Tagong

Tagongs Main Street Tagong is a small town in the Tibetan prefecture of Ganzi. Its altitude is at 3700m and is located half way between Kangding and Litang. It is known for senic grasslands and local Tibetan Buddhist culture. Get in Many official buses and private vans/cars will leave from Kangding in the mornings. Get around See Most people come here to relax and visit the grasslands and maybe hiking or take horse tour. Do Horse treks through the pristine countryside are a popular option, running about 150/person for half a day. This can be bargained somewhat. Be advised that "half a day" may only comprise a few hours. If possible, try to get the details. A wonderful hike across the grasslands to the south takes you to the Lhagang Monastery and Ani Gompa (nunnery), which offers affordable lodging. To get there, simply proceed from town past the temple, make a right on the road 100m past the temple, and you will see the monestery's golden roof in the distance. Walk toward it. After enjoying the monastery grounds you can seek out lodging at the nunnery. To reach it, proceed left (as you face the monastery) down the road in front of the monastery, through the village, past the temple there, until you see a very small shop on your right. Inquire there; the guesthouse is upstairs. Buy Eat Check out Sally's if your chasing Western food. The Chinese food there is good, but not that Chinese. In particular, the spicy yak stew (18 RMB) went down well. Sally's is just round the corner of the temple. Most guesthouses will offer you very affordable Tibetan food. Most meals consist of the same thing: yak cheese dissolved in tea mixed with some barley flour. Definitely worth a try, and quite bland (it helps to add sugar), but it's good as a breakfast. Drink Sleep There is a backpackers next to the temple. You can choose to stay at a hotel without restaurant facilities for cheaper price. Iya Drolma and Gayla's Guesthouse, (Follow the sign off the town square.), ☎ +868362866056. Run by a lovely Tibetan family. Very authentic Tibetan house and cuisine. Some basic English spoken.Hot water and clean Bathroom, Comfortable beds (doubles have electric blankets). You can also eat with the family. Dorm 20RMB / Double 50 RMB.  edit Khampa Cafe & Art Center, 20m left of the temple, ☎ 13684493301. By far the best option to stay in town. The owner Angela and her Tibetean husband run the place. With their collaborative art center, their goal is to maintain the local art culture and help the locals our of poverty. Their guest rooms are clean and comfortable, they also offer a great selection of local food (try the Momo plate!). Dorms 25 RMB, Single 100 RMB. For 60 RMB, they also offer homestays in Tibetean families either in town or on the countryside (Tibetean houses / tents), dinner and breakfast included. The homestay is by far the best way to see how the locals live. Angela will also happily show you all the hikes around Tagong. Horse rides can be arranged as well. Work a few hours at their place and you get free food & accomodation.  edit Stay safe Really a lot of wild and guard dogs. They spend the whole day sleeping all around on the streets. If you want tohike hills around Tagong, they may go with you and to be sure, the more dogs, bigger the problem. There are reports of Han Chinese being mugged at knife point in Tibetan regions of China. Also, foreigners travelling need to be wary of the local Tibetan males who will attempt to racketeer money from travelers when taking mini-van rides in/out of the Tagong. There have been instances when the local driver and riders agree on a price only to find out that the driver will demand more money when the destination has been reached. This situation causes a scene and a crowd of locals gather only to defend the driver. Riders be EXTRA cautious. Get out While there is no formal bus station, you can hop on a minibus, which may entail a long wait. Give the driver your phone number and tell him to phone you when he is ready. Move on to Danba or Bamei, neither as scenic or authentic a Tibetan village/town as Tagong, but each with their own worthwhile attractions. Past Bamei, en route to Danba, the driver may stop at a roadside hotspring (for free) or you can ask him to. Go to Kangding or Xinduqiao Mini Buses go to Ganzi (About 120Rmb, 11 Hours) via LuHou from the main road. The best tame to catch them is in the morning (8-9) May 2011- The road Between Tagong and Ganzi is Under Renovation and most of it isn't paved. The ride is Hard and long(11-12H) This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!