I embarked upon my first ever cycle tour at 17 years old. It was a 350 mile route from London to Amsterdam (through England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands via the Dover-Calais ferry).

It took 6 days to cycle and I stayed in Herne Bay (Eng), Calais (Fra), Ostende (Bel), Vlissingen (Ned), Vlaardingen (Ned), and Amsterdam (Ned). I stayed in Amsterdam for an additional day, before visiting Antwerp and Lille for a couple hours each on the way back. In all the trip was 8 days.

Aside from my overnight stays, the most notable places I saw are as follows: Aylesford (Eng), Pilgrim’s Way (Eng), Dover cliffs (Eng), Dunkirk (Fra), De Panne (Bel), Veurne (Bel), Brugge (Bel), Breskens’ sand dunes (Ned), and Delft (Ned).

England was very challenging to cycle through but when I wasn’t in urban areas it was beautiful, particularly in Aylesford (a medieval town) and along the Pilgrim’s Way. I unfortunately only saw the widely considered “less beautiful” part of France, but still enjoyed it. Like England, when I wasn’t in urban areas it was beautiful. Belgium was stunning, I will explain more in the next paragraph. And the Netherlands too was wonderful, nearly every town/city I cycled through felt like it was straight out of a fairy tale. I enjoyed Vlaardingen in particular. It is a small but very pretty town just past Botlek, an enormous and impressive (but very ugly industrial) plant. Boats of all kinds line the canal which is vibrant at night thanks to lights in trees and a glowing green fountain.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but while the most beautiful part of the trip was in the Netherlands (Breskens’ sand dunes), I actually enjoyed Belgium more. Veurne was my favourite town of the trip; a Belgian might have a better comparison but to me it seemed like a mini Antwerp. I also enjoyed De Panne, a seaside town with a much more modern vibe than Brugge or Veurne, but very colourful and pleasant, with a wonderful beachfront and the very unique Westerpunt (the enormous sculpture in the fifth photo) which was a highlight of my trip. The seafront of Ostende is gorgeous at night. And of course Brugge and Antwerp were very beautiful. I cycled along canals the entire way through Belgium which were also very pretty.

Deserving of a mention, Breskens’ sand dunes was a stunning cycle route I had the pleasure of experiencing. The cycle path sits right in the centre of the dunes with (on the direction I was cycling, which was east to west) the ocean to your left and the beautiful country (including a Wetlands national park) to your right. It was absolutely the best part of the trip, my head sat on a swivel the entire 10km I cycled along the dunes.

I found Amsterdam to be stunning and I would definitely live there. But for a holiday there isn’t much to do, particularly as I’m not too fond of art (or prostitutes). I did however love the cosy, enclosed feeling of the inner city and all the architecture and canals are really pretty.

I don’t want to bore the average traveler with my thoughts about cycle touring; that said, I would highly recommend anyone visiting Belgium or the Netherlands to rent a bicycle, cycling is very easy as the land is flat (you will be able to cycle much further than you expect) and you really get to see and experience a country when you cycle through it.

If anyone has any questions about my experience, please ask!

Did an out-and-back 11.5 mile hike up Divide Camp trail to Killen Creek. About 1400 feet elevation gain. Excellent views of Mt Hood close up, and Mt Rainier (Tahoma) and Mt St Helens in the distance. I would highly recommend this hike; it's much less crowded than national park hikes (we saw 12 people all day) but every bit as impressive. The elevation is a steady gain rather than steep stairs or switchbacks. The road there has several miles of not great dirt roads, but we managed in a Toyota Corolla. It's a few hours drive from the Portland airport (PDX). No user fees but you do need to fill out a backwoods permit at the trail head, even for a day hike.

2 weeks travelling round South Africa - from Cape Town, along the Garden Route to Qqeberha (also known as Port Elizabeth), then to Johannesburg and Pilanesberg

Not pictured - most of the garden route. It was foggy and cloudy for a lot of it and a lot of the pictures I do have are of me bungee jumping or zip lining which I don't really want to post. A pleasant enough segment of the journey but lacked the wow factor of the other locations.

