Maha Shiva Ratri
This day is the celebration dedicated to the Lord Shiva which falls on the Trayodashi of the month Fagun (February/March). Nepal is the only Hindu kingdom in the world and thus the land of Lord Shiva, Lord of all Lords, for here you can feel his presence everywhere. Even in the sacred texts of the Hindus it has been stated that Mt. Kailash in the Himalayas is the abode of Lord Shiva or Mahadeva as he is also known. Shiva the Destroyer of Evil is among the most praised and worshipped of all the gods in the Hindu religion. Hindus all over the world know him through different names and forms. The country has thousands of idols and monuments, which glorify his name, the most common one being the Shiva Linga or the phallus of Shiva that represents him. For it is the Shiva linga that Hindus regard as the symbol of creation, the beginning of everything. Shiva Ratri is the night of Lord Shiva when He himself was created by His own Divine Grace and Hindus all over the world celebrate this day with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm. Shiva Ratri literally means ' the night consecrated to Shiva'. This auspicious festival falls on the fourteenth day of the waning moon in the month of Falgun, (February - March in the Gregorian calendar ). The temple of Pashupatinath in Kathmandu which is considered as one of the holiest shrines of the Hindus, glorifying Lord Shiva, thus receives more than 100,000 worshippers during the festival of Shiva Ratri. These worshippers come from far and wide to pay their respects and homage to Mahadev on his sacred day.

Itinerary: Maha Shivaratri Special with Kailash Mansarovar Yatra - 11 Nights 12 Days

14 Feb/Day 01: Katmandu (1300 mts.) Arrival, our representative will meet at the airport and escort to the Hotel, Free at own and Evening dinner, overnight stay in Katmandu.

15 Feb/Day 02: Katmandu - After breakfast start to Katmandu sightseeing including Pashupatinath and Buddha Nikanth Darshan, back to hotel and rest of the day is free for packing and program briefing.

16 Feb/Day 03: Katmandu to Nyalam (3700 mts. - 160kms.) - This is the first day of the Yatra. After breakfast depart from Katmandu to China border by reserved tourist coach. It takes about 05 hours. Our agent will complete custom formalities and check into Tibet - an autonomous part of China. After lunch drive to a small Tibetan town called Nyalam by Land Cruiser. Overnight stay at Nyelam Guest House. Breakfast and dinner in camp side and packed lunch will be provided.

17 February/Day 04: Nyalam Full day acclimatization - Full day free for excursion of Nyalam city.

18 February/ Day 05: Nyalam to Saga (4500mts. - 375kms) - After breakfast drive from Nylam to Saga for about 0860 hours. Overnight stay at Saga at the guesthouse.

19 February/Day 06: Saga to Paryang (4500mts. - 375kms) - After breakfast drive from Saga to Paryang for about 06:00 hours. Overnight stay at Paryang at the guesthouse.

20 February (Maha Shivaratri day)/Day 07: Paryang (4500mts. - 335kms) to Mansarovar - After breakfast drive from Dongba to Mansarovar 07:00 hours. Pooja and hawan, this is the first day stay at the bank of the Manasarovar Lake, Pooja and hawan stay at the bank of the Manasarovar Lake, Overnight stay in tent or guesthouse

21 February/Day 08: Mansarovar to Darchen- Yumdwari and back to Saga(4600mts. - 110kms.) - Mansarovar Parikrama by Land Cruiser. We will choose the special point to take dip in Manasarovar Lake and do Pooja of Lord Shiva. Full day free for spiritual activities. Drive around 2.30 hrs to Darchen Visit Yumdwari and back to Darchen, /N stay at the Guest house.

22 February/Day 09: Darchen to Saga - Drive back toSaga, O/n stay at the guest house.

23 February/Day 10: Saga to Zangmu - Drive back toZangmu, which is the last stay in Tibet part.

24 February/Day 11: Zangmu to Katmandu - After custom formalities we will be picked up by Nepal side and continue drive to Kathmandu for about 05.00 hours and check into same hotel.

25 February/Day 12: Morning check out hotel, transfer to airport, catch flight for next Destination.
Options for early departure or you use your extra day for Himalayan mountain flight, Manakamana road trip, or Muktinath tour (Contact Samrat Tours & Travels for more information about option day trip at additional cost).

Tour Cost:

INR 99999.00 per person for Indian passport holder.
US$ 2550.00 per person for Other than Indian passport holder.

ESTIMATE FOR ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Horse for personal ride on kora days is around US $200.00
• Extra ride for day trip to Astapad US $22.00
• Extra day in Kathmandu INR 1800.00 for Indian and 45.00$ for others with 2 meals and accommodations.
• INR 2200.00 for Manakamana day trip including both way cable car tickets and transportation.
• Muktinath and Manakamana day trip INR 16500.00 per person including one night in Pokhara, one night Jomsom round trip flight with meal, transport.

