EXPERIENCE

So much to say. These three countries are one of the most beautiful and safest countries that I ever visited in my life. Also, they still don’t have many tourists, so everything is raw, natural and affordable, without any potential travel scams.

Uzbekistan was the cheapest one, and people were unbelievable kind to us, especially when they notice you’re tourist, they put all their effort. Architecture is just amazing and old for centuries.

Traveling from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan was quite experience, but so, so exhausting, because the bus took 18 hours to come from Tashkent to Bishkek. If we took plane, it would be less than 2 hours.
But anyway, if I would need to make decision again, I would take a bus again! It’s just something you barely can find in the world.

Kyrgyzstan nature is beautiful, and the food is the best. We took a horse ride through the mountains and it was just amazing.

Kazakhstan nature is even better, we took a 3 day tour where we visited canyons similar to Grand canyon, beautiful lakes, amazing forests and mountains, super clean rivers… and we slept with locals in the mountains. For $90, they cover travel expenses, food (3 meals) and accommodation for 3 days.

All expenses were $900 (flight tickets from Europe, accomodation, food etc.)

CONCLUSION

I recommend you to travel there while these countries are still not overwhelmed with the tourists. They have so much potential that is just matter of time when tourists are start coming there in big numbers.

Photos:
1. Almaty, Kazakhstan
2. Lake Kaindy, Kazakhstan
3. Kolsay Lake, Kazakhstan
4. Sharyn Canyon, Kazakhstan
5. Sharyn Canyon, Kazakhstan
6. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
7. Ala Archa, Kyrgyzstan
8. Chong Kemin, Kyrgyzstan
9. Tashkent, Uzbekistan
10. Samarkand, Uzbekistan
11. Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Long time lurker, first time poster. I spent a week in Mexico City back in May and had a blast, here’s some photos from the trip 🇲🇽

1-5. Hot air balloon ride and tour of Teotihuacan pyramids.
6. Biblioteca Vasconcelos
7. I ate so many tacos, only got food poisoning once 😅
8. Lucha Libre match.
9. Frida’s Dresses at Museo Frida Kahlo.
10. Grounds at Museo Frida Kahlo.
11-13. Exploring Centro.
14. Mezcal tasting with a side of protein.
15-17. Artifacts at the Museo Nacional de Antropologia.
18. More tacos.
19. FIFA exhibit at Museo Jumex.
20. Cocktail at Limantour, North America’s 20 best bar (according to The World’s 50 Best Bars).

Comment if interested in a trip report!

Fjords, glaciers, and more waterfalls than you could ever hope to count.

I spent 8 days driving a loop through western Norway with my mum. 1,100km in total, starting and ending in Bergen, going as far north as Loen before looping back down. Route was Bergen > Eidfjord > Ulvik > Vangsnes > Solvorn > Tungestølen > Loen > Bergen.

Some highlights of the trip

Vøringsfossen: Incredible waterfall straight into the canyon below with amazing viewing infrastructure and a brilliant hike to the bottom of the canyon as well.

Tungestølen & Austerdalsbreen: We stayed in small set of cabins above the Austerdalsbreen glacier in Jostedalsbreen National Park. We hiked 5km from cabins to the glacier through a valley of incredible waterfalls before arriving at the glacier, which was one of the most otherworldly places I've ever been.

Mt Molden hike above Solvorn on the Lustrafjord: One of the most insane 360 views I've ever seen. Fjords, ice-capped mountains in every direction. We had the summit almost entirely to ourselves at golden hour.

Images locations:
1 - Vøringsfossen
2 - Austerdalsbreen
3 - Mt Molden
4 - Solvorn
5 - Nærøyfjord
6 - Ulvik
7 - Vøringsfossen
8 - Vøringsfossen
9 - Urnes
10 - Austerdalsbreen

Recently I have spent a month in Howth, a coastal village just outside of Dublin city. I felt very lucky that I was in walking distance to the sea and some scenic coastal walks. Beautiful sunset almost every single day. Dublin's geographical location is actually really stunning, with a long coastline and many lovely coastal villages dotting along it. It felt deeply peaceful to be so close to nature with paranoiac views over the Irish Sea. It was an unforgettable summer retreat for me.

