This is yet another most requested blog from Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Though, I shared all the required Travel & Fitness tips elaborately in separate blogs, I am writing this to share more details which you should keep in mind and be prepared before you plan for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra

Honestly, I feel people underrate the terrain of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. While I was here last year, we heard of a woman dying because she chose to take a bath in the freezing water of Mansarovar Lake and instead of covering her head after the bath, she chose to keep it open to let her hair dry. Altitude hit her and she couldn’t survive.

We were told strictly that it is important to keep our forehead covered; else we might face the health issues. It is important that you know the minute details, in order to prepare better. I am sharing few things with you but this is not to scare Rather, I am writing this blog to help you prepare better for this trail. Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is the most beautiful experience of my life, which I shall cherish always

Minimal Medical Facilities: Though you would get access to doctors in the civilised town on this route, which is Keyrong, Saga, Thaklakot & Darchin but they wouldn’t much understand your language. As much rude as I sound, but I found them good for nothing. One of our team member suffered health problem in Thaklakot and was almost saved from a heart surgery :P. The Chinese doctors couldn’t understand what we were trying to convey 😉 The sign language worked in the end and he was given the required treatment

The point is that you should be prepared that you wouldn’t get access to food medical help here. Infact, the area where you will stay the maximum, which is Deraphuk & Mansarovar, DO NOT, I repeat, doesn’t have doctors or medical facilities available. Generally, the agencies through whom you would book the trip, would bring a doctor along. But, don’t expect a proper medical facility unlike India

No/Filthy Toilets on the way:  Either you would go to pee in the open or the toilets you would find on the way are filthy that you would puke. Well, I did almost! Because, they haven’t got cleaned for ages.

So, be prepared to face the sanitary issues. Places like Deraphuk, Zulthalpuk and Mansarovar (unless you are staying in a hotel) will have open toilets, which isn’t clean most of the time. Though, I heard it has a reserved area for women but I couldn’t spot any. Honestly, I feel grateful that I got to travel with an amazing team, who made sure that I don’t face any discomfort. I was the only girl traveling in the group of 4 🙂

Shared Accommodation: Here is a thing which you should keep in mind. The hotels catering to foreign tourists in the china region, needs a permit from the government allowing them to do so. This means that this Tibet autonomous region hasn’t got much accommodation. Therefore, there will be a time when you would need to share the rooms with other people, despite booking an expensive trip. This completely depends on the flow of the pilgrims during the said period. But, Deraphuk, Zulthalpuk and Mansarovar got a dorm setting. So, be prepared for it. And- Don’t expect good or proper accommodations on this route 🙂

Expensive Rescue: this region of China is tad expensive, which is the only reason why the cost of this Yatra comes to 2 lacs INR approx. Incase, you want to hire a rescue service, keep in mind that it will be expensive and an inch of it can put a whole in your pocket. This cost is not included in the package cost and would be taken up on individual basis. Keep atleast 50,000 INR handy, just incase you need it during the emergency situation

Food: Last year when a Jammu based Indian company called Madhuban Foods, won a contract to serve food on Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, I heard few people weren’t happy with the food because it wasn’t spicy. So understand this and I am sharing this not because I was taken by the brand but because I have heard people sharing the stories from the previous years about the food. And it is a lot better now.

It is impossible to cook food properly at such high altitude, serving 1000’s of people every day in a single kitchen. I saw the chefs working diligently, so that best food can be provided to all the pilgrims

The food served on the trail previously, couldn’t match the Indian taste. This can be counter checked with people visited Mount Kailash before 2018. So it is important that we respect, what we are getting. This is not an easy trail. Operating in Chinese land is not easy and we are getting Indian food in an alien land. This is nothing short of bliss. I even joked that it felt like I have come to a remote area in India. It never felt that I am in China where getting vegetarian food is an alien concept

Attitude of Chinese People: Please understand that you might not get a nice welcome from them and can act rude to you. I was asked to vacant the room in a really bad manner, when a team member intervened and shared that I am from the media. This is more or less for their dislike for the Indian people that they ain’t very welcoming. There are exception offcourse, but don’t get irritated if you hear someone bad mouthing.

Please do read my other two guides on this trip, which are in great detail and will really help you. I have hyperlinked them above. Incase, you have anything to add, please share the same in the comment section below and I shall add it with due credit

Om Nama Shivaya !

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