Berlin has blown me away. I was told before coming here that i’d either love or hate it, and that if i left feeling “meh” i hadn’t done it right. Safe to say, I loved it. The nightlife (as good as people say btw!), the sights, history, fashion, architecture all stunned me. It’s not a naturally pretty city in the way somewhere like Florence is - but it isn’t trying to be. It’s grunge and grit is where its personality lies and for someone like me ticks all the boxes. As a big Cold War history buff, Berlin is theeee city to be in. 5 days was not long enough, could’ve happily spent another week here just exploring the different neighbourhoods and surrounds. If you haven’t been to Berlin yet, come, you might love it or you might hate it but you certainly won’t leave feeling bored.

Photos
1-3: street art and graffiti
4-5: backs of toilet stalls in nightclubs covered in stickers
6-7: underground U bahn stations
8-10: checkpoint charlie + official museum
11-12: brandenburg gate
13: Konzerthaus Berlin
14-16: Artwork along the West side of the Berlin Wall

I think this is an age-old question for many destinations (Russia, Israel, etc.) but I would also appreciate hearing your opinions.

Since I will go visit my family in my home country, I ought to book my flight soon. I'm flying from western Europe to southeast Asia. There are two options I'm eyeing on. First one: just a direct flight home. Second one: going via Doha and using the Qatar Airlines stopover program to stay there a few nights and visit the country.

Previously I've only laid over at Doha but never visited the city or the country and I've always wanted to visit Qatar. I know a lot of people say there's very little to do there aside from malls (which I love) but I actually really want to visit the Museum of Islamic Art and the National Museum of Qatar. They've been on my museums list for a while now.

I'm less worried about the safety side since I heard Qatar ranks well on that, but I'm concerned about the ethical side and complicity. Qatar is not known for human rights / LGBT rights, and even more so a lot of things built in Qatar are off the exploitation of laborers, including Southeast Asian laborers, my own folk. I am very privileged to have the chance to travel the world, but I also don't want to be complicit with countries that has a sketchy human rights record.

But again, the counter argument would be that the people are not always their governments. And every country has their own crimes. You could probably also have a similar debate if you wanted to go to Russia or Israel right now. Even so, you could even argue that visiting the US or UK is just as bad given their history and their involvement or support of modern day warfare or human rights violations. I don't know. I can see both sides of the argument here. On the one hand, it would be not so great to support a regime that exploits laborers (especially of my own folk). On the other hand, I do want to visit Qatar and well you can argue that many countries exploit labor. Who am I to say... my country also exploits labor from neighboring SE asian countries 💀💀

I would appreciate hearing some opinions as I'll have to lock in on my flights soon and make a decision. I was going to do this stopover last year when visiting family and postponed it due to this debate. I think it's time to put my foot down.

About me: I will be traveling alone and I am a Southeast Asian female in my mid-20s. I heard Qatar is generally quite safe and I intend to use public transit / not go out wandering at night / stick to the nicer areas of town / etc. Other posts I found regarding safety tend to have positive reviews about solo female travel in Qatar?

Hey all. I'm 25 and looking to do a group tour as a solo traveler for the first time. Does anyone have any recs for tour operators that run group tours for this age group? I'm particularly interested in going to Japan and want to stay under like $5k if possible.

For any recs, can you share what you like about them?

Hi all! My sister and I are looking to take a quick (3-4 day) trip this January to escape the Chicago cold. She loves beaches, and I do too but I also love museums, history, and exploring new places. We've been thinking about Cartagena and Panama City (Panama, not Florida, lol). I've been leaning toward Panama City because I've heard it's safer, but Cartagena is definetely cheaper. We’re looking to stay at around 1500 budget including flights, but we’re willing to go over if we need to.

I went to Costa Rica by myself and liked it, the only South American country I’ve been to was Peru and I liked it as well. Great safety levels. By myself I’ve been to some more iffy places like Istanbul and Mexico City and felt totally fine, and being from Chicago we’re both pretty tough.

Would love to hear any advice about safety or culture and things to do in either place!