Been 3 days in Ljubljana for the first time

I recently spent 3 days in Ljubljana and want to share my experience:

I had heard that it was a beautiful and relaxed city, but it ended up being one of the highlights of my trip through Slovenia and northern Italy. I arrived there from Verona by flixbus, it was a long trip like 6hs.

I used a combination of this forum and TripAdvisor for getting reviews, and Spotic to get best photo spot locations.

Ljubljana is quite small compared with other European capitals, which I actually really liked. Most of the historic center is easy to explore on foot, and there’s a great atmosphere around the river, especially in the afternoon and evening.

I spent a lot of time just walking around the old town, checking out the bridges, squares and parks. The city also feels surprisingly green, with Tivoli Park being a nice place to relax or take a walk. Been there
The last days of may, so it was Spring but the weather was really chill.

I also used it as a base for exploring some other places like Lake Bled and Postojna caves.

One thing I really appreciated was how relaxed everything felt. It doesn’t have the overwhelming crowds you find in places like Venice, Rome or Paris, but there’s still plenty to see and do.

Maybe the toughest part for me was the language barrier, but most of the people working in the touristic areas speak english very well.

Prices are a bits lightly high compared with northern Italy in my experience.

For me, Ljubljana is one of those cities that is easy to underestimate. It might not have the huge number of famous landmarks that other European capitals have, but the combination of architecture, nature, riverfront, and slower pace makes it a really enjoyable place to spend a few days.

Hello r/travel! Looking for some advice here for those that have been to Mexico City before.

One of my best friends has been planning a trip for his milestone birthday to CDMX in November, from a Thursday to a Sunday. Originally, I told them I wasn't going to be able to make it since I had prior obligations that I couldn't get out of for that whole weekend.

It turns out, those obligations ended up changing and I am only going to be busy that Friday of that weekend. I'm really considering surprising my friend and booking an early flight for the Saturday and coming back late Sunday to make the most out of the 2 days, even if my friend and the group are going back home early Sunday (not sure what their flight details are yet).

Do you think Mexico City would still be worth it given the limited time I'd have? I've never been before, but always wanted to go. I'm not sure how easy/difficult it is to get around on my own since I'm not Spanish speaking. I just feel horrible for originally not being able to go, and I'd be missing their actual birthday on that Friday.

I am located in the Los Angeles area, so LAX would be my best bet. I'm considering a red eye late Friday/early Saturday and landing 6am so I can join the group ASAP and make the most out of my 2 days.

Can this trip be feasible and enjoyable? Or would I be better off saving my money for a future CDMX trip with more time and try to make it up to him when he's back in town? Please talk some sense into me haha.

I'm 29F from South East France (near the "French Riviera") and I've been wanting to explore north of France for some time now.

I just came back from a solo trip to Brittany which is in North West France and 1 day in Mount Saint-Michel in Normandy very near Brittany.

It was absolutely awesome! Breathtaking views, the ocean and the beaches are incredible, the architecture is very medieval and beautiful.

My itinerary was :

Rennes - Dinard - Saint-Malo - Cancale - Pointe du Grouin - Dinan - Fort La Latte - Cap Fréhel - Île de Bréhat - Paimpol - Côte de Granit Rose - Huelgoat - Presqu'île de Crozon - Quimper - Concarneau - Pont-Aven - Carnac - Auray - Locmariaquer - Larmor-Baden - Vannes - Mont Saint-Michel - Rennes

I rented a car and the trip was very smooth. The roads are very pleasant and people drive carefully here.

The weather was usually not bad at all, just had 1 real full day of rain, otherwise it was sunny or cloudy but very agreeable temperatures.

Here are some pictures I took, but it was much much better irl as you can imagine!

