I’m going through a tough time right now – I’ve just recently had my heart broken, and I feel like I need some time away to clear my head and heal. I’ve always wanted to travel solo, and now feels like the right time to do it.

Does anyone have recommendations for destinations that I can travel in winter season? I’m from Michigan and looking for places where I can relax, heal, and clear my mind. I’d love to hear about such places that help with healing and relaxation.

Looking to spend 1-2weeks for the travel, budget 2K.
Thank you so much for any suggestions, I really appreciate it.
Edit: Updated travel, budget specifics.

Hi All,

I’ve been a solo traveler for 4 years now with around 14 trips under my belt alone. I know that seems marginal to most here but I’m proud! Loneliness never used to bother me, but I’m literally about to book a quick trip to EU (from USA) and can’t stop thinking about how alone I’ll feel in a beautiful city (Amsterdam). While this is symptomatic of a greater issue wondering what immediate steps you’ve taken to get over this barrier?

Edit: I’m also kind of shy and an introvert so a group meetup would likely make me feel even more alone (hanging out with strangers since I don’t have anyone to bring)

For a long time i have wanted to solo travel, but i only recently turned 18. I have mentioned solo travelling to my mother a few times and shes a little against it. I have also mentioned a specific country to her and because she have never been there she doesn’t want me to go.

At black friday the trip got a little cheaper and the flights started selling out, so i booked the trip before it was to late. I have payed for the trip myself with my own money. I also booked the trip for 7 days instead of 5 (she told me she thought 5 days was too long) and now im panicking because i cant change it because the tickets were booked while on sale.

I have done my research and its also a really safe country.

I really want to go on this trip but I don’t want her to feel bad.

How do i tell her???

Hi all,

I’ll be studying abroad in Buenos Aires from May 12th to June 20th. I’ll be staying with a host family and we’ll be having a group tour to Estancia. I’ve heard Argentina is extremely cheap due to their economic crisis. I’m bringing about $700 for those 6 weeks.

I should note the following:

• Breakfast and dinners will be covered
• I won’t be paying loading (covered by the program fee separate for them the $700)
• Tango classes and other activities will be covered by my university
• We have a free long weekend where I’m considering going to Uruguay. How much should I budget for this?

After my travel abroad, I wanted to spend some time in a cool country nearby. If I’m honest, I’m stuck between Peru and/or Brazil. It seems to me that Brazil might be the best option since I can travel by land to make it cheaper. I’m thinking of taking a bus from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazú. Anyone has done this before? I’ve heard Brazil isn’t super backpacker friendly but I’ve seen some TikTok videos of folks that have definitely made it work. For this portion of the trip, I’m thinking $2-2.5k for loading, meals, and activities for 2-3 weeks. Ideally, I would use that money to buy a plane ticket back but that might just be infeasible.

I do want to be back in I the states by mid July so I can prep for grad school. I’m still in college so I want to keep my budget as low as possible. I’d love any insights on what is the best route and suggestion to keep It economical. My budget can be flexible if it’s not feasible…

Hi all,

Let me know if anyone has any suggestions or comments on my itinerary.

Dec 27- Atlanta layover- Trap music museum, botanical gardens, lemon pepper chicken wingsDec 28-san pedro sula to copan-uber to bus station take bus 

Dec 29-copan-ruins tour hacienda San lucas

Dec 30-copan-jaguar spa macaw mountain

Dec 31-San Pedro Sula walk downtown-arrive to D&D Lake Yojoa

Jan 1-D&D-waterfall hike-kayak rental

Jan 2-D&D-birding tour- Panacam Hike

Jan 3-D&D-lookout hike

Jan 4-D&D-cave tour

Jan 5-D&D brewery- fishing

Jan 6-Jungle River Lodge- shutle arrives at la ceiba 9am- whitewater rafting

 Jan 7-Jungle River Lodge-waterfall hike

Jan 8-travel day- Utila 

Jan 9-Utila-water caye

Jan 10-Utila-snorkeling

Jan 11-Utila-fishing

Jan 12-Utila-neptune beach, fishing 

Jan 13-Roatan flight

Jan 14- NYC layover- Krispy Pizza in Brooklyn, central park walk

Basically the title, shit sucks. Got a stomach bug and even just walking to reception has me dizzy. I've upgraded to a private hostel room, ordered some medication and will skip my plans for the next couple days. Anything else I should do? I'm trying to not let this completely derail my trip, I still have 12 days left.

