Letter of the week
I have won free return flights to the Isle of Man, to be used before April, but I'm not entirely convinced it's worth visiting! Have you any suggestions on a boutique, or slightly quirky, hotel or bed and breakfast, and ideas for outward bound activities that could convince me to go?
Belinda Mortell, by email
When will you next have the chance to go to the Isle of Man - and for free? Resolve immediately to make the trip.
The island's hilly interior and rugged coastline make it a great place for walking and cycling. You won't find boutique hotels here, but there is a wide selection of B&Bs, hotels and cottages throughout the island. Get a room on the wild west coast of the island for spectacular sunsets.
While you're there, hike up Snaefell, the island's highest point, visit the beautifully sited Peel Castle and take a boat cruise to the Calf of Man, a lovely island where you stand a good chance of spotting seals and an array of marine birds. You can get listings of accommodation and further information from the Manx Department of Tourism (01624 686801; gov.im/tourism/).
We are planning a world trip and looking at using the internet to book hotels. There are amazing bargains, particularly at the Hong Kong Hotels Travel Guide site (hong-kong-hotels-travel.net). How can we tell if sites are bona fide?
Lorrie Marchington, by email
You need to be careful when booking online. Low prices are tempting, but as soon as you book with an organisation outside the UK you lose the protection of dealing with tour operators and travel agents belonging to Abta, the Association of British Travel Agents, or covered by Atol, Air Travel Operators' License, a government scheme.
Even if a site meets a whole range of criteria there are no cast-iron guarantees - it's one of the downsides of using the web.
That said, there are a few ways to safeguard your arrangements to an extent. Start by fully examining the company involved. Look for a postal address and phone number on the site. If there isn't one, or it isn't in the country you're travelling to, you may wish to reconsider using the site. One key factor is whether it offers alternative means of payment beyond submitting your credit-card details online.
Look too for confirmation and cancellation clauses and data protection guarantees. A manned phone line you can call with any follow-up queries is another thing to check for. The Hong Kong Hotels Travel Guide meets all these criteria. Helpfully, it lists a UK telephone number you can call for more information. If you still have doubts, book elsewhere through an established UK travel agent.
My wife and I leave at the end of this month for Bangladesh, where we have volunteered for up to nine months' work for two small charities in Sylhet. While we are there we want to see some of the sights of Bangladesh and the surrounding countries such as India (Assam) and Bhutan. We would appreciate your advice on suitable long weekend breaks for two people nearing retirement age.
Stephen Martin, Evesham
The rolling hills of the country around Sylhet are classic tea-planting areas, and you'll have a lovely time cycling about the tea estates around the city.
The remote Madhabkunda waterfall is a popular daytrip, three hours' drive from Sylhet. The area is one of the wettest on earth, so you're assured a lively torrent.
For short breaks, the rest of Bangladesh is fascinating. Though distances aren't huge, you should allow at least a day to do major inter-city travel. Cox's Bazaar, in the far south, is the main beach destination and a good place to unwind.
The museums, river cruises and bazaars of the capital, Dhaka, would make for a fun weekend. The city is a day's train ride from Sylhet.
You can take a day trip from Dhaka to Sonargon, Bengal's first capital, or spend a couple of days in the Madhapur Forest Reserve. Here you will find the country's best-preserved forests and monkey populations. The lovely lake setting of Rangamati makes it a great place to unwind, a few hours from Chittagong.
Outside Bangladesh you need permits to travel to some north-eastern states of India, but not for Assam. Check the latest advice from the Foreign Office because insurgent activity can make travel in this area a problem.
Shillong, in Meghalaya state, is known improbably as 'the Scotland of the East' for its golf course, green hills and Victorian cottages. This is one of several surprising destinations in the area.
For travel to Bhutan you'll need to arrange an escorted tour in advance - you need to use a recognised travel agent and pay at least £110 a day. The Bhutanese Department of Tourism (tourism.gov.bt) has further details.
My son is studying events leading to the outbreak of the First World War as part of his history A-level course. Is travel to Sarajevo advisable for tourists, does it have any First World War museums and what else is worth seeing there? Is it easy to travel between Sarajevo and Belgrade by public transport?
Andrew Stacey, by email
The fascinating capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina is getting back to business after the fighting in the Nineties, and is a safe and increasingly popular destination.
You do, however, need to seek local advice about landmines if venturing off the beaten track outside the city. There is a plaque at the spot where Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were shot - the incident that triggered the First World War - but it can be hard to find.
Your son may also find interesting a visit to the site of the National Library where the archduke paused before his final, short journey. The library, a magnificent Austro-Hungarian building, was destroyed in the 1992 conflict and is still being rebuilt. There's not much specifically dedicated to the Great War, but several good museums focus on the dramatic history of the city and Bosnia as a whole.
Sarajevo's old Turkish Quarter is a great place for a wander and to drink authentic coffee from a brass pot.
Frequent buses between Sarajevo and Belgrade take about eight hours. Visit bhtourism.ba for more about this fascinating and beautiful country.
Over to you... feedback from our readers
Carol Tibbs emails to challenge our advice to Max Booth (26 September) about his planned visit to Tamil Nadu: Sorry, but outside Goa or Kovalam, Indian beaches are not the place to chill out. A stroll along them fully clothed is fine, but you'll attract unwanted attention if you attempt to swim or sunbathe in swimwear. Even if you stay within the confines of a posh hotel, you can attract a crowd looking in from the beach if you are not covered up.
Some of the beaches are dirty because many local people have no access to a toilet. In addition, beaches on the east coast are often dangerous, both from currents and, allegedly, sharks! Pondicherry is brilliant, though. You can swim, though not laze, there. Take a trip out to Auroville, 'the city of the future'. You can get there by bike, and they are easy to hire.
Be prepared for culture shock, but don't shut yourself away in hotels and take taxis everywhere - you won't see the real India.
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