Q We are hoping to visit Thailand this year, but can't decide whether to include a visit to Chiang Mai. We'd like to spend some time at the beach and a few days in Bangkok, but is it worth the extra travelling to go to the north?
Nancy Skelton, Newcastle
A The answer depends largely on how long you have in Thailand.
If you're going for a week or 10 days, you're probably best sticking to Bangkok and the southern beaches, but on a two-week trip, the extra flight and expense (70 minutes; about £125 return) are well worth it.
Set in lush rolling hills, the relatively laid-back temple town is lovely. It's less blinging than Bangkok, with forest-scented air and a relaxed pace - strolling the old town on foot is a pleasure. There's a good choice of accommodation, too, from budget guesthouses to new boutique hotels and sumptuous spa resorts. Wherever you choose to sleep, the terrific weekend walking markets are a riot of cultures and colour, as well as a great opportunity to scoop locally made handicrafts and wonderful street food.
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The city is an activity honey pot, where you can go mountain-biking, zip-wiring and white-water rafting, or enrol at one of the many "learn to" centres offering courses in cookery, massage, yoga, meditation, the Thai language and even Thai boxing. Nearby, there are two respected elephant sanctuaries where you can help to wash and feed an elephant, and learn some basic mahout skills to boot. Or you could trek across the foothills to visit hill-tribe villages and witness their uncluttered way of life.
Tour operators that can help you to plan an itinerary include W&O Travel (0845 277 3310, wandotravel.com), Faraway Holidays (01249 467163, farawayholidays.co.uk), Silk Steps (01278 722460, silksteps.co.uk) and Audley Travel (01993 838000, audleytravel.com).
Q Where would you suggest for a great view over the rooftops of Venice? We visited previously, but the Campanile was being refurbished.
Elaine McDougal, Aberdeen
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A You're in luck - the viewing area of the magnificent Campanile, on St Mark's Square, is currently open daily, giving the highest and most spectacular views across the city from its 300ft vantage point.
It gets busy in summer, however, so for a panorama from a distance, you should leave the thick of St Mark's and head to the little island opposite, called the Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore. It is dominated by a Palladio church, which has a 200ft campanile. There is a lift inside, and from the top you get superb views looking back onto St Mark's and across the whole Venetian skyline.
If you're visiting the lagoon islands, climb the bell tower of the 9th-century Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta. There are fabulous views of nearby Burano island, and you can just see Venice shimmering over the water.
Back in Venice proper, not far from St Mark's Square is the hard-to-find but wonderful little Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo (look for the sign off Campo Manin). Here, the Contarini family beefed up their otherwise fairly modest palazzo by cramming a flamboyant five-storey spiral staircase into the bijou courtyard.
The Scala Contarini del Bovolo, as it is called, is being renovated, but is rumoured to be reopening this year. While the views from the top may not be as grand as from the bell towers, for my money the experience is altogether more rewarding.
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Q Which currency should I take to the Bahamas? I'm told they accept the US dollar there, but will I also have to carry the Bahamian currency?
Bill Crick, Derby
A Quick answer: no. The currency of the islands is the Bahamian dollar, pegged at a rate of one to the US dollar. In practice, this means that the local currency and US dollar are interchangeable, so you'll be fine either taking sterling to exchange locally or exchanging your pounds into US dollars before you travel and using those when you get there.
You'll find the local notes a lot more colourful than the bland old greenbacks - many Bahamian denominations have famous locals on them, as well as tropical fish, galleons and the like. Keep an eye out for $3 or half-dollar bills - don't worry, they are quite real, and legal tender, although they're not seen as often as the standard $5, $10 and $20 denominations.
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Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, unless you plan to visit some of the more remote and smaller islands, in which case you should take along plenty of change.