COST INCLUDES:

• Arrival & departure transportation
• Sightseeing tour of Pashupatinath, Boudhanath and Budhanilkantha.
• 3 nights hotel at Kathmandu on twin sharing basis with all meals
• Transfer to Kodari by tourist bus
• Tibet side: accommodation in decent hotel/tents
• While camping we provide two-man tents, mattresses, sleeping bag & camping equipments like dining & toilet tents
• Pure vegetarian meals, Japanese land cruisers (4WD) & support trucks
• English speaking Tibetan guide
• Nepali tour leader
• Gamow bag, oxygen, basic first-aid kit
• Kailash permit & normal Tibet/China visa fee.
• Kodari land tax.

COST EXCLUDES:

• Airfares from Home - Kathmandu - Home
• All beverages, Photography charges and Telephone calls
• Travel Insurance of clients
• Emergency evacuation expenses.
• Riding Yak/Horse for Kailash Parikrama (direct payable to Yak/horse herder)
• Extra cost in the event of landslide for hiring additional transportation
• expenses of personal urgent visa fee etc & Services other than specified

What we provide to our clients:

• Sleeping bag, down Jacket, Gamow bag and Oxygen.
• We don't charge extra for the parikrama. If you wish to take help of a yak or horse, the cost will be approx US$ 100 for Yak and USD 200 for horse payable directly to the yak herder. All Indian pilgrims are advised to hire one. You have to understand that the yaks are not domesticated but are meant to carry luggage.

Model of payments

• 20 days prior to tour departure date, 100% of the total cost should reach Samrat Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd account by telex transfer with passport of client.

Tour Cancellation policy

• All notice of cancellation must be sent to our office in written. Verbal cancellations will not be entertained.
• 20 days before trip departure 10% of total trip cost.
• 15 days before trip departure 50% of total trip cost.
• 10 days before trip departure 90% of total trip cost.
• 07 days and less departure 100% of total trip cost.

IMPORTANT PRE-DEPARTURE INFORMATION:

Clothing:
Casual wears and comfortable walking shoes are the rule of Tibet . Be sure to bring warm clothing as nights and early mornings can be quite chilly to down right cold. Indian Pilgrims strictly no Sari. Bring all the film, medicine, cosmetics, personal toilet items etc. that you will need from home as these are difficult if not impossible to obtain on the way. A small first aid kit is also a good idea. Also quite useful is a route map, to know where you are going and have been each day.

What to take:
Winter wear: Gore-Tex material, though expensive, is highly recommended. Down jacket, raincoat or windbreakers, thermal under wears, Jackets, warm trousers & woolen shirts (cotton will also do), warm sweaters, woolen gloves, sun hat, comfortable shoes, light leather boots in case of snow, woolen balaclava ('monkey cap') & scarf/dust mask to protect your eyes & nose from dust.

Bring with you:
Snacks along the way. Chocolates, dry fruit, toffees, glucose; 'namkeen' etc. Strong water bottle & water purifying tablets. Personal medical kit and Diamox tablet (for high altitude). Sun glasses (to protect your eyes from UV, which is especially strong in high altitudes). Sun block or sun screen lotion, wet tissues (Fresh-ones are excellent to wipe off the dust), clothes-line/clips, needle & thread, deo-spray (handy for smelly boots/feet and for a round of spray in the toilet tent!), toilet paper, torch & spare batteries, daypack (small shoulder bag), Camera & films, Binocular.

Health:
This is one of the toughest high altitude road journeys on earth. You Must be physically fit - no two ways about that. Generally patients with asthma & heart problems have a problem acclimatizing to high altitudes. In your interests it is essential you should be examined by your doctor to know about your health condition and your ability to cope up with the rigors of high altitude travel for days in 'no road' conditions, extreme cold, dust, trekking to an altitude of 19500ft during the Parikrama, etc.

Altitude Sickness:
As you are traveling over high terrain, you are likely to experience symptoms and discomfort of altitude sickness (headache, loss of appetite, nausea, exhaustion, sleeplessness, breathlessness etc.) until your body adjusts to the elevation. This can take a couple of days or more depending on an individual. For this reason alone, we have made it mandatory to stay 2 nights at Nyelam (12000ft) and a night in Simikot those who take journey of Helicopter before moving on to the higher altitudes. Drink plenty of water, be calm, and do not exercise. Do not drink alcohol or smoke prior to and during the tour. We also recommend you carry a strip of diamox tablets. Do consult your physician on the dosage. We provide Gamow bag (a special equipment to prevent sickness from high altitude) on this tour.

Currency:
The unit of Chinese currency is Yuan. USD 1 = 6.50 Yuan. 1 Yuan = INR 76.50 approx; Money can exchange at Bank of China at Zhangmu or from the locals at Zhangmu or Kodari. Exchange all you're remaining Yuan at the end of the trip at Zhangmu itself before re-entering Nepal.

Risks & Liability:
Samrat Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd and its associates will put every effort to make your journey smooth and pleasant. However, all the tours in Tibet are conduct strictly under the rules & regulation of Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB). Therefore, Samrat Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd and its counterpart shall not be responsible for any change and alteration in the program due to unavoidable circumstances such as landslide, road blockage, flood, snow, political unrest, and cancellation of flight, delay arrival, sickness or accidents. Any extra cost incurred thereof shall be borne by the clients on the spot.

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