What should you pay attention to when traveling to Tibet for the first time?

The author lives in Tibet. These are my experiences in Tibet for four or five years. To facilitate travel, friends who have been to Tibet are welcome to add more. 1. Do I need to exercise before going to Tibet? The biggest fear when traveling to Tibet is altitude sickness, so everyone would like to exercise before going to Tibet. In fact, there is no necessary connection between altitude sickness and physical strength. It is only related to the body's ability to adapt and adjust. It does not require deliberate exercise. If you feel uneasy, you can also do aerobic exercise and some jogging one or two months in advance, but you should take a rest one week before departure and do not exercise anymore. 2. Who is not suitable to come to Tibet? The environment in the Tibetan Plateau is relatively harsh, and there are certain physical requirements for people entering Tibet. Generally speaking, most people have no problem traveling to Tibet, except for some people who suffer from serious physical diseases, such as the following categories of people: 1. People suffering from heart disease, blood disease and cerebrovascular disease; 2. Suffering from various types of respiratory diseases; 3. Suffering from epilepsy, schizophrenia and uncontrolled diabetes; 4. People who have experienced altitude sickness, such as altitude edema, altitude cerebral edema, altitude heart disease, etc.; 5. High-risk pregnant women ; 6. Suffering from severe cold, fever or respiratory infection. 3. What are the symptoms of altitude sickness? Altitude sickness can range from mild to severe depending on a person's constitution. Mild symptoms include headache, tinnitus, asthma, general fatigue and insomnia, which will disappear when the body adapts. Severe symptoms include vomiting, nausea, purple complexion, diarrhea, etc. Symptoms, in this case it is best to take medication or consult a doctor for treatment to avoid serious consequences. 4. How to prevent altitude sickness? How to relieve altitude sickness? There are many medicines to prevent altitude sickness. Just go to the pharmacy and consult a doctor to tell you. The one that everyone is most familiar with is Rhodiola rosea, which comes in capsule form, oral liquid form, and prototype Rhodiola rosea, which can be soaked in water and drunk. These preventive medicines are generally taken about ten days in advance, and taking them after entering Tibet has little effect. Sometimes, even if you take preventive medicine, hyperlipidemia still inevitably occurs, so how can you relieve it and reduce your pain? Medicines for relieving altitude sickness include American ginseng, inosine tablets, or SiGan oral liquid, and Gao Yuanan; if you have a headache, you should take Baifu Ning painkillers. Glucose also has a certain effect on alleviating altitude sickness. After altitude sickness, you still need to rest in bed more, exercise less, and eat a light diet. If it is severe, you can use oxygen inhalation, but oxygen inhalation is not the best way. 5. It’s best not to go to Tibet if you have a cold. Why can’t you go to Tibet if you have a cold? When you catch a cold, inflammation will occur in the lungs and trachea. At this time, the body's resistance is poor, and the plateau has less oxygen and is relatively dry. The cold can easily get worse, and a common cold can turn into pneumonia, pulmonary edema, or bronchitis. No one is willing to bear such consequences. If you catch a cold, cure it before setting off. 6. When is the best time to go to Tibet? Throughout the year, May to October is the best season in Tibet, warm and comfortable but not hot. But this is also the peak season for tourism in Tibet. There are a lot of tourists. Consumption in related industries is also rising, and your tourism consumption expenditure is also high. From November to April of the following year, although it is relatively cold, the sun is very bright and warm during the day. There are very few tourists during this time, and what you see is the authentic Tibetan style. 7. What is the best way to enter Tibet? There are three main ways to enter Tibet: car, train and plane. Cars take a long time and have relatively high consumer expenditures, but it takes a long time for the body to adapt to the plateau; trains take a shorter time to enter Tibet than cars, and can be entered in sections, with the least consumer expenditures, and the body can slowly adapt. The height above sea level reduces the probability of altitude sickness; it only takes a few hours to fly into Tibet, but the change in altitude is drastic, the probability of altitude sickness is also the highest, and it requires a lot of expenses. 8. Which places in Tibet require border defense permits? Although many travel enthusiasts are keen to go to Tibet, not all places can be visited casually, and some places require a border defense permit to go.

