Readers' travel tips: Where to find good coffee in Canada

Discerning visiting Aussies need to plan their espresso fix when in Canada. Credit: iStock

TIP OF THE WEEK

ESPRESSO PURPOSES

Ben Groundwater's story on Canada refers to the "terrible" coffee there.

Not so in Toronto especially, but also Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa. Discerning visiting Aussies need to plan their espresso fix. Avoid the Tim Hortons' [coffee and donuts chain] swill. Search "greatest coffee in…" Flat whites can be milkier, so maybe try a cappuccino (less froth than in Oz), a cortado or an espresso (with warm milk on the side, sometimes free).

Many cafes in Canada do double shots as a default. Inexplicably, good cooked brekky and great espresso rarely coincide, so just settle for a bagel or croissant. Toronto suggestions: Bar Raval (on College) has great tapas breakfast and gorgeous decor; Good Neighbour (Annette and Quebec); stand up at Sam James (the PATH); Rooster (on Broadview, with the park and high views of the city to the southwest).

Greg Malcher, Hepburn Springs, VIC

POLE POSITION

The advice (Tripologist, February 12) to visit Zakopane, Poland, is highly recommended, as is accommodation in the exquisite timber chalets at Domki Javorina (javorina.pl).It's onsite restaurant also serves exquisite local cuisine.

Be sure to take the cable car to the top of the mountains where you can stand with one foot in Poland and one in Slovakia. While driving is a faster option, you cannot ignore the charm of train travel in Poland or, indeed, anywhere in Europe.

Jennifer Look, Burwood, VIC

MAKING A MEAL OF IT

We're two mid-60s adventurers off to Africa in June. We have one night in Johannesburg and a few nights in Cape Town, and were looking for recommendations as to where to get a good cross-section of local food.

We like upmarket restaurants but equally we know restaurants with laminex tables and concrete floors can also provide superb food. Recommendations gratefully received

Brooke Walker, Balmain, NSW

PAPER TRAIL

As tourists we are hungry for information. There are brochures and pamphlets everywhere, even in this digital age. Before you know it, you've grabbed 20 pamphlets.

At the end of the trip, all this material is often then put into luggage, because there hasn't been enough time to actually read it and one feels an obligation not to throw it away.

This accumulation then adds a lot of unnecessary weight to your luggage. The key is to read, record then recycle. The three Rs are vital for a clutter-freer holiday. Store interesting facts and websites via the pamphlets in your phone for easy on-the-spot access.

Carol Nathaniel, Riverview, NSW

SCAN SCAM

Following Brian Noad's "No Pouch, No Slouch" letter (Readers' travel tips), I would add a cautionary note about money belts.

In May last year, I went through Los Angeles airport en route to Mexico. I carried spare cash in a money belt around my waist. At LA Terminal B security, after I went through the body scanner, the uniformed female officer asked to inspect my money belt. The mistake I made was not to insist that I watch her do this.

On checking in at Terminal 5 for the flight to Mexico, I unzipped my money belt to get US dollars for the luggage fee and found that $US60 was missing. At the time I thought I must have put it elsewhere. After a later fruitless search, I realised that the only other person to open my money belt was the female security officer.

After returning to Melbourne in June, I made a formal complaint to LA Security Administration and on request, provided a photo of myself to aid identification. To date, I have had no formal report on the outcome of my complaint.

If you wear a money belt when travelling, make sure you watch over any official who wants to open it. Sadly, a uniform does not guarantee honesty.

Valerie Gerrand, West Melbourne, VIC