Letter of the week

My wife and I want to go on holiday to Ghana next year. We'd like to visit Kumasi as well as Accra, but having surfed the internet and scoured the press, we can't find anyone who specialises in Ghanaian holidays. Can you help?
Name withheld by request

Ghana is one of the most popular destinations in West Africa - and it's not hard to see why. The people are friendly, it's easy to get around and there is a lot to appeal to the adventurous traveller. Accra is a sprawling and welcoming capital with a great nightlife, and Kumasi, once the ancient capital of the Ashanti kingdom, is now a major cultural centre. In addition, you shouldn't miss the coastal scenery between Accra and Dixcove, with loads of old castles and forts, and the wide variety of wildlife to be found in Mole National Park.

Travel Ghana (020 8877 9262; www.travelghana.com) can arrange everything from a package on the beach to a detailed itinerary taking in much of the country. If you fancy making your own way, Africa Travel Centre (020 7387 1211; www.africatravel.co.uk) can arrange flights to Accra for around £400 to £500 return, depending on when you want to travel.

Other letters

As a remedy for a fit of autumnal blues, we - partner, child (13) and I - booked 12 days in Tuscany next August, catching the Hull-Rotterdam ferry and driving from there. Then, yesterday, I read in The Observer that, in light of recent tunnel tragedies, the trip from France/ Switzerland to Italy is fraught with blocked roads, sleeping truck-drivers and irate locals. HELP! What's the best route? How long will it take, assuming I can drive six to eight hours a day (not including breaks)? Is there a viable rail alternative and what would it cost?
Steve Wood
Sheffield

We can't help too much with dozing truckers and angry people along the way, but planning your crossing of the Alps needn't be too much of a headache. The helpful Touring Club of Switzerland (00 41 22 417 2727; www.tcs.ch) can advise you on routes and road conditions and it's well worth a call to check on the situation before setting out. By August next year, things may have changed, but currently cars and drivers are being transported through the Gotthard Tunnel on train wagons. Though there are some inevitable delays at busy times, this has been a successful solution to the congestion caused by road-tunnel closure. A detour via Martingy using the St Bernard Tunnel is also recommended. A comprehensive European route-planner worth checking out is www.viamichelin.com. The 840-mile journey should be possible in two full days, though you should allow for congestion if you're travelling during the peak holiday season. You could also go over the top of tunnels along smaller roads, though this would take more time.

By train there are speedy links via London and Paris on Eurostar or from Rotterdam via Munich. Either way, the journey should take 15-18 hours. For information and tickets, contact Rail Europe (08705 848 848; www.raileurope.co.uk).

· I would love to visit the US during the baseball season, to take in a Major League game. Do you know of any specialist holiday companies that offer a package which includes game tickets?
Jon Chidsey
Berkshire

Baseball being very much a minority interest here, there are no companies we could find offering US holidays including tickets to a fun slice of American culture. The season runs from April to late September, then the play-offs and World Series last for a further month (ie it's just concluded). There are lots of games during a season, and you can walk up and buy tickets for all but the biggest games. If you're in town for a few days when their team is at home, you'll be able to get in. Ticket agencies, team box-offices and websites will also sell tickets when fixtures are known. Go to www.mlb.com for full details.

· I'm travelling to Australia this Christmas. My friend has booked a holiday for one of us to go to one of the islands in Indonesia for 10 days, but with the recent rioting, how safe will it be to go at this time?
Ben Whibley
London

The Foreign Office (020 7008 0232; www.fco.gov.uk/travel) should be your first port of call. It currently advises against all travel to West Timor, Ambon and the rest of Maluku Province, Poso in Central Sulawesi and Aceh. You should avoid large crowds and it's a good idea to stick to tourist areas, and be flexible with your travel plans. Bali receives large numbers of visitors and will be popular around this time, especially with the influx of antipodean Christmas holidaymakers. Things can change very quickly, so it's a good idea to take a radio to keep in touch with current affairs. Lonely Planet's discussion board (thorntree.lonelyplanet.com) has lots of updates from travellers on the road in Indonesia - the debates going on there make interesting reading.

· My boyfriend and I are hoping to go on a low-budget holiday to Cephallonia next summer. We're looking for somewhere with good beaches, a bit of nightlife and a good choice of restaurants and bars. How does Lassi measure up?
Rachel Esplen
Via email

Lassi is a sprawling resort, just 20 minutes' walk from Cephallonia's main town, Argostoli. Its beaches are well looked after and the main strip has a good choice of restaurants and tavernas. Unfortunately, it's situated next to a busy highway and beneath the flightpath to the airport. There are more superior beaches to the south around the popular resort of Skala, which run for several kilometres and are a great favourite with sunseekers and watersports enthusiasts.

You might head north and check out Fiskardho, considered Cephallonia's premier resort. This pretty fishing port is built around a bay and the seafront is lined with fantastic seafood restaurants and tavernas. Revelling tends to last well into the early hours, but venues such as the Kastro Club Disco (a favourite with locals and tourists) are situated off the main road and cause no disturbance to those wanting a quiet night.

For cheaper flights and good deals, the best time to visit Cephallonia is in May, September or October. Tourism has greatly increased since the release of Captain Corelli's Mandolin , filmed on location around the island.

For more information on Cephallonia, contact the Greek Tourist Board (020 7734 5997; www.gnto.gr).

Over to you... readers' feedback

I read Clare Poole's query in your column (11 November) about travel sickness, and wondered if she'd tried lemons?

On school trips (coach and the lumpy Newhaven-Dieppe Seacat crossing), I've given children a piece of lemon to suck and it seems to be effective. The sharp taste certainly takes their mind off feeling sick and recent school journeys have been much easier. Plastic bags of cut-up lemons are issued on every trip now. Definitely worth a try.
Janet Parfitt
Brighton

Our daughter suffered from travel sickness for years, on all sorts of transport, until we realised that it was always after she'd eaten or drunk something orange-flavoured. Once we stopped her having orange juice, segments, sweets, lollies or squash, she was OK. Perhaps it's worth keeping a food diary?

We did find that armbands worked, too. Hope this might help.
Linda and Phil Weir
By email

My late father, a merchant seaman, handed down this tip for preventing motion sickness. Simply lie your head down wherever you can, even if it means your legs are propped against a wall, the back of a seat, or sticking out of a window. By ensuring the head is at one, so to speak, with the moving vessel, you negate the effect of motion upon the inner ear. As a child, it was the only thing that ever worked for me.
Graham Blackburn
Ipswich

· We welcome letters. Tom Hall and Rachel Suddart from Lonely Planet answer as many as possible here. Include a daytime telephone number and postal address. Email travel.tips@observer.co.uk or write to Escape, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER. The writer of the week's star letter wins a Lonely Planet guidebook of their choice. To order discount LP travel books, call 0870 066 7989.