28. How to get to the city from the train station? There are buses from the train station that go directly to the city. There are buses 1, 13, and 14, and the fares are all one yuan. The buses in Lhasa usually run out at nine o'clock in the evening. If the train is delayed, you can only take a taxi to the city. Taking a taxi usually costs 30-40 yuan. If you find someone to carpool with you, you can share the fare, which makes it cheaper. 29. Are there youth hostels in Lhasa? What's the price? There are many youth hostels in Lhasa. Taking the core area of ??the city as an example: there are Damei Tibet Youth Hostels near the Potala Palace (mostly for self-guided tours, call 0891-6728878), etc., and there are YAK Hotels near the Jokhang Temple (for foreigners). (Tel: 0891-6323496), etc., close to Ramoche Temple, there is Fengma Feiyang Youth Hostel (where cyclists gather, phone: 0891-6790250), etc. In terms of price, it is much cheaper in the off-season, with a single room ranging from 80 to 150 yuan. In the peak season, the price is doubled or even more, with a single room basically ranging from 150 to 350 yuan. It is recommended not to live too far away, and do not consider suburbs such as train stations. 30. How are the conditions of star-rated hotels in Lhasa? What's the price? In Lhasa, there are hotels of various stars, and the prices fluctuate according to the low and peak seasons. Generally speaking, a three-star hotel costs about 200-500 yuan, a four-star hotel costs 600-1,400 yuan, and a five-star hotel costs 2,500-3,500 yuan. The accommodation conditions are now very good, no different from those in the mainland. When it comes to hotel reservations, accommodation is not tight during the off-season, so you can find room when you arrive; during the peak season, accommodation is very tight, so it is best to book ten days in advance to avoid delaying your travel itinerary. 31. In addition to Tibetan food, what other dishes are there in Tibet? In Tibetan areas, in addition to local Tibetan food, Sichuan food is the most popular, and there are various halal noodle restaurants in the streets and alleys. Nowadays, basically all the dishes from the mainland are available here, and some special meals are also available, such as Nepalese food, Indian food, and Western food. There are no KFC, McDonald's or Pizza Hut for fast food here, only Dicos. 32. What are the Tibetan foods? The Tibetan food here is related to the local planting and breeding industry. Common ones include the following: stewed yak meat with radish, sheep blood enema, lamb chops, cold Tibetan pig skin, Rensen fruit rice, tsampa, cordyceps and matsutake chicken, and ghee Fried highland barley, auspicious conch, yogurt bibimbap, beef curry rice, steamed sausage, and air-dried beef. Those who are interested can try it, but the taste is very different from the mainland habits. 33. What are the snacks in Tibet? Tibetan snacks taste good and are very unique. There are Tibetan noodles, Tibetan dumplings, Tibetan buns, sweet tea, butter tea, cold noodles, cold noodles, French fries, yak yogurt, beef cakes, milk residue, and yogurt ice cream. 34. Are butter tea and sweet tea delicious? Butter tea and sweet tea are both daily local drinks. Sweet tea should be acceptable to everyone, but butter tea will taste fishy and difficult to drink. But drinking butter tea can alleviate altitude sickness to a certain extent, so it’s good to try it for this reason. 35. Where can I eat Nepali food in Lhasa? In Lhasa, many restaurants offer Nepali cuisine. The more famous ones include Snowland Restaurant, Xinmanzhai Cantonese Restaurant, Lhasa Kitchen, Ganglamedo, and Magi Ami. Namased Restaurant is opened by Nepalese and serves authentic Nepali food. It is located on the second floor of Lhasa Cinema. 36. Are there many bars in Lhasa? How is the atmosphere? There are many bars in Lhasa, most of them concentrated on Beijing Middle Road and near the Jokhang Temple. Now there are also many bars on Sun Island and Xianzu Island, and some youth hostels also have small bars. The atmosphere of these bars is good, the more famous ones are "Short House" and "Ganglamedo". These bars will invite some singers to perform, but the time is not long, usually about an hour. Of course, there are also tourists who come up to play and sing on their own. If you have talent, it’s also a good idea to go up and show off. 37. Where is Maggie Ami? Is the consumption high? Maggie Ami is on Barkhor Street. It is decorated in yellow and is very eye-catching. Just ask anyone and they can give you directions. Majiami is well-known among tourists, and it is a relatively petty bourgeois place, so the price is relatively expensive. The atmosphere here is good and the food is average, but it’s good to go and experience it.

