KEY POINTS:
My friend and I plan to go to Sicily for a camping and walking holiday. When is the best time to go to take advantage of low-season camping ground rates, and also to do some walking in the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains? We don't like things too hot and we're not into lying around on the beach. Is winter too cold?
Maria Kruzel
Sicily's high season is July and August, so the months around that period are the best times to go, mainly because the weather is steady and comfortable and there are fewer tourists.
Camping ground costs don't really change throughout the year, though some B&Bs and hotels do lower their rates after October and before May.
The best time for walking in the mountains is April to June when the spring flowers are really strutting their stuff. Early autumn, though, offers shades of gold and it's also the time of the grape harvest. The winter months bring a quiet calm, and although conditions tend to be too extreme for walking, you can go skiing in the Madonie.
The Parco Naturale Regionale delle Madonie takes in numerous small towns and villages and plenty of farms and vineyards, so you can combine walking with visits to such lovely places as Castelbuono and Petralia Soprana.
The Parco Regionale dei Nebrodi has less infrastructure and is harder to get to and around, but you will be rewarded with a wonderful lake walk, the largest remaining beech forest in Europe and native wildlife.
A true taste of Vietnam
I will be holidaying in Vietnam for three weeks and I'd love to do some kind of short cooking course (a day or a half-day) while I'm there. I was wondering if you might be able to give me any advice on how to go about organising this or could you recommend a good course?
Diana Strong
Food is at the heart of a country's culture, and immersing yourself in the produce, flavours and cooking techniques is a great way to get an insight into the place you are visiting. Vietnamese food is wonderfully fresh and its balanced use of meat, fish, vegetables, herbs and spices make it one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.
Vietnamese food varies regionally: North Vietnamese food is known for its use of soy, fish sauce and stir-fried dishes; Central Vietnam is famous for its royal cuisine; while Southern Vietnamese cooking features coconut milk and chilli.
Short cooking classes are generally fun, friendly and informal, and offer a brief overview of a few dishes, ingredients and food preparation.
The stylish Red Bridge restaurant in Hoi An, 30km south of Danang, runs a Vietnamese cooking school that's popular with travellers. Rich in history and character, the port of Hoi An was a contemporary of Macau, attracting Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese traders, and it still has an old-world feel.
Red Bridge's half-day course ($40 per person) is an excellent introduction to Vietnamese cuisine and includes a guided tour of Hoi An's central market, a boat trip on the Hoi An River, a herb garden walk and a two-hour cooking class followed by lunch.
At the full-day course ($70 per person), students learn four famous Vietnamese dishes, including pho (beef noodle soup) and clay-pot fish, take a chef's tour to the Tra Que organic herb gardens and go shopping at the local village market.
A list of Vietnamese cooking courses held in Hanoi, Hoi An, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City can be found at guidevietnam.com.
Sweet routes to Crete
I am travelling to Greece later in the year and I intend to visit Crete. Should I book a flight from Athens to Crete through my travel agent at home or book once I get to Athens, or is the ferry a better [option]?
Esther Murphy
The ferry is the cheaper option, but of course it takes longer. Ferries from Piraeus go to Hania (six to nine hours, $75 to $125), Iraklio (eight hours, $90) and Rethymno (nine hours, $58) twice a day.
They are generally large car ferries and range in quality from basic through to luxurious. Go to ferries.gr or gtp.gr for routes and timetables.
Many travellers also travel to Crete by air from Athens. Olympic Airlines offers a 25 per cent student discount as well as special youth fares for those aged 18 to 24, but only if the flight is part of an international journey.
Aegean Airlines also flies between Athens, Hania and Iraklio. Aegean accepts internet bookings, issues e-tickets and has heavily discounted fares if you book early. Fares range from around $195 to $300 one way.