Road Trips

Tibet: A journey through the past

Published October 2019 by Trevor. Updated May 2025.

In this post:

Introduction – Tibet journey

Tashi Dele! “Hello, Welcome!”. Our journey through Tibet had started. In the forgotten kingdom of Tibet, much has changed since China took control in 1950. Fast forward nearly 70 years and Tibet is still changing – very rapidly I might add. For the better? Well, that depends on your perspective in terms of how you perceive change.

We visited Tibet to enable us to trek up to Cho Oyu Advance Base Camp with a climbing expedition. Coupled with a visit to Shishapangma Base Camp (North side) plus Everest Base Camp (North).

This was always going to be a ‘trek’ with a difference. Firstly, given the vast distances we had to cover (some 1,400km/869mi), driving was always going to form a large chunk of our trip. As for trekking, well unfortunately this time around it had to play second fiddle. Getting up and over several 5,000m passes certainly helped with the new and improved roads, making for easy access to the interior all of which was a blessing.

The Tibetans are getting on with their lives the best way they can, though are very limited to the type of jobs they can apply for, type of vehicles they can own and are not allowed to travel outside of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). We must have encountered some 30 police or other check points along the way for locals and tourists alike. But hey, the Tibetans can still dance and have some fun as we discovered first hand in Lhasa.

Lhasa

Flying into Lhasa has a certain charm about it, even at 3,700m / 12139ft. Lhasa still maintains a vibrant culture and the food is great. Having a cup of tea at a local tea house with local Tibetans was a real bonus.

Potala Palace, rebuilt in the 17th century, was the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas from 1649 to 1959 and has been a museum since then. Now a world heritage site, its now a bit of a tourist trap. Most if not all of the historical artefacts have been moved back to Beijing for ‘restoration purposes’. Plus, many of the old rooms have been closed to visitors so you are only permitted to wander around inside as the authorities wish.

Dancing in Lhasa — Locals dancing in Lhasa

With hordes of tourists lining up to go in (and this wasn’t even peak season), we chose to walk around the outside as the local Tibetans do on a daily basis. We recommend this! Find where they are dancing and join in. And for good measure, go and exercise with them. You are guaranteed lots of laughs and enjoyment.

Exercising in Lhasa — Exercising with the locals in Lhasa

Shigatse

From Lhasa we drove to Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet. Here, we visited the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, founded in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama. We were very lucky on the day we visited that the monks were celebrating the end of a prayer cycle. They paraded through the monastery grounds with a great fanfare of Tibetan ceremonial horns and crashing cymbals.

Mt Everest (Chomolungma) Base Camp – North Side (5,200m/17,060ft)

Having trekked to Mt Everest on the South side in Nepal, I have to say I was blown away when I saw Chomolungma from the North side. My first reaction was ‘she’s huge’! My second reaction was how beautiful she looked, even from some 19km away. Having had some friends climb her back in the spring season earlier in the year brought it all home. Being totally exposed to the weather on the North side, it would have been one tough climb!

Everest from the North side - a must-do part of your Tibet journey — Mt Everest from the North side

Base camp (5,200m) was marked with a plaque. Obviously some people hadn’t properly acclimatised, judging by the numerous people around us suffering breathing difficulties. So much so, some were sucking air from a small oxygen canister! Is it a tourist trap? Probably. Is it overrun with local tourists just to tick off a bucket list item and take the obligatory photo? Absolutely. A great example of this was that the majority of people were bussed up and back from Tingri, some 6-8 hours return, making for a long return trip. Instead, we stayed up at Rongbuk, and were rewarded the next morning with some great views. Nevertheless it is still worth making this stop on your Tibet journey.

Cho Oyu Advance Base Camp (5,800m/19,028ft)

Wow! Not only did we see Cho Oyu (the ‘turquoise goddess’) close up and personal, we also trekked up to ABC with a climbing expedition. Reaching an altitude of some 5,800m, this was definitely not for the faint hearted. Coupled with the weather, the landscape up high was very stark, consisting of a rocky and snowy terrain.

