In both the great and the not so great monasteries of Tibet, you’ll often find a lot of devotees prostrating themselves on the ground. The Tibetans call this chaktsal, and it is one of the most important ways in Tibetan Buddhism for people to display their devotion and dedication to the powerful gods and goddesses of the Buddhist pantheon. Continue reading
Category Archives: Tibet
Pilgrimage in Tibet, the Kailash Tour
One could rightly say that many trekking routes in the Nepal-Tibet region invariably go through many religious sites, and often end at one, which means that most can be said to be pilgrim tours. Particularly, because of the country’s ancient history, many Tibet tours are inherently pilgrimage tours. At the same time, there are some which stand out. Continue reading
Trekking in Tibet—the Tibet Everest Base Camp Trek
Mount Everest Base Camp, Tibet. Image: Göran Höglund
If you are planning to go on a Tibet Everest Base Camp trek when traveling to Tibet, there are a couple of formalities you have to go through, such as getting a PSB travel permit and a park-entry permit for Qomolangma Nature Preserve that costs around Y400 per vehicle and Y180 per passenger. Continue reading
Exotic Lhasa
Most people’s Tibet tour begins from its capital, Lhasa, which contains world heritage sites like the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple, and the Norbulingka—the first, the main seat of the Dalai Lama, and the last, his summer residence, while Jokhang is the most revered shrine in the country. Continue reading
The Best of Tibet, Top 10 Must-Visit Places in Tibet
Planning to travel to Tibet? You might like to know when the best time to visit Tibet is. Well, April to October is the period when Tibet tourism is on a roll, with August and September being the two months when a lot of Tibet tours are planned. Continue reading
Tibetan Culture: More Tibetan Festivals
Monks light the butter-lamps in the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa during the annual Butter Lamp Festival. Image: Xinhua/Tao Xiyi
So you want to travel to Tibet? Of course you do. After all, Tibet travel is a much sought after desire of many travelers around the world today. There’s not much mystery left in the world, Continue reading
The Great Cycling Trail, Lhasa to Kathmandu
Lhasa to Kathmandu cycling trail. Image: flickr/Jody McIntyre
It’s not only hiking that’s so much fun and adventure, cycling too can be as challenging, as spirited, and actually more of an adventure than even trekking. Besides, cycling long distance over high altitude terrain will surely require a fair bit determination and perseverance. Continue reading
Tibet, the Roof of the World
Tibet Autonomous Region has an area of over 1.2 million sq km and is located on the southwest frontier of the People’s Republic of China. With the average elevation of over 4,000m, Tibet is also known as ‘the roof of the world’. Tibet shares borders with Myanmar, India, Bhutan and Nepal. Continue reading
The Fascinating Treasures of Tibet
Potala Palace. Image: flickr/Richard IJzermans
The great Mongolian Emperor Kublai Khan wished to honor one his most respected teachers of the past, Chos-rje pa Sakya. So, he ordered his current spiritual teacher, Lama Phags-pa, to build a golden stupa in Lhasa in his honor. Phags-pa was in somewhat of a conundrum. Looking around, he didn’t see any architect good enough to build a stupa that would impress the great emperor. Continue reading
Gurkhas, Khampas, and the Region of Kham
The history of Nepal is a proud one; while the whole sub continent was being ravaged; conquered, and colonized by foreign invaders, Nepal continued to retain its sovereignty. One could say that Nepal has always been ruled by one of its own throughout recorded history. Continue reading