My wife and I are planning a 14-day trip to Kerala and Karnataka. We’re starting from Mangalore, and going to Neeleshwaram, from where we will proceed to Coorg, Kabini and Wayanad, before flying out from Calicut. Please suggest places to stay in Mangalore, Neeleshwaram and Coorg. We have been to Red Earth Kabini and Grassroots at Wayanad before and plan to stay there again. We’re okay with spending Rs 7,500-10,000 per night.

That’s a nice circuit matched with a sumptuous budget—I especially envy your attention to the often overlooked north of Kerala. TheNeeleshwar Hermitage(from Rs 9,600,neeleshwarhermitage.com)and theMalabar Oceanfront Resort and Spa(from Rs 7,000,malabarresort.com) are both good options forNeeleshwaram—they offer Ayurvedic spas, many rooms have ocean views, and their aesthetic sensibilities suit the unspoilt charms of the place.

I am planning to drive from Belgaum to Leh from October 10 to 25 with my wife and three children. We will be driving an SUV. Please suggest the best route as well as hotels (five-star resorts would work well for us). Also suggest some attractions along the way.

Well, it’s quite ambitious to drive all the way from Belgaum to Leh and, before we get any further, I must warn you that end-October is not a good time for the Manali–Leh stretch. Rohtang La, the first pass you’ll have to cross, usually closes for civilian traffic in the last week of October. Ideally,

We’re a couple travelling to Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam in end-August. We will be in Brussels for two days and Paris for three days. Would it be possible to cover Amsterdam in one day? Please suggest places that we must see, as well as cheap but centrally-located B&Bs for all cities. Also, should we take a train to travel from Brussels to Paris?

Definitely visit the fifteenth-centuryGrand Palacein Brussels, and the nearbyBrussels Centrale market. There’s also the disproportionately famous Mannekin Pis (the peeing boy), and the Brussels Museum and zoo. More attractions are listed atbrussels.info. Pick from the excellent listings atBed&Brussels(bnb-brussels.be) for your stay. Yes, travelling between Brussels and Paris by train is fast and comfortable—it takes only

We’re a couple, 50 and 48 years old, travelling to the United States. We’ll be reaching Newark on October 23 and plan to visit Washington DC from October 25 to 27. Can you suggest some places to see? After that, we have five free days. What do you think we can do in that time? Is Niagara from the US side a ‘must-do’? Can we fit Boston into the itinerary? We’ll be in Orlando from November 2 to 12 with a family function in between (November 7-9). Can you suggest things to do for the remaining days? Please include the mode of transport. Also, any vegetarian culinary delights along the way? We don’t want to fit in too many places and get dog-tired on our vacation. Nature takes precedence.

That’s a nice spread of days you’ve got there. I think the two-dayOld Town Trolley Washington DC Pass($54.95;trustedtours.com) would work well for you. It is a hop-on, hop-off service (trolleys swing by every 30min) and you can cover major attractions such as Georgetown, theNational Cathedral, theWhite House, and any of the sixteen Smithsonian museums, with

Six of us are planning a trip from Kolkata to north Madhya Pradesh -from Gwalior to Satna for two weeks in late October. We would like to stay in decent mid-range or budget hotels (Rs 1,500-2,500). Please suggest an itinerary. Can we do without hiring a vehicle?

Gwalior’s a good base to start from, though once you’ve seen the fort and Jai Vilas Palace, of the Scindias, you should quickly move on. The route you’ve thought of takes you through Jhansi, Orchha, Khajuraho, SatnaandPanna National Park(open from October 15). Allow for two nights each in the first few destinations—except Jhansi, which you

I’m planning to combine a professional visit to Seoul in the second half of October with a holiday there. I have work commitments for four days, but should have the evenings off, and I’ll stay an additional three days. Please suggest mid-range, economical accommodation options and vegetarian restaurants, which I’ve heard are hard to find. Also, suggest must-see sight-seeing options, and how to dress for the season.