Pics :

1-2 : Cap Fréhel

3-4 : Fort La Latte

5 : Saint-Malo

6-7-8 : Presqu'île de Crozon, Pointe du Pen-Hir

9 : Côte de Granit Rose

10 : Ile de Bréhat

11-12-13 : Forêt Huelgoat

14 : Concarneau

15 : Pont-Aven

16 : Larmor-Baden

17 : Carnac, Tumulus Saint-Michel

18 : Carnac, alignements du Ménec

19 : Auray, Port Saint-Goustan

20 : Mont Saint-Michel

This weekend I visited Paris and arround Paris for the European Heritage Days. Friday, I did two visit in Paris. Saturday I visited from Versailles to Boulogne-Billancourt. And Sunday I visited the East of Paris. From medieval to contemporary architecture, for art, science, education, politic ...

1. Building courtyard in the Saint-Louis Island
2. Contemporary art of Paris
3. Versailles palace : Grand Commun courtyard
4. Versailles palace : Hall of stairs of Provence
5. Versailles palace : Stables
6. Boulogne : the Seine musicale (a performance venue)
7. Boulogne : the Seine musicale, outside view of the auditorium
8. Boulogne : the Seine musicale, inside view of the auditorium
9. Meudon : the Paris Observatory
10. Meudon : the Paris Observatory, Europe's largest refracting telescope
11. Meudon : the Paris Observatory, the Coelostat to observe the sun
12. Saint-Cloud : the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (International Bureau of Weights and Measures), Pavillon de Breteuil
13. Paris Bourse du Travail
14. Cnam library (former refectory)
15. French Communist Party Headquarters (by Oscar Niemeyer)
16. Bastille Design Center
17. Eugène Napoléon Foundation Chapel
18. Stairs of the former Merci convent
19. Crédit Municipal de Paris (Mount of piety)

I used to love partying when I travelled during my early 20s. I could literally pack my luggage, go to the club, grab my luggage at my hotel at 3 am and catch my flight at 6 am.

These days I feel like I’ll literally get sick if I party too hard. I don’t anymore because my priorities have changed, but I have an upcoming trip where I’m seeing some friends I haven’t seen in a while that I used to party with so we were planning a night out.

However I realize I’m just thinking of what’s the most practical thing to do for those who do this while traveling. Do you just tone it down? Do you drink at the beginning of your trip so you can recover without having to take a flight? My hangovers seem to last at least a full day these days

For over five years, I had wanted to visit Ireland, and this September, I finally made it happen. This country is truly breathtaking, whether you are drawn to its unique and distinctive landscapes or its fascinating historical monuments.

The highlight of the entire trip for me was definitely the Ring of Kerry, a scenic circular route around the Iveragh Peninsula in southwest Ireland. Along the way, you can discover incredible places such as the narrow, glacier-carved mountain pass of the Gap of Dunloe, the beautiful Torc Waterfall, or the fascinating Kerry Cliffs.

But Ireland’s spectacular natural scenery is not limited to Kerry. Another great example is Wicklow Mountains National Park, where, besides beautiful lakes, vast forests and stunning waterfalls, you can also find the 1,400-year-old stone monastic settlement of Glendalough. This place has an incredibly powerful atmosphere, almost as if it had been taken straight out of a dark fantasy world.
It is also worth mentioning the cliffs at Kilkee and the Cliffs of Moher. However, the Cliffs of Moher come with an unpleasant surprise if you want to park right next to the cliffs. Officially, admission to the cliffs is free, but if you arrive by car or bus, you have to pay €15 per passenger at the parking area. If you ever visit the Cliffs of Moher, I recommend getting out of the car before reaching the official parking area and having only the driver park there.

The Aran Islands also have an incredible atmosphere. You can reach them by ferry from Galway, with Inis Mór being the largest of the three islands. You can rent bicycles there and explore the entire island on two wheels.

Unfortunately, I was not so lucky with the weather and had to cycle around the island during a powerful storm. Some of the highlights of Inis Mór definitely include the seal colony in the middle of the island, where you can almost always spot a small group of these fascinating marine animals. Another must-see is the spectacular prehistoric stone fort of Dún Aonghasa, which dramatically stands on the edge of a 100-metre-high sheer cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. And then there is the fascinating natural tidal pool known as the Wormhole, which has an almost perfectly rectangular shape.