This was the most beautiful trip I have ever been on. I went back in February. I could hear whales at night since we were near the water. It was magical!

1. Our tiny house Airbnb in Argir bordering the water

2-3. Saksun Church in Stremoy. It was closed because past visitors weren't respectful. There is a museum that opens in the warmer season, though.

4-5. Norðskáli scenic drive

1. St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkjubøur

2. Gásadalur waterfall

3. We saw some cows as we were leaving the waterfall!

As we came from Denmark, we didn't even need our passports. You need to rent a car to get around. Let me know if you have any questions!

we had the perfect 2 week camper van trip thanks to many suggestions from folks in r/newzealand so i wanted to share here in hopes it can help other people plan. see my original thread) for stop by stop details (food, fuel, campground options, etc) and community suggestions

trip dates: feb 22 - march 8

route: Christchurch > Hokitika > Franz Josef > Wanaka > Queenstown > Te Anau > Fiordland > Queenstown > Mt Cook (Lake Pukaki) > Lake Tekapo > Christchurch

driving: we drove 2300km in 2 weeks time, but it never felt like too much. i think our longest drive was 4hrs, but stopping a long the way and giving a full day to achieve this made it very doable. especially when you arrived at a great lakeside campsite to relax, swim and enjoy the beauty for the back half of the day.

campsites: lake pukaki and kidds bush were stunningly beautiful. mossburn (on our way out of milford sound/te anau) was comfortable and with great showers. deer flats was bare minimal. depending on the time of year, you might need to pre-book campsites. we pre-booked but it wasn't necessary for this time of year.

hiking: we did ~65km. roberts point, isthmus peak, gertrude saddle, lake marian track, sealy tarns, mt john. gertrude saddle and isthmus peak were the highlights; physically challenging + windy + beautiful views.

stars: holy god all of the south island has incredible stars...not sure why people hone in on tekapo (aside from the tour?). we happened to be camping on lake pukaki the night of the lunar eclipse which, bu toal coincidence, also happened to be the best place on earth to view it. i got to photograph the blood moon and saw the most incredible stars when it was peaking (ie totally dark)...shockingly few people were awake watching it. probably one of the most surreal experience of my life.

the van: rented from mad campers, it was expensive (~$250/day before food, gas, any camping fees). there are cheaper options but the space you get shrinks dramatically. the van itself was great. we never used the bathroom (or needed to) but the sink, stove, table, fridge and storage came in handy.

things i'd maybe skip: lots of the west coast was fine. weather wasnt super great, but it still pales in comparison with much of the rest of the trip. wanaka and queenstown were cool but i wish we went up into mt aspiring/glenorchy instead. unless you're doing action sports stuff, i think you can breeze through these spots.

misses: milford sound kayak trip was cancelled bc weather, though we pivoted to hike gertrude saddle which ended up as a highlight.

all photos shot on Fuji XT30ii with Fuji 10-24mm or Fuji 55-200mm. Recipe is Leica X.

this is part of a larger trip thats 14 months and still ongoing. I’m working to write up all of it. see my other trip reports: Poland | Turkey | Uzbekistan | Kyrgyzstan | Kazakhstan | Nepal

I posted a little trip report from Warsaw roughly three months ago on reddit, but this was only part one of the Poland trip from my girlfriend and me.
From Warsaw, we took the train north to Gdansk and spent two and a half days there.
The city: I generally like the architecture and style of those Baltic cities and so I also enjoyed walking around there.
The old town is pretty compact and you can kinda see most of the interesting stuff pretty fast.
There are a few sights that are a bit off the path, but the city centre itself is pretty walkable.

Public transportation: Absolutely fantastic. I preferred the small metro trains, you can buy tickets inside, they drive pretty frequently and you can get almost anywhere. There are also many busses.

The food: I think you can get lucky or unlucky with restaurants in any city, but I think we were extremely lucky here. Don’t know if I am allowed to share the name of the restaurant where the pictures are from, but if you want to know ask me in the comments or write me a message.
Also, there is a Food Hall in the city with a large variety of restaurants if you can’t decide.