Accommodation is rather pricey in Seoul so mid-range isn’t necessary economical, unfortunately.Lotte City Hotel Mapo(from Rs 8,900;lottecityhotelmapo.com),Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Times Square(from Rs 10,500;marriott.com) andFraser Suites Insadong(from Rs 9,500; seoul.frasershospitality.com) are three mid-range hotels of good standards that you could consider. You’re right about finding vegetarian food in Seoul but there are a handful of

I’ll be travelling alone to Rajasthan, for 12 days in November-December, on my first holiday. I’d like to visit Jaipur, Udaipur, Chittaurgarh, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Mt Abu and Ajmer. I’ll be staying with a friend in Chittaur and will use it as a base for my travels. How should I do the trip? I’ll have a car at my disposal for short distances, but is there a good public transport system? Could you help me find three-star accommodation? Also, where can I buy bandhini fabrics, tie-and-dye, bags, jootis, Rajasthani silver jewellery, terracota items and antique wooden items?

Since you’re arriving inJaipur, spend a day there.Places to stay:Hotel Sarang Palace (from Rs 3,100; 0141-5116465,hotelsarangpalace.com) or Umaid Bhawan (from Rs 1,800; 0141-2207445,umaidbhawan.com). From there, proceed toAjmer. Take the Delhi-Jodhpur Volvo (dep. from Jaipur: 6.15am, deboard at Ajmer: 8.30 am), or the Jaipur-Jodhpur Volvo (dep.: 12.30pm, arr. at Ajmer: 2.45pm). Stay at Ajmer for two

My wife and I are travelling to Thailand in November for our wedding anniversary. We want to spend three nights each in Krabi and Koh Samui and two nights in Bangkok. Please suggest an itinerary; budget accommodation options, around Rs 5,000 a night; and good vegetarian restaurants.

I’m not sure why you would want an itinerary—I don’t think beach hopping and bingeing require that sort of planning, do you? Since you ask, Ao Nang and Railey are the go-to beaches in Krabi, somewhat touristy as a consequence. Go on day trips toKo Phi PhiorBamboo Island, rock-climb a limestone cliff or visitTham Phi

I live in Belgaum, which is on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border, close to the Western Ghats. I want to go on a trek with my friends. Could you suggest routes nearby? Also, could you tell me about clubs that arrange treks to places like Shimla and Manali? And how should I prepare for trekking? I have holidays from December 20 to January 20, so please reply soon.

There are plenty of great treks you can do in the Western Ghats and the Sahyadris in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Why don’t you try the 3-4 day hike from Kamshet to Karla in Maharashtra? Kamshet is about 30min by road from Lonavala, from where you walk to the spectacular Bedsa caves past the Pawna dam

My husband and I are keen on a road trip along the coast of Maharashtra. We have four days to spare in December, but are keen that we should stay for at least two days in one place. We were considering Tarkarli but couldn’t really find a half-decent hotel there. Also, what are your thoughts on maachli.in? Do help!

Would you like to consider theMumbai-Daman(177km each way) drive with a couple of nights at Daman? It should suit your timelines better. Naturally,Mumbai–Alibag(147km, and there’s getting out of the city to consider)-Kashid(38km)-Murud(54km) is the first and most coastal drive that comes to my mind—you can split your trip as part of the day plus a

We are a family of six, including two senior citizens (65 and 62 years) and two kids (eight and five years). We plan to visit Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang circuit for seven-eight days in the second week of October. Is this a good time to visit? Suggest a good itinerary. Can we also cover Kaziranga? What would be the approximate taxi charges?

Kaziranga is only 40km from Tezpur, so you could easily fit it in but like most national parks and tiger reserves in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, it remains closed till October 31. Otherwise, mid-October is a good time to go. The rains are over and winter hasn’t arrived yet. You don’t mention where you are

We are a couple with a four-year-old son. We’re planning a 12-15-day trip to Europe in May on a Rs 5-6 lakh budget, all-inclusive. Our must-visits include London, Paris and Switzerland. Help us draw up an itinerary.

Let’s work our way down to the details. Round-trip tickets are generally cheaper, but you can get comparable one-way fares by booking well in advance with flexible dates, by which I mean you can fly into London and fly out of Paris or Geneva/Zurich. Currently, May’s cheapest fares, whether round-trip or totalled each way, are