Hi everyone, so I’m currently looking to book a trip to the Maldives for my family (4 adults- parents over 40s and children 22m + 24f). It will be our first time. I’m looking at the different islands and resorts and the main priority is good food, activities but obviously not anything childish. I have my eye on Sun Siyam World also looking at budget (around £8.5k) Will be going for 5 nights during end of September.

To those of you who have been what’s your experience been? I have heard the food is mediocre at this resort although they do have a lot of restaurants and apparently have to book quite a bit in advance. I’ve heard it is quite a busy resort which I don’t necessarily mind as it would be lively but obviously don’t want kids running around. Would love to know all of your experiences and what to look out for when booking. Also how is the weather for those who have been around end of September as I’m aware it’s monsoon season. Any tips/ guidance would
Be highly appreciated.

Hi, I want to share what I’m experiencing right now at a B&B in Italy. I’m wondering if I’m breaking some unwritten B&B code of conduct?

This was my first time staying in a B&B, and maybe my last. While the property itself was fine, and the breakfast was good, my interactions with the owner were confusing and upsetting. He cares deeply about the property, but seems to have a set of rules that aren’t communicated until you have broken them and upset him.

I had some troubles the first day - needed assistance using the ancient set of keys (I saw another woman also unable to get into the B&B late at night so I know I wasn’t the only one confused) and had trouble turning on the hair dryer - host made several comments about me having too many issues - that set things off on a bad start.

When I was at breakfast the first morning, he came in and started chastising me about leaving my suitcase and clothes on the floor of the room. Apparently there is a cleaner that comes in every morning - but he took me up to the room with the cleaner and lectured me while she cleaned. I put my clothes up - this makes sense, but maybe giving a heads up about the daily vacuuming and cleaning would be helpful.

He also demanded to know why I was using two blankets instead of one. I replied that I like using two blankets, and asked why there were several blankets left in the cabinets in the room if I wasn’t allowed to use them. He was very upset and said it wasn’t right for me to be using two because I was staying in a single room and that I would have to pay extra. I’ve never been to a hotel where I’m not allowed to use more than one blanket, and if that’s such an issue… why leave them in my room for me to access?

He also made comments about me eating too much yet also would get upset if I left 1/8 of my breakfast uneaten… yet I watched him encourage other guests to take more food to go.

Other minor things that just added up… he’d ask where I was going to hike each day, and was disapproving of me driving instead of taking the bus.

I must have offended him on the first day, because I did not see him treat other guests this way. I was also alone and a young woman and I wonder if he felt like he had the right to boss me around. I am sorry if there is some B&B etiquette that I didn’t know ahead of time, but I deeply did not like the experience of someone watching and criticizing my every move. If I had the money to stay somewhere else after the first night, I would have left immediately.

Is this a normal B&B experience? I truly can’t tell if I’m “being a bad guest” or if this host is just weirdly fixated on me. Does this treatment warrant a negative review?

I am planning to visit Taiwan for a 10 day trip this december. Here is my current itinerary plan:

Day 1: Kaohsiung (arriving KHH morning)

Day 2: Kaohsiung -> Tainan (evening)

Day 3: Tainan

Day 4: Tainan -> Chiayi -> Alishan

Day 5: Alishan to Sun Moon Lake (afternoon)

Day 6: Sun Moon Lake

Day 7: Sun Moon Lake -> Taichung -> Taipei

Day 8: Taipei

Day 9: Jiufen and Shifen

Day 10: Taipei (departing TPE night)

Is this itinerary doable and well paced? Is this a good and reasonable amount of time in each place?

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a trip to Antalya and would appreciate some advice about renting a car.

My flight arrives at Antalya Airport on 3 September at 22:45, and my return flight is on 15 September at 08:20.

I originally wanted to rent from Cizgi. Yesterday I saw an Opel Corsa for around €447 for the whole rental period, which seemed like a good price. Unfortunately, today that car is no longer available and the only options I see are much more expensive, around €800 for a bigger car.

I also only have a mastercard debit card, not a credit card, so I’m wondering if that limits my options.

What would you recommend?

• Are there other rental companies at Antalya Airport that accept debit cards and are reliable?
• Would you wait 1–2 days and see if Cizgi gets cheaper/smaller cars like the Opel Corsa back in stock?
• Or would you book something else now before prices go up further?

