Tibet; The Bradt Travel Guide

by Michael Buckley

• ISBN13: 9781841620619
• ISBN10: 1841620610
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2003-03-01
• Publisher: Bradt Travel Guides

Summary

Visitors to ethnic Tibet can discover Buddhist monasteries and pilgrimage sites, as well as trekking routes through some of the most stunning mountain scenery in the world. This new Bradt guide includes practical information on visas, route planning, essential words and phrases, local customs and culture, plus advice on low- impact travel. There is also a chapter on routes through the northern and eastern areas of Kham and Amdo.

Author Biography

Michael Buckley is an experienced adventure traveler, who has explored an extensive area of Central Asia, Tibet, and China. His modes of transport have included trekking, mountain biking, and hitchhiking. He lives in Vancouver, Canada, and has written or contributed to eight titles about the Himalayan and Southeast Asian region.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	viii
Introduction	ix
PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION	1	(92)
Background Information	3	(32)
Geography and climate	3	(3)
Ecology	6	(2)
History and politics	8	(5)
Economy	13	(2)
Population and people	15	(2)
Tibetan language	17	(1)
Tibetan Buddhism	18	(8)
Mythology and the arts	26	(1)
Saving Tibetan culture	27	(8)
Practical Information	35	(44)
Plateau highlights	35	(1)
Planning your trip	36	(2)
Getting to Tibet	38	(16)
Getting around	54	(5)
What to take	59	(3)
Money and pricing	62	(3)
Lodging and food	65	(1)
Facilities	66	(4)
Ethical guidelines	70	(4)
Dealing with officialdom	74	(1)
Giving something back	75	(4)
Health and Safety	79	(14)
Health	79	(12)
Safety and security	91	(2)
PART TWO THE GUIDE	93	(168)
Lhasa	95	(48)
Secrets of the city	95	(2)
Transportation and permits	97	(5)
Where to stay	102	(8)
Food and nightlife	110	(3)
Information	113	(1)
Services	114	(3)
What to see	117	(20)
Outskirts of Lhasa	137	(6)
Exploring Central Tibet	143	(18)
Key pilgrimage sites of the region	143	(1)
North of Lhasa	143	(8)
Yarlung Valley	151	(10)
Lhasa to Kathmandu Route	161	(36)
The greatest road route in high Asia	161	(6)
Gyantse	167	(7)
Shigatse	174	(9)
Shigatse to Tingri	183	(7)
Tingri to Kathmandu	190	(7)
Star Treks	197	(26)
High-altitude forays to Everest, Kailash and beyond	197	(1)
Trekking in the Everest region	198	(9)
Shishapangma base-camp trek	207	(1)
West Tibet	207	(16)
Amdo, Kham and East Tibet	223	(24)
Tibet outside the TAR	223	(1)
Routes through Amdo	224	(11)
Routes through East Tibet	235	(3)
Routes through Kham	238	(9)
The Tibetan World	247	(14)
Tibet in exile	247	(4)
Tibetan kingdoms and fiefdoms	251	(10)
Appendix 1 Language	261	(10)
Appendix 2 Glossary	271	(4)
Appendix 3 Further Information	275	(8)
Index	283

Excerpts

"Intense" is a word that applies to many aspects of Tibet. It applies to the amazing resilience of the Tibetan people in the face of extreme adversity. Their battle has been largely a pacifist one--suffering, enduring--a game of ultimate patience and tolerance. "Intense" captures the feel of the landscape. The intensity of colors at this elevation is extraordinary--with glacial-blue lakes, luminous-yellow fields of mustard, deep reds and browns of barren rock landscapes, and then, up on the horizon looms an ethereal Himalayan snowcap, backed by piercing blue skies. The colors practically glow: when you show photographs of these landscapes to people who haven't been there, they question the unreal colors--"What kind of filter did you use?"

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Excerpted from Tibet by Michael Buckley
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.