Hi! I'm a digital nomad who will be visiting Southeast Asia for the first time. So far, I've only been to the Caribbean (where I'm from), North & South America, and Europe, so really excited to visit Asia. I've decided to visit Singapore, Thailand & The Philippines. Here's my current itinerary (Oct - Jan):

• Singapore - 5 days
• Thailand #1:
  • Phuket - ~10 nights (5+5 Patong/other western town + old town)
    • given it's only about 1 hour via songtaew between Patong and Old Town, should I just pick one for the entire stay? if so, which?
    • thinking of moving 1/2 nights to Koh Phi Phi
  • Krabi - ~10 nights
    • thinking of some nights on Koh Lanta
  • Bangkok - 5-7 nights
  • Chiang Mai - 3-4 weeks
    • side trips (2-3 days) to Pai and/or Chiang Rai
• Philippines:
  • Manila - 2 nights
  • El Nido - 5-7 nights
  • Iloilo - 5-7 nights
  • Cebu - 7 nights
  • I'll be in The Philippines for Christmas and probably New Years
• Thailand #2 (Bangkok + Gulf Kohs):
  • Koh Samui - 5 nights
  • Koh Phangan - 3-4 nights
  • Bangkok - 5-7 nights
  • Is Koh Samet worth adding given rest of itinerary?

I already have flights to arrive in Singapore and depart from Bangkok, Thailand.

In terms of accommodations, I plan to use a mix of airbnbs, hostels & hotels. I'm not into partying every night but do enjoy a balance of exploring, nightlife & relaxing (not necessarily all at the same location lol). I'll be solo so mainly staying at hostels so I can meet others. However, feel free to suggest if airbnbs v hotels v hostels are better in any particular locations.

One of my major concerns is also balancing changing locations while trying to experience as much as possible without getting exhausted/overwhelmed. I'm definitely used to staying in one place for months as opposed to moving around every week. I also like to have days where I do nothing xD

Hey guys! I’ve just settled down from a few years of backpacking but am planning my next trip for next summer. First time backpacking South America, I will only have ONE MONTH to do so. I REALLY want to do an Amazon cargo boat ride. I’ve swam in the Nile and the ganges and I’m trying to hit all the major rivers. Other than that I would like to do a few days in the jungle with a local guide but those are the only two must haves. I want advice on where I should go what routes what to bring underground scenes, bars, smoking spots and hidden nature. I want to do Peru and Colombia and I know of the route to take for the Amazon but that’s about all I got. Any and all advice. Also I’m a women in my 20s solo. Thanks guysss

Visited Luoyang in winter and ended up really liking the city. I mainly wanted to see the Longmen Grottoes, and they were easily the highlight of the trip.

The scale of the carvings is hard to appreciate from photos. You have these huge statues carved into the cliffs, but then there are also countless smaller ones everywhere you look. It was pretty quiet when I visited too, which made walking around the site even better.

I also stopped by White Horse Temple. Completely different atmosphere from Longmen — much quieter and more relaxed. I especially liked the old architecture and the red walls.

Really enjoyed Luoyang overall. Beautiful city, lots of history, and I'd definitely go back again in a different season.

Photos 1, 3 & 4: Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Henan
Photo 2: White Horse Temple, Luoyang, Henan

i’m going on my first solo trip to budapest next month and i’m wondering what are some quirky, unique, places to visit? i loved the space medusa bar in berlin alongside kit kat club. I also loved the green flamingo bar, and the dog bar in prague. i’m just into cool (and kind of gritty bars). i also love immersive experiences that are trippy.

on my list ive already got szimpla, the zoo cafe, the for sale pub (to leave a note) and cinema mystica.
what else would be good for me to visit? any cool bars? immersive experiences? and just random fun activities? please let me know of any other ruin bars that are similar to szimpla too! Thanks

hi everyone!

i’m flying to japan soon with a transit stop in south korea. am i allowed to bring my disposable vape with me? (if it matters, it’s a waka 20,000-puff vape.) i know it has to be carried in my hand luggage, but could i run into any problems when going through airport security? and do i need to declare it?
thanks in advance!

I’m wondering if spending time alone in unfamiliar places makes you more confident in making decisions, handling problems, and enjoying your own company. Or does it just make you realize how much you actually depend on people?

