If you love nature, hiking, and spectacular views, I can't recommend Madeira highly enough. I enjoyed it so much, I've been twice now - once by myself in November and once with a family member in April, and it's one of those rare destinations where it never gets too hot or cold (I say this as someone who lives in the UK, so if you're from a hot country, you might disagree).

Always take some layers and a pac-a-mac with you, though, because the weather is highly changeable, and as you travel around the island (particularly up in the mountains), you're probably going to experience wind, rain and ominous-looking clouds at some point, but they usually blow over pretty quickly.

When I first arrived in Funchal, it was a novelty seeing a city effectively built into the side of a mountain, but I'll be completely honest: it was more built up than I expected it to be. It was also pretty busy on the seafront with a cruise ship in port, there were no sandy beaches in sight, and the concrete wave-breakers were a bit of an eyesore. At first glance, it didn't look like the Madeira that had been sold to me by Instagram.

HOWEVER, I quickly discovered that if you want to see the best of Madeira's stunning landscapes, as with most places, you need to get out of the city... although you don't need to go far.

Monte Palace Tropical Gardens (and the nearby Botanical Gardens)

My first morning in Madeira, I took the cable car from Funchal city centre up to Monte Palace Tropical Gardens, and any qualms I had about whether Madeira was going to be a case of Instagram vs reality promptly evaporated. The place was full of flowers and plants I'd never seen before, which were arranged beautifully. Think Keukenhof with a tropical twist (and without the crowds). There were peacocks walking around with their feathers on full display, flamingoes just casually taking a bath by waterfalls, koi carp in crystal-clear pools, and as you make your way down the winding paths, you're eventually greeted by a stunning house with a waterfall, and beautiful views over the city, which made me see it in a whole new light.

Top tip: when you get off the cable car, Monte Palace Tropical Gardens is on your left. Make sure you take the path to the right of the cable car on your way back, too, because that leads to the Botanical Gardens. They're not quite as impressive, but still well worth a look.

Alternatively, you can take a more unconventional route back down to the city and join the loooong queue to ride one of the "toboggans", where you basically sit in a gigantic wicker basket while two guys in straw hats push you back down the (very steep) hill to the city. It reminded me a bit of a waltzer ride, and I giggled the whole way down. Was it worth queueing for an hour and paying 40 euros? Just about. Make sure you have some cash on you because they somehow manage to take a picture of you on the way down, too, and while it's clearly a money-grabbing scheme, it does make for a nice keepsake.

Other highlights in Funchal include whale-watching (I did a sunset tour), the Farmers' Market, Santa Catarina Park (which has a fountain, swans, exotic flowers and lots of tiny lizards scurrying around the walls) and Forte de São Tiago (an old, bright yellow fort at the far end of the promenade). There are also some lidos on the prom too.

Getting around the island

If you're a confident driver with a good mastery of clutch control, renting a car (I'd highly suggest a 4x4) is probably the best way to see the island, but there are a lot of steep hills and narrow streets - and that includes in Funchal itself. I usually rely on public transport, but that rarely runs to remote viewpoints, and I can see why; it'd be the British equivalent of navigating Hardknott pass 10 times a day.

I took day tours or transfers to all of the places I wanted to see. I thought they were amazing value for money too - in Montenegro, Slovenia and Croatia, I was paying between £80-£100 for tours to places that weren't easily accessible by public transport, but I got to see the west and east coast of Madeira for just £30 each.

You can also get direct transfers to the start and end point of all the major hikes (also for less than £30). I did Caldeirão Verde, 25 Fontes, a sunrise tour to Pico do Arieiro, and Ponta de São Lourenço. This meant I could enjoy hiking at my own pace without having to stick with a large group of people and listen to a tour guide chatting to us for hours. I found the time we were given to complete each hike was more than sufficient (although not everyone on my bus agreed 😂), and the views along the way are amazing.

One of the things I love most about Madeira is the diversity of the landscapes - jagged cliffs and rugged coastlines, lush forests that make you feel like you've just landed in Jurassic Park, viewpoints over sprawling valleys, quaint little villages, and every type of flora and fauna.

Here's the lo-down (both good and bad) on some of the places I visited:

Pico do Arieiro

I went up here for sunrise and it was spectacular. The views of the surrounding mountains are stunning once you get a bit of daylight too. Obviously they depend on the cloud cover, but it's worth trying more than once if you don't get lucky the first time. Lots of people then go on to do the famous hike to Pico Ruivo, where the views are reportedly even better, but I admittedly couldn't stomach tackling the "Stairway to Heaven" at 6am.

Achadas da Cruz

This is one of the harder places to get to (there was only one tour I could find that goes there), and you have to take one of the steepest cable car rides in Europe to get down the cliff face, but once you're there, the coastline is absolutely stunning, with waves alternatively lapping/crashing against rugged cliffs. It wasn't remotely crowded, either - probably because of the stories the guides told us about people who get stranded there after missing the last cable car and have to walk their way back up the near-vertical cliff.

