MANASAROVAR – The blissful trip

Hello All. Hope every one of you enjoyed reading and knowing about Mt. Kailash and the importance of Lake Manasarovar. I want to make your work easy by also informing about how to get to Mt. Kailash. It is geographically located in Tibet, Asia.

There are 3 best routes to get to Manasarovar:

• India

• Nepal

• Tibet

It is located in southern Tibet culminating in south west of Tibet. The best season to visit is at the time of the Saga Dawa Festival. The highlight is a kora around Mt Kailash - This trip is open to all, it does not matter what your beliefs are, as long as you respect other beings.

Saga Dawa Festival falls in May or June each year. It is the holiest festival in Tibet. The coincidence of Buddha's birth and later his enlightenment on the same day is celebrated by Buddhists.

On this trip, people fly from Kathmandu to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. They spend time getting to know the city and the outlying monasteries before starting to visit the sacred Mt Kailash. They then drive across the wide open spaces of the Tibetan Plateau to make a brief visit to Lake Manasarovar and then to complete a kora around Mount Kailash. They then make their way to Kathmandu, enjoying the arid beauty of the vast plains. This is truly yet another "trip of a lifetime" with its stunning scenery and cultural highlights.

People from different places may choose the best, based on their choice.

India is also another best place to start the tour with.

But, for all international travelers, the best route would be from Katmandu, Nepal.

Easiest route is to fly to Katmandu and you would be received by the travel-agents who assist you the best in the travel and comfort you to the maximum.

People who don’t have flights to Katmandu directly may either fly to Lhasa or to India and get there.

Practically, Lhasa is a farther route to Mt Kailash than the rest.

You can get to the location by helicopter or road.

PLACES OF VISIT ON THE WAY FROM KHATMANDU

Travelling overland between Kathmandu and Lhasa or Kailash is an incredible journey in which you can see the world’s heights mountains, travel on the world’s highest plain, meet nomadic Tibetian pilgrims and walk amidst the burning butter lamps and chanting monks of Tibet’s ancient and legendary Buddhist Monasteries. This is a wonderful and amazing trip. However if you not up for a bit of adventure, or for accommodations and amenities that may be far from perfect, perhaps this trip is not for you as the trip to Tibet is not easy and is well worth the effort. Tibet was opened to tourism in 1985, before this it avoided influence from the western world and developed its unique culture and religion independently. The infrastructure of the tourist industry is still very basic in this remote country. Please do not expect the standard you are accustomed to in the West.

Embark on a scenic drive from Kathmandu – Kodari. Take a walk on the friendship bridge and drive up hill to Zhangmu. After completing custom and immigration formalities, proceed to Nyalam.

Trek to Serlung Monastery and to Nandi Parbat for an excellent view of Mount Kailash.

In short, the following route may be followed :

Kathmandu - Naylam - Saga - Parang - Manasarovar - Darchen - Mt Kailash - Tharpoche - Tingri - Mt. Everest Base Camp - Lhatse - Shigatse - Gyantse

The most notable is the ancient Chiu Gompa Monastery, which has been built right onto a steep hill. It looks as if it has been carved right out of the rock.
The Jains and the Bonpas of Tibet equally revere this spot with great enthusiasm.

TRIP PLAN

The most important condition required by the travelers is health fitness. It is a must for those visitors to get certified by their doctors prior to trip preparation, it may be said that your trip preparation starts with getting certified on your physical fitness and getting special insurance. The traveler must be fit enough to walk for miles together and carry his/her own baggage (food, clothing, tent, etc). It is advisable to take a special insurance as this trip is adventurous.

You need to be conditioned to hard hiking / trekking over a number of days, though it is made easier by providing yaks to carry your main baggage while trekking. If you prefer it is possible, at extra cost, to hire a horse and either ride the hardest sections or ride all the way. For your safety the agents provide a portable compression chamber and a supply of oxygen to reduce the effects of altitude sickness. But it is always better to mention all your physical conditions to the agents so that they make proper preparations to avoid any emergencies.

As you are traveling over high terrain, you are likely to experience some of the minor symptoms and discomfort of altitude sickness (headache, loss of appetite) until your body adjusts to the elevation. This can take from a few hours to a couple of days, depending on an individual. Take it lightly, but drink plenty of non-alcoholic liquids. Proper hydration is necessary to acclimatize.

Cost of the trip

The cost is high in this trip, so it is always better to plan this adventure not alone, but with a couple of others together. This thereby decreases the cost of accommodation and you may be given discount to some extent. The following are a list of expenses one may incur in this trip. It may be noted that all the costs mentioned below are not the only expenses. Also please note that not all these expenses are met by the travelers(some are optional depending on one’s need and interests).

Preparation must be made to meet the following expenses:

• Airfares to Katmandu and Lhasa / India / Khatmandu

• Luxury 4X4 Toyota Landcruisers for all the transportation in Tibet and Nepal.

• Booking helicopter (optional)

• Kathmandu / Lhasa flight

• A double entry visa is required for Nepal if you plan to visit Tibet and return via Nepal

• English speaking Tibetan guide and Nepalese support staff

• Guided sightseeing tour in Lhasa, Gyantse & Shigatse

• Hotel in Lhasa and Kathmandu with breakfast only

• Fully supported trekking around Mount Kailash which includes tented camping in as many areas as possible

• All the food you need and non-alcoholic drinks

• Portable Pressure Chamber (Gammow bag) for emergency use & first aid kit

• Border / Kathmandu transfers

• All airport transfers in Nepal and Tibet

• Long-haul airfare and departure taxes

• Local departure taxes leaving Nepal

• Personal Travel Insurance

• Hire of horses and horse handlers

• Tips, vaccination costs

• Necessary medicines to avoid various discomfort

• Miscellaneous other emergency expenses

Certain unavoidable circumstances such as landslide, road blockage, flood snow, political unrest, cancellation of flight, delay arrival, sickness or accidents are likely to occur. You may incur any extra costs in such circumstances on the spot.

Also quite useful is a Kathmandu – Lhasa route map, to know where you are going and have been each day.

CLOTHING

Casual wear and comfortable walking shoes are the rule for Tibet. Be sure to carry warm clothing as nights and early mornings can be quite chill enough to right cold in winter. Carry all the film, cosmetics, persona toilet items, etc. that you will need from home as you may not get it in Tibet. A small first aid kit is also a good idea.

May to October
Raincoat or Windbreaks
Jackets
Sweaters
Sun hat
Shirts (cotton/woolen)
Comfortable Shoes

November to April
Dawn Jacket
Thermal Underwear
Warm Trousers
Warm Sweaters
Woolen Shirts
Gloves
Warm hat & scarves
Light leather boots in Case of Snow

Feet must be dry. Use dusting powder. Wet shoes cause blisters.

During electric storms, don't point upwards metallic objects like wireless aerials which can attract lightning. Also, keep away from conical rocks. Don't take shelter under a tree. Don't remain on the top of hills. Open space is safer. One can even sit down on a non-coducting sheet etc. if one has.

The best time for visiting Kailash Mansarovar is between the middle of May to the middle of October. The weather is generally stable and visibility is at its best during this time. Temperatures are cool during the day and below freezing at night.

I am glad, I got this opportunity to share with everyone of you about the most a wonderful and amazing place.

Please log on to the following websites to get further information about the trip.

www.travel-library.com/tours/asia/nepal/kathmandu/kailash_mansarovar_yatra.html

www.kailashmansarovar-yatra.com/faq.html

www.kailashhelicoptertours.com/kailash_manasarovar_overland_tour.php

www.mansarovar-kailash.com