A Perfect Encounter: Yamdrok Lake and Kangbo Hotel

May 20th was a perfectly romantic day. Being a romantic myself, I had booked a couple's themed room at the Kangbo Hotel in advance. On Ctrip, I rented a Qoros 5, planning to surprise my girlfriend with a road trip to Yamdrok Lake.

I have to say, the couple's room at Kangbo Hotel was really well arranged (see attached photo). It exceeded my expectations and truly surprised my girlfriend. The car rental boss on Ctrip was also very helpful. I had reserved the car for 10 a.m. on May 21st, but he delivered it at 6 p.m. on the 20th (no deposit required on Ctrip, and the rental was only 158 yuan; the car was also very new).

After picking up the car, I went to the Xuecheng Gas Station next to the Kangbo Hotel (just 20 meters away) to fill up the tank. Then I picked up my girlfriend and we went to Zangyou Tan City for some Qing Hong Zao Bai skewers (near the hotel). After returning to check in, the moment I opened the door, a wave of romance hit us. I casually told her that the next day we'd go see the scenery at Yamdrok Lake. She was thrilled. That evening, we played two rounds of Honor of Kings, watched some TV, and turned in.

On the morning of the 21st, we had breakfast at the Kangbo Hotel at 7:30 (there was fruit, milk, baguettes, bacon popcorn chicken – quite a lot of choices). At 8:00 sharp, we set off for Yamdrok Lake. (The hotel's parking lot is in a big courtyard right behind the hotel.) The navigation showed about 200 km, estimating 2.5 hours. From the hotel, we drove along Jinzhu West Road, crossed the Liuwu Bridge, turned right, and soon got on the expressway. Along the way, we listened to music, sang songs, and admired the beautiful snow-capped mountains. We sped along the straight highway, savoring this long-missed relaxation.

After an hour on the expressway, we exited at Qushui and continued along the national highway toward Yamdrok Lake. Soon we reached the Yamdrok Lake checkpoint. (Here they check health codes, driver's licenses, and ID cards. They also ask if you're heading to the Yamdrok Lake scenic area. If you say yes, they'll direct you to buy tickets at the nearby ticket office. But if you say you're going to Langkazi County, they won't make you buy tickets since it's the national highway. That saved us 60 yuan × 2 tickets.) Beyond the checkpoint, the road was not so smooth, as it was under repair along the way. But for an old hand driving an SUV, doing 40–60 km/h was no problem. (Be aware of the speed cameras along the route – a reminder not to drive too fast; safety first.) About 20 minutes after the checkpoint, we reached the core scenic area of Yamdrok Lake (the Yamdrok Yumtso Viewing Platform), but we didn't go in since we hadn't bought tickets.

We went to the Langbuqi Viewing Platform, recommended on Douyin. The parking fee there was only 5 yuan, yet it offered the same views as the scenic area—or even better ones. It's a great spot for photos. (There's a small shop, Tibetan costume photo shoots, and you can ride a yak or pose with a Tibetan mastiff, etc.) After arriving, we took some beautiful photos. Looking up, we were surprised to see a lovely solar halo. Under the sunlight, Yamdrok Lake sparkled, looking even more dazzling—like an innocent girl smiling gently at the visitors.

Then we headed to a third viewing point (a small island by the lake, which most people can't find). It's about 2 km past the second viewing platform toward Langkazi County, where you make a sharp U-turn and take a gravel road down to the lakeshore. The scenery by the lake was even more breathtaking. We followed a winding, bumpy dirt track along the shore, with the beautiful Yamdrok Lake stretching before us, and behind us the yellow dust kicked up by the car. Since few people are willing to drive this rough road, there were fewer crowds and even better views.

Along the way, we also came across a couple taking wedding photos here. Most photos of Yamdrok Lake are taken from the first and second viewing platforms. I've included a picture of the third one later (see attached). You can navigate there and hopefully discover even more surprises. On our way back, we didn't retrace our route. Instead, we drove all the way to Rituo Temple and then joined the Airport Expressway from the other side, which opened up a whole new landscape. The roadside trees and barley fields along the route made me feel as if I were somewhere in the interior of China, not in Tibet.

The drive back took about two hours, and we returned to the hotel around 6 p.m. I took a shower to wash off the day's fatigue. Lying on the comfortable recliner at Kangbo, I brewed a cup of Kangbo coffee (with their special coffee cup) and spent a perfect holiday with my girlfriend. It was my first encounter with Yamdrok Lake. In the future, when I have time, I'd like to take my girlfriend on more lake-hopping trips (in Chinese, "cuo" means lake) and also recommend and share more comfortable hotels and beautiful scenic spots in Tibet. I hope every trip will be a wonderful encounter.

May 21, 2022, at the Kangbo Hotel in Lhasa