I just added up all my transcations during my latest 126 day trip to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, this includes everything from visa to busses, trains and 2 local flights. Also a 600 euro 5 day retreat. Most of the time was spend in Vietnam.

I often drank wine wich is much more expensive then beer in these countries, I stayed mostly in private rooms, but also every now and then in dorms. I ate mostley at restaurants, some more expensive ones, and ordered what I felt like.

I spend roughtly €8400 wich comes to about €66 a day. I watched not to splurge but could have done much cheaper.

I did many more trips over the last years but didn't really add up expenses yet.

Situation:

Planning a 3 or 4 week trip in June (Helsinki - ? - Copenhagen).

I work remote and was wondering people’s thoughts on moving to new destinations while doing so. 

So far, for example, my pattern would be :

- Land in Helsinki on a Sunday then leave on a Saturday

- Land in Copenhagen on a Saturday then leave on a Sunday

Context:

Since I work Dublin time, the hour difference will be negligible, I plan on using the hostel common room or any public, secluded area that allows me to speak when necessary.

Last and only time I was traveling while working, I stayed in Stockholm the entire time, so it was simpler to manage.

Should I wait until weekends to switch to a new city and avoid working hours, or travel at night to have time to see more? 

*I like to stay in cities and absorb the feeling of settling there. I’m pretty open to add nearby cities, so please provide suggestions! As long as I have stable internet connection, I’m fine anywhere lol

Hiya!

I live in the South of the American States and plan to drive the 15-18 hour trip back up North to my home state for the first time. I'm a frequent flyer, but I've also recently gotten into driving places a lot since I've seen a lot of the world, but not the States. I've done up to 8 hours worth of driving in one go, but I had someone with me to keep me alert. Everyone is worried about me staying awake for such a long trip. I'll have two pets with me so I'm already planning to make a stop every 3-4 hours or so (my SUV can go about that long between gas stops).

Any recommendation on energy drinks? Tips for staying awake? Passing the time?

Hey guys! I am on the fence about staying in Sydney or flying to Cairns. I really want to see the GBR. But I also feel like with the time I would be in a plane all week :/.

I land in Sydney on December 7. 7,8,9 I’m thinking of staying in Sydney then flying to Cairns on the 10th and seeing Daintree, GBR, Fitzroy Island, Baron Falls, Cairns botanical gardens. The only thing is that it’s a 3 hour flight from Sydney, 3 hours back. By that point I would have spent 40 hours on a plane when I come back to Colorado.

Is it crazy to think I can squeeze it all in? Will I be miserable? Will I miss out on the city that is Sydney?

I've been travelling SEA for almost 2 months now. I am still enjoying my time and don't wish to go back home, but I no longer am so impressed or as interested in activities. I guess things are just starting to feel normal for me now - I want to hear similar experiences :)

Hi! Next year i want to travel south america for a couple of weeks / months, i am not entirely sure about my route, but have made somewhat of a plan. I’m hoping for some tips and recommendations :) Im planning to get there mid-march.

My plan is to fly to Buenos Aires, i will stay there a few days to acclimate and get over the jetlag. I was thinking around 4/5 days. From there i want to fly to El Calafate, hike there for a couple days, go down to El chalten and do the same over there. For this part a friend might join me, but there is also a possibility that i might do this solo as well. I am not sure yet about the time i should spend here… After enjoying Patagonia i will fly to santiago, explore the city for around three days and then fly more north towards calama, and then take the bus to San Pedro. From here on i plan to do the 3d2n uyuni tour. After the tour im planning to go to sucre and stay here for a couple of days, probably around 5? And then head towards La Paz and then Cusco. After i will obviously go to Machu Picchu! I dont really have a set plan yet for after Machu Picchu, i think i might go the the coast a bit more and visit the canyons.

So long story short: Buenos aires > el calafate > el chalten > santiago > calama / san pedro > uyuni tour > sucre > la paz > cusco > machu picchu > ?

Hi all,

I just got back from a trip to Asia (SK/Japan), but am already thinking of going back haha

I was thinking about splitting Japan with another country again (what can I say, I love Japan) and this time I was thinking of Taiwan. I'm in the very early planning, but would appreciate any feedback from fellow travelers who have traveled to Taiwan before. Mainly:

1. I'm thinking of going sometime in spring 2025 (thinking last week of March). Is that a generally decent time to visit?

