Some Travel Tips of Adventure Cycling

Adventure cycling is pretty safe. You hear very few reports of any cyclists being robbed, attacked, injured or killed. Many men and an increasing number of women, do long tours on their own, through very wild places, without incident. You really don't need to worry too much, but this section contains a few travel tips and precautions that will help keep you safe.

Look the part

One of the things that keeps you safe when adventure cycling is looking too poor and too stupid to be worth mugging. You can cultivate this image by:

 Allowing your bike to get dirty and a bit tatty - it's best if it does not look as if you just wheeled it out of the showroom.

 Wearing worn clothes, in dull colours, rather than brightly coloured lycra or just out of the shop goretex.

Not being too tidy about the way you strap stuff on the bike - a pair of underpants hung to dry out works quite well.

 Using old Coke bottles instead of proper water bottlesl

Keeping any high tech items like MP3 players, GPS units and palm computers, well out of sight.

Be seen

At only 5 each, a Hi-Vis waistcoat is by far the best value bit of safety kit you can get. Wearing them in urban traffic or on busy main roads is strongly recommended. In addition, in some developing countries, the only other people who wear such vests are the police, so motorist are extra wary when passing you. It's best to remove your hi-vis waistcoat when you start looking for a stealth campsite or are trying to sneak past a checkpoint.

Take account of cultural sensitivies

Be aware of cultural sensitivies and dress/behave accordingly. In some Islamic countries shorts and short sleeved shirts are frowned upon, as is other revealing clothing such as skin tight lycra. So, if you want to go unnoticed, dress conservatively and get some light baggy trousers and a long sleeved top to cycle in.

Cycle Helmets

There's no end of debate on cycle forums about the pros and cons of wearing helmets. In the end it boils down to personal choice based on your perception of the risks. A lot of adventure cyclist take them, but only wear them in high risk situations, such as steep descents or heavy traffic.

Traffic

Traffic is probably the single biggest risk when cycle touring. The only time I have been sure I was going die on a bike was cycling in four lanes of heavy high speed traffic on the main road in to Istanbul. Guidelines for staying safe are:

Try and plan you route to avoid main roads - particularly in developed countries.

Be very careful on main roads where there is not room enough for two trucks going in opposite directions to pass while one is passing you. If this is the case, and you can hear a truck approaching from behind and can see one coming towards you in front, you must be prepared to dive off on to the verge to let them pass.

If traffic is stacked up behind you, pull over and let it pass at the first opportunity.

Avoid cycling in big cities during rush hour.

Bike Theft

Luckily a loaded bike isn't a very attractive target for thieves - a quick get away being a bit difficult. However, an unloaded bike is different question. If a determined thief wants your bike, no lock is going to stop him, so it's not worth carrying a big heavy D lock. However, it is worth carrying some sort of lock to prevent the opportunistic thief - a cable and padlock is probably the most versatile. 

To prevent theft, the best strategy is not to let the bike out of your sight. Of course, this is a lot easier to if there are two of you. If you are on your own and you want to do some shopping say, you can always ask a shop keeper or cafe owner to keep an eye on your bike. If you do have to leave it unattended, taking the saddle with you helps make it a bit less attractive.

Most cheap hotels have some sort of store room or garage where your bike can be locked away. Otherwise, you have to take it in your room with you. When you are camping, at night it's best to make the bike as invisible as possible - lay it down behind the tent and padlock it to a tent peg loop.

Dogs

Aggressive dogs can be a hazard almost anywhere, but they are not that big a problem. The following strategies have all been recommended by cyclists:

 Ride the adrenaline rush and pedal like hell to out run them - can be exhausting and not always successful.

Stop and maybe get off the bike (ideally, keeping it between you and the dog), so they can see you are a human and not some wierd animal. You may have to wait until the dog's owner arrives before you can proceed.

Carry a stick so you can try and whack them as you pedal past.

Corrin Higgs suggests:"An authoritative shout while pointing back to where the dog's coming from. I shouted "a tu casa", but I'm sure "to your house" would work just as well, even for Spanish speaking dogs. This stopped or turned around three out of four approaching dogs."

