As long as you have a clear understanding of their physical condition, and as long as both their bodies and minds are prepared, an enjoyable family holiday to Tibet with young children will not be a problem.
We hope that this guide can help you to ease the concerns you may have that 'they are too old or too young to go', and to enable you to realise your dream of a family tour to Tibet.
For children - especially for infants - sitting quietly for a full 48 hours on the train is not an easy thing to do. During these two days and nights the child has to adapt to a totally new environment.
If you want to take your child to Tibet, you must bring some of their "friends" along too – favorite toys, familiar items, or things they like to sleep with such as a special pillow or a small doll. Let the child's anxiety be reduced as much as possible through the familiar comforts of items from home like this. Don't think just because the parents are with the child, that the child won't miss anything.
At the same time as preparing medicines, you should also buy a lot of snacks for the children. This is mainly a consideration for the train, where buying things is not so easy, so to give them continuity in their diet you should bring adequate snacks.
Apart from glucose, you should bring some Danshen pills (for chest distress). If the child experiences breathing difficulty or has an irregular heartbeat, you can give them one pill to eat (adults can also apply this method).
However, for children who are experiencing serious calcium deficiency, weakness in their bodies, or bad stomach problems, you should be especially careful in the high altitudes of the plateau.
When taking your children traveling, good equipment is very important. Good quality equipment can effectively protect the child's body and prevent them from injury.
Before departure, you should prepare windproof jackets and medium-softness hiking boots with good quality sole and tread for the children.
Your children will need a good pair of shoes for walking. When selecting shoes, first look at the thread of the bottom.The tread of walking shoes is very important because it determines the non-slip performance of the shoe. Secondly, look at the sole:. If the soles are too hard then the child may fall easily; they may stumble on hard rocky surfaces. If the sole is too thin or soft it is not good for a child's feet – shoes with too-soft soles are not suitable for improving a child's walking ability and can affect the growth of their arches.
In addition, your children's trousers should be both soft and durable, and not fit too closely against the skin. Tightly fitted trousers are not easy to walk, and may be uncomfortable.
You should also pay special attention to skin care for your children while in Tibet, because ultraviolet radiation is relatively strong and can cause damage to your child's skin. Be sure to use SPF15 or higher sunscreen as well as a skin care cream for double protection, and reapply it every 3-4 hours. At the same time, give your child a wide-brimmed hat to wear.
Additionally, the strong sunlight and ultraviolet rays can easily burn your child's eyes. So you should give your child sunglasses to wear, but be sure to pay attention to the quality of the lenses.
The breathtaking scenery of Namtso
