Nomadic Adventures July 2008 Newsletter

Tibet borders re-open! It gives us great pleasure to announce that the Tibet borders were re-opened to tourists on 24th June. Tourism to Tibet was reinstated and the 24th June saw tourists pouring back into the capital, Lhasa, and across the border from Nepal into Tibet, bringing much needed funds back into the country. At this point, no additional travel restrictions have been imposed and all tours are now running as normal. Contrary to some newspaper reports, additional restrictions have not been imposed . Some restrictions which were in place prior tot he border clamp down have been modified. The restrictions are as follows:-

1) All tourists still require a travel permit for Tibet, which has always been the case

2) Travel permits take about 2-3 weeks to obtain, which has always been the case

3) Tibet visa fees for US Nationals cost more than other Nationals, which has been the case since the start of 2008

4) Restrictions have been modified as they relate to group travel in that no person may travel on their own, and any group may not consist of nationals from more than 3 countries. As this can affect fixed departure tours it means that any FD group will be split e.g. into two groups if it consists of nationals from more than 3 countries.

Good news also came earlier in the month when China and India agreed to reopen border trade at the Tibetan Nathu La Pass on July 6 after 44 years' of being closed. The reopening of the Nathu La Pass is expected to give a major boost to bilateral trade between the two countries. Trade in this area accounted for 80 percent of the total border trade volume between China and India in the early 1900s. Trading through the pass was suspended in 1962.

Abu Dhabi goes green! Abu Dhabi is creating an entirely new city which will serve both as a model for sustainable development and as a global cluster for green technologies. Masdar is intended to become a “zero-carbon” city powered by Photovoltaic power which will account for almost half the city’s power, complemented by wind farms, solar thermal power, hydrogen power and bio fuel from local tree plantations irrigated with desalinated Gulf water. Masdar has been designed as a dense and shaded city, where a population of 100,000 people will live in an area of six square kilometres.

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED TOP OF PAGE
1) Is there anyway I can get on the Inca Trail, even if I wait at the park gate for a cancellation? Ah, the age old question. Inca Permits! The number of permits issued per day are 500 and these sell out well in advance. As of today, permits are already sold out until 15th October 2008. Permits are non transferable and if cancelled, that place goes unused. As such, even waiting at the park gate will not help. No valid permit, no entry. Go to Permit Availability for an easy to check reference. Tour itinerary for Inca Trail. However, if you want to trek in the area there is an alternative route called the Lares trek which you may want to consider.

2) When is the breeding season for the penguins (in Argentina)? The breeding season normally starts around September when the penguins arrive to make their nests and by mid October begin laying their eggs. One of the most important breeding colonies for the Magellan Penguins is Punta Tombo, with about half a million penguins arriving to breed each year. Tour itinerary

3) What is the best time of year to visit the Amazon? The Amazon changes substantially over the seasons dependant on whether it is the wet or dry season. In the rainy season, the Amazon can rise by up to 7m. As a result, sections that you would walk though in the dry season, you will paddle through in the wet season. Overall, I would say that if you time it between the two seasons it is best, i.e. from May (end of wet season) to July. But it really is a matter of choice.