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PLEASE NOTE:
Delays are expected on account of roadblock, weather
conditions, overall fitness of the group, breakdowns,
non-availability of guesthouses etc. Our effort will be
to continue with the trip as per the schedule & make you
as comfortable as possible. But in such situations we may
have to compromise on the campsite / hotels & adjust to
these situations then & there.
In such cases the group escort’s / manager’s decision will
be final.
The distances & altitude mentioned in the above itinerary
are to the best of our knowledge & information; marginal
variance in the actual distances & altitudes is possible.
INSURANCE
Any kind of insurance on luggage, accident, life or other
allied matters is not provided for by Banjara Camps &
Retreats P. Ltd. Members coming on our trips will have to
make their own arrangements for the same. We advice you to
take insurance for international travel, also ensure that
your insurance would cover any evacuation needed for
medical reasons, such as Acute Mountain Sickness.
BOOKING
The tour booking will be confirmed only upon receipt
of: Non Refundable amount of 20% of tour cost, in addition
to the charges such as air, rail fares, etc along with
completed personal information form.
50% of the tour cost to be paid 45 days before date of
departure
Balance 30% of the tour cost to be paid 15 days prior to
the departure.
(The trip will be considered confirmed only if there is no
default in the above payment procedure.)
CANCELLATION
In the event of any cancellation by you, the initial
deposit amount paid shall stand forfeited and further
cancellation shall be levied as per the following terms:
46 days before date of departure: 20% of tour cost + Air /
Rail cancellation charges
45 to 31 days before date of departure: 50% of tour cost +
Air / Rail cancellation charges
30 to 15 days before date of departure: 80% of tour cost +
Air / Rail cancellation charges
15 to 0 days before date of departure: 100% of tour cost +
Air / Rail cancellation charges (Will be considered as no
show)
PAYMENT:
1. In cash or by cheque made out to “Banjara Camps &
Retreats Pvt. Ltd.”.
2. Outstation payments by draft payable at Delhi.
3. Payments can also be made directly in our account
through cheque/cash deposit anywhere in India. A/c name is
“Banjara Camps & Retreats Pvt. Ltd”. A/c numbers are:
- Standard Chartered Bank : 525-0-5019422.
- UTI : 0150 1020 0017 806
GENERAL INFORMATION
Travel in Tibet is unlike any other. Not only the best of
well researched tours dependent on the vagaries of nature
but also on the whims and fancies of the Tibetan tour
guide– official representative of the Tibetan Tourism
Board. Our effort is to give a clear idea about the
various aspects of the trip to avoid any
misunderstandings. So we request you to read all the
information given herewith carefully.
GROUP SIZE
Minimum 15 paying pax. We have a group size of not more
than 20 plus leaders. Larger groups take away the fun of traveling and make it difficult for us to maintain
‘personal touch’.
TRAVEL
Cost excludes International flights. We can make these
travel arrangements at actual cost plus a nominal service
charge.
All the travel in Nepal will be by bus & in Tibet by Land
Cruisers. We have only 4 passengers per vehicle, making
the journey more comfortable.
Please note that the breakdown of jeeps is expected due to
bad road conditions. The jeep drivers are good mechanics &
generally fix up the problem within few minutes. There may
be delays due to such situation.
FOR PEOPLE JOINING THE GROUP IN KATHMANDU
The group would assemble at Kathmandu; the hotel details
in Kathmandu will be given later.
| STAY |
| In Kathmandu: |
3 nights stay in a 3-star hotel on
twin sharing on AP basis. We may organise for some
local food on group request. |
| Borderland Resort: |
This tented resort is 16 km from
Kodari border and is beautifully located. The stay
would be on twin share with all meals. Toilet block is
common. |
Accommodation at guesthouses in Tibet will be in
4-bedded or 6-bedded rooms (depending upon the
availability). In these dormitories linen is fairly clean;
the toilets are basic & unhygienic. Because of these
reasons we prefer to camp at most of the places. Accommodation during camp/parikrama is in tents on twin
sharing basis in small camping tents. Separate kitchen &
dinning tents. We have dry toilet tents. FOOD
Food served during our journey in Tibet is from our camp
kitchen. The food is good, simple, sumptuous vegetarian
food. We can include eggs in our menu on request. Our
Staff is trained more for continental food & North Indian
food. But it is difficult to provide typical Maharashtrian/Gujarati/South
Indian food.
TREK/PARIKRAMA
The luggage will go on yaks whereas you can hire porters
at extra cost to carry your personal backpacks. Please do
not carry any hand baggage. Ensure that your rucksack has
sturdy straps. One can also hire rider yak or horse at
extra cost. The approximate rates per day are:
| Personal Porter: |
60 Yuan / 360 Rs./8 USD |
| Rider Yak: |
120 Yuan / 720 Rs./16 USD |
| Rider Horse: |
180 Yuan / 1100 Rs./24 USD |
The Horse/Yak should be used only as a backup
arrangement & riding is not advised. The yak men would
often request you to alight during difficult sections of
the trail for your safety & also during descend from Dolma
pass. The yak & horsemen are nomads; it is difficult to
“communicate” with them. At times it is extremely
difficult to manage them, so we arrange for the extra yaks
& horses for our guest but do not take responsibility on
their behalf.
