15 Days Kailash and Manasarova Small Group Tibet Tour: A pilgrim’s final trip fantasy and the greatest overland trip in Tibet

Traveler Reviews

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  Surya1.0•October 2024
  16 day Kailash, 4 day Kora I’m sharing this review in as many places as possible because, during my search for...
  16 day Kailash, 4 day Kora I’m sharing this review in as many places as possible because, during my search for detailed feedback on this agency, I found very little. I do not recommend traveling with Tibet Vista if your goal is a spiritual journey. You’ll face numerous worries and constantly feel helpless and disregarded. We paid around $2,700, plus hotel upgrades, not to mention tickets, visas, and insurance. For that amount, you expect at least some quality; unfortunately, we experienced none, along with disrespect. Transportation: We were provided a bus with no AC or heating, sealed windows, and a broken roof window. You spend 6-8 hours a day in a bus with no airflow. Accommodation: We were given the cheapest and filthiest accommodations. Our Tibetan agent called it “basic,” but it was truly filthy. The towels and bedding hadn’t been washed in ages, plumbing was clogged with waste floating on the bathroom floor, and there were questionable stains on the blankets. You might think, “It’s a remote area; what do you expect?” Well, there are decent hotels nearby that cost only $20-30 more but are clean. Tibet Vista is simply too greedy to book them. Guide: Our guide had no touch with reality. He was just an interpreter. The guy had no idea nor about cultural heritage, nor if there is an ATM in the city. During the Kora, he left people behind and walked off on his own. On the second day, he arrived at the dorm long before the last group members, leaving them alone with the porters. His passive attitude cost four people a significant amount of money. Due to weather conditions, we were stuck in Gyirong and were unable to drive to Lhasa, which meant those four could not leave for Nepal. While other guides made sure their customers departed before the road closed (the night before the closure and early morning), ours was counting stars and didn’t do a thing, resulting in people being stranded for days and still had to drive to Lhasa in the end (the agency was inadequate as well, providing them with false information). Agency Management: The Chinese boss of Tibet Vista is quite deceptive. We signed up for a 16-day trip with a 4-day Kora. Upon arrival, the guide informed us that it was forbidden to approach Kailash due to recent deadly accidents. We are all in for safety, but we would want to know this prior to the trip, so that we could postpone it, as touching Kailash was our main goal and the agency was well aware of it. The agency attempted to push a 15-day itinerary on us instead. When we confronted our agent, she claimed ignorance, while the boss insisted he had permission for us to proceed. They even brought their YouTube star, Jamyang who swore on everything being safe because according to him he had just returned from touching Kailash. When we arrived in Tarchen, the agency made a big show of taking us to the police to secure permission to approach Kailash, but we were rudely turned away. Ultimately, we ended up doing a 3-day Kora, and on the evening of the third day, we received unexpected news that we could do the inner Kora and touch Kailash. Which was great and we did it. While that was a relief, we were informed it was a 5-6 km walk, but it turned out to be 20 km. Our guide disappeared ahead of us, forcing us to navigate on our own, which was quite challenging. If you still choose to travel with Tibet Vista, bring sleeping bags, as you will often find yourself sleeping in “filthy” conditions, which they label as “basic.” If you’re a vegetarian, pack food for at least a week, as vegetarian options are scarce and all meals (both veg and non-veg) are typically fried in one pot. Hotel breakdown: 1. Gang Gyan - Lhasa: You don’t want this place to be your first impression of Tibet. The rooms had fungus, no ventilation, and were dirty, with a terrifying bathroom and toilet. Previously used bedding and towels. All topped up by rude sour faces at the front desk. Upgrade to St. Regis. Yes, it’s more expensive, but you won’t feel like gagging when entering the bathroom. 2. Shigatse: I don’t recall the hotel’s name, but we arrived to find a clogged toilet and bathtub, with water and waste flooding the floor. This issue wasn’t resolved by the time we left. Upgrade to Hilton. 3. Everest Base Camp: Accommodation consists of small mobile homes that are warm and comfy. Recommendation: Upgrade to a private room; otherwise, you will end up sharing one large cot with 5-6 strangers back-to-back. 4. Saga: We stayed at the same hotel on the way to and from Kailash. It was pristine on the way there but surprisingly way less clean on the return trip. However, it was bearable, so an upgrade isn’t necessary. 5. Tarchen: A clean hotel; no upgrade necessary. 6. Kayirong/Gyirong (the last city before departing for Nepal): Recommendation: Upgrade to Qomolangzou. The original hotel was the filthiest of all. As for the dorms during the Kora, their condition was poor, but not that there was a decent hotel nearby, so it was understandable.Show more
  Traveled in September 2024
• KS

  Kai4.5•September 2018
  The small group consisted of 10 people from difference countries. All were friendly and nice and I enjoyed travelling...
  The small group consisted of 10 people from difference countries. All were friendly and nice and I enjoyed travelling with them. The guide was friendly and fluent in English. The travel agency was not pro-active enough, but when I asked questions it was able to respond quickly, usually within an hour during business hours. Accommodation was generally so-so, and was poor at the EBC and Namtso Lake, but I guess that is no fault on the part of the travel agency. Rongbuk Monastery was not available for visits. We skipped Yangpachen hot spring because of the weather. I heard that other groups skipped even the Namtso Lake because of bad weather conditions. Otherwise, everything was fine, and I recommend this tour.Show more
  Traveled in September 2018
  

  Reply from: Tibet Vista

  Dear Kai Yan Siu, thank you very much for your review. We are glad to hear you ahve a good time in Tibet. The guestroom at EBC and Namtso Lake is not good. And now the Namtso guestroom was removed. We will offer hotel stay at Damxung.

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