Online Travel Agent Secrets That Saves Clients 100s to 1000s of Dollars Off All Travel – Part 1

Cheap airline tickets, family vacations and last minute deals found on major search engines like Travelocity, Expedia, Priceline, and many other highly advertised websites don’t save you much compared to personal online travel agents, no matter what travel deals they claim to offer. If you aren’t saving at least $50-$100s of dollars per hotel, per vacation package, then you really aren’t getting the best vacation deal.
Did you know that cheaptickets and Expedia is owned by the same company? You are still getting sold by the same company. The travel deals, vacation and family package you thought were money savers really aren’t. They’re all selling commercial rates. Huge online travel agencies capitalizes off the average consumer’s ignorance when it comes to traveling, because they know the industry. Which is why working personally with a good travel agent, closes to gap. Travel agents and travel agency will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars on your typical Disney and ski vacation, last minute vacation, hotels and major airline tickets if you find a good one.
Travel agents generally get all the specials first hand that the travel industry releases before they reach the general public. Generally we get wholesale rates on major international travel that’s never released to the public, only travel agents. Saving customers $300+ dollars on a vacation packages within 2 weeks notice are really all within a travel agents daily work day. Cheap airline tickets and guaranteed cheap hotels rates are always within grasp by a travel professional.
With the internet being the number one source for travel bookings(82 percent of all travel) it’s best to work with an online travel agent that has their own travel business because of the savings you’ll always receive if their true professionals of travel. Three good reasons to book family vacations and more through travel agents are:
#1. Hotel discounts: For instance, using a personal travel agent’s online travel agency, some may able to guarantee you the best rate 110 percent, all the time. How many other online travel agencies gives you those rates all the time. Plus having access to a good travel agent, you can find immediate access to unpublished hotel discount rates only available to agents. Exclusive travel agents with these insider secrets are always savings their clients hundreds of dollars.
#2. International travel: Airline consolidators only work with travel agents. They publish international and some domestic unpublished airline fares to travel agents only and sometimes at thousands below commercial rates. And before this, you thought you were saving money.
#3. Promotional Rates. Last month a travel agent ran a special from their company where two people could travel free for one entire year across the globe as many times they wanted. It’s over now, but its countless promotions like these that you will receive and immediate access to if you work closely with a travel agent. Getting specials on an all-inclusive honeymoon vacation for 5 days at $409, are just one of many specials certified travel agents gets easily. Talk about travel deals.
Yes, it’s true the old travel agency days are gone, but the use of having your personal travel agent, priceless! If the agent has their own online travel business and sounds professional, use them for all travel needs, they’ll really save you thousands.

3 Big Reasons To Avoid Digestive Health Medicine

Due to our unhealthy western diet and it’s highly processed foods that many of us eat too regularly, we now have more disease and digestive disorders than ever before in known human history. This downward health spiral has worked out well for the medical industry and pharmaceutical industry. They have a digestive health medicine that can treat every problem you have.
The operative word here being “treat”, not cure. Our health industry is not interested in finding a cure for anything, that’s not what brings in the business.
Let’s take constipation as an example
Constipation is one of the most common digestive disorders we have. If you search for a medicine for it you will be prescribed or guided to several products like:

  • bowel cleaning solutions
  • bulk-forming laxatives
  • fecal softeners
  • stimulant laxatives
  • 5HT4-receptor agonists
  • peripheral opioid-receptor antagonists

All these categories have many products that are all made with drugs. Most of these problems can not only be treated by most people by diet, but most likely cured for good. There are several problems with treating these symptoms with drugs;
1. Drugs can never cure your problem, they can only provide temporary relief for the symptoms until they hit you again.
2. All drugs come with the possibility of negative adverse side effects.
3. Drugs will cause other symptoms unrelated to the symptom they were made to treat, causing you to seek out yet another prescription for another drug that will create another problem.
This is happening everywhere. There are more people on medication now than ever before. Many people are and will be, many unnecessarily, on medication for the rest of their lives. Your doctor is more than happy to prescribe a medication as long as you need it, and once you start, you will always need it.
Natural treatments door digestive health problems
Let’s look at the above list again. Do you really want to take a drug as a bulk-forming laxative? Over-use of laxatives can lead to serious side effects;

  • they can cause kidney stones or failure
  • they can body dehydration and rob it from vitamins and minerals
  • they can damage bowel function
  • pro-longed use can eventually make them stop working altogether

How about dietary fibers we can get from eating all-natural grains such as unrefined oats, barley and the best one of all; bran. Not only will these build up bulk in the intestinal tract, but will also leave your body with digestive enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Consume plenty dietary fiber and you won’t need stimulant laxatives or fecal softeners, or bowel cleaning solutions.

