A Buddhist monk strolls past a monastery in Lhasa

The Himalayan kingdom of Tibet has long been a delightfully backward place, where you can still observe lifestyles, practices and a spirituality that hasn't been seen in Europe since the Middle Ages.

But these days development, at least in the capital Lhasa, continues apace, particularly now that the city is connected to the rest of China by rail.

It will take you a few days to get used to the altitude - Lhasa is at 3658m - but once you do you'll enjoy exploring the thousand-room potala palace, the traditional seat of the Dalai Lama for centuries and go to Jokhang, the holiest temple of the Tibetan Buddhist world.

Here you'll likely find the veneration contagious as you join the red-robed monks and never-ending lines of eagerly anticipating pilgrims who spin prayer wheels beneath gory frescoes.