The fact is that buying gems from backstreet traders almost certainly means that you are about to be ripped

The fact is that buying gems from backstreet traders almost certainly means that you are about to be ripped off with worthless coloured glass, and if not, you are about to be mugged after stepping out of the shop.That is not to say that there is not plenty of honest money to be made. Last year, I met a Frenchman in Bali who, having spotted some nice suede sandals, struck up a deal with the maker. He spent a couple of months in Bali each year, filling a container with the sandals and furniture – and made a reasonable living out of it.If you have any great new ideas, please feel free to write to me, in confidence, at the e-mail address below.Phil Haines, the youngest person to have visited every country in the world, runs a travel company, Live Limited (tel: 0181-737 3725; phil.haines live- travel. com), “specialising in travel to special places”.Healthy trekkingI have decided to go to Nepal and Tibet for some off-the-beaten-track walking.

Do you have any tips about the health precautions that I need to take in advance of my trip? Any special risks or hazards that I need to bear in mind?Amanda TaylorNewcastleDr Larry Goodyer replies:Nepal tends to be notorious for traveller’s diarrhoea, so take care with food and water. As you travel to higher altitudes, also be aware of the dangers of mountain sickness. The golden rule is: at the first sign of any symptoms, such as headaches, nausea or sleeplessness, descend to a lower altitude immediately.Apart from the usual hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines, you should also consider rabies vaccination if travelling off the beaten track. Rabid dogs are a problem in Nepal and anti-rabies treatment is available in only 46 out of 75 districts in the country.If you are making extended stays in rural parts of Nepal, especially the more low-lying regions, it may be advisable to have Japanese B encephalitis vaccine The main danger times are between June and December.

Likewise, malaria prophylaxis may be recommended in some areas of Nepal below 4,200ft (1,300m).When you cross into Tibet, remember that some travellers have been experiencing problems when entering Chinese territory. Apparently, the Chinese authorities have been over-reacting to reports of cholera by quarantining people or forcing them to take antibiotics when crossing from Russia.Dr Larry Goodyer is a lecturer in clinical pharmacy at King’s College, London. Contact the Nomad Travel health helpline (tel: 0891 633414; calls cost 60p per minute).. Smaller than Manhattan, Boston is a dense cosmopolitan jumble of neighbourhoods, and a single walk can take you through several centuries: wander from the tree-lined Back Bay and Beacon Hill areas under the autumn- leaf confetti to the glass forest of Downtown or the colourful village of North End. A short T-line journey can even carry you across the Charles River to Cambridge and Harvard – one of 60 colleges and universities within the Greater Boston boundary. It may be the “cradle of America”, but a youthful population definitely spices up Boston’s elder-statesman atmosphere.
When to goBoston, like the rest of New England, is at its most beautiful and most expensive in the fall, September to November. Most of the time, though, I just hang out on my grandma’s porch.

She grows all her own vegetables, so I’ve learnt a lot about Caribbean gardening. And I love grandma’s food, West Indian food – rice, chicken and peas and all that stuff. It’s my favourite food.The great thing is that because it’s so small, not many people know about it – so it has not been corrupted by too much tourism A lot of people go to Antigua instead You get this calm vibe as soon as you land. The last time was about a year ago, so I am definitely due another trip.
My dad used to tell me a lot about Nevis when I was young. So it was nice to go there and put a picture to the places he described.