Porto Moniz

This is a gorgeous town on the coast with natural sea pools that you can swim in if the water isn't too choppy. The guide will drop you off by the entrance to the pools, which you have to pay to use, but I'd recommend walking up to the aquarium instead (it looks like a castle), and strolling along the pathways there. They lead to some lovely, less exposed rock pools that you can swim in for free, and some nice viewpoints too.

Ponta de São Lourenço Hike

Here you hike out over jagged cliffs with amazing views over the Atlantic, and Madeira's coastline. The hike itself is relatively easy, although there is some elevation gain. You might also see some birds and seals, as it's a designated nature reserve.

Levada Hikes

Caldeirão Verde and 25 Fontes are two separate hikes along levadas that both lead to scenic waterfalls (or, in the case of 25 Fontes, multiple waterfalls!)

With levada walks, it's worth noting that you're walking on a pretty narrow pathway next to a shallow channel of running water (which sometimes has a distinct stench of urine), so when the trail gets busier and people start coming at you from the opposite direction while you're making your way back, you literally have to lean over the water, brace yourself against the opposite wall, and balance on one leg to let them past. I'm betting quite a few people find themselves knee-deep in a levada against their will, so make sure your shoes are waterproof.

If you don't have time to do both hikes, I'd pick Caldeirão Verde. It was less crowded and more beautiful overall. When you get to the trailhead, you're greeted by a thatched house that looks like something out of a fairytale in the middle of the woods, complete with some Snow White-esque animals that have thatched houses of their own. The first time I went, I did the traditional hike to the waterfall, which takes about 4-6 hours and definitely has a "Welcome to Jurassic Park" feel about it when the forest gives way to sprawling views. Then you realise you're effectively walking near a cliff edge, although it's easy to forget that when you're so immersed in the trees. Just when you're starting to feel like the scenery is getting a bit repetitive, you'll be treated to another great view, along with some dark tunnels that you'll definitely need a phone flashlight to navigate through.

The Caldeirão Verde waterfall itself is impressively tall, but admittedly not very powerful. It's definitely no Krimml, and there's a chance you could feel a bit underwhelmed given the effort involved in getting there, but it's still worth a look.

The second time I went, I knew the person with me wouldn't be able to finish the hike in the allocated time, so we decided to potter around and explore the surrounding area instead. Instead of taking the path to the right to start the hike to Caldeirão Verde, we took the path up some steps to the left. This led to an even more enchanting forest where we were completely on our own, there were no levadas, and we even encountered some streams and waterfalls on the way. There was a picnic table overgrown with moss and colourful little birds that will eat out of your hand if you sit still for long enough. I'm so glad I had the time to explore this area, or else I would have had no idea it existed.

Fanal Forest

Fanal looks glorious in the sunshine and then takes on this eerie, otherworldly feel when the famous fog descends. I literally got lost in it, and a few of us rather embarrassingly had to be "rescued" by our tour guide because we couldn't see more than a couple of feet in front of us to find our way back to the car park. The trees do look pretty cool looming out of the mist, though.

Seixal beach

A black(ish) sand beach that gives Hawaii vibes if you photograph it from the right angle. The views on the left are nothing to write home about, but the rest is stunning. There's even a mini waterfall!

Nun's Valley, the Eira do Serrado viewpoint and Curral das Freiras

This can be done as a half-day tour from Funchal. Seeing a small village of houses absolutely dwarfed by the surrounding valley is quite something, and Curral das Freiras has one of the prettiest graveyards I've ever seen. A lot of tours also give you a free taster session of the local liqueur too - and it's pretty potent stuff.

Ponta do Sol and the Cascata dos Anjos waterfall

Ponta do Sol is a picturesque coastal town with colourful houses. On the way back to Funchal, a lot of tours also go via the Cascata dos Anjos waterfall. This waterfall runs directly onto the middle of the road, and our jeep driver drove straight through it with an open-top roof. I haven't squealed like that in quite some time. 😂

Cabo Girao Skywalk

Included on a lot of tours, usually as the start/end point, this gives you sweeping views from the highest cliff-top in Europe. It's worth it, but I'd also say they're far from being the best views I've seen on the island, so if you're short on time, you could probably afford to skip it.

Santana

This is the village where you can see all of the traditional thatched houses, complete with perfectly manicured gardens. Probably the place that feels the most "touristy" out of everywhere I visited, but still lovely.

Costs

We paid £428 for six nights in a two-bedroomed apartment in April, which I thought was a bargain split between us.

Tours and transfers cost around £250 in total, ranging from £27 to a maximum of £64.

Flights from the UK can be as cheap as £30 each way with Ryanair or EasyJet, plus the usual add-ons for luggage and seats. The airport is notoriously difficult to land at, though, so there's a very small chance you will be diverted elsewhere (it's never happened to me).

