Tripologist: What should we do on a Dubai stopover if we don’t like malls?

We have a five-day stopover in Dubai and rather than giant shopping malls and kitsch we would like an authentic experience of Arabian culture.
S. Hammond, Geelong VIC

A one-hour flight will get you from Dubai to Muscat, capital of the Sultanate of Oman, one of the most fascinating, cultured and likeable of the Gulf states. The covered souk in Muttrah, the commercial area of Muscat, still carries on its ancient business of spices and gold, supervised by the descendants of merchants who once traded carpets, camel skins and frankincense between India and the Mediterranean. A 90-minute drive inland takes you to Nizwa, a photogenic tangle of knotted alleys rising to a mud-walled fort surrounded by date palms. At its heart is a souk with an antiques market stuffed with copper plates, Bedouin chests and jewellery.

Nizwa, Oman.Credit: Getty Images

Thanks to its former conservation-minded Sultan, the late Qaboos bin Said, Oman has several refuges where exotic species such as leopard, tahr and the Arabian oryx still thrive. One of the most spectacular refuges is Ras al-Jinz, about a three-hour drive from Muscat, where green and loggerhead turtles wade ashore to lay their eggs in the sand. Peak egg-laying season falls between June and August, yet even in the low season you can often see massive turtles on the beach, and baby turtles scrambling from their nests and out to sea at dawn.

Local operators such as Nomad Tours offer comprehensive multi-day tour packages, including a Muscat city tour, cruises, a wadi tour and expeditions from Muscat to take in the desert towns, the towering dunes of the Wahiba Sands and the lost-in-time landscape of the Hajar Mountains.

We want to travel to Mexico but, given recent events and warnings of crime and carjacking, what’s the safest and best way to travel around? Particularly from Merida to Holbox Island and from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca.
Y. Brayer, Fitzroy North, Vic

According to the Smartraveller website, all of Mexico is subject to the warning “Exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico overall due to the threat of violent crime”. Some areas are rated “Reconsider your need to travel”, but Yucatan is generally regarded as relatively safe. To get from Merida to Holbox Island, the best option is the Ado bus from Merida to Chiquila and then a ferry to the island. The fastest buses cover the distance in about six hours, and the easiest place to buy tickets is on the Busbud site.

Hierve el Agua in Oaxaca.Credit: iStock

The province of Oaxaca carries the same Smartraveller rating as Yucatan, and here as well, the Ado bus will get you there in about three hours. Areas that are popular with tourists, including Mexico City, are considered safe, but avoid visiting anywhere remote.

I am a youthful 70-year-old female who wants to explore the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver Island, including Mount St Helens, Mount Rainier and Olympic national parks, Seattle/Vancouver and the San Juan Islands. Can you suggest tours? I’m planning to take the Amtrak Starliner from San Francisco to Seattle.
H. Phegan, Maroubra NSW

The closest station to San Francisco where the Coast Starlight train stops is Jack London Square station in Oakland, across the bay from the city of San Francisco. The once-daily service departs Oakland at 9.21pm and arrives in Seattle in the evening, 22½ hours later. While the train passes through some awe-inspiring countryside, recent reviews are discouraging with reports of dated, dingy and dark compartments, cleanliness that falls well short of expectations, a disappointing menu and lacklustre service. Several suggest the sleeper compartments are uncomfortable and overpriced.

Cosmos Tours has a nine-day Pacific Northwest tour from Seattle to Portland that includes Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier National Park, Crater Lake National Park, the Three Capes Scenic Route and the coastal city of Astoria in the hills above the Columbia River. National Geographic Expeditions has an eight-day cruise that travels along the east coast of Vancouver Island visiting Victoria and Desolation Sound, as well as the San Juan Islands, starting and finishing in Seattle. Evergreen Escapes is a small, family-owned adventure travel operator that organises shorter tours from Seattle, including to the San Juan Islands, Mount Rainier and Olympic national parks.

We would like to spend five or six days in Taiwan and wonder if you have any must-see places? Can we stay in Taipei and just do day trips? Also, do you have any suggestions regarding private or small group, English language tours? C. Kench, Copacabana NSW

With less than a week I’d be inclined to stay in Taipei and do day trips. It’s an exciting city packed with attractions including temples, and Hsing Tian Kong Temple and Longshan Temple are standouts. The city also has a serious teahouse culture, and be sure to sample the delicious Taiwanese street food in the night markets – try the Raohe Street Night Market in Songshan District. The original Din Tai Fung restaurant on Xinyi Road – famous for its dumplings – is worth a pilgrimage

The National Palace Museum has an outstanding collection of Chinese art, the calligraphy, painting, bronzes, lacquerware, ceramics and jade are among the finest anywhere. If you’re up for an authentic Taipei experience, you might take in one of the city’s many karaoke parlours, a national pastime, with sad love songs as the staple. In the evening the Ximending Pedestrian Zone becomes a catwalk for the young and fashion-conscious, and don’t miss the ink studios in Ximending Tattoo Street.

Taipei can be overwhelming, so start your trip with a guided tour, and there’s lots to choose from on the With Locals website. The reviews will give you a good indication of the pick of the bunch. For excursions beyond Taipei, Beitou’s hot springs are a popular spot, just a 50-minute ride aboard the MRT trains.

For a leisurely day out, take the 40-minute train ride from Taipei to Ruifang, where you can board the Pingxi Rail Line for a short journey through time-warped villages. Get off at Shifen Station to admire the waterfall, and take a walk through some lovely countryside. Further afield, Taroko National Park and Sun Moon Lake, surrounded by the forested peaks of the Central Mountain Range, are well worth a visit. However, most guided tours are a three-day itinerary.

Travel advice is general; readers should consider their personal circumstances.