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I have a 12-hour layover at LAX from 11am to 11.20pm. Are there any hotels that offer a "day room" service and what is the cost? Can I check in my baggage for my onward flight with American Airlines so I can do some sightseeing? Any recommendations on activities if I can't find a hotel?
Allen Gavin
Ask your travel agent whether your baggage is going to be checked right through for your next flight. If not, you can always store your baggage in a locker while you're sightseeing.
Hotels in and around LAX include the Hilton, Crowne Plaza, Radisson and a Super 8 motel. They all provide a shuttle service to the terminals. A day-visit is the same rate as an overnight stay. Use the courtesy phones in the baggage claim area. But why not do some sightseeing rather than just sitting around a hotel room or the airport all day?
The colourful Venice Beach, a mecca of people-watching, is only a few miles from the airport and about $20 in a taxi. Or you could go star-searching on the Walk of Fame along Hollywood Boulevard or visit the stunning Getty Centre in Westwood, with its stellar art collection and beautiful gardens. On a clear day you get some great views of the city and ocean.
Of course, no trip to LA is complete without a stroll along Rodeo Drive or the paparazzi-infested Robertson Boulevard, both in Beverly Hills. For a behind-the-scenes look at the movies, take a tour of Warner Bros Studios or Sony Pictures Studios (ph 323 520 8687). You'll need to have a reservation.
The cheapest and quickest way to get into town is with LAX FlyAway shuttle buses to Downtown's Union Station ($8, 45 minutes) or Westwood Village ($8, 30 minutes) near UCLA. To get to Hollywood, connect to the Metro Red Line subway at Union Station ($10, 1 hours). A taxi will cost you about $90 to Hollywood or Downtown.
Brazil and beyond
We have three weeks in South America. From Buenos Aires we want to go to Iguazu Falls by bus. Can we have a river cruise in the area? Is it worth spending a day or two in Paraguay? We then go through Brazil to Porto Alegre and Rio Grande, to Montevideo, Colonia del Sacramento and Carmelo in Uruguay, then take a ferry back to Buenos Aires. We plan to travel by bus, or should we fly some sections?
Brian & Margo Verney
Puerto Iguazu is 20 hours by bus from Buenos Aires (around $50). If you have the time to take the bus, this is certainly the cheaper option. Airfares with Aerolineas Argentinas from BA are around $200 one way. From Puerto Iguazu there's a local bus to the information centre at the falls.
There are water adventures offered on both sides of the falls. In Argentina, the Iguazu Jungle Explorer has a one-hour excursion ($50) that includes an 8km ride through the jungle on the back of a jeep and a 6km ride down the Iguazu River. The cheaper Aventura Nautica ($25, 12 minutes) gives you a quick tour of the canyon and a dousing shower. The Brazilian experience is more elaborate: the 2 hour Macuco Safari de Barco costs about $120 and includes a 3km ride through the jungle, a short hike to a small waterfall where you can swim, and a 4km Zodiac trip over rapids and under the falls known as the Three Musketeers.
Travellers are scarce in Paraguay but the people, though unaccustomed to travellers, are always curious, helpful and kind. From Argentina you can cross the border by bus from Puerto Iguazu to Ciudad del Este. From Brazil you cross at Foz de Iguacu. Negotiating the borders involves a lot of getting off and on the bus. Ask the driver to stop at immigration, since locals don't always need to.
Ciudad del Este is just a dirty, crime-ridden border town, but the Unesco World Heritage site of Trinidad and the Parque Nacional Ybycui are well worth visiting.
All the places you mention are well connected by bus. This is really the best way to get around.
Be sure to read the travel advisories issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) for the countries you'll be visiting at www.safetravel.govt.nz.
Baja road trip
I'm driving from San Diego to Mexico City but thought it would be more interesting to go along the Baja and then catch a ferry from La Paz to the mainland. Can you tell me how far it is and how long it takes to drive from Tijuana to La Paz in Baja California? Also, what are the roads like?
Robert Plank
It's around 1480km from Tijuana to La Paz. The trip could be done in two days, but to see a few of the main sights you should allow about a week. With the exception of a four-lane toll road from Tijuana to Ensenada, the Transpeninsular leading to La Paz is a two-lane, black-top highway. There are some winding mountainous stretches, though generally it's a good drive.
Once in central Baja, it's a good idea to top up your tank at every petrol station, as the next station might be out of fuel. To organise your Mexican insurance - which you must have - try the following reliable companies: Baja Bound, Club Mex, Discover Baja Travel Club.
Along the way you should stop in Ensenada and feast on fish tacos, abalone and olives, washed down with some Baja wine.
Spend a night by the sea at La Bocana. At Catavina in central Baja you will marvel at the surreal desert landscapes. You won't want to leave the hamlet of Mulege on the east coast, where you can dive, snorkel, kayak or hike.
Ferries from La Paz go to Topolobampo (six hours, daily) and Mazatlan (18 hours, three days weekly). The latter, of course, will put you much closer to Mexico City. The cheapest fare to Mazatlan is $140, plus $365 for your car. Go to the site at Baja Ferries for more information.
Although you don't need a Mexican Car Permit to drive in Baja California, you do need one to drive in mainland Mexico, so make sure you get one in Tijuana or Ensenada, otherwise you won't be permitted to catch the ferry.
Before heading off, read the MFAT travel advisory for Mexico at www.safetravel.govt.nz.