Letter of the week

We want to go to Chile for four weeks in July and August 2006. Our party will be myself, my sons, who will be aged seven, 14 and 16, and my adult stepdaughter. We want a short time in Santiago and to use hotels in the Explora chain in the Atacama desert and the Torres del Paine national park. We aim to see the Huife hot springs, cruise the fjords and go to Chiloé and Easter islands! Is all this feasible?
J Lecoyte, by email

Four weeks should do if you move fast. Start by arranging the flights that will be the backbone of your trip.

Return tickets to Santiago start at £660 through Journey Latin America (020 8747 3108; www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk).

You'll want at least three internal flights - from Santiago to the lakes, from Punta Arenas back to the capital and then on to the north of the country. The airline Lan Chile (lanchile.com) offers a Visit Chile pass, good for between three and six flights, starting at about £140. This is available only outside Chile. These flights can form the basis of your journey.

First, head south to Patagonia and the southern lakes, where it will be winter. Spend a week in the lakes and Chiloé before heading to Puerto Montt and flying or cruising the fjords on the Navimag ferry (navimag.com) to Patagonia. You should be able to exploreTorres del Paine from its Explora hotel (chile-hotels.com/explora.htm).

Now head up to the Atacama desert. There's enough here for a week and another around San Pedro. Parque Nacional Lauca, in the far north, is amazing - full of cacti, volcanoes and unusual wildlife.

To add in Easter Island would be a mad dash involving a frenzy of flights.You're better off saving it for another time. There are more details at visit-chile.org.

I want to get back to the mountains after a bad skiing accident which has left me not too keen to ski again. We have booked a short break at Interlaken, in Switzerland. Can you recommend alternative exciting winter pursuits, such as dog sledding?
Kay Bagon, Radlett

Interlaken is a gateway to the Jungfrau region, beautifully situated within sight of towering Alpine peaks.

There's plenty to do that doesn't revolve around skiing. You can hop on gondolas to get to such sights as the Oberer glacier. Make time for Europe's highest train ride to the 3,454 metre-high Jungfraujoch. In good weather there are wonderful views all the way to the Black Forest, but bring sunscreen and sunglasses.

In summer, Interlaken is one of the best places in Europe for organising adventurous sports - including hiking, paragliding and canyoning. In winter, there's tobogganing near Grindelwald, as well as snowshoeing, dog sledding, snow tubing and curling. It's easy to arrange these there - see interlaken.ch for a list of operators.

My wife and I are visiting Thailand for two weeks in April to meet our daughter who is in the middle of a 10-month trip. We had planned to meet in the coastal province of Krabi, spend time there and visit some islands, then go to the Khao Sok national park. But this itinerary may not be possible or advisable after the tsunami. Is there an alternative? We want a mixture of beach, island and inland national park. One idea is Ko Samui and Ang Thong national park, but we would welcome others.
Trevor Owen, Chichester

Krabi was affected, but not as badly as some other areas of the Andaman coast. It's worth watching the situation over the next couple of months.

Most hotels are open for business, beaches show few signs of disruption and, most importantly, local people will be delighted to see you.

The travel specialist Pata (pata.org) has details of affected areas and links to accurate sources of information. Koh Tarutao's jungle islands and immaculate national park could complement a few days on a beach.

Alternatively, you could head for the islands in the Gulf of Thailand east of the Isthmus of Kra. Koh Tao, a few hours by boat from Koh Samui, is a great place to dive, kayak and hit the beach. You can still visit Khao Sok easily, but Ang Thong is a nearer alternative.

For more details on this fascinating country, visit www.tourismthailand.org.

Over to you ... readers' feedback

I have a few tips for Susanne Graham's trip on the Trans-Siberian railway (Ask the Experts 23 January):

break your journey at Lake Baikal, as we did, visit Ulan Bator and the surrounding country, and remember that the express is 'a working' train, not a tourist one, so don't expect luxury.
Jacqueline Hoque, by email