Destination: China

Itinerary: Southwest Tour

TWO WEEKS TO 18 DAYS/HONG KONG TO YUNNAN

You'll be journeying to some of China's most alluring destinations on this 2000km tour, taking in key landscape panoramas and ethnic minority areas. The journey can be done in a whistle-stop few weeks or less, but a month will give you time to savour the region.

Start by spending four days sightseeing in Hong Kong and Macau, before venturing north into China proper for one or two nights in Guangzhou. Take the sleeper (train or bus) to Guilin for a day of sightseeing before visiting nearby Yangshuo . Many travellers are seduced into spending much longer than they planned in Yangshuo , so be prepared for a lengthy sojourn. Return to Guilin and hop on a bus to Longsheng and Sanjiang, not far from the Guangxi-Guizhou border, for the spectacular scenery and minority villages. Exploration over the border into minority-rich Guizhou is also a popular option if you have an extra few days. Onward travel from Guilin to Kunming can be undertaken by train or plane. Spend a few days in Kunming before flying or taking the bus northwest to Dali and from there onto Lijiang. Another attractive possibility is to fly or take the bus to the Xishuangbanna region south of Kunming, a part of China abundant in opportunities for hiking and exploring the southwest borders. Other possibilities include flights from Kunming to Chiang Mai or Bangkok in Thailand, or taking a train to Hanoi in Vietnam.