The Glass Look In Home Furniture

Glass top dining table with chairs can be bought at just about any furniture shop. Home furniture which has this type of dining set turns out to be extremely versatile in function and gives a great look to the overall decor. When glass dining sets or any other home furniture is used in a home they have the unique quality to blend with just about any kind of décor theme that may be there in a particular room.
A black glass dining table and chairs is one such choice that will allow you to have great amount of flexibility. Such home furniture can be a great gift to a person whose house you may not have even seen once. The way they merge in to the existing décor is quite admirable. When you wonder about all the different furniture available in the stores, the upsurge of glass furniture has been comparatively new. Home furniture made from glass reflects the customers’ personality.
A person generally considers several factors before purchasing glass furniture such as its affordability, the capacity it can take, its dimensions (length, width, weight and so on) the level of workmanship of the furniture, its durability and finally its reliability. A person needs to consider buying that particular piece of home furniture only if he or she is convinced of its quality and has accurate understanding about the room in the house that needs that piece of furniture. Glass furniture as a home furniture is usually selected as decorative piece in the house rather that a utility piece. For instance, glass furniture cannot be bought for a study table in study room.
Glass tables are a great add on to the living room or even the dining room, but it can become difficult to maintain in the same neat and clean condition. Few people choose 4 seated dining tables while others choose larger 6 or 8 seated dining tables for the dining section in the house. Maintenance holds great importance with home furniture made in glass.
Tempered glass is a kind of safety glass that is regularly used in home furniture. This is because Tempered glass is better in terms of durability where standard glass can pose a potential danger of breaking in pieces. Tempered glass is 4 to 5 times stronger than the usual glass and does not burst open in to sharp pieces when it breaks or falls. Tempered glass is produced using a process that involves extreme heating and extreme cooling, making it more solidified compared to the normal glass.
The nature of tempered glass is such that it shatters into tiny oval-shaped pebble like shapes when broken. This rules out the possibility of pricking someone. Glass home furniture is a great choice for homes that are bigger. They look more graceful and some colors can also be incorporated in to home furniture made from glass. Glass furniture is also found in a variety of shapes such as oval, round, rectangular and square. Several curved glass furniture is also becoming popular day by day as it enhances the look of the house very naturally.

Choosing Gold Rings for Men

Gold is a popular choice for men’s rings, but there are many different grades and styles available so choosing one can be difficult. There are two main factors to consider when picking gold rings for men, the color and the carat. Most rings for men have a gold carat of 18kt, 14kt or 9kt. The higher the quality of gold is used in the ring, the more expensive and valuable it will be. An 18kt carat will be far more costly compared to a 9 carat ring of the same size and style.
Hardness and durability are also important to consider because a man’s ring should be strong and able to withstand harsh conditions. The carat level of the gold actually affects the hardness level of the ring. Metal hardness is measured on the Vickers scale, so hard metals receive high Vickers scores and softer metals have a lower score. 9kt has a Vickers score of 120 while an 18kt is 125. The 9 carat ring is harder to bend and springier than 18 carat styles, so a good 9kt ring will be less likely to get bent out of shape compared to an 18kt ring. Gold is a soft metal so a higher level of gold means a softer ring. However if it has been mixed with sturdy constructive metals, then it is far less likely to bend out of shape.
Gold rings are available in several different colors. The most popular choice is yellow gold, although rose gold and white gold are also popular. Other gold varieties can include lime, red, peach and bronze gold. Each gold color has the same amount of pure gold in it, so it will have the same Vickers score. When comparing gold rings, white gold is usually more costly than rose gold or yellow gold. This is because metals like platinum and palladium are mixed into the metal. Palladium and platinum are very expensive elements and cost more than the gold itself, causing the ring to be more expensive.
For practical terms, an 18kt ring will hold up better to every day wear compared to a 9kt or 14kt ring. It will also continue to look good as it ages. This is a reason why 18kt is the preferred choice in gold rings for men. However, it is also the most expensive choice so a 14 carat ring may be a good choice because the price and quality is between the 18 carat and 9 carat.

Cheap Loans – How You Can Get One

Cheap loans can be hard to come by. Many people do not even realize just how much their loan is costing them. The interest rates and any other fees add up over time.
What may seem like a necessary expense is actually costing the borrower big time. Getting cheap loans is not always easy. Lenders don’t want to give out cheap loans because that is taking away from their profit.
Essentially a cheap loan is a loan with low interest rates and minimal fees. Just about the only way to get low interest rates is to have exceptional credit. It is almost impossible for a person with less than excellent credit to get a cheap loan.
This is because lenders tend to use interest rates as a safeguard for risk. In lending, a person with a high credit score is low risk, where a person with a low credit score is a high risk. That means the person with the less risk gets the lower interest rates.
There are some ways to make a loan cheaper without having to haggle over interest. One way is to pay back fast. If a person pays a loan back early then they will have less interest that they have paid. Keeping loans to shorter payback periods can accomplish this.
Another way is to avoid loans that come with fees. Avoiding all fees may be impossible, but it is best to try to get a loan with the fewest and lowest fees possible.
Many times fees are tacked on for things that the borrower is not eve aware of, such as quick delivery of the money or early payoff penalties. That is why reading all paperwork carefully is important.
It is also important to be wary of some cheap loans. Many lenders advertise cheap loans but when a borrower applies they learn those cheap rates are really for those with excellent credit ratings.
There are also many scams out there that contain hidden fees or clauses that can make for problems down the road. By being smart and really paying attention, though a borrower should be able to decipher a scam when they see one.
Cheap loans are still loans. No matter how much they cost all loans have to repaid. A borrower should not get too excited at how cheap the loan is and forget that they will still have to pay the money back. Be smart and only borrower what you can afford.
Look at the monthly repayments and see if you could afford to keep up with them if you were out of work for 3 months. Also see how much the total interest rate would be if bank rates went up by one or two percent.
It may take time and work, but cheap loans are possible for everyone. This is also true if you are self employed. Generally lenders will perceive you as a higher risk and increase the interest rate accordingly.