Higher up, the climbers were stopped in their tracks above Camp 1 (around 6,000m). Deep snow hindered their progress and acclimatisation rotations on the mountain. On top of that, we were all informed that everyone had to exit Tibet by 1 October due to China’s 70th anniversary celebrations. This added considerable angst to the climbing party’s summit schedule. The professionalism of sherpas and climbers prevailed, combined with Climbalaya’s excellent logistics and planning. As a result, successful summits were achieved. This included one climber who planned to ski down from the summit!

Nangpa La Glacier near Cho Oyu — The trail to Cho Oyu Advance Base Camp

You can read more about our trek to Cho Oyu Advance Base Camp here which we did as part of our Project Base8000.

Shishapangma Signpost — Shishapangma base camp

Shishapangma (North) Base Camp (5,157m/16,919ft)

We never thought we would make it! The Chinese had officially closed the mountain to all climbers for the season. Plus the reluctance of our Tibetan driver to almost refuse to drive the some 20kms along a very rocky and bumpy gravel road from where the bitumen road ended. We were then chased down by the ‘park custodian’ who cut us off in our tracks, gesturing and demanding some 1,000 Chinese yuan for our right of passage. ‘But it’s normally free to drive to base camp’, we protested – obviously not on this day it wasn’t.

So, after all that, the easy part we discovered was the drive back to the Tibet/Nepal border, overnighting in Kyirong. Crossing over into Nepal the next morning however, was different. We had to navigate some 6 military check posts plus numerous landslides cutting off the road. Reaching Kathmandu some 9 hours later, tasting our first cold beer and experiencing the first hot shower in 2 weeks – all went down very nicely indeed.

You can read more about our trek to Shishapangma Base Camp here which we did as part of our Project Base8000.

Onwards and upwards!

Trevor

Watch the video of our journey through Tibet

Insights

Border crossing: The Kyirong Border Crossing is the main crossing between Tibet, China and Nepal. Opening hours are usually 9.30am-2.30pm.
The road from the Tibet border to Kathmandu is very rough, with a journey time of 7-8 hours. Much longer during the rainy monsoon season.
All foreign travellers must be on an organised tour to visit Tibet.
Getting to Tibet is not difficult as long as you use a reputable travel agency.

Any travel agency you use, either in Kathmandu or based in Tibet, will take care of all travel arrangements for you inside Tibet including organising your visa and permit (you need both).
As China only has one time zone, Tibet is 2 1/4 hours ahead of Kathmandu. This means the sun rose very late around 7:30am!
Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram plus all Google applications are blocked. If you install a VPN on your phone before arriving in Tibet then it’s possible to access these apps. However this only seems only to work if you’re using mobile data, not wifi. You can’t install VPNs once in Tibet.

USA: There is more to New York than the City

Published October 2018 by Trevor. Updated February 2021.

. Welcome to Upstate New York!

“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach of us more than we can ever learn from books.” – John Lubbock.

Well, I think I found the above and more.

In this post:

My Go North adventure started in Corning, upstate New York, where we drove for around 5 hours to stay the first night at a gorgeous lodge situated on Long Lake. The Long View lodge is run by a couple of brothers who happen to own a boutique hotel in San Francisco and boy oh boy, the food and the newly renovated rooms were amazing – probably the best food and service I’ve had in all my travels throughout the US!

The next day we drove to Lake Placid, where we stayed the night at the lovely High Peaks Resort. Then the next day it was onto Plattsburgh, followed by a night at the luxurious Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls. Our final night was spent in Saratoga Springs.

My friends at Go North (see link below) have put together a nice 8 day itinerary summarised below. Themes along the lines of hike, eat, learn, play and shop.