2. I always try to avoid driving when I'm traveling. However, I've seen a lot of people mentioned they rented scooters. I would prefer not to rent any type of vehicle. Is travel around the country and in the cities easy to do without renting a car/scooter?

3. I'm not exactly sure where I would go yet. I like big cities so I'll probably spend some time in Tapei and then I'd like to visit 2 other cities (or take day trips to other cities). This would probably be a short trip of 8-10 days max (I'm thinking splitting in it in the middle and doing 9 days honestly at this point, not counting arrival day). Do you have any recommendations for other places to visit to at least scratch the surface of this country? Like I said, I like big cities, exploring the local culture, food tours, visiting historic sites, cafe hopping, and just generally wandering through cities taking pictures. Not into nightlife or partying.

4. As I mentioned, I usually do food tours in the places I visit to try local foods and have company. I also like to do other types of walking tours. I usually find these on AirBNB experiences, but I took at look at experiences in Taiwan, and it seems like there are none? Are AirBNB experiences not a thing there? Do you have other suggestions on finding group activities and tours?

5. Any other tips or advice you'd give to a newbie to Taiwan? Does Google Maps work there (that was something different in SK, I had to use Naver instead).

Thanks for any advice!

So right now I'm planning to book a flight from Africa to South East Asia, and the connecting cities are Paris, Amsterdam and Singapore. Is it possible to layover in those 3 cities for more than 24 hours in total (less than 24 hours in every cities) ?

Hello, everyone!

As the title says, I am currently planning for a roughly 2-month (61 days!) trip to Europe from mid March to early May. This isn't my first rodeo (did a month in Thailand and will be doing another in Vietnam soon), but it's my first one of this scale.

Additional context: This will probably be my only chance to do a trip of this nature (due to time and money) as I will be starting a career that won't allow me such opportunities for a while. So, while I usually prefer to travel at a slower pace, I want to use this trip as an opportunity to "taste" some of what this part of the world has to offer! And in the future, hopefully I'll have the means to go back and do more thorough trips.

TLDR: Big life change, so I want to do a trip around some of Europe while I still have the time and money.

Anyway, for my itinerary, I would like some feedback and advice. Are there other places I should consider? Places I should add more/ less days to? If it helps, my interests are all over the place, but I am most excited about the food, museums (especially local and military history), and just being there lol. Here is my current plan:

London - 5 days

• Day trip to Bath & Stonehenge

Amsterdam - 4 days

• Half a day in Leiden (If I get bored with Amsterdam)
• Day trip to Den Hague

Berlin - 6 days

• Day trip somewhere (I have some friends there, so I'll see where I end up)

Prague - 4 days

Vienna - 5 days

• Day tour to Hallstatt

Venice - 3 days

Florence - 2 days (strongly thinking about cutting this and saving it for a future trip)

Rome - 6 days

• Day trip to a random city (Or should I spend all 7 days here?)

Nice - 4 days

Lyon - 1 day (I figured I'd spend a day here since I'll be passing by. Also, I heard the food is excellent!)

Paris - 7 days

• Day trip to Versailles (bucket list item)

Return to London for flight home - 2 days

Travel Days (12): I have planned to take an early morning train/ bus between most spots (plan on flying from Rome to Nice), so the rest of the day will be spent relaxing at my hostel or a café. Not counted towards days spent in each place.

Budget: Ideally, I would stay around $5000 usd (not including flight and estimated transportation costs between stops), but I am fully prepared to spend a max of $7000.

Thanks in advance!!

Hi everyone! - planning a trip to Central Mexico in December 2024 and wanted feedback for my itinerary! I’m someone who likes a lot of adventure, physical activity, exploring nature, culture, foods, temples, museums, walking tours, and the occasional night out (pretty much everything except chilling haha)

1. CDMX (6 days) - Hostel: Wanderlust? Casa Pepe?

• Walking/Street Food Tours
• Historic Center of Mexico City - visit the Zocalo, the Cathedral, and the Templo Mayor
• Castillo de Chapultepec and Bosque de Chapultepec
• National Museum of Anthropology
• Frida Kahlo Museum - this ticket gives u free entry to anahuacalli. walk around coyoacan (check out los viveros)
• Day trip to Teotihuacan - Eat at La Gruta? - Hot Air Balloon at Pyramids
• Grutas Tolantongo (4 hour drive away?)
• Lucha Libre
• museo soumaya (free!)
• What else to do???

2. Puerto Escondido - Flight from CDMX (4 days) - Hostel: ???

• Bioluminescence Tour
• Dolphin watching
• Release Sea Turtles
• Nightlife 
• Surfing Lessons
• What else to do???