Travel Insurance For Europe – Safeguarding Against Emergency Expenses

Adventures in far flung destinations including Europe can be full of excitement, beauty, history and culture, transporting travelers blissfully away from their daily routines. However, there are times on such journeys when the unexpected happens, and the impact of injury or accident can be much more substantial than if the same incident had occurred stateside. Travel insurance for Europe is available to travelers who will be visiting the EU zone and might need special care from European doctors or healthcare providers during their visit. Specifically, this type of coverage can help alleviate the danger of incurring massive financial harm due to unpredictable events while traveling in countries like France or Germany where health-care systems are often very similar due to EU-organized regulations. This is something everyone venturing to Europe should investigate prior to their voyage. European travel insurance plans are specifically designed to cover countries like France, Spain, Germany, and Greece. Since health care plans and systems are unique to regions and continents, a European travel insurance package will cover very different things than one for, say, South America.
Some travelers may be surprised to learn that the personal insurance coverage they enjoy at home may be inadequate protection while they are away in Europe. For example, travelers who engage in certain types of hazardous recreation such as scuba diving and mountain climbing may learn the hard way that their coverage has been negated by such activity when done in foreign lands. It is also important to note that even when traveling within a country with a nationalized system of healthcare — especially in the Euro Zone — a traveler may be wholly ineligible for free or low cost medical treatment in the case of accidental injury, which is often provided only to citizens. The European Union has done a very good job of organizing special travel insurance systems so that travelers can feel safe within their borders. This is much like the opposite arrangement where a traveler from Europe might come to the United States of America. Regardless of what state that individual mind find himself or herself, then he or she can still get great coverage. Likewise for you, it’s important that regardless of what European “state” you find yourself in that you can rely on quality coverage.
In some of the European areas outside the EU zone, for example, foreign medical practitioners and facilities may be utterly unwilling to negotiate with a traveler’s domestic insurance carrier for payment of expenses incurred due to accidents abroad. In such cases, upfront payment may be demanded prior to service. In the event appropriate treatment is unavailable in a particular location and medical evacuation is required, a tourist’s conventional domestic insurance policy may not cover the cost, which can be significant. Because of these reasons and more, travel insurance Europe is a worthwhile subject of inquiry for all seeking to venture abroad. This is important to keep in mind if your European travel plans might lead you outside the EU zone into countries like Switzerland or Norway where EU coverage may or may not apply.
Aimed at offering financial compensation for unanticipated expenses attendant to overseas travel, European travel insurance is obtainable in a wide array of types and levels, depending on the type of journey intended by the insured. Trip duration, itinerary items, and destination region all are factors in determining the type of coverage that will be made available for purchase. Often, policies covering shorter trips may be selected concurrently with the travel reservations. However, a more expansive policy of longer term may be advisable, and such coverage can also be found. Large insurance companies, cruise lines, travel directors are all viable conduits for purchasing this type of product. European travel plans are much more common as a package these days, especially since many Americans and Canadians travel to the EU region during periods like Spring Break and summer holidays.
Travel insurance for Europe is also often typically categorized by the sort of tourist to be covered. Like the EuRail pass system, European travel insurance can sometimes organized by euro-regions and country packages. For example, you might be planning only to visit Mediterranean countries like Italy, Spain, and Portugal, but not northern Euro countries like Holland and England. These customized European packages are a great way to save money! Adventurists, students, business travelers and vacationers all have different insurance needs, and policies are available that reflect that fact. Travel insurance often addresses expenses relating to emergency medical circumstances, dental services, accidental death or injury benefits, and where necessary, funeral costs when death occurs abroad. Exclusions common to this type of policy might include preexisting health issues and any injury or death occurring as a result of drug or alcohol usage.
Please keep in mind that European travel packages are very different from generalized worldwide travel insurance combo packages where multitudes of countries and regions are included at a discounted or “bulk rate.” In many cases, you are far more likely to get higher quality coverage from the European bundle packages because they provide specific coverage measures for the Euro-zone.

Shearling Coats and Jackets – A Fashion Staple for 3 Fashion Styles

Shearling coats and jackets are made from sheepskin pelts. They are luxuriously light, warm and stylish. The lamb pelts make the supple garments with amazing breathability and insulation. When cared for properly, sheepskin coats and jackets can last for decades, ridding the need to buy a new coat every few seasons. Some people prefer to buy faux (fake) because it’s cheaper. Faux shearling may look similar to real the real thing but the breathability, insulation, durability and comfort cannot compare to real shearling. Also, real shearling is environmentally friendly since it isn’t made from polyester and acrylic, which are petroleum-based fibers.
These coats and jackets come in a huge assortment of styles and colors. From bomber style jackets to full length hooded coats, the options are endless making it easy to find a sheepskin coat or jacket to harmonize with almost any personal style. Three personal styles that beckon the addition of a shearling coat to complete their look are rocker-biker, bohemian and country-western.
Rocker-Biker
Whether you are a rock star, motorcycle rider or just like to look like one, a shearling jacket will complete your look. Known for an edgy and cool appearance, the rocker/biker style is synonymous with rugged leather boots like military combat boots or full-length motorcycle boots. T-shirts, jeans and leather pants are commonly worn under the “must have” leather jacket. The best leather jacket to have to complete this look is a bomber style shearling jacket. The bomber style jacket was designed during World War I to keep fighter pilots warm while flying in open cockpit airplanes. It soon became the symbol of “cool” and is still considered to be so by today’s’ standards.
Bohemian
The bohemian style is also known as “boho-chic” or “hippie chic” and is popular among the avant-garde, artists and free spirits. It’s a nomadic gypsy style that secedes conventionality with free-flowing earthiness. The natural ease of a shearling coat is the perfect outerwear choice to finish off this organic style. A sheepskin coat with a natural, unfinished and raw appearance has a tribal quality that is the epitome of unconventionality.
Country-Western
Farmers, ranchers and cowboys were the first to take full advantage of wearing shearling coats to shield them from the elements. When leading an active life outdoors, two criteria are key for effective outerwear. First, the outerwear must be supple in order to allow full range of movement without ripping or tearing. Second, the outerwear must have superior insulating properties to keep the harsh wind and cold at bay all day. Shearling coats and jackets meet these two criteria and have become the indistinguishable country-western coat. Today, men and women that don’t necessarily work on a ranch or farm but sport a country-western style accomplish the appearance best with a shearling coat or jacket.
These three fashion styles may seem completely different, but all are perfectly completed with a sheepskin coat or jacket. This demonstrates the versatility of shearling garments. If you want to fine tune, create or develop your personal style, look at the expansive selection of shearling coats and jackets to see if they fit in with the look you want to achieve.

