Q: Can you suggest a good luxury hotel in the Rocks area of Sydney, ideally with views of the Opera House?
Elaine Franks, Coventry
A: The Rocks is a great area to stay in, with smashing views of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay from many of its old lanes, but bagging a similar view from your room is perhaps harder and more expensive than you might think.
The Park Hyatt (00 61 2 9241 1234, sydney.park.hyatt.com) pulls in the celebrities. It's a low-rise hotel and curves attractively round a dimple in Sydney Cove, with the Opera House just across the water. There is a rooftop pool and, as you would expect, the rooms have large windows, but you'll have to fork out at least £420 a night.
Around the corner is the Sebel Pier One (00 61 2 8298 9999, sebelpierone.com.au), a converted waterfront warehouse with smart modern rooms and stylish public spaces - look out for the glass overwater floor that leads to the lobby. It is cheaper than the Hyatt, with great views out over Walsh Bay, but not the Opera House itself. Waterside doubles start at £144 a night.
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For stunning views down to the harbour, the Opera House, the bridge and all, you can't beat the upper floors of the Shangri-La (0800 028 3337, shangri-la.com), positioned just off Circular Quay. Rooms are elegantly furnished, with dark wood, thick carpets and large windows. Even if you are on a lower floor, you can still gawp from the 36th-floor cocktail bar. Opera House-view rooms start at £205, Horizon deluxe rooms at £288.
Q: We are a family of five - three children, 16, 14 and 12 - with a vague idea that Greece might be good for our summer holiday. As our eldest son is doing classical Greek A-level, we are looking for somewhere with a few historical sites as well as a quiet beach. We don't want to do the obvious places (Acropolis, Olympia and so on), as his school trip will take care of those. Can you suggest a suitable villa, with a pool?
Derrick Miles, London
A: The best trove of ancient sites outside your son's school trip is on Crete. Here are the impressive remains of the Minoan civilisation, most famously the palace at Knossos, home to the mythical Minotaur. Also not to be missed are the palace at Phaestos and Gortyna, the ancient capital. Simpson Travel (020 8392 5858, simpsontravel.com) has a week at the three-bedroom Villa Trouli in the school holidays from £850pp, including flights and car hire. It has a great pool.
Or try Corfu, renowned for its green scenery and lovely beaches. There are splendid ancient sites, too, such as the agora (marketplace) at Palaiopolis, the grave monument of Menekratis, from the 6th century BC, and the temple of Artemis. Islands of Greece (0845 675 2603, www.islands-of-greece.co.uk) has a week at Villa Eleni, above the pretty fishing harbour of Agios Stefanos, from £915pp, including flights and car hire.
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Q: Can you recommend a novel to read while I am in Morocco - something set in the country?
Lesley Greaves, Glasgow
A: The Spider's House by Paul Bowles is a beautifully told story that captures life in Fez in the dying days of French occupation. Tahir Shah's The Caliph's House is a terrific tale in which a London-based family move to Casablanca to revitalise an ageing palace on the outskirts of the city. It's full of insights into Moroccan life. Sven Lindqvist's Desert Divers is an excellent look at Moroccan desert traditions, politics and psychology.