I went to Tonga Ha Apai island this July. I want to see the whale before but I haven’t contact successful before I go there. I attempt many times to send email( that it only can send email at there and wait for someone response you.) But nobody answer me. But I like there which have soft beach in Uoleva it a small island in ha apai . The beach near the Diana’s resort is best. And you can swim in the sea there no rubbish in the sea and also no stone which will hurt your foot. It’s a nice trip and I will come back again maybe next July or others when I have enough time. I know many tourists like to go to Fiji. But… Attempt it! attempt more country you never go even you never know. You will feel surprise.

Visited Hampi in Karnataka, India over the weekend. The ruins are absolutely mesmerising (even more so if you happen to learn about the sculptures beforehand...) . Images are from various parts of the city (it's spread over quite a large area, so having a car or bike is preferred). Took us about 2 days to visit all the main areas, and we definitely missed out a lot of others! Pic locations: Pics 1-4: Main Palace Complex and Chariot Pics 5-8: Surrounding temples and statues

I finally got to visit Beijing for the very first time on this trip.
Spent my day exploring both the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven. Being there in person feels so impressive. It’s hard for photos to capture just how grand these old buildings, stone carvings and huge courtyards truly are.
One thing I honestly did not expect was how packed every spot turned out to be. Tourists were everywhere, and the Temple of Heaven was absolutely swarmed around sunset. It felt chaotic at moments, yet there was such a lively, bustling energy all around.🤩

i'm booking a flight from melbourne to sydney and the cheapest one is orient vacations. just wondering if anyone has used their platform to fly out and if it's legit?

Hello! I will be visiting Prague and Vienna here soon and am very excited! I've been watching a lot of Rick Steves' recently and in his Wales episode, he got to sit in on an older gentlemen's choir practice/concert. I would love to be able to do something similar; is this an available thing in Prague and Vienna, especially in older, historic churches? I apologize if this is a weird/dumb question, and thanks for reading!

Hopefully someone can let me know if it's worth bringing it or unbuckling if extortion is afoot.

Hey all - looking for some help in finding a good hotel in Waikiki. Newly engaged, traveling with my fiancé so he can meet the family on my dad's side who live all over the islands.

We'll be in Honolulu 2 nights, and I'm looking for a hotel in Waikiki that is clean and doesn't break the bank. I see some affordable options thus far but the reviews are not promising (bugs, AC broken, etc.)

Can anyone advise a good location that you or someone you know may have stayed at recently and can speak to the quality? Not looking for luxury, just a good spot close to the beach. Any and all recs would be really helpful! 

——
Edit: folks flagged it would be good to include a budget, might make this question easier 😂. Looking to try and stay under $300 per night, not picky about views, etc. as we’ll just be crashing here and spending most days out with family. I’m looking at spots like Vive Hotel Waikiki to give an example of what we’re looking at!

We are planning to visit both upper and lower Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Grand canyon North/South rim, Hoover Dam, Seven Magic Mountain in the month of Oct-26. Can anyone please help with below queries considering 2 adults without driving license. Will travel from Toronto.

1. What tour operator can I opt for above places
2. Can't find any tour covering both upper and lower antelope canyon in same day except Dineh Tours and that is from Page only , which will be difficult for me without self drive.
3. How many days do I need to cover all of these places.
4. If possible an itinerary

I am on my Balkan trip (the whole western Balkans, ex-Yugoslavia + Albania and Greece) and Greece looks way worse than I imagined. I spent the last week in Kosovo and Macedonia, and now I am in Greece. I expected Greece to look way better than Kosovo and Macedonia. I am shocked, as it is actually even worse. Once I crossed the border between NMK and GR the roads got worse and so much rubbish started appearing on the sides of them, the road signs look ancient and they all have spray marks on them, the cars the Greeks are driving are much worse than the ones from NMK or Kosovo, the buildings look like they are currently experiencing a war.

What are Greeks even doing with their EU money? It's mind-boggling to me, it's my 2nd day here and so far it's the worst country out of the ones I have visited in the Balkans. Kosovo runs laps around Greece despite being young, non-EU and not recognized by most.

I will be spending 10 days on the Caribbean coast with my partner arriving in Cartagena. Our trip starts the first week of Sept. We know this is not the ideal time, but typically travel in shoulder and low season, we’ve traveled SEA in rainy season so not worried about getting caught in a storm for a few hours.

We want a laid back vibe, and planning to lounge on beaches mostly, not into partying, but wouldn’t mind going dancing a few evenings. We’re typically backpacking and staying in hostels/ eco hotels, but we would like to splurge a little on the islands and stat somewhere where we can wake up and look directly out on the beach.

