In urban areas, you may well find a traditional "Western" toilet which stands up right. These can range from excellent facilities at upscale hotels, to ruined and broken facilities which may be worse than the great outdoors. Regardless, these are scarce in rural areas. The traditional Tibetan toilet is typically a hole in the ground, which can give off strong odors. However, not all holes are the same! In nice rural homes, there may be a second or third floor outhouse, which is a small bathroom hanging off the side of the house that is far removed from the ultimate "hole" below. These can be clean and pleasant. In contrast, in some places it may just be boards over a stinking hole, and pleasant is the last word one would think to describe the experience. As a general rule, women's toilets are cleaner than men's, if there is a distinction between the two.
Tibetans may urinate or defecate in the street, even in large cities.
Travelers must bring toilet paper or tissue paper with them because it frequently is not provided. Usually you can purchase toilet paper at any county or township seat, however, so don't worry about carrying toliet paper from abroad!
David Germano, Elizabeth Tseng