Food wasn't too expensive, although we didn't dine out much. It was about £20 for a main course with drinks, and the supermarkets were reasonable.

General vibes

The people were lovely - the island embraces tourism as one of its primary sources of income - and I always felt completely safe, even when I went solo on my first trip. I don't tend to venture out much after dark, though, so I can't speak to what it's like at night. The only place that ever felt a bit "too" crowded was the promenade in Funchal, but only when cruise ships were docked. Otherwise, it was a joy.

I spent a week in Algeria in April.
 
Itinerary: Algiers to Mansoura to Ghardaia
 
TL:DR Not the easiest country to get to or navigate once there, but a truly amazing place with wonderful people and incredible sights. They lack the infrastructure for tourism which is a shame.
 
Visa was time consuming but not exactly really difficult, lots of documents to mail to embassy in NYC plus $160 and more $ for the return envelope to send back passport, I requested multiple entries and got a 2 year visa for 90 days at a time.
 
As a white 40yr old American man I felt safe at all times, surprising I know. I’m passing though so everyone spoke Arabic first, even got asked for directions lol, and then assumed French and then surprised that I was there as a solo American. I speak some Arabic but couldn’t understand any of the dialect at all.
 
Arriving in evening in Algiers, exchanged euro with taxi drivers for enough to cover my hotel for 2 nights. Do not pay any hotel in advance as they use the banks exchange rate, which is really bad.  Next day, walk to Port Said Square to exchange more money on the black market, it is very safe just watch the counting. It did feel slightly uncomfortable spending the day walking around with 70,000 dinars though when everything is so cheap. Walk to Casbah, then to Notre Dame d’Afrique, and then to the Martyrs Memorial, which I had no idea has a whole museum at the base. I was not prepared for the experience as it depicts graphic images and diorama style displays of torture during the war for independence from the French. A very solemn and heartbreaking place. Then went to the Great Mosque of Algiers, which was breathtakingly grand in all the ways.
 
Next day flew to Ghardaia, picked up by driver to go to Monsoura, 45 min south, to a little palm grove oasis hostel I found on airbnb that would take me to the Sahara with camping overnight.  This was a check off my bucket list. Beautiful date palms and fig trees but very desolate and calm and quiet. The next day I spent almost in solitude before the trip to Sahara, not real deep Sahara like Dejanet but I didn’t have time to go there. After lunch a bus full of 20 20s something architect students from Oran arrived and I’m so confused because my guide never mentioned this, but they turned out to be incredibly friendly and happy to speak English with a native speaker for the first time. We became quick friends and after some delay we set off to the dunes, the reason for my trip. They had never been this far south and were snapchatting and taking as many pics and videos as I was. It turned into a Sahara photo-shoot for a while. Lots of music, sand boarding, and walking barefoot in the sand. I thought speaking English and all these college students might ruin my experience but it was the exact opposite and I really enjoyed conversing with them and feeling like part of their crew. We’re all friends on instagram now! Then tea, bread baked in coals, dinner, and gazing up at the stars. They left and it got really quiet and I slept with my tent door open in awe.
 
Next day off to Ghardaia for the final 3 days. I could wonder the market for weeks there. Bustling and vibrant and then 2-3 hours of silence around 1pm. I had the best meal of my entire trip from a woman owned and run Syrian restaurant. Luckily they had a picture menu for foreigners. The architecture in this ancient city is incredible and how they keep cool and their water distribution planning is unreal. I hired a tour guide, as you must, to see the old city and it felt like I was traveling back in time. The “one eyed” women were everywhere. It felt easy to navigate on my own and I mostly walked around and people watched.  Ate camel and date couscous. On the day I left, I bought 4 smallish, 4’-5’, rugs for $80 total... Amazing!!! I would have bought more if I had more arms.
 
The good = prices cheap and people were super honest, I would just hold out my hand full of coins and shopkeepers would take what things cost. Architecture incredible.
 
The bad = food wasn’t that great and that makes no sense to me with the blend of Arabic and French cuisine. I speak some Levantine Arabic and couldn’t understand anything anyone said and they barely understood me and I refused to use a translate app because where’s the fun in that.
 
The ugly = all of my domestic flights were delayed at least an hour, overall the cities I went to were dirty with lots of litter, trash, overall unkempt and just the vibe that it didn’t matter, car pollution terrible.

We spent a week in a small apartment in the center of Sanary sur mer and from there we explored the surrounding areas, from Cassis to St. Tropez

We experienced typical Provençal markets, spent lazy days on the beach sunbathing, cooled off in the shade of the plane trees, tasted some good rosé wines, and ate local delicacies. There was also time for beautiful sunset walks to Portissol beach or Le Brusc bay, and a trip to the Calanques National Park.

I'm from Norway and will be visiting the United States again soon. I've been to the US numerous times over the years, but not since 2022.

