Trips China Tibet

Tibet Shoton Festival, Namtso Lake & Everest Base Camp

Tibet - used to be the mysterious, legendary and unknown Roof of the World - can be easily reached today from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province to Lhasa.

Tibet is a beautiful rugged, desolated, mountainous region with numerous snow-capped peaks, jade-green lakes, with a predominant Buddhist influence.

Shoton ( Xuedun ) Festival, also known as the Yoghurt Banquet Festival, is one of the grandest festivals in Tibet and begins on the 1st day of the 7th Tibetan month. "Sho" means the Yoghurt and "ton" means banquet in the Tibetan language. During this period, thousands of Buddhists flock to Lhasa from all over the world and prostrate piously for their pilgrimage during the festival.

The festival originated at Drepung Monastery in the 17th century, as a celebration to mark the end of the monks' Yarné, their hundred day summer retreat & cultivation. When the lamas came back from their cultivation in mountains, they were welcomed by local people and their relatives with yogurt and had an outdoor banquet. Years later, Tibetan opera performances were added to the event to amuse monks in monasteries.

On the first day of the Shoton Festival, Drepung Monastery will hold a Sunning Buddha ceremony. Drepung Monastery is the largest Buddhist monastery in Tibet. At 8:00 a.m., on the mountainside behind the Monastery, under the first light of morning, a huge 500-square-meter picture of Sakyamuni woven with colorful silk shows up slowly amid sounds of ritual horns, unveiling his kind and peaceful appearance. Tens of thousands of Buddhists prostrate reverently with worshipers throwing silk Kha-btags at the Buddha portrait and prayed for safety and happiness. The ceremony, known as Zhanfo, which means Buddha worship, marks the start of Tibet's annual Shoton Festival.

Another important segment of Shoton Festival is Tibetan Opera, which one cannot miss. Starting from the second day of Shoton Festival, Tibetan Opera is performed from 11:00 a.m. till dusk every day at Norbulingka and the Longwangtan Park opposite from the Potala Palace. Due to limited time, those performances are the distillation of Tibetan Opera. Otherwise, only one opera can last for several days.

In addition, yak races and singing and dancing performances will also be shown during Shoton Festival, providing tourists a special experience of mysterious Tibetan customs.

Besides the Shoton Festival, this trip covers the highlights of Tsetang, Lhasa, Gyantse and Shigatse as well as beautiful Namtso Lake & mountaineers' ultimate dream - Mount Everest, the highest mountain on earth.

Activities include overland drive, culture sightseeing, trekking, visit to alpine lakes. This is an overlander that is packed with enough cultural sights and high adventure that you'll remember long after the journey is over. More photos here

Included

• 2-way internal / domestic return airfares between Chengdu & Lhasa including airport taxes
• Full accommodation arrangement ( hotels in Chengdu, Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse and guesthouse in Namtso Lake ) with daily breakfasts
• Full transport arrangement & airport transfers in both 4WD ( in Tibet ) & van ( in Chengdu )
• All entrance tickets to the listed scenic spots as well as special travel permits for Tibet
• Either Chinese or English speaking guide service
• All expenses for guides, drivers, and vehicles
• Oxygen support for overland journey & trek in Tibet
• Complimentary use of sleeping bags & down jackets, if required

Excluded

• 2-way international economy class return airfares between Singapore & Chengdu & associated airport & other taxes
• Meals during tour except for breakfast which is provided with accommodation
• Tipping & gratuities to guide & driver
• Fees for photography inside monastery chapels & other places where extra fees are required
• Personal travel insurance, pre-trip medical immunizations, and all expenses of a personal nature

Beware that any trip to Tibet will involve high altitude travel and may be tough especially for most of us who live at sea level. The main deciding factor to whether you'll enjoy the trip or not will be your ability to acclimatize to the high altitudes within the prescribed trip period. We will provide oxygen support during the overland & trek period but do note that this is not a substitute for proper acclimatization which is subjective and cannot be pre-determined in each person.

At high altitudes between 4000m to 5200m, even an easy walk will push your lungs pretty hard if one is not well-acclimatized enough so sufficient acclimatization is one of the main criteria to an enjoyable & comfortable time on this outing. On certain days, the overland drives will be long so this trip may not be suitable for those who dislike long drives as well as unprepared people looking for a comfortable holiday. All participants must travel with an open mind and positive attitude. For many, however, the superb beauty of the Tibetan highlands will more than often not make up for whatever discomfort you may experience on the trip and leave you with lasting memories of this adventure of a lifetime.

All participants are strongly advised to join our weekly GCS to tune up their fitness for this trip.