Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lovebug]

hi everyone, i'm thinking about flying to KTM and then getting to tibet for a bit from there. i would go for about 10 days.

is it totally insane to go during february weather? i don't mind the cold, but i don't want the conditions to hinder things like types of transportation, etc)

i've already searched and read the posts on nepal and tibet so any updated info and weather-related advice would be appreciated. feel free to throw support behind the flights vs. bus vs. landcarrier debate to get from the two places.

much thanks in advance for your help!

[chris_J2]

I've been to Nepal in January several times, & never had a problem. Not so sure on Tibet, which is at a much higher elevation. Places like Sikkim in India were a tad too cold. They just had a bucket of hot water, no modern shower system, so I stayed in Darjeeling. Be careful of the sudden altitude change too. Many people arriving to & from Lhasa by plane fall ill. Maybe by train is a better way to go, (China), or the Friendship Hwy from Nepal to Tibet? Details in the LP Nepal guidebook.

[RufusW]

February in Tibet is gonna be cold, under 0 Celsius at night, no running water at small villages along the way. If there's particularly bad weather then the 'Friendship Highway' between Lhasa and KTM may be impassable. A very popular route is overground from Lhasa to KTM, it'd take 3/4 days and should be possible. You can also go the other way on the road, but the increase in elevation causes problems with some people. It's also not as nice going from relatively hot to cold on the plateau.

You could fly between the two (and maybe get a view of Everest on the way). I suppose that is a good choice, but I wouldn't do it, you've only got 10 days, much better to concentrate on one country/city and at least relax a little. Personally I think 10 days in Nepal would be good. You can explore KTM, and maybe get over to Pokhara (a 4+ hour bus ride West). One thing you have to do is see the Himalayas up close (the view is better from the Nepal side). This is very easy in Pokhara...you can go on a 2 day hike up one of the local foothills and get beautiful views (no tent required but sleeping bag is good. To get to Everest you'd need to fly from KTM.

Also, if you do go from KTM to Lhasa, you'll have to get back as well. Save Tibet for when you can savour it.

[summer33ny]

Last I heard, you need to be with a registered tour company to enter Tibet and a lot of the tours do not begin until April. I think during the months of Feb/Mar no one is even allowed to enter Tibet due to Chinese restrictions. You really need to check this an make sure it's even possible for you to go at this time. We booked a tour for April for the very first week and this was the earliest date our tour company had.

[lovebug]

thanks for all your input, everyone! it seems like i picked a the perfect holiday time where the chinese embassy will probably be closed for a bit in nepal to celebrate the new year. that, coupled with the infrequency of flights, seems like it'll not be worth the hassle to go for such a short time.

i'm glad there's plenty to do in nepal for 10 days...

[RufusW]