I have always tried to respect local customs, including tipping. Since I have not been back since 2022, I feel like tipping culture has been exploding a lot since my last visit. It seems like more places expect tips now, and I've also seen plenty of Americans say they're getting tired of being asked to tip everywhere.

So I'm curious what the current general opinion is.

When eating at a sit-down restaurant, is it considered rude to leave no tip if the service was fine but not exceptional? For example, if the receipt has a tip line, is it socially acceptable to write "$0.00" and simply pay the total amount of the bill? Or is that still seen as unfair to the server, regardless of how people feel about tipping culture in general?

I'm not trying to start an argument or offend anyone here, I genuinely want to understand the current expectations before I travel. I'd appreciate hearing perspectives from both restaurant workers and customers.

Background: I hold an Indonesian passport with Canadian PR
I bought a ticket to Albania for May 26 - June 6, 2026 for a friend's wedding.

I applied for an Albanian eVisa on March 26, then got a refusal on March 30 with this reason and I quote:

"Kindly informing you that according to the visa regime in Albania for foreign citizens, holders of Indonesian passport do not need a visa to enter to Albaniaduring the period from May 15, 2026 to December 2026.
Thank You!
Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
Online Consular Services"

So I thought then I'm good. However on Wed, May 20, 6 days before my flight, I realized that there's no information online whatsoever about Indonesia being visa free to enter Albania. So on Thursday me and some friends called the Albanian embassy in Ottawa. At first the lady said "if the email said that it should be fine" but when another friend called, she started questioning and said that she would check. My friends' family members in Albania also got involve and made some calls to the officials in Albania and turns out, yes I needed a visa.

On the Friday, May 22, we heard back from the lady in the Ottawa Embassy telling me to apply - not a single apology was given. So I immediately put in another application. After that, she still made it difficult by wanting me to make some fixes to the application (which I rectified right away), then things moved so slowly. The same day I called her 10 times to check the fixes and she ignored all of my calls.

Eventually, I got the email to pay on Tuesday (day of my flight) which I did first thing in the morning, then I tried calling the embassy again and she completely avoided my calls -- She only picked up after I asked my partner to give her a call -- and said that basically I have to wait to hear back from the Albanian side. Wednesday was a day off in Albania, and then eventually I got the visa on Thursday.

I had to cancel my flight - I booked through Air Canada, refunded as AC wallet (minus the $150 fee). I booked a completely brand new ticket with LOT Polish Airline on the same day that I got my visa, which costed me about $1000 more than my original ticket, lost 3 nights of Airbnb, lost $150 refund fee, and most of all, my wellbeing for those 10 days of stress.

I would appreciate anybody who has any insights of something that can be done about this, if not, I hope my story can help someone out there.

How was it like traveling back then? Nowadays it seems as if some people travel just for a post or to show everyone they traveled. Were people more in tune with destinations back then? Was it more fun? Was everyone so lost and immersed in their trips and vacations back then? Anyone here from the times when all you had were the stories and had to wait some time to develop the pictures?

Hey Everyone! I (23M) recently had the opportunity of going for my dream trip to Japan. This has been my dream for the last 10+ years and I finally had the chance to go this year. Thought of sharing my solo travel experience with the world. This trip took place in the end of May/beginning of June 2026 and lasted 14 days.

Itinerary:
Days 1-2: Kyoto (Eastern half)
Day 3: Nara Day trip
Day 4: Uji Day trip
Day 5: Kyoto (Western half)
Day 6: Osaka Day trip
Days 7-8: Tokyo (Akihabara, Shinjuku, Central Tokyo)
Day 9: Hakone Day trip
Day 10: Tokyo (Shinagawa, Nagano and Koenji)
Day 11: Kamakura and Enoshima Island Day trip
Days 12-14: Tokyo (Shibuya, Asakusa)

Started off by landing in Tokyo, and spent the better half of the 1st day travelling to Kyoto (I did it this way because my flights had been booked months in advance and my itinerary was finalised much later on). The first evening was chill. I headed upto TeamLAB Biovortex and this was a life changing experience. It is a free roam expansive immersive art installation which lasts 2-3 hours based on your pacing. I purposely choose the evening time which gave me about 2.5 hours to explore till closing and lesser crowds. The whole trip felt like an out of body experience, this is absolutely a non miss. Came out to light drizzling and found myself in a local ramen shop eating a warm bowl of tonkotsu ramen to the light sounds of rain.

The next day was spent among the temples and shrines of eastern Kyoto. Ginkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera, Nanzen-ji, strolling down the Philosopher's Path. Got an egg sandwich and a smoothie, one of many, many more on this trip. The skies were gloomy, as they were on most of the trip, but rain was a rare sight. I discovered that the 7/11 pancakes were absolutely delicious and treated myself to some soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung.