Just raise your hand as if you are going to throw a stone at them - this is surprisingly effective.

Use a DogDazer (a battery powered gadget that emits a high frequency noise) -however, I have heard these only work on about 50% of dogs.

Pepper spray - good as a last resort against the more lethal looking mutts. You'll need to carry it in a handy pocket and check it is not illegal in the country you are travlling through. (Another one from Corrin Higgs)

Dealing with officials

In my experience, the best tactic for dealing with dodgy officials, e.g. police or army types, is to appear to be friendly, very respectful, but rather dim (Tim, nice but dim, that's me!). So, smile, say hello, shake their hands, but don't let on you know any of their language. Keep saying "tourist". Only show them the documents they ask for. And be patient, the aim is to bore them into leaving you alone.

Altitude sickness

In the Himalayas and the Andes there are a number of routes that take you as high as 5,000m. This is high enough for the effects of altitude sickness to be fatal. The good news is that if you pedal up to this sort of altitude from sea level, you will have time to aclimatise progressively and be reasonably fit by the time you get there, thus reducing the risks significantly. You are at a much higher risk of altitude sickness if you fly into places like Leh, Lhasa or La Paz, that are already at around 3,000m, and immediately start pedalling. In these cases, it is vital you take some time (a few days at least) to aclimatise. Important points about coping with altitude are:

 Allow plenty of time to aclimatise.

 Take things easy.

 Make sure you drink plenty of water - it's really easy to get dehydrated at altitude.

Wherever possible sleep a good bit lower than you highest point during the day.

Online travel industry is booming

According to AAA, about 42 million people are expected to travel this holiday weekend. Many of those travel plans will be made through online travel agency(OTA).
A report by ComScore, a U.S. Internet analytics company, released exclusively to CNBC on Wednesday, details online travel industry performance in the first quarter of 2015. Co-founder Gian Fulgoni said that the data proves it is exciting times in the travel industry.
Its an example of the Internet providing consumers with terrific services, he said in an interview on Wednesday with CNBCs Squawk on the Street. Its very easy for them to use the online travel agencies to compare prices, feature and services and then pick the one that suits them best.
However, he said, more people end up booking on brand sites, rather thanonline travel agency. This could be due to loyalty plans that some airlines and hotels have, Fulgoni said. Changing a flight could also be easier if done though the airline itself rather than through an OTA.
Among the major findings:
The report found that about 180 million people visited online travel agencysites in a month to find the information and the travel trips. That is a 27 percent increase from the year-earlier period.
The industry as a whole has improved since the previous year. Total bookings of air, hotel and rental cars in the first quarter was $35.1 billion, about 11 percent higher from the same period last year.
Online travel agencies are very popular led by Expedia, Priceline, Orbitz and Kayak. In April, 36 million U.S. visitors checked Expedia, the higher than the largest number visiting any individual airline site (Southwest at 16 million) or hotel site (Hilton with 10 million).
The demographics for ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft include both males and females but there is a clear skew towards men under 55 years of age. This could mean that women still feel uneasy about safety within the sharing economy.
Online shopping credit card
The Internet has put pricing power in the hands of the consumer, he said. And thats another reason why I think the branded travel sites want to see that booking occurring on their own sites because then they dont have to pay the commission to the OTAs.
Airlines have been doing more to hold on to that booking revenue than hotels, he added.

Tibetan Arts

Painting

As with other types of Tibetan art, painting is very symbolic and can be interpreted on many different levels. It is almost exclusively devotional in nature.

Tibetan mural painting was strongly influenced by Indian, Newari and, in the far West, Kashmiri painting styles, with later influence coming from China. Paintings usually followed stereotypical forms with a central Buddhist deity surrounded by smaller, lesser deities and emanations. The use ofcolour and proportion is decided purely by convention and rigid symbolism. Later came depiction of revered Tibetan lamas or Indian spiritual teachers, often surrounded by lineage lines or incidents from the lamas life.

