- on the 'Paiko Tso shortcut' in the background Shishanpangma
No question, Tibet is my favorite destination. Especially the remote high plateau of western Tibet is in its kind simply unique on this planet. Besides the classical route there are endless opportunities to explore new regions.
Some general informations about Tibet first.
Overview
Visa, Permit
Since april 2008 is has become much more difficult to enter Tibet. The army has enforced the checkpoints and it is now almost impossible to pass them without a permit anymore. This goes for all of the TAR. Outside of it (Kham, Amdo) it is still no problem to travel.
To be allowed to travel in Tibet you first need a chinese visa and officially a so called 'Alien Travel Permit'.
Visa
To be allowed to travel in Tibet, you first need a chineese visa like in the rest of China. You best get that at home already. This way you should get 3 month.
If you need to organise the visa in the region, you will mostly not get more then 1 or 2 month. The only exception and by far the easiest place to get a chineese visa is Hongkong. Depending on the current situation you easily get 3-6month within a single day!
The only specialty is, that this visa starts right after beeing issued. There are plenty of agencies that can organise the visa. One of the cheaper is:
Adresse: RM 916-917,NEW MANDARIN PLAZA TOWER B,14 SCIENCE MUSEUM RD, TST EAST, KOWLOON HK.
Visa extension
While it is not difficult to extend a visa in the rest of China, it is hardly possible in Tibet! In Lhasa you only get a couple of days, that will allow you to leave the country. In Ali in western Tibet you easily get a 30 day extension. But they start immediately, so you loose your remaining days.
Alien Travel Permit ATP
For most places in Tibet you officially need an Alien Travel Permit (ATP) to be allowed to travel. Usually you only get that as a group, with a travel agency. An exception is Ali in western Tibet. Here you can get an ATP for as far as Kailash and Guge. After it has been possible to get an ATP for central Tibet in Shigaze for years, this is not possible anymore now. You still get a permit if you go to a travel agency, but this costs twice as much now.
In practice this means that you will mostly be travelling without a permit. Along the road this is never a problem. But there are checkpoints where the permit is checked. Find out about the situation from other cyclists, where the checkpoints are. Sometimes it is necessary to sneak arround a checkpoint at night...
Season
April to june and september to november are generally the best month. In july and august falls the most rain but this is still little compared to the rest of asia. In eastern Tibet I would not travel in this season as there are many landslides in the deep gorges.
Autumn is colder but the views into the mountains are better.
Maps
To find good maps for Tibet is quite difficult. Below some comments to available maps I have used.
Nelles
Quite good map that gives a good impression about the topography of the area. This map is enough if you stay on the main roads and have the roadbooks with you.
Gizi Maps
Similar to Nelles. Good topographical image but inaccurate in the details. Ok for the main roads.
Reise Know How
Type of map is perfect for cyclists (waterproof, 'untearable'). Content comparable with Nelles but topographical image not as good.
Chinese Province Map of Tibet Autonomous Region
No Topography at all. Roads quite accurate. In the rest of China such a map is a must (to show people, ask for directions). In Tibet not very useful.
Gecko Map
The best map I have seen so far. Unfortunately I did not have this map with me, so I have no practical experience with it.
Russian topographical maps
For trips off the main route good. Topographical image good because best scale (1:200'000 or 1:500'000). Not very up to date at all (which is no problem if you go to remote areas). Caption in russian only.
Guide book
If you are cycling in Tibet you don't need a guide book. But if you are interested in background information I can recommend footprints Tibet handbook. Not so much LP's "how to get there, where stay" type of information but much about religion, monasteries, country and history.
Money
Get enough money in bigger town. Once you leave them there is no chance to get money anymore. Traveller checks get a good exchange rate in China. There are ATM's in Shigatse and Lhasa.
Power supply
If you travel with rechargeable batteries you need to find power socket from time to time. In remote areas this will need some more ahead planning and possibly a second battery.
Most of the smaller places have electricity nowadays, often only for a couple of hours in the evening. Chinese sockets are very universal and fit for european and US connectors.
Health
In Tibet you are often far away from the nearest doctor. You should be equipped with a good first-aid kit. I am no doctor but below are some issues that are special in Tibet because of its extreme location.
Altitude
Most of the tibetian plateau lies between 4000 and 5000m. Everyone can be affected by acute mountain sickness (AMS) regardless of your condition and previous experience! The best prevention is a good acclimatisation. This is best done if you reach the plateau slowly under your own steam (cycling). Above 3500m it is recommended not to climb more than 500m a day (important is where you sleep). So take plenty of time while you climb to the plateau for the first time. Once you are there, your body will adapt to the new situation and the risk to get AMS is much lower. It is important to drink a lot at this altitude. Your body looses a lot of water you don't notice because of the extremely dry air.
I would take Diamox with me just in case, but don't use it as a prevention to get quicker to high altitudes!
Sun protection
It is essential to have a good sun blocker with you. UV radiation is very intense at this altitude. I use one with sun protection factor 50.
Giarda
Giardia is very common in the himalayas. Water is often contaminated with it. I would filter every water you drink, no matter how nice the stream looks like. Symptoms include loss of appetite, lethargy, explosive diarrhea, loose or watery stool, stomach cramps, upset stomach, bloating, and flatulence. They typically reappear cyclically. A very efficient antibiotic is Tinidazole. It is not available 'at home' but very common in central asia and Nepal. In China I never found it though.
Cold
Mostly the weather is quite good and temperatures during daytime are comfortable. But if teh weather gets bad the temperatures can quickly drop considerably. Good protection mainly for your feet, hands and face are very important.
Rabies
The 'dog-situation' depends very much where you go to. In the west I met only few dogs and did not often have problems with them. In eastern Tibet though I got often attacked by aggressiv dogs. Some of them have rabies. Whether you want to have a vaccination is up to you.