Europe Travel Review

The reason to travel to Europe may be different for each traveler, but a few of the common reasons are: Cultural Opportunities: For those interested in museums, arts, history, music or theater Europe travel offers nearly endless opportunity for cultural activity. From London to Paris to Rome to Amsterdam travelers can enjoy some of the most exciting cultural opportunities the world has to offer.
Landmarks:
People like to visit and associate themselves with something (or someone) famous. Europe travel destinations are rich in famous landmarks. Some of the most well known landmarks of the world, from Big Ben, to the Eiffel Tower, to the Coliseum are located in Europe.
Roots:
People like to visit the countries of their ancestors. Ancient European were wanderers who put up stakes in destinations around the world. Their descendants are now traveling to Europe to return to their roots and see the places their forefathers once called home.
Variety:
Where else can you enjoy such a diversity of culture, climate and geography over such a small distance A traveler to the US will notice relatively small changes when traveling from L A to New York City, a flight of approximately six hours. Language is the same, food is similar, and culture is not remarkably different. However, a two hour flight from Zurich, Switzerland to Athens, Greece , will reward the traveler with an enormous difference that is immediately obvious. Everything from language, food to lifestyle is completely and utterly different. Distances in Europe are relatively small and cultural variety is large. This gives the traveler to Europe the opportunity of easily enjoying a diverse range of cultures and lifestyles by making a relatively low investment of time and money.
Transportation:
There is no place more convenient for a traveler, than Europe Transportation is arguably the best in the world. Europe is well known for its remarkable train system and train passes which offer travelers the opportunity for international travel at very affordable rates. With more and more discount airlines available, Europe travel is becoming less and less expensive. Once you arrive in a major city, there is usually a local metro or streetcar system to take you anywhere you want to go. The ease, comfort and economy makes Europe travel very attractive and convenient.
Health:
When traveling in some regions of the world, travelers must consider if there are any local illnesses that they may be exposed to, if vaccines maybe required and if they fall ill, will they receive proper medical treatment. Most European destinations have excellent water supplies, low rates of infectious diseases and some of the best healthcare systems in the world.
Safety:
Travelers are always easy prey for criminals. However in most European countries your hotel room is not only safe from burglary due to security but is also equipped with a safe European police departments are usually efficient and violent crime is generally lower than in many other areas. But one should always remember when exploring new destination never loose sight of your money and documents.
When is the best time to travel Europe:
May, June, September, and October: These are the perfect months to enjoy southern Europe. Greece, Turkey, Spain and Italy are the best destinations in these periods. The climate at this time is usually ideal and the crowds are relatively thin. International flights are usually less expensive than the peak fares of summer. In the peak travel months of July and August, these destinations may be too hot, too crowded and too expensive for many travelers. July, August: This is the best time to visit Northern, Central and Eastern Europe and go to such countries as Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Czech Republic. However, this period offers the best climate conditions and many of the locals will be on holiday in southern Europe during this period November to March: Europe is cold during these months. While you may find travel bargains at this time, you may spend a lot of your travel time indoors. The only exception to this is the Canary Islands. Although part of Spain, the Canary Islands are located off the coast of Africa, and enjoy moderate climate year-round. With all of the attention paid to destinations like London and Paris, few people really put much thought into Eastern Europe travel when they are making their vacation plans.
Besides the well-known sites in the Czech Republic and Greece, Poland and Lithuania also offer exciting possibilities. One of the great thing about Eastern Europe travel is that you don’t have to choose one destination exclusively. In general, the public transportation is good enough and cheap enough in that part of the world that you can get from one country to another with relative ease. Basically, Eastern Europe travel offers you the luxury of exploring a whole region rather than settling on one single country. If, however, you are going on a first Eastern Europe travel trip, you should be prepared for culture shock Customs are still familiar enough to not be totally alienating, however, things are still noticeably different there. The fact that it is so affordable, however, more than makes up for this. If you can find cheap airfare to Eastern Europe, You can take your trip for almost nothing. Travel Is Interesting and Entertaining. It’s not a zoo where you look into the cages. Meld with the European to enjoy your travels.
You don’t have to visit museums if you would rather go on a balloon flight or go to a bull fight or sit at a cafe and meet someone new. As an example, one of the most highly recommended items in all of the popular travel guidebooks, TV travel shows, and guided tours is the Amsterdam Canals Boat Excursion. I took this ride and I have a different opinion. You’re stuffed into this long boat with a curved plexiglass roof, you and 80 other tourists. In four languages, over a miserable speaker system, you listen to a tape recording of stupendous facts and statistics about the places you are floating by. Good luck ever finding these places again as you walk around. I was not the only one bored on board. On top of that, it seemed that the boat was going to be swamped by a huge freighter when it got out in the middle of the harbor. What in Amsterdam name were we doing out in the harbor ? On the other hand, one of the most fascinating exhibits in Europe is usually left out of the popular guidebooks. Sins of omission are far from the major problems with these books. Virtually every one I open has errors so stupid that the only possible explanation is that the author did not go to the place mentioned.

