Thought I'd treat myself to an upscale place, zero clue what I was ordering. Ended up with some weird seafood thing, struggled to eat it politely, waiter definitely judged me... Anyone else had this?

Hello! Traveling to Taiwan next week.

Any suggestions, recommendations for Yingge itinerary, right order of visit, etc?

One that is efficient for a day tour.

Planning to visit these places:

• Yingge Historic Ceramics Street
  • Yingge Yongji Park
  • Yingge Spot Aesthetics Hall
  • Yongji Park
  • Sanying Art Village
  • Sanying Longyao Bridge
  • Horng Jou Tile Factory Museum

THANK YOU 🥳

In Australia the big news story is the two surfers who were tragically killed for their car tyres in Baja, and it has me wondering if Mexico this January is a good idea.

The original plan was Mexico City and Oaxaca

My gf really likes warm Spanish-speaking places so we’re now tossing up Mexico or perhaps a “safer” country.

We’ve been to Ecuador and Colombia and loved the hiking and nature. I now see a lot of love for Guatemala and Nicaragua, but not sure if that may have the same level of issues as Mexico.

I’m sure even Spain has its own things to be concerned with, but we may even go there. But it seems nowhere in Europe would even be warm in January.

Anyway, any advice would be really appreciated, thanks!

I already have private global medical cover but want theft/accident etc insurance to cover other issues. Trouble is allthe Policys i find aready have medical factored in.

Any suggestions?

Cheers

I'll be backpacking across Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, Hong Kong, Brunei, and Cambodia for a quick tour, spending nearly a week or less in each country.
My Canadian credit card charges a 2.5% foreign transaction fee. I'm debating whether to rely more on my credit card or cash, except for cash-only transactions.
I'm curious if converting USD to local currencies will incur a commission higher or lower than 2.5%. If it's equal or more, using my credit card might be more convenient. Any recommendations on cash versus credit card usage?

I'm quite well-traveled, however it's occured to me that I haven't really been out my comfort zone yet in terms of language barriers. I've just come back from 2 years cycling the Americas where I only had to learn a bit of Spanish which was easy, and other places like a lot of Europe or Morocco etc have been easily navigated with either English or French/German basics etc.

I'm planning another cycling trip across the entirety of Europe and Asia across to Singapore next year, and the language barriers are getting me a bit nervous. Virtually every single one of the countries on route once I pass out of Western Europe has a very different language and I don't think it's feasible to learn much more than the extreme basics (greetings etc) as I pass through.

For example I can't imagine having to try to ask for a place to stay, buying groceries, or ordering a meal in rural Uzbekistan/Nepal/China etc.

Has anyone any tips for communicating with people while travelling when you have basically zero shared words between you. I'm worried that sticking up a google translation of a sentance on my phone might be the only way, although I've always thought that's been a bit rude personally. I saw tourists doing it in the Americas and it made me cringe a bit inside.

Thanks!

That’s just it. My flight lands in Abu Dhabi at 7:00 AM local time. My departing flight is at 2:45 am the next day.

I was thinking of doing the big red bus tour. The only things on my itinerary so far are the grand mosque and probably the BAPS temple.

Looking for suggestions, tips, etc. from anyone who’s done this before ☺️

Hi all!

I’d like to travel somewhere for a few weeks to a month in the latter half of this year.

I am thinking somewhere with grass, mountains, nature, trees, water, sunlight, sand, and kind people and practices. Somewhere simple and grounding, but also culturally enriching.

So where would you suggest I go based on the above? :D

Is there a remote village somewhere that is tourist friendly and safe and also has internet?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Hi! Firstly, I’m sorry in advanced if my post sounds ignorant/naïve of the ease of traveling/where are feasible places to visit. This will be my first time visiting Europe and I would really appreciate anyone who can give insight/advice. I have a conference in Salzburg in August this summer. I plan to take off 5 days after to travel around, but do not want to spend too much time traveling from place to place and would rather pick one or two other places to really enjoy the experience. I am in between going directly from Salzburg to Venice, or going west into some major cities/stops in Germany/maybe Switzerland. The only thing is I would like to be near somewhere I could easily fly back to the US from (i am flying into Munich). What are your thoughts between these two, or do you have any totally different recommendations? Thanks in advanced for any insight anyone can give!

