7 independent reviews for Tibet cultural tours
Reviews for Tibet cultural tours
David Hatfield review 20 Nov 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The whole trip was superbly organised, Achut and is team did a first class job with nothing too much trouble2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
You will not go wrong using Achut and his team the service is second to none3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Overall the holiday helped the conservation of all the temples and monasteries visited as they rely solely on money raised from visitors4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A once in a lifetime holiday that I plan to repeat in the futureAndy Lewis review 15 Apr 2018
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The road journey from Lhasa to Sigatse alongside the Yamadroke Lake, with its stunning scenery, including a glacier. Our guide made sure that as well as the main sights, we also visited some more unusual things like the water powered incense factory. We were fortunate to be invited to visit our driver's home and share lunch with his family.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for changes to your itinerary, treat it as an adventure! It now takes three working days to obtain a visa for Tibet. Also remember that it takes time to adjust to the altitude, we found that after three days we no longer suffered any ill effects.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, both the Tibetans and Bhutanese seemed to appreciate the fact that Western tourists want to visit and local people were very pleased to engage us in conversation.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
In a word, excellent.Ann Williams review 31 May 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Spending my birthday at the Everest base camp. The weather was perfect, clear blue skies and brilliant sunshine. The Himalayas were stunning. The entire tour was amazing. The itinerary was great. You got to visit all the main Tibetan monasteries, which were fascinating. You also had time to explore on your own and do your own thing.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be aware of the problems of altitude sickness and be prepared. All the guides are extremely helpful and have a lot of experience in dealing with this problem.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I got the feeling that our money was helping local businesses and contributing to their economy.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent. Our tour operator was excellent. Achut was friendly, organised and helpful. Nothing was too much trouble. Our guide in Tibet was called Sonam and she was outstanding. I was very lucky to have her. She was highly efficient, knowledgeable and lovely company. This was a holiday full of magical moments and memories that I will keep for ever.Ian Hunt review 30 May 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Hitting a one in ten weather window for a perfect Everest view......2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
You will be high up Lhasa is over 3000 m and you go to over 5200... be aware.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
The holiday went smoothly and our tour operator organised visas into Lhasa, flights, hotels (employing largely tibetan staff) and an excellent locally-born tour guide and driver, Sonam and Tashi, who both rate very highly in my estimation.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Difficult to improve on this Tibet Culture Tour without an extension either in Nepal or perhaps Bhutan, all of which can be expertly arranged by Achut of in Khatmandu.Philippa Cawthorne review 25 Apr 2017
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The most memorable part of the holiday was walking around Barkhor Square in Lhasa seeing people on pilgrimage from various regions of Tibet. The people were very friendly and even came to shake our hands and say hello. We were invited into a small temple to join the locals spinning their prayer wheels and chanting which was a magical experience as we were the only foreigners there. Seeing Everest from the Tibetan side was a highlight too.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take it easy to start with as the high altitude can give you a nasty headache. I took Diamox and it still took me four days to acclimatise, that said there were other people who were not affected by the altitude at all.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Although we travelled in a comfortable vehicle, we stopped off at local restaurants which benefited local people.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
The holiday was absolutely fantastic. The Tibetan landscape is stunning and the monasteries and temples are fascinating. Everywhere we went, local people were kind and helpful. Our guide and driver were brilliant and couldn't have done more to look after us.Haitham Al-ehahir review 3 Nov 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Achut at the holiday provider was very helpful and from the moment he met me at the airport with a traditional welcome garland of flowers I was well taken care of. The visa formalities for Tibet and Bhutan could have been a pain to sort out, but Achut and team made this as simple as possible. Our guides in Tibet and Bhutan were very informative, and the itineraries were spot on for the time we had. Finally, the welcome meal we enjoyed in Kathmandu at the holiday providers expense was delicious and memorable.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Take plenty of USD for changing into local currency, spending directly, tips, etc.3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Apart from the tour guides and drivers, it's hard to say. But certainly nothing negatively impacting the local people was noticed.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A lovely and fascinating holiday and I would recommend the holiday provider.Alice Fieldhouse review 31 Aug 2016
