Tibet

Tibet is the least populated province in China.

47% of the world’s population depends on the flow of fresh water from Tibet.

Qinghai-Tibet Railway- the world's highest railway, travels through Tibet and lets you visit Lhasa city which is also the capital of Tibet.

Tibet has an average elevation gain of 3,000 meters and there are some popular towns that go well-beyond 4,000 meters above sea level.

When you are talking about Tibet and its geography, you have to understand that it is truly a place of extreme natural and geological adversities. As the majestic Himalayan massifs are magnificently present along the national territories of Tibet and Nepal, travelers can distinctly feel the audacious vibe of traveling inside a Himalayan territory that is more or less breathtaking and graciously vibrant.

Although, Tibet is an autonomous region of China, you should not assume that traveling in Tibet will be a similar experience to traveling in other regions of China. On the contrary, the entire Tibetan Plateau stands out from the rest with pollution free, remote, secluded and awe-inspiring locations found no where else. With an average elevation of 4,000 meters (13,000 ft) above sea level, Tibet covers a huge land mass of more than 2.5 million km. Therefore, you can expect to witness difference in altitude and weather from one place to another. In addition to that, you also have to understand that the temperature in Tibet during summer will be mild enough for exploratory activities where as the mercury level can drop well below minus 16 degrees during chilling winter times.

Unlike other regions of China, Tibet has managed to keep itself away from the alarming modern development and encroachment of humans due to which travelers can travel in peace without worrying about pollution or any kind of hectic effluences. Tibet is one of the most stunning countries in the world which has unlimited natural and cultural abundance. A simple visit here can easily overwhelm you with great inner spirituality and unworldliness.

The untainted cultural presence and unique ancient traditions have given way to fascinating festivals that are well known to be a major source of tourist attraction. There’s no way you could make yourself resist the temptation of visiting such a place like Tibet where the local cultures and traditions are well preserved and significantly regarded by the local communities as they want to make sure that their rich culture, history, norms and ways of life remain alive for the future generations to come.

Some popular festivals of Tibet for you to take part in:

1. Thimphu Tshechu Festival
2. Jambay Lhakhang Drup Festival
3. Wangdue Phodrang Tshechu Festival
4. Punakha Drubchen and Tshechu Festival
5. Paro Tshechu Festival
6. Haa Summer Festival

For many travelers, Tibet is the most spiritual place they will ever find in the entire world in their lifetime as it has a mysterious yet hospitable communities living together in an exotic Himalayan plateau with its own cultures and religions. When you are traveling in Tibet, there are some places which will stand out from the bunch of the other destinations. Such places usually offer visions of wild lunar landscapes, breathtaking natural scenery, overwhelming quaint trails and meaningful insight into the daily livelihood of local people.

Everywhere you go, the enchanting sights and trails are never far from you. The heavenly atmosphere along with the tribal group of indigenous communities who have remained here since ages are going to be luxuriously present all throughout Tibet region. Regions like Kham and Amdo regions of the Tibetan Plateau bring in most of the foreign travelers as they occupy 50 percent of the entire land area of Tibet. Just visit those travelers who make a long arduous journey to holy Mt. Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, you will be left fascinated for sure.

Some of the popular touristic sites of Tibet include:

• Lhasa
• Potala Palace
• Jokhang temple and Bharkhor Bazar
• Norbulinka Palace
• Drepung Monastery
• Sera Monastery
• Shigatse
• Gyantse
• Everest Base Camp
• Kailash and Lake Manasarovar
• Namtso Lake

Altitude Sickness is not something which you should think of lightly as Tibet has several high elevated regions where travelers can feel the effects of altitude. Typically, Altitude Sickness is a rather ill thing to happen when you are traveling at a high altitude above 3,000 meters most of the time. You will experience various kinds of lagging aspects such as fatigue, head ache, vomiting, loss of appetite and dizziness. Furthermore, traveling at such elevations comes with some amount of risk. Hence, travelers have to understand that when they are planning to visit Tibet, they need to make sure they give their bodies adequate amount of time to acclimatize.

Note: Those travelers who don’t take time to rest or visit various high elevated locations in a swift manner will eventually succumb to altitude sickness.

Traditional Tibetan food consist mainly barley, meat and dairy products. Vegetables are scarce in the high altitude. Tsampa is the staple food of Tibetan people, which is consumed daily. It is actually barley flour made from parched barley, unhusked and ground into fine flour. Put some flour with salted butter tea in a bowl, rotate the bowl with the left hand and mix the food with your fingers of your right hand, roll it into small lumps, then squeeze it into your mouth with your fingers. Other ingredients may also be added to add flavor.

Tibetan people eat Tsampa at every meal and bring it as instant food in travel. The salted butter tea is an indispensable Tsampa pal. Boiled tea is poured into a long cylindrical churn along with salt and yak butter. Vigorous churning makes the ingredients well blended and ready to serve. The local people drink it throughout the whole day. Yak butter is very important local food and it is separated from yak milk by hard churning. After butter is separated from milk, the residue becomes sour and can be made into milk curd which is a nice thirst quenchable and can be made into milk curd pastry with barley flour.

Yoghurt is important daily dairy for Tibetan people. The creamy milk produced by yak cow is superb. The nomads in the eastern Tibet manufacture their yoghurt in a special process. The milk is boiled first, after removed from stove, some old yogurt is added in. Yogurt will form in a few hours. Yogurt has been a Tibetan food for more than 1,000 years.

Naturally Tibet is a stunning country that has wide range of varied geographic landscapes and ecosystem that tends to make traveling in Tibet a bit more fun and exciting. From the capital city of Lhasa to the more serene natural attractions of Everest Base Camp, everything has a bit of alluring factors to capture the attention of foreign travelers.

In the midst of such naturally blessed travel destinations brimming that contain exotic atmosphere within a backdrop of a carefully crafted and unified Tibetan identity of peace and faith. This may satisfy some travelers looking for egregious spirituality. Fortunately for those who want to get a glimpse of a Tibet relatively unfettered, wild, and open for immersion, there’s a little-appreciated alternative route. Travelers can visit Tibet by overland routes and then begin traveling the entire plateau of Tibet via train if they wish to witness and observe all the beautiful, awe-inspiring natural scenery that is within Tibet.

And if traveling in Tibet is your next big goal then you can contact us and get access to our Tibet trip packages for future visits to Tibet.