The Tibetan area of 1.2 million square kilometers, with an average height of 4,000 meters, is the main part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the "Roof of the World." In this vast plateau, its climate also has many unique features.
- Light intensity, long duration of sunshine
- Low air pressure
- Plateau cool in summer and cold in winter, the temperature dropped quickly with elevation, small changes within the year, big changes daily
Temperature in April of Nyingchi, Lhasa, Gyantse, and Shigatse:
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Highest (F) |
Lowest (F) |
Nyingchi (altitude 9,515ft) |
61.7 |
37.76 |
Lhasa (altidude 11,975ft) |
60.25 |
33.62 |
Gyantse (altitude 13,185ft) |
62.02 |
34.50 |
Shigatse (altitude 12,585ft) |
59.9 |
30.74 |
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The places we are going to spend over nights: |
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Chengdu (two nights) —Tibet Hotel, five star rated, beautiful.
Nyingchi (two nights) – Minshan Grand Hotel, four star, view rooms, convenient to take night star pictures on the top of the building.
Basumtso (one night) – Basumtso Holiday Inn, three star minus. The best local hotel.
Lhasa (five nights) – Shangri-La International Hotel, five star, very good hotel, big and soft bed, good food (it has seafood and steak buffet every day, cost around 250 Chinese yuan). Also you can see the Potala Palace from the hotel.
Gyanse (one night) – Gyanse Hotel, three star. The best local hotel.
Shigatse (one night) – Tashi Choeta Grand Hotel, four star, it is a so so hotel.
All hotels have heat, showers, and toilets. |
What to Pack |
- Be prepared for cold, raining, windy, sandy, and sunburn.
- A down coat and raincoat
- Casual shoes, such as walking shoes and comfortable sneakers.
- Sunscreen lotion, lip balm, sun glasses, hat, gloves, and so on.
- Snacks, such as chocolate, protein bar, and beef jerky.
- It would be better if you bring some small stationeries such as pencils, notebooks for Tibetan children as gifts.
- Get some small denomination Chinese Yuan in China, to pay locals for their photos in Tibet, if they ask for it. Another use is for a small donation in the temples.
- Flash light or head band light
- Adapter plug http://www.amazon.com/Imperial-Design-International-WorldWide-Adapter/dp/B00SLYBWI6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1V8KZVWA7JDWCZHRSTTX or:
http://www.amazon.com/Ceptics-Worldwide-International-Adapter-Countries/dp/B00BLTCHN2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1424850811&sr=8-2&keywords=travel+power+adapter+china
- Hand sanitizer (several small and not one large one)
- Medicine:
Your own prescription medicine
Basic medicine like Advil, aspirin, antacid, Imodium, sleeping pill, etc.
Diomaox (acetazolamide), to prevent from altitude sickness (prescription)
Travelan – Reduces the risk of travelers’ diarrhea,
which is made in Australian, http://www.travelan.com.au/,
You can also order it from Canada: https://www.canadadrugs.com/patient/sign-in
Option:
- Hand and pocket warmers
- Towel
- Fork and spoon
- Own cup
- Instant coffee or tea
- Thin scarf
About your camera (FYI):
- Tripod and/or monopod
- Wide angle lens
- 200mm or 300mm zoom lens
- 50mm lens
- UV filter, ND filter, PL filter, GND filter
- Enough batteries, with charger
- Flash
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Important Notes: |
- Check with your doctor before go to China. Get high altitude meds.
- Sleep well! A lot of fruits and vegetable! Enough water!
- Do no strenuous running and jumping, as you might feel headache that night.
- Before entering the temple, take off the hat and glasses, circling clockwise walk. But in the Bon region we should turn counterclockwise. The best way is following the locals.
- When we visit the temples or monasteries, usually we can’t photo in the hall, especially we can’t photo the statue Bong. Some temples will charge to allow photographs, from 5 Yuan to hundred Yuan, the cost of fame where the greater need is higher.
- Address the native people with a smile when you want to take their photo.
- Don’t give any money to a beggar, otherwise you will be surrounded by hundreds of beggars very soon.
- Don’t bring full of bottle shampoo or full of toothpaste tube, low pressure will overflow, or at least keep them in a flattened Ziploc bag, in order to prevent spills.
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