Hi all,

I need to travel to Peru at the end of May, but my US passport expires in June 2024. Due to the 6 month passport expiration rules, I understand that I will be denied entry. However, I have a Greek passport as well that expires in 2033. Does anyone have any guidance around leaving the US with an American passport, entering Peru with another passport (not Peruvian, but not requiring a tourist visa either), leaving Peru with that same passport, and then entering the US with my American passport?

Thanks in advance for any support.

Hi, looking at booking flights to Asia from UK for next year. On Skyscanner etc the same flights have different prices; travel agents like MyTrip, Travel Trolley etc are usually cheaper than booking direct with the airline. What's the practical difference, are there any dangers in booking with an agent? Thanks

Basically due to the PTO I have plus other time- budgeting restraints I would only be able to spend six days in Peru ( atleast the first time around). This would be for late July- Early August

Below is kind of what I was thinking in a Saturday- Saturday itinerary

Saturday- Flight from my airport to Lima. Basically this would be an airport day and I would probably get in so late that we couldn’t do anything.

Sunday- Early the next day we would probably head over to Cusco. I will likely go to the doctors and get meds for Altitude Sickness. But I plan on a “ chill day” to see what we can do.

Monday- This can be the day I see all of the sites in Cusco and maybe Ollyantambo. But I will probably take the night train to Agues Caliente and sleep there.

Tuesday- Macchu Picchu Day, probably do a very early tour ( or whatever spot is available). I will spend the time allowed to there and probably won’t do anything too fancy. But I will likely head back to Cusco that night.

Wednesday: I might want to pick another Sacred Valley site. If not then I will make this another chill Cusco Day.

Thursday: I will probably take a plane back to Lima and relax there for a few days. Thursday would probably be our chill, walk around MiraFlores Day and Old Town Lima Day. La Rosa Nautica is the top restaurant and site in Lima I want to see.

Friday- Probably will be another chill day and do whatever sites we have not seen.

Saturday- Probably will take an early flight and be a long travel day.

Note: I am strongly considering adding another day in the Cusco/ Sacred Valley Region. I don’t feel like there’s enough time this time around for the Nazca Lines but it would be cool. I also will not be doing the Inca Trail or other trail that most people do ( PTO plus not having enough time).

What’s all your thoughts?

We (35M, 34F) are taking our first trip with our 10-month old at the end of May. We have chosen Portugal, in part because of its reputation as being child friendly and also in part because some of our friends recently moved there and this is a great excuse to see them.

We have 10 days, including the day we fly in (mid-afternoon) and the day we fly-out (very very early). We have a hotel booked in Lisbon for the first three nights, a hotel booked near Cascais (Estoril) to see our friends on Days 6-9 and do a day trip to Sintra, and return to Lisbon Day 9 to prepare for a very, very early flight on Day 10. We are trying to decide what to do on Day 4 and Day 5.

Things are are considering:

• Porta (but would mean renting a car)
• Comporta
• Coimbra
• Anything else you all recommend.

We aren't huge drinkers, but enjoy wine some. We have historically really liked exploring cities and have in the past enjoyed Luxor and Sarajevo. We aren't huge "lay on the beach people", but understand a 10-month old may change our interests. We were encouraged by our friends to avoid Algarve.

I mistakenly selected the wrong time of my outbound flight resulting in a 5 hour (rather than 1.5hr) layover in Frankfurt (from Rome) and am wondering if you have any tips or ideas & how to make the most of the time. Also, what are your thoughts on the timing of actually heading in to town...is this enough time and is it worth it? We will be arriving at 5pm on Monday, with a connecting flight out to Manchester at 10pm.

Thoughts?

