I'm planning to spend three weeks this autumn cycling the pilgrim route from Pamplona to Santiago de Compostela with a friend.
We were thinking of hiring bikes over there, and pulling our luggage in a trailer. Can we hire mountain bikes with panniers or a trailer in Pamplona or Bilbao? Or would it be worth buying bikes in Spain? We would then either take a trailer with us or buy or hire one there. This would enable us to fly to our starting point, then return by ferry from Spain. What would be best?
Jason Webber, by email
It's not easy to hire a bike in Bilbao for a trip like this, so your must either buy a bike when you arrive or take your own. It's worth taking your own as you can ride it extensively before heading off on a 500-mile route. You don't want to find out halfway that it's the wrong size or shape for you. It also saves wrestling with Spanish to buy a suitable bike.
Most airlines are happy to carry bikes, often at little or no extra cost, if they are properly boxed. Your local bike shop will stock boxes and advise on preparing your bike to fit.
A trailer takes only as much luggage as a fully loaded set of front and rear panniers. You may prefer these so you can share the load between you.
The Confraternity of St James (www.csj.org.uk) publishes guides and has a website for pilgrims with links to cycling forums discussing trips such as yours.
My family and I fell in love with India on a holiday in Rajasthan last November, and we want to see the south in December.
We will only have two weeks, and we want to spend it in Kerala. Could you please inform us of how best we could spend our time, while also visiting a friend in Kottakal?
Kiran Moodley, London
Kerala's tropical climate, beaches and tranquil backwaters will be a contrast to the majestic deserts of Rajasthan, and will show you a new, colourful side to India.
Start in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum). It is worth a day or two sightseeing for the temples and museums.
From here go south to the resort of Kovalam or Varkala, which is quieter. Both are great bases for trips inland to hill stations and quiet villages.
From there, Kollam and Alappuzha are great places to pick up a cruise round the coconut-palm lined canals, or charter a boat to escape the crowds.
If there's time, head up to Periyar wildlife sanctuary, which has tigers and jungle walks. Head on to Kochi (Cochin) and spend a day exploring the remnants of Portuguese colonialism.
You can end your stay by popping in on your friends in Kottakkal, which is further north. There's information on Kerala from Incredible India (020 7437 3677; www.incredibleindia.org).
A friend and I plan to travel to New Zealand for a month this autumn, breaking our journey in Fiji for three days. Can you recommend somewhere we can recuperate from jet lag and lounge on a beach, preferably a quiet island not overly touristy or pricey?
We also want to do some sheep shearing in New Zealand. Can you recommend farms where we can stay? We fly into Auckland and out of Christchurch.
Frances Rodgers, Galway
Fiji has a choice of cheaper resorts in the Yawasa archipelago, accessed by daily catamaran or seaplane from Nadi. Most have beach-side accommodation, meals and access to watersports gear. Octopus Resort (www.octopusresort.com) on Waya Island is one of the best. Or, there's a budget resort on the tiny, beautiful Bounty Island, in the Mamanucas (www.fiji-bounty.com). It's vital to book before you go.
Farms where people can stay in New Zealand are listed at www.ruralhols.co.nz
Letter of the week
I am planning to go to Mali's music and culture Festival in the Desert in Essakane, from 7-9 January. I don't want the guided tour that some travel companies offer as this is too costly and I don't like travelling in a group.
I have found very affordable flights from Paris and Marseille to a place in Mali called Gao, which is closer to the festival than Bamako. They are operated by Point-Afrique, and I wonder whether you know anything about this company?
What is it like for a woman to travel alone in Mali? I plan to fly to Gao and leave myself a couple of days to travel to the festival and then see Timbuktu and perhaps get to Bamako as well, before catching a flight back to Britain from there via Paris.
Kristina Maki, London
Women travelling alone in Mali face fewer problems than in many parts of the world, and you should experience little but friendliness and support.
That said, it is best to dress modestly, avoid walking alone after dark, display a wedding ring and wear sunglasses to avoid eye contact. Greet any unwanted attention with a good-humoured, firm 'non merci'. One risqué, suggestive gesture to beware of is a man tickling your palm with his index finger when shaking hands.
Point-Afrique (www.point-afrique.com) is a well-established French company flying to Francophone Africa. Its website is a great source of good value flights and information.
Over to you... readers' feedback
Your item 'Solo in Sydney' (29 August) reminds me that it was the best place I've ever been for dining alone. I felt at ease everywhere I ate during a week there: no waiter treated me differently or gave me a bad table.
Julia Nicholson, by email
I am in contact with volunteers in Vietnam and Cambodia, who have advice for your reader Kolja Stille (15 August) about cycling there. Motorcycle riders who fill the city streets use their horns to let each other know their intentions. It is this intuitive understanding that novice cyclists miss. There is also danger from unexploded mines. Volunteers are warned not to go behind trees to urinate, as mines were planted there during the Vietnam war.
Muriel Davies, by email
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