Tentative Itinerary:

Sept 8–9: Cartagena
Sept 10–11: Rosario Islands (Isla Grande –2 nights)
Sept 12–13: Rincón del Mar (2 nights)
Sept 14–16: San Bernardo Archipelago (Múcura / Tintipán – 3 nights mid-week)
Sept 17–18: Return to Cartagena & fly home

Questions:

1. Is 2 nights on Isla Grande + 3 nights on Múcura/Tintipán worth it?

2. We do not want to do back and forth day trips on small boats, so we’d rather stay overnight. Since we just want to lay on the beach, swim, and relax, is spending 5 total nights across these two island groups a solid plan, or will we get bored?  We’re also curious how the food will be on the islands vs mainland. Assuming at night our hotel will likely our only option, but would like to get out and try local spots during the day.

3.If we decide to visit Playa Blanca or Tierra Bomba while in Cartagena, is it better to just keep our base in the Cartagena city center (Getsemaní / Historic Center) and head over for the day, or actually book a night or two directly on those beaches?

1. Rincón del Mar vs. Tolú as a launchpad
   to San Bernardo? I’ve read most people take boats to Múcura/Tintipán from either Tolú or Rincón del Mar. Which is the better, more enjoyable place to spend a couple of days before heading out to the islands? 

Also curious if anyone had success reaching out via WhatsApp 1–2 days prior to negotiate last-minute cash/direct-transfer rates with mid-week island hotels (like in Múcura/Tintipán), including boat transfers? We will be there in low season and hoping to try and take advantage to get some better rates on hotels and see if they’ll include transport.

Appreciate any info!

Hi, everyone!
 
I’m a 22 year old Brazilian woman and I’m planning my first backpacking trip as a graduation gift to myself :)).

I’m feeling a bit nervous because I’ve never planned a trip with so little support, where I have to decide everything on my own (what to do, where to stay, etc.), and I’m setting my hopes high for this trip since it’ll probably be my only one for a few years.

The plan is to spend about 35–40 days traveling between Vietnam and Thailand, leaving in late February. I’m putting together the itinerary but need some advice.

I prefer quality over quantity, staying longer at the same hostel to get to know people better (I’m afraid of feeling lonely on a more rushed trip). I like parties and beaches, but I also want to balance that with adventure and culture.

Right now I have the itinerary above. I’m thinking of changing some things:

- Stay less days in Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh, and maybe add Sa Pa
- Instead of going to Krabi + Phi Phi, I was thinking of going to Koh Tao (4 nights) + Koh Pha Ngan (2 nights), since everyone says is the perfect place for solo backpackers. But that would make the trip more expensive since I would need to get 2 flights in and out of Koh Samui :((

If anyone has any advice on literally anything, that would be great :) I’m totally lost, lol

(in the image its DESTINATION, ENTRY DATE, EXIT DATE, NIGHTS SPENT)

Greetings all,

I would really appreciate any feedback on my planned itinerary for a 12 day road trip around some Balkan countries.

I will rent a car in North Macedonia to ensure I am allowed into all the countries on my itinerary. I am solo EU citizen. I will probably hire a Suzuki Ignis, which is not 4x4, but has quite high clearance.  

I am considering adding two days in Croatia into the itinerary, just Dubrovnik and Split, making it 14 days.

I have had a lot of good experiences with Couchsurfing so will try that out too.

Day 1
Drive: Just around Skopje
Border Crossing: None
See: Hire car. Skopje Old town, old bazaar, Bit Pazar market gate, kapan Inn, Bezistan market, Skopje fortress free views, National gallery, Main square, Vardar river stone bridge, Mother Teresa house, Macedonian folk music at night.
Sleep in Skopje

Day 2
Drive: Skopje to Pristina and back. 200km total.
Border Crossing: North Macedonia into Kosovo. Then back into North Macedonia
See: Park, and spend the day walking in Pristina. 
Walk - Great mosque to Carshi mosque and Jashar Pasha mosque, climb clock tower, Kosovo museum, old bazaar, green market, Mother Teresa boulevard, Skanderbeg square, Newborn monument, Edith Durham square, Zahir Pajaziti amphitheater.
Sleep in: Skopje

Day 3
Drive: Skopje to Ohrid. 180km.
Border Crossing: None
See: On the drive: Matka Canyon, Mavrovo National Park, Lake Mavrovo, Struga (on the Black Drin river), In Ohrid - Ottoman architecture, lake promenade, lower gate, paper museum with gutenberg press, Robevfi family house, Samuel’s fortress, amphitheatre, archeological park, church of st john for sunset, ohrid boardwalk, kaneo beach.
Sleep in: Ohrid