NB. I do not intend changing the flight times.

I’m currently planning to go to Spain, Madrid specifically, in mid June and I’ve reviewed the requirements to get through customs. Passport expiration is no issue for me as mine is new. Then there’s proof of, if I recall correctly, €80/day which can be proven in physical euros, an equivalent amount in another currency, or a printed bank statement and a valid credit card. Proof of accommodations, such as a printed hotel/hostel reservation. Lastly, they want the reason for visitation. While I am fairly confident that I have everything, I was just looked to see if anyone has anything that I might be missing, and maybe some recommendations on what to while there, including the possibility of checking out other cities, such as Valencia.

I think 2 or 3 countries are enough. What do you guys think? How should I divide my time as well? I like experiencing other country's culture, cities, history, food, and nature

Option A) Poland (Krakow appeals me), Czech (Praque appeals me), Austria (Viena appeals me)

Option B) Czech, Austria, Hungary (Budapest appeals me)

Planning to visit Anchorage, Alaska as part of a work trip. Can't change much in terms of number of days or home base

This is the itinerary I have so far

I will be going with just me and my husband and we are flying in. Interested in seeing glaciers and wildlife. Not much into hikes

Day 1 : After work - -Alaska conservation center -Turnagain Arm Scenic Boardwalk

Day 2: After work - -Beluga point -Bird point

Day 3: (whole day off) -Drive to Whittier to go to 26 Glacier Cruise -Check out Portage glacier on the way back

Day 4: ,(whole day off) -Drive to Seward Kenai fjords 6h tour -Check out Seward

Day 5 : departing day

• Eklutna lake if possible

What would you keep/ change? Also any must see/do in the city of Anchorage itself?

Looking for any advice on my winter itinerary.

I travel year-round, non-stop. Just trying a different route this winter—I'm renting out my homes in SEA, normally I would be there.

Mostly interested in nature, culture, food, museums. Love hiking. Indifferent to beaches (but wife likes them).

Would this work? Any issues?

BKK-->Colombo 12/15

Sri Lanka 12/15–1/15

This will be my 3rd time in SL so I am avoiding the south coast. Visit Colombo, Kandy, Ella, Trincomalee, nature parks. Any hidden gems or nice places to rent a house for a week?

Maldives 1/15–1/23

Cheap flight to Male. Can I hang in the city? Or go straight to resort? Anything to do there aside from look at ocean?

Oman 1/23–1/30

First time here. Is this time of year ok? Muscat for a few days and then what?

Egypt 1/30–2/15

Cairo for a week. Dumb idea? Should I stay in Zamalek or somewhere else? Prefer walkable hoods. Luxor for a few days. Fly down or bus or boat? Then where? What's worthwhile in Egypt? Aswan? Should I bother with Alexandria?

2/15–3/10 Canary Islands

Which Island? Want to avoid German package tours and trashy party Brits. Any issues with weather in this time period?

3/10-4/1 Morocco

Marrakech outside medina for a week. Then Rabat or Tangier? Already been to Fez and the tourist cities...

Any help much appreciated.

Arrival by train often means passing through bland/ugly suburbs and industry. So you might not see anything positive until you leave the station (and sometimes not until a decent way out of the station).

Which cities have an arrival by train which could inspire people to spontaneously jump off and explore?

Ideally cities (and the bigger they are then the more impressive) given that it is much easier for a tiny village to look attractive, but any answer goes.

So im taking a group of extended family to Mexico in January. We are heavily looking at the Yucatan Peninsula/Quinta Roo but nothing seems to really fit the bill for a well rounded experience for the group. Some of the members are typical tourists, and want nothing more than to sit on a beach and be pampered at a resort the entire stay. Some of the rest of us are okay with that, but would prefer to include some culture/history/adventure into that as well. Cancun and its competitors in the region aren't exactly known for their cultural experiences, but I am hoping something in that area has a little of something for everyone. We were initially looking at Tulum, but some light googling suggests it is not the greatest for a variety of reasons, and considering the fact that none of us have never been to Mexico it may not be the most ideal for first impressions. Especially for those that want picturesque beaches and resorts. I know Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Tulum, Cozumel, etc. are all in the general area and while they are all beach towns they kind of are their own experiences. I am trying to figure out which one would offer the best, most rounded experience.