Horse at Saratoga Race Track — Retired thoroughbred race horse at Old Friends at Cabin Creek

Saratoga Jockey — Very cute racing jockey

Day 1 and 2: Saratoga County

Saratoga County is a short drive from Albany or around 3 hours if travelling from New York City. The Saratoga region is home to 300 years of history, being at the centre of Americas’s story and every major movement had a moment here. Visit historic homes, battlefields and museums; enjoy eclectic galleries, unique shops, top-rated restaurants and lodging.

Travellers seek out Saratoga for the world class thoroughbred racing, renowned arts and culture offerings and a multitude of wellness activities. Inspiring natural adventures and experiences are minutes from the award-winning downtown of Saratoga Springs.

Saratoga Adelphi Hotel — Famous Adelphi Hotel in Saratoga Springs

Hot tips

Take a guided walk of Saratoga Springs downtown – check in with the visitor centre.
Hike Saratoga Spa State Park and while you’re there, take a hot mineral bath at the Roosevelt Baths and Spa.
Dine at Hattie’s Restaurant – great southern soul food. While there, check out Caffe Lena next door where Don McLean is rumoured to have wrote the words to American Pie.
Grab an ice cream of your choice at Ben and Jerry’s – iconic Vermont based ice cream parlour.

Check out the famous Saratoga Horse Racing Track and see the horses training at the Oklahoma Training Track close by.
While there, take a tour of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Visit a retired thoroughbred farm at Old Friends at Cabin Creek.

Day 3 and 4: Lake George Area

Just a half hour’s drive north from Saratoga Springs you will discover the Lake George Area, home to the ‘Queen of American Lakes’, 32 mile (51.4km) long, Lake George. Positioned at the gateway to the Adirondacks, or as the locals call them ‘the Dacks’, the area is a collaboration of vibrant city streets, quaint villages, rolling mountains and sparking lakes, ponds, rivers and streams surrounded by deep forests.

Discover outdoor adventure, natural scenic beauty, fun and affordable activities for families, couples and singles, fascinating history and one-of-a kind events.

Hot tips

Hike up Prospect Mountain.
Take a two hour cruise on Lake George.
Stay at the lovely restored and historic Queensbury Hotel located in the charming downtown city of Glens Falls. The Queensbury Hotel is highly regarded as the town’s centrepiece, with its gorgeous Victorian architecture, grand lobby, heated indoor pool, restaurant, longe and meeting space.
Glens Falls is being transformed into a vibrant and technology savvy town.

Lake George from the top of Prospect Mountain

Day 5 and 6: Tupper Lake and Lake Placid

After visiting Lake George and its surrounding area, head into the centre of the Adirondack Park and visit the Wild Centre in Tupper Lake, on your way to Lake Placid, the site of two Winter Olympics. The beautiful Adirondacks is one of the largest protected areas in the continental U.S. Pass hundreds of lakes, thousands of miles of rivers and streams and beautiful mountains.

The area’s proximity to great food, Olympic history and luxurious spas make it possible to have a thrilling outdoor adventure and pamper yourself, all in the same day.

Tupper Lake Kayak — Canoeing on the Raquette River, Upstate New York

Hot tips

Check into the Wild Centre at Tupper Lake. Explore the ‘wild walk’ suspended amongst the tree tops, interactive displays or simply canoe the Raquette River.
Stay at the charming High Peaks Resort of Lake Placid.

Take a walk down the main street of Lake Placid and check out the various ice cream parlours, cafes or boutique shops and grab yourself a souvenir.
While in Lake Placid, take a tour of the Olympic Museum.

Drive up Whiteface Mountain (4,867ft/1,483m) – a famed Adirondack 46er (so called because of the 46 peaks over 4,000ft), with great views on a clear day spanning hundreds of miles across Upstate New York stretching to the Adirondack High Peaks, Green and White Mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire and the Laurentian Mountains of Canada.

Day 7 and 8: The Adirondack Coast

Stretching across the western shores of Lake Champlain in the shadow of New York’s Adirondack Mountains and just an hour drive from Lake Placid, the Adirondack Coast offers unprecedented views, endless recreation and a central location. Lakeside villages, charming hamlets and the historic city of Plattsburgh dot the landscape.

