• Youth Hostels are recommended for making new tour friends

Generally, popular tourist cities have International Youth Hostels that is 40 yuan/ bed, many of which are mixed gender. The atmosphere will be good, and it is easy to make friends from all over the country; living at a Youth Hostel, you will never feel lonely.

Whether you are travelling solo or as a group, remember to loosen up and talk to people. You will gain a lot from it. In Youth Hostels people are very happy to share their experiences with others. Some people say that Youth Hostel tourists are impetuous and all of them just want to flaunt their own deeds, but each person has their own ideas so just remember to have fun and be happy.

• If you have not made an advance booking, you may find vacancies at 11 am

An early booking is needed during Lhasa's peak summer season, but because a large number of tourists are very mobile and also generally fail to make reservations, if you call at around 11am – the time rooms are turned-over – you have the highest chance of finding empty beds.

• The most popular hostels

In Lhasa, the most famous hostels are Dongcuo and Puncog. From here you can see the side view of the Potala Palace, and if you get up early in the morning you have the opportunity to see incense smoke rising around the Palace.

The side of the Palace can also be seen in the new building, on the top floor of the Puncog restaurant. You can have breakfast here daily, accompanied by views of the Potala Palace.

• If you can't find a Youth Hostel, try living in a Tibetan guesthouse or hotel

You still can't find a place to live? Try doing a search using Google or Baidu on your mobile phone for highly rated accommodation in Lhasa. Then you can stroll past it to look, or go without a map to explore the more bustling areas – just by walking around town you can usually see some hotels that would be fine to stay in.

There are many Tibetans who have opened family hotels near the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. If you have nowhere to stay, you can go there. The beds are very cheap, but often not very clean, and there is a strong smell of butter. It might be too much for some people who are squeamish or not used to it!

• Finally, always remember how important it is to strike up a conversation with the people you meet

A peer was staying in Dongcuo, and in the morning while washing he met a young woman and began chatting. The young woman had a car, and offered to take him along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, free of charge!!