Day 3. Met up with a friend who was also travelling to Japan and headed upto Nara Deer Park. The deer were aggressive and chased people around but adorable. We also saw the Todai-ji temple, the world's largest structure completely made of wood, and I finally found the famous Cremia Hokkaido milk ice cream. Undoubtedly my favourite dessert on this trip. Split up with my friend in Kyoto and climbed all the way to the top of the Fushimi Inari shrine in Kyoto, almost died but i made it up anyway. The views were most definitely worth it. Healed myself with a bowl of Ichiran Ramen, most definitely the best thing I ate in my entire trip.

The day after that I headed upto Uji City, the matcha capital of the world and the birthplace of Matcha, for a greenmaxxed morning. Pondered about life in Japan while sitting at the bank of the Uji river, and made friends with a Japanese couple running a humble coffee shop in Uji. Saw the temple on the 10 yen coin, and headed back to Kyoto. Had my first "drinking alone in a bar" experience in the evening. Went back to the hotel with a light buzz feeling good about life for the first time in a while.

The following morning, western Kyoto awaited me. Arashiyama was perhaps the most lush and vibrant area I saw in the whole country. The bamboo forest came with it's crowds, and I saw another shrine nestled among Japanese maple trees. After spending time in the nature, I headed to Gion, and was transported back to Edo-period Kyoto with the stone streets and wooden houses. I also saw the Golden Pavillion and ate some very pretty looking ice cream.

The next 2 days were spent in Osaka and travelling to Tokyo. Osaka was unforntunately a bit of a miss for me since I provisioned only one day and accidentally ate at a tourist trap restaurant with terrible food. Quite ironic to have bad food in a place called "Japan's Kitchen". However, the Osaka housing museum was a one-of-a-kind experience. It's a 1-1 recreation of Edo period Osaka, and it is incredible. Saw the sun setting from the Harukas Observation deck. Took the train to Tokyo the next morning, made it to a rainy Tokyo. Checked into my Matchbox hotel and spent the evening in the arcades of Akihabara.

Typhoon warning. Tokyo had been hit right in the middle of my trip. I tried to be brave and stepped out anyway but I was quickly humbled by the winds and sheets of rain and had to retreat into a coffee shop before I got fully drenched. Changed course and spent the evening in the Ueno Museum with the typhoon roaring outside. We are now at Day 9, and I headed to Hakone on a post typhoon sunny day. Arguably my favourite spot on the entire trip. The weather was cold, and it was the perfect day to be in a hot-spring town. Saw the famous torii gate by the water and headed up to Owakudani for the sulfur mines. Eventually the rotten egg smell got to me and I got lucky with an empty cable car all the way down to the Hakone Open Air Museum. Gained a few life hearts by visiting the natural foot baths before heading back to Tokyo.

Day 10 was spent in Shinjuku city. Saw the national gardena and red light distrct among other things. A normal day. The next day was spent without much of an itinerary or plan in mind, met up with a friend of a friend at the Tokyo City flea market and spent the day thrifting and visiting indie bars in various neighbourhoods unknown by tourists.  The soullessness of Tokyo city had hit me by this day and I had realised this is not my favourite city, although I was still happy to be there.

Another day, another day trip, this time to Kamakura and Enoshima island. Rain was once again present, but it dissipated without hampering my plans too much. Enoshima island was shrouded in mist when I got there, and on my trek cutting through the island, the mist cleared and made way for views of the bay. Ending up on the other side of the island I went into Iwaya Caves. The lore says if you feel wind on your face and follow it into the caves you will reach Mt. Fuji, but they didn't let us try. Cowards. By the time i got to Kamakura the rain had picked up yet again so I had to head back to Tokyo.

And now we come to Day 13. Last full official day of the trip. Started strong with the usual, a smoothie and an egg sandwich, the last ones of this trip. The day was spent in Shibuya, where i scrambled (haha) across the crossing, to finish my never ending shopping list which I had ignored all this while. Paid my respects to the goodest boy that ever was at the Hachiko statue, before leaving Shibuya and heading to Asakusa for the last stop of the trip, Senso-ji temple. Got distracted and headed into Don-Quijote for hours. Came out of overstimulation hell and saw an empty Senso-ji temple in all it's might. Found a Vietnamese restaurant for some Banh-mi and headed back to the hotel, leaving the next morning.

I may have left Japan, but a part of me has remained there, waiting for my inevitable return to the land of the rising sun.

wanted to share my experience and also ask if anyone knows how scammers get access to reservation details.

A few days after making a legitimate hotel booking through app, I received a WhatsApp message from someone claiming to be the hotel’s check-in manager. They knew I had a reservation and said I needed to complete a mandatory verification to keep my booking confirmed.

They sent me a link to a website that looked official and claimed the verification was free. However, the page eventually asked me to enter my credit card details and approve multiple bank authentication requests. That immediately raised a red flag because my booking had already been fully paid.

