Who to go with? According to regulations you cannot go [to Kailash] alone and shouldn’t anyway. Nowadays, every major and many of the minor travel agencies offer to get you to Kailash. But whom to choose? I talked to all travel agents in Kathmandu and picked the Karnali Excursions, a Sherpa co-operative. They have knowledgeable guides on both sides of the Nepal/Tibetan border and arranged the right trek, with the right Sherpas, on the right route, at the right time of the year. We reached the mountain in safety, they treated us very well, even pampered us along the way, and it was the trip of my life.
To appease stalwart Western pilgrims searching for the Old Tibet, a handful of companies in Nepal, such as Karnali Excursions (www.trekkinginnepal.com), are taking advantage of relaxed border regulations and offering tours to the far west of the region, which few outsiders have ever visited. It’s the wild west of Tibet where distances are vast, Chinese influence is minimal and visitors can see traditional Tibetan culture intact.
Karnali Excursions has been taking pilgrims and tourists to Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarovar for over 10 years and is the leading agency for this particular tour. The executive director, Mr. Hira Dhamala, is one of the most knowledgeable persons of Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar and the region.
Kailash-the mountain is in the far west of Tibet and the easiest way of visiting it is with an organized tour… The much cheaper alternative [to other major travel agencies] is to make your way to Kathmandu (where almost all treks to Tibet begin) and contact (www.trekkinginnepal.com) the excellent and reliable Karnali Excursions who are specialists in Kailash and Western Tibet.