 

Thangka

Tangka is a transliteration from a Tibetan word, sometimes called Tangha. It refers to the picture scroll mounted on colourful satin. It is a unique kind of painting in Tibet. It is usually vertically long, with no certain size. The picture is first drawn on a white cloth, then it will be stretched with a frame, pasted, polished, sketched with threads and painted. After that, the picture will be edged with colourful satins and mounted on a cotton or silken cloth. In the front, two pieces of yellow silk bands and two ribbons will be added to be curtain and streamers. Hard wood scrolls are then added to the top and low ends of the picture. A tangka is finished. According to its material and craftsmanship, tangka divided into three kinds: Painting tangka, tetile tangka and printed tangka. The embroidered tangka, brocade tangka (jiandui), tapestry tangka, appliquetangka and pearl tangka are especially valuable.

Sculpture

The Tibetan sculptures are divided into stone, wood, mud and metal sculptures. The early stone sculptures were from the Tubo Kingdom. For example, the stone lions in front of the Tombs of Tibetan Kings in Qonggyai, the stone lions and white marble statues in the Sam-yas Monastery.Tsa-tsa refers to a kind of demoulding clay sculpture, usually in small size, but very exquisite. The wood and metal sculptures center in temples, with the most classical ones found in the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple. The metal sculptures, with complicated process, often surprise visitors.

Some masks in Tibetan art also belong to sculpture, such as the wood, bronze and clay masks.

Tibetan Opera

 

Tibetan Opera develops from Tibetan dances. It is one of the oldest traditional operas on Tibet stage and a gem of Tibetan traditional art treasure house. The subjects often come from folk legends or religious stories of Tibet. The traditional plays are Eight Tibetan Operas. In performing, actors and actresses need to sing, speak and dance, while the singing is either in chorus or solo. The performers are dressed incolourful costumes and wear various specially-made masks and props. The Tibetan Opera has a lot of facial masks, each with a different meaning. The white and blue masks signify two Tibetan Opera classes. The traditional Tibetan Opera has no strict requirement about performing site and can be performed anywhere. On each festival, the Tibetan Opera will be performed. The Tibetan Opera performance has become an important part of the Shoton Festival in Lhasa. Today with more plays, more mature performance and improved stage effect and application of sound, light and electricity technologies, the Tibetan Opera is attracting more and more people. Many Tibetan plays newly edited or adapted are deeply loved not only by Tibetans themselves but also by overseas audiences.

Ballad-singing

Ballad-singing is popular among Tibetans. It can be performed by one man or more than two persons. Sometimes it is accompanied with musical instruments. The longest heroic epic in the world,King Gesar, was handed down from one generation to another by ballad-singning. King Gesar has been created successively since the 11thcentury, forming a group of heroic images headed by King Gesar who fought bravely and wisely against evil forces. The epic boasts a long story, unusual plots, beatuful language and clear themes. It also truly recorded the scenes of social life of ancient Tibetans. The epic is deeply loved by Tibetans. There are special balladeers or manuscripts of the epic around Tibet.

Tibetan Architecture

The architecture in Tibet is part of the traditions developed in the long process if social development. It reflects the history, politics, economy and culture. The architecture of Tibet can be categorized into civil use buildings, monasteries and gardens. The civil use buildings include residences for common people, mansions for officials and bridges. They laid a foundation for later building of monasteries and castles. The imposing monasteries and grand mansions of lords, the rich and big merchants fully demonstrate the architectural ideas and artistic achievements of Tibetan craftsmen.

The early monasteries were built in relatively densely-populated areas, while the later ones were set up on precipitous cliffs or between steep rocks, showing different styles. Small monasteries are sparely furnished, but formal monasteries are usually composed of a sutra hall, Buddha hall, monks residential areas and houses of Living Buddhas. Most of them have flat roofs. Meanwhile, the magnificent palaces such as the Potala Palace and famous monasteries have gable of hipped gilded roofs. They shine brightly under the sun. The gold roofs are often decorated with bronze bird, precious bottle, golden deer and Dharma, with male goat of fish head sitting at four corners. Down from them will be hung bronze or iron bells, which clash to make pleasant sounds. The sutra and Buddha halls are usually high watchtowers, with bronze or wood prayer wheels in the front gate.

