Stories From The Field

Travel
Journal

What you can't Google: the feeling of first seeing the Potala through morning mist, the first night in a ger when temperatures drop to -20°C, and why the road to Kailash changes how you see life.

Latest Articles

View all

Sleeping in a Ger in Winter: Warmer Than You Think, and Colder Than You Imagine

The central stove needs to be fed with firewood every 3 hours. On the first night I fell asleep and woke at 3 a.m. with my breath turning to mist.

Tibet Visa 2025: Everything You Need to Know (Latest Update)

TAP, TTB, passport validity, closure periods — a complete guide from someone who has applied for a Tibet visa multiple times, and been refused once.

The Tsaatan: Mongolia's Last Reindeer Herders

500 people remain. Living at 2,200m in the taiga forest. And this is why they have refused to settle despite repeated government offers.

"I'm 58 and This Was the Best Trip of My Life" — Lan, Hanoi

An internist, 58, travelling to Tibet alone for the first time. Lan describes what happens when you decide to go even though everyone says "you're too old, don't risk it."

What Is Altitude Sickness (AMS) and How to Actually Prevent It

Not "drink plenty of water and rest." A practical medical guide on Diamox, ascent rate, and signs that mean you need to descend immediately — from someone who spent 5 months in Lhasa.

Lhasa Was Not What I Expected — and That Made Me Love It More

Tourists crowding the Barkhor circuit. A Starbucks near the Potala. And in a small alley, a 90-year-old woman counting her mala beads, noticing no one. This is the real Lhasa.

Long Read · Special Feature

Mongolia Through Four Seasons:
A Year in the Land of Horses

16,000 words about a country where every season is a completely different experience — from summer Naadam to the frozen winter lake, from green steppe to the windswept Gobi.

Read the Full Article

Receive New Stories
Every Month

No spam. One email a month — one real story from the field, one practical piece on trip preparation, or the latest departure dates.