"A close call in Lhasa" Lhasa by mim95

Lhasa Travel Guide: 571 reviews and 1,187 photos

I spent 10 days in Tibet, mainly in Lhasa, the capital city and the religious center of Tibet. Before leaving for Tibet, I had a sore throat the night before, and it had turned into a cough that wouldn't go away once I arrived Lhasa. My initial plan was to spend a few days in Lhasa, then head to the Everest Base Camp (EBC), and back to Lhasa. The later part had to be cancel because the doctor advised me not to go any higher or else I would be risking my life. I'm really glad that I visited a doctor before departure because if the altitude sickness hit me along the way, I would be in big trouble with the cough. The nearest hospital was many hours away. I was just reading an article in a travel magazine about the unfortunate experience of a 21-year old girl who died on the way to the hospital from EBC, a 5-6 hour drive apart. She had developed severe altitude sickness at EBC. It could have been me had I gone....

On a lighter note, I had a good time while I remained in Lhasa. Other travellers were supportive knowing that I was not well. I still enjoyed my time in Lhasa, and I managed to do an overnight trip to Samye Monastery, which is in a valley outside of Lhasa at about the same elevation (3,600m) as Lhasa. That was actually the best part of my Tibet trip!

Pros and Cons

Pros:learn about the Tibetan culture and religion
Cons:it is rapidly turning into a typical Chinese town
In a nutshell:Visit before the Qinghai-Tibet railway is completed

Last visit to Lhasa: Jun 2005
Intro Updated Dec 22, 2005
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Reviews (15)

The main hall of Samye Monastery - Lhasa

Samye Monastery Off The Beaten Path (1)

Samye Monastery is a good 6-7 hours ride away from Lhasa. It was completed in 779, and was the first monastery... more travel advice

Sera Monastery Things to Do (6)

Sera Monastery is the other one of the three major monasteries in Tibet. I only visited Drepung and Sera, as they were... more travel advice

Part of the massive Drepung Monastery complex - Lhasa

Drepung Monastery Things to Do (6)

Drepung is one of three major monasteries in Tibetan Buddhism. It is located just outside of Lhasa on the mountain side,... more travel advice

Public Bus Transportation (3)

Public buses are good way to get around within Lhasa and to nearby monasteries. It is 2RMB within the city, and more to... more travel advice

Comments (23)

Jim_Eliason Sep 30, 2010 at 6:05 PM Report Abuse

Great tips Mimi
Nemorino Aug 12, 2010 at 8:37 AM Report Abuse

It's good that the other travelers were so supportive knowing that you weren't feeling well in Lhasa. Too bad you couldn't go on to the Everest Base Camp, but it's good you found out in time. Lhasa sounds like a worthwhile destination in any case.
vistet Jun 21, 2010 at 10:34 AM Report Abuse

I´ve seen - twice - portable hard drives , used for storing travel photos , jam at 4000+ , in Ladakh & Tibet . This shouldn´t come as a surprise : the standard warranty says 3000 meters. Everything seems to work well up to Lhasa & Leh , though.
850prc Apr 14, 2009 at 3:57 PM Report Abuse

Nice page, Mimi. Lhasa and Tibet is/are somewhere I've always wanted to visit. I will admit that I've always also worried about the altitude. We were at a similar altitude in Ecuador so maybe we'd be OK, who knows.
volopolo Jul 12, 2008 at 5:42 AM Report Abuse

One of my favorite places in thw world!
nikoskaps Jan 14, 2008 at 12:22 PM Report Abuse

great info Mimi, i'm excited to get there! i wish you many more happy travels!
SLLiew May 31, 2007 at 12:27 PM Report Abuse

Amazing page on Tibet. Glad that you went and came back safely.
iwys May 8, 2007 at 3:01 PM Report Abuse

Nice photos and tips. I developed a cough like that in Mongolia. I needed medical attention at Novosibirsk station in Siberia on the train journey back to England. I think it's something to do with the dry, thin air.
laughingsun69 Apr 18, 2007 at 4:03 AM Report Abuse

Great photos , good advice thanks !
MikeySoft Mar 29, 2007 at 10:50 AM Report Abuse

I was in Jiuzhaigou just one day. A lot to see in one day.