About

Tenzin Bhagen is the founder and primary tour leader of Tashi Delek Travel LLC. He has been featured in National Geographic Adventure magazine in 2007 and mentioned in the New York Times in 2006.

As a child working in the fields with other children and had glimpses of trucks going by his village in Tibet, Tenzin dreamed to become a truck driver and travel to unknown world outside his remote village.

At the age of 16 Tenzin traveled across Tibet as a truck driver and saw the importance of education from interacting with people who had been to schools. Four years later, in 1987, he walked across the Himalayas on foot in order to attend a school at the other side of the Himalayas. In 2004, Tenzin graduated from Grand Valley State University in Michigan with a BA degree and became the first person from his area in Tibet to obtain a modern college degree.

Tenzin finds the United States a true land of opportunity and many opportunities came across. However, as a man whose life is a living proof of the importance of not sleeping in one’s own cocoon forever, Tenzin finds it more meaningful to lead people from his new country, where he believes they need a touch of nature and ancient culture, to his former Himalayan homeland. “I have obtained my modern education here in America, but my knowledge is deeper in the Tibetan culture,” Tenzin says. “I see the importance of a balanced education through experience in our world, and I feel it is very rewarding opportunity to lead people to Tibet and expose them to Tibetan culture and see how it enriches their lives.”

Through his personal connections in Tibet, cultural knowledge, and experience in tour leadership Tenzin has been successful in leading his groups not just to Tibet, but deeper into its culture. With his humanity and caring personally, as well as his unique ability of leading and organizing trips, Tenzin has been friends of every one who traveled with Tashi Delek Travel. His deep conviction in education drives his ultimate goal to help underprivileged students in his native country.

What Does Tashi Delek Mean?

Tashi Delek is a Tibetan greeting word, to say hello. Traditionally in Tibet, it was used only to say “Happy New Year!”, and there was no uniform formal word for hello. Later the community of Tibetan diaspora, constantly asked how to say Hello in Tibetan by tourists, thought they should have a unified greeting word and started using Tashi Delek to say hello or good day. Within last 25 years, after it became a popular Tibetan greeting word in India, the usage has traveled back to Tibet, where it has been embraced by both local Tibetans and officials. Today even officials from Beijing use it at the beginning of their public addresses in Tibet. So, when you meet Tibetans, you say “Tashi Delek.”

However, it has deeper meanings in both spiritually and culturally than a “Hello”. The word Tashi mean wish, good luck, success and so on. And Delek means health, prosperity, and goodness. His Holiness the Dalai Lama said when you say the words Tashi Delek, your mind should be pure and you should say it with a good motivation.

This greeting came from sacred words. When you say it you should remember the meanings and focusing to the persons you say it to, you must mean it.

This is the name of my travel company, and I wish to help you to have a sacred and successful travel experience in Tibet. Tashi Delek!