Shall travelers cancel tour to Tibet after Yaan Quake?

The Yaan Quake, just like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, awakened many Sichuan people out of a good sleep on weekend and also killed over one hundred people. We feel deeply sorry for the victims in the quake. The deadly disastrous quake also raises a question - “Shall travelers cancel tour to Tibet after Yaan Quake?”

 

“Travelers who have booked a tour to Tibet or have a tour plan to Tibet in this April or May do not need to worry about their tour to Tibet.” According to Catherine Jing, the manager of Tibettravel Org, a local Tibet travel agency.

 

“Everything in Tibet is OK after the Yaan Quake. Even in Chengdu which is 114km east of Yaan, there is no any damage during the quake, let alone Lhasa which is over 2000km away from Yaan.” Catherine Jing said.

 

If tourists are still afraid of travelling from Chengdu to Tibet, they can travel to Tibet from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Kathmandu. There are flights and trains to Lhasa from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa. All the trains and flights to Tibet are operated as normal after the Yaan earthquake.  

 

Now, it is the best time to visit the world’s highest peaks in Tibet due to the clear weather, such as Mt. Everest (8,848m), Qowowuyag Peak (8,201m) and Xixabangba Peak (8,027m). Tourists can make an Everest Base Camp Tour or Tibet Nepal Tour to view the grand mountains during this season.  

 

The weather becomes warmer and warmer in Tibet and Tibet tourism enters its peak season. Many traditional Tibetan festivals will also be celebrated in the next months. For instance, the annual grandest Tibetan religious festival, Saga Dawa Festival will be celebrated on May 25^th, 2013. During the Saga Dawa Festival, thousands of Tibetan pilgrims will do pilgrimage to Lhasa and Mt. Kailash. Lhasa is the holy center of Tibet and receives millions of pilgrims each year, while Mt. Kailash is the holiest mount in Tibet.

 

Then in June, exciting Gyantse horse racing festival and interesting Tashilhunpo Festival will be held. In July, Choerkor Dhuchen Festival and Ganden Thangka Festival will show you the Tibetan Buddhism culture.   

 

Shoton Festival, the most popular Tibetan festival among travelers, will be celebrated in Lhasa in early August. At the same time, famous Nagchu horse racing festival will be held on the grassland of northern Tibet. 

 

If you travel to Tibet during these festivals, you will be rewarded with extra cultural experience except the breathtaking landscape of Tibet with turquoise alpine lakes, grand snow-capped mountains, vast grassland dotted with herds and wild flowers, ancient monasteries, kind Tibetan people, delicious Tibetan food, etc.

Since more and more travelers flock in to Tibet, it is best to make an early Tibet tour plan, including choosing a reliable Tibet travel agency, designing a proper Tibet tour route, applying for Tibet travel permit and booking hotels, air tickets and train tickets, especially the train tickets to Lhasa. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway is such a scenic track to Tibet that the Tibet train tickets are usually sold out several days before departure.