All that being said, those of us in the group that are looking for more cultural/historical experiences will only be staying here for 4ish days before we take our own trip to Mexico City. So, I guess its not like we will be totally missing out on "Mexico" if our experience near the beaches is not the most authentic.

All that being said, what towns in the area do you prefer over the others and why? Does anything come to mind that kind of fits this bill, or should we just lean heavily into the touristy vibe for this first portion of the trip and if so where should we look into?

Hey everyone! Hope everyone is doing well!

Wanted your feedback on this itinerary for spending time in Cusco vs. Lima. If you had any recommendations I'm open to changing things or adjusting the days! I heard there is a lot to do in Cusco, but not sure if should take away from Lima! (Note* Macchu Picchu hike will be had has well just not added to these days). Thank you!

5 days in Cusco
Day 1: Arrive mid-day
Day 2: Sacred Valley
Day 3: Hangout Cusco
Day 4: Hangout Cusco (relax)
Day 5: Rainbow Mountain

4 Days Lima
Day 1: Arrive morning
Day 2: Lima
Day 3: Ica/Huacachina and Paracas
Day 4: Relax Lima

I have extra days too so if any recommendations I am all eyes/ears!

Hi everyone, I (28M from Italy) have already traveled several times through agencies where you meet with other strangers, but for the first time I decided to try solo traveling and also planning the trip on my own.

I decided to visit Flanders for about ten days. I have already written a schedule and would like to know what you think and if you have any advice.

As a note, I will only be traveling by public transport, so keep that in mind if you want to suggest other places to visit.

Day 1 (Brussels)

• The flight lands around 10:30am in Brussels
• Royal Museum of Fine Arts and Magritte Museum
• Grand-place, Manneken Pis, etc.

Day 2 (Brussels)

• European quarter (Hemicycle, parlamentarium, ...)
• Sablon (the church and surroundings)

Day 3 (day trip to Leuven, sleep in Brussels)

• Oude Markt
• University Library & Tower
• Groot Begijnhof
• Botanical garden

Day 4 (Brussels)

• Atomium
• Design museum
• Parc de Laeken

Day 5 (Bruges)

• All the main places along the Dijver (churches, bridges, etc.) starting from the Grote Markt down to the Beguinage
• Groeningemuseum
• (Maybe?) Visit of De Halve Maan brewery

Day 6 (day trip to Ghent, sleep in Bruges)

• Gravensteen
• Boat tour (1 hour)
• Werregarenstraat
• Saint Bavo's Cathedral
• Citadelpark (just crossing it on my way back to the station)

Day 7 (Antwerp)

• KMSKA museum
• The Zuid neighborhood

Day 8 (Antwerp)

• MAS museum
• Grote markt, Cathedral of Our Lady, etc.
• Het Steen
• The Sint-Annatunnel

Day 9 (Antwerp)

• I have to be at the Brussels airport by 5pm

As you can see, on the last day I'm not sure what to do. One option is to stop and visit Mechelen on my way from Antwerp to Brussels. Or maybe i can keep it as buffer time just in case. What do you think, do you have any other ideas?

Do you know any discounts or promotions that might be good for me? I saw the "brussels card" and "Antwerp city pass" but I was wondering if there was anything else that combines discounts for multiple cities or for public transport.

Also, is mid-June a good time to visit Flanders?

I'm looking to burn some vacation days, but want to stay in Europe (Turkey included) this summer. Having been to most capitals in Europe, I'm wondering if there's any good places to visit that isn't a major capital type city (Rome, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, etc.) or extreme tourist destination (e.g. Dubrovnik)

With the challenge that I can't rent a car, as I do not have a drivers license, but still want something to do.

