Letter of the week

We - myself, my husband and our 10-year-old twins - are going to Zambia for a month on 4 December. My husband is Zambian, and we will be staying with his family in the capital, Lusaka. However, we want the children to have as full an experience as possible and to see other parts of the country. We would, of course, like to spend some time in one of the national parks and to see Victoria Falls. Having looked on the internet, our impression is that many of the parks will be closed at his time of the year. Any suggestions?
Jackie Lowthian, by email

December is bang in the middle of the rainy season in Zambia, and some national parks are closed because their roads become impassable. Check before you set out to avoid disappointment.

However, it is an excellent time for birdwatching and boat trips, and both the South Luangwa and Mosi-oa-Tunya parks remain open for business.

South Luangwa National Park is one of the finest in Africa, with stunning scenery and an enormous variety of wildlife. Although the range of accommodation is limited in the rainy season, there is still a choice of location and budget. For an all-inclusive trip the Nkwali camp (www.robinpopesafaris.net) is ideal. They can arrange special activities for the children and there is still availability for December. It is approximately £230 per person per night and £56 for children.

A cheaper option is Flatdogs Camp, where self-catering chalets cost £16 per person per night and game watching is about £15 each.

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park stretches from Victoria Falls along the upper Zambezi and is divided into two sections, the falls area and the game park. Although small, there is enough natural bush in the game park for it to feel wild, and there is a great range of wildlife, including the only herd of white rhino in Zambia.

You can drive yourself around the park or join an organised tour from Livingstone. Book in advance with Wild Side Tours (email wild@zamnet.zm). We recommend Lonely Planet's Zambia guide.

Safety in Sudan

How safe is it for two mature people to travel independently overland in Sudan? We wish to travel by public transport; boat, bus, camel, foot but not by air. Having travelled by car from Cape Town to Nairobi in the Sixties, I wish to complete my 'Africa Overland' dream from Nairobi via Sudan to the Mediterranean.
Elizabeth Davis, South Africa

If you decide to head into Sudan - and can get in - you'll probably find the biggest challenge of your overland trip ahead of you. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against crossing into Sudan from Metema in western Ethiopia due to military activity in the area. However, Lonely Planet has received reports of travellers who have used this point and passed through Sudan without incident.

Public transport is extremely basic and road conditions are poor, so if you do decide to travel this way be ready for a few bumpy rides, even when on the sealed main road from Khartoum to Atbara, halfway to Wadi Halfa, from where you can catch the boat to Aswan. You'll be relying on local trucks, buses and minivans that link major towns, though you may also be able to catch the train from Khartoum to Wadi Halfa. Sudan is an Islamic country, and you should keep a close eye on the Middle East as any development there could cause rising tensions in Sudan.

Make sure you source a visa before trying to cross the border, though this should be possible to obtain en route. However, the prospect of a Nairobi to Cairo route, that passes through northern Kenya, some of the most stunning areas of Ethiopia, Sudan and along the length of Egypt offers an amazing adventure.

New Year in Laos

We are planning to take our annual holidays to Laos and Cambodia over Christmas and New Year. Does anybody know of a good place to celebrate New Year in either country? Also, what kind of weather can we expect in late December or early January?
Peter Brown, Manchester

It'll be dry and hot in Laos and Cambodia in December/ January, with temperatures getting as high as 30C, but without the humidity of the monsoon season. Our tip for New Year is to head for the beautiful Luang Prabang in northern Laos - a city of temples amid a setting of mountains and the Mekong River. It's popular with tourists but you should retain the feeling that you're in a different place for New Year. ailing that, you could just take a chance and see where fate ends you up - readers have reported ending up at various points the length and breadth of Laos and still having a great time at local festivities. For more on Laos see www.visit-laos.com.

Over to you... readers' feedback

Keith Lillywhite's inquiry about things to do on a short break to New York (Letters, 10 November) provoked a number of replies.

New York at Christmas is magic. A walk down Fifth Avenue is a must. Takashimaya is wonderful but expensive, and much of the merchandise can be found at the Conran Shop, but the store design and packaging are not to be beaten. But what about Century 21 - every New Yorker's shopping mecca? Macy's is boring, what about Canal Street and Chinatown? Much more fun than a show that can be seen more cheaply in London (and the downtown ticket office has much shorter queues). As for skating, Wollman rink is much more romantic and not full of poseurs, but Rockefeller Center offers better architecture (at a price). SoHo is now a suburban, horizontal shopping mall ,and Greenwich Village is not cutting edge; for that you need Nolita or the Lower East side. Your advice is outdated and inaccurate.
Judith Kozloff

I'd include a trip to Lower East side. Visit Katz's Deli of When Harry Met Sally fame, which still has wonderful food at very good prices - only don't ask for a bacon sandwich as my husband did, absentmindedly. Also, Seaport, visiting the moving Vietnam war memorial, Wall Street and the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (add another couple of days!) .

Also, on the subject of Delft (Letters, 10 November) , I would suggest to your reader that he buys his wife a copy of Tracy Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring as an accompaniment to the trip - a wonderful read and very evocative of Delft.
Deb Carr-Hill, Hampton

· We welcome letters. Tom Hall and Fiona Christie from Lonely Planet address as many as possible here. Email travel.tips@observer.co.uk or write to Escape, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER. The writer of the week's star letter wins a Lonely Planet guide of their choice (so include a daytime telephone number and postal address). No individual correspondence can be entered into.