Biswanath Roy

Since you seem emphatically certain of what you want to see and where, as well as all the places you would avoid, I’m not sure how much a travel operator could add to your itinerary—especially as most focus on populist group tours, which isn’t what you’re after. Hotel bookings and long-distance travel arrangements are easily done on your own. It’s going to be easiest to enter and exit China through Beijing or Shanghai. Internally, for train travel, excellent guidance can be found on seat61.com/China.htm. For domestic flight information, check english.ctrip.com. For local sightseeing and guides, your hotel is often the best agent to make those arrangements in a place where speaking English is not common. But the one-point source of reliable advice is cnto.org.in, with tour ideas and travel operators listed. There’s some pretty handy information on friendsofdunhuang.org too, if you decide to do your own planning.

Operators out of India who do China tours include SOTC (sotc.in), but mostly cover the more frequented cities you want to avoid; SITA (sitatours.com), which is better for going a little deeper; ditto the Wanderers (thewanderers.travel); and Makemytrip.com, which does offer customisation. In China, the China Odyssey Tours (chinaodysseytours.com) are well-regarded. Wild China (wildchina.com), in the higher bracket, are happy to do tailored offbeat itineraries.

As for your Yangtze cruise, most itineraries are bookended by Shanghai and/or Beijing. If you wish to avoid that, Chongqing–Yichang or Wuhan is a good bet. Century is the classic carrier (centuryrivercruises.com), but there’s also Victoria Cruises (victoriacruises.com) and Viking River Cruises (vikingrivercruises.com).

In China, you’d be better off with a big global hotel chain with a travel desk geared towards helping international travellers liaise with local drivers and guides. In Lijiang, that might be the Crowne Plaza (from RMB 1,400, crowneplaza.com) or the Pullman (from RMB 1,190, pullmanhotels.com). Zhangjiajie has a Pullman (from RMB 548), too. Sanya has more affordable options besides Pullman (from RMB 790.40), including Holiday Inn (from RMB 577; holidayinn.com). Best bet in Dunhuang is the Silk Road (from RMB 480, +86-937-8882088, the-silk-road.com).

A friend of mine is coming to India in December to get engaged to his girlfriend from São Paulo. While he’s planning to take her to the Taj Mahal, my wife and I also intend to take a (long) weekend roadtrip from Delhi with them. The idea is to bond and take part in some activities, besides showcasing India to her. Could you help?

Suket

I wish you had shared a few more details such as what kind of activities, price bracket and driving distance you’re looking at. But here’s a list of places—within a few hours of Delhi and with Indian accents—that I think you might like (all tariffs are for doubles): The Bagh in Bharatpur (from Rs 6,000; thebagh.com) is, of course, great for birding; Patan Mahal in the Sikar district (from Rs 6,500; patanmahal.com) has a lovely pool and villages nearby; Ajmer Bungalow (Rs 2,900; ajmerbungalow.com) lets you try your hand at pottery; Mud Fort Kuchesar in Bulandshahar district (from Rs 5,000; mudfortkuchesar.com) is perfect for walks in the surrounding farming fields; or the Neemrana Fort-Palace, off the Delhi-Jaipur highway (from Rs 4,500; fort-palace.neemranahotels.com) which offers a ziplining tour.

Snowcapped peaks frame the Chaurasi temple at Bharmour. (Photograph by Tribhuvan Tiwari)

My wife, my thirteen-year-old child and I are planning a trip to Himachal in May. We’d like to spend three nights each at Dharamsala/Mcleodganj, Dalhousie and Manali, and visit Khajjiar and Chamba. Could you help us draw up an itinerary from Delhi? Trekking is not an interest area, food is. Also, can you suggest a few hotels—up to Rs 3000 per night—in Manali? On the way back from Manali to Delhi, is travelling by bus our only option?

