Here at Extravagant Yak, excellent service and cultural authenticity lie at the heart of what we do. Our experienced and knowledgeable guides play a pivotal role in delivering authentic experiences and are passionate about showing travellers all that Tibet has to offer. This month, we asked a few of our guides to share their favorite off the beaten path destinations in Tibet. We’re excited to present these must-visit locations when visiting the Roof of the World, as suggested by those who know the terrain best.
Why you need to visit: My favourite place has to be Danba in Kham Tibet Region. Danba is a very beautiful and peaceful place. There are so many local Tibetan villages we can visit. I love Zhonglu village the most because of the gorgeous view, traditional architecture, dress and harmonious life of locals and nature. Zhonglu village is located on a hillside and it has one of the astonishing views. We can do some hikes around the villages and we can try to do some farming work.
Local Tibetan people are so friendly and welcoming. I enjoyed chatting and dancing with them. Different seasons have unique and different sceneries. It will never disappoint you whenever you go. I remember one of our English clients wanted to buy a house there. The client said: “I have been so many places in the world, but Danba is one of the best places I have even been”. The altitude of Danba is 1800 meters, so locals can grow so many vegetables. We can eat organic food everyday. I feel so happy and healthy whenever I go there.
Why you need to visit: My favorite place to visit has to be the Minya Konka valley, where most of our trekking and mountain bike trips happen. It’s a peaceful valley with forests, snow peaks, glaciers, lakes; occasionally you will have the opportunity to meet a nomad family who is herding their yaks deep below the high mountain passes. Minya Konka sits on the eastern edges of the Tibetan plateau, in the Kham region south of Kangding, and is a 7,556-meter mountain that has everything to offer for an adventure tour. The reason I enjoy it so much is not only because of its natural beauty but also the outdoor experiences it presents. Being able to feel a sense of achievement after each trip is a truly significant.
Why you need to visit: I personally loved living, working and visiting in Kangding (Dartsedo), because I have learned lots of things there. Dartsedo has always been the gateway to the Tibetan World. It is the largest city and capital of Ganzi, Tibetan Prefecture, in western Sichuan Province. Dartsedo has a very cozy atmosphere. Our visitors and international tourists love trekking, hiking, and camping, etc. In there, you can see the snow-capped peaks rising above the North side of Migoo Tso, and monks walking out of Dorjee-drak monastery. Of course, there are many other things to see such as stupa, lakes, forests, mountains, hot springs, Tibetan Buddhist rock paintings, and grasslands. Our customers are able to experience beautiful sceneries, marvelous fascinating landscapes, and untouched nature. On top of that, it is famous and historical with a rich culture. So far, It is one of the top tourist destinations. People there are awesome and friendly. Therefore, Kangding is everyone’s paradise.
Feeling inspired yet? This year, cross Tibet off your travel bucket list. Five of our freesale trips stop by these must-visit locations and we’d also be happy to arrange private tours customized to your needs! Let us help plan your trip today!
On the west side of Minya Konka (Tibetan name, Gongga Mt. in Chinese) is an alpine wonderland of peaks and spires that stand on guard around their mother (Gongga Mt. – 7556m). The Minya range has up to 20 peaks that reach 6000m or higher.
Their lush valleys, snow peaks, alpine lakes and rivers create a veritable playground for trekking in Tibet (and yaks too). No special permits are required for visitors to the Tibetan areas of Sichuan, nor for climbing anything under 6000m.
This alpine area appeals to both mountaineers and casual trekkers. Extravagant Yak specializes in hosting the latter. In August, we took three adults and five kids (aged 13 to 17) on our 6-day-65-km through trek on the west side of Mt. Gongga.
We arranged a 30min shuttle from Kangding to the trailhead on day one and began our trek at 3200m. Over the next three days, we slowly gained elevation until we camped on night three at 4,350m in preparation for crossing the Riwuqie pass (4,950m) on day four.
The attention to acclimatization paid big dividends as everyone felt comfortable on the big push to the top of the pass, including the two 13-year-olds in the group who ended up waiting for the rest of the group more often than not!
On this trek, we arrange horses to carry the heaviest of the supplies: food and tents. Trekkers are free then to just carry their personal gear. At high elevation, the amount of distance you can cover per day is hugely different than what you can accomplish at lower elevations. On Day 6, the trek finished with a huge sense of accomplishment. We were in Zemei village by lunchtime and were in time for our shuttle back to Kangding that evening.
Jim and Abu were out in Eastern Tibet’s backcountry earlier this month for some route development work. Sometimes it's hard to believe we get to call this work! This is what Jim had to say about the trip:
Due to an intriguing inquiry last fall from a group of 30 mountain bikers interested in an 8-day backcountry ride through Eastern Tibet, Abu and I spent a few days last week in the Kangding area checking our favourite routes and exploring a few new ones as well.
Some of the lower valleys were already being touched by spring as we enjoyed green meadows and the opportunity to see the trees just beginning to bud. This is one of our favourite routes that access the backside of Yala mountain, an alpine wonderland of peaks, forests, and tranquillity.
Despite a little bit of inclement weather, the most exciting discovery this time out was some ridge riding up around the Tagong area. After some hard work pedalling up over 4000m we were thrilled to find some fabulous single track formed by local traffic: yak, sheep, nomads, and motorcycles!
The great riding was complemented by distant views of both the Yala and Minya Konka (Gongga Mountain) mountain ranges. The only human encounter we had this day was a friendly chat with a local monk who was out in the hills herding his yaks.
A representative for this large group of riders flew into Kangding for a few days to see what we had to offer. For a guy representing a group looking for a week of fantastic riding with minimum encounters with civilization, he was not disappointed. We look forward to hosting this testosterone-heavy fraternity of riders in October this year!
