Tibet

Tibet had always fascinated people of the western world from time immemorial. History tells us that Tibet had always been an object of interest in the past. From Jesuit priests to Russian, Germans and the British, in the 17-19 century, there was even a race to who reaches there first and not only control the trade but everything that comes with it.  The location and the access to Tibet was the biggest challenge of that time and to some extent it still is.   

In recent years, due to increased interest in Tibetan Buddhism and the culture of the indigenous people of Tibet, tourism has become an increasingly important sector and is actively promoted. Religion is extremely important to Tibetans and has strong influence over all aspects of their lives. Bon is the indigenous religion of Tibet which has been almost eclipsed by Tibetan Buddhism - a distinct form of Mahayana and Vajrayana – which was introduces into Tibet from Sanskrit Buddhist tradition of North India.

Although, tours to Tibet is possible it is strictly controlled by the Chinese Government and all aspiring visitors are scrutinized. It is not open to free individual travels and all visitors must be channeled through a travel agency who will take care of the logistics as per the guidelines provided by the Tibet Tourism Bureau - who oversees all issuance of permits. It takes about 4 – 5 working days to obtain the permits before venturing into Tibet. There is no such thing as Tibet Visa and there will be not stickers or stamps on the passports. Entry permits are processed beforehand.

All tours are conducted by a local tour agency and all tours or travel within Tibet has to be accompanied by a licensed guide who will be responsible for all movements within the country. Travel to each region needs a special permit. All tour must commence and end as per the schedule submitted for the visit.