Some tips for your Lhasa travel:
1. In the downtown of Lhasa, you may meet some kids asking for money. If you give money to a kid, you will be surrounded by these kids and your charity will only cause more trouble for yourself. In the entrance of Dazhao Temple or Potala Palace, there are a lot kids doing this job. In Lhasa, these kids do not go to school and they are making a living by this. You charity will only be the connivance for them. There are also some Tibetan monks asking for money in these areas. They claim to be the monks from the Shaga Temple but the real Shaga Temple monks will never do this kind of thing in my view.
2. Can I use my cell phone in Lhasa,Tibet? How is the cell phone signal?
In Lhasa and the big cities of Tibet, the cell phone services are available. You can use your cell phone in the Qingzang line(Qinghai to Tibet) and Chuanzang line (Sichuan to Tibet) too. But the signal is not so good sometimes becasue of the bad weather in Tibet. Currently, you can get the cell phone services if you are the customers of China Mobile(GSM), China Union(GSM,CDMA). Here is a list of the major tourist cities you can get the cell phone services in Tibet: Lhasa, Jiangzi,Rigeze,Shiquanhe,Lamu,Dingri,Zangmu,Zedang,Mozhugongka,Gongbujiangda,Linzhi,Bomi,Bashu,Bangda,Cangdu,Yangbajin,Dangxiong,Naqu,Ger. By the way, the CDMA services of China Union are available in the Qingzang line now.
3. Do I need to bring cash to Lhasa? Can I find the ATM to get some cash in Lhasa?
It is safe to carry cash to Lhasa and I will recommend you to carry enough cash for your Lhasa travel. In Lhasa, most places do not accept credit card or debit card and cash is always the first choice for the travellers to Lhasa. There are many bank branches in Lhasa(Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China). The debit cards of these banks are good to withdraw cash from the ATM. Currently, the debit cards from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China are not acceptable in the ATM of Lhasa,Tibet. Although you can cash using your debit cards in Lhasa, carrying enough cash is still the best choice for your Lhasa travel. Sometimes you are not able to get cash from the ATM or bank branch because of the bad telecom network of Tibet. Having cash in your hands is always more convinient for the travellers in Lhasa,Tibet.
4. Can I use U.S. dollars in Lhasa,Tibet?
No, dollars are not acceptable in Lhasa,Tibet. You will need to do the currency exchange first. The Bank of China and Lhasa Hotel can provide you this service.
5. About the flights to Lhasa:
Currently, there are non-stop flights to Lhasa from Beijing,Shanghai,Guangzhou,Hongkong,Chongqin,Chengdu,Xian,Xining,Cangdu,Kunming,Shangri-La,Jiademandu. The chance you get discounts on these airline tickets are pretty small.