Face to face with 'Jaws'
Ever since I saw the film Jaws I've been fascinated by great white sharks. I'd love to go diving (in a metal cage, obviously!) and see one. I know South Africa and Australia are the best places, but wondered if you could give me details of package holidays. Would I need to pass any advanced diving course beforehand?
Ben McCann, by email
Cage diving is growing in popularity. This is a controversial pastime: critics claim that the use of bait to attract sharks to the cage can make them associate humans with food. That doesn't stop facing a great white eye-to-eye being an unforgettable experience.
In Australia shark diving is offered as a sailing excursion lasting several days, during which you live on board a boat. Obviously, that can be expensive. Rodney Fox Shark Experiences (00 61 8 8376 3373) offers four to eight-day viewing and diving expeditions off the South Australia coast, starting at around £1,400, excluding the cost of getting there.
Meanwhile in South Africa it's possible to go on one-day trips, which mostly depart from Gansbaai, 100 miles from Cape Town in the Western Cape. There are several operators charging as little as £70-£80 for the experience, and you should be able to book when you get out there.
As a general rule you should be able to do some shallow dives if you don't hold a Padi qualification, but you'll be able to do more if you do train for this before you go. Beware, though, because the requirements do vary from operator to operator.
Tokyo for lovers
My boyfriend and I are going to Tokyo for a week in May. Where are the best places to go, eat and stay? Can we stay in a traditional inn, and what kind of weather can we expect?
Sarah Thomas, Scone
Tokyo is huge and can be bewildering, so divide it into small pieces. Most interesting things are within the circular Yamanote train line.
First, see the area around the Imperial Palace and Gardens. This is near the Ginza shopping area. Ueno and Asakusa offer traditional attractions, including temples. In the evening, stroll through the Blade Runner scenery of Shibuya or try lively Roppongi.
An essential day trip is to Hakone, which has fine views of Mount Fuji and religious and historical buildings at Nikko. Hiroshima, a five to six-hour journey, is best saved for a longer trip.
The weather should be warm, perhaps with showers. The Japanese Tourist Office will help you book a traditional inn.
Slovenia on a budget
I am arranging a holiday in Slovenia for seven to 10 days in June or July. We want to fly from Stansted or Luton to Trieste or Klagenfurt, hire a car and drive from there. How much can we see in the time, and apart from Lake Bled and Bohinj where else would be good for scenery, walking and the like? We are in our fifties and fairly fit, but with limited funds.
Jenny Martin, by email
Well the big news is that EasyJet starts flying to Ljubljana from Stansted on 28 April, with promotional fares starting at only €2.99 (about £2) one-way.
But if you prefer it, you can fly to Klagenfurt in Austria or Trieste in Italy with Ryanair and hire a car. I was quoted £236 a week from Klagenfurt and £154 from Trieste, including tax and unlimited miles, for a Ford Fiesta, booking online with Hertz.
You can see many of the country's highlights in a week. Spend a couple of days in Ljubljana, with its castle, old town and market.
Bled, with its beautiful lake and castle, is worth a visit, but for more solitude consider Bohinj, a less developed lake.
There is excellent walking around both towns.
Slovenia's short coast is packed with history. The well-preserved Venetian Gothic old town of Piran is close to fine beaches. You'll find rooms in pensions and guesthouses widely available for under £40 a night. The Slovenian Tourist Office does bookings.
Smoother Vancouver
We wish to visit relations in Vancouver. Please tell us the best time to see the colours of autumn, the rail fare from Vancouver to Calgary (can we fly into one and out of the other?), and how easy it would be to book ourselves?
Pam and Cliff Shepherd, Kent
Fall in Vancouver starts in mid-September. Flights cost about £550 for a return to Vancouver, or back from Calgary to the UK. Zoom (0870 240 0055), a budget carrier, has returns to Vancouver starting at under £400, and it's easy to work in a return from Calgary. There is no regular Vancouver-Calgary train link, but the Rocky Mountaineer, (00 1 604 606 7245), offers a spectacular two-day trip from about £500 a head, or a 15-hour bus ride for £20. See Visit Canada (0906 871 5000 [60p/min])
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