How to Plan a Mount Everest Tour

How to Plan a Mount Everest Tibet Tour is a dream to many travelers, and to see Mount Everest is a much-looked-forward-to experience. Mount Everest is, the world's highest mountain, is really the top of the world. And the best place for non-mountaineers to see the summit is from China's Mt. Everest Base Camp (EBC).

When to Go

Though you can travel to many places regardless of the season and weather, you should definitely pay attention to when is the best time to see Mount Everest. Avoid rainy weather, as for any remote mountainous location, especially if you want to camp. For Mount Everest, also consider ice, wind and snow.

starred skyView of starred sky of Everest at Everest Base Camp in clear days

The best time to go is from late April to early June, and late September to early November, as there is little rain and snow, and daytime temperatures are above freezing.

Avoid winter time from November to April due to harsh weather conditions. Also Tibet is usually closed in February and March.

We don't recommend you to go in summer, because summer is the rainy season in Tibet, especially July and August. The summit is usually covered by mist/cloud and you have less chance of seeing the peak.

Permits Required

To enter Tibet you need a Tibet Entry Permit, and to visit Mount Everest you need an Aliens' Travel Permit.

You are not allowed to apply for the tibet permit by yourself and you can't travel Tibet without atibet tour guide. You need to find a travel agency to help you arrange it. China Highlights offerstibet Permit + private guide service, and all our Tibet tours include our assistance in getting the required permissions.

Getting There and Returning

Fly to Tibet and Leave by Train

tibet trainScenery along the railway

Many travelers want to experience the Tibet Railway. But it's far easier to get flight tickets to Tibet, and train tickets out of Lhasa. You can take time to adjust to the high altitude in Lhasa, rather than in the confines of a train, before beginning your journey in Tibet.

After enjoying Tibet, you can take time to enjoy the natural beauty from a train on the way out. You won't miss anything of the Tibet experience by travelling this way, and your plans are far less likely to be curtailed due to lack of train tickets.

To Mount Everest by Road

Mt. Everest Base Camp is far from Lhasa, and only a good transport solution will allow you to enjoy a smooth trip. We don't recommend buses.

road from shigatse to ebcFrom Shigatse to Everest Base Camp

The most popular and comfortable way to go by road is to hire a van and a driver.

With China Highlights, after your trip in Lhasa for the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, etc, your driver and tour guide will pick you up at your hotel. It will take about 2 days from Lhasa to Rongbuk Monastery, about 3.6 km (2.2 mi) north of EBC. Then you need to out and take the shuttle bus or walk to EBC.

To Mount Everest by Rail and Road

You can take a train to Shigaste now the Lhasa–Shigatse Railway is open. The journey between Lhasa and Shigatse is about 3 hours. There is only one train between Lhasa and Shigatse per day.

Train Departure Arrival Ticket Price

K9821 Lhasa—Shigatse 9:00 11:59 Hard seat ￥41   $7

Hard berth ￥209  $35

Soft berth ￥319  $52

K9822 Shigatse—Lhasa 17:30 20:27 Hard seat ￥41   $7

Hard berth ￥209  $35

Soft berth ￥319  $52

8 Days Needed

the Potala PalaceSpend couple of days in Lhasa to discover Tibet culture.

You should not go to EBC on the same day you arrive in Tibet due to the high risk of acute altitude sickness. It is recommended to spend three days in Lhasa and Shigatse to acclimate and discover Tibetan culture, and arrange your Aliens' Travel Permit, before going above 4,000 meters.

The typical 8-day Everest itinerary is made up of: three days basic acclimatization, a night for further acclimatization in Dingri, two days for the EBC visit and return to Lhasa, and Lhasa arrival/departure days. See our Mount Everest tour.

Packing List

creamBring lip balm and moisturizer.

Sun cream: Bring strong SPF sun cream to protect your skin from the strong sunlight.

Sun glasses/snow glasses: The ultraviolet light is very strong when up in the mountains. So bring sun glasses to protect your eyes and bring snow glasses to prevent snow blindness if you go to see Mount Everest in the snowy season.

