"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)

Comments (23)

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  • Jim_Eliason's Profile Photo
    Jim_Eliason Sep 30, 2010 at 6:05 PM Report Abuse

    Great tips Mimi

  • Nemorino's Profile Photo
    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's Profile Photo
    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's Profile Photo
    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's Profile Photo
    SLLiew May 31, 2007 at 12:27 PM Report Abuse

    Amazing page on Tibet. Glad that you went and came back safely.

  • iwys's Profile Photo
    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's Profile Photo
    laughingsun69 Apr 18, 2007 at 4:03 AM Report Abuse

    Great photos , good advice thanks !

  • MikeySoft's Profile Photo
    MikeySoft Mar 29, 2007 at 10:50 AM Report Abuse

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

mim95

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