|
Tibet remains one of the most remote and unknown regions
of the world. It is not featured on the world tourism
map because of the inadequate information and lack of
proper tourism infrastructure such as hotels / motels,
restaurants, roads etc. Journey to Tibet can be best
enjoyed if viewed as adventure and not as, well-organized
sight seeing tour. Tourists may have to deal with many
uncertainties on various occasions. We hope the following
information would be useful for your travel in Tibet.
Time
China has only one time zone; the local time everywhere
is the same as Beijing time. Beijing local time is GMT
+ 08:00 hrs or Indian standard time + 02:30 hrs. We
need to adjust our watch as per Beijing time as soon
as we enter China to avoid any confusion.
Altitude Sickness
We would be traveling at an average altitude of 4500
m, highest altitude attained is 5630 m / 18470 ft at
Dolma La, during our Parikrama. Minor altitude symptoms
are experienced such as, mild headache, nausea, loss
of appetite etc. One needs to take precaution to avoid
acute mountain sickness. For further details please
read note on high altitude attached herewith.
Important note
All the tourism activities are strictly regulated and
monitored by the Chinese Government authorities. The
authorities may alter itineraries as they see fit and
substitute hotels other than those mentioned in the
itinerary. The Chinese guide is more of a liaison officer
and he is the only communication links between the tourist,
staff from Nepal, drivers, porters, yak men, other locals
and government officials.
Most of the aspects are beyond our control and we cannot
be held responsible for any delays, change in the itinerary
etc. Any additional expenses on such account should
be borne by tour members.
Photography
There are strict controls on taking photographs in the
monasteries. Please check with your Tibetan guide before
taking any photographs near a bridge or police / military
check post. It is advice to take a prior permission
of the locals before taking their individual photographs.
Restrictions
Please do not carry any photographs, books of Dalai
Lama or posters, T-shirts of free Tibet, or Tibetan
flag, or any political magazine or book. Possessing
such things may be considered as an offence by Tibetan
/ Chinese authorities.
Currency
Approximate exchange rate are 1 Yuan = 6 Indian Rupees
& 1 USD = 8 Yuan. One can exchange currency at the
border town of Zhangmu or Lhasa or Shigatse in China.
Business hours
10:00 hrs. to 18:00 hrs. is the normal office hours
on all working days. On Saturdays, the offices close
in the afternoon and on Sundays, they are closed.
Customs
Still cameras, Video cameras, tape recorders and radios
are allowed, it needs to be registered with the customs
on entry in China. Customs regulation forbid the export
of art objects prior to 1959 or souvenirs deemed to
be excessive in numbers. Printed matters considered
unsuitable by Government are prohibited.
Visa and Documentation
The passport should be valid for minimum 6 months after
the completion of the trip. For issue of visa we need
3 Xerox copies of your passport, with 3-passport size
photograph. We request you to give all these details
on confirmation of your booking.
Visa formalities are stringent for people having diplomatic
passport and for journalist, visa may be denied.
Payment
The tour booking would be confirmed only on payment
of 30 % of the total tour cost and other additional
charges such as flight fares, visa fees etc. Foreign
national will have to make the payment in US Dollars
or Euro Dollar only. Please note that Indians have a
different tariff in Nepal being a SAARC country, whereas
nationals of other countries are charged at a higher
rate separately & they are expected to pay in US
Dollars. Due to these, consideration there would be
a separate tour cost for foreign nationals quoted in
USD. Please refer to our booking conditions for further
details.
|
