As one of the most advanced countries in the world, Singapore grows at a rapid speed in terms of economy as well as transportation these years. People from Singapore can get to any place of the world with convenient transportation means. For those who want to go to Tibet for travel, they can either go there by flights or trains. Both of the transportation means have their advantages and disadvantages. Taking flights is time-saving, as it only takes a total of 4.5 to 6 hours to fly from Singapore to Tibet. The duration varies over the connecting stations as well as terminal stations. However, people who go to Tibet by flights are more likely to get altitude sickness, as there will be huge altitude changes while taking the flights. Taking trains from mainland China to Tibet is popular among visitors, as they can enjoy the most incredible sightseeing in the world when the train runs through the highest plateau in the world—the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. However, before taking the trains, people have to take flights from Singapore to mainland China at first, as there are no trains between the two countries. The train journey is time-wasting, because it can take at least 40 hours to get to Tibet from mainland China by trains. But compared with the scenery along the way, tourists will find every minute on the train worthwhile.
Tourists from Singapore usually travel to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet via Chengdu, Shanghai, Beijing or Kathmandu.
Chengdu City in China is the most popular gateway city to Tibet because of its geographic location and rich tourist resources. So people from Singapore can take flights to Chengdu at first, and then transfer trains to Tibet. Several flights from Singapore to Chengdu are available every day. The flights get off from Singapore Changi Airport and land at Sichuang Shuangliu International Airport, with the ticket price of around USD 850. A hard sleeper ticket for trains from Chengdu to Tibet is 668 RMB, and a soft sleeper, 1,062 RMB. For people who want to save money on transportation, taking flights from Singapore to Hong Kong and then transfer trains or flights to Tibet would be a more economic choice. A flight ticket from Singapore to Hong Kong can be as low as USD 500, which is much less than the Singapore—Chengdu ticket.
If budget permitted, tourists are suggested to buy a soft sleeper ticket rather than a hard sleeper one. The reason is that the train from Chengdu to Tibet covers a length of 3,360 kilometers, a duration of about 44 hours, which can consume visitors a lot of energy. And a soft sleeper cabin is more comfortable and secure than a hard sleeper cabin, as the former has lockable door and only accommodates 4 people, while the latter has no lockable door and accommodates 6 people. With the increasing awareness of security and the equipped police officers, crime rate on the trains has dropped down greatly in recent years in China. Yet tourists had better keep their valuable items with themselves but not to put them in the bags or the cabin.
Beijing and Shanghai are two popular gateway cities to Tibet for foreign visitors, as the former is the capital of China and the latter is the most thriving city in China. For people from Singapore, they are suggested to take direct flights to Beijing or Shanghai from airports in Singapore, both of which will take only 6 hours, with the cost of about USD 1,500. After that, they can take trains to Tibet from either Shanghai or Beijing. Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world’s highest railroad, is also a part of the Shanghai-Lhasa Railway and Beijing-Lhasa Railway. A hard sleeper ticket for trains from Beijing to Lhasa is 720 RMB, and a soft sleeper, 1,144 RMB. And a hard sleeper ticket for trains from Shanghai to Tibet is 794 RMB, a soft sleeper, 1,263 RMB. The train duration between Beijing and Lhasa is about 41 hours, 7 hours less than the duration between Shanghai and Lhasa.
Visitors taking trains from Beijing or Shanghai to Lhasa can have the chance to experience the huge scenery differences between eastern China and southwestern China. All the scenery is amazing but you will only marvel at the miracle sightseeing when the train runs through the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Although the journey takes a lot of time, you won’t be regretful for having taken the train because of the spectacular sightseeing along the way.
People from Singapore can also choose to take flights to Nepal at first and then get into Tibet via flight, as Kathmandu is the only foreign city where direct flights to Lhasa are available. An airline ticket from Singapore to Kathmandu is about USD 1,100, with a flying duration of around 5 hours. With short distance (about 600 kilometers) and fly duration (about 90 minutes), a lot of travelers choose to get to Lhasa from Kathmandu by flights. The Kathmandu Lhasa air route is considered to be one of the most beautiful air routes in the world, as visitors can get a bird’s-eye view of the summit of Mt. Everest when the plane flies over the Himalayas. Flights between Kathmandu and Tibet are available every day and the price for an airline ticket from Kathmandu to Tibet is usually around USD 280. For a better view of the summit of Mt. Everest, tourists are suggested to choose seats on the left side of the plane.
There are thousands of oversea Chinese in Singapore. Most of them will travel to China to visit their relatives or friends. Quite a few of them have been to China for many times and are interested in exploring more than China. Tibet is their first option besides China mainland. The Potala Palace history tour in Lhasa, natural beauty tour to Lake Namtso or Yamdrok and sacred Mount Kailash tour are the top 3 things to do on their to-do list for Tibet.
The Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar are very popular tourist attractions in Tibet. For most tourists from Singapore, April, May, June, September and October are the best five months for attending a Kailash Manasarovar tour. During this time, you could enjoy the continuous good weather and comfortable climates, and admire the most beautiful sceneries. Beside Mount Kailash, these five months are also the best time to see sunrise in the Mount Everest Base Camp.
If Singaporean tourists don’t have time to visit the Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar during these five months, July and August can be their second options. Although these two months are rainy season, the temperature is good for taking a tour and the sceneries are beautiful.
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