EQUIPMENT
Sleeping bags, feather jackets, mattresses, small backpack
& duffel bag will be provided. The personal luggage should
be packed in duffel or Kit bags.
LUGGAGE & PORTERS
We request you to travel light & not to carry more than
one duffel bag. Please note that any additional load more
than 15 kg may be charged extra.
The personal porters accompanying you will not carry more
than 10 kg and would prefer carrying the load in backpacks
& so avoid any hand luggage.
TOUR ESCORT
For smaller group size our tour escorts are locals with
good experience in leading trekking & other trips. Most of
these escorts are good at communicating in English. For
group size of 12 & above, another equally experienced tour
escort accompanies the group. KIT LIST (RECOMMENDED)
- Duffel bag (Complimentary)
- Small backpack with sturdy straps (Complimentary).
- Proper trekking shoes with spare laces – please ensure
that the shoes are broken-in before the trek.
- Slippers / floaters (Sport sandals)
- Sun cap (Complimentary)
- 3 pairs nylon socks, 3 pairs cotton/thicker socks, 3
pairs woolen socks
- For trek- 3 pairs of trousers, 3 T-shirts, 3 full
shirts
- Full sleeved thick sweater or fleece wear
- Feather jacket (provided by us only for use)
- Cotton or nylon thermal inner wear
- Wind shirt (wind breaker)
- Monkey cap
- Woolen hand gloves
- Goggles (good quality, 100%-uv-protection sunglasses,
not blue shade)
- Cold cream and sun screen lotion
- Torch with 2 sets of cells (no pencil cells torch)
- Light towel
- 1 liter Water bottle (it might be worthwhile to carry
an additional bottle)
- Adequate underclothing
- Personal toilet kit, toilet paper
- Pen knife
- Water proofs (poncho or pant & jacket)/ collapsible
umbrella
- Air Pillow / small cotton pillow (optional)
- Personal medicines (with written instructions),
assorted Band-Aids.
- Easy Breathers or Camphor
- Mask to protect yourself from dust.
- Camera & film rolls (optional)
- Plastic bags to contain all above, plus a few spare
ones.
(Please note that the Kit List mentioned
is a standard one for all our trips; hence one can make a
few changes).
IMPORTANT TRAVEL INFORMATION FOR TIBET
Tibet still remains one of the most remote & unknown
regions of the world. It is not featured on the world
tourism map because of the inadequate information & lack
of proper tourism infrastructure such as hotels / motels,
restaurants, roads etc. Journey to Tibet can be best
enjoyed if viewed as adventure and not as, well-organized
sight seeing tour. Tourists may have to deal with a lot of
uncertainties on various occasions. We hope the following
information would be useful for your travel in Tibet.
IMPORTANT NOTE
All the tourism activities are strictly regulated &
monitored by the Chinese Government authorities. The
authorities may alter itineraries as they see fit &
substitute hotels other than those mentioned in the
itinerary. The Chinese guide is more of a liaison officer
& he is the only communication link between the tourist,
staff from Nepal, drivers, porters, yak men, other local &
government officials.
Most of the aspects are beyond our control & we cannot be
held responsible for any delays, change in the itinerary
etc. Any additional expenses on such account should be
borne by tour members.
TIME
China has only one time zone; the local time everywhere is
the same as Beijing time. Beijing local time is GMT +
08:00 hrs or Indian standard time + 02:30 hrs. We need to
adjust our watch as per Beijing time as soon as we enter
China.
TEMPERATURE
Daytime temperatures expected during June to September are
approximately 15° Celsius and average night temperatures
are between 5° to 8° Celsius. The temperatures can go sub
zero at higher altitudes.
PHOTOGRAPHY
There are strict controls on taking photographs in the
monasteries. Please check with your Tibetan guide before
taking any photographs near a bridge or police / military
check post. Also, please take prior permission of the
locals before taking their individual photographs.
RESTRICTIONS
Please do not carry any photographs, books of Dalai Lama
or posters, T-shirts of free Tibet, or Tibetan flag, or
any political magazine or book. Possessing such things may
be considered as an offence by Tibetan / Chinese
authorities.
CURRENCY
Approximate exchange rate are 1 Yuan = 6 Indian Rupees & 1
USD = 8 Yuan.
One can exchange currency at the border town of Zhangmu or
Lhasa or Shigatse in China.
BUSINESS HOURS
10:00 hrs to 18:00 hrs is the normal office hours on all
working days. On Saturdays the offices close in the
afternoon & on Sundays they are closed.
CUSTOMS
Still cameras, Video cameras, tape recorders and radios
are allowed, it needs to be registered with the customs on
entry in China. Customs regulations forbid the export of
art objects prior to 1959 or souvenirs deemed to be
excessive in numbers. Printed matters considered
unsuitable by Government are prohibited.
VISA & DOCUMENTATION
The passport should be valid for minimum 6 months after
the completion of the trip. For issue of visa we need 3
Xerox copies of your passport, with 3-passport size
photograph. We request you to give all these details on
confirmation of your booking. Indian Passport holders
should have ECNR stamp.
