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Smoothest Trip to Lhasa Ever

I’ve been to Lhasa a few times, and getting all of the documentation together has always been a headache. Rules for what documents you need and who has to take them seem to change constantly. But this year I traveled with Tibetan Connections, and they took care of everything for me – “no muss, no fuss!”

I initially emailed Tibetan Connections with a general itinerary and a copy of my passport and those of my traveling companions. In no time I had a reply from Tsomo, the employee who handles Lhasa trips, asking for the other documents she needed—all of them. I’ve never seen a travel agency this organized. Then she got on the phone the same day and started working on the permits for my traveling companions and me. There was no need for multiple emails and long discussions—instead, she handled everything within 2-3 short messages, and all of it in English. She was incredible.

We had no problems at all with our travels. Tsomo had even prepared the requisite number of copies of our travel permits—something we did not know we would need! But each time we had to give a copy of our permit to an official (e.g. at the originating and Lhasa train stations they took copies), I thought to myself, “THAT is why Tsomo made all of these!” I was so grateful not to be caught off guard or unprepared.

Arriving in Lhasa, the guide was there with our names on a sign—punctual, friendly, and helpful from the beginning of the trip to the end. She gave us our independence when we just wanted to wander, helped us understand much about the local culture, and made sure to take us to the best local restaurants. She was the best guide I’ve had there.

Every time I’ve traveled to Lhasa, I’ve run into problems. Either the permit was wrong or I needed some document I did not have, or something else would cause a huge hiccup. But with the help of Tsomo and Tibetan Connections, we did not have a single problem. I couldn’t be more grateful to them for their hard work. Next trip to Lhasa, I know who to call.