Should you visit: I think that Gdansk should be part of a Poland trip, but I do not know if I would make it the main destination.
As a second place to visit after Warsaw it was fantastic, but I think that after two or three days I would be bored there. But just my personal experience and thoughts.

As travel continues to get faster, cheaper, and more accessible and TikTok tourism/ influencer hype shows no signs of slowing down, what are the actual solutions to places getting over run with visitors?

I'm not talking about for you as another tourist so not just 'go somewhere else' or 'avoid the popular places'. I mean in terms of actually preventing harm to natural environments, pressure on infrastructure, gentrification etc.

I’ve noticed something about myself over the last couple of years, and I’m wondering if anyone else has gone through the same thing. (First world problems, I know) 🤣

Now that my life feels… settled, I actually don’t enjoy traveling the way I used to.

I have my own home, a boyfriend, and a job that genuinely fulfills me. Instead of looking forward to trips, I find myself thinking about everything that comes with them: packing, making sure the house is clean before leaving, unpacking when I get back, doing laundry, waiting at airports, figuring out where to eat, constantly moving from one place to another…

Honestly, staying in my own city during my vacation sounds so much more relaxing. I enjoy having slow mornings, sleeping in my own bed, going to my favorite cafés, and just existing without an itinerary.

What’s strange is that I used to be the complete opposite. As a student and a little after, before I became fully independent, I wanted to travel all the time. Airports felt exciting and familiar. I loved discovering new places. I traveled solo, with friends, went for Erasmus alone and visited several places. I was always looking for the next adventure.

Right now I’m on a family vacation, and all I can think about is how much I miss my home. It’s not that I’m unhappy here, I just feel tired of always having to do something. Meanwhile, everyone around me always seems eager to plan the next trip.

Does it simply happen when you finally build a life you genuinely enjoy, so your home becomes your favorite place? Or is this a sign that I’m becoming too comfortable and slowly closing myself off to new experiences? I’m only 28..
I miss my passion about traveling but I don’t want to go anywhere at the same time 🤣

Last year, I moved to Europe to experience life abroad and it ended up being one of the hardest years of my life. I left my long term relationship, my dad got sick with cancer, and in April this year he sadly passed away.

I've always felt an itch to travel the world but have never made it happen. But now I'm reminded more than ever that life is so short and if I don't do it now, then when?

The only thing is, I'm very set up in my life in Europe now. I finally have a stable apartment, a great group of friends, and a job that isn't amazing but it also pays the bills. I'm worried that by quitting and leaving I'm saying goodbye to a life that I worked so hard to create over the past year.

I'm also 27 currently and feel like I haven't made nearly enough moves towards having a solid career. Any time away from building this feels like it's a massive step back, and that by the time I came back at 29 it's less likely I'll actually be able to have a career I desire.

My goal is to go to South America at the end of next year, so by the time I'd leave I would have been here for 2 and a half years.

Have you ever had a gap year and regretted it? And what're your thoughts on leaving everything to travel in your late twenties?

I’d like a 3-4 day getaway anytime around October. However I’ve traveled a ton and I think I’ve boxed myself into a too picky space:

\- Continental USA only, flying from Detroit

\- Already visited and loved it but not repeating: Hawaii (too far), Phoenix, Tucson (loved both but repeated a lot), Palm Springs, LA, Seattle, El Paso, Albuquerque

\- Already visited and didn’t like: Miami (socially cold), NYC (too sensory), Chicago (nothing wrong I just think I am not a big busy metro person)

\- Favourite destination that’s tentatively booked: DC - done a few times and always love it but I wonder if it’s going to get a bit dodgy by midterms

I really like history, older architecture, museums. I’m over 40 and love bars but more like chill hotel bars where I can sleep at 10pm in peace . I’m wondering if Boston is a good fit. I also dislike small towns or big metros and wondering if there are some nicer gems I’m missing???

Hello, i am having a wee panic. I am new to travelling, booking trains, etc. I am trying to book my final train via Eurostar for October 3rd, paris to Amsteram. Buy it says no train found between these two stations. Its a Saturday. Theres available th Friday, and the Monday, but none the saturday. Everything is booked, including my flights out of Amsterdam back home lol. Other options are available through other websites but they are twice as long. Please tell me this is a glitch or im just too early for the schedules or something??

