Tibet, 2nd; The Bradt Travel Guide

by Michael Buckley

• ISBN13: 9781841621647
• ISBN10: 1841621641
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2006-11-01
• Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Summary

Exploring ethnic Tibet independently is a challenge. The proverbial 'land of snows', it possesses some of the wildest and roughest road routes in high Asia, and so trekking, motoring and mountain-biking are all covered in this new edition. Political and cultural issues make Tibet a sensitive destination for Westerners to visit, so Michael Buckley's advice includes guidelines on cultural etiquette, local customs and travelling with minimum impact on Tibet's culture and environment. Michael Buckley is an experienced adventure traveller and author who has explored an extensive area of Central Asia. In the course of journeys to Tibet, he has hitchhiked overland from Chengdu to Lhasa, trekked around Mount Kailash, and mountain-biked from Lhasa to Kathmandu. He lives in Vancouver, Canada.

Author Biography

Michael Buckley is an experienced adventure traveler and author who has explored an extensive area of Central Asia. In the course of journeys to Tibet, he has hitchhiked overland from Chengdu to Lhasa, trekked around Mount Kailash, and mountain-biked from Lhasa to Kathmandu. He lives in Vancouver, Canada.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. VII
General Information	p. 1
Background Information	p. 3
Geogaphy and climate	p. 3
Ecology	p. 6
History and politics	p. 9
Economy and resources	p. 12
Population and people	p. 17
Tibetan language	p. 20
Tibetan Buddhism	p. 21
Mythology and the arts	p. 29
Saving Tibetan culture	p. 30
Practical Information	p. 37
Plateau highlights	p. 37
Planning your trip	p. 39
Getting to Tibet	p. 40
Getting around	p. 57
What to take	p. 62
Money and pricing	p. 66
Lodging and food	p. 68
Facilities	p. 69
Ethical guidelines	p. 74
Dealing with officialdom	p. 77
Giving something back	p. 80
Health and Safety	p. 83
Health	p. 83
Safety and security	p. 96
The Guide	p. 99
Lhasa	p. 101
Secrets of the city	p. 101
Transportation and permits	p. 103
Where to stay	p. 110
Food and nightlife	p. 117
Information	p. 120
Services	p. 121
What to see	p. 125
Outskirts of Lhasa	p. 146
Exploring Central Tibet	p. 151
Key pilgrimage sites of the region	p. 151
North of Lhasa	p. 151
Yarlung Valley	p. 160
Lhasa to Kathmandu	p. 171
The greatest road route in High Asia	p. 171
Gyantse	p. 177
Shigatse	p. 184
Shigatse to Tingri	p. 194
Tingri to Kathmandu	p. 201
Star Treks	p. 207
High-altitude forays to Everest, Kailash and beyond	p. 207
Trekking in the Everest region	p. 208
Shishapangma base-camp trek	p. 218
West Tibet	p. 218
Ali and the Guge Kingdom	p. 222
The Kailash region	p. 227
Amdo, Kham and East Tibet	p. 235
Tibet outside the TAR	p. 235
Routes through Amdo	p. 236
Routes through east Tibet	p. 248
Routes through Kham	p. 253
The Tibetan World	p. 261
Tibet in exile	p. 261
Tibetan kingdoms and fiefdoms	p. 265
Language & Useful Gestures	p. 275
Glossary	p. 286
Further Information	p. 289
Index	p. 301
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