3. Oaxaca - Bus from PE (4 days) - Hostel: Casa Angel? Iguana Hostel? ???

• Hierve el Agua daytrip (check out Mitla too its nearby?)
• Mezcalería (the Mal de Amor tour?)
• Food tours
• What else to do???

Questions:

1. Is Guanajuato worth visiting? What about any other surrounding place? Happy to adjust a few days here and there
2. Please let me know of any additional things to do, eat, explore in any of these places.
3. Any recommended hostels? Looking for very social hostels!

Hi gang,

As per my title- I'm looking for suggestions (keep em coming) for somewhere that might be two-day / one-night stay.

Previously, I made a thread about Alishan but am happy to learn more and tinker with other options. But something like Alishan might be better for two nights or so.

My entire duration is around 9 days (bit over a week, factoring in travel and jetlag fatigue etc.).

I'll mostly be in Taipei for most of it (with plenty of day-trips), so happy to spend a night elsewhere. I will be around 17th to post-Xmas. So I intend to look at Beitou, Yangmingshan, Jiufen/Shifen etc.

My travel will predominantly be via public transport. There is optionality to use a scooter (i don't have experience... so could risk it and pick it up and learn on the spot?)

This has led me to look into things like:

• Kaoshiung (just city-touring and any nearby accessible hikes). This could include Kenting etc.
• Keelung / Yilan (Although I could do a day trip or two)
• Hualien --> is it worth venturing with absence of Taroko Gorge? Are there other things to see accessible to a tourist?
• Chi Shan / Tai Dong?
• Taipingshan / other shans?

...

Would love to hear your suggestions for this sort of timing, but am after something that is scenic but yet readily accessible.
I don't mind cultural places, but I am of asian descent and have seen my fair share haha.

TIA.

Hello everyone, sorry if these posts are repetitive and boring but I was wondering if anyone had any advice on my planned itinerary for this winter in Europe?

This is my first time leaving Australia (not by choice, I am only a young adult who has recently gained the opportunity to travel abroad solo.) I plan to depart sometime around the 14th of January as that is when flight prices come down following the busy Christmas period. Return would be sometime in the week before March 3rd just in time for the Australian University semester to begin.

If you feel I am spending too much time in France, it is the country I have wanted to explore for the longest (and the original destination entirely) thus the more thorough trip. I have a spending budget of around 3000 euros not including flights. Here is my rough itinerary below:

January:

-14th-18th London UK

-18th-21st Amsterdam NL

-22nd Ghent BE

-23rd-25th Normandy (Caen?, let me know if there are better cities in Normandy) FR

-25th-30th Paris FR

-30th-2nd Nancy FR

February:

-3rd-6th Dijon FR

-6th-11th Lyon FR

-11th-13th Lausanne CH

-13th-15th Lucerne CH (or just Zurich if it is easier)

-15th-17th Munich GE

-17th-19th Salzburg AT

-19th-24th Vienna AT

-24th-27th Prague or Budapest CZ/HU????

Either fly out from Prague/Budapest or cut it short and fly out of Vienna instead depending on flight prices. I was also thinking of stopping somewhere on the way back to Aus, such as Istanbul or Singapore, for around 3 nights just for an extra experience. If you have any other suggestions feel free to inform me!

I was mainly wondering if there are any key cities I am missing, or if there are any towns/cities that I should be skipping instead. Also if I am staying too long/too little in certain cities. Any advice would be appreciated soo much! Thank you!

PS. I will mostly be staying in hostels, and maybe a hotel/air bnb solo every now and then for some alone time, if that is of any use. I am a very fit young male and do not mind a lot of walking and busy days. (although I understand everyone needs rest days).

Hello,

I'm already in east asia as an exchange student and I want to travel for one month beginning in christmas as I dont know if I'll ever be able to come back. I have been considering doing another semester abroad in Asia (e.g. Taiwan, China or SEA) in 1-2 years or I might go somewhere completely different (eg New Zealand, Canada) so it's really uncertain.

This is my planned itinerary so far:

-Japan 8 full days - Ottawa/Kyoto 4 days, Tokyo 4 days

-Taiwan 7 or 8 full days - I'm not sure about my itinerary for Taiwan yet, maybe just Taipei and 1-2 other cities?

-Hongkong 3 or 4 full days (depending on how long I stay in Taiwan)

-Singapore 2 full days

-Thailand 7 full days - Chiang Mei and Bangkok?

