Letter of the week
· I want to travel to South Africa next year, mainly to dive with great white sharks, but I would also like to take in as much of the country as possible. What would be the best time of year to see the sharks? I would like to spend about 10 days away, dividing my time between Cape Town and touring. I'll be travelling alone and am not afraid to rough it as I may be on a tight budget. Adam Cooper, Hertford
The majority of operators offering shark cage-diving trips do so from Hermanus or Gansbaai, a couple of hours down the coast from Cape Town. You'll need a scuba qualification before you'll be let in the water with diving equipment, though some operators, such as Brian MacFarlane (www.sharkcage diving.net; £80 for an all-day trip) will let experienced snorkellers in the cage. Winter (May to August) is the best time to spot sharks, but if you travel in January you still stand a good chance. If you're keen to include whale-watching, go between June and November. Bear in mind, though, that shark-diving trips have been criticised for encouraging sharks to associate humans with food.
Cape Town is a wonderful place to spend a few days before you head down the coast - Plettenberg Bay and Knysna are good places to aim for. Official website southafrica.net lists accommodation from campsites and B&Bs to luxury lodges. Car hire is cheap and plentiful. A week's hire of a Group A car with Avis (avis.co.uk) costs about £142.
· We plan to visit Croatia and Montenegro next summer. We will hire a car at Dubrovnik and, after spending a week in Croatia, drive to Montenegro for another week. I've heard that there can be issues with insurance at the border when entering Montenegro. Also, what are driving conditions like in Montenegro? There are four of us with luggage. Will hiring a large car (Skoda Octavia estate) be OK? Rod Lipscombe, by email
Before independence, Serbia and Montenegro was one of the countries in Europe which required drivers to produce a Green Card. This card forms the basis of a system designed to make driving across borders much smoother. A Green Card offers no insurance cover but is proof that the minimum legal requirements for third party liability insurance are covered by the driver's own motor policy. Your insurance company should be able to provide you with this card without charge. Recent multi-lateral guarantees between EU countries have removed the need for a Green Card within the EU. However, since independence, Montenegro has not met the requirements that allow Green Cards to be recognised. You will need to arrange cover at the border which will cost £60.
Find out more about Green Cards at the Motor Insurers Bureau (mib.org.uk). You should also have an International Drivers Licence.
There has been considerable investment in the road network in Montenegro. Skoda Octavia Estates have very large boots and are roomy in the back, so you should be fine with this. Balkan Holidays (0845 130 1114; balkanholidays.co.uk) can tailormake holidays to Montenegro and the rest of the region.
· In February my husband and I will be returning from a small-ship cruise in the South Pacific. The problem is that after flying overnight from Tahiti to LA we have eight hours to wait before our overnight flight to London and then on to Edinburgh. We are in our sixties and will be tired and jet-lagged in LA. I don't know how best to spend the time. Perhaps an executive lounge? We are travelling in economy class with Air New Zealand but would be willing to pay for a more comfortable place to wait. Is there an airport hotel we could use? I expect our luggage will be sent through but we will have hand luggage. Susan Baillie, by email
It will take an hour or more to clear customs and claim your luggage (if you are in transit in the US you do need to re-check in your luggage), and you're recommended to check in three hours before your next flight. This leaves four hours in which you could have a leisurely meal or pay to use a lounge. However, reviews of lounges offering paid-for access at Los Angeles airport are uniformly bad (see airlinequality.net and flyerguide.net) and you may find yourself paying over the odds for a free packet of peanuts and a queue for the bar.
The easiest thing to do is to check into a hotel - the exchange rate and early booking can make this affordable. The Radisson at Los Angeles Airport has rooms from £94, bookable online at radisson.com
· My wife and I are celebrating a wedding anniversary next year and I would like to organise a mini-break around the actual day. I would like to visit the Eden Project over two days, as she's keen on gardening, but I'd like to eat in Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, plus Jamie Oliver's Fifteen in Newquay. We will travel by train and then hire a car. Where should we stay? My wife likes intimate and stylish, rather than elaborate (I don't mean cottage!). Name and address supplied
If you haven't had enough Rick Stein after Padstow you can stay at several places owned by the restaurateur. St Petroc's Hotel (01841 532700; rickstein.com) fits the stylish and intimate bill with doubles from £170, and there's an informal bistro if you haven't managed reservations at the Seafood Restaurant (01841 532700). In Newquay you could try crossing Britain's only private suspension bridge to reach the House in the Sea. Owned by local aristocracy and occupying a private island, it has one luxury double. It's bookable through uniquehomestays.co.uk from £140 a night. Staying somewhere special may help you grab tables at high-demand restaurants - otherwise book as far in advance as you can.
Feedback
· My family and I have driven the length of Highway 20 in British Columbia, arriving in Bella Coola (Letters, 9 December) and catching the ferry to Port Hardy, an excellent trip with amazing scenery. We stayed in a ranch 20 or so miles off the road. I would recommend a four-wheel-drive for this trip - it is fine if you drive slowly and allow plenty of time. Carol Thomas