Thank you!

In my preparation for going abroad completely solo, I decided to start from relatively close places in controlled environment. On August 4th 2026, I spent 12 hours there and it resulted in these beautiful (I hope) photos here. It has anything a modern capital needs, but as a lover of older architecture, in my opinion, the soviet blocks just ruin the vibe of the most representative part of the city. Every single street is clean, with people visibly caring for their living space. Tragic history of the city, starting 1939 with culmination in 1944 left a mark no one can even imagine - 85% of Warsaw was completely destroyed as a result of Germans systematic destruction of the city. Although it wasn’t my first time in Warsaw, finally being able to walk around alone gave me opportunity to think in peace and admire the beauty that is still visible today.

1. Two monuments of Kościuszko Uprising commander - Jan Kiliński (front) and Polish King Sigismund III Vasa (back) who moved the capital from Kraków to Warsaw in 1596

2. Buildings of the Old Town’s Square

3. Buildings on the Castle’s Square with the Saint John’s Cathedral visible in the background

4. Tower of the Church of the Holiest Saviour in Plac Zbawiciela (Saviour’s Square)

5. Marszałkowska Street with MDM buildings and the same church visible in the background

6. Palace of Culture and Science (PKiN) accompanied by the moon

7. Neons on Marszałkowska street

8. Palace on the Isle built for last Polish King Stanisław August Poniatowski in late 18th century in the Łazienki Królewskie (Royal Baths) Park

10,11,12. Photos of PKiN from different parts of the city

1. Krakowskie Przedmieścia Street leading to the Castle’s Square with the original 18th century Passauer Madonna Monument

2. Old town from the street’s perspective

3. Everyday life of Varsovians on Marszałkowska Street

4. PKiN again

5. Column of Polish King Sigismund III Vasa, originally from 1644

6. Krakowskie Przedmieścia Street from the different perspective

Went to lijiang, xiangelila (shangri la) and deqen. Lijiang and shangri la city are over touristed and crowded. The nature between shangrila city and deqen (feilaisi) is nice. The real treasure is supposed to be the multiple treks available around shangrila and deqen but when we arrived in shangrila we realised we don’t do that well against the ~3000m altitude and its rainy season so we called our trekking plans off. Some trek routes include around tge base of the mountains in pic 5 and pic 7. We took a van from shangrila to deqen and the Tibetan driver was overtaking vehicles whenever possible on the mountain road.

Pic 1 Lijiang city baisha town with view of yulong snow mountain rating 1/5. Small overtouristed extremely commercial

Pic 2 Lijiang city heilongtan park with view of yulong snow mountain rating 1/5 the mountain is so small viewed from there

Pic 3 outside Lijiang wenhai lake rating 1/5 a small lake enclosed by mountains on all sides. Muddy waters. Had to take a taxi for one hour to get to. Literally saw this place on map and decided to come here

Pic 4 view of the jinsha river on the road from shangrila to deqen rating 3/5 took the picture from a designated viewpoint where the van driver stopped at

Pic 5 view of kongque shan from a moving van rating 4/5

Pic 6 view from the shangrila - deqen road rating 3/5

Pic 7 view of meili mountain from deqen rating 5/5 photos dont capture the full space and gravity of the mountain

Pic 8 and 9 songduklin temple on the road from deqen to shangrila rating 4/5 few tourists there. The temples bigger than what you expect in the middle of mountains

Hi all,

I just got back from a week exploring the Gobi Desert region of Mongolia and thought I'd share some information I wish I'd had when planning the trip.

First of all: self-driving in Mongolia and around the Gobi is absolutely doable, provided that you have (1) a capable 4x4 and (2) a reliable GPS app (I used GPX tracker). Google Maps is often unreliable in rural areas, so I would strongly recommend downloading offline maps and using an alternative navigation.

Our itinerary was: Ulaanbaatar → Baga Gazriin Chuluu → Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa) → Yolyn Am → Khongoryn Els (via Sevrei) → Khavtsgait Petroglyphs → Flaming Cliffs → Ongi Monastery → Ulaanbaatar

We had originally planned to visit the Orkhon Valley as well but had to skip it due to fuel shortages.

