I made my own packing list in Thai in excel file some years ago when I was traveling a few times a year. It is similar to other packing lists that you can find on the internet.
http://kailaibala.blogspot.com/2012/05/general-travel-tips-for-kailash.html
http://www.theintrepidtraveler.net/2010/10/27/the-ultimate-adventure-packing-list/
Below are my must-bring items.
Shoulder scarf
>> Multi-purposes. I used it to cover my face and mouth when it was too cold. I used it in the car as well to block the sunlight by clipping it with the side handrail. In some guesthouses, the blankets were a bit dirty, so I used the scarf to cover the rim of the blanket side that was near my face.
Neck pillow
>> I got the one which has little foam balls inside. I used it when I was sleeping in the car/bus and also as a side pillow to hug when sleeping in bed.
Eye mask and ear plugs
>> I can sleep at anywhere anytime.
Wet tissue
>> In some places where there was no toilet/bathroom, I used wet tissue to clean everything from my face to my shoes.
Folding bucket
>> To make your own warm water to brush your teeth and clean your face/body.
Pocket soap
>> I don't like the feeling of liquid alcohol on my hands. I used this pocket soap instead.
Facial mask
>> If you travel for a long time, facial masks are lifesaver!!!
Sunscreen SPF50 PA++ and hand cream
>> Tibet is very dry and the sunligh is very strong.
Pantyliner
>> Nothing is worse than wearing the same underwear for many days.
Bratop
>> Some days I didn't feel like wearing underwire bras.
Disposable charcoal dust mask
>> For all the dirtroad rides.
Perfume
>> When you couldn't shower for 5 days, perfume was the only resort of freshness.
Body spray
>> Not to be used with your body. I sprayed it on the smelly blanket in some guesthouses.
Zip lock bags
>> I used it to keep my map/documents, snacks, and etc.
Small calculator
>> Very useful when negotiating price with minivan drivers and for cost calculation.
Adapter
>> In some guesthouses, there was only one outlet plug.
Brimmed hat with band
>> For sunny days.
For my next trip, I will buy these useful items which Jeff brought along with him this time.
Water purifier
GPS tracker
External battery USB charger
Liner for sleeping bag
Tang orange juice mix
Friday 18 October 2013
Pre-trip: Food Stocking
I started looking for snacks that I wanted to bring with me actually even before I booked the train ticket LOL. During my previous trips in Yunnan and Sichuan, I knew that there wouldn't be many options on the road. In Yunnan, with my limited Chinese vocabulary I ordered almost the same dishes every day. My friend was so sick of "fried tomatoes with eggs". I was kinda sick of it too, but I didn't have many choices.
- Lotus speculoos >> individual pack for two biscuits
- 3-in-1 mix drink >> I prefer Milo and Ovaltine white malt
I've become my so-called vegetarian for almost 6 years or so. I'm a flexible type. I normally don't cook/order meat dishes on my own. When I eat out with my friends, I don't mind if they order meat dishes. I could eat vegetables in the meat dishes. What kind of vegetarian is that?, you may ask. Well, I just don't want to trouble animals, and I don't want to trouble people also. In China, some restaurants might use pork oil instead of vegetable oil. I don't want to trouble the restaurants by going to their kitchen and see what kind of oil they use. Also, sometimes when you order no-meat dishes, you will somehow end up getting some pork in the bowl anyway.
For the past year, I have also tended to become a vegan (sorta). I've avoided drinking milk and consuming dairy products for the past 5 years. I'm not lactose intolerant type, but I noticed that whenever I consume dairy products, I always have more acnes on my face which I don't want that. When I cut out dairy products, my skin has become clearer. I still do eat cakes and desserts which I know there are dairy products in it. I really cannot resist it. Above all, I love chocolate!! I used to eat eggs like a lot. It was my only source of protein in my opinion as I didn't drink milk, but later I also cut out eggs from my daily food intake (except what i mentioned above).
However, once in a long while when I feel like eating sushi, I will eat fish. Also, when I need to eat instant noodles, I will eat whatever flavor it is as long as it's not beef flavor. Again, what kind of vegetarian is that??? My own kind, I would say. I wouldn't categorize my eating style as 100% vegetarian, but it's easier for other people to understand when I tell them that I'm a vegetarian.
Actually, my eating style could be defined like this...
80% vegetarian
15% vegan
4% raw
1% whatever I want
And my friend would say, "equals to 100% junk".
This trip I would want to try local food as much as possible, but at the same time, I would still also want to eat my favorite food. I bought small ziplock bags to put the snacks in so it would save some space. When you go to high altitude places, the snacks inside normal package would get swollen due to the air pressure, but if you put in the ziplock bags squeezing all the air out, it will not get inflated. I would only list what I thought was delicious and convenient to eat when you're on the road (which I will also bring it with me for my next trip).
- Alpen energy bars >> I bought 3 flavors - chocolate, strawberry, and coconut
- Kinder Bueno chocolate bars
- Muesli or cereals
- Favorite choices of instant noodles and instant porridge (from Thailand)
- Pretz larb flavor (from Thailand)
- Sriracha chili sauce (from Thailand, not Vietnam)
- Lotus speculoos >> individual pack for two biscuits
- 3-in-1 mix drink >> I prefer Milo and Ovaltine white malt
- Gummy bear and gummy banana
- M&M
- Japanese rice crackers
- Coconut flakes
- Dried raisins and dates
- Dried raisins and dates
- Peanut butter and Nutella >> packed in a small tupperware together
- Green tea bags and lemongrass tea bags
I also brought eating utensils with me which were very useful.
- Plastic water bottle (1L) >> a thermos is too heavy in my opinion
- Small plastic tupperware >> for instant noodles
- Cup
- Chopsticks
- Spoon
I ended up packing one extra small suitcase full of food which I managed to fill up the supplies through out my entire trip. Thanks to Jeff who helped me drag this suitcase along the trip (coz he wanted me to walk more quickly).
Most people recommend vegetarians and vegans to eat lots of nuts as they are rich of nutrients. I am not that lucky. Somehow (a bit embarrassing) I constantly break wind even when I don't eat nuts. I did bring nuts with me in this trip, but I really regret it. Based on my own experience, I do not recommend eating nuts when you travel to high altitude places. You will come to know the reason why later.
Pre-trip: Equipment Preparation
If you personally know me (you probably wouldn't wish that), you will come to know one way or another that when I pack, I pack literally almost everything. This woman is specialized in bringing 50-75kg luggage containing various foods and beauty products from Thailand to China every year (for personal use only, not for commercial), so trust me I do know how to pack things in terms of quantity. So when it came to less quantity, more quality, I literally didn't have a clue.
