Lonely Planet's travel expert looks at where to go in Mexico, planning a city stopover, where to stay in Fez and why veggies miss out when it comes to their in-flight mealMy girlfriend and I are going to Mexico in December/January. We are spending a week relaxing at the beach around Cancun and then plan to travel for 10 days, ideally to Palenque and back. We want to arrange our own transport and accommodation, as we prefer to do things ourselves and at our own pace, however we're not sure how easy and safe it is to travel around Mexico. I understand that buses run to most places. How easy is it to book high-end buses and find hotels or hostels at short notice? Are there any other places in the area that you would recommend visiting? Richard TimmsYou'll find it easy to book the top-end buses a day or two in advance. These buses are known as de lujo (deluxe) and first class (primera 1a clase) and offer the kind of luxury and comfort that have yet to surface in coach travel in this country. You can also book many services online at Ticketbus, or at least peruse fares and timetables for many services.Safety concerns for much of Mexico have been distorted by coverage of the country's drug-related violence. In general, apart from certain areas ? which tourists are unlikely to travel to ? you can expect few issues beyond the usual risk of petty theft that faces travellers almost everywhere. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office recommends completing bus travel during the day, but travelling from Cancun to Palenque you'll have plenty of other travellers for company, even on services beginning or ending at night ? but take a taxi to your final destination if you're on one of these.Unless you're travelling over Christmas you won't have problems finding somewhere to stay ? though consider booking in advance for your first night or if arriving somewhere unfamiliar late at night.It's not worth spending too much time in Cancun if glitzy resorts aren't your thing ? you needn't even spend a night here if you don't want to. Playa del Carmen, just down the coast, has a fashionable beach scene and is a good jumping-off point for snorkelling and diving on the island of Cozumel. On the way to the region's cultural star destination, M�rida, stop off at Chichen Itza and stay a night in Valladolid, from where you can explore the magnificent cenotes (sink-holes) in the vicinity. There are more fine ruins south of M�rida at Uxmal and along the Ruta Puuc, which makes for an excellent day trip. From M�rida take the bus ? there are day and overnight options ? to Palenque. You can stay in the town, but the simple jungle huts by the ruins are pretty fantastic.It's another lengthy journey back to the Caribbean coast, but if you have time, aim for Chetumal, south of Cancun. There's a great Mayan museum there and more ancient treats nearby. You'll find seaside Tulum busy with day-trippers from Cancun, but a short bus ride inland at Cob� you may find you have whole pyramids to yourself in real Indiana Jones-style jungle.I'm off to Australia for a year on a working holiday visa and have decided to break the journey with stopovers in Dubai (three days) and Singapore (five days). I have been researching/speaking to friends about Singapore and the general consensus is that I'm going to get bored there very quickly. Can you suggest anywhere else in the area I could visit within my time/money constraints rather than change my flights? Jade NobleAs great as stopovers are for getting a taste of a place in a short time, they're a false friend to budget travellers. With limited time you tend to stay within cities, which are expensive: cities which are major world transport hubs are rarely places for a bargain stay. Whatever you think about having too long in Singapore, I'd consider shortening your time in Dubai as that will eat into your hard-earned travelling fund quickly.As for Singapore, most visitors don't stay as long as you plan to, so as much as I think you'll enjoy strolling the historic district and the Malay and Chinatown areas of the city, as well as visiting the night market and Singapore's excellent museums, such as the Asian Civilisations Museum and the National Museum, a day or two out isn't a bad idea. You could grab a bus to Melaka in Malaysia, which is round about four hours away, and have an overnight stop or two in this historic port city. Unesco World Heritage status has brought plenty of tourists ? and development ? but it's still a charming city stuffed with interesting architecture left over from centuries of international influence. There are plenty of other possibilities ? I'm sure readers will have some suggestions.Please could you shed some light on why nearly all airlines presume that if you order a vegetarian meal, you don't like cake? I take quite a lot of long-haul flights and have to sit there eating my fruit while my husband tucks into a pudding or a delicious-looking piece of cake.Rhiannon, South WalesBeing a meat-eater, I had thought for some time that there had to be a downside to opting for the vegetarian option and getting your grub first, and here it is. No cake. British Airways says it tries to make its puddings vegetarian friendly (made without gelatine). If you ordered a vegetarian meal and this is the case, you should get the same pudding. However, if you opt for a vegan meal you won't generally get a pudding as most are made with egg or dairy. It may be that you've been served vegan meals by airlines cutting costs and offering only a vegan meal instead of two choices. BA also offers Hindu and Jain vegetarian options, where what's included will differ.Once on board, I can understand your reticence to specifically request some cake from the cabin crew: you don't want to be known as the lardbucket in seat 16F for the rest of the flight. If hubby won't do the decent thing and hand over half of his pudding ? though bear in mind it may have been made with gelatine ? maybe you could pick up the dessert of your choice from a cafe once through security and take it on to the plane.Of course, on budget carriers you are free to order ? and pay for ? what food you please so this should be less of an issue.Having been to Marrakech we are now heading to Fez. Can you recommend somewhere characterful to stay in the city? We're not sure if we're still in riad territory but would like somewhere memorable for under �100 a night. Also what sort of weather can we expect in mid-December?Debbie GardenerOne of the best and grandest places to stay in Fez needn't cost a fortune ? Riyad Sheherezade is an opulent treat and rooms start at �110 in mid-December. It's worth breaking the budget for. There are a few other riads to try, though not yet the packed scene you find in Marrakech. While average temperatures will peak at around 15C and you may see some showers, colleagues who were in the city at that time last year had lots of warming sunshine, so you may get a little higher.MexicoTom Hallguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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