RANDOM QUOTES, RANDOM THOUGHTS



Friday, November 21, 2008

BEST PLACE TO STAY IN LHASA

When I went to Lhasa in March this year, I stayed at probably the most traditonal and most authentic of places to stay in Lhasa:
Doekyilzur & Beijing Tsongkhang House (多吉苏和北京从康历史文化院落酒店)
(the name itself is already quite a mouthful, both in ENGLISH and in CHINESE! once inside though you will still be in a mouthful - a mouthful of "WOW!!!!")

This hotel sits right smack in the heart of Bakkhor Street in the Old Quarters of Lhasa and just behind Jokhang Temple. The courtyard 3-storey house dates back to the 7th century and was rebuilt in 1850.

THIS IS THE PLACE TO STAY IN LHASA (in my opinion), it feels more like a home than a hotel! The ancient architecture is simply breathtaking and it is the most amazing place I have stayed among the different places and countries I have been - both the house and its immediate vicinity.

I went in the low season and there were only myself and another couple living in the whole place during the 3 days I was in Lhasa. I absolutely loved this place to bits. The bed was by far the most comfy I have slept on in all my life! I got a very good deal and got the signature room in the entire place - directly overlooking Bakkhor Street out in the window and the rooftop was only a short flight of ladder away. The rooftop is amazing too! One can see Potala Palace from there. I suspect due to the age of the building, the roof was terribly under-utilised!! I swore if I had a lazy chair, I could just bask on the rooftop all day long sipping Tibetan butter tea or sweet Tibetan tea during the day and downing beers in the evening! The courtyard could be viewed from the rooftop in its full glory.

This was one of 2 places which I had earmarked from the chinese guide book which I picked up in Chengdu a day earlier prior to arriving here. I was glad I took the extra effort to locate this place instead of the crowded International Youth Hostel. From my room on the 3rd floor, you could hear and see pligrims doing the rounds around the Jokhang Temple from as early as 5 a.m. in the morning and as late as midnight. That did not trouble me one bit, in fact I quite like the sounds of the pilgrims stretching their bodies and limbs on the pavement along the Jokhang circling route. Quite possibly you will not get this anywhere else in the world.

A slideshow of the hotel. Enjoy!

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