First, I would need a bigger backpack. The Lululemon backpack that I always used barely had enough space for my previous 2-week trips in Yunnan and Sichuan. Probably, it was about time to buy a real decent backpack. BUT that would mean that I would have to spend around 2,000 RMB for it. I wasn't sure whether I could spare that amount of money at the moment coz I was not sure how much this whole trip would cost me. I desperately hoped that it would not cost me more than 20,000 RMB at most (please T_T). So, buying a new backpack now was out of the question. Then, how could I get a backpack without buying it? Borrowing one, of course. But from whom?
I looked around me. None of my friends and colleagues seemed to be interested in backpacking. There were one colleague that liked hiking though, but I wasn't sure that she would have any huge backpacks for me to borrow. Anyway, I asked her about the backpack, and she said she didn't have one. I asked whether she knew anyone who might have one. I wanted to borrow and perhaps give some money in return (otherwise I would feel guilty borrowing the backpack for free for a long time). She said she didn't know anyone who had it. My hope was shattered. Oh what should I do now?
I came back home and talked about this problem with my Chinese flatmates. Amazingly, my flatmate said that she knew someone who could lend me the backpack that I wanted. My hope was rising high again. Still, she wasn't sure. She had to ask her friend first.
She contacted her friend and told me that her friend had the backpack and agreed to lend it to me (WOOHOO!!!). I was really really happy to hear that. She gave me his number and told me to contact her friend about the backpack. Actually I was hoping that she would help arrange the meetup and things for me as it would be better to contact her friend through her, but she said that she was busy with her pre-MBA-exam tuition class.
I got her friend's number from my pre-MBA flatmate and asked my hiking colleague to help contact the guy. The guy first said that I could go get the backpack from his place on 28 Aug. Then later, he changed the date to 3 Sep as his friend wanted to borrow the backpack from him before that. He also asked whether I needed something else. I asked Jeff whether we needed the tent for our Amnye Machen kora. Jeff said that he would buy a new tent from Taobao for us two, but I probably would have to bring my own sleeping bag and mattress. I asked the guy whether he also had it. He agreed to let me borrow them from him, but he would probably need to ask me to pay some money. I accepted it.
On 3 Sep, my flatmates and I went to his place to get the stuff. It turned out that he had many backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, and mattress. I was amazed at what I saw. Seriously, he could open a shop selling it. The guy himself was also very friendly although he couldn't speak English, but I could feel from the way he spoke to my flatmates. His apartment was also very huge. It could fit 50 people in his living room! I personally had no clue about camping and trekking equipment, so I called Jeff and asked him which one to choose. I chose his warmest sleeping bag (-10 C min), the inflatable mattress and the 50L orange backpack. I paid him 130 RMB for the three items. He showed me how to use each item and even gave us ice creams (WOW!!).
I already got the rest of the required equipments for hiking, so I thought I should be okay.
Jacket with fleece >> I only have the wind-proof one, but not water-proof. Goretex is a lot better.
Hiking stick
Hiking socks
Knee support >> for my left knee
Ankle support >> for my flat feet
Hiking shoes >> all worn out
Hiking pants >> I only have a thin layer one
Gloves
Beanie
Torchlight >> headlight is better if you have
Not a hiking expert myself, I made do of whatever available in my closet.
Oh boy, I would learn an important lesson from this trip.
First, I would need a bigger backpack. The Lululemon backpack that I always used barely had enough space for my previous 2-week trips in Yunnan and Sichuan. Probably, it was about time to buy a real decent backpack. BUT that would mean that I would have to spend around 2,000 RMB for it. I wasn't sure whether I could spare that amount of money at the moment coz I was not sure how much this whole trip would cost me. I desperately hoped that it would not cost me more than 20,000 RMB at most (please T_T). So, buying a new backpack now was out of the question. Then, how could I get a backpack without buying it? Borrowing one, of course. But from whom?
I looked around me. None of my friends and colleagues seemed to be interested in backpacking. There were one colleague that liked hiking though, but I wasn't sure that she would have any huge backpacks for me to borrow. Anyway, I asked her about the backpack, and she said she didn't have one. I asked whether she knew anyone who might have one. I wanted to borrow and perhaps give some money in return (otherwise I would feel guilty borrowing the backpack for free for a long time). She said she didn't know anyone who had it. My hope was shattered. Oh what should I do now?
I came back home and talked about this problem with my Chinese flatmates. Amazingly, my flatmate said that she knew someone who could lend me the backpack that I wanted. My hope was rising high again. Still, she wasn't sure. She had to ask her friend first.
She contacted her friend and told me that her friend had the backpack and agreed to lend it to me (WOOHOO!!!). I was really really happy to hear that. She gave me his number and told me to contact her friend about the backpack. Actually I was hoping that she would help arrange the meetup and things for me as it would be better to contact her friend through her, but she said that she was busy with her pre-MBA-exam tuition class.
I got her friend's number from my pre-MBA flatmate and asked my hiking colleague to help contact the guy. The guy first said that I could go get the backpack from his place on 28 Aug. Then later, he changed the date to 3 Sep as his friend wanted to borrow the backpack from him before that. He also asked whether I needed something else. I asked Jeff whether we needed the tent for our Amnye Machen kora. Jeff said that he would buy a new tent from Taobao for us two, but I probably would have to bring my own sleeping bag and mattress. I asked the guy whether he also had it. He agreed to let me borrow them from him, but he would probably need to ask me to pay some money. I accepted it.
On 3 Sep, my flatmates and I went to his place to get the stuff. It turned out that he had many backpacks, sleeping bags, tents, and mattress. I was amazed at what I saw. Seriously, he could open a shop selling it. The guy himself was also very friendly although he couldn't speak English, but I could feel from the way he spoke to my flatmates. His apartment was also very huge. It could fit 50 people in his living room! I personally had no clue about camping and trekking equipment, so I called Jeff and asked him which one to choose. I chose his warmest sleeping bag (-10 C min), the inflatable mattress and the 50L orange backpack. I paid him 130 RMB for the three items. He showed me how to use each item and even gave us ice creams (WOW!!).
I already got the rest of the required equipments for hiking, so I thought I should be okay.
Jacket with fleece >> I only have the wind-proof one, but not water-proof. Goretex is a lot better.
Hiking stick
Hiking socks
Knee support >> for my left knee
Ankle support >> for my flat feet
Hiking shoes >> all worn out
Hiking pants >> I only have a thin layer one
Gloves
Beanie
Torchlight >> headlight is better if you have
Not a hiking expert myself, I made do of whatever available in my closet.
Oh boy, I would learn an important lesson from this trip.
Thursday 17 October 2013
Pre-trip: Final Travel Plan
The departure date was approaching and we were still waiting for the Tibet permit so we could book our return flight. We were getting really anxious.
Meanwhile, I was researching for the trip and finally planned our route. Jeff left the mission to me as I told him that I liked planning the trip beforehand. He, on the contrary, usually traveled without planning and just went with his feelings instead. I tried that once and failed horribly, so here what our trip was supposed to look like...
