Planning A Trip Through Yunnan
The final itinerary consisted of 15 days: beginning and ending in Kunming, And then, you always have to add the 2 days spent actually getting to China and one day returning home!
Air? We used Hong Kong as our gateway into China and flew United non-stop to Hong Kong and then Dragon Air to Kunming the following day. Dragon Air was a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific at that time (may still be) and is a very nice airline. There were many other options flying to China and onward to Kunming but this was the easiest for us. Farecompare lists every airline currently flying to Kunming including: China Eastern, China Southern, Thai Airways, Dragonair, Malaysia, etc.
Health? Malaria pills again. Our drug of choice is Lariam, (Mefloquine is the generic). We prefer the once-a-week Lariam to the once-a-day Malarone - but it's your decision. All other innoculations are always kept up-to-date. Check the Centers for Disease Control updates to see what they suggest.
Visa? You need a Chinese Visa which is easy to get at your local Chinese Embassy/Consulate. In Chicago, you can pay extra and arrange for one in the same day.
Travel Insurance? As I've stated before, we always buy travel insurance that covers cancellation and medical emergencies. All it takes is one incident where you lose all money paid for the trip and you'll be a convert. Your vacation took a year or more to save for but only a second to ruin. We purchase Travel insurance through Travel Guard, insurance starts at $30 depending on the cost of your tour.
The Tour? Kunming with a few day trips scheduled; drive south through Xishuangbanna; Menglian; Jinghong; head north to Dali, Zhongdian and Lijiang; end back in Kunming.
Included?
- All hotel accommodations ranging from no-stars to ***** stars
- Private English-speaking tour guide
- Private vehicle with professional and experienced driver
- Bottled water
- Three meals a day with a few exceptions
- Entrance fees to all scheduled sites
- Intra-China airline tickets
Since all our meals were included, this wouldn't be an issue and I can survive on rice alone. But we always bring a small stash of goodies for long drives, granola bars and several packs of tuna for emergencies. There have been times that we've sat in airports overnight, etc., and it was good to have a little food handy in our backpacks. Cindy also suggested a towel and soap just in case the smaller hotels didn't supply. (Note: The food has improved tremendously in China.)
Clothing? The climate was going to be hot in the south with cooler nights in the north. This was a cultural, scenic trip with no boots required. Packed sandals, trainers (running shoes), lightweight clothing including shorts and t-shirts. The Chinese people in this area are not offended by "briefer" clothing. With nothing fancy required, packing was easy enough.
Planning over, we were ready to go....
All Inclusive Vacation Deals
Enjoy 25% - 50% off or more on All Inclusive Vacation Packages. Book today!
