Travel Guide

Race Headquarters:

Everyone participating in this event will be staying at Hotel Shanker, and the lobby will be our race headquarters. Upon arrival, all meeting times and important information will be posted in the hotel lobby.

 Lodging While in Kathmandu:

Our host hotel will be Hotel Shanker, located in Lazimpat, approximately 20 minutes’ walk from central Thamel. All rooms are double occupancy unless otherwise stated. There is an extra fee for single rooms. Breakfast will be included with your room. Lunch & dinner will be available at any number of nice restaurants within easy walking distance.

Storage Of Extra Luggage While On Trip:

Hotel Shanker will store your extra luggage for you in a safe claim check area. Your biking gear bag should be ready to go the night before your flight to Lhasa and your extra luggage should be checked in with the front desk.

How Much Extra Cash Should I Bring?

You will need to purchase bottled drinking water, soft & alcoholic drinks in Kathmandu & Tibet hotels. Also, any snacks or other personal items in Kathmandu or during the trip. Once back in Kathmandu and finished biking, all participants (competitors and non-competitors) will combine money toward tipping the staff. But once in Tibet, all meals & lodging is included (this includes hotels in Lhasa and camping while on the tour/race). Also count on spending some money while in transit to Nepal.

We suggest bringing a total of US $500. We suggest US $300 in travelers’ checks and US $200 in cash, preferably small bills.
 

There are ATM machines in Thamel, Kantipath and at the Bluebird department store in Lazimpat (10 minutes from your hotel) that take most major bank ATM or credit cards. You will receive your cash from the ATM machine in Nepali currency (the rupee). As of Jan. 14, $1 USD = Rs73.45. The fee for using the ATM machine will depend on your bank’s transaction fees. Most fees are around US $2.50 per transaction.   

Tipping Of Staff:

Each person should plan to bring US $100 for tipping. Some of the staff with be Tibetan and others from Nepal, so you should keep your money for tipping in dollars for Tibet and you can get some rupees for tipping once back in Nepal. You will be advised on how the tipping process works. Also, if you have personal contact with a staff member and want to pass along an item of clothing, that is acceptable (but not in replacement of the tip).

Travel Insurance:

It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance that covers the following things:

1. Trip cancellation

2. Trip interruption

3. Travel delay

4. Medical emergency/evacuation

If you have never purchased this type of insurance, you can ask your health care provider, travel agent or homeowner’s insurance agent. If you’re still unsure, we suggest contacting CSA Travel Protection (formerly GlobalCare: http://www.csatravelprotection.com/comfort). Or you can perform an internet search, as there are quite a few others to choose from.