6 Sep: Hangzhou - Xining (plane) >> booked
7 Sep: Xining - Chaka Salt Lake - Heimahe (bus/minivan)
8 Sep: Qinghai Lake - Xining - Kanbula Park (bus)
9 Sep: Kanbula Park - Xining (bus)
10 Sep: Xining - Lhasa (train) >> booked
11 - 23 Sep: Tibet Tour [Lhasa - Mount Kailash - Everest Base Camp - Namtso Lake] (4WD) >> booked
24 Sep: Lhasa - Xining (train/plane)
25 Sep: Xining - Huashixia (bus)
26 Sep: Huashixia - Xia Dawu (minivan)
27 Sep - 1 Oct: Amnye Machen Kora (trekking)
2 Oct: Huashixia - Yushu (sleeper bus)
3 Oct: Yushu - Manigango (bus)
4 Oct: Manigango - Yihun Lhatso - Ganzi (minivan)
5 Oct: Ganzi - Kangding (bus)
6 Oct: Kangding - Chengdu (bus)
Chengdu - Hangzhou (plane)
Many people suggested to have a rest day after 10 days of traveling or so, but that would never gonna happen to me, not before, and not in a million years. I thought I was tough enough for this 31-day trip. Mostly we would be in the bus anyway. And normally on the bus, I would be sleeping. I had been running (30 mins) and cycling (10-30 km) almost every day. I should be fine, I hoped.
Meanwhile, I was researching for the trip and finally planned our route. Jeff left the mission to me as I told him that I liked planning the trip beforehand. He, on the contrary, usually traveled without planning and just went with his feelings instead. I tried that once and failed horribly, so here what our trip was supposed to look like...
6 Sep: Hangzhou - Xining (plane) >> booked
7 Sep: Xining - Chaka Salt Lake - Heimahe (bus/minivan)
8 Sep: Qinghai Lake - Xining - Kanbula Park (bus)
9 Sep: Kanbula Park - Xining (bus)
10 Sep: Xining - Lhasa (train) >> booked
11 - 23 Sep: Tibet Tour [Lhasa - Mount Kailash - Everest Base Camp - Namtso Lake] (4WD) >> booked
24 Sep: Lhasa - Xining (train/plane)
25 Sep: Xining - Huashixia (bus)
26 Sep: Huashixia - Xia Dawu (minivan)
27 Sep - 1 Oct: Amnye Machen Kora (trekking)
2 Oct: Huashixia - Yushu (sleeper bus)
3 Oct: Yushu - Manigango (bus)
4 Oct: Manigango - Yihun Lhatso - Ganzi (minivan)
5 Oct: Ganzi - Kangding (bus)
6 Oct: Kangding - Chengdu (bus)
Chengdu - Hangzhou (plane)
Many people suggested to have a rest day after 10 days of traveling or so, but that would never gonna happen to me, not before, and not in a million years. I thought I was tough enough for this 31-day trip. Mostly we would be in the bus anyway. And normally on the bus, I would be sleeping. I had been running (30 mins) and cycling (10-30 km) almost every day. I should be fine, I hoped.
Wednesday 16 October 2013
Pre-trip: Hotel Reservation
Our Tibet tour didn't include accommodation, so we had to find the hotel/hostel/guesthouse on our own. Jeff and I didn't have any problem with whatever kind of places we might end up sleeping in. For me, the cheaper, the better (as long as the place is not full of rats and cockroaches.. I could tolerate some spiders though). The Latvia couple was asking a few times about the hotel in Lhasa for our first three nights during 10-13 Sep. They said it would be better if we booked in advance so we didn't have to find one on the first day that we arrive as we might be tired from the train ride already. On that point, I agreed with them.
I managed to compile the information about the hotels in Lhasa that I found in Qunar website. I sent the pdf file to the couple to choose the hotel.
Jeff managed to find a new hostel Dalan Youth Hostel on Beijing West Road which I thought it was near the center of Lhasa. We booked a 4-bed room (60 RMB per person). For the accommodation outside Lhasa, we didn't book in advance. The travel agency said that the guide would help us find the hotel.
I checked the hostel in Xining for our first night on 6 Sep and was planning to stay at Heng Yu International Youth Hostel which is near the train station and bus station. I thought that we could just walk in there and there should be plenty of rooms left as it wasn't the holiday period, so I didn't book the room in advance. For the rest of our trip in Qinghai before and after going to Tibet, we also didn't book any room coz we still didn't make up our mind about the exact places to go yet.
Always print out the photo of the hotel and the direction from Google Map. It helps to find the hotel easier. Also, always print out the hotel information in both Chinese and English in case you cannot find the hotel and need to ask people for the direction. The hotel number is also important in case the taxi driver does not know the way to the hotel.
I managed to compile the information about the hotels in Lhasa that I found in Qunar website. I sent the pdf file to the couple to choose the hotel.
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
We agreed to choose Hotel #1. I told them that I was going to book it for all of us.
Unfortunately, I just realized that my credit card was already expired (bah!). I was still using my Thai credit card. In China, I normally used my UnionPay debit card. I only used the credit card when I went back to Thailand anyway (except when I had to book flight/hotel). I thought I'd better get a new credit card right away in case I was short of cash or for emergency situation, so I asked my brother to send a new card to me from Thailand (together with Diamox - AMS pill. Luckily, the card arrived a few days before I left ^___^
I asked Jeff to help book the hotel for us, but it turned out that this hotel didn't accept foreigners. Make sure that the hotel you want to stay in accept foreigners. Some small local guesthouses might not have the license to accept foreigner guests. If you book the hotel in a famous website like hostelworld, booking.com, yha, and etc, then it should be okay.
Jeff managed to find a new hostel Dalan Youth Hostel on Beijing West Road which I thought it was near the center of Lhasa. We booked a 4-bed room (60 RMB per person). For the accommodation outside Lhasa, we didn't book in advance. The travel agency said that the guide would help us find the hotel.
I checked the hostel in Xining for our first night on 6 Sep and was planning to stay at Heng Yu International Youth Hostel which is near the train station and bus station. I thought that we could just walk in there and there should be plenty of rooms left as it wasn't the holiday period, so I didn't book the room in advance. For the rest of our trip in Qinghai before and after going to Tibet, we also didn't book any room coz we still didn't make up our mind about the exact places to go yet.
Always print out the photo of the hotel and the direction from Google Map. It helps to find the hotel easier. Also, always print out the hotel information in both Chinese and English in case you cannot find the hotel and need to ask people for the direction. The hotel number is also important in case the taxi driver does not know the way to the hotel.
