Ask Joan: Uganda, Panama, and Stuttgart

We are a group of five hoping to rent an apartment in Panama city for two to three days in June on our way to Costa Rica. I have been advised that the safest place to stay in the city is the financial district. We are on a tight budget so any advice you can give us would be most welcome. BM, Dublin

Panama is becoming a popular destination for holidays and the range of available accommodation is wide.

There is a company that specialises in accommodation rentals,
panamastays.com. June should be a better value month than others as it is not high season, although you can expect hot and humid weather.

See also the modern Coral Suites Hotel where they have rooms with kitchen facilities. Prices are around €80 per night if you book in advance, coralsuitespanama.com. They may have some suites that will take your group with a roll-away bed; check directly with the hotel.

There is also a good selection of apartments to rent on vrbo.com, though the prices are a bit higher and there is a minimum stay in most.

See also hostelworld.com for a variety of accommodation types such as B&Bs, guesthouses and budget hotels from €11pp per night.

Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com

I am travelling to Kampala in Uganda for a conference in early June. We intend spending a few days after the conference exploring more of Uganda and, as we will only have three days, I want to optimise our time. Can you please recommend some “not to miss” things to do?
EQ, Kildare

The Pearl of Africa has one amazing thing you must see, incredible wildlife, in herds, up trees, running across plains and lurking in forests. The country with 10 national parks will give you the opportunity to see wild animals up close, spot amazing birds and wonder at the hundreds of butterflies.

There are companies that arrange trips and you can either book in advance or there may be something arranged in conjunction with your conference. Sometimes there are post-conference tours. See also visituganda.com.

Pick a park within easy range of Kampala, keeping in mind distances take a long time to cover in Africa. Some parks do have airfields and you could fly in. Visits to north-eastern Uganda are not recommended due to lawlessness, see fco.gov.uk.

If you can afford it, tracking the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park would be rewarding. This is the habitat of the last remaining mountain gorillas, and you could see how Dian Fossey felt. It costs up to $500 for a day's tracking and you must have a permit. See ugandawildlife.org for details of tour companies and details for visiting national parks. You can also relax in a beach-side resort on the shores of the ocean-sized Lake Victoria.

Send your queries to jscales@irishtimes.com

Aer Lingus issued their winter schedule to all German destinations last week, except Stuttgart. Can you check if they will have a winter service there this year? RR, Wexford.

Stuttgart is a seasonal service and only operates from May to October. You will find services via Frankfurt with Lufthansa and via Zurich with Swiss Air.