Top tips from travellers: Why you should beware of online visa scams when travelling to Vietnam

Our recent trip to Sun Peaks in British Columbia, Canada, in summer was a delight. We stayed at The Stones Throw condos accommodation in the upper village, where we've stayed during the ski season.

There are great views of our favourite ski runs with verdant green downhill strips between the trees and with the golf course and club just a few minutes away.

And no wonder the booking agency there is named Bear Country. Almost every afternoon we witnessed a mother bear and her two playful cubs on the hilltop opposite our verandah and spa, about two kilometres away.

On the five-minute walk down to the village a young deer often trotted across our path with its babies following behind, on their way to graze on higher pastures.

We loved the relaxed atmosphere in summer, and every winter always return to ski on the favourite mountain of Nancy Greene, a champion Canadian skier.

Joan Brown, Picton, NSW

WEIGHTY MATTER

Beware Czech Airlines. We flew from Budapest to Prague with Czech Airlines in September 2016 and assumed the standard international baggage allowance of 20 kilograms to 23 kilograms would apply.

How wrong we were. The allowance was only 15 kilograms per bag. There were four of us, each with luggage about 20 kilograms. We got a shock when we were charged €40 for each piece of luggage. It is not calculated on the basis of the excess kilos.

Angela Turnbull, Ashfield, NSW

POSITIVE IMPRESSIONS

I had a wonderful experience of being part of a small-group, 10-day, escorted tour of Paris run by Beyond Tourism Travel. We stayed in our own apartment and met each day for excursions. Eight of the days were fully escorted and we saw parts of Paris not necessarily frequented by tourists.

We also went to Senlis, a medieval town, as well as Malmaison and Chatou for the Impressionists. We learnt some history and architecture and for days we did our own thing with help to plan if necessary, becoming competent Metro users.

Beyond Tourism Travel also runs 10-day escorted small groups to Normandy and Brittany, Provence, the Dordogne and the Loire. Some of our fellow travellers had been on these or were going on after Paris.

Iia Sergie, Gymea Bay, NSW

LATIN LESSONS

For me, travel anticipation is almost as good as the real thing. So, when planning my recent trip to South America, I began building the pre-travel excitement with online skype lessons from "Spanish and beyond".

And because we were landing in Santiago, I read Isabel Allende's book My Invented Country – it is history, magic and memoir rolled into one. I also watched YouTube trailers for The Violin Teacher and Neruda, and the Spanish film Truman.

I knew I was going to Buenos Aires and would be visiting Recoleta Cemetery and the tomb of Eva Peron, so I revisited Don't Cry for Me Argentina.

Pre-travel prep makes for an even more wonderful holiday.

Judith Salmon, Haberfield, NSW

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