I want to book my flights and accommodations today because of Travel Tuesday but I'm suddenly really unsure.

I don't want a really cramped itinerary or a too long trip because need to work on a thesis at the same time. (20-25 hours a week). And I need to hand it in at the end of March. Also, I'll be in China for two weeks at the end of February where I probably won't be able to work on my thesis.

At the same time, I feel like I'm not spending enough time in each country especially considering that I might not come back. After my stay I want to feel like I don't *need* to come back to see more. I was thinking of extending my trip for one week but the flight price back to my current residence would be very expensive then. I could also scratch Singapore and Hongkong.

EDIT: My budget is around 3000€ without flights for the entire trip (less might be better). I could go above it though if it's necessary. I just want to get a good feeling/taste of those countries and see most of the main sights so I don't feel like I *have to* come back to see more (because I might never be able to come back). Also, I speak a bit of chinese (not fluent but could probably survive) but no japanese which is why it might be better for me to stick to more touristy locations in Japan (as the english level outside of those destinations is probably not as good). But for e.g. Taiwan I'm interested in absorbing more of how the locals live as well as cultural and historic stuff than just checking off tourist attractions. Thailand would be my first time in SEA so I'd like to gain ore comprehensive insight in the country with a balanced mix of different aspects (like food, how locals live, nature, culture, maybe history...). I'd also prefer a slower way of traveling, I don't want to change locations every day.

Hey all. Divorced mother of two (40F). Recently taken a new remote position at a big law firm but the catch was I had to be onboarded in person in Atlanta. I live in NJ.

I made it here and checked in and started crying. Im with my kids every single day. My old job was ten minutes from my house. I run a small side art business and tshirt printing business and im busy around my house normally all night after work. I hardly watch tv. I play video games regularly.

I have absolutely no idea what to do with myself for the next 5 days. I don’t have any coworkers that I know because this is a brand new position - training starts tomorrow. I brought my Xbox with me, but the Wi-Fi here is shitty so playing a game is not really working. I went downstairs and got a snack and a drink but that hardly passed the time. Im never alone like this and its really making me depressed. i took a hot shower to calm my nerves but I really need some advice on how to pass the time and stay sane.

Please no sightseeing or meeting new people suggestions. Just stuff i can do here at the hotel. Thanks.

Please can you give thoughts on the below itinerary:

Day 1: fly to Izmir.

Day 2: Ephesus.

Day 3: Another day in the Izmir/Selcuk region, would appreciate ideas of what to do on this day.

Day 4: fly to Istanbul (is a flight the best option? Gets me there around midday).

Days 5-8: Istanbul.

Day 9: Fly home.

The main focus of the trip is Istanbul but I think I’d get bored being there for a week. I’d like to visit Cappadocia but think I’ll save that for another trip as it’s unlikely the balloons will fly at this time of year. Therefore Ephesus makes sense to me as I like ancient ruins and the history. I could also swap the Izmir days to the end of the trip and then fly home from there.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Hi all, I'm 29m, single, and for the past 16 months have been traveling solo.

My family is in the USA but I grew up in Europe, and speak English, French, German, Dutch.

Because of this I have been mostly traveling between USA and Europe. Spending 2-4 weeks per city/location.

I have had amazing experiences, but in the back of my head I have a dream of ultimately finding a partner and creating a family of my own.

I'm finding it so hard to pick a city to have a consistent life, date people, and ultimately have a serious relationship.

For a long time I thought I would settle down in the Netherlands, but recently, I've been wondering if another country would be better.. like Germany or Vienna, Austria. Specifically, because the cost of living is lower than the Netherlands... but I find the Netherlands so beautiful and peaceful.

I am feeling really confused and unsure of myself. I love traveling, but want to find a long term partner and build a future together.

Does anyone have advice on how to transition from solo traveling to picking a location to have a consistent life in? For the purpose of finding a long term partner...

Since I trust Reddit more than any Blog /YouTube channel, I would like to know what are your recommended apps to be used during the planning stage, while travelling and post travelling. While flight and hotel reservation apps are welcome, those are also well known. For example: Planning stage - I use Google sheets as a dump for all interesting links While travelling - Trip it is supposed to be good, but I haven't been able to get it to work. And of course local apps. Tripadvisor maybe? A translator app? Post travelling - Split wise to re-conciliate bills.