Interior Wall Design – Three of the Latest Ideas in Wall Trends

When you are in the process of decorating your home the topic of Interior Wall Design will leave many stumped. Walls today no longer have to have a smooth finish with standard paint. Paints and materials are available to perform literal miracles with walls, even covering the most noticeable blemishes. There is no need to hire a professional, just tune up your imagination a little and you will create your own masterpiece. Even better news is that many of these designs can be done on a budget too.
It is pretty easy to look online and see the tons of designs that are available. There are many ideas to help with any interior wall design. Whether you are looking for something like a mural, a decorative wall painting, fabric walls, or wallpaper, it is all available online. There are ways to make small walls look bigger and also ways to liven up a rather plain room. Take your time and look everything over before making a final decision.
· If you have a really big wall that needs some help, examine your options. If you put a painting on it, it will have to be pretty big or the wall will just swallow it up and to get a painting suitable can be quite expensive. You could pretty much go out of budget buying just one painting. Some alternatives that will stay within budget include heading to your local fabric store and buying enough fabric in the colors that you want and need. This can be framed and make quite a nice and affordable way to fancy up any wall.
· Depending on what room you are focusing on you could consider decals. These are used more for kid’s rooms or play rooms but there are many available and made especially for Interior Wall Design. By adding some of these decals to your walls and furniture you can give any room a whole new look. The decals also come in smaller sizes so they can be a great added touch used as accents throughout the room. The other thing that is nice about these is that when you no longer want them, simply peel them off and you will never even be able to tell they were there.
· The worst mistake that anyone can make is to take an empty wall and just start adding things to it to take up space. Rather, find the main focal point and add a grouping, making sure to stay within only that boundary. This gives a much nicer look than scattering things about. Remember this though, hanging bigger items will give a room the effect that it is larger. So, hang something big and then add stuff around it but stay in those boundaries.
There is much to learn and understand about interior wall design. The above tips are a great start in building a foundation to learning the elements and concepts behind interior design.

Official Tibet Travel Guide – Must-See for Beginners (Part 1)

Climate of Tibet:
1. How’s the climate in Tibet? Is it hot in summer? Is it very cold in winter?
Tibet is in a high plateau, and it belongs to typical downy special climate. Climates are quite different in different areas of Tibet. The eastern Tibet which is at a lower elevation is warmer than western Tibet. In some mountain areas, there are four seasons at the same time in different altitude. The weather in a day varies greatly, too. The night is cold while the day is warm. It spans 12-15 degrees centigrade in a single day.
Climate in southeastern Tibet including Nyingchi and Chamdo is balmy with an average temperature of eight degrees centigrade; while in western Tibet (Shigatse and Nagqu) is quite cold with an average temperature below zero degree.
However in the central area of Tibet, the climate of Lhasa and Tsedang is more favorable for traveling. Travelers can visit these two areas all year around, not too hot in summer and not too cold in winter.
2. How is the road condition in rainy season in Tibet? Need I take any rainproof with me?
The rainy season in Tibet is mainly from June to August and it does have a very bad impact on the roads. However, there are many track maintenance workers and local army would also give help to restore the roads. Generally speaking, it only takes a few hours to make the roads feasible again. As for the rainproof, you are suggested to take raincoat, rain-proof trousers and shoes if you want to trek, climb the mountain or ride a bike. If you have group tours organized by some travel agencies, usually you don’t need to take rainproof with you, because Tibet often rains at night and the weather is quite good in the daytime. Besides, the tourist bus is always along with you.
3. What is the best time to travel to Tibet?
Generally speaking, early April is the beginning of travel season, which lasts to mid-June when a large number of Chinese travelers rush to Tibet for summer holiday. Late June to the end of National Holiday is the peak travel season when some important festivals held in Tibet, like Shoton Festival, Gyantse Dawa Festival and Nagqu horse riding Festival. After mid October, Tibet turns to winter and as the visitors reduce greatly, more than half of hotels are closed for the poor reservation.
As for the best time to travel, it depends on your travel requirement.
1. If you want an extremely cheap price, go to Tibet in winter, from December to next March. All the things are quite cheap; even the tourist sites offer 30-50% discount on entrance fee. Hotels are cheap, too. You can enjoy 5 star hotels with less than 100USD including breakfast. Compared with traveling in August, the cost of a winter tour is only 50%-60% of a summer tour. Because of the poor amount of visitors, the Potala Palace allows you to spend even a whole day in it. Besides, the monks are not busy and have spare time to chat with you.
2. If you like trekking, do it at May or September when the monsoon will never bother you and the weather is balmy and pleasant.
3. If you love Mt.Everest and want to see the clear face of it, try to avoid the rainfall season and foggy weather.
4. If you love to visit the grass land in north Tibet, do the tour in July when the flowers bloom in vast grassland and groups of yak and sheep, Tibetan nomad tents spread all over the grassland.
5. Those who want to drive to Tibet through Sichuan-Tibet highway should avoid the rainy season. There will be mudslides, cave-ins and mire on certain sections of the road, blocking the passage of vehicles.
About high altitude sickness
1. What is high altitude sickness? What’s the symptom of high altitude sickness?
High altitude sickness may occur at high altitudes (over 2700m) due to the decreasing availability of oxygen. It usually occurs following a rapid ascent and can usually be prevented by ascending slowly. Symptoms often manifest themselves six to ten hours after ascent and generally subside in one to two days, but they occasionally develop into the more serious conditions. Common symptoms of high altitude sickness include shortness of breath, headache, fatigue, stomach illness, dizziness, and sleep disturbance.
2. How to avoid or relieve high altitude sickness?