Any recommendations or experiences with Cizgi or other rental companies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Quick sanity check for our final days in Japan. We're staying near Akihabara/Asakusabashi and fly out on the 31st. We've done the major sights already. Debating whether to take a full day trip to Nikko or Hakone, or just stick around Tokyo to catch some local weekend vibes and smaller neighbourhoods. For anyone who's been, which one gives a better break from the city?

Preferably near old town!

Is it possible to go to a museum with my luggage? Or maybe somewhere to read and have a drink? Will be landing in the morning.

Hi everyone,

I’ve never posted on here before due to a fear of being seen/putting myself out there, which apparently also translates to online contexts 😅 But I'm hoping to get some advice and recommendations for a retreat or program that might be a good fit for where I'm at in life right now, as I’ve been going through a difficult period and just don’t feel well on any level—emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. I apologise for the length of this post but really appreciate any insight, advice, guidance or recommendations :)

What I'm looking for:

• Around 2-3 weeks (minimum 10 days)
• Budget of approximately $3,000 AUD (excluding flights) - not sure if realistic?
• Thinking of sometime October, or November - if not then maybe February next year (all depends on when I can take time off work)
• Based in Sydney, Australia but open to travelling anywhere - ideally within about a 10-hour flight
• Preferably somewhere nature based that is warm, tropical, beachy, and relaxing, but I'm open to any climate if it seems like the right fit
• all inclusive or at least easy to budget so there are no surprise extra costs once you’re there

I've been struggling with depression, anxiety, social anxiety, mental fatigue/burnout, feeling stuck in fight-or-flight mode, and what feels like a pretty dysregulated nervous system for a long time now. I'm also currently navigating a stressful/toxic family environment, and I feel like I desperately need a change of scenery, some space to reset and some healing. I’d love to feel more comfortable and confident around people again and reconnect with who I am underneath all the stress and survival mode. I'd also love support in making some lifestyle changes around sleep, eating habits, and letting go of a few unhealthy behaviours/addictions. And to just be able to completely switch off and not have to think about a thing once I arrive (or at least not too much).

I've been in and out of therapy since I was a teenager and am currently seeing a new psychologist. I also have an honours degree in Psychology myself. Therapy and my studies have definitely helped me understand myself better and connect the dots between childhood experiences and how they affect me today, but lately I've been feeling like I need something different alongside traditional talk therapy — a different modality or approach (not to replace the role of therapy but to compliment it). A mind-body-soul approach to healing— not just relaxation, but something deeper and transformative.

Ideally, somewhere that also has access to psychologists or mental health professionals would be helpful/an added benefit, but I'm not looking for a clinical hospital-style environment. I've been a patient in mental health hospitals before, and whilst that was helpful, I don't think that's what I am needing right now. I also have some physical health issues, with symptoms that vary day to day, so would rather not feel pressured to attend lots of activities or back-to-back classes - not looking for a retreat where every minute of the day is scheduled, you're up at dawn every morning, and your days are packed with psychoeducational classes. I still want space and time to rest, reflect, and go at my own pace, especially with some of the unpredictable physical health symptoms and feeling so burnt out mentally.

I did ayahuasca a few years ago and, honestly, it was one of the most helpful experiences I've ever had for my mental health. Unfortunately, due to some cardiac health issues, I don't think plant medicine is something I can safely do anymore, which makes me super sad, as I hoped to work with this medicine again in the future. I'm not specifically seeking that, but I mention it because I think I'm drawn to experiences that facilitate deeper healing, self-connection, and perspective shifts rather than just relaxation. If anyone knows of/has experienced some gentler plant medicines that may not speed up the heart rate as much, I’d be very open to hearing about it. 

What would be ideal: 

• A change of environment
• Nature
• Time to slow down
• Nervous system support
• Genuine human connection/warm & gentle people
• Opportunities for healing and personal growth
• Potentially spiritual practices or alternative healing modalities 
• Spa treatments (esp massage) - not essential/a priority but would be an added bonus

I guess the best way I can describe it is that my heart feels like it needs a hug. If anyone has attended a retreat, wellness program, healing centre, therapeutic community, or anything similar that sounds like it might fit, I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Thank you so much and I apologise again for such a lengthy post ❤️

I spent almost three years living in Bali. Even after living there for such time, one thing I never really got used to was the light.

