What is high altitude sickness and how to prevent it?
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)
refers to some symptoms one may have at high altitudes, including
headache, dizziness, lethargy, loss of appetite, nausea, breathlessness,
irritability and difficulty sleeping which reflect our bodies' intolerance
to the low oxygen environment at high altitudes. They will generally
disappear through acclimatization in several hours to several days
depending on individual susceptibility.
Here are some suggestions for you to prevent it:
- Avoid catching a cold before entering Tibet;
- Try to have a good sleep at the night before flying to Tibet;
- Don't conduct many activities on the first day of your arrival in Tibet;
- Walk slowly and drink extra fluids after getting off the airplane;
- Light and high carbohydrate meals are recommended for more energy; Don't drink alcohol or smoke;
- Climb up to higher altitude slowly;
- Avoid sedatives;
- Prepare some medicines as per doctors'suggestions.
| City | Altitude (m) | City | Altitude (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lhasa | 3650 | Pomi | 2750 |
| Shigatse | 3836 | Nyingchi | 3000 |
| Gyantse | 4040 | Tsedang | 3500 |
| Chamdo | 3240 | Tingri | 4300 |
| Amdo | 4800 | Shiquanhe | 4300 |
| Nagqu | 4507 | Purang | 3700 |
| Damxung | 4200 | Rutog | 4250 |
| Altitude (m) | Atmospheric Pressure (mB) | Air Density (g/m3) | Oxygen Content (g/m3) | Equal to that of Sea Level (%) | Boiling Point (???) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7000 | 420 | 573 | 133 | 47 | 77 |
| 6000 | 481 | 644 | 149 | 52 | 80 |
| 5000 | 549 | 719 | 166 | 59 | 84 |
| 4000 | 624 | 820 | 186 | 65 | 87 |
| 3000 | 707 | 892 | 206 | 73 | 90 |
| 0 | 1013.2 | 1292 | 260 | 100 | 100 |
People who have diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia, serious tracheitis, bronchitis and serious heart problems or catch a serious cold, shall not come to Tibet. If you are not sure about your health condition, please consult your local doctors before traveling.
When is the best time to travel in Tibet?
Generally speaking, the best
time falls from April to November. But for the valleys at lower
altitude free of frigid winters and unbearably hot summers (such
as Lhasa, Shigatse and Tsedang, etc.), you can travel at any time
in the year. And during the winter time (from December to March),
those places are much less crowded and become a charming white world
offering you an even better scenery.
How to get in Tibet?
By air, train or by land cruiser. For
the flights to and from Lhasa, please see the
Lhasa flight schedule here.
For the trains to and from Lhasa, please check the
Lhasa train schedule here.
Driving overland to
Tibet will take much longer time, more money and can be very tough
and sometimes even not available, especially the route from Chengdu
to Lhasa.
What are the most interesting places in Tibet?
For conventional and trekking
tours, the most popular places include Lhasa, Tsedang, Namsto, Gyantse,
Shigatse, Tingri, Zhangmu, etc. For adventure tours, Mt. Everest
and Mt. Kaillash are the most exciting areas that are easier to
access to.
How to make payments to us?
The best to way to pay the deposit (usually 100USD/p.p) is via wire transfer or the money transfer of Wester Union.
Both are safe and fast but the latter one seems charging less with a simpler procedure.
For emergency booking, we have Paypal available for you to pay on line.
And the balance can be paid in Lhasa after you arrive there. Our financial staff and your tour guide
can always help if neccessary. You can pay this part by cash, credit card or by Travellers Check through
the local bank.
Is it possible to use Credit Card in Tibet?
It is not recommended to use credit
cards as a way of payment in Tibet. The central branch of the Bank
of China in Lhasa is the only place in Tibet that offers credit
card advances. You can withdraw cash in RMB from a few ATM machines
which however, do not always work properly. So you are suggested
to take some cash with you.
Can foreign tourists travel alone in Tibet?
At the moment, it is forbidden in most places in Tibet.
To travel in Tibet, you shall either take part in an organized group
or have local travel agencies to arrange for you.
How to choose a travel agency?
Local travel agencies shall be
your priority. We often receive inquiries for price information
from travel agencies in other cities outside Tibet which usually
then make quotation to clients after adding their profit. Thus you
can't get a good discount. A local travel agency can provide you
the same travel service at a lower price. We live here in Tibet
and have been every corner of the land while trying to develop as
many wonderful tours as possible. And we have established good relationship
with local hotels, restaurants, government departments, etc. You
will have a worry-free tour with Tibet Tour Professional.
Are there join-in tours with you?
At the moment, we provide private
tours only. But if you are interested in joining in others, please
let us know. We can check our clients database to help you. We will
conduct join-in tours in near future.
How can I get a lower price from you?
In Tibet, transport usually takes the biggest part of the whole travel cost.
The most effective way is to have
someone else traveling and sharing the cost with you.
More travelers, lower price. And
if you stay in guesthouses, it also can help reduce the cost greatly.
How to prepare for a trip to Tibet?
There are three most important
things you shall get prepared for: intensive sun radiation, fast
temperature change and high altitude sickness. For the first one,
you need to have sun blocking cream of high sunlight protection
factor, good sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat and lip stick, etc.
For the second one, you'd better prepare casual and layered clothing.
And if you want to visit some remote areas at high altitude, you
are suggested to take a feather coat with you. For the third, you
shall prepare the cold and flu tablets, throat lozenges, Aspring,
nasal desongestant, or just ask your doctor for some advices. See
more suggestions about how to deal with high altitude sickness here.
And if you want to conduct an adventure tour or climb mountains, some acclimatization exercises shall be carried out in phases before traveling. You shall not get into areas at over 5000m rashly.For any other questions, please contact us directly at sales@toursoftibet.com.