Sichuan/Gansu/Qinghai/Tibet (14 Days) We Love Road Journeys
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Tibetan Highlands: Sichuan/Gansu/Qinghai/Tibet (14 Days) We love road journeys. They are by far our favourite way of traveling. We think the world of western China and the countries that border on this region – think Vietnam, Lao, Thailand, Myanmar, for example. On the Road Experiences is all about sharing with like-minded travelers just how beautiful a road journey in these varied lands can be. Now turn the page to find out what we’ve come to love so much… p2 p3 Itinerary Map …where you will travel… p. 006 Yes, it is possible… p. 008 Journey of Discovery… p. 010 Day-by-day… p. 056 In closing... Any car you like, so long as it is an SUV… p. 077 Adventures and discoveries in local cuisines p. 078 What’s included/Best Months to Go... p. 080 Photo credits p. 083 p5 Itinerary Map Day1 Day8 Arrival in Chengdu – Dulan to Golmud – Apply for your temporary driving Across the Qaidam Basin to Golmud license and visit Chengdu’s beautiful Panda Reserve Day9 Golmud to Tuotuohe – Day2 Up, up, up - Onto the Plateau and Chengdu to Maerkang – into the highlands of Qinghai Through the valleys to the Gyarong Tibetan region Day10 Tuotuohe to Naqu – Day3 Cross the famous Tanggula Pass on Maerkang to Ruoergai – your way to Tibet itself Towards the very north of Sichuan on the way to Gansu Day11 Naqu to Damxung – Day4 Visit one of Tibet’s holiest lakes, Ruoergai to Xiahe – Lake Nam-tso Your first and only stop in Gansu province Day12 Damxung to Lhasa – Day5 Complete your journey with Xiahe to Qinghai’s capital, Xining – a beautiful drive to your final On your way to Qinghai destination Day6 Day13 Xining – In and around Lhasa – Spend a day in and around Xining for Visit Potala Palace and explore the a bit of rest and visit the spectacular old city of Lhasa Ta’er Monastery Day14 Day7 Depart from Lhasa – Xining to Dulan – Lift must go on...Farewell Lhasa On the way to Golmud... p6 Yes, it is possible... A driving holiday in this part of the world is indeed possible. We take care of everything. All you need to do is come, drive and enjoy a rare adventure! Tibetan Highlands: Sichuan/Gansu/Qinghai/Tibet – Chengdu to Lhasa as your final destination is a 14-day discovery of one of the planet’s most extraordinary places, the Tibetan Plateau. On this journey you will experience the many faces of the plateau: from deep, forested valleys in northern Sichuan, to the wide-open plateau of Qinghai and the stunning landscape of Tibet. Start your journey in Chengdu, a buzzing Chinese city, before leaving the misty Sichuan lowlands behind. Drive northwest to explore the clear, blue skies and open spaces of Sichuan’s magnificent Aba and Ganzi regions. Cross remote swathes of the plateau, home to herds of Tibetan antelope and yaks, and pass the headwaters of Asia’s mightiest rivers; the Yangtze, Yellow and Mekong. Before you arrive in Lhasa visit stunning Lake Nam-tso. Ringed by snow-capped mountains, the turquoise waters of the ‘Sky Lake’ have been revered by Tibetans for centuries. End your journey in the cultural and religious heart of Tibet: the holy city of Lhasa. On the Road in China has paved the way for you to cross borders in your own properly insured SUV, so that you can enjoy the romance of a classic overland journey without any of the logistical headaches that typically accompany such journeys... p8 p9 p11 Pandas, the symbol for FRIENDSHIP AND PEACE...” Welcome to Chengdu...who would want to give Sichuan’s panda’s a miss? p13 You have LEFT THE BIG CITY BEHIND...” Welcome to Chengdu...here in Bamboo Park locals practicing an art p15 ...and are ON THE ROAD IN CHINA...” Yaks own the local roads p17 A HOLY place outside of TIBET...” Morning prayer at Ta’er Monastery near Xining p19 The LARGEST SALTWATER LAKE in CHINA...” Visit Qinghai lake on the way to Golmud p21 From the ROADSIDE, VIEWS like these...” The landscape around Golmud is barren, but still beautiful in autumn p23 ARE you UP for a game of POOL?” Experiences along the along Qinghai’s Tibetan plateau p25 Where the DRIVING is pure JOY...” The road towards Tuotuohe p27 Where the YANGTZE originates...” The beautiful Tanggula Mountain Range p29 PROSTRATING for SPIRITUAL reasons...” Pilgrims on their way to Lhasa p31 It’s a 40hours TRAIN RIDE from BEIJING to LHASA...” With luck, an encounter with the Beijing-Lhasa train p33 KING of the road...” On the way to Lake Nam-tso p35 With Luck, a VISIT to a YAK HERDER’S TENT...” On the way to Lake Namtso p37 The HIGHEST SALTWATER LAKE in the WORLD...” First view of Nam-tso lake p39 MAGNIFICENT VIEWS of the nearby mountains...” Landscape around lake Namtso p41 YAK’s do