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Our trip had to be rearranged when we arrived because China suddenly wouldn't let people in or out of Tibet for a few days. I was worried we wouldn't be able to do everything that had been planned, but Achut rearranged everything very well. It meant that instead of staying at Rombuk Monastery on the day we went to Everest Base Camp, we stayed in a tent at EBC itself! So it was pretty amazing waking up to the view of sunrise over Everest. The tent we stayed in was very basic but it was a real experience to basically spend a night there like the locals. Chitwan National park was our other highlight. We stayed at Jungle World Resort and they were incredibly friendly and provided everything we needed. Because it was off-season it was a very laid-back vibe. We arrived from our 8 hour bus journey from Kathmandu (there had been landslides on the road making it a longer journey than usual) and they gave us drinks immediately and told us what we'd be doing for the next couple of days. The resort comprises a courtyard with swimming pool, surrounded by beach huts and a larger block of rooms. We were given the choice of either style of room and they all had air con. There was no toilet roll in the room but they immediately gave us some when we asked. They always sorted out any problems immediately. After we freshened up on our first night they walked us through the town of Sauraha (wonderfully chilled out in comparison to Kathmandu, reminded me of Vang Vieng in Laos or maybe Chiang Mai in Thailand (a few years ago maybe). There were some stalls to buy the usual jewellery etc from but the salespeople were more chilled out than in Kathmandu. The walk was in order to see the sunrise over the National Park and the river. There is a sort of beach bar at the river and lots of seats to chill out and watch the sun go down. We saw crocodiles and lots of birds on the canoe ride and rhinos, deer and monkeys on the safari walk. And we went to a cultural show with Nepalese dancing and a man dressed as a peacock! That sounds ridiculous but he is genuinely a gifted performer! The Tibet guides were great. Incredibly informative and we had one guide throughout the whole visit in Tibet which was great. The Potala Palace and all the monasteries are incredible and the people in Tibet are kind and friendly. Also, on our first night in Nepal the agency took us out to dinner in a beautiful restaurant with traditional dancing which was a really great start to the holiday.2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for changes of plan due to unforeseen circumstances such as China closing the Tibet airports. Everyone will be very accommodating if this happens but for us it meant staying in a tent at EBC which I'd have brought a sleeping bag for if I'd known. They provided beds and rugs but I personally prefer my own sleeping bag. Research beforehand how much is expected tipping-wise as we weren't entirely prepared for this. We didn't get Nepalese/Chinese sim cards. I would recommend doing this so that you could call or text the agency or guides if you have a question. They kept us informed on what we were doing but it's a lot of info to take in so it'd be good to have that as a fall back. Be prepared for some seriously unpleasant toilets in Tibet. Bring tissues and antibacterial hand wash and you'll be fine. A lot of people in Tibet wear face masks to protect against pollution or the wind. I wish I'd bought one at the start to use in toilets that have lots of flies. But we had it pretty taped by the end. And they weren't that much worse than what I've encountered in Malaysia and Cambodia. It's really just a part of travelling, but a mask would have been great in hindsight. And since they're sold on every corner in Tibet, you may as well!3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
All of our hotels and guides were local and took us to small restaurants and shops. So I think it benefited local businesses as much as is possible. The Chitwan resort supports the safari park and so presumably helps conserve it the more people visit.4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
An amazing experience. Everyone was great. The holiday provider in Nepal and the Tibet agency were both great, really keen to please. The only thing we didn't manage to do was our one day's volunteering at a school in Nepal. However, this was really due to the schedule change because of China closing the Tibet airports. The agency tried to still fit it in but was unable to. They are still going to deliver the gifts we brought for the kids though.Holiday Reviews
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