vallierojas: Ask Tom ? your travel dilemmas answered

Is Istanbul safe for women travellers? Is Niagara Falls cringe- or awe-inspiring? I'm a first-time traveller to South America ? help! Don't fear, Lonely Planet's Tom Hall is here to offer advice

I would like to visit the Tuscan island of Montecristo. I cut out a newspaper article on the island a few years ago and dreamt of visiting it ever since. I've tried looking everywhere for information on how to get there but am unable to find anything. Any suggestions?
Christine Choe

There are two important things to know about Montecristo, an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea about 40km south of Elba. The first is that it does not resemble exactly the island in the Count of Monte Cristo. It is consistent with Alexandre Dumas' novel in only one respect: there is no buried treasure there.

The other key detail is that the island is part of the Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano and guided tours are strictly limited to 1,000 people during each summer access season, with priority given to local schools, residents and those with specific research interests. The island is home to rare flora and birdlife as well as Montecristo goats. There is a permanent population of only two or three people.

If you can arrange your own transport ? and I can't offer any help with finding a yacht or launch willing to take you ? then you can request an unguided visit during the summer season but, again, you'll probably need a good reason. There have been whispers of this permit system being opened up, but at the time of writing nothing has materialised through official sources. If things change, it will be noted at the national park homepage, which is also the best place to find out more: islepark.it.

We are planning a trip to Turkey this May for eight days and would like to know which area of Istanbul and which hotels are safe for women. Is it safe to travel from the city centre to the hotels at night by trains/metro?
Dr Gita Venkatakrishnan

Istanbul is a very safe city to visit and travel around, and women need make no specific preparations for a visit there other than dressing in a relatively conservative fashion. That said, this would only be really necessary in more traditional areas of the city, and if you go for a night out in Beyo?lu, for example, you'll find young Istanbullus wearing the same sort of clothing you'd see worn in cities across western Europe. However, you should cover your arms and legs if you go into mosques. Public transport is safe, but taxis are easy to come by if you feel more comfortable.

The two main areas for hotel accommodation are Sultanahmet and Beyo?lu. Sultanahmet is Istanbul's tourist central, where Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque are located. I prefer to stay elsewhere in the city and come into this area to explore during the day and evening. Staying on the Beyo?lu side of the Golden Horn and getting there by tram and funicular is a good option. You'll be in the more modern part of the city, with better eating and drinking options, but still well connected to the big sights. The Santa Ottoman Hotel (santaottomanboutiquehotel.com; doubles from �77) is a good mid-range choice close to Taksim Square. If you decide you'd rather be in Sultanahmet, I recently stayed in Hotel Sultan's Inn (sultansinn.com; rooms from �65) and found it well located and comfortable.

Long-time follower, first-time traveller. I'm planning a trip to South America and wanted to know some of the safer places for a first-time solo traveller. I was thinking of starting in Buenos Aires and going through Chile, Peru, Uruguay; are these generally more accessible to a solo traveller than Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil? Also I'm looking for a bit of warm weather and I know southern South America doesn't always cater for this. So are there any places in Central America that have nice beaches and good weather? And is all of this feasible in four months?
Kieran

Trips that are months long are deviously hard to plan as, while it feels like you've all the time in the world, you have the twin issues of properly budgeting for such a trip and getting the balance right between seeing what you want to and cramming in too much. Also, it's not quite true that South America doesn't have beaches that are good to spend a little time on. Here's a discussion on the merits of various beaches in Ecuador, while there's an overview of Brazil's top stretches of sand here.

I could make hundreds of suggestions for must-see spots, but you might consider a linear route, possibly Quito, Ecuador, to Rio de Janeiro, via Huaraz, Lima and Cusco (Peru), La Paz and the Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia), San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) and Salta, Cordoba and Buenos Aires (Argentina). You can take the back route through Uruguay to the Iguazu Falls and then see the Pantanal, a wonderful wildlife-spotting area before finishing in Rio, where you'll find urban or more remote beaches are easy to reach. Our spring and autumn are the best times to find sand to sit on in Brazil, so you can work your timings back from there.

Patagonia, Colombia, the rest of Brazil and Central America will have to wait for another time ? even a third of a year won't get you round the whole continent comfortably.

I'm going to Toronto for 10 days in late May ? is the weather comparable to the UK then? Is Niagara Falls worth going to ? is it cringe- or awe-inspiring? And what lakes and rivers are good near Toronto for a weekend of canoeing or similar?
2011 London

The average temperature in both May and June is 17C, with cooler nights and a chance of rain, so you should be well prepared if you come dressed for comparable conditions to the UK.

Niagara Falls is all the things you say above and then some. You certainly shouldn't miss it. The journey to the falls is only 90 minutes to two hours from Toronto but those who rush through tend to regret it. Spending a night is a good idea, as there's plenty to do both close up to the falls and finding panoramic views. One great way to leave the crowds behind is to follow the Niagara Parkway along the river by bike for as long as you like. If you take a picnic you can stop and appreciate the beauty of the place. The Downtown area of Niagara Falls is undergoing something of a revamp and has seen some interesting openings over the past few years ? check out Queen Street Niagara Falls for the latest details.

The Toronto Islands are an excellent place for sea kayaking ? Paddle Toronto (paddletoronto.com) offers guided excursions. Further from the city you'll need your own wheels to reach Frontenac Provincial Park (frontenacpark.ca), every bit as remote and beautiful as the name suggests. You can hire canoes for the day at the entrance to the park by Otter Lake.

Tom Hall

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