All aboard for the Tangula Express

BEIJING: The world's next great train journey will take passengers on a high altitude, luxury journey to Tibet.


The Tangula Express, travelling between Llasa, Lijiang and Beijing, will begin operations in mid-2008 after an extensive marketing campaign in Asia, Europe and America.


Dates, timetables, fares and booking opportunities will be revealed in May.


Ninety-six passengers on the Tangula Express will be carried in 48 luxury suites, enjoying 24-hour butler service, queen-size beds, en suite bathrooms and showers, on-board guides, broadband Internet, flat-screen TV and DVD players. There will be two dining cars in the middle of the train.


Kempinski Hotels will manage the luxury train which is a joint venture between Chinese Railways and Canadian company, RailPartners.


Departing from Beijing, the five-day/four night journey to Lhasa crosses the mystical Tibetan plateau.


The Beijing to Lijiang route also takes five-days/four nights and explores the landscapes of Guangxi and Yunnan provinces.


Tangula trains leaving both Lhasa and Lijiang for Beijing will follow a four-day/three night itinerary.


Speaking to TravelMole Asia, Bill Edward, vice president marketing for Tangula International, said the new train would be different from the recently launched 48-hour train journey between Beijing and Llasa.

"The Tangula Express will be a five-day, four night journey which will give passengers time and opportunity to stop along the way to explore this amazing part of the world," he said.