[The following post is from the archives of my In Search Of Incredible blog, originally published on 19 October 2015]

How do I begin? In all honesty, Tibet wasn’t even on my list of must-visit places. So how did I end up going to Tibet? After two trips to Europe in 2014, I was craving for something more down-to-earth, something more raw and challenging. I began to think of Nepal, where I had an amazing time in the mountains and acquainting with nature. I wanted to go somewhere where I could trek, and be away from city life for a while.

During one of my dinners with my secondary school pals, IH and CT, in December 2014, we talked about the possible places we could go. We had been talking about going on a trip together for years, but somehow it never materialised, so we were giving it another try. I told them of my desire for a trekking trip, and after bandying about a few places, IH suggested Tibet.

I wasn’t very familiar with Tibet. The image I had in my mind was of monks and monasteries, the Dalai Lama and the film 7 Years In Tibet starring Brad Pitt (which I did not watch). So IH went on the Internet and did some quick research. He sent me pictures of Potala Palace and general mountains and lake sceneries, and they looked great. That spurred my interest, and I went to do some research about Tibet myself.

I learned that Tibet is called the Roof of the World, because the whole of Tibet sits on a plateau and the average elevation is over 4,500m. The capital Lhasa is already 3,650m high. Prior to this trip, the highest I have been is Poon’s Hill at Ghorepani, Nepal, elevation 3,210m. So just being in Lhasa will be the highest altitude I have ever been in my life.

I also found out that Mt. Kailash is one of the holiest mountains in the world and it resides at Tibet. Standing at 6,638m tall, it is the source of four great rivers – the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra and Karnali rivers. It is so sacred that no one is allowed to scale it, and indeed, no one has ever done so. For the devout, a pilgrimage to Mt. Kailash is a must, as they believe that circumambulating Mt. Kailash on foot will bring good fortune and karma. The entire trek is 52km long and is typically done in three days, though the really hardcore ones will complete it within a day. In fact, some of the pilgrims even prostrate over the entire length of the circumambulation.

When I found out that we could trek in Tibet, I got excited. Problem is, Mt. Kailash sits on the western part of Tibet while Lhasa is on the east. There are no domestic flights so we’ll need to travel by road to go to Mt. Kailash and back. As a result, the entire trip will take a good two weeks. The bigger problem was the altitude. IH is not too good with high altitude, and CT is not too good with the cold. I read that the best time to visit Tibet is during the summer months of June to August, when it is sunnier and the oxygen content in the air is higher. However, because of the high altitude, it will still be cold at night.

Due to these reasons, IH and CT mulled over Tibet for a while, before ultimately deciding against it. IH suggested New York, which is a city on my must-visit list, but I felt that New York is a place that I can go when I’m older. For now, while my body can still take it, I want to challenge myself and explore somewhere more adventurous. So as it turns out, I didn’t manage to go on this trip with IH and CT yet again.

With my heart set on Tibet, I went about finding companions who would be game enough to go on this adventure with me. One of the reasons why I needed to find travel companions is a practical one – independent travel is not allowed in Tibet. Due to the political situation in Tibet, all foreigners are required to apply for a special permit before they can enter Tibet.

For a start, you’ll need a Tibet Entry Permit, also known as TTB Permit, which is issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau. This permit has to be applied before you set foot on Tibet. Meaning, you’ll need to get it done with the help of a travel agency, and the application takes about 20 days.

If you’re travelling outside of Lhasa, Shigatse or Namtso Lake (which in my case, we are), you’ll also need an Aliens’ Travel Permit, also known as PSB Permit. This permit can only be applied in Tibet, and requires your original passport.

If you’re also travelling to Lake Manasarovar, Mt. Kailash, Tsaparang or Ali, you’ll need an additional permit known as a Military Permit. This is done in Lhasa before you enter Tibet.

Lastly, non-China Nationals also need to apply for a China visa. Your passport will also need to be valid for a minimum of six months.

All in all, making a trip to Tibet is not easy and you’ll need to engage a travel agency to get all these permit issues sorted out for you. Your itinerary must also be confirmed before the TTB permit can be issued, so you’ll need to decide on your itinerary beforehand. Another point to note is that during your travels, your tour guide will need to be with you, with the exception of Lhasa, where you are granted free and easy time. Due to all these factors, with the engaging of a travel agency, it is more economical to travel with a group of at least four people so as to lower the costs of the tour package.

So I roped in ZJ, who also loves trekking and the outdoors, and she readily came onboard. We asked the people within our circle of friends, and eventually settled on four other companions – XY, KL, ST and RL. Before this trip, I did not know them personally, so it was a going to be a new experience travelling with people I did not know well. However, they were all adventurous and had some trekking experience (with the exception of RL. But he runs marathons, so no issues for him!), so I felt that we could click and get along. With the travel party confirmed, we then had to confirm the travel agency next.

During the course of our research, ZJ and I found two potential companies online – Tibetan Guide and Tibet Highland Tours. We earmarked 15 days for the entire trip, including flying in and out. Both companies offered similar itineraries as the route is the same – there is only one road to Mt. Kailash and there are only a few towns along the way where we could stop over for the night. The price also did not differ much. So ultimately it came down to which company was more responsive and which one could offer better answers to our questions. Big kudos must go out to ZJ, who did all the liaising with the travel companies and making sense of the information before relaying it to the rest of us.

In the end, we engaged Tibet Highland Tours, and the price per person came up to USD$1,468 (about S$2,000) for our group of six. The amount includes all the permits, an English-speaking tour guide, accommodation, transport, vehicle tolls and vehicle repairs (if necessary), entrance fees for sightseeing and breakfast (lunch and dinner not included).

Additionally, we will need to pay for our own air tickets. There is no direct flight from Singapore to Tibet. You’ll either fly in to Tibet from Kathmandu, Nepal or from Chengdu, China. As there are not flight many options, we chose Air China, with a transit at Chengdu. The return air tickets cost S$1,102.40 per person.

Lastly, one of the most important things we had to get was travel insurance. We got ours from Tokio Marine Insurance and it came up to S$96.30 per person. In summary, the total costs incurred for our 15-day trip was about S$3,200 per person, excluding lunch and dinner and other personal expenses.

With all the pieces in place and leave applied, it was time to go!