38. Can I rent a hotel on a monthly basis in Lhasa? How much? During the off-season, that is, from November to April of the following year, many hostels offer monthly subscriptions, ranging from 800 yuan to 1,500 yuan per month. If it is a monthly subscription for multiple people, it will be more affordable. Especially in family inns, because there are fewer guests in the off-season, you can enjoy more discounts, and you may be alone in a multi-person room. In the city center (around the Potala Palace and Xiaozhao Temple), you can live in a single room by yourself for about 1,000 yuan during the off-season. 39. How about the family inn on Xianzu Island? Xianzu Island belongs to a new area, with a townhouse-style building. It is close to the Lhasa River and the environment is good. Even the rooms do not have independent bathrooms. Most of the family inns here were opened by travel friends who scraped together one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand. The owner is basically hospitable and talkative, and can give some suggestions to people traveling to Tibet. However, it is a bit far from the city center. Usually, you need to take a taxi back at nine o'clock (it is dark after nine o'clock in the summer in Lhasa). Unlike the travel friends in the city center who can play very late without fear! 40. Can I pitch a tent for camping by the Lhasa River? Generally speaking, you can set up a tent for camping, listen to the sound of gurgling water, and watch the brilliant starry sky. However, your tent and sleeping bag should be warm enough, as it gets cold in Lhasa at night. 41. Is it convenient to access the Internet in Lhasa? Is there an Internet cafe? In Lhasa, some hotels may not have wireless Internet access. Youth hostels pay more attention to experience and provide WiFi (but it is best to inquire in advance). Some bars and restaurants also provide wireless Internet access. Nowadays, there are many Internet cafes in Lhasa. In the past few years, the fees were very expensive. Now the fees have been reduced to about the same as in the mainland. The Internet speed is 3-4 yuan/hour. 42. Can coins be used in Tibet? In Tibet, coins are not circulated and only banknotes can be used. 43. How are prices in Tibet? In terms of prices, Tibet is about the same as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Mainly because of Tibet's special environment, many supplies need to be transported from the mainland, so prices are much more expensive, and food consumption is also more expensive. In particular, some relatively scarce items, such as fruits, are more expensive than in the mainland. 44. Is Tibet safe? Is public security good? Tibet is very safe and the public security is very good, so there is no need to worry. Especially in Lhasa, there are basically military personnel stationed at intersections, and there are many police stations on the roads. There is no problem even if you go out in the middle of the night. 45. Can I get a discount when buying tickets at tourist attractions in Tibet with my student ID card? At some tourist attractions in Tibet, student ID cards can enjoy half-price discounts, such as the Potala Palace in Lhasa and Basongtso in Nyingchi. However, these preferential measures are dynamic and subject to the actual situation at the ticket window of the attraction. 46. ??I only have a few days in Tibet, where can I go? If you have a short trip and want to visit some classic attractions, you can arrange it as follows: Generally, you will spend a day or two in Lhasa first and visit some major attractions. If you still have time, you can arrange it according to the time required for these routes. You can spend two or three days in Nyingchi, one or two days in Shigatse (or Shannan), and one or two days in Namtso. These are all worth visiting and can be arranged according to your own time. 47. What is there to do in Linzhi? Linzhi area can be called Tibet's Little Jiangnan, with very beautiful scenery. The main attractions include Basong Co, Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, Nanyigou, Jubolin, Lulang, Xiuba Millennium Castle and Taizhao Ancient City, etc. You can also see the sacred mountain Naga Bawa Peak and Midui Glacier. This is where the Monba, Dun and Lhoba people live in Tibetan areas. If you have the opportunity, you can experience their unique customs. 48. What is there to do in Ali area? The Ngari area is vast, but there are many scenic spots hidden in it. There are sacred mountains, holy lakes, Kailash Manasarovar, ghost lakes, Laangtso, Pangong Tso, and Namunani Peak, all of which are Tibetan compatriots. A place where pilgrims go around mountains and lakes. There are also Zada ??Earth Forest, Guge Dynasty ruins, Ritu rock paintings, etc. The scenery is very beautiful, and many tourists come here to enjoy the scenery. 49. If it is a self-guided tour, how can I find someone to charter a car with me in Lhasa? Nowadays, more and more travel friends do not want to travel in a group, but prefer self-guided tours and chartered cars with like-minded people. In Lhasa, if you want to charter a car, there are three ways to choose from.