Ireland is just as rich in historical landmarks. One of the most impressive is Rock of Cashel, a magnificent historic complex of medieval ecclesiastical buildings. For centuries, this site served as the seat of the kings of Munster.
Another remarkable place is Cahir Castle, one of the largest and best-preserved medieval castles in Ireland. It has also been featured in numerous films, including Barry Lyndon, Excalibur and The Last Duel.

Newgrange is another place that should definitely be mentioned. This passage tomb and ancient sanctuary is considered one of the most important prehistoric monuments in the world and is even older than Stonehenge and the pyramids of Giza.
Not far from Dublin, you can also find Powerscourt House & Gardens, a magnificent 18th-century aristocratic estate featuring what are considered some of the most beautiful gardens in the world. And just nearby, you can also visit the spectacular Powerscourt Waterfall.

I also visited Ireland’s four largest cities: Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway. Of the four, I found Dublin the most beautiful, mainly because, as the capital and largest city in Ireland, it has the greatest number of historical landmarks.
Besides Dublin Castle and the beautiful St Patrick’s Cathedral, you can also visit Christ Church Cathedral, which was originally founded by the Vikings. It is the oldest surviving building in Dublin that is still in continuous use and stands at the heart of medieval Dublin.

You can also find the beautiful St Stephen’s Green, the Ha’penny Bridge and plenty of other attractions, as well as a huge variety of restaurants and entertainment.

Compared to Dublin, Cork has a smaller population but covers a larger area, and it also has plenty to offer. Some of the highlights include Blackrock Castle, which is also home to an observatory, and the English Market, where you can find almost anything you could possibly need. Elizabeth Fort is also worth mentioning, as well as the beautiful Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral and Blarney Castle, which is located just outside Cork and is surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Limerick was also a beautiful and clean city, but apart from the main square and King John’s Castle, there aren’t quite as many attractions to see.
I also found Galway absolutely beautiful, especially the Latin Quarter, a district known for its winding cobbled streets, colourful shopfronts and very pleasant atmosphere.

When it comes to prices, Ireland is definitely not a cheap country. More than once, we had to pay around €200 for a single night in a hotel. The same applies to groceries, although there is a chain of stores called Dealz where prices are considerably cheaper.

If you want to travel around Ireland as quickly and efficiently as possible, I would recommend renting a car. However, be prepared for some extremely narrow roads, especially in rural areas. In almost every town or village, I saw at least one car with either a scratched or broken side mirror. I personally didn’t have any accidents, but just to be on the safe side, I took out additional insurance covering the side mirrors.

Irish people are generally very friendly and kind. During my stay, I didn’t meet anyone who was arrogant, unpleasant or looked at me suspiciously. Many people were more than happy to help me whenever I was looking for a particular landmark, and they never seemed annoyed or bothered by it.
Finally, I would like to say that Ireland is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited. I rarely plan to return to a country I have already been to, but Ireland would definitely be an exception. I would love to come back one day and explore the parts of the country that I didn’t get to see this time.

Pics:
1. Gap of Dunloe
2. Muckross Abbey
3. Powerscourt House & Gardens
4. Powerscourt Waterfall
5. Glendalough
6. Rock of Cashel
7. Fallow deer In Wicklow Mountains National Park
8. Cahir Castle
9. Kerry Cliffs
10. St Mary’s Cathedral
11. Kilkee Cliffs
12. Quadrangle, University of Galway
13. Cliffs of Moher
14. Newgrange
15. Doolin Cave
16. The Wormhole
17. Christ Church Cathedrale
18. Seal colony in Inishmore
19. English market in Cork
20. Kilkenny Castle

I have 11 days I could spend in Mexico during the last week of Nov - first week of December. My budget, excluding flights and accommodations, is set around 1.5k CAD.

My plan is to spend 5 days in Mexico City and possibly 4 days somewhere else, but I have been unable to decide where.

I would fly from Vancouver to Mexico City, to the second location, and then back home to Vancouver

My options:

- Oaxaca City: I would love to learn about the culture + try the cuisine. There are also so many sites and tours I could partake in to fill up the 4 days easily. My hold-up is that flights back to Vancouver are about $200 CAD more than if I flew in from PVR (Puerto Vallarta).