After searching online, I found many reports describing the exact same scam.

Thankfully, I didn’t enter my card details on the phishing website.

How do scammers know that I have an active reservation?

Do they gain access through compromised hotel accounts, Booking com, or another system?

I spent a week in Svalbard, a place that’s been on my bucket list for a looooong time. In short - it was incredible. If you’re looking for a wild, edge-of-the-world kind of place with (mostly!) modern creature comforts, this is it. Set under the backdrop of a bright, eternally blue skies time felt immaterial and lent an otherworldly quality to a lovely summer holiday.

Svalbard is a place that’s simultaneously barren and teeming with life. I did not see any polar bears (but saw their tracks on several occasions!), though I saw countless puffin, walrus, arctic tern, beluga whales, and arctic foxes throughout my visit. I’ve gone out of my way to see arctic foxes in Iceland (to no avail), but I saw 3 or 4 in about a 15 minute period just walking around the grounds of Isfjord Radio; simply wild stuff.

Getting there: Direct flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen. While Svalbard is a part of Norway, it is not in Schengen so you will be going through customs both departing “Norway” and returning to “Norway”.

Accommodations: I stayed at the Basecamp Hotel in Longyearbyen and Basecamp’s accommodations at Isfjord Radio. Wonderful staff and beautiful properties; I’d stay with them again in a heartbeat.

Worth mentioning: if you really want to explore Svalbard, you should visit in the late winter / early spring. The island has exceptionally few roads and travel to the interior is accomplished almost exclusively via snowmobile or dogsled. The summer months are good for spotting wildlife, but you can only really navigate via boats. 

Highlights: the aforementioned wildlife, a journey to Isfjord Radio (probably one of the coolest “hotels” I’ve ever stayed in), and a visit to Pyramiden, an abandoned Soviet-era mining village. 

Verdict: If you’re into the outdoors and want to see a less-traveled corner of our beautiful planet, I can’t recommend it more. I’ve never been anywhere else quite like it. 

Happy to answer questions and sharing an explainer on pics below!

1. Nordenskiöld Glacier on the approach to Pyramiden
2. Walruses — there’s plenty to see in Svalbard (and a small group has even set up residence just outside of Longyearbyen for even easier spotting)
3. Isfjord Radio — an old radio station that served as my “hotel” during half of my stay in Svalbard. It is quite remote and frequently visited by polar bears. You are not allowed to step outside without an armed guide
4. A puffin at sea. They are the cutest!
5. A field of flowers on a hike from Isfjord Radio. As an arctic desert, Svalbard is exceptionally barren; after days without seeing any colorful vegetation, stumbling into this felt like an assault on the senses. My guide — a Svalbard veteran of a decade — noted that the one thing she misses most from home is sitting in a grassy field
6. A small "garden" growing in and around a whale bone. Much of coastal Svalbard is former seabed, so it’s very common to see old (per my guide, up to a thousand+ years aged) whale bones on the ground. In the warmer months, nutrients from the bones nurse these pockets of life, adding splashes of color to a monochromatic landscape. Unbelievably cool.
7. Traversing the hallways of an old Soviet school in Pyramiden, an abandoned Russian mining town. You can see my lovely guide packing heat in front of me: Pyramiden is in the heart of polar bear country so you are never far from a rifle
8. The view of the Nordenskiöld Glacier from the top of an apartment building in Pyramiden
9. An old classroom in Pyramiden. Spooky vibes abound. The artwork is made from thousands upon thousands of sliced, colored wires
10. It’s just the peak of a mountain, but I love it. I could post a thousand of these, though I fear I'm overstaying my welcome here; appreciate your reading and happy travels!

First time out of the US. Was there for 2 weeks. Definitely would go back, as well as recommend visiting. Worst part about it was a broken AC unit and encountering other Americans (Californians).

I’ve been thinking a lot about how travel feels so commercialized these days—same crowded landmarks, pricey tickets, and curated photo-ops everywhere.

But honestly, my best memories weren’t at famous sites. They were the random, unplanned ones: stumbling onto an unmarked mountain trail, sharing a home-cooked meal in a tiny countryside village, or sitting by a lake swapping stories with strangers.

For example, I live in Udaipur, India, and while most visitors only see the palaces, my favorite spot is a quiet ridge in the Aravalli hills where the sunset paints the valley in silence. No crowds, no tickets—just pure nature.

So, I’m curious: what was your hidden gem or unforgettable travel moment?

During a layover in Munich I feel in love with a pair of reading glasses but for some reason i didn't pull the trigger. Now that I'm back home and have had time to think about it i want to buy them. Problem is i don't remember the brand. The store was a duty free shop in terminal 1. I know they carry a million brands but these were exclusively reading glasses. The brand had a funny name like "redi mii" or something of that nature. If anyone knows the name or happens to have some layover time to kill i would really appreciate it. The shelves were towards the front of the store next to some clothing items, some scarves i believe. Help a girl out, thank you in advance.

