When traveling to Tibet, there are three main ways you can do it. By plane, by train, and by road. Anyone from a foreign country needs to obtain a visa for China, as well as a permit to enter Tibet. Without this, you will not be allowed to enter the regio
When traveling to Tibet, there are three main ways you can do it. By plane, by train, and by road. Anyone from a foreign country needs to obtain a visa for China, as well as a permit to enter Tibet. Without this, you will not be allowed to enter the region.
Qinghai-tibet Plateau
While planes are faster, there are several disadvantages to traveling by air. Tibet is a region that is on a high-altitude plateau, and the air has lower oxygen content at altitudes above 2,500 meters. When flying into Lhasa from China or Nepal, you will need to spend a couple of days acclimatizing to the high altitude, or you will risk getting altitude sickness, or Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).
Trains Have Advantages Over Planes
Traveling by train has major advantages over other means of travel. AMS occurs when you ascend quickly from low altitudes to high altitudes, and can have severe effects such as shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and generally feeling unwell. While this can be easily treated with oxygen and rest, if not treated it can develop further complications that could mean the end of your holiday.
Benefits of the Tibet Train
There are many other benefits of traveling by train. The trains are all fitted with oxygen, so that if you do have problems along the way, you can get immediate help from the staff, who will supply you with a breathing tube to connect to the train’s built-in oxygen system. Oxygen points are available in all the soft sleeper cabins, as well as the corridors and other areas of the train.
Johnny – top travel blogger used the Oxygen on the train
Qinghai Lake
The train to Tibet is the top choice of majority of the foreign tourists to the region, and is the perfect way to travel to Tibet. Once it leaves Xining for Lhasa, the train climbs steadily up to the plateau. On the way to Golmud Station, the train passes the Qinghai Lake, The largest inland saline lake in China. As you pass by, you can see the islands out in the clear expanse of turquoise water, which are havens for migrating and local birds. The lake is set against a backdrop of show-capped mountains, and is an amazing sight on the first leg of the journey.
Take in the Amazing Scenery
Scenery Along Qinqgzang Railway
Scenery Along Qinqgzang RailwayThe scenery along the route of the train is spectacular. From prairies and plains dotted with gazelle and yaks, to the high mountains that tower above the tracks along most of the route. In addition, the lakes are breathtakingly beautiful, glinting in the sun, as birds skim across the waters and nomadic herdsmen graze their animals on the shores. The entire length of the Qingzang Railway is a wonder filled with amazing sights and spectacular views. It is worth the 22-hour trip from Xining just to see these breathtaking sights.
Facilities on the Train are Excellent
It is also a very modern train, with all the luxuries you would expect for your trip to the harsh environment of the plateau. The carriages are made in Canada, and are the best quality you can get. And the inside of the train is considered luxurious by most Asian standards. Soft seats are available for viewing the sights outside the window, and the sleeper berths are all fitted with soft mattresses for passenger comfort. Of course, the hard seats are not the ideal option for a journey as long as this, but they do allow for cheaper travel to the region, making Tibet more accessible for everyone.
Soft sleeper carriage
In addition, on board the train, there are excellent facilities, including toilet and washing facilities, which are kept clean by the staff the entire trip, and there is an excellent dining car that serves a wide selection of Chinese, Tibetan, and western food. The meals are all cooked fresh in the train’s own kitchen, and are well worth trying, especially if you have never tasted Tibetan food before.
Dinning car carriage
As you can see, taking the train, while being a slower option than flying, has a plethora of benefits that planes do not have. So, next time you are thinking of a trip to Tibet, take the train, relax in the comfort of the carriages, and enjoy your ride across the plateau to the land of mystery.
