Letter of the week:
My father, who will be 80 in August, was born in Windhoek, Namibia, and we plan a family pilgrimage there. My sister lives in San Francisco; I am in Britain; the rest of the family lives near Johannesburg. Travel literature tends to major on adventure excursions, but two of the group are elderly. We want to see the coastal cities of Windhoek and Swakopmund as part of a 10-day trip. Is the only direct flight to Windhoek from Frankfurt?
Bridget Nichols
Ely
In 10 days you can see the best of Windhoek, go west to Swakopmund and view wildlife at Etosha National Park - and possibly include the famous sand dunes at Sossusvlei. Namibia has an excellent road network so hire a car - £30-£40 a day with unlimited mileage.
Getting to Windhoek will take you via Johannesburg, where you could all meet. Fares from the UK are about £900 in August. Try the Africa Travel Centre (0845 450 1520; www.africatravel. co.uk). I couldn't find availability on the Frankfurt flight in August, but if you're flexible with dates try www.lufthansa.co. uk . Your sister will need to go via Johannesburg. Travel Spark (001 866 856 6161; www.travelspark.com) has good fares from the US. Try Namibia Tourism (020 7636 2924; www.namibia tourism.co.uk) for more information.
· Our 15-year-old son is uncomfortable around people so we want to take him on a summer holiday where he will meet other teenagers in a relaxed environment.
He is not sporty but enjoys history and plays computer games.
Name and address supplied
Time on a campsite in France would give everyone time and space to do as they please, with plenty of other teenagers around. Keycamp Holidays (0845 145 7000; keycamp.co.uk) has loads of options.
Or you could visit some of Greece's wonderful ruins. A self-drive trip around the mainland could include time on beaches, where your son would meet other teenagers. Try Sunvil (020 8758 4758; www.sunvil.co.).
· A friend and I, two fortysomething women, want to go riding in the Grand Canyon in October.
Ideally, we'd spend three or four days on a ranch and see the canyon from horseback. We'd like to contrast the big outdoors with the glitz of Las Vegas and see the west coast, as we have three weeks.
Ruth Clarke
Huntingdon
A mule is a more suitable ride for exploring the rough terrain of the canyon. Xanterra (001 303 297 2757; grandcanyonlodges.com) offers two-night rides into the canyon from authentic ranches, for around £450 for two, including accommodation and meals. In three weeks you could easily fly into LA, spend a few days on the west coast, drive down to Las Vegas via Death Valley, have a few days surrounded by the bright lights and then head out to the Grand Canyon (see www.nps.gov/grca) You should be able to fly back from Las Vegas, so get an open-jaw ticket. Try Quest Travel (0870 442 3542; questtravel.com).
· I have a 12-hour gap between flights in Amsterdam, from 7am to 7pm in April. Is it feasible to see some sights? I've already seen Haarlem, Anne Frank's house, and the Van Gogh Museum.
Vivian Schatz
Gatineau, Canada
Hop on a train to Centraal Station, which takes 15-20 minutes, runs four times an hour and costs £3.60 return.
The best sight you haven't seen, the Rijksmuseum, is being refurbished, but its most famous works are on display in the Phillips Wing and at a temporary exhibition at Schipol. Start at the Historisch Museum, stroll from there to Begijnhof, a lovely, quiet enclosed courtyard.
Another excellent stop is the Maritime Museum, with fantastic model ships. For more information go to holland.com/amsterdam/gb
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