Soak up the rich history of a young American nation, or in the deep waters of Lake Champlain. Lose yourself in the open spaces of the Adirondacks or the quite confines of an Adirondacks Chair. Discover amazing treasures in a chasm millions of years old, or a unique shop on the quaint streets of downtown.

Ausable Chasm Swingbridge — One of the many obstacles on the Via Ferrata course at Ausable Chasm

Hot tips

Undertake the Via Ferrata at Ausable Chasm or just take a casual walk and check out the waterfalls and amazing history.
Pick some apples in the fall or berries in the summer at Rulfs Orchard. They may even let you make an apple pie from the apples you pick.

Homemade Apple Pie — My homemade Apple Pie creation at Rulfs Orchard

Be spooked by a ghost tour in downtown Plattsburgh and while there, check out the history of Lake Champlain and the famous naval battle that took place.

Ghost Tour at Plattsburgh — Ghost Tour in Plattsburgh

Check out Valcour Brewing Co., and sample a glass of craft beer or two. Or stay in the historic army barracks.

Craft Beer Tasting — Craft beer tasting at Valcour Brewing

Onwards and upwards!

Trevor

Insights

Best time to visit Upstate New York is around September during Fall and after US schools go back and when the leaves on the trees start changing colour.
If driving, you may want to avoid the winter months as these areas receive lots of snow and roads may be impassable, but if you’re into skiing or back country hiking then go for it.
A little known fact about the Adirondack State Park – it’s the same size as the State of Vermont and combined, you could fit both Yellowstone and Yosemite into the State Park. Yes, the State Park is huge!
Note: If you’re driving from Buffalo or any of the Northern States, then you could do this trip in reverse order.
For further information, check out the website – Go North.

Lake George from Prospect Mountain — Lake George from the top of Prospect Mountain

Australia: Uluru not just any rock

Published August 2018 by Trevor. Updated December 2019.

In this post:

Getting there
About Uluru
Insights

Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is more than just a rock!

Getting there

The nearest large town is Alice Springs, some 450km and 4 1/2 hours drive away. You can base yourself there and do a day trip there and back, either using your own transport or utilise a tour company and let them do the driving for you. We chose the latter as it was a more relaxed way to travel.

The other way is to incorporate the visit into your itinerary heading south. There are a few places you can stay, either within the park or just outside.

About Uluru

Uluru is a massive sandstone monolith in the heart of the Northern Territory’s arid ‘Red Centre’. It is s acred to indigenous Australians, thought to have started forming around 550 million years ago.

Located within Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, you will also find the 36 red-rock domes of the Kata Tjuta (colloquially “The Olgas”) formation.

Approaching Uluru, the one thing that stands out, aside from it’s sheer size rising out of the ground, is its varied red colours. More so at sunset. Walking around its circumference takes around 3 1/2 hours which is a must if you have the time. It is only then when you look up, that you can see the various rock formations and its sheer beauty.

Approximately 15 minutes away, are the 36 red-rock domes of the Kata Tjuta (“The Olgas”) formation – another beautiful area in its own right.

Uluru is a living cultural landscape. It’s considered sacred to the Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara people. The spirits of the ancestral beings continue to reside in these sacred places making the land a deeply important part of Aboriginal cultural identity.

Onwards and upwards!

Trevor

Insights

Elevation is 863m, and the circumference is 10km.
Uluru is the name in a local Aboriginal language (Arrente), and since the 1980s has been the officially preferred name.

Many people, especially non-Australians, still call it Ayers Rock.
It’s considered to be the world’s largest monolith. A monolith is a large, single block of stone.
This is also an Aboriginal sacred site and Australia’s most famous natural landmark.

The oxidized iron in the sandstone gives the rock its rusty-red colour.
Note: Climbing the sacred site has now been banned (since 26 October, 2019). Prior to this it was discouraged in order to respect the local culture. However many people still climbed the rock which can be dangerous to do. Since record-keeping began, there have been 37 fatalities. On the last day it was open there were queues of people waiting to climb for the last time.

