Traveller letters: Put Iran on your bucket list, despite the warnings

Peru is a great but country to visit don't limit yourselves to just Cusco.

Robert Pallister, Punchbowl, NSW

EDITOR'S NOTE

While Cusco and Machu Picchu (and Lima, too) are well-represented on our website, you'll also find stories on broad range of other Peruvian destinations.

MARRIAGE TROUBLES

Like your writer, Nina Karnikowski, I also visited Udaipur (Traveller, March 9) on the weekend of the pre-wedding celebrations of the daughter of India's richest man, Mukesh Ambani.

While I also found the "city of lakes" a gorgeous and different experience to much of India, we missed out on being able to go out on those lakes. The Ambani family, apparently fearing terrorist attacks, insisted all boating be banned during the main events.

It seems if you are wealthy enough in India, you can pretty much do what you like, regardless of the impact on the many tourists who missed on both visiting the City Palace (where the festivities were held), and enjoying what Nina described as "the essential ingredient for any romantic escapade", going out on the water.

Claire Hutton, Murrumbeena, VIC

FINE TIMES

I recently returned from a tour of Laos which involved a group of two vans with nine in each vehicle travelling from Luang Prabang to Vientiane.

En route our driver stopped at a police interception point where he was required to show his vehicle documents. When he returned to the vehicle he told the group he had been fined.

The group collected enough money for the fine and gave it to him. This same thing happened to me in Thailand a couple of years ago.

Is it a coincidence or a scam?

Denis Hennessy, Winston Hills NSW

HOST OF PROBLEMS

A recent dealing with Airbnb has put me off for good. Firstly, being unable to access my log in/email, I was unable to communicate with the host. Having paid a substantial deposit, it was concerning that my booking would not proceed.

Without the ability to log in I was stuck. Have a look for a contact number on their website! It took much time and angst to get back to square one.

Secondly, for holiday accommodation, compare the price between Airbnb and if it is advertised through a local agent. I was super surprised the latter's total rate was somewhat $500 less. (Fair to say it is also good to support local agents who will always have a contact phone number).

Daniel Nolan, Ashburton, VIC

FROZEN MOMENT

Get up close to the Matterhorn (Traveller, March 9) by doing the "Matterhorn Experience".

Leaving from Zermatt, two cable cars go to the peak of the closest mountain where an outside steel viewing platform provides a fantastic view of the Matterhorn and all of the surrounding areas.

It's a scene of pristine beauty with snow covered mountains rising above the clouds with ice, snow, high winds and sub zero temperatures are optional extras.

There's no time limit but getting frostbite may not be advisable. Then again there is a thaw out the café on site with a scenic outlook.

Judith English, Hornsby Heights, NSW

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

In 2014, we (generously) received a €500 note as a wedding present to spend on our honeymoon in Italy (Traveller Letters, February 10). As it's a denomination that is not in general circulation we did expect resistance.

However the response from Poste Italiane, Firenze was farcical. We waited in line for half an hour at the lovely 16th century post office on Via Pelliceria to politely asked in our best Italian if they would change our note.

In the finest traditional of Italian bureaucracy, the note was shown to now less than four other postal tellers, there was great commotion with the usual hand waving and gesturing, we were sent to three different windows, some with promises of hope, occupying another 30 minutes, only to be told at the very end "no!"

But we were offered a simple solution: just buy a stamp. And so the post card we sent ourselves still hangs on our fridge as a comical reminder of that day.

Stephen and Tina Iacono, Rosebery NSW

WHAT A DOWNER

Martyn Yoeman's suggestion to select a lower gear when driving down a steep hill (Traveller Letters, March 2) work well on some makes, however many newer cars have "constant velocity transmissions" which offer no engine braking.

Recently, on a self drive around the Hawaiian islands we found some roads were marked "No CVT pass this point". So, be selective when choosing a hire car else there you will be forced to turn around well before the viewing point.

Common CVT rental cars include Honda CRV, RAV4's, Xtrails, Hyundai and Subaru.

Dave Stimson, East Kurrajong, NSW

Send us your travel-related opinions and experiences

Letters may be edited for space, legal or other reasons. Preference will be given to well-constructed and formatted letters of 50-100 words or less. Email us at travellerletters@traveller.com.au and, importantly, include your name, address and phone number.

Read more Traveller Letters

Follow us: @TravellerAU on Twitter | TravellerAU on Facebook