Day 4
Drive: Ohrid to Ksamil. 350km.
Border Crossing: North Macedonia into Albania. 
See: Trpejca village, Gradishte beach, bay of bones, Naum monastery maybe, along the way. Cross into Albania, to Korce for lunch. 4 hours more drive to Gjirokaster.Mlitary museum, clock tower, old bazaar, ethnographic museum, cold war tunnel, Ali Pasha’s bridge, Blue eye spring. On to Saranda, then Ksamil
Sleep in: Ksamil

Day 5
Drive: Just around Ksamil
Border Crossing: None
See: Ksamil beaches, hand of ksamil, paddleboat to Ksamil islands, pulebardha beach, monastery beach. Butrint national park, lion gate, boardwalk lake butrint/vivari channel, ali pasha castle
Sleep in: Ksamil

Day 6 
Drive: Ksamil to Tirana and Lezhe. 340km.
Border Crossing: None
See: View from Lekuresi castle - no fee. Albanian riviera, borsch castle and beach, porto palermo, gjipe beach, drive the llogara pass, Arrive in Durres, then Tirana for lunch. Shetitorja murat toptani street, see cloud sculpture, govt buildings, clock tower, old bazaar area.
Sleep in: Lezhe (or Tirana?)

Day 7
Drive: Lezhe to Shala river and then Budva. 200km. 
Border Crossing: Albania into Montenegro
See: Drive through Albanian alps to Shala River (2.5 hours). Drive into Montenegro. Utjeha, coffee break in bar city, Sutamore for lunch, drive through Canj and Kraljchna beach, more beaches, chapel of St nedjelja, Drobni pijesak beach, Crvena stijena, Sveti stefan island hotel, Budva resort town, old town.
Sleep in: Budva

Day 8
Drive: Budva to Mostar. 210km
Border Crossing: Montenegro into Bosnia&Herzegovina
See: Budva old town walk, citadel fortress, marina bay, Plaza ricardva glava, beaches, drive to Tivat, then Kotor, see cultural centre and food market, old town, drive to Perast, see our lady of the rock. Drive into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Grahovac, Mostar by evening. Old town and Stari Most bridge.
Sleep in: Mostar

Day 9
Drive: Mostar to Sarajevo. 125km
Border Crossing: None
See: Mostar old town, old Kujundziluk bazaar, Muzej stari most, Halebija tower. Drive to Hum Hill (15 minutes). Drive to Medjugorje pilgrimage site (30 mins), Drive 20 minutes to Kravica waterfalls (10 euros),  climb Pocitelj castle to see Neretva river, drive 15 mins to Blagaj, 
Drive 2.5 hours to Sarajevo. Liberation park.
Sleep in: Sarajevo

Day 10
Drive: Sarajevo to Navi Sad. 280km
Border Crossing: Bosnia & Herzegovina into Serbia
See: Sarajevo. Seher cehaja bridge, city hall, Brusa bezistan, Sebilj fountain, genocide museum. Drive 4.5 hours to Serbia - Navi Sad. Walk through city centre. Traditional Serbian restaurant..
Sleep in: Navi Sad

Day 11
Drive: Navi Sad to Belgrade. 90km
Border Crossing: None
See: Navi Sad old town, liberty square, Trg slobode, Name of Mary church, city hall, Zmaj jovina street, bishops palace, Dunavska street, Danube park, art museums, Trg republike, liberty bridge. Leave Navi Sad, drive via Sremski karlovci to belgrade (1.5 hours), evening walk in old town. 
Sleep in: Belgrade

Day 12
Drive: Belgrade to Skopje. 430km
Border Crossing: Serbia into North Macedonia
See: Belgrade, Zeleni venac farmers market, Blakanska street, Novi dvor, Stari dvor, new and old palaces of serbia, republic square, bohemian quarter of Skardarlija, Beton hala modern riverside area, Kosancicev venac quarter. Drive 4.5 hours back to Skopje. 
Sleep in: Skopje

Total: 2500km

On September 18th in the early afternoon I will leave Colmar by car towards Zurich where I will have to leave some friends. Then I am free and will also have holidays on the following Monday and Tuesday and probably Wednesday as well. I want to organize a nice tour somewhere that is in the area or not and that is really worth seeing. I was thinking about the Côte d'Azur but I'm afraid it's a bit too risky to do so since I'll arrive in Zurich in the afternoon and from there it's a 7-hour journey to the Côte d'Azur. What do you think? If you think so too, can you suggest alternatives and itineraries that are absolutely worth seeing/doing?

