Essential Info - Know Before you Go
Planning an ordinary trip is an easy job but arranging an once-in-a-lifetime travel is what makes a professional tour operator different from the ordinary ones. As travel experts, 3rdpoletour.com has put together easy-to-use travel tips and guides for you to consult when planning or during your exciting Tibetan Plateau adventure.
From the High Altitude Sickness, Plateau cuisine, road condition, packing list, visa, permit to the health, all useful information is covered.
Besides, our trip leader will provide you with much more detailed information while on tour and if you would like any more information after reading these guides, please don't hesitate to contact us.
High Altitude Sickness (AMS)
Average altitude in the third pole area (Tibean Plateau) ranges from 2000m to 5000m. Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), is a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, cased by acute exposure to low air pressure (usually outdoors at high altitudes). It usually occurs 3,000 meters above sea level.
If you travel Yunnan, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Qinghai or Gansu, there is ...more
Indulging in delicious local eats is one of the best things about travel. Traveling with 3rdpoletour you will experience the vast array of wonderful local food that is only available in the places we visit.
Meals Arrangement
We will have most of the breakfast in the hotels except for the camping. Included breakfasts will usually be asian style consisting of noodles or congee (rice porridge) or bread and ...more
All 3rdpoletour trips are accompanied by one of our professional English-speaking trip leaders who are different from the tour guides you may book from most of the online China travel agencies. Our trip leaders are trained strictly and they are not allowed to take guests to commission shopping factories. All of them are our full-time staff and work 8 hours every day in our office to do the editing and website friendly design when they don't have ...more
Road Condition in Third Pole Area
In the last few years, the road condition in the Tibetan plateau has improved a lot and much of discomfort to get into the high plateau has solved. The train system from Chengdu to Lhasa is under construction and will be open in 2016. There are 5 main highways: Sichuan-Tibet highway (317 & 318), Yunnan-Tibet hwy, Qinghai-Tibet hwy, Nepal-Tibet hwy, and Xinjiang-Tibet hwy, and all ...more
What you need to bring will vary according to the destinations you are visiting and when you are traveling. Generally speaking our advice is to pack as lightly as possible, although on the vast majority of our trips our vehicle carries your luggage. We will be on the move a lot.
We highly recommend using a backpack, soft compact suitcase or light sports bag, whichever you find easiest to carry, plus a small daypack. Luggage space on ...more
