M. THOMSON, SYDNEY

Your timing makes this difficult since group tours to South Korea don't get into gear until much later in the year. G Adventures (gadventures.com.au) has a 10-day Best of Korea tour, beginning on  May 8. Another alternative is Adelaide-based Bunnik Tours (bunniktours.com.au), which has a South Korea in Depth tour commencing on  May 5. This is a 14-day tour but on day 10, the group returns from Jeju Island to Seoul and it would be fairly easy for you to leave the group at that time. This is a cultural and scenic tour of South Korea and Bunnik is a highly regarded operator of small-group tours, and their prices are reasonable. If the timing of this tour does not fit in with your itinerary, Bunnik can also tailor individual itineraries, and South Korea presents no great difficulties for a woman travelling alone.

WE ARE PLANNING A TWO-WEEK HOLIDAY TO COPENHAGEN WITH KIDS, 5 AND 2 YEARS OLD, IN MAY. ANY SUGGESTIONS, AND TIPS FOR DEALING WITH KIDS ON A LONG FLIGHT?  

K. TANG, NORTH ROCKS

Copenhagen is a garden of delights for children, a modestly size city furnished with a Hans Christian Andersen collection of castles and burgher's houses wrapped around a scenic harbour, with a royal family that includes a crown princess who hails from our own fair shores.

Close to the heart of the city, Tivoli Gardens (tivoli.dk) brings a touch of Disneyland to Copenhagen, but despite the focus on rides and fantasy, it's not strictly kids' stuff. There are also beer gardens, shops, restaurants, cafes, concerts and rock music every Friday night. At Bakken, the world's oldest amusement park just north of the city, you can take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the deer park. In the same area, Frilandsmuseet (natmus.dk) is a huge open-air museum with houses, windmills and old breeds of domestic animas that represent traditional village life from every corner of the country. The Changing of the Guard, every day at noon at Amalienborg Palace, is a wonderful display of pomp and ceremony, especially if Queen Margrethe II is in residence, when the King's Watch mounts the guard. Stroget, the main shopping street, is one of the world's longest pedestrian-only thoroughfares, which makes it perfect for small children. Nyhavn, the city's old harbour, is a gorgeous place for a stroll, especially on a warm day, and it's well  supplied with waterfront cafes.  Don't miss the statue of the Little Mermaid at Langelinje Pier. Brush up on the Hans Christian Andersen story that inspired the statue before you go.

Long-haul flights with small children can be testing for all. Night flights are great because there's a better chance of getting them to sleep, and a daytime layover somewhere mid-route is ideal. Games, music or videos on an iPad and colouring books will help keep them entertained. Keep them away from excessive consumption of sweet and fizzy drinks and if they have a favourite snack, pack plenty.

MY WIFE, TWO DAUGHTERS AND I HAVE BOOKED A ONE-WEEK STOPOVER IN ISTANBUL THIS JUNE. A DAY TRIP TO GALLIPOLI IS TOP OF OUR TO-DO LIST BUT THERE ARE SO MANY TOUR OPERATORS THAT OFFER DAY TRIPS FROM ISTANBUL THAT IT HAS BECOME CONFUSING. IS THERE AN AUSTRALIAN-RUN, OR AT LEAST AUSTRALIAN STAFFED, TOUR OPERATOR OUT OF ISTANBUL THAT HAS THE YEARS, EXPERIENCE AND POSITIVE RATING?  

N. GOLFIN, DOVER HEIGHTS

The people to talk to are Melbourne's Boronia Travel Centre (boroniabattlefieldtours.com.au). They're the official travel agent for the Australian War Memorial's Battlefield Tours. Boronia has been arranging tours to Gallipoli for 19 years and they are heavily involved in the commemoration ceremonies that will take place this year, the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. According to John Waller, Boronia's proprietor, they can tailor whatever kind of tour you want, but if you want the very best, he recommends a private, guided tour with your own vehicle and guide from Istanbul. Your guide will be Turkish, as they all are for private tours, and Boronia will guarantee a high-quality experience with an expert who will give you an in-depth view of Australia's role in the campaign. If you have a particular area of interest, or even a relative who fought at Gallipoli, your guide can focus on that aspect.

Travel time from Istanbul is five hours each way, so be prepared for a long day, with an early start. Cost for such a tour will be a little over double the price of a guided coach tour but feedback suggests that this will be money well spent.

CONVERSATION OVER TO YOU…

The question was "Ever told a fib on your customs declaration form?"

R. Barlow writes "No, never. It does not pay to tell a fib to customs and then be caught out. Once, returning from New Caledonia, I declared a carved wooden bird. I was taken aside by a customs officer , the object was examined, pronounced clean and I was fast tracked through to the outside. Honesty pays!"

From C.G., "I once brought in some kopi luwak, coffee beans harvested from the droppings of civet cats in Indonesia, and I didn't declare it because my mother had hers confiscated from a previous trip. But after harvesting the beans are roasted and crushed, and I really don't see why it should be any more suspect than regular coffee. Tasted great too. "

"Yes, I am sorry to say I told a fib on my customs declaration form," according to R.S. "It was 21 years ago, and I was a newly arrived, homesick and naïve S'effrican. I undertook a short trip back to Johannesburg and upon my return, smuggled in several packets of biltong (dried meat). Will never forget the feeling of abject terror as the beagles sniffed and climbed over my luggage, and then moved away!"

From my own experience, as a frequent traveller, I don't want to get caught trying to sneak in anything I shouldn't, since it will mean grief every time I re-enter Australia forever after, and it's dishonest. I've always 'fessed up, and found Australian Customs to be reasonable and professional. I once bought a camera overseas and although it was over the allowed duty-free limit by several hundred dollars, Customs let me bring it in, no extra charge, since I'd used it while I was away and therefore its value had depreciated.

Next question: Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Etihad are among the airlines that now offer inflight wifi on most flights to and from Australia. Qantas and Air New Zealand are two that don't. Does availability of onboard wifi influence your choice of carrier?

Send response to tripologist@fairfaxmedia.com.au. The best response will win a Lonely Planet guidebook.

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