Mystic Shangrila Tibet

The mystic Shangrila, the forbidden kingdom on the roof of the world has captured man’s imagination for centuries.
Great explorers & adventurers of the century have ventured into this holy land rendered inaccessible by the hostile natural conditions & bandits that waylaid them on their journeys through the Himalayas. Despite untold ravages which occurred during the "Cultural Revolution". Tibet’s past grandeur, majesty, magic & mystery still remains undiminished. One can still see today nomads herding their yaks, pilgrims worshipping at sacred shrines & the expansive, striking & enduring Himalayan topography. Tibet is truly an adventurers paradise.

How to Access?
» Fly from Kathmandu to Lhasa:
Air China, the only Airline operates the flight between Kathmandu and Lhasa 3 days in a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). The flight operates from April through end of the October. The rest of the months the Air China withhold the flights because of the low flow of passengers/travelers. This trans Himalayan flight takes 1 hour & 10 minutes to reach Lhasa from Kathmandu.

» Tibet from mainland China:
Lhasa is also connected with Beijing, Xian, Chengdu and Shanghai by air. There are every day Flights operating from Lhasa to these cities. Gongar is the only Airport in Lhasa. So, now days, travelers who are interested visiting Tibet via mainland China can commence their journey from one of these cities. The journey from the mainland China is hassle-free than the journey via Kathmandu.

» Overland connection from Kathmandu Nepal:
There are five major road routes to Lhasa but foreigners are only supposed to use the Nepal (Friendship Highway) and Qinghai (via Golmud) routes.

The journey from Kathmandu should be viewed as an adventure, not just a sightseeing. The road itself was poorly constructed and is prone to closure by landslides, particularly from June through September. It can be very dusty and some kind of facemask is a good idea to take along. As you drive to altitudes of over 17000 feet at some points, altitude sickness becomes a real possibility and most will feel some symptoms. You must make sure to drink plenty of fluids to help you acclimatize. The choice of hotels en route (except in Lhasa, Shigatse and Gyantse) is extremely limited. From Kathmandu it takes 5 days to reach Lhasa. This rout opens round the year for travelers.

» Flora & Fauna :
A variety of large mammals can be found including the elusive Snow leopard, bears, wolves, blue sheep. Other animals include musk deer, yaks and Tibetan antelope.

» People & Culture:
Tibetans share their region with Menpa, Luopa, Han Chinese, Hui, Sherpa, and a few Deng people. They are however the main inhabitants on the plateau.Tibetans in general are optimistic and happy people.

They were Initially, farmers who settled in small villages with barley as their main crop, these roaming nomads earned their living by herding yaks and sheep .As larger settlements developed many Tibetans made a living as craftsmen. Nowadays more and more people are migrating into businesses.The Tibetan language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan phylum. People in U, Tsang, Kham, and Chamdo.

Most Tibetans are devout Buddhists while a few believe in the old Bon religion (which predates Buddhism). Islam and Catholicism also have a few followers in Lhasa and Yanjing respectively. The population is increasing fairly rapidly. According to the census conducted in 2000, there are 2,616,300 people in Tibet, with Tibetans totaling 2,411,100 or 92.2% of the current regional population. The census also revealed that the average life span has increased to 68 due to the improving standard of living and access to medical services. Illiteracy has decreased to 850,700.