Just got back from a 5 day private desert tour starting in Marrakech and had to share this because I know solo Black women ask about Morocco safety ALL the time.

Got picked up from my riad on July 10 and we headed straight into the High Atlas Mountains. First stop was Ait Ben Haddou (gorgeous, definitely worth it), then spent the night in Ouarzazate at Riad Chamaa. Also stopped at a women’s cooperative on the way which was a nice touch.

Day two was the drive through Dades Valley to Boumalne Dades. It was blazing hot since it’s July, but honestly the views made me forget how uncomfortable the heat was.

Day three we made it to Merzouga right before sunset. The heat out there was no joke, but wow, the desert is genuinely one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my life. We caught a camel ride at sunset, no wind or sand storms that night so it was perfect. Watching that sunset over the dunes is something I’m going to remember forever. Stayed at a luxury camp with AC (thank god), amazing food, and such a warm staff. Felt comfortable from the second I got there.

Next day was packed - horse riding, quad biking, a stop in Khamlia Village to hear Gnawa music live, and I got to meet some local Black Moroccan families too. That whole day felt really special, honestly one of the highlights of the trip.

Then we drove to Fes through the Ziz Valley and I was not prepared for how stunning that route is. Palm groves for miles with mountains in the background. If you’re doing this trip, please don’t skip this part.

Had a quick stop in Fes before heading back to Marrakech where the tour wrapped up.

Now, the safety question - as a solo Black woman I felt safe the entire time. My driver was patient, flexible, and just genuinely kind. He’d stop anytime I wanted photos or needed a coffee break. One night in Boumalne Dades I wasn’t feeling the restaurant we pulled up to and he just took me somewhere else without making it a whole thing. Little moments like that mattered more than I expected.

Morocco has its imperfections like anywhere else, but this trip blew past my expectations. The scenery, the culture, the food, the people - all of it came together perfectly.

Huge thanks to my driver for making the whole trip feel so easy and comfortable.

I spent three days in Nida, and I can honestly say it was one of the most peaceful and beautiful trips I’ve had in a long time.

Nida is located on the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it feels completely different from anywhere else in Lithuania.

On one side, you have the Baltic Sea. On the other side, you have the Curonian Lagoon. Between them are endless pine forests, cycling paths, and sand dunes that almost make you feel like you’ve stepped into a desert. Although the weather wasn’t perfect, it didn’t take away from the experience.

If you’re looking for a city break, Nida probably isn’t the place for you. But if you want fresh air, peaceful surroundings, and a chance to truly disconnect from everyday life, I couldn’t recommend it more.

There is an environmental entrance fee if you drive into Nida (the Curonian Spit) by car. It’s worth mentioning that this fee is for the vehicle, not per person, and you still need to take the ferry from Klaipėda to the Curonian Spit before driving to Nida. The fee helps protect Nida as part of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I’m very excited about my first solo trip to Kotor this weekend but I’m crashing out a little about driving on the mountain roads while also being on the right side of the road. I will be also solo so I’m shitting it a bit about mashing the hire car up.

Any pointers? I will add that I live in a fairly rural part of the UK so I’m kinda used to narrow roads and driving up hills but there’s a whole lot of new things on this trip. Im also decisive and am in no way an aggressive driver, I try to stay calm as possible

I’ll be spending the majority of my trip in Kotor with one night in Zabljak before returning to Tivat and leaving the car. Thank you!

This trip was honestly unforgettable. I wish we could’ve done longer. Some of the most beautiful scenery and nature that I’ve ever seen! I’ve attached pictures of some of my favourite pictures I took on the trip.

We based in Auronzo which was ~1hr to most destinations we were looking at visiting. We did drive 2.5 hours to Alpe di Suisi and Seceda later on in the trip. Auronzo was quiet, but beautiful, and decompressing a bit on the journey home was honestly something I enjoyed quite a bit.

The vast majority of advice before this trip was to not visit the popular tourist hikes/spots but as first time hikers we didn’t feel confident to visit and niche spots on this trip. We were out of the house most days by 6am and found that every location that we visited wasn’t too busy when we got there, and we were usually leaving by the time the crowds really started flooding in.

We did a day in Venice prior to this, the city was unique and has a lot of history to it, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected (of course one day isn’t much to go by).

Most locals were incredibly kind to us and very happy to chat. We got asked to take a couple of pictures with people too which is always a funny experience! Collected a few hitchhikers throughout the trip and all turned out to be very nice people! Overall, this trip is really one I’ll never forget :)

Image Locations:
1. Lake Braies
2. Not too sure, we got stopped on a mountain road because of a triathlon
3. Seceda
4. Lake Braies
5. Lake Braies
6. Lake Braies
7. Alpe di Suisi
8. Alpe di Suisi
9. Tre Cime
10. Tre Cime
11. Tre Cime
12. Tre Cime
13. Tre Cime
14. Tre Cime
15. Tre Cime
16. Tre Cime
17. Auronzo
18. Lake Braies
19. Seceda
20. Auronzo

Me and my partner are going traveling for 8 months but I am really struggling to find travel insurance that covers everything we need.