LOVE the LAKESIDE...” Lake Namtso p43 HORSES along LAKE NAM-TSO...” Lake Nam-tso p45 Enjoy your OPENAIR meal...” Picnic along the way p47 The HOLIEST sanctuary...” The Jokhang, Lhasa p49 PILGRIMS PRAY in the shade...” The Jokhang, Lhasa p51 GOSSIP and PRAYER go hand-in-hand...” The Jokhang, Lhasa p53 RAINBOW not included...” The Jokhang, Lhasa p55 p57 Day 1 In the evening, we will meet Day 2 well-preserved official manor for a safety briefing and enjoy hosted Mao Zedong and other Apply for your a group dinner together in Through the valleys to key communist leaders as they temporary driving a lovely restaurant nearby Elevation rested here from the rigours of Driving Distance & Duration the hotel. Dinner will be the Gyarong Tibetan Highest Daytime: 500m the Long March in 1935. Distance: 360 km license and visit an opportunity to begin to region... acquaint yourself with the Overnight: 500m Duration: 7 hours Chengdu’s beautiful many flavors of Sichuan’s Welcome on the Road in China! Even today, the manor makes a cuisine and to meet your fellow Today’s destination is Maerkang, relaxing place to stop, with views Panda Reserve Hotel Elevation travellers. located in the Aba Prefecture, of the beautiful village below and In the morning we will help Shangri-La, Chengdu (*****) 360km northwest of Chengdu. the lush valley beyond. From Highest Daytime: 3200m you complete your temporary Please note: After navigating out of busy Zhuokeji it is 8km to Ma’erkang, Overnight: 2600m Chinese driving license If you need to apply for your Chengdu, you will find yourself a modern town that runs the temporary Chinese driving license, application, if required. on the China National Highway length of a narrow valley. you must arrive one day earlier (at Hotel This involves a simple eye 317 (G317), which runs broadly test and some paperwork, any time convenient for you), we will Note: This is your first stop in higher west to east from Chengdu, altitude. Please be prepared to take Jingjinlong Grand Hotel, and you will have your new arrange the airport pick up for you! everything more slowly to help your license by lunchtime. Spend If you currently hold a full Chinese Sichuan to Naqu in Tibet. It is Maerkang (****) driving license, it is possible to 2,028 km in length. body adjust to the altitude – and ask the afternoon with Sichuan’s us for details of what else you can most famous residents, the arrive today, a day later than those After navigating out of Chengdu do to prevent altitude sickness from giant pandas at Chengdu’s who need to do the temporary impacting your holiday. Panda Breeding Centre, or license application. and our lunch en route, we will visiting one of the fascinating drive more and more into the archaeological sights around countryside. The drive winds the city. through a series of thickly forested valleys into the Gyarong Tibetan region around Maerkang. A white chörten overlooks our turning into the Fubian River valley, and marks our entry into a region that the Red Army passed through on their Long March of the 1930s. As we reach the northern end of this bucolic valley, we will come to the village of Zhuokeji. Zhuokeji’s Day 3 Tibetan, distinct from the local river valleys give way to the Amodo dialect. broad, open horizons of the Aba Towards the very Grasslands. north of Sichuan on Your drive today spans the transition from the deep valleys This high altitude marsh proved the way to Gansu and thick forests of Gyarong to a formidable barrier to the Red Ruoergai, also known as the the high plateau that surrounds Army when they passed this way Songpan Grasslands, is a Ruoergai. From Maerkang in later 1935. Fortunately for county of Ngawa Tibetan and you will retrace our steps to modern-day travellers, Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Zhuokeji before turning off the conditions have improved bordering Gansu to the north. national highway and north markedly, and this remote It is the northernmost county onto a smaller provincial road, region is connected to the of Sichuan province and sits on which will take you all the way outside world by a series of Driving Distance & Duration the eastern part of the Tibetan to our destination. Slowly the surprisingly good roads. Distance: 323 km Plateau and on the northern Duration: 8 hours most edge of Aba grassland. It is part of Amdo, one of Tibet’s Elevation most traditional regions. The Highest Daytime: 3400m Aba grasslands range across Overnight: 3400m parts of three Chinese provinces with significant Tibetan Hotel influence: Sichuan, Gansu and Ruoergai Hotel, Ruoergai (**) Qinghai. As nearly the entire county is covered in high altitude grasslands, it is perfect for herding yaks and sheep.