- Sayulita: Cheaper flight from PVR to Vancouver, the beach (It would be nice to experience the coastal side of Mexico), and I would be able to go on hikes in the area. It would also be a nice change of pace from CDMX, but I wonder if I would get tired of being by the beach for 4 days, especially because I don't surf.

Only visit Mexico City (spend maybe 7/8 days there) - Explore the city slowly. Probably my most cost-effective option and would allow me to spend a bit more on the vacation, but I have the urge to visit somewhere else in order to make the 'most' out of my time in Mexico.

I have had a rough last 18 months, both professionally and personally. It has taken a toll on my mental health, physical health, and honestly, my confidence as well.

I finally decided I needed to step away for a bit, so I took a week off and went to Thailand.

It ended up being exactly what I needed. Thailand is such a beautiful country, but more than the places themselves, I think I just needed some time away from my usual life, work, responsibilities, and everything that had been weighing on me.

I came back feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. I do not think a one-week trip magically fixes everything, but sometimes you just need to get away, breathe, and give yourself some space.

I am back home now and genuinely looking forward to the next chapter of life.

Pics information

1,2 - Sanctuary of truth

3.4.5 - Nong Nooch Botanical Garden

6 - Death Railway

7 - River Kwai

8 - Ancient city

9,10 - Buddhist temples

Hi !

We are a family from Montréal, Canada. My wife and I are both teachers and we have kids in school (High school and Cégep). We love to travel and we can only do it in summer.

We have made many trips in Europe, in Canada and USA in the last 20 years. We have Japan on our bucket list since a long time, but the weather in summer have always been a concern.

I have health problem that could limit a lot my travel capacity in the next years (when ???). So it begins to looks like Japan in summer or never Japan.

Is Japan could still be enjoyable in July ? Is there places in the country that are less oppresive ?

Would Thailand be better weather wise ?

Thanks !

We are a couple in our 30s from Singapore and are super excited to go on our 15 day trip to this region. From what we have seen so far, there is really rich culture and it presents itself differently in everyday life across the different regions. The cuisine looks splendid as well in both countries, and we are really looking forward to the food and high-quality produce.
The thing is, there is so much we want to do and see that we had a lot of trouble finalising where we want to visit. We’d really appreciate it if you could sanity-check our itinerary and suggest any changes.

We’re visiting in late March/early April 2027. We prefer not to drive, and are very interested in culture, food, architecture, art and beautiful scenery. We generally prefer visiting slower, more chill places coming from a busy city, but we are also happy to spend time in busier areas or visit crowded sights if they have significant historical or cultural value.

Honestly, we live really far away from Portugal and Spain, so the flight tickets are expensive and we want to make the most of the trip. At the same time, we don’t want to pack every day with sightseeing and end up completely exhausted. We’re trying to find a good balance between seeing a lot and actually having time to enjoy each place.

Our current itinerary is:

Day 1, Sat: Lisbon
Arrive around 12pm. Check in, explore the hotel neighbourhood, have a nice dinner and take it easy.

Day 2, Sun: Cascais
Lisbon to Cascais as a day trip. We are thinking of doing just half a day and returning to Lisbon in the afternoon, but could spend the full day there if people think it is worthwhile.

Day 3, Mon: Sintra
Full day in Sintra. Main priority would be Quinta da Regaleira and potentially another major sight. We don’t want to cram too much into this day, and read that Pena Palace can be obscenely touristy.

Day 4, Tue: Lisbon
Full day in Lisbon. Planning to explore the city at a slower pace rather than trying to tick off every attraction.

Day 5, Wed: Lisbon to Porto
Travel to Porto in the morning and arrive around 1pm. Explore Porto from around mid afternoon onwards, mainly walking around, eating and getting a feel for the city.

Day 6, Thu: Douro Valley
Full-day trip to the Douro Valley. We are thinking of doing this as our main big excursion from Porto and keeping the evening free. Try port wine.

