If the perspective of lying on the beach all day long doesn't appeal to you, and the contemplation of the European tourist attractions seems not very exciting, if a trip is a way of self-knowledge for you, then Tibet is the right place for your next voyage.

Tibet, also called "Shangri-La" or "the roof of the world" has always been the mystery and the magnet for the West. For a long time it was the most closed territory on the Earth, but in 1984 it opened its doors to the foreigners. For visiting Tibet you need a special permit, but usually it makes no difficulties.

Tibet is one of the Chinese provinces now, but it's historically connected with India and Nepal too. Tibet lies high in The Himalayas but it's not a very cold and snowy place. In fact, it's the land of sun - there it shines bight and almost uninterruptedly.

Geographically Tibet can be divided into 3 parts - East, North and South. The East is the land covered with forests; the North is the place of plains. Here the nomads graze their sheep and yaks. The South, with its ancient cities and temples is considered to be the cultural centre of Tibet.

It's in Tibet where 4 great Asian rivers take their beginning - Gang, Ind, Sutledge and Brahmaputra.

When you plan you visit to Tibet you usually have two opportunities - to include in your tour Nepal or China. The trip usually last about 2 weeks. The most appropriate time for visiting Tibet is April-June and September-November. The weather is smooth then - about +15C +20C during the day and about zero at night.

If you start in Nepal, then be ready to travel several days till you reach Tibet and, remember that you will have to cross the Chinese-Nepal border. Main Tibet cities Lhasa and Shigatse offer the most accessible routes and the significant part of the religious monuments and tourist attractions is situated there. The most important religious monuments include the Potala, the Jokhang Temple, Tashilunpo Monastery, and Kumbum.

The Potala palace was built in VII century, lies at 110 meters height above the city and consists of two palaces - the White and the Red.

Tibet is a Buddhist country, so the temples and monasteries mentioned above are Buddhist. The calm and tranquility condescend to everyone visiting this land. Many pilgrims come to Tibet with the hope to find the answers to the harassing questions.

The greatest natural wonder of Tibet is Everest Mountain - the highest peak on the Earth. Of course, it's not included in the tourist routes, but if you dream of climbing it the special expeditions are organized.

Southwestern Tibet has become a popular destination for mountaineers. There are more than 40 snow peaks are opened to mountain climbing enthusiasts. The tour to Tibet is an ideal choice for religious and mountain travelers, but as the way is rather hard, it is not recommended for the people with serious heath problems.