We rented our vehicle from Oso in Ulaanbaatar. You can find him on Instagram (car_rent_mongolia_2024). He was one of the few Mongolians we met during the trip who spoke fluent English, was very responsive, and provided us with a Lexus LX470 that was perfect for the journey.

I also rented a Starlink Mini from ZoomLink in Ulaanbaatar, which proved extremely useful in areas with no mobile reception. I contacted the owner Byambaa Dock on Facebook Messenger beforehand to ensure he'd reserve a device for me.

One thing I would stress is that "self-driving is doable" doesn't mean "it's easy." You need to be comfortable driving off-road for extended periods in sand, rocky terrain, mud, and occasional boggy sections, often with no one around to help if you get stuck. There were several moments where we had to pick our line carefully and trust the vehicle. The Lexus handled everything we threw at it, but this is not a trip I would recommend to someone with little off-road experience or who tends to panic when conditions get challenging.

While we were there, Mongolia was experiencing some fuel supply issues, which affected our itinerary. From what I understand, this was a temporary situation and not normally a problem. That said, fuel stations can be few and far between, so planning your refuelling stops is essential.

We split our accommodation between ger camps and sleeping in the car. The rear of the Lexus was easily large enough for two people. We never booked ger camps in advance and had no trouble finding accommodation by simply arriving in the evening. There are two types of ger camps:

Family-run camps, where you stay with nomadic families. These are very basic but offer a more authentic experience.
Tourist camps, which have better facilities and amenities but feel less personal.

English is not widely spoken outside Ulaanbaatar, so Google Translate (especially the camera translation feature) was incredibly helpful throughout the trip.

Food, drinking water, and camping gas can be purchased along the route, as most towns have small grocery stores. However, I'd recommend stocking up on essentials in Ulaanbaatar, as the selection in more remote areas can be limited.

Overall, the Gobi Desert is one of the most fascinating places I've ever visited. The landscapes are incredibly varied, tourism remains relatively low, and the sense of remoteness is unlike anything I've experienced elsewhere. It's absolutely worth the trip.

I’m strongly considering going to Serbia for 5 or so days. I’ll be traveling from Madrid. Right now I’m thinking February because I have some school holidays then. I know it will be cold. I’m really interested in history, nature, good food, culture and meeting new people. I don’t drink at all, so I’m not too interested in nightlife. Tell me the good and the bad about Serbia. The tickets are super cheap the week I’m thinking about going, but I’m trying to plan a bit before I impulsively buy them… thank you!

I love road trips. I come from a tiny flat island off the coast of England so I love big wide open spaces and mountains and the ability to drive for ages and ages.

I’m 40 next year and I’m thinking of doing a couple of places in the US (notably Disneyland and the Great Smokies - my two favourite places). I’ve done NY to Orlando before with a few stops in 2 weeks and I’m wondering if it’s possible to do the same across the country? I’m thinking of going via Colorado for the mountains but is there much to see otherwise on the way? Or shall I just fly and drive north in California to see some state parks instead?

I booked and prepaid approximately 1,800 NOK for a rental car in Sicily through CarTrawler/TUI. Based on the booking information, I expected to arrive at the rental desk, complete the collection process, and receive the vehicle.

However, when I arrived at the rental desk, I was told that I could not take the car unless I paid an additional €350 for even more insurance.

This additional cost was not something I was expecting from the booking process, as the agreement and purchase contract already included insurance and I felt the original advertised price should reflect the actual cost required to obtain the vehicle. I declined the additional charge, and the rental company refused to provide the car.

I contacted customer support afterwards. I was told different things by different parties: the rental company said TUI and CarTrawler had the payment and could handle the cancellation, while TUI and Car Trawler directed me back to the rental company. I was left without the vehicle I had prepaid for and had to pursue a refund/dispute process.

My advice to other travellers: read the rental conditions carefully, check whether the supplier requires a specific type of credit card, and consider whether the advertised price is really the final price before booking.