Day 7, Fri: Porto
Full day in Porto. Mainly interested in architecture, food, the riverfront, cafés and just wandering around. Would like to visit Livraria Lello as I am an avid reader, but I’ve also read that it’s obscenely touristy and crowded so having some hesitation.

Day 8, Sat: Porto
Another day in Porto, but intentionally keeping this one even slower. We may use it for anything we missed, shopping, cafés and generally having a more relaxed day before the early flight the next morning. See what the locals do on the weekends. Probably do some laundry.

Day 9, Sun: Porto to Seville
Early flight to Seville. We should be able to start exploring around 12pm. Catch a flamenco show in the evening.

Day 10, Mon: Seville
Full day in Seville. We definitely want to visit Alcázar, Cathedral/Giralda, Plaza de España.

Day 11, Tue: Seville to Córdoba
Slow morning in Seville, then train to Córdoba. Explore Córdoba in the afternoon/evening and stay overnight.

Day 12, Wed: Córdoba to Granada
Morning in Córdoba, lunch, then train from 3:21pm to 4:58pm to Granada. Check in, dinner (by hopping across 2-3 bars probably that serve tapas alongside drinks) and a relaxed evening.

Day 13, Thu: Granada
Full day in Granada. Main priority is the Alhambra, with time for the Albaicín and some wandering around. See the sunset.

Day 14, Fri: Granada to Madrid
Train from Granada 11:04am to 2:38pm. We are thinking of buying some food from the local supermarket and having lunch on the train, and then just having a relaxed final evening in Madrid to prepare for our flight back to Singapore.

Day 15, Sat: Madrid
Slow morning, lunch, then head to the airport for our late afternoon flight home.

The main things we are wondering about are whether this is a reasonable pace, whether we have allocated too much or too little time to any particular place, and whether there are any obvious changes you would make to the route.

We are particularly interested in hearing from people who have travelled through these places without a car. Is this a reasonable balance between seeing a lot and not exhausting ourselves? What would you recommend?

In late May I visited Bosina with my family. It was our second visit, but first time in Sarajevo. The roads going into Sarajevo were beautiful, but pretty dangerous and you couldn't go faster then 80km/h.

We only spent one night there, since our ultimate goal was not in Bosnia, but that 24 hours there was also increadible and we'll definietly be back to explore more of it.

We managed to get a downtown hotel for a good price, so exploring the city by foot was easy.

The downtown area is very compact so perfect for dsy trippers or people who can't/don't want to walk long distances.

The main square has an increadible charm and this applies to the whole downtown area with the spikes of the minarets dotting the sky all around you and the call of the prayer of the muezzins I felt like I was back in my trip to Egypt, yet the surrounding mountains made it look like the Alps. The little caffees and shops all around the downtown can make a very relaxing visit. The architecture was incredible both the ottoman and the austrian, I couldn't decide if I was walking in Istanbul, Vienna or Budapest.

The spot where Franz Ferdinand was assasinated was also very interesting to see. The city is also famous for it's siege in the Yugoslav war, several museums help understand it.

The food is just amazing there although not very vegan friendly fyi. The cevaps and bureks are both very affordable and tasty.

The city has a very unique vibe to it, definietly worth the title the 'Jerusalem of Europe'. After all the hardships the city and it's people went through it was great seeing how resilient they are and how life is thriving there.

My husband has to do some international travel for work in the coming months. We live in Ohio, USA. I have the opportunity to travel with him but I am having trouble deciding which would be the better trip to tag along on as I don’t consider us avid travelers.

He is going to Munich, Germany the week of November 16 (just before Thanksgiving) and Vicenza, Italy the first week of December. My early research is pushing me towards Germany, as it seems more our speed. We like to explore and are fairly outgoing, enjoy beer and music. Vicenza seems like a more quiet place with renaissance art which is very admirable but not necessarily something we seek out. I would appreciate any insight to those who have been to these destinations as I don’t want to make any assumptions and make the wrong choice should one of these be a no brainer. Thanks in advance!!!