Tuhin

The best thing to do is to start from Manali and work your way westward across the state. Book the overnight Volvo that runs from Delhi to Manali at the Himachal Pradesh Tourism website (hptdc.nic.in). While at Manali you could stay at Negi’s Hotel May Flower (from Rs 2,200; mayflowermanali.com) or at Hotel Snowcrests Manor (from Rs 2,500; ushalexushotels.com). Daily buses run from Manali to Dharamsala. And Mcleodganj is heaven for foodies. Definitely try out Carpe Diem for superb burgers, Norling for its momos and thupka and the bakery at Pema Thang’s Café. You could also go on to the village of Dharamkot, 2km away, to the Family Pizzeria for pizzas and banofee pies. Later, take a connecting bus to Dalhousie and make it a base for day-trips to Chamba and Khajjiar. You should also go to Bharmour to see its medieval temples. Buses ply directly from Dalhousie to Delhi.

We have been planning a trip to the Hornbill Festival in Kohima this December. Kindly suggest any homestay or budget hotel near the venue/s and other places to see around Kohima. Also, can we go for a trek at Dzukou Valley on our own? 

Murali Ramalingam

I’m afraid it’s far too late to find accommodation in Khonoma village (the venue of the festival) or even in Kohima. Hotels and homestays are often booked a year in advance. If you are, however, planning to be there towards the tail end of the Hornbill Festival, you might get a room. But I’d suggest you defer your trip to next year. If you must go, try contacting Shahwar Hussain, a veteran travel operator, for help (9810320041, shahwar@chainreactionindia.com). As for places around Kohima, visit the eco-village of Tuophema (41km) and the charming town of Mokokchung (154km). And yes, you can trek to Dzukou Valley in December; ask the hotel to arrange for transport.

We’re planning a beach holiday for my honeymoon in March. Our budget is Rs 60,000-70,000 for 6N/7D. Phuket, Pattaya, Koh Tao, Koh Samui, Krabi, Bali and even Havelock in the Andamans are on our wishlist. Could you help us pick the most romantic?

Siddhant Lahiri

Well, without knowing what other interests or preferences either of you have beyond beach access, I’m assuming for a honeymoon trip you want peace over activity, privacy over company. So I’d straightaway eliminate Phuket, Pattaya and Bali. Phuket is a busy destination and relatively expensive. Pattaya, with its hectic nightlife and proximity to the crowds of Bangkok, is busier still. With Bali, you’d be risking the fag end of the rainy season. That leaves Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Havelock—all of which are islands, removing the temptation of ‘sites to see’. Samui is the more popular and ‘developed’. So I’d put my money on Koh Tao for: easy access to Bangkok, which means less travel time and ease of last-minute sightseeing and shopping to placate the folks back home; cheaper rates than Samui; the beginning of the scuba diving season, with the plankton running high and hence whale sharks more likely to be in attendance (that’s your ‘something exciting to do together’). You also get a choice of beaches, with Sairee the longest and most developed—you could stay at the Simple Life Resort here (from THB 1,950; kohtaosimpleliferesort.com). I’ll also recommend the more secluded Jameson Bay—the ‘rustic’ Charm Churee Villa resort and spa there has charming rooms (from THB 3,500; charmchureevilla.com). Or try the Haad Tien Beach Resort (from THB 4,200; haadtien.com).

If you want to eat out beyond the resort, both Sairee and Mae Haad have plenty of options with a variety of cuisines, not just Thai. For getting around, the cheapest and handiest option is hiring a bike. A day trip to Koh Phangan by longboat could be fun.

My second choice would be Havelock, where it’s high season in March. I’d choose the lower categories at Munjoh (from Rs 7,500; munjoh.com) or Barefoot (from Rs 6,300; barefoot-andaman.com), or look at Wild Orchid (from Rs 5,000 in the high season; wildorchidandaman.com).

Travel confusion? Email mpolo AT outlook india.com. Please note that Marco will reply to questions only in the magazine.