Airlines China Southern, Beijing Lu, south of the Dongfeng Lu intersection (tel 3101831); China Southwest, north of the King World Hotel on Beijing Lu (daily 8.30am-noon & 2-7pm; tel 3539696, fax 3539700); Thai, next door to the King World, Beijing Lu (Mon-Fri 9am-noon & 1-5pm; tel 3131163, fax 3167351); Yunnan Air, Tuodong Lu (daily 8am-8pm; tel 3164270 or 3138562).

Banks and exchange The Bank of China is at the corner of Beijing Lu-Renmin Dong Lu (Mon-Fri 9-11.45am & 2.30-5.30pm). Some hotels also have foreign exchange counters with identical rates.

Bookshops The Foreign Language Bookstore on Qingnian Lu has the usual Victorian potboilers and a good selection in English on Yunnan, translations of Chinese literature, coffee-table works and bilingual maps.

Cinema Kunming's main screen is on the south side of the Dongfeng Lu-Zhengyi Lu intersection.

Consulates Burma (Myanmar), Wing 3, Floor 2, Camellia Binguan, Dongfeng Dong Lu (Mon-Fri 8.30-11.30am & 1.30-4.30pm, closed during frequent Burmese public holidays; tel 3176623, fax 3178556; 28-day tourist visa issued in 3 working days, ¥168); Laos, Wing 3, Floor 2, Camellia Binguan, Dongfeng Dong Lu (Mon-Fri 8.30-11.30am & 2.30-4.30pm; tel 3176623, fax 3178556; 7, 14 and 28-day visas issued in 3 working days, cost dependent on nationality but around US$40 for a 28-day visa); Thailand, in a building in front of the Kunming hotel on Dongfeng Dong Lu (Mon-Fri 8.30am-noon; one-month transit visa ¥70, sixty-day tourist visa ¥110; various conditions apply). Vietnamese visas for the Hekou crossing are available in China only through consulates in Hong Kong and Beijing.

Left luggage Your accommodation may be able to help, or there are luggage offices at both train and bus stations, open dawn to evening.

Hospital Yunnan Province Red Cross hospital and emergency centre is on Qingnian Lu.

Internet Most hotels, and foreigner-oriented cafés up near the university, have Internet access, though it's considerably cheaper at the main Telecom building, on the corner of Dongfeng Lu and Beijing Lu.

PSB The Foreign Affairs Department is on Beijing Lu (daily 8-11am & 2.30-5.30pm; tel 3166191), though they might be moving soon. They speak good English and are generally helpful with visa extensions.

Post and telecomunications The GPO is on the southern stretch of Beijing Lu (daily 8am-8pm); post restante can also be addressed to the Kunhu, Camellia and larger hotels with their own postal desks. There are phones at the GPO, but the main Telecom building is north at the junction with Dongfeng Lu.

Shopping The antique store in the grounds of the Camellia Binguan on Dongfeng Dong Lu has a collection of wooden panels prised off Qing-dynasty homes, silver hairpins, porcelain and some nice inkstones. There's also the Friendship Store on the corner of Qiangnian Lu and Renmin Zhong Lu, selling ornamental chopsticks, vases, chops and batiks at reasonable prices. For local flavour, try bamboo pipes, home-grown tobacco, and trinkets sold in backstreet markets, such as the curio stalls at the pet market. Yunnan also has a reputation as a source of rare medicines, though prices in Kunming for many of these are grossly inflated - if you're curious, check out the handful of shops south of the Beijing Lu GPO for caterpillar fungus, dragon's blood and other weird items. A "gift pack" selection of these costs ¥680.

Telephone The telephone code for Kunming is 0871.

Travel agents CITS have offices all over town, predominantly at the Holiday Inn (tel 3165888), King World Hotel (tel 3138888), and a largish, English-speaking counter at Yunnan Air (tel 3162214). The Camellia Binguan 's private service, and the CYTS at the Kunhu Fandian, are recommended for all independent travellers' needs. All can organize private tours around the city and to Shilin, Dali and Xishuangbanna, and obtain train and plane (and sometimes long-distance bus) tickets. Expect commissions of at least ¥20 for bus and ¥80 for train ticket reservations.