How to travel to Tibet with newly built highways? Ten years back, the road condition in most of the tourist destinations in Tibet were not very good. Example, the road to Nepal Tibet border from Lhasa was a bumpy and dusty road which takes you two full days and half to reach Nepal Tibet border even if you drive directly from Lhasa to Nepal Tibet border .
Seven years back, the road from Lhasa to Mt Kailash was a very bumpy and dusty road which takes you five full days to reach Mt Kailash even if you drove directly from Lhasa to Mt Kailash. There are many more places were like that with bad road conditions but nowadays, the good thing is that almost all the roads, especially in the most popular touristic destinations were paved which makes to travel to Tibet easier and more convenient. You can spend more time in doing sightseeing instead of spending much of your time in the road.
How to travel to Tibet when the roads’ condition is changing and developing continuously? It is very important to have a reliable, active and experienced local Tibetan travel agent and it is very important to amend your tour programs and update everything according to the new development of the new road conditions and many other developments. You should not keep the same twelve to fourteen days programs of Tibet Nepal overland tour, same sixteen to eighteen days programs of Mount Kailash.
There is an example of Lhasa to Nepal border overland tour that there are many tour operators who still keep one full day for the programs of Tibet Nepal overland tour from Shigatse to Sheger or New Tingri without any sightseeing like 10 years back which is a wrong, boring program because it takes you only five hours drive only with the speed limit where it used to take nine to ten hours driving time. Another example is that there are many tour operators who still keep their programs of Mount Kailash tour from Saga to Baryang one day and from Baryang to Mansarovar one day but this is also a wrong boring program with the new paved road as it only takes you half day drive from Saga to Mansarovar lake nowadays where it used to take two to three days to reach Mansarovar lake from Saga before.
How to travel to Tibet with those newly builty high ways? 10 years back, Tibet did not have any highways. People just call high way for the road from Lhasa to Nepal Tibet border eventhough it was not paved by that time because by that time, the road from Lhasa to Nepal Tibet border was the best road even if it was not paved. Nowadays, there are many good highways which have been constructed.
Six years back, we did not have this new Lhasa to Gongkar Airport highway and we had to drive for two hours from Lhasa to Gongkar airport with the distance of 100Km distance but Six years back, the new highway from Lhasa to Gongkar airport was constructed and now it takes you 45 minutes drive only so you will get more time to spend around Lhasa city before your departure.
The highway from Lhasa to Nyingtri, the eastern forest region of Tibet was just finished in the ent of 2017 and it takes you four hours drive only where it used to take you nine to ten hours drive with the speed limit.
Nyingtri is located to the east of Lhasa city at the distance of 420km and southern part of Nyingtri is the border to India and eastern part of Nyingtri is bordered to Chamdo, the further eastern part of Tibet. Nyingtri is a very different region than other regions in Tibet where it is fully surrounded by thick forest, lush green grass, beautiful snow capped mountain and lakes and it’s average elevation is around 2900mt above sea level. All the people who live in Nyingtri are mostly farmers and like other Tibetan regions, they also rear cattle, Tibetan small pigs and there are some nomads too where they cattle Yak and Sheep.
The high way from Lhasa to Tsetang was just finished recently and it takes you an hour and half only where it used to take four hours drive. Tsetang is the cradle of Tibet where it used to happen the first Palace of Tibet called Yubu Lhakang, first field of Tibet called Zara, first monastery of Tibet called Samye, origins of Tibetan people called six monkey off springs which was gradually transformed into human beings.
With the new highway from Lhasa to Tsetang gives you more convenient to travel to Samye monastery, Dorjeedark monastery as you can just get off the high way and stop for vising those monasteries since the monasteries are located just on the left hand side of the new high ways. You did not have to drive to Tsetang first, then drive back to Samye and Dorjeedark like before.
How to travel to Tibet in the future? You always need a reliable Tibetan local travel agent who can give you up-to date information because the government of Tibet Autonomous Region has already planed to build new highways from Lhasa to Shigatse, from Lhasa to Nagqu prefecture and from Lhasa to Chamdo prefecture. The new train from Lhasa to Shigatse has already been built and new trains from Lhasa to Tsetang and from Lhasa to Nyingtri are under construction which have been planed to be finished in 2022. Please check here get more Tibet Tour information.
