General Information

Duration:

3 Days

Location Start:

Lanzhou

Location Finish:

Lanzhou

Phone:

01273 322048

Fax:

01273 732 791

Payment Types:

• Cash
• Credit Card
• Cheque
• Travellers cheque
• Paypal
• Wire Transfer

We Speak:

English

Last updated: 03/13/2009

Itinerary

Day 1

Lanzhou - XiaheOn arrival in Lanzhou you’ll be picked up by minivan and taken to the city of Xiahe. This journey is quite a long one at around 5 hours, however the views along the way are rather special. You will leave the city and enter a mountain area, driving through a spectacular landscape. After some time you’ll enter the small province town of Linxia and you’ll drive over a beautiful, tree-lined two lane road over the mountaintops. Along the way you’ll pass small Muslim villages. You’ll most likely make a stop in Linxia for a meal and then you’ll drive on for another two hours along a river gorge with deep valleys.
Xiahe lies at an altitude of 3000m, so you are likely to feel the effects almost immediately. The village is nothing more than a 3km long street with stores and several hotels, however it ends at the famous 16th century Labrang monastery, recognizable by its golden roof. This is the second largest Tibetan monastery in China after the Potala Palace in Lhasa. The 2000 monks that live here do not live in isolation from the outside world like other monks, and can be seen everywhere in daily life. During the afternoon you’ll have all the time you need to visit the monastery. There is a guided tour every day at 15:15. The monastery has several temples with enormous Buddha statues, entrance gates with vistas and a sea of low clay houses where the monks live. At some point during the day you may just want to sit down and take in the magic of this place. Time and religion have a whole different meaning here than in the hurried western world.

You’ll spend the night in a simple 1 or 2 star hotel near the monastery, much like all of the other hotels in the area. Your room will have a shower and a toilet and there is an enthusiastic English-speaking Nepalese staff. There is warm water, however the area is known to have frequent power outages. Simple meals are available in the hotel.

Day 2

Xiahe - Ganya Grasslands Xiahe’s surroundings are surprisingly beautiful. If you only stay in Xiahe you wouldn’t expect this, because the elevated grasslands are hidden behind the mountain tops that surround the town. During peak travel season many Chinese tourists go camping at the grasslands at Sangke and Takar, 14km from Xiahe. That is why we advise going on a day trip to the Ganya grasslands which are a little further away (40km).

A mini van will take you to Ganya in the morning, the ride will take about 2 hours. The road will quickly climb into the Mountains and onto the plateau. You’ll cross a landscape full of lakes mirroring clear blue skies, soft babbling brooks, traditional villages (we fell in love with the Eight Corners Village) and large herds of (mainly) sheep and naturally the typical Tibetan yaks. In short, you’ll enter a world where only the Electricity poles will reflect modern times. You’ll stop in one of the villages for a hearty lunch. Stroll through the village and meet some of the colourful inhabitants of the village, monks and nomads from the surrounding area. In the afternoon you’ll ease back to the town of Xiahe.

Day 3

Departure from Xiahe This morning a transfer will take you back to Lanzhou, where you’ll continue on by train or airplane. You can also decide to spend an extra night in Xiahe. If you do stay longer, take the local bus to Langmusi for the day (approximately 3.5 hours one-way, your hotel will provide info). This town is known for its 'sky-burials’. The inhabitants believe that the body of a deceased person will return to the earth if eaten by birds of prey.

Extra Information

Inclusions -

All transfers, accommodation, grasslands excursion including lunch and English speaking guide

Exclusions -

Other meals and drinks, entrance fees