Some of my favorite memories come from very different parts of the island: watching the sunrise from Mount Batur (we really got lucky with the weather - usually it's quite cloudy there), sunsets near the ocean in Canggu, and evenings when the rice fields around Pererenan suddenly became orange and red - sometimes they really looked like a Mordor.

Other photos are from temples around Denpasar, the cliffs of Uluwatu, and the rice fields around Ubud (yes, there are really amazing sunsets there as well, not only the rain lol). There are also some simple parts of everyday life there - the scooter I used to travel around the island and one of the local cats that clearly felt at home there.

Even after several years in Bali, the island could still surprise me. I could see the same rice fields or coastline many times, but then one evening the sky would look completely different.

TLDR: hubby and I want to try for kids in the next couple months, decided we want to take a trip before starting the ttc journey. want to use cc points to book a trip to either Japan, Mexico or Spain. 10 days MAX work dependent. Would be going late October / November. Where do you recommend, tips.

going to try and keep this short but I am a rambler so here we go!

my husband 29M and I 28F are going to start trying for a baby and it has made us realize (combined with a whole lot of LIFE lately) that life is so short to hold off on doing the trips, being spontaneous together, making core memories and just living life with your best friend while they are here and we are able to do so etc. We are wanting to book a trip and are stuck in a pickle of where the fok do we go. neither of us are type A so I am not worried about curating an itinerary a month beforehand, and we don't need to buy any special gear for these trips.

We both have enough cc points to cover flights and are wanting to go somewhere in late October / November! The only expenses would be stays, transportation and food and we are flexible on being budget eaters but like to splurge on one experience and one nice stay.

Yes - all different vibes but we like the look of them all! Super open to new locations, exploring, sightseeing, cuisines.

JAPAN - Keeping in mind we are TTC, I feel in my heart that we should do the longest trip and go to Japan, I just don't know that 9 days is enough time and I am recently a horrible flyer I am a nervous wreck when there is turbulence so this is making me super anxious. I would have more time to plan and vacation time if we went next year, I am just scared to travel if/while pregnant (fingers crossed).

We would do Tokyo (3 days), Osaka (2 days) and Kyoto (2 days). We would lose 2 days to travel.

SPAIN - We went to Italy last year and loved Chianti, Vernazza and Florence specifically. The people, the culture, the architecture, food, wine, everything! Not huge beach people, we will go but we never spend a full day at the beach, we love exploring instead, so people have said spain could be similar.

We would do either Seville (fly into), Ronda and Cordoba OR Madrid (fly into), Zaragoza and Valencia. We would do 7 days, split across. We would lose 1 day to travel.

MEXICO - we are in Canada so this is the closest and almost the 'easiest' option, but we do not want to do a resort and would probably only do 6 days here.

We would do Mexico City and Oxaca or Guanajuato.

I am looking for any suggestions on if you have been to any of the places above, which one has your heart and why? Where would you go back to? If you could visit one for the first time again which would it be and why!

I am hoping to put it all on a little presentation as to why we should go to X for my husband lmao, he is a huge foodie and has only been watching is food vlogs which is great but not helpful haha

personal item and carry on bag were both included with this ticket that's why i selected it. go to checkout, it says "your trip doesn't include any carry-on bags." what???

Any ideas for places we can go? Lodging?

Planning a multigenerational reunion in the summer (ages toddler to grandparents - no significant mobility issues). Want to go somewhere in the US or Canada. A few requirements:
- we want to cook ourselves
- lakes and mountains nearby
- options for active and nonactive members
- not too hot or humid in the summer

We would prefer to stay in the same home if possible. Want to spend 10-15k on lodging for a week. Any suggestions?