  1. Keep a good mood, don’t be too excited or be too worried about high altitude sickness. Before visiting Tibet, get as healthy as possible, both physically and psychologically.
  2. Take care of yourself and avoid catching cold before going to Tibet, and not to take shower at the first two days after you are in Lhasa to avoid being cold, or you will easily suffer from altitude sickness under weak physical condition.
  3. Do not drink any alcohol on the first two days when you are in Tibet. Drink plenty of water and eat light, high-carbohydrate meals for more energy.
  4. Do not run, jump or do some taxing jobs at the first two days. Being peaceful and having a good rest are important.
  5. Once you have the symptoms of altitude sickness, take some medicine (it is said that it’s helpful to have some butter tea if you can adapt to the flavor of it) and don’t go higher. Medication and oxygen also help to prevent altitude sickness. Mild altitude sickness symptoms can be treated with proper medication. If medication and oxygen do not relieve the symptoms, go to hospital or evacuate immediately to a safe altitude!
  6. Oxygen can help you relieve the symptoms of altitude sickness, but do not use it too often in Lhasa while your symptoms of altitude sickness are not serious. If you feel chilly or feel very uncomfortable, you should go to the nearest hospital available in the area.
  7. In addition to the normal medications for traveling it is advisable to bring high altitude medication. Seek suggestions from your doctor.
  8. Tell your tour guide quickly if you don’t feel well and follow the guide’s advice.

3. What should I do if I have high altitude sickness after arriving in Tibet?
There are hospitals in many large cities in Tibet. You may adapt to mild high altitude sickness by yourself slowly and you may go to hospital if it is serious. After you have already had high altitude sickness, you should rest well, do not move too much, keep eating, drink some water with black sugar or take some medicine. If the high altitude sickness is pretty severe, you should go to hospital, or descend to some lower places, or leave Lhasa immediately. High altitude sickness shall disappear after you descend to certain altitude and it has no sequel symptoms.
4. Is high altitude sickness more serious if going to Tibet by plane than by train?
Exactly, but both means have their advantages and disadvantages. You are more likely to have high altitude sickness because you don’t have enough time to adapt to the plateau environment gradually if you go by plane. The altitude change is directly from several hundreds meters to more than 3000 meters. While, if you go to Tibet by train, you can adapt your body to the high plateau environment slowly and gradually. Then, you may relieve or avoid high altitude sickness.
5. People with what kind of diseases can not go to Tibet? Do I need physical practice before traveling to Tibet?
People with the following diseases can not travel to Tibet:

  • People with all kinds of organic heart diseases, severe arrhythmia or resting heart rate over 100per minute, high blood pressure II or above, all kinds of blood diseases and cranial vascular diseases.
  • People with chronic respiratory system diseases, medium degree of obstructive pulmonary diseases or above, such as bronchus expansion, emphysema and so on.
  • People with diabetes mellitus which is not controlled properly, hysteria, epilepsia and schizophrenia.
  • People with bad cold, upper respiratory tract infections, and body temperature above 38F or below 38F while the whole body and the respiratory system have obvious symptoms, are not recommended to travel to Tibet until they’re OK.
  • People who were diagnosed to have high altitude pulmonary edema, high altitude cerebral edema, high altitude hypertension with obvious increase of blood pressure, high altitude heart diseases and high altitude polycythemia.
  • High risk pregnant women.