Visa formalities are stringent for people having
diplomatic passport & for journalist, visa may be denied.
MEDICAL
This trip takes us through remote regions where
professional medical help may not be available. We carry
with us a comprehensive medical first-aid kit advised by
doctor and our leaders. Though not qualified medically,
they are all competent to give first-aid as and when
required.
We carry a Gammow Bag (High altitude portable chamber) to
assist the client in case of emergency. We will also have
an oxygen cylinder with a regulator and Oxygen canisters
that are easy to carry and use.
FITNESS
This trip involves traveling in jeeps & 3 days of trekking
on high altitude. The trek is strenuous & involves walking
6–8 hrs daily. Previous walking experience on high
altitude is helpful. We do not recommend this trip to
people with chronic problems like epilepsy and those
related to blood pressure or heart.
Minimum age 18
years.
Basic exercise like brisk walk or light jogging before the
trip is recommended.
We request you to submit a fitness certificate from the
doctor while signing up for this trip after undergoing the
following medical tests, a) Blood Pressure; b) Sugar; c)
Stress Test (ECG); d) Chest X-Ray.
Any medical & evacuation expenses incurred for the group
member will have to be borne by that member.
ALTITUDE SICKNESS (ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS)
We would be traveling at an average altitude of 4500 m;
highest altitude attained is 5630 m / 18470 ft at Dolma La
during Parikrama. Minor altitude symptoms are experienced
such as, mild headache, nausea, loss of appetite etc. One
needs to take precaution to avoid acute mountain sickness.
Key to acclimatization is adequate hydration, adequate
nutrition & managing personal comfort through adequate
layers of clothing.
Following extracts are taken from “The Wilderness First
Responder” by Buck Tilton, director of Wilderness Medicine
Institute of NOLS, USA:
DEHYDRATION
Without water there would be no life – at least no life,
as you know it…
Water puddles inside every one of your cells, and flows
through the microscopic spaces between cells. In water,
oxygen and nutrients float to all parts of your body, and
waste products are carried away. When your kidneys remove
waste from your body those wastes have to be dissolved in
water. Digestion and metabolism are water-based processes,
and water is the primary lubricating element in your
joints. You even need water to breathe, your lungs
requiring moisture to expedite the transfer of oxygen into
blood and carbon dioxide out of blood. Sweat, as
mentioned, is mostly water. The water in your blood
carries heat from warmer body parts to cooler areas of
your anatomy when you are exposed to cold. In short, if
you aren’t well hydrated, you won’t be able to stay
healthy, maximize your performance, or even maintain joy
at being outdoors.
The water in your body, the fluid that keeps you alive and
active, leaves you at an alarming rate. Estimates vary
widely, but an average person at rest on a normal day
loses between two and three liters of water. One to
one-and-a-half liters rushes out as urine, and another
one-tenth liter in defecation. Moisture is lost from act
of breathing, more than half a liter per day, and that
rate increases in dry winter air.
Then there’s sweat. The fluid lost in perspiration can
climb to one to two liters per hour during periods of
strenuous exercise. Compared to watching TV all day, one
hour of exercise may demand approximately a 50 percent
increase in the amount of water your body uses.
Your thirst mechanism that feeling of ”Gosh, I need a
drink of water”, doesn’t kick in until you’re about one to
one-and-a-half liters low. Down three to four liters can
leave your endurance decreased to 50 percent and your
oxygen uptake reduced close to 25 percent…
ACCLIMATIZATION
The medical problems collectively referred to, as
“altitude illnesses” are the result of hypoxia,
insufficient oxygen in the blood for normal tissue
function, a result of the decreased barometric pressure at
higher altitudes. When you go up, the barometric pressure
goes down, the concentration of oxygen in the air
decreases, and the chance of altitude illness increases.
Since there is a measurable increase in ventilation and
decrease in aerobic exercise performance above 4,000 feet
elevation, “high altitude” can be said to start at that
point. Complications seldom occur, however, below 8,000
feet. In defining terms, consider 8,000 to 12,000 feet as
high altitude, 12,000 to 18,000 as very high altitude, and
18,000 plus as extreme high altitude.
The human body will adjust to dramatic changes in
barometric pressure, given enough time. Altitude illnesses
- which range from mildly disturbing to completely fatal -
are determined, primarily, by three factors:
How high the patient goes. How fast the patient attains a
specific altitude, and Predisposing factors such as
genetics and previous upper respiratory illnesses.
PREVENTION
- As mentioned earlier, most people will adjust to
altitude given enough time. Staged ascent is the key to
acclimatization and, therefore, the key to preventing
altitude illnesses.
- Adequate hydration is critical to the prevention of
altitude illnesses. You should drink enough water to keep
your urine output clear and copious.
- A high carbohydrates diet is essential for the energy
needed to ascend and acclimatize.
- Avoid respiratory depressants, such as sleeping pills
and alcohol.
- Importance of physical fitness cannot be over
emphasized. Fitness does not, however, protect against
acute mountain sickness.
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