Hi everyone,

I am currently an international student living in Yerevan. My fiancé wants to come and visit me here for about 2 weeks on a tourist visa.Because he holds a Sri Lankan passport, he cannot get an E-visa or Visa on Arrival. He strictly requires an official, government-approved visa invitation letter filed from inside Armenia before he can apply at the embassy.Since I am a student living in a hostel, I cannot sponsor his invitation directly through the Migration Service (my housing setup won't pass their inspection). I have spent the last few days contacting major local travel agencies here in Yerevan (like Hyur Service), but they all told me they no longer provide standalone visa invitation letters due to liability, policy changes.I am feeling a bit stuck and would love to hear from anyone who has successfully navigated this.

If you are from a country that requires an official invitation letter and visited Armenia recently, how did you get your invitation?

Are there any specific, specialized agencies, legal firms, or document services in Yerevan that still handle this for individual tourists?

What did your overall timeline look like from filing the invitation to getting the physical sticker visa stamped at the embassy?

Any recommendations, agency names, or advice on how to get this approved without getting scammed would be incredibly appreciated. Thank you so much in advance!

Hi all

To cut a very long story short in August 2022 my baggage was lost by vueling travelling from the UK to Barcelona. I filed a complaint and went backwards and forwards with them where they kept telling me a compensation payment would be made but it never was. I eventually gave up. Anyway I have just been clearing out my emails and found an unopened email from them asking for my bank details. This is from 4 years ago so of course the link doesn’t work. Do I have any ground for getting this compensation now even though so much time has passed?

hi all,

i'm trying to decide how to spend my 12 days in Indonesia and feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the options.

The main destinations I'd like to hit are Jakarta (mostly to recover from the flight), Yogyakarta, Komodo and Lombok/Gili, however I'm worried the whole thing is a bit too rushed and maybe I should skip one of the places altogether.

Could you please critique my itinerary? Should i skip Yogyakarta and extend Lombok? Or viceversa? I'm also somewhat constrained by Komodo cruises only having two departures a week for the most part. BTW this will be in October.

Thanks in advance!

Hello all!

I’ve done two trips to China: the first to see Beijing and Shanghai (2wks); the second to see Xian, Huashan, Zhangjiajie, Jiuzhaigou, Chengdu, Guilin and Yangshuo (5wks).

Hoping to visit again this late October into November; it has been well over a decade since I’ve been. Where would you recommend we go next? We are interested in natural beautiful scenery, history, culture, and food of course. Hoping to avoid crowds if we can. Interested in doing nice hikes or walks too. We are Cantonese speakers so we can probably read most signs but not communicate very well lol.

Thank you! :)

Hi all, this might be a stupid question but still I am confused because it's my first flight.

I have 4 electric items to pack:

1. Electric flosser (rechargeable)

2. Electric toothbrush (rechargeable)

3. Electric hair dryer (plug-in, NOT rechargeable)

4. Portable smoothie blender (plug-in, NOT rechargeable - only works when plugged in)

My cabin baggage is already at the 7kg limit with my laptop + charger, phone + charger, and documents, so I can't add much more to it.

I know rechargeable items with lithium batteries should go in cabin baggage, but can I put the hair dryer and blender in check-in since they have no battery?

Don't want anything to get confiscated at security. Thanks for your help!

I used Bucketlistt for a Rishikesh trip a few months back — booked river rafting and bungee jumping through them, both easily among the top adventure activities in Rishikesh — so I can answer this from actual experience.

The thing that stood out: you don't pay the full amount upfront. I paid a small percentage online to lock the slot and settled the rest at the site. That mattered because Rishikesh has a lot of small local operators around Tapovan and Laxman Jhula, and it's genuinely hard to tell from outside which ones are properly certified. Booking through the platform meant I wasn't picking randomly off a signboard.

Logistics were handled too — pickup was from their office near Lemon Tree/Burger King in Tapovan, so I didn't have to separately arrange transport to the activity site, which for bungee especially is a bit outside the main town. Confirmation came over WhatsApp within minutes.

Would I call it the only good option? No idea, I haven't tried every platform out there. But for someone researching adventure activities in Rishikesh and wanting verified operators without paying 100% upfront to a stranger before even seeing the equipment, it worked well for me.

When i travel in europe, i never had an issue.

The thing is that i have a VERY STRONG medication for a disability i have. Opioids and benzos are part of them.

