Ngari

Ngari prefecture (also known as Ali prefecture 阿里地区 Ālǐ Dìqū) is in the far west of Tibet. It is located in the northern Tibetan Plateau and has the most unique natural scenery in Tibet. It is also one of the areas with the lowest population density.

Towns

• Ali - The prefectural capital of Ngari. Also known as Gar, Shiquanhe or Sênggêzangbo.
• Rutok - The Xinjiang-Tibet Highway runs through there, it also has Pangong Lake, which is half salt water and half fresh water.
• Tsamda - This is one of the most magnificent areas of Tibet, with clay forests and the remains of ancient dynasties.

Get in

By plane

1 Ngari Gunsa Airport (NGQ  ^IATA) near Ali has flights to Lhasa and Kashgar.

By car

National Highway G219 runs from Xinjiang through Ali to Lhasa. The Xinjiang to Tibet portion of the route is extremely remote and notoriously rough.

Ali is also the terminus of national Highway G327 from Chengdu via Nagqu.

Get around

There are few shuttle buses here. It is unrealistic to travel only by taking shuttle buses. The general recommendation is to drive yourself everywhere.

After years of repair by the local government, most roads in Ali are in good condition, but some roads may not be in good condition, so please avoid remote areas.

See

Mount Kailash - The reason most people make the long journey out to this part of Tibet, a holy mountain for Tibetan Buddhists and for Hindus and Jains.

The ruins of the ancient Guge Kingdom - a popular destination for tourists, under protection by the Chinese government as an important historical and cultural site. This lost civilization has left only ruins and a few legends behind it but is an amazing place to explore.

Tsada Clay Forest - which has been declared a national park, where you can see the largest tertiary strat earth forest in the world, and the oldest monastery in Ngari Prefecture, Tholing Monastery, where dozens of ancient wall paintings and frescoes have been preserved.

Lake Manasarovar - The highest lake in the world, a holy place of Hinduism.

Pangong Lake - A large lake next to Rutog County, with fresh water on the Chinese side and salt water on the Indian side.

Simbiling Monastery - A monastery full of rich history where the Tibetan government defeated the Ladakh army.

Other nearby places of interest include the Piyang and Dungkar Grottoes, Gurla Mandhata, Korjak Monastery, and Chagcam Cake Salt Lake.

Do

• Pilgrimage to Mount Kailash
• Enjoy the world's best stargazing dark night park in Ngari
• Take a boat trip to Pangong Lake and set up a tent

Eat

The price of food in Ngari is more expensive than that sold in other areas of Tibet, and the quality of food along the way is not very high and the number of restaurants is very small, there are more Sichuan restaurants and some Tibetan restaurants. If you are not used to local food, you can prepare some food by yourself before you go.

Drink

Drink butter tea and sweet milk tea, which are basic drinks in Tibet.

Stay safe

The main safety concerns relate to the extreme remoteness of the area. Always bring a couple days of food with you when traveling outside of a village, and carry a few liters of water when traveling by truck, (The driver will probably have a big jerry can, but don't be dependent on it). In summer it can be warm when the sun is out, but change as soon as it's overcast to wintery conditions. Hail is common, and snow not unknown in the middle of summer. Bring a good sleeping bag, and warm cloths.

This is the highest average altitude in Tibet, and some people will have more severe altitude sickness, so please take care of your medication.

Go next

Go to Nagqu, Kashgar, Xigatse and other areas from National Highway 219 and 317.