Basum Tso, also written Draksum Tso, lies in the Gongbo'gyamda county of the Nyingchi region, east of Lhasa on the road towards Nyingchi and the Yarlung Tsangpo gorge. It is a glacial lake at around 3,500 metres, set below the Nyenchen Tanglha range, and it looks quite unlike the dry plateau further west.
The lake
The water is a deep green, the colour that gives the lake its name, and it is fed by snowmelt from the surrounding peaks. Cypress and fir forest comes down to the shoreline, and the slopes above the lake are covered in rhododendron, which flowers in late spring and early summer. Because the altitude is lower than Lhasa and the climate wetter, the area supports a dense forest that is unusual in Tibet and is protected as part of a national forest park.
The island and the monastery
A small island sits in the middle of the lake, reached by a wooden footbridge, and it carries Tsodzong monastery, one of the older Nyingma foundations in the region. The buildings are compact and the island holds old trees, prayer flags, carved stones and a small shrine, and the walk around it takes a few minutes. The view back from the island across the water to the snow peaks is the classic image of the lake. A larger monastery and village stand at the western end of the lake, along with guesthouses.
What to do
The main activities are walking, photography and simply sitting by the water. There are paths along the shore and up into the forest, a boardwalk to the island, and viewpoints on the higher slopes reached by a short climb or by vehicle. Boat trips run on the lake in the warmer months. The lake is small enough to see properly in half a day, though the light changes through the day and many visitors stay overnight to catch both the morning and evening views.
Practical notes
Basum Tso is about four to five hours by road from Lhasa, and is usually visited en route to Nyingchi or as a two-day trip from Lhasa. There is an entrance fee, and accommodation is in guesthouses and small hotels around the lake rather than in the park itself. The area is wetter than the rest of Tibet, so waterproofs are more useful than an umbrella; nights are cold throughout the year. Travel is under the standard Tibet permit arrangements for foreign visitors.
