Warm tips of traveling in western Sichuan

About Transportation

The drive in Garze is usually long and the road is winding. You are recommended to prepare neck pillows and other entertainment devices if possible, make sure your phone is fully charged or use a mobile power pack. The bus/car could also have minor issues that need to make stops to make sure the vehicle is under good conditions. The possible traffic jam could also result into long times of waiting so your schedules may fall behind as not promised in the tour description. In the car/bus, you are suggested to always keep your seat belt fastened as the road is very winding.

Road By Zheduoshan Pass

Traffic Jam is possible

About Clothing

The difference of daytime and night time temperature at these places are very big. You are strongly recommended to have your warm clothes ready and handy especially in the morning and in the evening. Warm clothes and warm jackets are recommended. Rainproof, gloves, warm hats or even scarves are also recommended. Hats, sun blocks and sunglasses are also necessary to protect you from the sun.

About Altitude Sickness

A lot of people suffer from different levels of altitude sickness when traveling to such places. It is normal when you have symptoms such as slight headache, which will usually go away as you travel. But please make sure all travelers are with decent physical conditions especially without sever heart or lung problems. Precautions are necessary to avoid getting altitude sickness, including:

• 1. Drink more water than you normally need everyday.
• 2. Wear more layers to avoid getting cold due to elevation/temperature/pressure change.
• 3. Eat properly (no alcohol and be careful of local street food) and have enough time to sleep.
• 4. Do not stress yourself both physically and mentally/ A little physical preparation is necessary.
• 5. Prepare medication for AMS, cold and diaries

About Accommodations and Food

Western Sichuan is a less-developed place with lots of modern facilities not yet available at present. The accommodations are often with limited options, some without elevator and some without comfortable rooms. At bigger towns or more popular tourist places the accommodations are good and decent. But at smaller and further places the accommodations are often more basic with usually unreliable hot water supply, basic toilet and poor heating as authenticity often goes with less comfortabiliy.

Tibetan Food

Traveling in this part of China, food is also with limited options. The most common food available is Chinese food with Sichuan style, and noodles/dumplings are also available. At many of these places in western Sichuan there are no 24-hour food stores. Big food shopping places are rare but small stores are available at every town.

About Amenities and Public Toilets

At certain places you will not have internet coverage and even phone reception while traveling in western Sichuan because some of these places are just simply too far from anywhere. It is normally that you spend half an hour to just load a picture on your phone when internet is not good. However most of the accommodations you use will have free Wifi provided. But at some places the Wifi is not reliable. The biggest town in western Sichuan has no more than 50,000 people in total. Each of the towns has a hospital or a clinic that simple ailments can be taken care of but any serious ailments you will probably need to be transferred to Chengdu. Public toilet has improved a lot but not at this part of China. You will often encounter the very basic public toilet while on the road. And lots of these public toilet charge 1 or 2 yuan for using it. Although using toilet in the nature is an option as there are not many people everywhere.