Qinghai Heng Yu International Youth Hostel
No. 13 Weimin Lane, Chengdong District, Xining, China
青海省西宁市城东区为民巷13号（马步芳公馆1号院）
Tel: 086-0971-5223399
Dalan Youth Hostel
172 Beijing Middle Road, Lhasa
名称：达兰客栈
地址：西藏拉萨市城关区北京中路172号
电话：0891-6725172
Tuesday 15 October 2013
Pre-trip: Train and Flight Ticket Booking
Train Ticket
In China, you could only book the train 20 days prior to your departure date. We wanted to take the train on 9 Sep, so we had to book our train tickets first and foremost before it was sold out.
On 22 Aug, we booked our train tickets for Xining - Lhasa with the help from Jeff's friend from this website (in Chinese).
Train No. T165
Type: Hard-sleeper (middle bed)
Price: 497 RMB
Route: Xining - Lhasa
Departure: 9 Sep @ 8:15 PM
Arrival: 10 Sep @ 8:15 PM
You will get a reservation code in SMS (ex: E123456789). To get the train ticket, you will need to go to the ticket service booth at the post office (or could be any train ticket agency center). Tell them the reservation code and pay the fee (usually 5-10 RMB). Don't forget to bring your passport. You could also go to the ticket booth at the train station. I guess you won't need to pay the fee in that case (not sure).
The couple booked the ticket with the travel agency. Their train T22 would leave Chengdu at 8:55 PM and arrive in Lhasa on 10 Sep at 4:40 PM. They got soft-sleeper for 1,300 RMB per person.
The guide and driver would be picking us up from the train station and take us to the hotel (which we didn't book yet).
Flight Ticket
Jeff and I were planning to arrive in Xining on Friday evening (6 Sep), but I couldn't find any reasonable flight ticket. In fact I found one from Shanghai to Xining, but I didn't book it soon enough. It was around 700 RMB and arrived on Friday evening like we planned. But only a few days later, the flight was all sold out T__T. I was really mad (at myself). In the end I had to book the flight from Hangzhou instead from Qunar website.
Flight No. 3U8821
Airline: Sichuan Airlines
Price: 1,049 RMB
Date: 6-Sep-2013
Route: Hangzhou - Xining (via Chongqing)
Departure: Xiaoshan Airport 8:20 AM
Arrival: Caojiabao Airport 1:35 PM
I decided to leave Hangzhou in the morning and arrive in Xining in the afternoon coz it would probably take me 2 hours getting the luggage, taking the bus to downtown Xining and heading to the hotel. I didn't want to arrive so late in the evening as I wanted to start slowly on the first day and get enough rest on the first night so that we could start early on the following morning (fresh start for the journey oh yeah!).
Jeff's flight would arrive in Xining around 9 PM. By the time he arrived at the hotel, it would be quite late already, but he said he was fine with lack of sleep, no problem.
For flight out from Lhasa on 24 Sep, we would decide again after we arrive in Lhasa. There seemed to be plenty of flights and the prices weren't much different.
We didn't book our return flight yet. Jeff was worried about the permit whether or not we would get it. He wanted to make sure that we got the permit first before booking the return ticket. We wanted to overland to Sichuan and probably fly from Chengdu (would be my third time going there). We would fly back on 6 Oct, so we had to hurry with the booking, otherwise the price would be more and more expensive.
In China, you could only book the train 20 days prior to your departure date. We wanted to take the train on 9 Sep, so we had to book our train tickets first and foremost before it was sold out.
On 22 Aug, we booked our train tickets for Xining - Lhasa with the help from Jeff's friend from this website (in Chinese).
Train No. T165
Type: Hard-sleeper (middle bed)
Price: 497 RMB
Route: Xining - Lhasa
Departure: 9 Sep @ 8:15 PM
Arrival: 10 Sep @ 8:15 PM
You will get a reservation code in SMS (ex: E123456789). To get the train ticket, you will need to go to the ticket service booth at the post office (or could be any train ticket agency center). Tell them the reservation code and pay the fee (usually 5-10 RMB). Don't forget to bring your passport. You could also go to the ticket booth at the train station. I guess you won't need to pay the fee in that case (not sure).
The couple booked the ticket with the travel agency. Their train T22 would leave Chengdu at 8:55 PM and arrive in Lhasa on 10 Sep at 4:40 PM. They got soft-sleeper for 1,300 RMB per person.
The guide and driver would be picking us up from the train station and take us to the hotel (which we didn't book yet).
Flight Ticket
Jeff and I were planning to arrive in Xining on Friday evening (6 Sep), but I couldn't find any reasonable flight ticket. In fact I found one from Shanghai to Xining, but I didn't book it soon enough. It was around 700 RMB and arrived on Friday evening like we planned. But only a few days later, the flight was all sold out T__T. I was really mad (at myself). In the end I had to book the flight from Hangzhou instead from Qunar website.
Flight No. 3U8821
Airline: Sichuan Airlines
Price: 1,049 RMB
Date: 6-Sep-2013
Route: Hangzhou - Xining (via Chongqing)
Departure: Xiaoshan Airport 8:20 AM
Arrival: Caojiabao Airport 1:35 PM
I decided to leave Hangzhou in the morning and arrive in Xining in the afternoon coz it would probably take me 2 hours getting the luggage, taking the bus to downtown Xining and heading to the hotel. I didn't want to arrive so late in the evening as I wanted to start slowly on the first day and get enough rest on the first night so that we could start early on the following morning (fresh start for the journey oh yeah!).
Jeff's flight would arrive in Xining around 9 PM. By the time he arrived at the hotel, it would be quite late already, but he said he was fine with lack of sleep, no problem.
For flight out from Lhasa on 24 Sep, we would decide again after we arrive in Lhasa. There seemed to be plenty of flights and the prices weren't much different.
We didn't book our return flight yet. Jeff was worried about the permit whether or not we would get it. He wanted to make sure that we got the permit first before booking the return ticket. We wanted to overland to Sichuan and probably fly from Chengdu (would be my third time going there). We would fly back on 6 Oct, so we had to hurry with the booking, otherwise the price would be more and more expensive.
Monday 14 October 2013
Pre-trip: Qinghai and Date Planning
During the last two weeks before our Tibet tour, Jeff and I started our intensive research on where we could go in Qinghai primarily around Xining. I didn't think I would find so many interesting places in Qinghai. See all the useful links I came across on the internet here (no need to pay for guidebooks, trust me!).
My initial rough plan for Qinghai part was something like this...
Xining -> Kanbula Park -> Tongren -> Machen -> Amnye Machen -> Huaxishia -> Xining -> Qinghai Lake -> Bird's Island -> Xining
If we decided to travel around Qinghai before going to Tibet, we would have to fly to Xining on 30 Aug (which was quite too soon). But if we decided to go after Tibet, we could fly to Xining on 7 Sep instead (which we would still have enough time to plan our trip). We could also choose to overland to Sichuan and fly out from Chengdu at the end of our trip without returning back to Xining.
