I mean, you could also try connecting to the websites using their direct IP address as opposed to using a domain name as well. If you know what their IP address is, try it. It’s how you can test to see if it’s really a DNS issue or something else.
That’s how I connected to TPB when I was in China years ago. Back then all they did was DNS methods of blocking and I could just subvert them by using direct IPs. Their blocking has gotten a lot more sophisticated with deep-packet inspection and such since then though. Pretty sure only VPN-obfuscating technologies like Vypr’s “Chameleon” works without hitches against it now. My dad just go back from China and told me that PIA was extremely spotty, which tells me that 256-bit OpenVPN methods isn’t a cure-all anymore… sucks.
It could still be a hosts file problem though, since you CAN put IPs in that as well.