1 - Never get a visa on arrival - take the time to go to the consulate and get it done before you go. The subway station is directly in front of the consulate now so it is very convenient.

2 - The boat trips are nice but too long. The 1 day boat trip leaves you in the middle of nowhere and the 2 day trip is too long. However, if you go during non-peak season, the boat trip can be nice because the boats are not crowded. Go during peak season and its hell because you have no room and you are stuck with a bunch of drunken smelly backpacking laowais for 2 days and all you have is a wooden seat. I have done the boat trip from both directions (N-S + S - N). North to South is the most crowded. Avoid the crowds and do the boat trip on your way back north.

3 - If you go - then do it right and don't do the 4 countries in 1 month route like most nasty (cheap) backpackers do. Go by bus from China and cross the border and see and enjoy the entire country from top to bottom. The people are great and so is the food.

4 - I took the local bus which is slow and loud (music) but very enjoyable. The minivans are faster but the nasty laowais have 2 huge backpacks per person and they will squeeze everyone inside with their luggage.

The worst part of travelling to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia is the Nasty laowais.

Hehe!

I ordered the seeds from Tao Bao and I am growing them in my garden now.

www.gokunming.com/en/forums/thread/12213/garden_in_kunming

Send me a private message (PM) with your email and itinerary for Yunnan (Word file) and the places you want to visit and I will let you know if your plan is doable.

Yes, you can travel in Yunnan without any language ability since you are a determined person. However, you can expect to pay a LITTLE more since you will not be able to negotiate and you do not know the average/standard rates.

Taxis and drivers will take you for a ride but buses will ask you to pay the same standard fare as everyone else (chinese and foreigner pay the same rates).

Hotels will also make you pay higher rates since you can not speak chinese or negotiate.

However, like all travellers in SE Asia you will definitely meet people along the way (other foreigners who speak chinese and chinese who speak english) who can help you so you will probably not have any problems.

I can give you some quotes of what a fare price is but this varies on the time (peak season) you will be travelling in China.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Glitter - Learn something new every day.

Peter99 you make some good points about Cambodia but you failed to give an example of where you think may be a good place.

All countries have bad people. For example, I have been to Kundu many times during the day but never been there at night when the problems occur. Same with Dali, many people go there for drugs but since I do not look for that, I dont have to interact with the bad characters.

I have a friend who has been living in Cambodia (not travelling) for several years and he does not have any negative reports. Again, because he does not live that type of lifestyle.

Escape plan for a single person is diff than an escape plan for a couple. For those who are willing to return to their native soil a visa is not necessary. Anyone living in China needs some type of visa. Same for most other countries.