KUALA LUMPUR: Back in March, my travel buddies and I set off for a holiday to one of the highest cities in the world—Lhasa, Tibet.

To enable us to acclimatize to the high altitude, we decided to take the 34-hour train ride from Chongqing, China to Lhasa, instead of boarding a direct flight to the city.

But it was a good option as it gave us the chance to take in the famed scenic landscape along the train journey.

It is often advised that you avoid getting sick before travelling, especially when visiting a high-altitude destination like Tibet.

Unfortunately, I caught the flu bug despite taking all precautionary steps and necessary supplements prior to the trip.

A sneeze in the morning on the day we were to board the train kickstarted a very testing holiday for me in Tibet.

The four-person sleeper cabin we booked were small and cramped with two bunk beds on each side.

Along with a small table and dustbin, not much space was left for our luggage which we eventually had to forcefully stuff below the lower bunk bed.

It was also a challenge to climb up to the upper bunk as only a small foothold was available. After many futile attempts, my friend and I decided to share a bed on the lower bunk.

My first night on the train was miserable as I was down with fever and had a stuffy nose. My friend and I also had to sleep in weird positions to fit into the tiny bed.

When the train reached Lanzhou station, my heart was thumping with trepidation as from then on, the altitude started to elevate.

The next day we arrived at Xining station, and all passengers had to switch to another train that’s equipped with an oxygen supply system. There’s also an “in-house” doctor on standby on this new train.

The train made several more stops at various stations along the way. At a few of them, passengers were allowed to get off for cigarette breaks, as well as to take pictures and get some much needed fresh air.

As the train continued to ascend, we could feel the air increasingly thinning. Thankfully, the journey was made a little bearable with the scenic views.

We passed through some spectacular places especially the stunning Qinghai Lake, the endless and vast snow-covered prairie, and at times, the grazing yaks and sheep dotting the horizon.

When the altitude reached 2,800m at Golmud station, yours truly and some fellow passengers who had been experiencing the dreaded altitude sickness, required oxygen tubes.

The doctor got very busy especially when the train arrived at the world’s highest railway pass, the Tanggula Pass (5,000 m).

Thankfully, things slowly got better for me when the altitude dropped as we continued to Lhasa (3,600 m).

After what seemed like eternity, we arrived in Lhasa exhausted yet excited. We continued to acclimatize on our first day there—we were advised to speak and move around slowly to conserve energy.

This was a good tip as speaking just a few sentences rendered us breathless.

On the second day at Lhasa, we were finally able to properly start our holiday. We visited Dazhao Temple before adjourning to the highlight of our holiday, Potala Palace.

Everyone was in awe of the magnificent palace as we made our way to the entrance.

However, our excitement turned to anxiety when we laid eyes on the very intimidating first flight of steps. Taking deep breaths, we climbed up all the approximately 2,000 steps slowly, but surely.

At an altitude of 3,700 m, it was ­absolutely a test of endurance and faith as we climbed the steps and walked up the cobbled slopes. Each time, we could only take about 20 steps before gasping for air.

But we persisted, and with constant encouragement from our tour guide, we made our way to the Red Palace, the highest point of Potala Palace. What a surreal feeling that was and one that’s definitely worth rejoicing.

The rest of the holiday was less strenuous with visits to places with great views of the snow mountains, the peach blossom gardens, and the Blue Ice Cave, which was actually a frozen lake with incredible ice and snow formations.

I count my blessings that I persevered and completed the holiday as I had initially wanted to give up and fly back to Malaysia during the train journey and when my nose was too stuffy.

But all things considered, it was a memorable holiday and I would definitely go back to explore other areas of this highest region on Earth.