At first, I was planning to take vacation leave only for 3 weeks meaning I would come back to Hangzhou on 29 Sep. I had to ask my colleague to take care of my dog while I was away. It would be troublesome for him to take care of my stubborn Giant for the whole month. I didn't want to bother him too much. But later I took a closer look at the calendar and realized that there would be a week long holiday during China's National Day (1-3 Oct for my company, but for other Chinese companies would be 1-7 Oct). It would mean that I only needed to take 2 more vacation days and we could travel for one more week!
I wholeheartedly knew what I had to face if I chose to travel during the golden week...
I had experienced the REAL nightmare last time when I was traveling in Yunnan in 2010 during National Day. I didn't wish to relive that nightmare again. But one week more was very tempting. We could go to many other places. We could do the full Amnye Machen kora (which would take at least 6 days to complete). Overland to Sichuan would also be possible for one and a half weeks without any haste. Too tempting that I could not resist. I decided to face the nightmare again.
I asked my friend whether it was okay for him to help look after my dog for 4 weeks. He said no problem. I felt very grateful for his kind help. So, we were good to go!!
Travel Period: 6 Sep - 6 Oct 2013
6 Sep (evening): arrive in Xining
7 - 9 Sep: travel around Xining
9 Sep (evening): take train to Lhasa
10 Sep: arrive in Lhasa
11 - 23 Sep: go with the tour in Tibet
24 Sep: fly out of Lhasa to Xining
25 Sep - 5 Oct: travel around Qinghai and overland to Sichuan
6 Oct (evening): fly back to Hangzhou
4 weeks on the road. The longest trip I would ever take in my life so far and it would seem to be the most adventurous and exciting one also. I couldn't wait for things to unfold. I knew it would not roll smoothly as on the rose carpet. Still, I could try my best to pave the path to be a little less bumpy.
My initial rough plan for Qinghai part was something like this...
Xining -> Kanbula Park -> Tongren -> Machen -> Amnye Machen -> Huaxishia -> Xining -> Qinghai Lake -> Bird's Island -> Xining
If we decided to travel around Qinghai before going to Tibet, we would have to fly to Xining on 30 Aug (which was quite too soon). But if we decided to go after Tibet, we could fly to Xining on 7 Sep instead (which we would still have enough time to plan our trip). We could also choose to overland to Sichuan and fly out from Chengdu at the end of our trip without returning back to Xining.
At first, I was planning to take vacation leave only for 3 weeks meaning I would come back to Hangzhou on 29 Sep. I had to ask my colleague to take care of my dog while I was away. It would be troublesome for him to take care of my stubborn Giant for the whole month. I didn't want to bother him too much. But later I took a closer look at the calendar and realized that there would be a week long holiday during China's National Day (1-3 Oct for my company, but for other Chinese companies would be 1-7 Oct). It would mean that I only needed to take 2 more vacation days and we could travel for one more week!
I wholeheartedly knew what I had to face if I chose to travel during the golden week...
1) Incredibly expensive flight ticketAvoid traveling during the long holidays at all cost.
2) Huge crowd of Chinese tourists everywhere
3) Crowded bus/shared-van/train/flight/restaurant/toilet
4) More expensive dorm bed/room cost (if there is any left)
5) More expensive shared-van cost
I had experienced the REAL nightmare last time when I was traveling in Yunnan in 2010 during National Day. I didn't wish to relive that nightmare again. But one week more was very tempting. We could go to many other places. We could do the full Amnye Machen kora (which would take at least 6 days to complete). Overland to Sichuan would also be possible for one and a half weeks without any haste. Too tempting that I could not resist. I decided to face the nightmare again.
I asked my friend whether it was okay for him to help look after my dog for 4 weeks. He said no problem. I felt very grateful for his kind help. So, we were good to go!!
Travel Period: 6 Sep - 6 Oct 2013
6 Sep (evening): arrive in Xining
7 - 9 Sep: travel around Xining
9 Sep (evening): take train to Lhasa
10 Sep: arrive in Lhasa
11 - 23 Sep: go with the tour in Tibet
24 Sep: fly out of Lhasa to Xining
25 Sep - 5 Oct: travel around Qinghai and overland to Sichuan
6 Oct (evening): fly back to Hangzhou
4 weeks on the road. The longest trip I would ever take in my life so far and it would seem to be the most adventurous and exciting one also. I couldn't wait for things to unfold. I knew it would not roll smoothly as on the rose carpet. Still, I could try my best to pave the path to be a little less bumpy.
Useful Links
Thanks to these amazing people who shared their stories and photos online (which inspired me to start writing this blog.. I know it's not easy).
Personal Favorites:
Land of Snows: Amnye Machen, Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan
[Losang @LonelyPlanet. Enough said.]
Adventures of Jonas: Hitchhiking in Qinghai and Gansu
[Everything you need to know about Qinghai (Tibetan and Chinese place names included).]
China Nomads: Amnye Machen, Kanbula, Xining, and many more
[Awesome photos. Detailed trip information (Tibetan and Chinese place names included).]
Spinn Cafe: Tibet permit information and FAQs about Tibet tour
Jaunty Tom: Qinghai, Amnye Machen
[I was inspired to hitchhike in Qinghai after reading his blog.]
The Road Less Travelled By: Chengdu overland to Xining
[Detailed guesthouse and bus information with photo albums.]
Trekking Thai Forum (in Thai):
Rook
Bandadan
Cybock
Cobain >> I followed him to Yading, Yubeng, Jiuzhaigou, Meili Xueshan, Yihun Lhatso.
Pix Pros (in Thai): >> Amazing Mount Kailash photos
http://www.pixpros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=69204
http://www.pixpros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=68563
Other Resourceful Blogs:
Drogann1te: Xining, Tongren, Xiahe
Ciku-cikudoeschina: Xining, Qinghai Lake
Bruno and Iohi's Journey Diary: Amnye Machen
Rusty's Travel Blog: Mount Kailash
A Soul Journey to the Qinghai: Chaka Salt Lake, Qinghai Lake
To Go Back: Kanbula
Dan and Ami: Kanbula
Johnjemi: Kanbula
STEPHANIE AND MIKE'S SUMMER ADVENTURE: Kanbula
The Hegira of Jess & Luke: Train experience
GAP YAHHHHH TRAVELS: Chengdu overland to Xining
Around China: Kekexili on motorcycle!
Kekexili (in Chinese)
Mafengwo (in Chinese):
http://www.mafengwo.cn/i/1356060.html
http://www.mafengwo.cn/i/643918.html
http://www.mafengwo.cn/i/819453.html
http://www.mafengwo.cn/group/info.php?iid=825046&page=1
Note: I cannot read Chinese so I use Google Translate.