Uluru — You can just make out people climbing the rock.

Cuba: Fancy a salsa

Published February 2018 by Trevor. Updated February 2021.

In this post:

Arrival

Arriving in Havana, the first thing that hits you are the wrought iron doors behind the immigration counter. It’s like stepping back into the communist past era as they open and shut behind you. Welcome to Cuba, where the sun never sets and your salsa experience begins.

Reform

While reform of the economy is slowly taking place, many of the older generation are wondering how they will cope with change. Given that they have always been told what to do, in a socialistic sense – how to behave and what to eat.

Cubans fear their future is now uncertain, especially among the older generation. But change is happening – and will happen fast.

Colour

The first thing that strikes you about Cuba is the colour. The pastel blues and fuchsia pinks of the old colonial buildings. The colourful, cigar-smoking street characters carrying songbird cages or selling home-made paper cones filled with peanuts. The classic American cars with their polished chrome bumpers, albeit fast disappearing in place of cheap imports from Korea and Japan.

1950's car — Lovely old 1950’s cars everywhere

Music

And, the music. It seems that around every street corner and in every town square there’s a band playing salsa, soul or some other derivative, a brightly-coloured bata drum being slapped or a guitar being plucked to create those Afro-Cuban vibes.

The rhythm just gets under your skin.

We were lucky to experience the Buena Vista Social Club. None of the band members were under 70 years of age, but boy did they have swing and rhythm to beat.

More street musicians — Music is everywhere!

Go Now

Travel experts are urging you to go now to Cuba before it changes. But visitors envisioning salsa in the streets and glamorous vintage cars should also be prepared to get by without ATMs, credit cards, limited and slow Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, seatbelts or toilet paper.

Onwards and upwards.

Trevor

Insights

You can fly to Cuba direct from Panama, Mexico or other Central American Countries. This is relatively easy and inexpensive.
You can also fly direct from Toronto, Canada.
Obtaining a visa is straight forward. You can apply at the airport before you board your plane, and receive a piece of paper (no stamp in your passport). This is especially relevant to American travellers on non organised tours.

Accommodation options – Casas particulares are B&B-style private homestays that offer tourists an authentic experience and provide locals with much-needed income. You can also stay at hotels which are mostly 2-3 stars by western standards but extremely comfortable nevertheless.

ride in a 1950s car — Take a city tour in a 1950’s American car

At sunset, head along to El Malecón, the promenade and sea wall where locals and tourists congregate. Then stroll over to La Bodeguita del Medio for a mojito. The cocktails served at the iconic bar were good enough for former resident Ernest Hemingway.

Don’t forget to check out the The Hotel Nacional de Cuba. It’s a historic luxury hotel located on the Malecón. You can’t miss it as it stands on Taganana Hill a few metres from the sea, offering a view of Havana Harbour, the seawall and the city. You may even want to stay for a night.

Violent crime in Havana is rare. We never felt threatened – just hassled. However, be aware that pickpocketing and bag snatching are on the increase.

Besides Havana, also check out Viñales and the Spanish colonial town such as Trinidad.

If you plan to travel outside Havana, it’s best to hire a driver and a car. It’s relatively inexpensive.

Cigars – don’t forget to buy the best premium hand rolled!

Cigars — Plenty of opportunities to buy the best cigars in the world

Weather wise, January and February are the best months to visit.
If you must go online in Havana, hotels sell internet cards for lobby WiFi. Be prepared to pay around US$4-US$5, per 30 minutes.

Carry plenty of cash (USD) as credit cards aren’t widely accepted. Bring cash to change into convertible pesos, also known as CUCs (not CUPs, the currency used by locals). On paper, one USD is worth one CUC. The Cuban government currently takes a 13 per cent fee, so you get 87 cents for your dollar. Privately, Cubans may offer 90 cents or more in the dollar but be careful who you trust.

