Tour Tibet with Children

As to a spiritual and informative level traveling Tibet could be a wonderful start of your children's adolescence. Undoubtedly, it would be a great experience for them. However, as they are young children, it may be even more difficult for them to acclimatize to plateau climate in Tibet.

About Altitude Sickness

As you know Tibet is the highest plateau in the world with an average altitude of more than 3000m. As you tour Tibet, altitude sickness caused by low oxygen content may rank the first concern for your children as well as yourself.

How to Avoid Altitude Sickness for Small Children

To deal with the higher altitude, some travelers believe that making a gradual ascent can be helpful, because in this way you can let your body adjust better to the plateau.

a.Firstly, you’d better take a Tibet train tour or Tibet bus tour to give your body enough time to adjust itself instead of getting there by air. And when you are already in Tibet, you should walk very slowly due to the low oxygen level, or your children and you may feel sick.

b.Second, drink a lot of fluids to avoid dehydration, and try some Vitamin C, iron and natural Tibetan Herbal medicines.

c.Third, make sure your children and you yourself know about the symptoms and signs of altitude sickness, and keep checking with your children about these.A child may not be able to recognize the symptoms of high-altitude illness, so parents and other adults must carefully watch for any signs of high-altitude illness in children. If they get symptoms, stop going higher.

Special Care for Children

Strong Ultraviolet Radiation

Sun block, lip moisturizer, sunglasses and hat are all necessities for your Tibet tour, for the sun’s ultraviolet radiation in Tibet is rather harsh, esp for children’s skin.

Sleeping

Prepare sleeping bags for your children and yourself. Tibet can be very cold at night.

Food

The staple Tibetan food, mainly yak or mutton, is usually bland and monotonous which may or may not affect your kids. But you are suggested that bringing some food with high-calorie and snacks along with you like granola bars or chocolates for certain “emergencies” like low blood sugar.

Stay away from Tibetan dogs

As you travel in Tibet, you can see many homeless dogs and watch dogs in the countryside. Although, most of them are friendly, still many are very aggressive to intruders and a bite from them may cause canine madness, which is very dangerous. Warn your children not to approach or touch any dogs.

First Aid

Something else to consider is making sure you have basic first-aid knowledge and have your own supplies. Although there is a lot of help, there is a lot of wilderness in between and the medical facilities.

All in all, you should be especially careful when you tour Tibet with your children. And if your children are too young, let ’s say, below 8, you are not recommended to take them there.