Lonely Planet Forum:
What is the longest time one can stay around Mt. Kailash?
Kanbula Forest Park - Place to stay
Qinghai province advice
Yushu (Jyekundo) - Qinghai province
Chengdu to Xining
Personal Favorites:
Land of Snows: Amnye Machen, Tibet, Qinghai, Sichuan
[Losang @LonelyPlanet. Enough said.]
Adventures of Jonas: Hitchhiking in Qinghai and Gansu
[Everything you need to know about Qinghai (Tibetan and Chinese place names included).]
China Nomads: Amnye Machen, Kanbula, Xining, and many more
[Awesome photos. Detailed trip information (Tibetan and Chinese place names included).]
Spinn Cafe: Tibet permit information and FAQs about Tibet tour
Jaunty Tom: Qinghai, Amnye Machen
[I was inspired to hitchhike in Qinghai after reading his blog.]
The Road Less Travelled By: Chengdu overland to Xining
[Detailed guesthouse and bus information with photo albums.]
Trekking Thai Forum (in Thai):
Rook
Bandadan
Cybock
Cobain >> I followed him to Yading, Yubeng, Jiuzhaigou, Meili Xueshan, Yihun Lhatso.
Pix Pros (in Thai): >> Amazing Mount Kailash photos
http://www.pixpros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=69204
http://www.pixpros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=68563
Other Resourceful Blogs:
Drogann1te: Xining, Tongren, Xiahe
Ciku-cikudoeschina: Xining, Qinghai Lake
Bruno and Iohi's Journey Diary: Amnye Machen
Rusty's Travel Blog: Mount Kailash
A Soul Journey to the Qinghai: Chaka Salt Lake, Qinghai Lake
To Go Back: Kanbula
Dan and Ami: Kanbula
Johnjemi: Kanbula
STEPHANIE AND MIKE'S SUMMER ADVENTURE: Kanbula
The Hegira of Jess & Luke: Train experience
GAP YAHHHHH TRAVELS: Chengdu overland to Xining
Around China: Kekexili on motorcycle!
Kekexili (in Chinese)
Mafengwo (in Chinese):
http://www.mafengwo.cn/i/1356060.html
http://www.mafengwo.cn/i/643918.html
http://www.mafengwo.cn/i/819453.html
http://www.mafengwo.cn/group/info.php?iid=825046&page=1
Note: I cannot read Chinese so I use Google Translate.
Lonely Planet Forum:
What is the longest time one can stay around Mt. Kailash?
Kanbula Forest Park - Place to stay
Qinghai province advice
Yushu (Jyekundo) - Qinghai province
Chengdu to Xining
Travel Agency:
Tibet Highland Tours >> We booked Tibet tour with TBT. Our guide and driver were incredibly awesome!
Snow Lion Tours: Tibet Tour (Tibetan-owned agency)
Snow Jewel: Tibet Tour (experienced Swiss guide in Nepal)
Useful Links:
Wikitravel >> My main source for trip research. I'm not a big fan of paid guidebooks.
Yowangdu: Tibetan Culture and information about traveling in Tibet
Travel China Guide: Train schedule and ticket service
Elong: China flight ticket service in English
Qunar: China flight ticket service in Chinese (cheap)
ForeignerCN: Traveling in Qinghai
Bus Station in Qinghai
Tibet Highland Tours >> We booked Tibet tour with TBT. Our guide and driver were incredibly awesome!
Snow Lion Tours: Tibet Tour (Tibetan-owned agency)
Snow Jewel: Tibet Tour (experienced Swiss guide in Nepal)
Useful Links:
Wikitravel >> My main source for trip research. I'm not a big fan of paid guidebooks.
Yowangdu: Tibetan Culture and information about traveling in Tibet
Travel China Guide: Train schedule and ticket service
Elong: China flight ticket service in English
Qunar: China flight ticket service in Chinese (cheap)
ForeignerCN: Traveling in Qinghai
Bus Station in Qinghai
Saturday 12 October 2013
Pre-trip: Transportation
The Latvia couple would fly from Europe to Chengdu and spend a couple of days traveling near Chengdu (which I recommended them to go to Emei Shan and Leshan). Then they would take a train from Chengdu on 8 Sep and arrive in Lhasa on 10 Sep. It would take them 2 days on the train ride. Then, they would fly out from Lhasa to Chengdu on 24 Sep and fly back to Europe on 25 Sep.
If you choose to fly in to Lhasa, the original Tibet permit is required. If you go in by train, a copy of the permit is fine. It takes 15-20 days to issue the permit. In case we chose to fly in, we would have to pay another 180 RMB for the agency to mail us the original Tibet permit before our departure date. I didn't know why it was so expensive. Perhaps they had to send it via express service.
I discussed with Jeff about the train. He was actually planning to take the train from Beijing to Lhasa which would take 3 days. According to Yowangdu website, the elevation in Beijing and even in Chengdu would be too low for us to acclimatize. I suggested that we should fly to Xining a few days earlier and travel around Xining before taking a train from Xining on 9 Sep and then arrive in Lhasa on 10 Sep.
I was concerned about the train ticket. From what I read, it was difficult to get one and in some cases, the price was really expensive. The couple asked us whether we wanted the travel agency to buy the train ticket for us. Jeff said that we should be able to book the train ticket from the website on our own and it would be a lot cheaper.
The travel agency asked us for the dates that we were going to enter and leave Lhasa and also the transportation mode (train or plane). They had to put the information in the permit. We decided to arrive in Lhasa by train (from Xining) on 10 Sep and leave Lhasa on 24 Sep by plane.
At first, I even thought about flying from Lhasa to Xi'an, going to the Terracotta Army site and hiking to Huashan and then taking the train back to Hangzhou. While Jeff was planning to fly from Lhasa to Chengdu perhaps on the same flight with the couple and then travel around Chengdu. He was thinking about going to Emei Shan or Jiuzhaigou (which I already went to both places and they were awesome!). After discussing with Jeff, we thought about spending a couple of days traveling in Qinghai before coming back home on 29 Sep. So, our rough plan went like this...
Qinghai was never in my to-go list. My main destinations in China were Yunnan (went there twice), Sichuan (went there twice), and Xinjiang (never been there). I never heard anything about Qinghai before. "Where could we go in Qinghai?", I asked myself.
If you choose to fly in to Lhasa, the original Tibet permit is required. If you go in by train, a copy of the permit is fine. It takes 15-20 days to issue the permit. In case we chose to fly in, we would have to pay another 180 RMB for the agency to mail us the original Tibet permit before our departure date. I didn't know why it was so expensive. Perhaps they had to send it via express service.
