As a Buddhist country, Tibet specializes in vegetarian menus. There are many excellent vegetarian restaurants to choose from.
In the larger cities, you will find that most styles of cuisine, including Western cuisine, are available. Owing to the many visitors from China, even smaller towns will usually have Chinese food to offer along with Tibetan local cuisine.
Tent guesthouses at Everest Base Camp prepare simple meals for their guests. However, there is no real restaurant here.
Your tour guide is well-acquainted with all the local establishments and will direct you to the best ones. Your tour will stop at good restaurants along the way when you are travelling in Tibet. One thing is certain: you will not lack good food during your trip!
The tourist industry in Tibet is still relatively new, but there are good hotels in the major cities, although these may not equal luxury hotels in the West. However, in the more remote areas, there are only smaller guest houses, and the facilities may be somewhat rudimentary.
Although the guest houses are much cheaper, they do not cater for Western requirements and service levels. The hotels in places like Lhasa and Shigatse will offer better service, the kind of furnishings Westerners are accustomed to, and offer services like breakfasts. The more upmarket hotels will have internet access and phone connections.
The better hotels try to ensure that there are hot water showers available to guests. This is one of the criteria we use when selecting places for you to stay. However, we cannot guarantee availability, especially in the more remote areas of Tibet. Some village guest houses do not have running water at all, and you will need to get heated water to wash.
Everest Base Camp tent guest houses are made from yak wool and each one has room for two to five beds. In the middle, a stove heats the tent. It is fuelled with wood and dung. Small solar cells provide electricity, but you may have trouble trying to charge devices since supply is limited. The beds are covered and can be used as seating during the day, and there is a simple table outside the tent.