www.dragoman.com Exploratory tours are not for everyone; unpredictability that is a minor component in most overland adventures has to be embraced as a significant and enriching constituent of a trailblazing tour. Dragoman offers a new exploratory route: the Himalayan, Tibetan & Chinese Explorer, ‘not for the faint hearted’ according to the website. The tour involves 4-weeks travelling through some of the world’s remotest and harshest landscapes en route from Kathmandu to Xi’an, departing 26th May 2005.
Striking out from Kathmandu on the zigzagging Arniko Highway linking Nepal with the plateaux of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, Dragoman the tour follows the Friendship Highway, Route 318 to Lhasa, crossing the 5120m Tong La Pass. Pilgrim prayer flags, cairns and wind horse papers characterise the route. If conditions (climatic, landslides/rock falls and bureaucratic barriers) allow, a side trip is planned to Rongphuk Monastery (unsurprisingly the world’s highest) staying overnight and taking an 8km hike to Everest Base Camp for an awesome view of the mountain’s north face. Fording rivers and passing through tiny rural communities along the way, Shigatse - Tibet’s second city at a height of 12,600ft - is a fascinating inclusion. The nation’s capital for over 70 years with a legacy of fortresses, palaces and monasteries, including Tashilhunpo, seat of the Pansham Lama second only to the exiled Dalai Lama in Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery is also home to the world’s largest gilded statue, a 26-metre image of Jampa (the future Buddha).
Continuing explorations of Tibet, Gyangtse and the Baiju Temple, Karo La Pass and the stunning turquoise lake of Yamdrok Tso are memorable highlights before arrival in the capital Lhasa, where time is spent discovering the city. Crossing the wild lands of the Tibetan plateau via the pilgrim town of Xiahe, Dragoman descends into China’s Qinghai Province with opportunities for hiking around Qinghai Hu Lake. Later in neighbouring Gangsu Province one of the country’s greatest Buddhist sights is visited at the Thousand Buddha Caves and the Big Buddha of Bingling Si before arriving at Xi’an, home of the Terracotta Warriors.
The tour costs £1,025 plus kitty US$ 360 (~£200) transport aboard Dragoman’s rugged Mercedes-Benz vehicles, camping/hotel accommodation (45%/55%), all camp meals and the expertise of Dragoman’s two person crew. International flights are not included but are available through Dragoman. |