To Tibet from Shanghai
 

I would be grateful for some advice on joining a tour to Tibet once I am in China. My travelling companions will be leaving me in Shanghai at the beginning of November. From here I want to get myself to Lhasa for 4 or 5 days and then back to Shanghai for my flight back to the U.S. The American tour companies I've called seem to specialize only in Yangtze R. cruises and sightseeing trips for more than 10 days. From what I understand, I need to be part of a tour group to enter Tibet with the least trouble. Do you suggest waiting until I get to China to look for flights, guides, hotel, tour package? or continue to look for a package from here? Any advice or recommendations are greatly appreciated. <BR><BR>I am very excited about my first trip to China, and I cannot imagine missing Tibet.<BR><BR>Thank you!

<BR><BR>I just found the Tibet Tourism Bureau with information on FIT tours from Shanghai, which I will pursue. Any suggestions or experiences still welcome. Thanks

I haven't done this for a number of years, but most independent travellers to Tibet first get themselves to Chengdu (capital of Sichuan Province) and use one of a myriad of local agents to make a group, which may often consist of only two or three other independent travellers. Visiting Tibet requires the purchase of a special permit (which is nothing more than a con, and appears to be in breach of China's own regulations on travel, but which is unavoidable), and the cost of obtaining this is usually included in the tour.<BR><BR>Peter N-H<BR>http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

4 or 5 days in Tibet? You are even not giving yourself enough time to get used to the altitude. Do you know the average altitude is 5000m (1m = 3.3 feet). The top of Swiss alpen is nothing compare to this. <BR>Have fun anyway.

Thanks for the advice. I was concerned about altitude sickness, and have asked a couple of tourist agencies for their opinions. They assured me that the short tour would be fine, but I am still uneasy. Would you recommend planning for a week or longer? I've done some reading on symptoms, do you have first-hand experiences?<BR><BR>Thanks

jj,<BR>No experience with Tibet but I do have first hand experience with altitude sickness. Generally symptoms start at 10000 feet or higher (depending on the individual's health/fitness level). We were on a pack trip in the Sierras with a base camp of 11000 and hiked/rode up to 13000 feet. First things you will notice are increased heart rate, shortness of breath, difficulty in walking, etc. - these are not really a problem as long as you take necessary breaks. In addition to the above, at some point in the trip everyone in our group experienced some form of altitude sickness, mostly mild cases ranging from nausea to dizziness which lasted anywhere from a couple of hours to a day. I think you will be fine if you know your limit and allow yourself some time to acclimate to the altitude before doing anything that requires much exertion. If you are physically fit, you will have an easier time acclimating. If not, you may want to start some form of exercise regimen at home to improve your cardiovascular function prior to your trip. Other than that, make sure to stay well hydrated. I've heard that a high-carb, low-fat/low-protein diet also helps at altitude as carbs are easier for your body to digest. Hope this helps. I would love to hear a trip report on Tibet when you return!

Here's a very good article about high altitude and AMS as relates to Tibet:<BR><BR>http://www.tibet-tour.com/handbook/h...desickness.htm