Yamzho Yumco — Attraction in Doqoi

We were Unfortunate! Cloudy Day!! On 7th July 2018 our group of 14 from Sri Lanka travelled in a private coach from Lhasa to Shigatse. Though we looked forward to a day of sight-seeing during this tour, we were unfortunate as the sky was cloudy most of the way with intermittent rain. After about half an hour from Lhasa we crossed the Chushur Bridge passing over Yarlung Tsangpo River. From here was a climb up to Kambala pass at 4800 metres. We saw the famous Yamdrok Yumtso Lake at a distance from the top of the pass where we stopped for a few minutes. There were decorated Yaks and mastiff dogs here at this stop with whom you could take a photograph – but for a payment of 5 RMB per photo. There was a pay toilet too. It is best to avoid this as the stench is unbearable. On the way down from here the road follows the Yamdrok Yumtso (Yamzho Yumco) Lake for about 40 kilometres. We stopped at a place when the sky was clear to take some photographs. The guide explained to us that Yamdrok Yumtso is one of the holiest lakes in Tibet. He also explained that there are many species of birds around the lake. There is no fishing in the lake as Tibetan people do not eat fish. This is because water burials were quite common in the old days and it is the fish that dispose...

It's a very interesting 3 hour drive from Lhasa to get here with some beautiful scenery along the way. The last section up to the pass at 4,800m is really good.

The view from the pass looking down on the lake is great but can get crowded. The changing colour of the lake depending on the cloud cover is stunning.

Interestingly, if you drive down to the side of the lake, the views are not as impressive, but they have yaks there which make for the obligatory photo...

Yamdrok Lake (also known as Yamdrok Yumtso) is one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet. The lake is situated at an altitude of over 4,400 meters. What makes Yamdrok Lake truly unforgettable is its vivid turquoisecolour, which changes throughout the day depending on the sunlight and weather. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and wide open skies, the lake offers a surreal sense of peace and untouched...