Our Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience at EBC and Sacred Namtso Lake

I’ve not known much about Tibet, expect that the famous Potala Palace is there. When my original travel plan failed and my friend and I were looking for an alternate destination to visit, I got reminded of my ex-colleague who visited Tibet last year and was sharing about her Mount Everest experience and her times in Lhasa. This led me to research more about the Tibetan region and was drawn to the many other scenic and cultural encounters available. This was how our adventure to Tibet in June 2019 started.

Enjoy the Scenic Qinghai-Tibet Railway from Xining to Lhasa

My Tibet tour itinerary started from Xining (China), where we boarded the famous Qinghai- Tibet Railway that brought us straight to Lhasa in approximately 23 hours. The Qinghai- Tibet Railway is the highest railway in the world, passing through checkpoints more than 5000m in elevation.

The train had automated oxygen supply kicking in at different parts of the journey to prevent passengers suffering the effects of altitude. The view alongside were gorgeous with changing landscapes alternating from snow-capped mountains in the distance, yaks grazing in the fields to vast grasslands and lakes.

Food options were plentiful for the ride such as a large mini mart at the Xining train station where you can stock up on easy-food. Lunchboxes sold within the train were also tasty, in large portions and reasonably priced. We opted for the soft-berth cabins (4-bedders) which were clean, had 2 toilets at the head and tail of each cabin and were sufficiently spacious, the ride was generally smooth and comfortable.

Explore the Holy Lhasa City

The next 3 days were spent in Lhasa, visiting different temples and learning about the life of the Tibetan monks and the history behind Tibetan Buddhism. The Potala palace was a definite highlight of Lhasa, spanning awesome views both at night and in the day. The guided tour ended in the later afternoons on most days while we were in Lhasa, allowing us ample time to visit the Potala Palace at night, have an experience at the local tea house, and visit the large scale market and to really just soak up the local atmosphere.

Safely Made it to Everest Base Camp

Following that, we began our journey to the Base Camp of Mount Everest. It was 2-3 days of long bus rides, but we were rewarded with stunning views of mountains, glaciers, windy roads, lakes and prayer flags along the way. The long rides were also necessary I believe to help the body slowly acclimatize to the changing altitudes. At each view point, we were drawn out of our vehicles to appreciate the landscapes and have a walk around.

The night at Everest Base Camp was a physically challenging night as most of the group were experiencing some symptoms of altitude - including numbness in the distal extremities, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations and giddiness. Our guide pre-warned the group though, that these symptoms were common and we were advised to relax, drink loads of water and to take things slow. Despite the bodily discomforts, the time at Everest Base camp is one that I will remember for life, being up close with the highest mountain in the world, having clear and unobstructed views of the peak; there was a comforting sense of calm and stillness in the cold crisp air while standing face to face with the giant.

The ‘typical’ Mount Everest tour would end with us being back at Lhasa, but my friend and I added on a visit to Namtso Lake. The Namtso Lake was also known as the ‘Heavenly Lake’, it was vast beyond what our eyes could follow, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and large rocks with prayer flags. Our guide also took us into one of the meditation camps carved out from within the mountain, which was home to two monks who stayed and meditated there. We also challenged ourselves to a short hike around the lake.

All in all, the Tibet trip was made logistically convenient by engaging Tibet Vista’s tour, which included assistance in getting our Tibet visas and the Qinghai-Tibet railway tickets, on top of the guided tour. Tibet Vista was also really helpful in facilitating tour customization for us. This left us at great ease and allowed us to focus on preparing our physical self for the trip. Being residents of a ‘low-lying’ land (altitude less then 15m), we were expecting the altitude to be a challenge. We got Diamox from the doctors at home and started taking them since we landed in Lhasa. Also, we followed all advise given to us to take things slow, drink loads of water, avoid alcohol and maintain general health.

Being extra cautious put our bodies in the best possible physical health, allowing us to better appreciate what Tibet has to offer. Having a knowledgeable and experienced guide also put us more psychologically at ease, knowing that we are in good hands. Visiting Tibet was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience in so many aspects - having a greater awareness and appreciation of the Tibetan Buddhism was culturally enriching; experiencing life in high altitude land was both physically challenging yet rewarding, knowing that most of these views and scenery are only possible with being in higher ground. This trip will be remembered for a long time and a story I’ll be proud to tell.