Expert: Tom Carter ~ Travel China Expert - 7/30/2008

Question
Hello Tom;
In October- November , I am going to China for 1 month. First I would like to ask you if there are any chances to go to the Tibet in that period(I really want to go but I am not sure if it is too much complicated or expensive, as I am a humble backpacker) What are the real chances (cheap one) of going Tibet from Beijing? Or going Beijing from Tibet? Is it still possible to cross from Nepal to Tibet?
And my last question is what are the best places to go between Beijing and Vietnam (because I am planning to cross that border). As you can see...I have many ideas, but they are kind of messy...I wanto to go to beijing and then going down all along china to vietnam...and if I can make it with tibet, I can extend my trip....what do you think??
thanks man...regards Jose from chile, latin america

Answer
Jose, Que Onda?

I am a humble backpacker myself, so it's the only way I know how to travel. Complicated and expensive are not in my vocabulary.

Ever since the riots, Tibet has pretty much been on lockdown. Was a time just a year ago when independent travelers could drift in via railway, plane, bus or car without getting harassed for a permit. Permits were just a myth perpetuated by the tour companies.
(read my adventure here: http://chinatravel.iblog.com/post/228189/457287)

Now the policy has reverted back to several years ago, so that there are once again military checkpoints along all the major routes, and local PSBs will shake down any foreign tourists they see.

From the rough itinerary you have outlined to me, I think you should migrate from Beijing to Yunnan, stopping at some of the more scenic provinces along the way such as Shanxi, Guangxi, Guizhou and Sichuan (check on Sichuan conditions first). In Yunnan head north (chill out in Dali and Lijiang for a couple nights) up to Zhongdian (Shangrila).

Once in Zhongdian, you can try to get on a sleeper bus through Kham to Lhasa; the bus station ladies there are usually cool about letting foreigners buy tickets without a permit, and its dirt cheap. Otherwise, you can line up a 4WD expedition with other backpackers out of a hostel, though it's a bit pricey. Your final option is to hitch with a truck driver. Where there's a will there's a way, even into Tibet! And remember, the harder it is to get in, the more fun it'll be!

If you make it into Tibet, then you can find out the latest info on crossing into Nepal. If not, then get back to Sichuan or Yunnan, then bus it down to southern Yunnan, where you can cross into Vietnam.

All the pieces should fall into place, and once you are on the move in China you'll meet plenty of other backpackers with the same mission as you, so your strength will be in your collective information.

Hope this helps.
Tom Carter
http://www.tomcarter.org

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