We are hoping to travel to Dubai for a few days in January with our baby son, and although my husband and I have been to the Middle East before, we have a potential problem on this occasion.

Our son will be six months old by then, and I will still be breast-feeding him. I would obviously be as subtle as possible, but would even the idea of breast-feeding be offensive, in a café or restaurant, for example? We would not like to cause any offence. Kate Palmer, via e-mail

Times travel expert Julia Brookes responds: Dubai is less conservative than other parts of the UAE, but the advice from Dubai Tourism is that although there is no formal rule against breast-feeding in public, Muslim culture favours modesty and unnecessary exposure may cause offence.

Restaurants commonly have screened-off tables or compartments, typically for Arab women who do not wish to remove their veils publicly to eat, while hotels and shopping malls have mother and baby rooms. If you use those, you won't need to worry.

Times recommends

• New York's top 10 new hotels
• A Scottish monastery retreat
• Welcome back to Rwanda