But even if you don’t go to Nepal, you can still buy Nepali items in Lhasa, which can make up for your regrets. There are many Nepali shops on Barkhor Street, which specialize in selling some Nepali clothes, jewelry and gadgets; in the small alley near Beijing Middle Road, there are many Nepali food shops and many Nepali gadgets. In this way, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to go to Nepal, but you can also buy many authentic and unique Nepalese items. 57. How much are the tickets for the Potala Palace? Is it easy to buy them? Every year from the beginning of May or early June to the end of October, the ticket price for the Potala Palace increases from 100 yuan to 200 yuan (peak season), and decreases from the beginning of November to the end of April or May of the following year to 100 yuan (off season). During the off-season, you can purchase it directly from the ticket office and visit on the same day. During the peak season, there are many tourists and tickets are tight, making it difficult to buy. The Potala Palace sells about 2,400 tickets every day, including 400-600 individual tickets. Therefore, during the peak season, you have to get the reservation ticket with your ID card one day in advance, and then buy the ticket the next day to visit. 58. Can I take pictures in the Potala Palace? What about other monasteries? You can take pictures outside the Potala Palace, but it is prohibited to take pictures inside the palace. Generally speaking, taking pictures is prohibited in temples. If you really want to take pictures, you can consult the staff in advance to see if taking pictures is allowed and whether there is any charge for taking pictures. 59. What should you pay attention to when visiting a monastery in Tibet? The temple is the place where the Buddha lives, so you should show enough respect. When entering a temple, remember to take off your hat and sunglasses, and do not smoke, touch Buddha statues, read scriptures, or ring bells and drums, etc. For other Buddhist artifacts, such as Buddhist beads, talismans, etc., you cannot touch them casually. Photography is not allowed in some temples and these regulations must be followed. When visiting a temple, do not be quiet, make loud noises, or sit casually inside. 60. When is the best season to see Mount Namjagbarwa Peak? Where is the best viewing spot? Namjagbarwa Peak was ranked first among the "Top Ten Most Beautiful Snow Mountains in China" by National Geographic Magazine, and its beautiful scenery can be seen in general. Naga Bawa Peak is surrounded by clouds and mist all year round. Legend has it that those who can see its true face are very lucky. In spring and autumn, the weather is clear, the clouds are high and the wind is cool, and the probability of seeing Namjagbarwa Peak is higher than usual, so this is the best time to go. As for viewing locations, one is at Sejila Pass, and the other is at Zhibai Village and Dalin Village, which are relatively far away. 61. What are the grander festivals in Tibet? There are many festivals in Tibet. There are about eighty or ninety in total, but many of them are relatively small festivals. The major festivals include the Tibetan New Year, the Shoton Festival, and the Sagadawa Festival, among which the Shoton Festival is the most lively and entertaining. The Tibetan New Year is celebrated by Tibetans themselves; the Shoton Festival also has other names: Tibetan Opera Festival and Yogurt Festival. The main activities of this festival are watching Tibetan opera, drinking yogurt, showing off the Buddha, and visiting Linka (Linka means park) The Sagadawa Festival is also called Buddha's Birthday, which is the day when Buddha Sakyamuni was born, passed away, and nirvana. On this day, everyone will go out for park activities, especially in the Longwangtan Park behind the Potala Palace, boating, Sing and dance. 62. Can Tibetans understand Chinese? Except for the elderly, almost all other Tibetans can understand Chinese and have no problem communicating, so there is no need to worry about language barriers. 63. Can I take pictures of people worshiping? Will it offend them? Whether on the way into Tibet or in front of the temple, you can see many Tibetans making pilgrimages. Many travel friends will be shocked when seeing such a situation and want to record these moments. Generally speaking, it is very impolite to photograph them like this, and pilgrims do not like it. If you want to take photos, especially close-up photos, it is best to communicate with them in advance and ask for their opinions. 63. What specialties are worth buying in Tibet? Tibet has many specialties, including Tibetan blankets, Tibetan knives, thangkas, Tibetan silver jewelry, Tibetan incense, rhodiola rosea, cordyceps, saffron, matsutake mushrooms, highland barley wine, Hada, dried yak meat, ox bone combs, snow lotus, etc. Which ones to buy depends on your personal preferences and needs. 64. Where can I buy real Cordyceps in Lhasa? Cordyceps is the best quality of Naqu.

There are many Cordyceps specialty stores on Yutuo Road in front of the main entrance of Jokhang Temple. Buying here is relatively safe, but cheating is hard to guard against. It is best to bring friends who know how to identify the quality of Cordyceps. It's guaranteed. 65. Where can I buy tourist souvenirs in Tibet? In Lhasa Barkhor Street, there are many Tibetan-style jewelry and handicrafts, and the prices here are not expensive. If you want to buy expensive items, such as turquoise, beeswax, etc., you have to go to a specialized store to buy them, so that the quality is guaranteed. Things like thangka, Tibetan medicine, saffron, cordyceps, snow lotus, etc. can all be purchased in specialty stores and pharmacies. Go to several stores and compare shopping. 66. Where is the best place to buy hidden knives? The most famous places for Tibetan knives are Lazi and Nanmulin. The Tibetan knives produced here are of good quality and the craftsmanship is very meticulous. The price is determined according to the length and size of the Tibetan knife, the production process and the materials used, and there will be a big difference. An ordinary Tibetan knife can be bought for tens to hundreds of yuan. If it is good, the price may be tens of thousands. 67. Can hidden knives be brought onto the train? Items such as knives are not allowed on the train. If you buy a Tibetan knife, you can only take it back by mail. Postage is determined based on the length and size of the item. 68. Is it convenient to send express delivery to Lhasa? What kind of express delivery is available? Lhasa is developing rapidly now, and it is very convenient to send express delivery. Some express delivery services in the mainland are basically available in Lhasa, such as Yunda, YTO, STO, Home Delivery, EMS, etc., but the freight prices are much higher than those in the mainland.