China Travel Forum

[Luke]

I'm planning on visiting Tibet in October and would be interested in knowing the logistics and costs of chartering 4WD's from the airport to Lhasa and from Lhasa to Everest base camp and back and the general ara around Lhasa. I know that a lot of people incorporate Everest Base camp as part of an overland trip from Lhasa to Kathmandu by 4WD . How many travellers can you get in a 4WD?.

If planning to walk into Base Camp, is there a route you can take where you don't need to carry a tent and can rely on local accommodation & food? Also how much to porters charge and where is the best place to hook up with them?

Also does anyone have any information on cheap flights from Sydney to Chengdu?

I'd be interested in any particular highlights around the Lhasa area assuming a 2-3 week trip.

Cheers

[Tony]

No really need to take a 4wd from the airport to Lhasa. there are regularly airport buses, as far as I remember they charges 35 rmb.
The 7 day trip that include all the major sights can end either at the border to Nepal or back in Lhasa. It's completely up to the group who rent the car to decide. You simply find some people to share the 4wd with (quite easy in Lhasa) and then make arrangement with a travel agency. There's one at every guesthouse. You then make an itinary and make a contract. One good advice about that: Make sure it's a non-smoke car. Some of the drivers (and guides) are heavy smoker. Better just to have breaks to smoke outside the car.
I would recommend at least 3 days in Lhasa to acclimatise and see the sights. 1 day to ganden. Maybe 1 day to Samye or Tidrum.
Then 2 day/1 night with a 4wd to Nam Tso Lake (4800 m). Then go for the 7 days tour to Yam Drok Tso, Gyantse, Shigatse, Sakya , Everest Base Camp and then back to Lhasa.
There are trekking routes from the Friendship Highway either along the road or from Tingri. The first route there are a few villages on the road but don't count on accomodation. On the second no facilities on the road. There's a guesthouse at Rongbuk monastery and from there you can walk towards the basecamp. No accomodation on the road and if you want to camp you need to bring everything yourself. I wouldn't count on being able to find a porter (guide and a yak). Trekking in Tibet is very different from Nepal.