If you are not sure about your body condition, you may have a physical examination. But you are not supposed to do more exercise before going to Tibet, for exercising will give more burdens to your heart and you’ll need more oxygen, which may easily cause high altitude sickness.
6. Why can not people with cold go to Tibet? What should I do if I catch a cold in Tibet?
Your immune system shall be weak if you catch a cold and you may suffer high altitude sickness easily because of it. Besides, severe cold may easily turn to some more serious high altitude diseases, especially pulmonary edema, which is very dangerous. So you are not supposed to travel to Tibet before you get rid of a cold.
While, if you catch a cold in Tibet, things might not be so serious, because your body has already, to some extent, adapt to the plateau environment and you can go to a doctor and take some medicine
Permits & certificates
1. Are there any limitations or restrictions imposed on foreigners to travel to Tibet? How about overseas Chinese, Taiwan Compatriots and Hong Kong and Macao compatriots? How to handle it and how long does it take?
There are some special requirements for foreign travelers to Tibet. Firstly, foreign tourists to Tibet must be organized by travel agencies, with confirmed routes. Secondly, a Tibet Travel Permit issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau is indispensable. The Tibet Travel Permit must be obtained before they head to Tibet. What’s more, foreigners are not allowed to travel alone in Tibet by their own, even with the travel permit. They must be accompanied by a licensed tour guide. Tibet travel permit is also required from overseas Chinese and Taiwan Compatriots, while Hong Kong and Macao compatriots can travel to Tibet like other Chinese citizen with valid Home Return Permit. Foreigners, overseas Chinese and Taiwan compatriots can apply for Tibet travel permit from Tibet tourism bureau or certain qualified travel agencies with valid passport (copies), visa (copies) and job certificate. Usually, it can be obtained in one week and 2 to 3 days if you are in urgent need.
2. What is Tibet Entry Permit? How to get a Tibet Entry Permit and what documents are required to get it?
Tibet Entry Permit, also known as Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Permit or Tibet Visa, is the basic document for foreign travelers to enter into Tibet. No foreign visitor can visit Tibet without holding the Tibet Entry Permit in their hands. Foreign tourists are required to show both their Chinese Visa and Tibet Entry Permit when they change for the boarding passes of flying to Tibet or board trains to Tibet.
Tibet Entry Permit is officially issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau, in purpose of restricting the numbers of foreign visitors. With this permit, foreigner tourists can travel in Lhasa region including Lhasa city, Yamdrok Lake, Ganden, Tsurphu, Namtso, Drigung Til and Reting.
Tibet Entry Permit is not available for independent travelers. Foreign travelers have to travel in tour group and ask legitimate travel agency to apply Tibet tour for you.
Documents required:
You can get Tibet entry permit (TTB permit) by sending certain qualified travel agency the first page of your valid passport and a copy of your Chinese visa by fax or by email, and state clearly your occupations (Foreign journalists and diplomats are not allowed to go to Tibet as a tourist). If you are Taiwan Compatriots, send us the copies of your MTP-Mainland Travel Permits or called Taiwan Compatriot Entry Permit/travel document (commonly known as “Tai Bao Zheng”), and tell us your occupations.
If you are the citizens of Hong Kong and Macau SAR, China Re-entry Permit for Hong Kong & Macau Compatriots is enough to travel in Tibet. You are not required to apply for the Tibet Permit.
Pay attention: If you are planning to travel to places officially closed to foreigners in Tibet, an Alien’s Travel Permit is required.
3. What is Alien’s Travel Permit?
Except Tibet Entry Permit, an Alien’s Travel Permit is required if you are planning to travel to places officially closed to foreigners in Tibet, such as Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery, Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasorovar. Alien’s Travel Permit is not needed for places in Lhasa region, towns of Shigatse and Tsetang, or nonstop travel on Friendship Highway.
Alliens’ Travel Permit is required to visit ‘unopened’ areas. Which is issued by the police (Public Security Bureau, “PSB”). Usually you can apply for it once you arrive at Lhasa. For tour groups, our guide will ask you for the passport and TTB permit and submit it to the Foreign Affairs Section of PSB for the Travel Permit. It normally takes several hours and the cost is 50 CNY/person. If you are an individual traveler, you need to join local tours to ‘unopen’ areas, and the local travel agencies will arrange the PSB for you as well. Pay attention, there is no travel agency can provide ‘PSB permit-only’ service.
Notice: If you want to do a Tibet overland tour from Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai or Xinjiang province to Tibet, you must got the PSB permit before your tour starts.
4. Which parts of Tibet are listed as the closed areas?
At present, you have to apply for a Travel Permit if you are planning to visit the following places:Tsedang: Samye Monastery, Tomb of Tibetan King, Trundruk Monastery, YumbulakhangShigatse: Sakya Monastery, Mt. Everest, Rongbuk MonasteryGyangtse: Pelkor Chode Monastery & Kubum StupaNgari Region: Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar, Tsaparang, Years, etc. Nyingchi Region: Basum-tso, Pomi, Rawo-tso, etc.Chamdo Region: Chamdo, Riwoche, Tengchen, etc.
5. Are there any other certificates and permits may be required in Tibet?
Except Tibet Entry Permit, Alien’s Travel Permit, there are Military Permit, Foreign-affairs permit and other permits which may be required when traveling in Tibet.
Sensitive border are as such as Mt Kailash and eastern Tibet also require a military permit and a foreign-affairs permit. For Tholing and Tsaparang in western Tibet you will also need a permit from the local Cultural Antiquities Department. All these will be arranged by our travel agency one month before you enter Tibet. The Military Permit is issued by troop while the Foreign-affair’s permit is issued by Foreign affairs office in Lhasa. It normally takes 10-15 working days to get them all.
6. How to deal with the visa from Tibet to Nepal? Can I apply for Nepal visa in Lhasa? Is it fast? Shall I be denied?