Lip balm and moisturizer: Tibet has a dry and cold climate, so take measures to avoid chapped lips and dehydrated skin.

Down jacket (and warm sleeping bag if camping): It's very cold at night at EBC, even in summer. The quilts in EBC tent hostels may not be enough to protect you from the cold.

Good/spare batteries: There is not much electricity at EBC, so you need to charge your phone or camera and batteries before the final leg of your journey. The cold will sap battery life, so keep devices/batteries insulated.

Food: Bring enough food with you for the long journey if you can't get used to the local food. There is little choice for food at EBC tent hostels.

Medicine to reduce altitude sickness

FAQs

1. Do I have to camp in EBC? I don't like sleeping in tent.

You don't have to sleep in tent. You can stay in Rongbuk Monastery Hotel, about 7 km (4 mi) north of Mount Everest, or a Dingri hotel. They offer basic facilities: a bed and quilts like tent hostels, but they will be a bit warmer, and you can have your own bathroom, bedroom, and more space. Western food is not available. See our Mount Everest page for more on EBC facilities.

2. If I fly to Tibet, can I see Mount Everest on the plane?

If you fly to Lhasa from Kathmandu, Nepal, you may see Mount Everest on the left on a clear day.

3. I heard that it's very easy to get altitude sickness at EBC. What should I do to avoid it besides medicine?

You should take about three days to get used to the high altitude in Lhasa, Shigatse, and Dingri on the way. Avoid strenuous actions, quick movements, and jumping. If you get headaches and dizziness taking bottled oxygen or moving to a lower altitude for further acclimatization can help.

4. Can I use my phone at EBC?

Yes. The telephone signal covers EBC, but can be unstable. But do make sure that you have charged your phone and back-up batteries in your hotel before your departure, because there is little electricity at EBC.

5. What else can I experience besides viewing Mount Everest at EBC?

You can appreciate the sunrise/sunset at EBC in clear days. The starry sky at night is also very spectacular. And there is a China Post Office at EBC where you can buy and send your family postcards from Mount Everest.

Overland to Tibet - Tibet Road Map and Guide

If you want to have a road trip in lhasa tibet, the first thing you should do is to know the road map in tibet.

Currently, there are five highways to Tibet, namely the Sichuan Tibet Highway, Xinjiang Tibet Highway, Qinghai Tibet Highway, Nepal Tibet Friendship Highway and Yunnan Tibet Highway, as show on the Tibet Road Map below.

Due to the poor and rough road conditions, driving to Tibet used to be extremely difficult. However, in recent years, with the improvement of the living standard and transport services on the plateau, self-drive tours to Tibet have been becoming increasingly popular. Now, vehicles from different parts of China can be seen along the Qinghai-Tibet highway and Sichuan-Tibet Highway.

Among the five highways, only Qinghai-Tibet Highway and Sino-Nepal Friendship Highway are open to foreigners at present.

The Qinghai-Tibet Highway starts from Xining, running through the mountains of Kunlun and Tanggula, via Golmud, and reaches Lhasa, with a total length of 1,214 kilometers long and an average elevation of above 4,000 meters. It takes visitors the shortest time to Tibet with the best and safest road comparing to other highways. As the terrain is desolate, it’s not recommended and you may have a better time on the train to Lhasa, Tibet.

Many travelers book overland Tibet tours via the Sinao-Nepal Friendship Highway that runs from Kathmandu (capital of Nepal), through Zhamud Friendship Bridge and reaches Lhasa, with a total length of 920 kilometers. It takes three to five days with stops at sights along the way.

Roads in Tibet

A transport network centered around Lhasa has taken shape in Tibet, covering various parts of Tibet and provided outlets to China’s hinterland and countries in Central and South Asia. Click to check out the road conditions in Tibet for your trip.

