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Many of these are free, which will really bring down the cost of entertaining a family The drawback is distance. You’ll need a hire car and you may not want to visit too many places in a day.
Make sure you carry a form of ID for your sons, since different admission rates tend to apply for under-12s and those between 13 and 17.To start with something unexpected, and right in the heart of Los Angeles itself, visit the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits at the George C Page Musuem (00 1 323 934 7243; www.tarpits ; 5801 Wilshire Boulevard). There are numerous parks and museums, some of which are specifically designed for families, and some very good interpretive centres on the coast that make the most of LA’s position on the Pacific. As this coincides with half term I would like to go with him and take our sons, aged 10 and 14. What could you recommend I do with them – apart from the ubiquitous theme parks? Sally Whyte, via e-mail

A. Los Angeles is a great place to take children if you’re willing to drive. Q.

My husband has a business meeting in California in February, flying into Los Angeles. This includes return flights from Heathrow, transfers, accommodation, most meals, activities and guides.RED TAPE & FURTHER INFORMATIONBritish passport-holders require a visa to visit Zambia. These are obtainable from the Zambian High Commission, 2 Palace Gate, Kensington, London W8 (020-7589 6655; www.zhcl .uk) and cost £33 for one month. Applications take around three working days if applying in person or five working days by post.Zambia National Tourist Board: 020-7589 6343; www.zambiatourism.co.zw.. Road transfers from Mfuwe to Tafika take two hours, or it can be flown in 15 minutes.WALKING THEREChikoko Trails walking safaris run between the end of May and October, staying at Chikoko and Crocodile Camps (00 264 61 681504; www.remoteafrica ).STAYING THEREWildlife Worldwide (0845 130 6982; www.wildlifeworldwide ) arranges 12-night walking safaris in South Luangwa from £3,395.

TRAVELLER’S GUIDEGETTING THEREBritish Airways (0870 850 9 850; www.ba ) is the only airline with direct flights between the UK and Zambia; it flies from Heathrow to Lusaka three times a week. South African Airways (0870 747 1111; www.flysaa ) flies from Heathrow via Johannesburg. Zambian Airways (00 260 1 256 586; www.zambianairways.co.zm), Airwaves (00 260 1 271 059; www.airwaves.co.zm) and Proflight (00 260 1 271 032; www.proflight-zambia ) all fly from Lusaka to Mfuwe. For one glorious moment he turned his face towards us, his eyes burning into us Then, with a flick of his tail, he was gone. Bryan moved a little to the side away from me, allowing a view of the track ahead. There, on its side of the path, was a magnificent male leopard enjoying the last rays of sunshine, completely oblivious to our presence.I slowly crouched to allow the others to see it, too. For several minutes we remained motionless, and time really did seem to stand still The leopard licked itself, and rolled around in the dust Suddenly, he spotted us and jumped up, startled.

The wind had picked up and blown the clouds away so that the sun could finally put in an appearance. Although it was already descending towards the horizon, it lifted our spirits. Suddenly, Paul and Bryan stopped in the silent, urgent fashion that we had come to recognise meant that something significant was ahead. “We need to turn back to camp now,” said Bryan, and, feeling somewhat dejected, we reluctantly took a trail that led away from the river through elephant grass. “Hippos,” said Cathy, “and a leopard for Lyn.” It was an overcast, sultry afternoon, with little birdsong and few sightings of wildlife.