Traveling in Tibet is truly a unique experience, and probably not for the faint of heart or inexperienced "explorer." Young or old, it does not matter—Tibet will excite you, challenge you, and intrigue you on many levels. In this fascinating place you will see the mixing of geography, religion, history, politics, and people in a society that is unlike any Western culture that you have ever seen. This is truly a unique destination in Asia.
Tibet—where the air is thin. The Tibet airport is the highest commercial destination in the world. If you are an athlete and want to increase your lung capacity—consider Tibet. If you are a casual traveler and have problems breathing, don’t put Tibet at the top of your list for places to have a good time. Breathing is such a common issue for travelers in Tibet, you can purchase aerosol cans of oxygen from the corner grocery stores to help you breathe. Many visitors will find at least one occasion to use this handy kit, so don’t be embarrassed to make this a stop in your journey your first night on the ground.
My visit. I can tell you that my visit to Tibet is something that I will treasure as a unique and powerful experience that is hard to compare to any place in Asia or the world. The history, the people, the food, the air, the artwork carved into the mountains, the yaks, the mountains...Tibet is one of the most different and exciting destinations on the globe—if you are up for the challenge.
${QuickSuggestions} Buddhism. While I am not an expert on this faith, I can tell you that this is a religion that is filled with strong traditions. Make sure you go to Tibet with an open mind and expectations of experiencing a great number of exciting religious artifacts and traditions. Visiting Tibet should not be about your faith, but about being a part of world history and walking in a culture that is thousands of years removed from most of our daily lives.
Art. Tibet is filled with wonderful artwork and artists. This work is meticulously hand painted/carved and created by local craftspeople, very often a Buddhist monk. Remember to negotiate. Negotiation is expected in Asia. If you need some tips on negotiations, refer to my Best of Asia Journal 1. One thing to consider about your tour and purchasing artwork: when your tour guide takes you to a nice commercial art shop, expect to pay top dollar (yen, euro, etc.). The reason the artwork is so expensive in these shops is because (1) higher overhead of real sales people in the shops, (2) nicer shops, and (3) the tour company gets a cut in the profit. Yes, the tour company is given part of the profit for bringing a large bus of people into the shop. You should consider going back later on your own and negotiating without the added retainer, or consider going to the open market areas in town where you will get a much better deal after you negotiate.
Privacy. One more thing to consider while you are traveling in Tibet. Privacy is not considered to be one of your primary rights. Tibet is similar to Hong Kong in that it is an Administrative Region of mainland China. Being a part of China, subversion to the Chinese government is considered very offensive and is not tolerated. This should not concern you unless you are the kind of person who likes to speak openly and often about your political disposition, and your perspective of the Chinese government in Tibet is offensive. If you are this personality type and feel as though you must speak freely about your ideas and perspective, don’t be surprised to get an unpleasant visit while you are in Tibet. My advice is to think what you will and save your political conversations for another day.
${BestWay} Tour Company. Tibet is not a place where you want to tour alone. The countryside is vast, the history is important, and foreign languages are not commonly spoken. If you are fluent in Mandarin Chinese, you will probably be able to get around, but even the Chinese tourists use tour guides. It is inexpensive, and you should make this a part of your trip planning (don’t wait until you get in-country). Choose your tour company well—and make sure they are fluent in your native language. One important tip: don’t choose a tour that will be speaking both English and Chinese. This usually means that the tour is predominantly Chinese, and the guide can answer a few questions in English. You will be miserable and there will be little that you can do about it.
Hotels. If you join a tour, the hotel should be a part of the tour. You may have a choice of hotels and if so, don’t save money here. Pay the extra money and understand that a four-star hotel in Tibet will be more like a three-star motel in a small town in the US. Upgrade to the better hotels and don’t expect first-class accommodations, and you should be OK. It is not that the hotels are bad, but they won’t win any world-class awards for being the best at anything.
From journal Best of Asia—Journal 3 - Tibet