Your questions answered...
Q We are getting married in December, but we're not going on our honeymoon until after Christmas, for about 10 of the days between December 26th and January 12th. We are working on a very tight budget of €1,600 for both of us, to include accommodation and flights. Ideally we were thinking of Thailand, Greece or Hawaii, but obviously our budget limits us. We want somewhere that will be relaxing and have reasonably good weather, not too close to Ireland. Greece is one of the few places we would consider in Europe, as we have already seen most of the other European countries. I want to surprise my wife-to-be with the choice of destination. I would be grateful for suggestions.
Anon, Dublin
Forget about Hawaii and Thailand: they are out of your budget. While Greece would be lovely, the weather can be quite cool at that time of the year, between 11 and 16 degrees. Weather aside, if you were to consider Greece, then the island of Thera - better known as Santorini (santorini.gr) - has a number of very nice hotels that are open year round. Expect to pay up to €100 a night for a nice boutique property. You'll find the cheapest fares to Greece are for travelling via London with Aegean Airlines (aegeanair.com).
The Red Sea in Egypt is sunny in January, with average temperatures of 22 degrees. The good news is that there is value to be had from Ireland. Falcon Holidays (falconholidays.ie) has an all-inclusive week at the four-star Coral Sea Resort from €697. The Red Sea is a great area to go diving and to take boat trips. Panorama Holidays (panoramaholidays.ie) also has a good selection of hotels in Egypt.
Sunway (sunway.ie) has a range of packages in Morocco, on the coast in Agadir and in lovely hotels in Marrakesh. You could combine the two and have a sun-and-city break. A week will cost you less than €800 each. You could stay in one of the boutiquey but traditional riads(riadsmorocco.com). Ryanair (ryanair.com) offers cheap flights from London Luton in January. You will find a very nice hotel in Marrakesh for less than €100 per night.
The temperature in January in the Canaries is about 18-22 degrees. All of the islands have lots to offer - mainly sun, sand and sea, with a little sightseeing and good water sports. All the tour operators have packages to the islands, and you can also fly to the main ones with Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) and Ryanair (ryanair.com).
The island with the least mass tourism is Fuerteventura. There is an Irishwoman who rents nice apartments in the quietest town on the island, El Cotillo, where the beaches are amazing (cotilloholidays.com). The apartments cost €300-€400 per week, and with cheap flights the honeymoon would stay well within your budget.
If you fancy something tropical and are prepared to fly from London, there are some very good value holidays to Mexico and the Dominican Republic for a week, departing at the start of January. Flying with First Choice (firstchoice.co.uk), an all-inclusive week at Clubhotel Riu Merengue in the Dominican Republic costs £636 (€706). If you see yourself lying on a beach in Mexico, then a week at the Riu Lupita resort with Thomson Holidays (thompson.co.uk) will cost from £576 (€639), again all-inclusive.
Q My husband would like to re-create a 'Top Gear' motorbike trip through Vietnam next September. Can you give me any help on bike hire? Which is the best starting point and what flights should he take?
CS, Co Westmeath
I saw that Top Gearfeature. They drove 1,500km through Vietnam, and it looked fun but very wet. Your husband should try and do it outside of the rainy season.
Two companies have been recommended to me that can arrange such trips. The price depends on the type of bike and the numbers in the group. The more in the group the lower the prices, but expect to pay $150-$200 (€100-€135) per day, to include bike hire, accommodation, meals and guides. The starting point will depend on which tour he chooses. Have a look on exploreindochina.com and offroadvietnam.com/eng/2.php.
The cheapest fare I have seen to Ho Chi Minh City, aka Saigon, is from €680 return with ebookers.ie, flying via London and Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines.
E-mail questions, with your name and address, to jscales@irishtimes.com