CHINA Why Go There?
The historical regions of Kham and Ando are former Tibetan provinces and home to the descendants of warriors and horsemen. Tibet, deep within the Himalayas, remains a spiritual destination - an abundance of monasteries and fluttering prayer flags set against the grandeur of the high mountains. Travelling through the vast plateaus on horseback is the best way to meet the warm and welcoming nomads who call this harsh environment home.
For a more in depth search click here
-
The Kham Riders (Tagong Festival)
15 days / 8 days riding from 3416$
A trail ride in the heart of Kham in eastern Tibet, home to the proud Khampas warriors. After visiting an amazing equestrian Tibetan festival, spend 8 days on horseback riding LEARN MORE
ACTIVITY :
LEVEL : COMFORT :
-
The Kham Riders (Shamalong Festival)
16 days / 8 days riding from 3988$
A wonderful horseback trail in Tibet, discover a historical region full of stunning scenery and ancient tradition. Your specialist guide will introduce you to Tibetan nomads and you will attend LEARN MORE
ACTIVITY :
LEVEL : COMFORT :
You may also like horse riding holidays in these countries
YOUR ADVISOR
-
- IRIS LAPPRAND
- Tel. +44 (0)1905388973 @ Contact me
Did you know?
The Khampas warriors were members of a Tibetan armed group which fought against China's occupation of Tibet from the 1950's until its downfall in 1974. Also called Buddha's Warriors, the groups main aim was to defend and preserve the Tibetan way of life after communist China invaded the western region in 1950, destroying the monasteries in eastern Tibet in 1956.
Initially forced into an uneasy compromise with Beijing, the Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 and the local Khampas tribesmen revolted, forming a resistence movement which employed mainly guerilla tactics against the Chinese army. They set up base camps in a remote Himalayan region bordering Tibet, called Mustang, but life was hard and food was sparse and it has been said that many Khampas resorted to boiling their shoes to eat.
Khampas warriors were known to be skilled horsemen and they would gallop out of Mustang into Tibet to harrass the Chinese and then gallop back again. The annual horse festivals are a celebration of Khampas history and an opportunity for them to show their skills on horseback - with riders hanging of the sides of their saddles and scooping silk scarves from the ground at a full gallop, or twirling muskets over their heads and firing at targets on the ground.
Both of our horseback trails in Tibet include a horse festival attended by Khampas warriors: Tagong or Shamalong.