A place like Porto would fit the bill, but I've already been there. The other year I went to Catania (Sicily) and day tripped to Taormina and Syracuse, which was nice, except Catania was super boring (and quite rough on the edges)

Some places I've looked at so far:

• Bordeaux (wine tours as day tours? not sure of the options)
• Lyon (because food, but really not sure what else to do)
• Puglia region of Italy (without a car seems challenging here)
• Dolomites (extremely expensive, way to late to book now)
• French Riviera (probably also too late to book / too expensive)
• Izmir? Haven't checked if they recovered since the earthquake.

Basically I'm hoping for some of you will know some obscure, yet accessible, town on the Greek coast or something, where I can go look at ancient ruins, eat nice food in the evening, and still get there by a bus or train.

This July I'm taking two weeks off of work and finally heading down to the Amazon. I plan on starting in Yurimaguas and taking the slow boat to Iquitos for a few days. From Iquitos leaving the next 9 days open or so but would love to find something that's a bit more adventurous that going to a luxury hostel. Something like a multiday trek/camping through the jungle, overnight fishing trip, etc

Anyone been to Iquitos and have any recommendations or tips?

Tl;dr: A lot of broad questions but generally just looking to hear about people's experiences backpacking/traveling throughout sub-Saharan Africa, especially less often discussed regions.

--

Thinking about potential future travel plans and one trip I'd really like to do at some point is a backpacking trip in sub-Saharan Africa. I know that Africa is seen as generally difficult to travel solo, more lonely, and a more expensive destination, but I thought it might be interesting to spur some discussion about experiences people here have had traveling in Africa (both good and bad) and what regions might be best suited for a more experienced solo traveler looking for a little more adventurous of an experience. (Getting really tired of all the anxious hostel/first-time-in-Europe questions on r/solotravel and would love a revival of the more interesting and niche travel discussions that used to happen here). Interesting landmarks and natural sites are always cool but I'm also just generally interested in experiencing different cultures and societies and getting to know a region more deeply even if there might not be a specific tourist site to visit.

I always hear recommendations for South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana (and those are definitely on the bucket list already) but what about other regions? In the same general region I rarely hear about Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, for example.

One region that I'd like to explore is East Africa, specifically Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. This is also a pretty often recommended region but I still don't hear about too many other people's trips around there, save for Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Maasai Mara, and gorilla trekking. How easy is it to travel around here solo? What were the highlights for you if you've visited?

Ethiopia is also high on my bucket list but for more stable times.

What about West Africa? I have the impression that it's generally more difficult to travel around there save for maybe Senegal/Gambia. Is there any interest in Mauritania outside of the iron ore train? Cote d'Ivoire? And what about Nigeria - huge country but I never hear about anyone visiting there, perhaps due to safety and visa issues?

Broad questions but generally just looking to gather people's experiences and highlights (and lowlights) from their backpacking travels throughout Africa!

It’s been a busy few years, I’m tired, my husband is pretty burnt out from work and projects. We’re looking to sell a few things and do a year or two overseas to rest and get a new perspective/some new experiences as we haven’t travelled a huge amount. We’d like to start this with a recovery period and are looking for somewhere that isn’t massively expensive, where we can set up a home base of types for a few months (at least). We have two children under 5 and would either be not working or just working a little bit remotely. The first destination that springs to mind is Bali, but looking for other suggestions and peoples experiences there.

Background: I'm trying to book LAX to DOH to Nairobi for 4 people.

I was able to get 2 business class seats for Qatar last month, and other posters mentioned that Flexi tickets (170k pts) would be available soon after which I was gonna buy also. Unfortunately, flexi tickets have not been available...

I've checked and it seems that Flexi tickets are available for LAX to DOH and DOH to Nairobi SEPARATELY but for total 175k pts

That said, should I keep waiting? Or should I just buy it separately? What would happen to checked luggage? Would I still be able to join one of those free Qatar half day stopover tours?

Thanks!