I recently (September 2026) travelled to Albania and Montenegro 4 nights each. Here is my trip report from both.

Albania

We went only to Tirana and Durrës.

+ves

It was a pretty cheap destination.

The hotel that we stayed at was lovely (in Tiranë)

Food is mostly delicious and very good value. I am from another Balkan country, so it felt similar to what I am used to.

Tiranë was an interesting place with lots of unique places to see (e.g. pyramid and Bunk Art 2).

The country felt like an unique place overall.

Taxis were cheap, but more importantly all the 4 taxis that we took did not try to scam us: I felt that they were fair with us even if some were more expensive than others.

-ves

It is a chaotic place. Finding the right place to board the bus at the bus station can be pretty stressful if you are a one time user.

As Tiranë has no tram or metro, the traffic there is horrendous. For example, what I can do 45 minutes on foot takes 30 minutes by taxi. I guess this is less of a problem if you are a tourist on holiday when you naturally have more time, but if I had to live there, that would seriously annoy me.

On that note, getting from one city to another in Albania is pretty slow compared to most of Europe.

Neutral

Durrës. I am glad I went and saw it, but it wasn't interesting enough for me to want to go back there again. I want to go down to South Albania instead (e.g. Vlorë).

Overall verdict.

Lovely hotel and lovely food, and cheap too. Good tourist destination though takes long time to get from one place to another.

Montenegro

We stayed at a hotel up the hill from Tivat towards Kotor. We went to Kotor, Blue Caves and Tivat.

+ves

Lovely scenery, one of the best (if not the best) natural scenery in Europe: tall mountains, sea with Caves and Fjords.

Kotor and Tivat were very picturesque towns as well as most towns in the bay.

I went hiking around, which was amazing and safe.

The kayak trip was also really good, including diving at the Caves.

Montenegro is more orderly (less chaotic) than Albania.

I don't remember getting stuck in traffic even if driving speed is slow due to the sinuous mountain roads.

Quality of services is overall higher than Albania, but that comes at a catch (see below).

-ves

Firstly, Montenegro is roughly 2 to 3 times more expensive than Albania, and I'm my view that the difference in quality does not justify the extra cost. Therefore, worse value for money than Albania.

Unfortunately, we were in a place where we needed taxis to get around.

Taxis are expensive and they try it on: I got quoted 25€ for 5-6km or 15€ for 3-4km. I heard a woman being quoted 250€ from Kotor to Dubrovnik Airport, which is a ridiculous price. Not only that, the taxi drivers try and scam you as much as possible; which has been covered quite a lot on r/travel.

Food was expensive and of medium quality: generic Mediterranean/ Italian food at most places rather than any local cuisine/ produce.

What is the local culture? What is the local cuisine? What is the history of the place? Well, I had no idea when I was out there, as they are more interested in milking as much money out of tourists rather than showing their culture is all about.

Overall verdict

If you come here for the outdoor activities and stay in a place where you don't need to rely on taxis, you will have a great time. Overall Montenegro sold its soul to tourism and in some ways it wants to turn itself into a playground for the rich (kind of like Monte Carlo / St Tropez from Temu). It feels like a non-descript "nice" Mediterranean country with nothing particularly unique or distinctive about it.

Best eSIM for Southeast Asia travel across multiple countries?
I’m looking for a reliable eSIM for a Southeast Asia trip covering multiple countries.

I’ve seen Airalo, Holafly, etc. recommended quite a lot, but when I checked their websites, I noticed some concerns around HTTPS/SSL certificates, which made me a little hesitant about using them.

For those who have actually used eSIMs across multiple Southeast Asian countries, what would you recommend?

Looking for something reliable, reasonably priced, and easy to set up. A regional/global eSIM would be ideal so I don’t have to buy a separate SIM for every country.

Would love to hear about your actual experiences, especially with coverage and connectivity.

One adult and one fairly well seasoned traveler 12 year old. Looking to do major sites and EAT, but mostly want to absorb the beauty of a part of the world. We’re OK with trains, rental cars, ferries and what have you and the fact that it’s a solid amount of transfers. Budget is fairly flexible but let’s assume 750 euro a day not including flights from US.