I discussed with Jeff about the train. He was actually planning to take the train from Beijing to Lhasa which would take 3 days. According to Yowangdu website, the elevation in Beijing and even in Chengdu would be too low for us to acclimatize. I suggested that we should fly to Xining a few days earlier and travel around Xining before taking a train from Xining on 9 Sep and then arrive in Lhasa on 10 Sep.
I was concerned about the train ticket. From what I read, it was difficult to get one and in some cases, the price was really expensive. The couple asked us whether we wanted the travel agency to buy the train ticket for us. Jeff said that we should be able to book the train ticket from the website on our own and it would be a lot cheaper.
The travel agency asked us for the dates that we were going to enter and leave Lhasa and also the transportation mode (train or plane). They had to put the information in the permit. We decided to arrive in Lhasa by train (from Xining) on 10 Sep and leave Lhasa on 24 Sep by plane.
At first, I even thought about flying from Lhasa to Xi'an, going to the Terracotta Army site and hiking to Huashan and then taking the train back to Hangzhou. While Jeff was planning to fly from Lhasa to Chengdu perhaps on the same flight with the couple and then travel around Chengdu. He was thinking about going to Emei Shan or Jiuzhaigou (which I already went to both places and they were awesome!). After discussing with Jeff, we thought about spending a couple of days traveling in Qinghai before coming back home on 29 Sep. So, our rough plan went like this...
6 Sep (evening): arrive in Xining
7-9 Sep: travel around Xining
9 Sep (evening): take train to Lhasa
10 Sep: arrive in Lhasa
11-23 Sep: go with the tour in Tibet
24 Sep: fly out of Lhasa to somewhere
25-29 Sep: travel around Qinghai
29 Sep (evening): fly back to Hangzhou
Qinghai was never in my to-go list. My main destinations in China were Yunnan (went there twice), Sichuan (went there twice), and Xinjiang (never been there). I never heard anything about Qinghai before. "Where could we go in Qinghai?", I asked myself.
Pre-trip: Acclimatization
At first, I was planning to fly from Hangzhou to Lhasa directly to save time as I didn't want to waste my precious (and limited) vacation leave. Jeff suggested that for better acclimatization, we'd better take train to Lhasa. Actually, I didn't think about acclimatization before. I was able to adapt to the high altitude quite well in my previous trip to Yading in 2011. The highest point we went were at 4800 m. I didn't have any trouble there except from short of breath due to the low density of oxygen which was quite common in high altitude. After Jeff mentioned about acclimatization, I began to get real worried.
I asked my friend who went to Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal last year whether she was having any trouble with the high altitude. She said everyone in the trip was okay except her. She vomited once or twice. This same friend went to Yading with me and she also vomited badly last time. Later, I looked up the elevation of Kathmandu and all the places we had to go through in this trip in Wikipedia. And I was shocked...
I read a post in Yowangdu website about flying to Xining, spending a couple of days there to acclimatize and then taking a train from Xining to Lhasa. Though, it would take me additional 3-4 days in Xining and around, it would better guarantee that I would arrive in Lhasa in a well-acclimatized condition and decrease the chance of getting high altitude sickness. I wanted to fully enjoy this trip in the healthiest condition of mine. Taking the train to Lhasa seemed to be the smartest option in this case.
I asked my friend who went to Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal last year whether she was having any trouble with the high altitude. She said everyone in the trip was okay except her. She vomited once or twice. This same friend went to Yading with me and she also vomited badly last time. Later, I looked up the elevation of Kathmandu and all the places we had to go through in this trip in Wikipedia. And I was shocked...
ElevationI also asked another friend who just came back from Lhasa a week ago. She went there doing news reporting (and didn't have to pay anything.. lucky her!!). She flew from Beijing to Lhasa. She said she got serious problems with the high altitude. She almost fainted on the first day that she arrived at the airport. She also had a headache every day and couldn't sleep well at night. It was very cold. Her lips were shaking constantly. The air was thin. Also, the sunlight was strong up there. She told me to bring lots of sunscreen. She said that her colleague who went with her was even worse. He had to use oxygen bottle. In the end, he didn't get enough oxygen and developed lung infection. After chatting with her, I also officially developed a panic attack.
Kathmandu = 1400 m
Lhasa = 3490 m
Everest Base Camp = 5200 m
Namtso Lake = 4718 m
Dolma La Pass (during Kailash Kora) = 5636 m
I read a post in Yowangdu website about flying to Xining, spending a couple of days there to acclimatize and then taking a train from Xining to Lhasa. Though, it would take me additional 3-4 days in Xining and around, it would better guarantee that I would arrive in Lhasa in a well-acclimatized condition and decrease the chance of getting high altitude sickness. I wanted to fully enjoy this trip in the healthiest condition of mine. Taking the train to Lhasa seemed to be the smartest option in this case.
Pre-trip: Adding Travel Companion
While waiting for the itinerary confirmation from the travel agency, I managed to contact another guy who I saw his post in LP forum. Coincidentally, he was also from Thailand. His name is Jeff. I told him that we were looking for another person to join our group of three. If he was interested, he had to make a decision quickly coz we had to finalize everything and book the tour with the travel agency within a day or two, otherwise the permit might not be completed in time. He said that he was also contacting with another travel agency, but the trip would be 22 days which didn't fit with the Latvia couple's plan. They had a fix departure date for 15-day trip in Tibet.
Our trip would start on 10 Sep and finish on 24 Sep. The couple would like to do the Kailash Kora during the full moon for religious reason. The full moon would be on 19 Sep which was also a Chinese Holiday (Mid-Autumn Day). I just thought that it would also be nice to see Kailash with full moon in the background, that's all.
Jeff said that he really wanted to go to Kailash this year and agreed to join our group almost right away. In fact, he was about to go there last year, but suddenly China decided to close Tibet, so his trip was cancelled without a doubt. I was really happy to know that he decided to go with us. To find someone from the same country who was heading to the same destination on the internet in such a short period of time was like winning a lottery (which I never won any in my life). I told the couple about this great news. They also agreed to add in another person.
The couple talked with the agency. They sent us a new quote for 4 persons. I checked the trip details and saw that they changed the vehicle from SUV to van. I asked the couple about this (they didn't check this part). ALWAYS check the itinerary and trip details carefully, especially after there is any modification.
The agency said that for 4 persons, they had to change the vehicle from SUV to van. The couple didn't want to take the van. They said that it was not very cost efficient and would be less comfortable. They checked many reviews and everyone recommended to have the SUV instead of the van (I read the same). They said that we would have to spend many hours in the car and the road quality was not good. Plus there were quite a few curves on the mountain roads that could make us all have sea sick.
They understood that it would be better for me to have 4th person in the group especially with the same nationality but it would have quite some impact on the comfort and quality of the trip, so they suggested that we went with the original plan and booked the tour based on 3 persons only. Also, the price for 4 persons would be slightly cheaper.
I just won the lottery. No hell way I would be giving it up!!
