Tibet is a land of monks and mystery, of high adventure and high controversy. The 'land of snows' boasts the world's highest peaks and its deepest gorges. Despite Chinese incursions, you can experience the timeless rhythms of the ancient Tibetan civilisation, as nomads herd their yaks, pilgrims make their way around sacred Mount Kailash, and monks chant in prayer halls lit by yak-butter lamps.

Tibet, The Bradt Travel Guide, Michael Buckley, Bradt, Paperback, 2003, 304 pages/ 8 pages colour photos / 34 maps, $18.95

Michael Buckley is a seasoned traveller to remote parts of High Asia and South Asia and is the author of ten books related to the Himalayan and South Asian regions. He has a passionate interest in environmental issues concerning Tibet: he is filmmaker for three short documentaries (see: www.WildYakFilms.com) and author of a ground-breaking expos�, Meltdown in Tibet (Macmillan, NY), with a companion digital photobook available at Apple�s iBooks under the title: Tibet, Disrupted.