Tibet Shoton Festival

• Celebrated: Sep. 1
• Location: Tibet

The Shoton Festival is one of the most popular traditional festivals in Tibet. It celebrates eating yogurt, the Tibetan monks who end their season of meditation, the watching of Tibetan dramatic operas, and Tibetan Buddhism. It is held annually in the month of August, or late in the sixth month or early in the seventh month of the Tibetan calendar.

The Shoton Festival has become a comprehensive celebration that influences the culture of Tibet. It is a great occasion for both Tibetans and tourists. It has also become a market time, and a time for competitions, performances and entertainment. Attending the festival gives visitors a special feel for Tibet and its culture. See famous ethnic festivals in China

Venue

During the festival, there are celebrations in the streets, squares and monasteries in Lhasa. The main part of the celebration activities are centered on the western part of the city of Lhasa in Tibet on the grounds of the palace of the Dalai Lama that is calledNorbulingka (罗布林卡).

History

The Gelug Sect of Buddhism has a regulation that between April and June according to the Tibetan calendar lamas may only practice Buddhism in monasteries to avoid stepping on and killing tiny living things. When the ban ends, lamas go out of the monasteries and laymen offer them sour milk and perform Tibetan operas. After 1642, the Gandain Phodrang (Paradise Palace) of the Drepung Monastery became the political, religious and cultural center of Tibet. Tens of thousands of people went there each year to give yoghurt to the lamas and to ask for blessings. The Tibetan Opera troupes and wild yak dancing troupes all came to perform. In this way, the Shoton Festival began.

Activities

On the first day of the festival, the Thangka is scheduled to be unveiled at the Drepung Monastery. Then the celebrations will begin at Norbulingka. The residents of Lhasa will gather in the park and celebrate by eating yoghurt and watching theoperas. Professional and amateur Tibetan opera troupes annually gather in the Norbulingka and perform various Tibetan operas. Along with the Tibetan operas and other religious activities, visitors can also watch yak races, horse races and dance.

Tangka Unveiled

The prelude of the Shoton Festival is the Buddha exhibition in Drepung Monastery. The tranquil valley becomes excited. With the sound of a horn reverberating through the valley, about 100 lamas will carry the large-scale Thangkaportraying Qamba Buddha (or Maitreya) out of the Coqen Hall of the Drepung Monasteryand walk towards the west of the monastery where a special platform is set up for the Buddha picture exhibition. At that moment, the mulberry smoke rises from all directions, horns resound and scripture chanting starts. The large Thangka will then be slowly opened up. People rush up to offer white hada. Countless hada fly in front of the Buddha picture forming a great scene. Within two hours, the Thangka will be rolled up again and carried back. People will not see it until the next year.

Eating Yoghurt

In the Tibetan language, the word Shoton means sour milk banquet . Buddhists go to mountains to cultivate themselves, and then after the period of cultivation, their family members will go and meet them on the mountains. On their way home, people drink yoghurt, sing and dance. During the festival, people will gather in the park to celebrate the festival by eating yoghurt.

Tibetan Opera

Masks of Tibetan Opera

Another important part of the Shoton Festival isTibetan Opera. One can’t miss it. Starting from the second day of the Shoton Festival, Tibetan Opera is performed from about 11:00 a.m. until dusk every day at the Norbulingka and at another park near the Potala Palace. Due to the limited time, the performances are only a distillation of actual Tibetan Opera. Real Tibetan Operas may go on for several days. During the Shoton Festival, the Tibetans bring along the old and the young. The Norbulingka and other parks of Lhasa are dotted with colorful tents.

Also Read: Lhasa to Celebrate Shoton Week 2013 from August 6

Getting there

To get to the festival, you have to get to Tibet. Foreign travelers have to apply for travel permits to enter Tibet. And you are not allowed to travel Tibet without a tour guide.

Read more about Tibet permits and how to enter Tibet.

And you should pay attention to the climate and altitude of Tibet. To have a nice and safe trip in such a high altitude area, you should know what to bring.

Read more about what to pack for a Tibet tour.

Tour with China Highlights

Interested in celebrating the Shoton Festival? China Highlights offers you the unique opportunity to celebrate the festival as locals do. China Highlights has a special tour to Tibet each year to coincide with the Shoton Festival.