I told the couple that I agreed that the land cruiser would be more comfortable. I went through hell in Yunnan before in a super small van on the endless construction roads so I truly understood their concern.
About the cost, I could use the price difference between 3 and 4 persons to cover the flight ticket back from Lhasa. Also, with another person, I could share the accommodation cost for the double room in case there was no cheap dorm bed. The cost was the point that I was most worried about. I told them that I had quite a limited budget so if I could save a few hundred bucks, then I wouldn't hesitate to grab the chance.
Apart from the cost, it would be very helpful to have another person from the same nationality traveling with me as they said. Plus, it would also be more enjoyable for us all.
I found that actually we could fit 4 pax in land cruiser. Many agencies also made this offer. I asked them to negotiate with the travel agency about this. Also, probably we all would bring our big backpacks, so we could save up some space in the back and tie the backpacks on the car roof instead.
The couple talked to the agency again. The agency agreed to use the SUV, but someone would need to sit in the back and take turn with the guide. Jeff said no problem. The couple then accepted it.
At first, I was thinking about abandoning this couple group if they didn't accept the fourth person. I would rather go with Jeff and try to find another two new persons to share the cost later on the internet. We could go probably 2 weeks later with no problem at all.
I saw the cloudy sky, but I didn't imagine that it was a sign of a big storm approaching.
Our trip would start on 10 Sep and finish on 24 Sep. The couple would like to do the Kailash Kora during the full moon for religious reason. The full moon would be on 19 Sep which was also a Chinese Holiday (Mid-Autumn Day). I just thought that it would also be nice to see Kailash with full moon in the background, that's all.
Jeff said that he really wanted to go to Kailash this year and agreed to join our group almost right away. In fact, he was about to go there last year, but suddenly China decided to close Tibet, so his trip was cancelled without a doubt. I was really happy to know that he decided to go with us. To find someone from the same country who was heading to the same destination on the internet in such a short period of time was like winning a lottery (which I never won any in my life). I told the couple about this great news. They also agreed to add in another person.
The couple talked with the agency. They sent us a new quote for 4 persons. I checked the trip details and saw that they changed the vehicle from SUV to van. I asked the couple about this (they didn't check this part). ALWAYS check the itinerary and trip details carefully, especially after there is any modification.
The agency said that for 4 persons, they had to change the vehicle from SUV to van. The couple didn't want to take the van. They said that it was not very cost efficient and would be less comfortable. They checked many reviews and everyone recommended to have the SUV instead of the van (I read the same). They said that we would have to spend many hours in the car and the road quality was not good. Plus there were quite a few curves on the mountain roads that could make us all have sea sick.
They understood that it would be better for me to have 4th person in the group especially with the same nationality but it would have quite some impact on the comfort and quality of the trip, so they suggested that we went with the original plan and booked the tour based on 3 persons only. Also, the price for 4 persons would be slightly cheaper.
I just won the lottery. No hell way I would be giving it up!!
I told the couple that I agreed that the land cruiser would be more comfortable. I went through hell in Yunnan before in a super small van on the endless construction roads so I truly understood their concern.
About the cost, I could use the price difference between 3 and 4 persons to cover the flight ticket back from Lhasa. Also, with another person, I could share the accommodation cost for the double room in case there was no cheap dorm bed. The cost was the point that I was most worried about. I told them that I had quite a limited budget so if I could save a few hundred bucks, then I wouldn't hesitate to grab the chance.
Apart from the cost, it would be very helpful to have another person from the same nationality traveling with me as they said. Plus, it would also be more enjoyable for us all.
I found that actually we could fit 4 pax in land cruiser. Many agencies also made this offer. I asked them to negotiate with the travel agency about this. Also, probably we all would bring our big backpacks, so we could save up some space in the back and tie the backpacks on the car roof instead.
The couple talked to the agency again. The agency agreed to use the SUV, but someone would need to sit in the back and take turn with the guide. Jeff said no problem. The couple then accepted it.
At first, I was thinking about abandoning this couple group if they didn't accept the fourth person. I would rather go with Jeff and try to find another two new persons to share the cost later on the internet. We could go probably 2 weeks later with no problem at all.
I saw the cloudy sky, but I didn't imagine that it was a sign of a big storm approaching.
Thursday 10 October 2013
Pre-trip: Cost
What concerned me the most was still about money. I was hoping that this trip would not cost me more than 20,000 RMB. If it was more, I would be feeding my dog some pieces of my flesh for sure when I got back. I had to carefully calculate the total cost of this trip.
Based on the useful information from Spinn Cafe, we should be very clear with the travel agency about the cost included in the tour package. Spinn Cafe suggested below:
Based on the useful information from Spinn Cafe, we should be very clear with the travel agency about the cost included in the tour package. Spinn Cafe suggested below:
In your email, you should state very clearly the followings:
- Your choice of transportation, both inward and outward. >> Excluded from the tour package meaning we had to pay for our own flight/train ticket in and out from Lhasa.
- Permit price. >> Already included. No need to pay separately.
- All entrance fees, ask them to list all. If you decide not to go to one single place, you should be able to get back the entrance fee you paid. >> All listed in the trip details.
- Hotel price of each place and each single night of your stay in the bigger towns (e.g. Lhasa and Shigatse), or small places (e.g. Namtso Lake and Everest Base Camp). >> Excluded from the tour package meaning we had to pay from our own choice of accommodation. The guide would help us find the hotel/guesthouse for us.
- Type of rented vehicle (e.g. Ruifeng Business Van or Toyota 4500 land cruiser) for your itinerary. >> Toyota Land Cruiser
- Salaries, accommodations and meals of driver and tour guide for the whole trip (not just for one single day). >> Already included. No need to pay separately.
- Transportation from / to the airport / train station and your hotel (first day and last day of your trip). >> Pickup service included.
- Meals may or may not be included. >> Not included. No problem.
- Service and tippings. >> We should tip the driver and the guide separately based on their performances.
- Ask them if it's a all-included package, are there anything missing, etc? >> Aye, should be fine.
The travel agency also included the conditions in the itinerary details.
The agency said the cost for food would be around 100 RMB per day (3 meals), and the cost for the accommodation would be around 100 - 200 RMB per day.
I am quite picky about what I eat, but luckily I don't mind where I sleep. I thought my accommodation spending would not cost more than 100 RMB per day (hopefully).
So, the breakdown of the cost for 15-day trip (excluding flight/train ticket) would go something like...
Tour Package = USD 1,200 - 1,300 >> around 8,000 RMB
Food = 100 x 15 = 1,500 RMB
Accommodation = 100 x 15 = 1,500 RMB
Entrance fee and tips = 2,000 RMB
Other spending = 1,000 RMB
TOTAL = 14,000 RMB
Somehow I was still worried that it would cost more than this. If it was more, then I would be doomed >_<
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