Tibet (Lonely Planet Country Guide)
by Bradley Mayhew, John Vincent Bellezza, Robert Kelly, Daniel McCrohan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bradley Mayhew, Daniel McCrohan, John Vincent Bellezza, Robert KellyBrand: Travel Channel
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-02-01
ISBN: 174104569X
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Lonely Planet
Book Reviews of Tibet (Lonely Planet Country Guide)
Book Review: Excellent travel guide, although politically biased
Summary: 5 Stars
This is probably the best Lonely Planet guide, and the best Tibetan guide ever written. I normally prefer Rough Guides, and reluctantly bought this book because Rough Guide doesn't have a Tibet guide, but it turned out to be great. It's a work of love, unlike some other guides where you can detect boredom between the lines. The authors are obviously passionate about their work, and it's amazing how they don't even miss some temples so remote that the nearest town is almost a day's drive away. The only sight I read about elsewhere but not mentioned in this book is the spooky Skull Wall in the remote Biru County, but that's unlikely to be on any foreigner's itinerary. I only wish that the book would cover more of the ethnic Tibetan areas outside the TAR, mainly Qinghai and Sichuan provinces.
Unfortunately, the authors' love for everything Tibetan often leads to a strong bias against the ethnic Chinese. They apparently bought everything produced by the exile Tibetan propaganda and perpetuate long-debunked myths such as that the Chinese army killed 1.2 million Tibetans during the invasion. They tend to associate everything bad with the Chinese, like the "Chinese" habit of spitting, even though the Tibetans spit just as much as the Chinese do, and on several occasions I saw Tibetan pilgrims urinate in the middle of the busy Barkhor circuit, which I've never seen any Chinese do during my entire stay in China. They also lament that "the importance of Chinese is an unfortunate reality in Tibet", which makes me wonder if they ever lament the importance of English in India or Hong Kong. I believe Rough Guide China's Tibet chapter offers a much more balanced view of the Sino-Tibetan relationship.
These shortcomings are just minor annoyances, and I cannot emphasize enough how helpful this book was before, during, and after my recent trip to Tibet. The places I enjoyed most are the Potala, Nam-tso (wish I had stayed overnight), and Gyantse (the dzong fort and the Kumbum). One thing I regret the most is not going to the Mount Everest base camp. When planning the trip, I worried about mountain sickness and the long drives back and forth. It turned out the drive was not that long from Shigatse, the drive itself would be quite enjoyable, and I didn't suffer much from mountain sickness at all, but it was too late to change, which brings to another major caveat: ever since the 2008 riot, all foreigners are now required to submit detailed travel plans beforehand, and it was difficult and time-consuming to change once you're in Tibet. Most annoyingly, independent travel by foreigners is no longer permitted, and foreign visitors are required to be accompanied by a guide AT ALL TIMES! Although we did sneak out of the hotel in Lhasa a few times without the guide after seeing other foreigners stroll the streets unaccompanied, but it wasn't without trepidation and not relaxing at all.
Summary of Tibet (Lonely Planet Country Guide)
Last year, Tibet received 1.8 million tourists. By the end of this decade, China predicts it will be getting more than five million a year. This guide includes: new History chapter by historian Tsering Shakya, author of the "Definitive Modern History of Tibet"; now includes dual script (Tibetan and Chinese) and pinyin (Chinese, to aid pronunciation). It offers more information on the country's top treks.From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.
This completely revised and updated Lonely Planet guide to Tibet features new maps, detailed trekking information, overland routes from China and Nepal, Tibetan and Mandarin language sections, as well as essential notes on history, culture, and Buddhism. The author imparts expert advice on where to stay and eat, and presents engaging sidebars on topics such as "The World of a Monk," "Everest's Name," "King Gesar," "Important Figures of Tibetan Buddhism," "The Mandala," "Sutra & Tantra," and Tibetan travelers' first-hand experiences. --Kathryn True
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