HOLIDAY GURU
Helping you find the perfect break
QMY HUSBAND and I have booked a cruise from Singapore that ends in Shanghai, where we will stay two nights. I am told there is a 144- hour free transit visa in Shanghai, but the cruise line will not confirm this. Can you help? Jean Cotterell, by email.
ACHINA has a 144- hour visa exemption for UK transit passengers arriving or departing by sea or air and then travelling onwards to a third country (not the country from which your ship or flight originated). This exemption covers those arriving in Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin.
Before boarding, your cruise ship will request proof of your homeward flight. You will then be required to present this to immigration officials when disembarking in Shanghai. It’s a good idea to have to hand a copy of your Shanghai accommodation booking. Visit travelchinaguide.com.
QWE ARE travelling to Jamaica in May and want to know if it is better to take Jamaican or U.S. dollars. Also, any ideas for things to do in Montego Bay? Karen, by email.
AU. S. DOLLARS are widely accepted in tourist areas, but, off the beaten track, Jamaican dollars are recommended. It is usually better to obtain Jamaican dollars in advance at a bank or your hotel — the current exchange rate is 151.39 Jamaican dollars to the pound ( postoffice.co.uk).
There is plenty to do around Montego Bay, including excursions to Dunn’s River Falls (a beautiful terraced waterfall) and the Blue Mountains coffee plantations.
QMY HUSBAND and I would like to take our four children aged one to seven on their first holiday abroad somewhere sunny. We’d like to fly for less than three hours to a resort with plenty to entertain kids, plus a beach. We are happy to save for next year, so should have a decent budget. Ellen Sheane, by email.
AMARTINHAL Quintal Family Resort, in the Algarve in Portugal, lives up to its name, with children’s clubs, creches, pools, indoor play areas and villas with private pools. This is the top tip for children your age from Jane Anderson, editor of Family Traveller magazine, but it’s not cheap: a seven-night selfcatering stay starts from £5,840 for your family with Stansted flights and transfers ( jet2holidays.com).