China Travel Forum

[Richard]

Hi,
I'm planning a 6 week trip in April and May, visiting China and Tibet (and possibly a brief stop in Thailand to see a friend).
But I'm not too sure which direction to go in - any advice would be welcome!
The direction which seems best for me is:
1. Fly London to Bangkok, visit my friend for a week
2. Fly Bangkok to Kunming
3. Travel around SW china for 3 weeks (possibly with my brother and his Chinese-speaking wife), ending up in Chengdu
4. Fly Chengdu to Lhasa
5. Visit Tibet for 2 weeks
6. Drive Lhasa to Kathmandu
7. Fly back to London via Delhi ('cos it's cheaper than going direct)
The alternative would be to do exactly the same in reverse, i.e. Tibet before China.
The reason this direction seems better is:
- better acclimatisation going from China to Tibet? This is quite a big issue for me, since I've had trouble with altitude in the past
- I'm thinking the weather will work better that way round - i.e. April in warmer southern China, then May in Tibet. Is that right?
- visas should be easier

BUT:
- I've been told the drive from Kathmandu to Lhasa is incredible. Does it have the same impact in the other direction?
- Do you have any personal opinions of which way round would be nicer/more interesting?

Any other comments or suggestions welcome!
Thanks.

[Vincent]

The first direction is the best. No visa hassles and you can get some acclimatisation in Yunnan. The drive from Lhasa to Nepal is quite nice and at a very high altitude, higher than Lhasa. So driving in from Katmandu will give you more trouble with the altitude. Count on spending the first 3 days in Lhasa to adjust to the height. Drink plenty of water and bring some painkillers. I always have trouble with the altitude and I have good experience with taking Diamox.