Nepal has two embassies in China: one is in Beijing and the other is in Lhasa. It is easier and more convenient to handle the Nepal visa in Lhasa as long as you conform to the certain procedures. And there are seldom any cases of denial. But the visa officers don’t work at regular time, so you are recommended to stay several more days in Lhasa to apply for Nepal visa and it is more secured if you handle the visa first after you arrive in Lhasa. The general consulate of Nepal is in Lhasa, near the Norbulinka Park. Normally you can get the visa in the afternoon of the next working day if you submit the application and necessary documents in the morning of the first day. The time to submit document is from 10am to 12am, Monday to Friday. So, you need plan a couple of days in Lhasa to wait the visa. The time to get visa is usually at 4pm, once you get the visa, you can fly to Kathmandu or set out to Zhangmu border by cars or by bus.
To apply for Nepal visa in Lhasa, you need prepare the original passport, 2 passport size copies and complete a form. Your passport must be valid at least for the next 6 months. There are three kinds of visas according to period you plan to stay in Neal, the 15 days, 30 days and the 3 months. If you are going to stay more than 15 days in Nepal, it is better to get the visa in Lhasa, as the border office issued 15 days visa only and it is relatively expensive to extend the visa in Kathmandu or Gorkaha.
You can also get Nepal visa at the border. Not far away from the Friendship Bridge, you can get the arrival visa of 15 days stay at the border office with 25 USD. You need prepare a passport size photo and complete a form as well.
What to Pack:
1. What drugs to take when traveling to Tibet?
In the first few days after arrival in Tibet, you may experience some degree of altitude reaction. Colds, insomnia and digestive disorders are common. Take an adequate supply of any prescription medication you use regularly, including medicine for cold, headache, stomachache, and insect bite, diarrhea and so on, like the Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Antibiotics, throat lozenges, nasal decongestant and vitamins etc. Most over-the-counter medicines, such as aspirin and anti-diarrheal pills, are available in Lhasa, but are more difficult to obtain outside of urban areas. It is advisable to take anti-altitude sickness drugs to cope with oxygen deficiency. Bring diamox pills which are believed to be able to prevent the altitude sickness effectively. Please consult your doctor prior to your travel to Tibet.
2. What food to take when traveling to Tibet?You may take some chocolate, dried beef, hot pickled mustard tuber, biscuit and other food and snacks you like. You’d better take food with high calorie. You may also take some gum with you, which may help relieve the symptom of syrigmus and headache. When traveling to remote areas of Tibet it is a good idea to pack some food, snacks, and drinking water. It is not always easy to find food or drinkable water in these areas. Water purification equipment, such as hand pump filters, is not necessary, as bottled mineral water and thermoses of boiled water are available everywhere throughout Tibet. Water purification tablets can be useful during trekking. It is a good idea to take a good quality multivitamin to supplement your diet since a supply of vegetables and fruits may not be readily available.
3. The necessary commodities you should take when traveling to Tibet Necessities: sunglasses, hat, sun cream, skin cream, lipstick, long sleeve clothes, sweaters, Passport, visa, money, credit card, camera, film, batteries, toiletries, cosmetics, knife, watch, day bag-pack, big travel bags (soft luggage), water bottle, journal, reading book, writing materials, binoculars, family pictures and snack foods.
4. What kind of clothes and shoes should be taken when traveling to Tibet?
Clothes
The temperatures change greatly on the altiplano. In the north part of Tibet, people wear thick coats all year round (including July and August which are the hottest months in most of the areas in China). The highest temperature is 4-5 degrees centigrade in northern Tibet. It also snows in July and August.
The temperature difference in a single day is big. In Lhasa, the temperature in July arrives at 30 degrees centigrade at daytime, but falls to 10 degrees centigrade at night. Sometimes it will snow or sleet at night, so you’d better take some down garments (those with hats will better), woolen sweaters, warm gloves, warm and wind-proof shoes and socks. Wearing several layers of clothing that can be easily added or removed is the wise choice since temperatures may vary greatly within a single day.
Most hotels in Tibet have no central heating. The air-conditioners in single rooms do not work well in the cold night. In winter, from November to next March, of course you need bring down jackets, warm sweaters, gloves, warm pants, woolen hats. It is very cold in the morning and evening. In summer, wearing a T-shirt in day time but the Jacket is necessary at hotel in the morning and evening.
During the peak tourism season, April, May, September and October, you need to prepare T-shirts, overcoats and jeans, warm sweaters. Besides, frequent rainfall in this season makes waterproof clothing and raingear absolute necessities.
Even in summer, a down coat is necessary for those who are traveling beyond Lhasa and Shigatse into more remote areas such as the Everest Camp. A windbreaker plus a sweater will work nicely for strolling around Lhasa in summer.
Other essentials to pack include four or five pairs of cotton or woolen underwear, four or five pairs of woolen socks, long sleeve cotton or lightweight wool shirts and T-shirts. Women should avoid skirts or dresses.
Also, whenever you visit Tibet, if your plan includes overnight at Everest Base Camp or Namtso Lake, or a several days outdoor trek in mountain area, to keep warm is very important. The winter clothes are a must. However, you do not need to worry too much about clothing, you can buy any kind of clothes you need in Lhasa and clothes is quite cheap.
Shoes
It is very important to have a strong comfortable pair of boots, especially your travel covers remote area and you have to walk for a long distance. For example, if your travel reaches Everest Base Camp, you need to cover 8 km from Rongpuk Monastery to EBC and back. Lightweight boots are fine, but Tibet can be wet and we will do extensive walking, so make sure your shoes fit well and are suitable for cold and puddles. You should also have a pair of comfortable and tough sandals.
5. What certificates and documents should I take with me when I travel to Tibet?
Of course you should take your passport, China visa and Tibet travel permit with you. Or you won’t be allowed not even to get on the plane or the train.
There are overall four documents required for foreign tourists who want to travel freely in Tibet:
Chinese Visa – you can apply for in Chinese Embassy in your country;
Tibet Entry Permit – It is issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau and is a must for foreigners entering Tibet;
Travel Permit: It is required when you are planning to travel to the closed areas in Tibet, and you can obtain it after you arrive in Tibet
Military Permit – you have to obtain if you are planning to travel to some military sensitive areas.