Ask Lonely Planet: Reap the rewards in temple heaven

Angkor Wat is one of Cambodia's most famous temples. Photo / Jim Eagles

Next August/September we plan to join a group tour around China starting in Shanghai and finishing in Beijing. We then join a cruise from Beijing to Singapore. Instead of flying direct to Shanghai from Auckland, what would be the best way to have a stop off for three or four days in Siem Reap, Cambodia, before travelling to Shanghai. Would it be best to fly into Singapore and then on to Siem Reap/Shanghai as we are flying out of Singapore when we return to Auckland? What length of stay and itinerary would you recommend in Siem Reap and what accommodation would you suggest? We are adventurous retirees. Vivienne Redding

Given the circumstances the best way to get to Siem Reap is to fly into Singapore.

If you're flying with Singapore Airlines, ask about a discounted ticket on Silk Air. In Siem Reap I'd recommend Hanumanalaya for a comfortable stay that won't break the bank, or the architecturally amazing Hotel de la Paix if your bank is in robust health.

Four days is a good time for Siem Reap. Buy a three-day temple pass ($54) and plan to get up seriously early (on the road by 5am) to beat the crowds and enjoy the cool dawns.

Spend two days seeing the big-ticket temples - Ta Phrohm, the Bayon, Preah Khan and Angkor Wat, plus others you can decide on with the tuk tuk driver.

Plan to be out from 5am until noon, head back to base for a swim, a nap and lunch until 3.30pm or so, then head out for a couple of hours after the worst of the heat has gone.

On the third day hire a car and head first for the exquisite reliefs at Bantaey Srei, then to Kbal Spean (the River of 1000 Lingas) for a jungle walk along the sacred sculpted riverbed, and finally to the little-visited Beng Mealea, a vast temple complex overgrown by the jungle 70km from Siem Reap.

On the fourth day relax in Siem Reap.

Get a massage and do some shopping in the local boutiques and the Old Market, before settling into the FCC Angkor for sunset and a delicious meal.

Romantic Rhine

My wife and I will be travelling from Amsterdam to Frankfurt in mid-July with our two boys, ages 11 and 8. What is the best way to make the trip with a family? We were considering either rail or perhaps splurging on a trip down the Rhine. We were also wondering what "don't miss" highlights we might see along the way? Art Nahill

The rail journey is straightforward, writes Lonely Planet's London-based travel editor Tom Hall. Fast ICE trains zip between Amsterdam and Germany's capital of commerce in under four hours.

The first part of the route is not especially attractive, passing through heavily industrialised towns of the Ruhr Valley before reaching Dusseldorf and Cologne.

Consider slowing down at this point and swapping onto slower regional trains which stop in more places. And stay a night: Cologne is a beautiful historic city with one of Europe's greatest cathedrals.

From here south you're on the romantic Rhine, and very lovely it is too. Stop at Koblenz and take a boat down to Mainz. Boats which stop at small villages along the way are run by Koln-Dusseldorfer and take 5 hours to go the whole way, costing €46.50 ($90.82).

You can then take the ferry or train back.

Better still, spend the night in Koblenz and hire bikes or plan to hike for some of this journey. Here's a clue: downstream will be more downhill. The only downside is the rest of the world knows about it too. Book accommodation and inter-city travel in advance. You'll leave the crowds behind as soon as you're on two wheels or two feet.

Chosen as letter of the week, earning Art Nahill a copy of Lonely Planet's Europe on a Shoestring.

World War II history

We (two couples) have a weekend in Amsterdam before we connect with a Rhine Cruise and were wondering about seeing the Normandy beaches. Would there be time and how would we get there? My partner is very interested in WWII history. Your help would be appreciated. Nelda Myhill

Lonely Planet's London-based travel editor Tom Hall replies: Normandy is too far from Amsterdam for a weekend. Even with the opening of a new fast rail link reducing journey time between the Dutch and French capitals to around three hours, you still then need to cross Paris and move on to Rouen, Caen or Bayeux in Normandy.

This is a full day's travel in each direction and fairly expensive too. I would save Normandy for a separate trip and do it justice. There's more than a weekend's worth anyway.

You'll need time to see the sights of Amsterdam, too. Remind your partner that one of the most iconic sites of World War II, Anne Frank's House, is here.

The excellent Amsterdam Historisch Museum tells the story of the occupation, resistance and liberation of the city. One excellent day trip for WWII buffs is to the area around Arnhem, the focal point of the failed efforts to shorten the war in 1944. There are WWII cemeteries in the suburb of Osterbeek and the National Liberation Museum 10km down the road at Groesbeek. A hire car is the best way to get to these sites, though a combination of buses and taxis will also do the job.

The Dutch Tourism website is the right place for further information.