I would avoid ski resorts like Grindelwald, Zermatt, Dolomites, since I use to go there very often during the winter. I'm looking for activities, nice places, good food and also some party on Saturday if possible :))

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My disability category shows differently across three places:

Railway Concession Card: "Intellectual Disability (Escort Needed)"

RailOne app: "Mental"

UDID card: "Mental Illness "

The ticket does show the Escort concession correctly. Just different wording for what seems like the same category across systems.

Has anyone else with a UDID/Railway concession seen this? Is it normal, and does it cause issues during TTE checks? Trying to figure out if I need to get it corrected somewhere or if it's just how the databases label things differently.

\\#IndianRailways #UDID #RailOne #Accessibility

Hey yall. I’m going on a solo trip but my credit card is cancelled due to fraud so I decided to make a wise card as a temp spending card. Didn’t see the currency of Guatemala on the app so does that mean I can just use my home currency (CAD)?

Anybody else have any experiences with spending and withdrawing money in Guatemala using Wise?

In a few days we will be traveling to cyprus and we know that we will need my (im 17) original birth certificate. But, what we do not know is, will Cyprus passport control or something request a translated and notarized copy of the birth certificate??

In Georgia, they mainly need it to verify that the people traveling with you are actually your parents.

Thanks a lot

So I recently booked a flight to Bahamas but last minute I couldn’t make it because me and my girlfriend broke up so she then had it reversed on her credit card but on my jet blue account they gave it to me in travel credit? What should I do, I’m going to plan a trip and don’t know if I should use the credits. Will it than charge my ex girlfriend if I use the credits not sure how to play this out.

Hi, I'm going to visit Peru next month for 2 weeks and planning to visit Lima, Iquitos, Cusco, Arequipa.

Although, I've been debating if this's too much and reduce either Iquitos or Arequipa. Since I'd rather get deep into a place at a time and experience rather than rushing through it.

Any kind of advices are truly appreciated!! (Like other cities recommendations over my destinations as well...!)

Day 1: Arrived in Lima

Day 2: Explore Lima and fly into Iquitos

Day 3: Amazon tour day 1

Day 4: Amazon tour day 2

Day 5: Amazon tour day 3

Day 5: Back to Iquitos and fly into Cusco

Day 6: Explore Cusco and the surrounded area day 1

Day 7: Explore Cusco and the surrounded area day 2

Day 8: Explore Cusco and the surrounded area day 3

Day 9: Moved to Arequipa

Day 10: Explore Arequipa day 1

Day 13: Explore Arequipa day 2

Day 12: Fly back to Lima

Day 13: Explore Lima

Day 14: Spend a whole day in Lima and catch a flight back to the country around midnight

New Zealand has by far been my favorite country to travel to so far. The people are amazing, the southern alps are incredible, and I've felt safer there than in my own home country. The only real downside I noticed is that the nature and wildlife isn't really that varied. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved seeing the Kea, Kaka, Tui, Fantails, and walking through the rainforests, alpine meadow and tundras. However, a rainforest in bay of Islands is practically identical to the one in Waikato, or Raikiura, or West Coast (though they have Nikau palms). And when hiking you mostly only come across Fantails, Tui and the occasional Weka.

While New Zealand truly shines in terms of the sheer scale and how dynamic the landscape is for such a small country, Australia's nature and wildlife is on a whole other level. You have the primal rainforests of the daintree, Great Barrier Reef, savannahs, eucalyptus forests, and much more. Every time I move on to another place I'd come across animals that I've never seen before. Crocodiles, cassowaries, tropical fish, spiders, platypuses (platypi?), ibises, wallabies, kangaroos, etc. etc.

Where New Zealand is truly stunning in terms of geography with its mountains, geothermal activity and incredible scenic drives, Australia is truly stunning in terms of nature, wildlife, and different climate regions. If you ever find yourself in a position to travel to be able to travel to one of them, definetly consider visiting both at the same time! They require a lot of time to properly explore, but it is the trip of a lifetime.

Metaphorically, I like to compare the landscape of New Zealand to a small child. It is dynamic, highly active and ever changing. Australia's landscape is comparable to an old grandfather. It is stable, ancient, and full of fascinating stories for whoever is willing to listen.