Travel Question: Where can my global family meet for a holiday?

Q We have grandchildren in New York, Sydney and the UK, aged between three and 13. As grandparents we love to get them all together, but it is challenging due to trying to equalise flight duration, fitting in with school holidays, and avoiding bad weather and areas where malaria or Zika are prevalent.

John W

A New York, Sydney and London are three of the best connected cities on the planet, so you have a wide choice. But the stipulations about Zika and malaria mean that almost everywhere in the tropics is off limits – as is the US state of Florida. So I suggest you travel over Christmas and New Year, when everyone has time off school, to South Africa – where malaria is present only in the extreme northern and eastern fringes. This will maximise the benefits for the New York and UK contingents by taking them to the sunshine, and give the Australian branch of the family the chance to see an exciting corner of the world.

For ease of transport for everyone, I suggest you convene in Johannesburg, which has direct flights from Sydney, the UK and New York. Then take the train to Cape Town, spend time in that diverse and beautiful city, and head along the Garden Route to find beachside resorts and national parks.

Every day our travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder