Okay, so you’re headed to Yunnan, China. Here are a few handy travel tips to keep in mind:

Don’t forget to pack a few extra: rolls of toilet paper (you will need them in public toilets).

If you only have 24-48 hours in Yunnan, China, you must visit: Shaxi. It is a lovely preserved (but not overly slick or touristy) town on the old tea trading route that goes to Burma and Tibet. There’s an ancient stage in the equally ancient town square. It was built from 1795–1850 (Qing Dynasty).

OR

Napa Lake in Zhongdian (aka Shangri La). For months of the year (usually April to October), the lake dries up and turns into a mass expanse of grassland. Tibetan ‘yakboys’ set up makeshift wooden homes and bring their yak herds here to graze. You will be welcomed into local homes and made to drink copious amounts of yak butter tea.

If you’re going to haggle, keep this in mind: Be firm, polite and ready to walk away (there will be someone else selling the same thing two doors down).

The one food I totally loved was: thinly sliced, boiled pig’s heart drizzled with soy sauce and sesame seeds.

And the one food I will pass on in the future is: stir-fried chicken head - the webbed skin, the comb, the eyes...ugh.

I know it may sound weird, but you absolutely have to try: Fried female cicadas (carapace is filled with yellow flesh...the male’s have an empty carapace). Fried bees were also tasty. Both were perfect protein-enriched beer snacks).

But as an independent traveller in Yunnan, China, the one thing I would avoid is: Public toilets and leeches.

I was really surprised by: the number of China Mobile towers. There’s reception in the most remote of places. In the Dulong/Drung valley, the tower only supports 15 mobiles at any one time. If you are the 16th person to make a call, you bump someone off the network. On a more serious note, I was really touched and surprised by how friendly the locals were. They were as curious about me as I was about them. What little they had, they offered.

The best way to fit in and not draw too much attention to yourself is to: Be polite, soft spoken and patient. Chinese people get turned off and do not react well to people who lose their temper or patience. Learning a few Chinese words and phrases is a good way to break the ice.

When it comes to getting around, I recommend: taking a ‘bread van’ (minivan) from place to place. Rides are cheap and you can flag one along the way. Roads only lead from one town to another so don’t fear that you will veer off to an unknown destination. Also, these bread vans have destination signs (in Chinese).

A good place to get basics (bottled water, toothpaste, a snack, stamps, phone cards) is: a supermarket or general store. There’s usually one or three in every town. It’s pretty obvious what they are.

And it’s always nice to say ‘please,’ ‘thank you,’ and ‘how much?’ in the native tongue. And that is:

Hello: Ni Hao.
Thank You: Xie Xie.
Please: Qing.
How Much: Duo Shao?