Your questions: How to do a bucket-list Tahiti trip?

I’m planning a trip to Tahiti as a lifelong ambition to see Bora Bora. I am also keen to spend time snorkelling. What is the best way to travel there for a two to three week stay, and where would be the best base?
D. Burr, Research, Vic

Island of Moorea is a great base that won’t send you broke.Credit: iStock

You can fly to Papeete on the island of Tahiti from Australia with Qantas or Air New Zealand. From there the easiest way to get around the islands is to fly with Air Tahiti, which will get you to Bora Bora. The island is known for its resorts which feature overwater bungalows scattered across its lagoon. These resorts are popular with honeymooners, and prices are high, around $1000-plus per night. There are some less expensive options on the island of Bora Bora itself, such as Alaroots, which offers self-service hostel accommodation at around $70 per night. There are also some apartments available for short-term rentals on the island which you can find on Airbnb. If you want to base yourself somewhere that won’t send you broke, but which has all the aquatic pursuits you’re looking for, the island of Moorea could be a prime choice. Moorea is a scenic wonder, a lush, steep island rising to a jagged 1200-metre peak, thickly covered with pineapple and vanilla plantations and indented in the north with two deep bays. The entire island is ringed by coral reefs and white sand beaches, a rarity among these volcanic isles. The island has a well-developed choice of activities including diving, sailing, dolphin dives, water-skiing, windsurfing, horse trekking, mountain biking, hiking and four-wheel drive tours. Alaroots also has accommodation on Moorea and there are several Airbnb properties at different prices. For more information see the Tahiti information and travel website.

We’re taking a 12-day trip to Egypt with a few days in Cairo followed by a seven-day Nile cruise. We’d like to incorporate a short stay either before and/or after the tour in the area to overcome jetlag beforehand and to relax after the cruise. We’re contemplating Malta or Morocco, what can you recommend?
A. L’Estrange, Double Bay, NSW

The moon over the River Nile.Credit: iStock

Starting off your trip to Cairo in either Morocco or Malta is problematic since you would be overflying Egypt to get to either of these destinations. Malta is further complicated since there are no nonstop flights between it and Cairo. The only city in Morocco with nonstop flights to Cairo is Casablanca and it’s as dull as dishwater. My suggestion is to fly nonstop from Sydney to either Dubai or Doha and stopover there. Both Emirates and Qatar Airways have affiliated hotels that make for inexpensive stays. At the end of your tour, rather than flying to Malta or Morocco, why not head for one of the resorts on Egypt’s Red Sea? Hurghada is just a short flight from Cairo, and there are plenty of resorts to choose from at various prices. Another possibility is to fly nonstop from Cairo to Oman’s capital of Muscat with Oman Air, and Oman is one of the most likeable, varied and traditional of all the Arab League states. The return journey from Oman to Sydney would require a one-stop flight via either Doha or Dubai.

My husband and I finish an Inside Passage cruise in Vancouver early in the morning, however our return flight to Australia does not leave until 10.25pm the same day. We’d like to put our luggage in safe storage or book into a hotel for the day, any suggestions?
P. Tanner, Kiama Downs, NSW

Booking into a hotel could work. You should be able to store your luggage when you arrive in Vancouver but since check-in time is generally around 2 pm you would probably not have access to a room until mid-afternoon. If you’re sightseeing, that might not be a problem, and you could use the room when it became available to freshen up before your departure to the airport. Another option is to use a baggage storage facility, and Nannybag has lockers in central Vancouver where you can drop your bags while you’re out and about.

We have six nights between finishing our 10-day, 170-kilometre self-guided Mont Blanc walking tour and a wedding 70 kilometres out of Krakow. What would be the best places to visit en route without too much travel time?
A. Bowden, Brisbane, Qld

You’re probably going to finish your walk in Chamonix and from there you could take a train via Lausanne, Zurich, Salzburg and Vienna to Krakow. That opens up some interesting options, such as a side trip from Zurich to Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen, deep in the valley below the Munch, Eiger and Jungfrau mountains. Alternatively, visit Lucerne, one of Switzerland’s most interesting small cities. Another possibility would be to spend most of your time in Austria, divided between Salzburg and Vienna. One drawback, any of these itineraries would involve multiple changes of trains from Chamonix. A better alternative would be to take the Swiss Tours bus from Chamonix to Geneva airport, from where you could take a 3½-hour flight to Salzburg via Frankfurt, stay a few days then take a train to Vienna for a few more. From Vienna you can take a five-hour train journey to Krakow with no changes.

Travel advice is general; readers should consider their personal circumstances