Planning to visit China? Don’t do it on your own

Michael Gebicki is Traveller’s expert Tripologist. Each week he tackles the thorny issues in travel as well as answering your questions. Got a question for the Tripologist? Email tripologist@traveller.com.auMy husband and I, both 60, plan to visit China for three weeks. We have never travelled on an organised tour and would prefer to plan and experience the trip independently. We would love suggestions for a three-week itinerary covering the must-see destinations and experiences. What do we need to know to make an independent trip as smooth and enjoyable as possible?E. Coleman, Newtown NSWLijiang in Yunnan province.iStockI applaud your spirit. Independent travel is stimulating, rewarding and a wonderful learning experience, but for a first-time visitor to China I wouldn’t recommend it. Apart from major hotels in tourist areas, English is not widely spoken. Although a translation app helps, the language barrier adds another level of complication to sightseeing, transport and even ordering food in restaurants. Instead of WhatsApp and the banking apps you might use at home, Chinese users rely heavily on Alipay and WeChat, and many foreign internet services are restricted. According to Smartraveller, access to banking, social media and other internet-based services can be affected.Travelling without a guide, you’ll probably miss many of the nuances of local culture that make China so different, and so intriguing. For all those reasons I suggest you grit your teeth and sign up for an organised tour, perhaps for about two weeks followed by a week of DIY travel. Tour operators to consider include Wendy Wu Tours and G Adventures. Some tours cater to rather large groups – 16 guests is considered “small” – and another option is a customised private tour, such as from China Highlights. For your solo journey, I suggest Yunnan Province. From the gateway city of Kunming you could spend a satisfying week visiting Lijiang, Dali and Shangri-La, still heavily inflected with Tibetan culture.I am going on a Baltic cruise next year, visiting ports to explore areas where my father was a prisoner of war in World War II. One of the camps where he was held was Stalag Luft VI near Silute in Lithuania, about 30 kilometres from Klaipeda, where our Norwegian Cruise Line vessel stops for the day. Do you have any contacts in Klaipeda who could take us on a shore excursion to visit what remains of the camp?M. Logan, Carlingford NSWStalag Luft VI has a small museum associated with the wartime camp, which was set up specifically for Allied air force prisoners. You might contact BaltTours, based in Klaipeda, which offers customised private excursions. Tell them that this is not a general sightseeing excursion but a family-history pilgrimage, and give them your father’s name, nationality, service details and, if you have it, his POW number. You might also contact the Silute Hugo Sojus Museum directly as well. It operates the Macikai Camp Prison Cell Museum, located at the former POW camp, and offers guided tours in foreign languages, provided they are booked in advance. Ask if a guide can meet your private driver at Macikai and provide an English-language tour concentrating on Stalag Luft VI and the experiences of Allied POWs. Their contact details are: info@silutesmuziejus.ltSign up for the Traveller newsletterThe latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now.We are travelling to Mexico before a tour starting in Panama City. From Mexico City, we want to explore the Yucatan Peninsula, visiting Merida, Uxmal and the Reserve de la Biosfera Ria Celestun, Chichen Itza, the Mayan ruins at Calakmul, Campeche, Bacalar, Cozumel and either Playa del Carmen or Cancun. We have nine to 10 days. Can you suggest an itinerary, including a few cenotes? I had thought to hire a private driver. Do you know of some reputable outfits? L. Armando, Canberra ACTThat’s a lot to pack into nine to 10 days, but it is possible. Fly from Mexico City to Merida, stay two nights and devote the first evening of your arrival to an exploration of the city. The following day, visit Uxmal, one of the most rewarding Mayan sites in Yucatan. On the way back to Merida, visit the Santa Barbara cenotes; they’re less commercialised than some of the others. Leave Merida the next morning for the Ria Celestun Biosphere Reserve and take the boat trip to see the flamingos and mangroves, then continue to Campeche. Spend the night, and the following day make the five-hour drive to Calakmul. You might stay somewhere around Xpujil, the base town for the incredible Calakmul Biosphere Reserve.The next day, get to Calakmul early – it’s cooler and wildlife activity is greater. Plan to spend half a day at least. The attraction is not just the Mayan ruins but also the deep immersion in the forest, a habitat for toucans, howler monkeys, jaguars and a huge variety of flora.Drive to Bacalar, stay overnight and take a boat trip on Laguna de los Siete Colores – the “Seven Colour Lagoon”. From here head north, and stay in Playa del Carmen rather than Cancun. The vibe is far more relaxed, and from here you can visit Cozumel, Tulum, more cenotes and spend some time enjoying the Caribbean beaches.You also have easy access to Cancun, which trumps Merida for your flight to Panama City because there are non-stop flights from Cancun, but not from Merida. Chichen Itza is wonderful but problematic in this itinerary. It would work if you put it between Merida and Valladolid, followed by Playa del Carmen, but this creates a problem with Calakmul. Realistically, you’ll need to decide between the two. For private tours with a driver, try Merida Private Tours, Merida Private Driving Service and Tunkuruchu Tailor-Made Tours.Before a cycling trip with friends in Germany next May, we thought we could fly to Istanbul and see the Aegean coast of Turkey before catching the ferry via Kos to Kalimnos. Can you advise of any small group tours that include Ephesus and end close to Bodrum for a three-to-four-day trip? We would prefer a small group. C. Rood, Blackheath NSWI can’t find a short, standalone group tour of south-western Turkey. That region is usually included as part of a more extensive tour of the country. A customised tour is probably going to fit in better with your timetable and needs. Sojourn Turkey is one operator that can tailor a tour to include a pick-up from Izmir Airport and includes Ephesus and the Aegean coastline, and other highlights of the region such as Selcuk, Bodrum and Sirince. The Turkey Travel Centre is another operator. Alternatively, pick up a hire car from Izmir and construct your own tour; finding accommodation in May is easy.Travel advice is general; readers should consider their personal circumstancesMichael Gebicki is a Sydney-based travel writer, best known for his Tripologist column published for more than 15 years in Traveller. With four decades of experience, his specialty is practical advice, destination insights and problem-solving for travellers. He also designs and leads slow, immersive tours to some of his favourite places. Connect via Instagram @michael_gebickiConnect via email.From our partners