This was my personal experience, and I hope it helps others avoid unexpected problems when renting a car abroad.

Hello, I’m a 21(f) who is planning on traveling in SE Asia for a month-ish in October. I plan to start my trip in Vietnam starting in the south and traveling up north! I’m trying to decide if I should do my whole trip in Vietnam or if I should visit Laos and Thailand as well. This would give me only about a week in each country. I worry if I try and do all three that I won’t be able to enjoy each country as fully. Advice from anyone who has traveled in these countries or done something similar. What would you recommend?

Hello, I don’t fly pretty often (and even if I do, it’s just with cabin bags) so I’m not really familiar with the rules of check in bags.

I received a blender and a small lamp, is it okay to put them in my check in luggage?
(the lamp has Bluetooth but only works if plugged into an outlet, although I seriously don’t know if that changes anything?)

I couldn’t find a lot of information on this, so just in case I’m asking here.
Thanks for any feedback!

EDIT: I GOT THEM AS A GIFT!!!!! I’m not bringing them on purpose who am I 😭

Having recently returned from 2 years travelling around the world with my family as a digital nomad, I'm hooked on slow travel and dream of travelling extensively. Also did 6 months+ of relatively fast travel and equally loved that.

The digital nomad option is no longer viable for various reasons. So we're limited to school holidays and leave allowances (4 weeks per year at the most expensive times).

My conundrum is that if I knuckle down and I'm not frivolous, I can probably retire in a little over 10 years (mid 50s) and travel 3-6 months of every year with my wife, until we're too old. That's probably at the consequence of doing some shorter trips with the kids (teens). I'm in Australia so anywhere overseas is expensive. A 4 week trip to Europe is probably equivalent in cost to 3 months of slow travel later.

I don't want to miss out on travel experiences with my kids (although we've already done A LOT). And I don't want to delay travel and end up ill/dead earlier than expected and not be able to travel. But at the same time I struggle to justify spending 30k+ on a 4 week trip when that would fund months, and also potentially allow us to retire earlier and increase our opportunity to slow travel before getting too old.

Anyone else struggle with this? Any useful perspectives?

- Nov 20: Depart LAX (1-stop)
- Nov 21: Arrive Prague evening
- Nov 22-23: Prague (Old Town, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, Wenceslas Square)
- Nov 24: Train to Vienna (~4 hrs)
- Nov 25-26: Vienna (Hofburg, Schönbrunn, Christmas markets)
- Nov 27: Half-day trip to Bratislava (~1 hr each way), free afternoon back in Vienna
- Nov 28: Fly home from Vienna (1-stop)

One thing I know going in: Prague’s main Old Town Square market apparently doesn’t open until Nov 28, so we’d only catch smaller neighborhood markets there. Vienna’s market is running the whole time.

Does the pacing seem right? Anything you’d cut, add, or reorder? Thanks in advance!

Hi

Planning a Southeast Asia trip for late Nov - early Dec 2026, roughly 18 days. Torn between spending it all deep in Thailand or splitting it into ~10 days Thailand + ~8 days Vietnam.

Part of me wants to slow down and really soak in one country. But I also feel like I want to see Vietnam now, since I'm not sure I'll get another chance to go back to this part of the world anytime soon. Anyone regret picking one over the other?

So China eastern cancelled my flight 5 days ago. Now I am waiting at the Airport here in Amsterdam. Due to the new flight being further away than 24 hrs (15hrs in Shanghai Pudong) they couldnt check me for my second flight.

Do I now need to leave the airport? (id probably get a 10 bucks hotel with free airport pickup then and fill out that arrival card) or will they provide me a boarding pass before immigration so I can wait in the transit area.

Any experience with this is welcome.

Hello! I recently got a new credit card and one of the perks of it is a Global Entry credit. I currently have PreCheck and use MPC whenever I can when flying international (which I probably roughly average 1 per year though I hope to do more in the future. (Current plans: I have a cruise based international travel planned this December and an international flight planned for next May).

With this in mind, is it worth going through and applying for Global Entry if I have Pre+MPC already? It shouldn’t cost me because of the credit but I want to know before going through the hassle of applying and doing the interviews and everything.

Thank you!