Hey Everyone!

I was hoping that some of you who might have done what I'm thinking about doing can provide some advice. I'm thinking about backpacking in SW China with my dad for 45 days in a loop through the SW. We'd start in Guangzhou, head to Guilin, and then from there, travel via train or bus to Guiyang, Kunming, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangri-La (Zhongdian), Chengdu, Chongqing, then fly back to Guangzhou. Between these larger cities, there are many smaller areas, such as Sanjiang, Dali, Lijiang, Emei Shan, etc. that I'd like to see.

Since I'm a fresh victim of the global economic downturn (in other words, laid off), I'm looking to do this as cheaply as possible [with safety and cleanliness still mandatory, and luxury optional]. Conveniently, my dad speaks Cantonese and Mandarin, where I speak neither.

Now, as I plan this trip out, I find that my dad is pushing hard for us to take a tour, thinking that there is safety in numbers with other tourists. My thinking is that not only is this less adventurous, but also many of the smaller destinations are likely to be passed over, and it will also cost more.

So on to my questions:
1) My dad thinks that riding the trains and buses in between some of these areas, especially the more remote smaller villages will likely end up with us being targeted as tourist Americans and getting mugged / becoming a victim of violent crime for our valuables. How safe is it to travel through this region (assuming of course, sensible precautions such as keeping a close eye on my things and not going unescorted late at night through unknown parts of towns)?

2) What is the best way to approach lodging if we have no specific set itinerary for the entire trip [I know where I want to go, but am unsure how long we might stay in each place]? Is it realistic to just show up in these different places we are going to without reservations at a hotel or hostel in advance and negotiate for a hotel room/hostel room with discounts off posted rates? Or should I plan out a detailed itinerary of our entire trip, then make hotel/hostel reservations well in advance on websites like ctrip.com and elong.net? Our goal is to average 136 yuan ($20USD) or less per night for lodging over the course of the trip.

3) I've heard that the May 1st timeframe will be a holiday, with transportation and lodging costs likely to spike, and hotels full due to increased demand [so we should definitely plan and book this timeperiod in advance]. Over what specific days will the costs be up? (e.g. April 29, April 30, May 1, May 2 and May 3?)

Thanks everybody in advance for your counsel!

I've been to most of the places you mention there, albeit several years ago. The only thing you may want to check is whether some of the more t¡betan areas on your trip (those parts of Yunnan, Sichuan bordering t¡bet) will be open, as I believe a few of them may still be closed off. With regards to your questions:

1) I doubt there is much danger in all honesty, it was certainly very safe back in 2004 when I went. Our trip was done entirely by bus and train, and while not always the most salubrious mode of transport, it was fine (apart from getting stuck in a mudslide for 7 hours or so at one point - not the greatest of roads out there, that was in the summer though...). The people in that part of the country tend to be pretty friendly, so I really wouldn't worry about security. Some of the places I'd recommend from the areas you mention: around The Dragon's Backbone rice terraces (think they're near Sanjiang and Longsheng, but you'd have to check), in and around the town of Zhaoxing I think it was (all traditional wooden buildings, drumtowers etc), and just generally hiking in the surrounding countryside in the Guizhou/Guangxi border area. There's a lot of stuff about it in the Lonely Planet, but if you just set off by yourself you can find some really cool places, as the area in general isn't too heavily touristed. As for Sichuan, Yunnan, all of the main backpacker places you mention are worth a visit (spectacular scenery for the most part), and again, try getting off the beaten path a bit to find some of the more remote areas there. You mentioned that your dad speaks Mandarin and Cantonese, does this mean you are ethnically Chinese? If so, I'd see even less risk of being ripped-off or otherwise inconvenienced.

2) I wouldn't bother booking anything in advance, though you might want to have a vague itinerary of how long you want to spend in each place. Again, I'm sure the LP has some suggestions, and there are always plenty of places to stay. Our budget then was for about 100 kuai a day each (including travel, food and accommodation), and I think we more or less stuck to that. Hostels in a lot of those places are 15-25 kuai and often surprisingly nice (prices may have risen of course), and for 100 or so you should get something quite decent. Obviously the cities will be more expensive, although Chengdu and Kunming in particular have plenty of clean, affordable hostels. They're also great for getting information on places to go and for meeting fellow travellers etc.

3) There will be more people travelling over the May 1st holiday, but it depends a little bit on where you'll be. If you're in some remote village, I don't really think you'll notice much difference, though I suppose bus tickets may be more difficult to come by. In the big cities the hotels may have higher prices, but I've never actually been anywhere where all hotels are full. If it'll make you feel better though, just make some bookings in advance over the days that you mentioned

By the way, I'd give Guilin a miss (very touristy in a Chinese package tour kind of way, also expensive from what I remember) - there are much better places to visit in Guangxi and Guizhou. Yangshuo is ok, but also very touristy (if in a more friendly backpackerish kind of way). Scenery's good though. The smaller villages and countryside are where it's at really...

It's safe and long as common sense is applied.

Don't bother booking just get an up to date lonely planet that will give you a few different budget accomodation option when you arrive at a new place. Always ask if they have a discounted rate - particularly off season.

Dali is good, Tiger Leaping Gorge is supposed to be amazing! As above although the scenery in Guilin is good it is a tourist trap nightmare and thereofre overpriced.

The May holiday - like all public holidays in China - is a travellers nightmare - imagine 1.3 billion people goin gon holiday at the same time! Be sure to book somewhere early for this time period and best to stay somewhere for that week as opposed to travelling around as buses/ trains will be overcrowded and tickets hard to come by/ more expensive - also accomodation can be more expensive during this period.

Good luck.

In Yangshuo now, its nice cycling around outside of the city, like, real nice.

Off to Guizhou next, going to check out all the minority villages around Kaili, will let you klnow if its any good.

Thread Starter, please post your field report if you went on that trip. Thanks!