If you’re in the enchanting town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (Nov. ’12, pg. 14), saunter over to Café San Agustín (21 San Francisco), owned by an Argentine movie star who occasionally drops by. They offer a choice of Mexican, Spanish or French hot chocolate, and the churros are legendary (about 9 pesos, or 70¢, for three with a hot chocolate).

Another suggestion for breakfast is Café Media Naranja (Hidalgo 83), which offers high-quality coffee (25 pesos, or about $2), omelets (...

I am very sensitive to MSG. I also am diabetic and need protein. When I first went to China, in the 1990s, I took those little packages of peanut butter crackers with me. Other than that, I ate lots of boiled rice.

On more recent trips to China, I found that local establishments were catering to American tourists. Especially if you are traveling in a group, you will be taken to restaurants that do not add MSG to food. “Add” is the magic word, however, since packaged goods and sauces...

There has been much discussion of tour-group travel versus independent travel in ITN, as there should be.

Tours are planned for you and usually entail no hassles. They’re safe, and you will see the outstanding tourist attractions. Independent travelers never quite know how the trip will go, and they like it that way. They often get the chance to meet and mix with locals and see spots that are off-limits to tours.

For example, on a business trip to China in the late ’90s, I...