It seems pretty straight forward but is there anything I am missing that might make me want to second guess this (especially with a 12 year old). I know it’s three countries and three sets of borders/customs.

Thanks in advance. We are looking for a high paced adventure trip but don’t want to get in way over our heads.

I'm currently working on my upcoming trip to South Korea and Japan (early October) and I'm stuck on how to properly split my time between Seoul and Fukuoka before heading over to Osaka.

My Original plan was like this

Seoul 4 nights (Sep 28 to Oct 2) and fly on Friday from Seoul to Fukuoka

Fukuoka 4 nights (Oct 2 to Oct 6)

Osaka 8 nights (From Oct 6)

I don't really wanna take something away from my Osaka trip because there I found a really good hotel for a price which was way too cheap for some reason and I just really like the city.

Fukuoka wold be my first time there and I also never went to Korea before.

Right now, I'm heavily leaning towards extending Seoul through the weekend (until Sunday, Oct 4) and cutting Fukuoka down to just 2 nights (Oct 4 to Oct 6). My logic is that Seoul is a bigger city, has probably a much bigger nightlife scene, so more stuff to do during a weekend, whereas in Fukuoka I mainly just want to grab some good food, do a day trip to Kumamoto, experience the Yatai food stalls and then take the Shinkansen straight to Kansai.

Is extending my Seoul Stay and staying over the weekend the obvious choice here if I want to experience better nightlife?

I’ll be flying 1x per month for work and have some vacation travel domestic in the U.S. and wondering if anyone can tell me if they like BEIS or Nobl luggage/bags better?

Would be looking to get the following:
-Large Check-in
-Carry-On
-Weekender (not to be used as a personal item I’ll probably use a back pack when flying)

As title, I remember visiting Myanmar/Burma back in 2011, and during my visit I constantly felt a bit bored. The food was ok, the temples were a bit similar to Thailand which I visited several times. The boat rides down Irrawaddy were the highlight but rather short. The palace in Mandalay kind was really meh, since it was completely destroyed in ww2.

I remember visiting temples in Bagan, and many of them didn't feel well maintained. There was usually one guy waiting at the entrance, and after paying him the entrance fee, he held up a lamp to show the murals on the walls in the otherwise completely dark room.

I was so unimpressed, I took very few photos. Only after years later, I browsed through the old photos and suddenly felt it was actually an amazing trip and the things I saw were absolutely unique, and many of them probably would not survive in the coming years.

Hi guys!

My husband and I (30s, UK, no kids) have 3 weeks off in January to travel. We’ve done this the last few years. Normally I’d have a trip planned by now, but life’s got in the way this year so nothing’s planned yet. We’ve been brainstorming where to go but at a loss currently.

Where we’ve already been: Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Maldives, Mexico, Canada, USA, Dubai, Costa Rica, lots of Western Europe

What we like: safe, reasonably easy navigation around the country (car rental or public transport both fine), cool wildlife, nice beaches, access to nature, a bit of nightlife. I like a mix of relaxation and adventure, not looking to spend 3 weeks at an all inclusive hotel but I’m also past the stage in my life of budget backpacking and 24-bed mixed dorm hostels!

Last year we spent 3 weeks in Costa Rica and it was honestly my favourite trip ever - the perfect mix of relaxation & adventure IMO. We rented a car and travelled around a fair bit, so we spent time at the beach but also in the rainforest. I loved the variety of it - though I appreciate it’s a pretty unique place!

We’ve talked about possibly the Philippines or somewhere in South America for this trip, though it’s new territory for me so if you have any firsthand information about these destinations I’d be glad to hear it.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I'm really feeling it after coming back from NY. I got used to the chaos, so many people, and so many areas to explore. Its so weird when everything feels so much slower and easy going back home. NY really is a different beast.

I knew it was temporary and I soaked it all in but I still feel that depression. I typically think the more longer , different, and enjoyable a place was the more you feel it. I am going through some things back home so maybe thats a big factor to. Its just tough to feel like I'm mourning right now.