Mark Seymour's spiritual journey to Lhasa: why he loved the Tibetan capital
Mark Seymour travelled to Lhasa in 2016 with his family. He found the 3,700-metre-high Tibetan city deeply joyful and thoughtful.
High in the Himalayas, Lhasa sits at 3,700 metres and hits hard on arrival. Mark Seymour, frontman of Hunters & Collectors, travelled there in 2016 with his family.
Seymour got altitude sickness. Seymour's nails turned blue and breathing was hard.
By day three he needed three-hour afternoon rests to recover. The city is small, like Mildura.
Potala Palace is a 13-storey mud-built building from the 7th century. It showed stunning geography.
Seymour tried yak butter tea and yak meat, visited 22 temples, and drove the hairpin roads to Yamdrok Lake. Travellers must have a licensed Tibetan guide and cannot wander alone.
Seymour describes it as deeply joyful. Kind locals and simple living made it feel fresh after the constant stress of Western life.
- 3,700 metres
- Altitude
- 2016
- Trip year
- 22
- Temples visited
- Mildura
- City size comparison
Why it mattersLhasa is off the standard backpacker trail. It offers a truly life-changing travel experience. You must prepare carefully for the altitude and rules.
AustraliaFew Australians visit Lhasa due to Chinese travel regulations and high altitude, but those who go report it rewires how they think about travel and simplicity.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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