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Getting into Tibet to take part to Spice Roads Tour Operator’s cycling trail between Lhasa and Kathmandu is turning increasingly difficult due to an abrupt change in group requirements. According to latest information available in May, groups now need to be a minimum of four people, all of the same nationality to be able to get a visa. Spice Roads explains that tours generally appeal to a wide range of nationalities and it might consequently be difficult to fill up this requirement. So far, Spice Roads plans to operate two tours, one on Sept. 6 (3 US citizens!) and another one of Sept. 27 and request possible participants to contact the TO or its representatives as soon as possible. As alternatives, Spice Roads now highly recommend some of its other tours such as ‘Mystical Bhutan’, ‘Biking India’s Nubra Valley’ and its most recent tour ‘Cycling Sikkim’s Tea Trails’.
Spice Roads’ newest tour is to rugged and remote Sikkim in northeast India. While cycling Sikkim’s Tea Trails, participants will feel more like being in Nepal or Tibet than India, primarily due to the strong Buddhist culture and the presence of soaring snow-capped peaks. The 10-day tour starts in the state capital of Gangtok, where we get acclimatized to the altitude (1,437 m/4,715 ft) and visit the 200-year-old Enchey monastery. The next days of cycling consist of riding down into valleys and then up over passes (none higher than 2,100 m).
The trail is 330 km long and done in six days of cycling. It includes breaks to make a wish at Sikkim’s holiest lake, sample tea from local plantations, and ride a toy train in the colonial hill station of Darjeeling. The tour starts and ends at Bagdgora airport in Sikkim with three departures planned from 28 Oct–6 Nov, 25 Nov–4 Dec and 23 Dec–1 Jan.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
