My First Solo Trip to China: What I Got Wrong (and What I’d Do Differently)

Like most people, I spent weeks researching before my solo trip to Yunnan, China. I had been to China once before, about 15 years ago, but that was a family trip with a tour guide. This time, I wanted something completely different: slow travel, no fixed schedule, and the freedom to explore on my own.

Even after all that research, there were still a few things I learned the hard way.

Visa Timing Matters More Than You Think

I applied for the visa less than a week before the long Eid holiday in Indonesia because I got caught up with work. Based on the normal processing time, my visa should have been ready well before my departure. Then I got a call from the visa center. They told me all of my documents had been approved, but because of the backlog after the long Eid holiday in Indonesia, the Chinese Embassy would need about two weeks to issue my visa.

Not exactly what you want to hear just before your trip.

Thankfully, the staff suggested another option: the 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit. Since I would be staying in China for less than 10 days and flying onward to South Korea afterward, I qualified for it.

Crisis averted.

The 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Comes with Restrictions

This was entirely on me.

I knew about the visa-free transit, but somehow I completely missed one important detail: you can’t visit every city in China under this policy.

I only found out at immigration.

After checking my documents, the nice immigration officer told me that I wouldn’t be allowed to enter Shangri-La under the visa-free transit. She handed me a printed list of cities that were permitted.

Thankfully, I had booked refundable train tickets and a refundable hotel in Shangri-La, so changing my itinerary wasn’t too painful.

Lesson learned: always double-check which cities are covered before planning your route.

English Isn’t as Common as I Expected

This was probably my biggest rookie mistake.

I’ve traveled to plenty of countries where English isn’t widely spoken, but I’ve usually been able to communicate with hotel staff, café owners, or people around tourist attractions.

Yunnan humbled me.

Apart from the incredibly kind immigration officer, I only met one other person who spoke English, a lovely lady who owned a tea house in Lijiang. WeChat and translation apps became my best travel companion to communicate with essentially everyone. Honestly, I don’t know how I would’ve survived without them.

Altitude Sickness Hit Hard

You can read about altitude sickness a hundred times. Experiencing it yourself is a completely different story. No amount of online research prepared me for how awful I felt. 

If you’re planning to visit higher-altitude areas in Yunnan, don’t underestimate it. Take it slow, stay hydrated, and give your body time to adjust.

Trust me on this one.

Traveling During a Chinese Public Holiday

It wasn’t Chinese New Year, but it coincide with a long weekend in April. Because I work remotely, I usually have the flexibility to travel outside peak seasons. Somehow, I completely overlooked the holiday calendar until after I’d booked my flights.

Big mistake.

Hotels were more expensive than usual, and train tickets sold out incredibly fast. Luckily, I managed to get my train tickets in time and still found reasonably priced hotels, but it definitely made planning more stressful than it needed to be. It’s also worth checking China’s public holidays before settling on your travel dates.

I absolutely fell in love with Yunnan, and my overall experience is very positive. People I came across might not speak English, but many of them are so kind and friendly. It shows that language barrier doesn’t stop kindness. 

I was disappointed that I couldn’t visit Shangri-La because of the visa restrictions, but I guess that’s just another reason to return. There are still so many places in Yunnan I’d love to explore, and next time, I’ll definitely be applying for a regular visa.

Sometimes the trips that don’t go exactly as planned end up becoming the ones you remember the most.

What’s your most memorable travel hiccup? I’d love to hear your story!