I learned my lesson costly mistake. AirAsia denied my check in because my Vietnam evisa entry date is "12/03/2024"

I thought my final destination Dalat, Vietnam is what immigration go by December 3. Original flight Chiang mai to Hanoi 1500 December 2 and then to Dalat December 3.

I was wrong. I wasted $235 usd for same day flight that will arrive Saigon airport December 3.

No refund, credit missed flight for visa issue trip.com.

Hello! So I'm officially biting the bullet. I'm quitting my job in March and going on 3-4 months of solo travel (maybe more if I really enjoy myself). I'm excited, anxious, afraid, all of the things. As an African-American male (27 years old), I have a burning question before embarking on this trip.

What do you do about your hair?

This is honestly one of my biggest concerns. If you're like me, you typically get your haircut at least every 2 weeks and you trust your barber with your life (not really, but you know what I mean). Do you get your haircut in other countries? Do you cut it yourself? Any particular country that you felt comfortable getting a haircut in? It's not so much about wanting to look presentable as it is just wanting to feel confident and looking my best.

Please feel free to chime in no matter what ethnicity you are, but I figured my fellow African-American travelers might understand the struggle :)

Thank you!

Im currently on a 3 month solo travel trip and am currently in Vietnam and planning my remaining two months of travel.

I’m finishing up the last bit of Vietnam this week then plan to go to Cambodia for a little over a week and will have just under 4 weeks before I have to fly to Australia around Jan 11 before heading back home (Europe).

My plan is to go to south Thailand which I’m looking forward to for the beaches, Muay Thai which I practice at home, parties, and food and plan to spend Christmas and new years there.

However I keep hearing about Indonesia and the stunning diving and volcano hikes and am debating whether to stop there for a week before going to Australia. I’ve found cheap-ish flights from Phuket to Denpasar and would want to spend a few days in Nusa Penida for the mantas and do a sunrise hike in mount Batur.

To note I would probably go back to Indonesia sometime in the future and actually spend more time there but still feel like I’d wanna check out part of it now.

TLDR: Should I spend 3.5 weeks in south Thailand or is it worth splitting 2.5 there and 1 in Bali for some diving and hiking before flying to Australia

Context: I wanted to climb Aconcagua this december/january by myself. But work got so hard and stressful the last few months I couldn't train properly. So now I have plane tickets for Santiago de Chile for a 1 month window. 13 December to 12 January.

I have 2 weeks for vacation and 2 weeks for remote work.

I love hiking, trekking and mountaineering. But I am having a difficult time planning since these are two massive countries and the distances are insane. Budget is also kind of thigh (that's why i was going solo into Aconcagua, got good savings but I'm very frugal).

• Start up north (Santiago, Mendoza). Work remote some days.

• Go down to a medium sized city which is kind of close. Work there couple days.

• Repeat this until I get to north part of Patagonia maybe Bariloche or Puerto Montt.

• From there spend some days doing hikes or multiday trekking.

• Then continue going south until I reach El Chalten or Villa Ohiggins.

• There I would do some more hikes and trekks.

• Finally I would go back to Santiago and catch my plane.

Trip is very close now, and I need details:

• Do I make my trip mostly in Argentina or Chile?
  • Food: which is better
  • Budget: I imagine argentina is cheaper but is it cheap with decent experience or is cheap because most things or services are bad.
• Which cities have reliable high speed internet (videocalls)?
• What to actually do?

  • City wise: No idea which cities or what to do

  • What are some great hikes or multiday trekks I can do?

Feel free to respond to anything, I need overall advice, recommendations, experiences, etc.

Personally, I’m a huge fan of privacy curtains in shared dorms of hostels. I get other views. But, what do you do when that’s not available, and you want some privacy and lay in bed?

I’d love to hear some innovated ways. I’ve only come up with bringing clips from the dollar store and an extra towel, but it really only works on the bottom bunk. Kinda new to hostels and would love to hear ideas.

Hi all, I’m going to backpack Indonesia and the Philippines for about a month and a half and want to go diving in Komodo and Palawan, among other places. I am a strong swimmer and have been snorkeling many times but I have never done diving. How do I do this in Indonesia? From what I understand I need a PADI license. How and where can I get that, how long does it take, and what does the certificate mean in terms of what I’m allowed to do afterwards? I would prefer to do in in Indonesia somewhere since I will be starting in Jakarta and heading east then up to the Philippines. I obviously don’t have any gear and don’t plan on buying any, I just want to go on guided tours to see underwater life.

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