |
Trek
to Darchen [4560m]
On the final day of the kora
we cross several streams, and follow an
impressive gorge. Along the way we are
once again treated to magnificent views
of Kailash. We then enter the Bharka plain
and it's about an hour's walk through
this desert-like landscape to Darchen.
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13 |
drive
to Paryang [4750m]
Today is a long drive, about 300km,
back to Paryang. We re-cross the Mayun-la
and several rivers. |
14 |
drive
to Saga [4600m]
We continue driving today along
a 255km stretch of road to Saga, passing
through the small, dusty town of Zhongba
en route. |
15 |
drive
to Nyalam [3750m]
Leaving Saga, we again cross the
Yarlung Tsangpo by ferry, and pass by Peiku-tso
before arriving back at Nyalam. |
16 |
drive
to Kathmandu [1400m].
From Nyalam, we head back to
the border town of Zhangmu. From Zhangmu,
it's a short drive to the Friendship Bridge
which spans the Bhote Kosi River and marks
the Chinese - Nepalese border. We say
goodbye to our Tibetan guide and driver
and walk to Nepalese Immigration Control
in Kodari where we will be met by our
Nepalese staff. After completing the re-entry
formalities we continue the drive to Kathmandu
which, depending on road and weather conditions,
should take about 5 hours. |
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Cost Include:
1) All transfer by Jeep and Truck
inside Tibet and Van/ Mini Bus/ Bus in Nepal
2) Guide with tibet / travel /Mt. Kailash permits
& Monastery entrance fees
4) Yak and Yakmen / porters for trekking.
5) Twin share tented accommodation with three times
meals a day while at camp
6) Camping/ cooking equipments with our Staff support
from Nepal during the trek.
7) Twin share accommodation with breakfast only
while in a hotels.
8) Applicable air tickets, liason officer and permit
fee. |
Cost Exclude:
1) Lunch, Dinner and beverages
while staying in a hotel.
2) Medical expenses, rescue operation, insurance
and Evacuation, incase of need.
3) Photography charges in the monastery & Re-entry
visa fee for Nepal.
4) Any other cost arisen during the trip, not mentioned
in the "Cost Include" section.
5) China Visa fee and re- entry visa fee to Nepal.
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