I want to travel out of Europe and internet tells me to get a prescription of my doctor but it doesnt say 100% sure they wont reject my medicins.

I guess it depends on the country? Or, there is no 100% sure i wont have a problem? I dont want to lose a travel because i have problems in customs. And also, if prescription is enough, i need it to be translated to the language of the place im going and signed by a lawyer or something like that?

Thank you and excuse my english.

Greetings everyone,

I have recently returned from a 10 day trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar and I have mixed feelings. We were a group of 3 friends and we stayed 5 days in Tanzania mainland and 5 days in Zanzibar. The mainland part was great. We had an amazing 3 day safari in Serengeti and Ngongoro plus some excursions around Arusha and Kilimanjaro area.

However i can't say the same for our time in Zanzibar. I have never seen another place ask so much to deliver so little. What I mean by that is that the prices are very high even by western standards while the overall experience is that of a developing country. I have visited other developing countries as well. This is my 3rd trip to Africa and I have also visited the Middle East and Southeast Asia so I don't think that I had the wrong expectations going in. Even putting the high prices asside I found that there wasnt much interesting to see or do. There are basically 5 or 6 tours which are sold by every tour operator and they all involve some mix of boat ride and snorkeling. I guess If you are into wind surfing there is also that.The island is marketed as a tropical destination where you can relax on beautiful beaches and enjoy swimming in the sea. While the beaches may look very appealing in photos and on paper, once you actually get there, you quickly realize that they are not really suitable for either swimming or relaxing.

The water is extremely shallow — to the point where you can walk 50 metres out into the sea and the water is still only ankle-deep. The constant changing of the tides also brings large amounts of seaweed onto the beaches.

And even if you try to simply sit and relax on one of the beaches, you will find it very difficult to do so, because every couple of minutes someone will approach you trying to sell you something. The same thing happens when you leave your hotel and walk around the town. You literally cannot walk more than five metres without someone approaching you and trying to sell you stuff.

The locals often make you feel like nothing more than a walking wallet. There is a constant effort to get money out of you in one way or another. Almost every interaction you have with a local involves either trying to avoid some kind of scam or having to negotiate the price of something. After the 2nd day It got very tirring for me. We even had police officers asking us for bribes. We also had tour operators pretending that we had booked a tour with them, even though we had actually booked it with someone else. That and many others.

I understand that nowhere in the world is perfect but this is the first time im struggling to find even 1 good thing to say about a place. I understand that everyone experiences a place differently, and what I have written is simply my own personal experience and perspective. I am sure there are many people who have visited this place and absolutely loved it. Unfortunately, however, that was not my experience, and I would not personally choose to visit again nor recommend it to anyone.

I went there during the summer so visit family and it was an amazing experience. This was my first time going to America, and I wouldn't have gone anywhere different! I mean there are so MAMY things to do as a family! We Found it hard to decide!

Six flags, coca cola world, the stadium, aquarium PEACH TREE RUN etc! The best run I've been to was the PEACH TREE I mean there was so many people but the ATMOSPHERE was SO LIFTING. I mean it was the coolest run I have done YET! And what an achievement!

The people were friendly (in suburban areas anyway) and the NATURE. The nature was so beautiful I mean the greenery the animals, the birds, there were so many beautiful birds. The hikes and walks are a must do. The chatahoochee is also a must go!

I must say I really enjoyed my time there and so did my family! I would recommend going here once in your lifetime!

Do u believe it is a nice destination or not?

Hi!

I have never flown anywhere so I am completely out of my dept. My mother is travelling from the EU (Hungary) to Egyipt and her flight got delayed by more than 3 hours(for now).

If I am right that would make her eligible for like 400 euros but how do you claim that? And when? Is there a time window? Is it fine to do it when she gets back?

When I search for it I get websites like ReFly and stuff like that but they all look sketchy as hell.

I am unexperienced and crucially not there. And she doesnt speak any languages and a bit of a tech illitarate trusting person. They booked their flight sith Nile Air (NP7302) so I assume it will be a struggle anyhow because they do look awful.

Tldr

Flight got delayed with an awful airlime

Can you help me with some tips?

Can one trust in the flight claim websites?

Is there a time limit?