For more reading and insights into Cuba and other countries see our post on Adventure Travel books

Chile and Argentina: Great Patagonian Traverse – Glaciers and more glaciers, muchos gracias

Published April 2017 by Trevor. Updated February 2021.

In this post:

Why Patagonia?

2016 was fast approaching on the horizon and a significant milestone for my partner’s birthday looming. So we went researching around for another trekking adventure – and discovered the Great Patagonian Traverse.

Perito Moreno Glacier 80m high, 4km wide

The opening of a new route linking Chile and Argentina offered a traverse of untouched national parks, from the Southern Ice cap to the towers of Torres del Paine. And everything in between.

We have travelled the length and breadth of South America numerous times, and thoroughly enjoyed the people, culture and food (see our post on Colombia for example). So, looking for something different, we picked out this relatively new 15 day trip to enjoy (Great Patagonian Traverse with World Expeditions) – with a mix of estancia homestay and refugios for accommodation.

Where to begin?

We joined the trip in Balmaceda, Chile where it was a chilly 8 degrees celsius – and this was summer. By comparison, it was a balmy 26 degrees celsius in Santiago when we left earlier in the morning, but we were heading south after all – way south.

We had signed up for this supported hike with a small group of eight people – two Italians, one Kiwi and the rest Aussies. The opportunity provided us with a traverse of Patagonia, travelling its length from Coyhaique in the North to Puerto Natales in the South, via Chile and Argentina. The majority was on foot, some by bus, and other by boat via some of the most captivating and untouched national parks in the region.

The journey

Our journey took us via Villa O’Higgins, before joining a boat to cross Lago O’Higgins, with the Southern Patagonian ice field in our midst – the world’s second largest contiguous extrapolar ice field. At about 16,800 sq km, it is second only to southeastern Alaska’s approximately 25,000 sq km St. Elias-Kluane-Malaspina-Eastern Chugach Ice Field.

A recently opened pass between the shores of Lago O’Higgins in Chile and Laguna del Desierto in Argentina offered a unique way to continue the traverse and offered a side to Patagonia rarely seen by other trekkers.

Of course, no trip to Patagonia would be complete without trekking in the Paine National Park.

There we completed the ‘W’ trek and enjoyed forays to the Grey Glacier, up the French Valley and the Ascension Valley before finally ascending to the base of Torres del Paine for one of the most unforgettable mountain views in the world – it’s a long slog of around 1,000m (3,280ft) ascent and decent (7-8 hours return) but well worth it in the end.

Other highlights of the trip included spending New Year’s eve in the quaint hiking and climbing village of El Chalten, Argentina.

Like the locals, we partied hard into the early morning and during the ‘fog’ of alcohol and great company, forgot we had a 5-6 hour hike ahead of us the next day. After a not so early start, lots of water was consumed to rehydrate, suffice to say it was slow going.

Other highlights

A cruise on Lago O’Higgins was another highlight. After getting up close and personal to an iceberg or three that had broken away from the icefield, a couple of the boat crew went off in a Zodiac to chip away some ice. Now what to do with the ice? The only thing you could do of course. Put it in a glass of whiskey – I’m sure that enhanced the age of it somewhat.

Trekking in Patagonia was certainly an experience to remember.

Onwards and upwards!

Trevor

Insights

Pack gaiters and hiking poles. This is especially so for the muddy section that you will hike on foot across the border of Chile into Argentina (around 15km).

Ensure you’ve had your Chile exit stamped in your passport at the small shed just outside Candelario Mancilla.

Learn some Spanish. Don’t make the mistake of saying ‘si’ to everything the Spanish speaking border official says. One person did and was just about to receive an exit stamp instead of an entry one!

At the conclusion of the trip, it’s definitely worthwhile spending an extra day or two in Punta Arenas, gateway to the Antarctic.

Watch out for the local gauchos herding their flock of sheep and guanacos.

Best time to go trekking in Patagonia is January – February. The weather is more stable and you have clear sunny days.