HOLIDAY GURU
Helping you find the perfect break
Q MY HUSBAND and I are in our 70s and thinking of taking our teenaged grandchildren to Thailand over Christmas, but then friends told us they saw snakes there. We are terrified of snakes. Can you suggest somewhere else?
V. Brooks, Midsomer Norton, Somerset
A SNAKE-FREE travel possibilities are many and varied, but tend to be quite cold. If you are after somewhere snake-less and warm, how about Bermuda, which has no slithering legless reptiles whatsoever (or poisonous spiders)?
A week’s stay at Coco Reef Resort is from £1,819pp with flights departing from Gatwick on December 20
(virginholidays.co.uk). hawaii and new Zealand are also possibilities as is, much closer to home, Ireland.
Q I SAW your item on Indian visas for cruise stop-offs, but when I looked on India’s official visa website the information was unclear. Can you please clarify?
Paul Cooban, via email
A INDIA this week reduced its tourist visa prices substantially, if you book direct, to £33 for one year (previously £66) or £20.50 for travel for up to 30 days between July and March, or £8 for 30 days between April and June
(indianvisaonline.gov.in). To see the new prices click on ‘e-tourist visa’, then ‘Instructions for applicants’, then go to number six on the list and click through.
Amrit Singh, managing director of Indian specialist TransIndus, said: ‘India is trying to kick start tourism, which has been in the doldrums recently.’
Q SINCE I had a stroke three years ago I have used sticks for walking and have lost the confidence to travel alone. Is there a company that might cater for me?
Margaret Brownley, Birmingham
A YES. Saga holidays, which specialises in breaks for the over 50s and covers holidays suited to different levels of mobility, is the obvious choice. To discuss your individual requirements, call 0800 300400 (travel. saga.co.uk).
WE’RE HERE TO HELP
IF YOU need advice, the Holiday Guru is here to answer your questions and provide tips on how to make the most of your precious time off. Please send questions to holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk or write to Daily Mail Travel, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT — and include your contact details. We will do our best to answer your queries but we can’t reply to every enquiry. Please do not send in any original documents. We look forward to hearing from you.