We are going on Galapagos cruise so require cruise insurance, activities wise we need to covered for hiking up to 4000m and also for scuba diving up to 18m.

My partner also has a pre existing medical condition of hypothyroidism.

I am uk based and can’t seem to find any policy that covers everything.

Any advice is welcome as I’ve spent so much time looking and not really gotten anywhere.

I’m looking at a flight leaving corfu, with a 1 hour layover in Düsseldorf, final destination Lisbon. The flight is fully through Eurowings. Is this connection doable? Has anyone done it before?

Hello everybody. Sorry, my fourth+ attempt to upload pictures and not to break rules :)

I want to share pictures of UNESO-listed sites from Malaysia. Namely, Georgetown in Penang and Malacca, both in Malaysia. And also some pictures from Ipoh. I highly recommend visiting these cities for history lovers as they have vibe that doesnt exist in Kuala Lumpur. I have especially enjoyed Malacca as it doesnt look as dilapidated as Georgetown

So the first picture is town hall, if I remember correctly. Maybe the have repurposed it as we (my gf and I) couldnt get inside.

The second one is from fort in Georgetown, looks cool, but it was closed during my visit. The third is a building of Chinese commerce chamber. The fourth one is from a temple located on the premise of c a Chinese clan house. And the fifth is a clock tower.

Pictures 6-9 are from Ipoh. Basically these are temple complexes built near caves (you can see the cave part of one Temple). The also have a turtle lake there.

Next pictures are Malacca. Chinese area of the city, then city hall repurposed to be a museum, then a church built for one community and serving to another community (had been built by the Dutch but now is Anglican). Next picture is inside of Chinese mansion. there are a lot of them in Malacca as Chinese community there has been present for centuries.

Thank you for attnetion

me and my friends started doing this thing on trips where everyone gets little daily challenges (talk to a stranger, order in the local language, most embarrassing thing wins etc) and we vote each night on who did it best. its honestly the most fun part of the trip when it works

problem is we do it all manually in our group chat and it always falls apart after a day or two cause someone has to keep track and nobody wants to be that person

so im wondering if there is already an app that does this. like it assigns everyone their own challenges, handles the voting and keeps score for the whole trip. googled a bit and mostly found party game apps (impostor, truth or dare, that kind of thing) but those are more of a one evening thing, not something that runs across the whole trip

or do other groups also just wing it manually? curious if this is a common thing or just us

We'd be visiting Europe this September (last week)-October and we'd be visiting Greece, France and in between I was thinking of spending 5 nights in Italy, mainly Sorrento - 2 nights, Positano - 2 nights and Naples - 1 night

I am confused whether that is the right way to go about it because as much as I research, everyone says Sorrento above Naples so I am not sure if that is the right way or I should instead spend more time in Naples.

We have visited Rome and Florence 2 times already and love them both. I also loved Bologna when we visited last year. Venice we visited too but was done after 1 day, didn't like it as much as others can't explain the reason why though. We mostly like cities with endless alleyways and streets with outside restaurants and the beauty.

I would really appreciate any feedback or suggestions provided.

There are probably a ton of questions about California in this sub, but I am hearing conflicting opinions about certain areas of California.

Husband and I (mid 30s) have never been further west of Arizona and I have been wanting to go to California for ages. I spent the first few years of my life in Florida not far from the beach, so I love the ocean. My husband has been a Minnesotan all his life and that is where we have resided for years. So we are your basic, boring, Mid-30s, Midwest, no kids, no frills couple that just wants to see this part of the country.

I would love if we could find a hotel/resort like almost literally on the beach just to relax as this is our anniversary trip. We’d also like to have some shops/restaurants within walking distance but we will have a car.

We would prefer not to fly into LAX because although MPLS is a metro, it’s not LA and driving there sounds nightmarish. I was thinking Oceanside so we could fly into SAN with an easy drive but my husband said some of his work buddies told him not to go to Oceanside because of crime and homelessness I guess? I’ve been looking for hotels for a couple months so I’m defeated and want some real people’s opinions.

In classic Minnesota style: sorry! This got to be a long post.

Edit: just want to say that I’m not accusing anywhere in California to be shady, I’ve just never been anywhere near there before. My own parents think I’m going to die in Minnesota and Minneapolis has burned down. I just want to know if Oceanside is an enjoyable place to spend 5 days!

Edit 2: we are not fancy people. We love dive bars and hard seltzers.

Hello, I'm a huge procrastinator and only just now am looking at flights for a trip I want to take next Saturday, and found that I can do a two day layover in Ho Chi Minh City to cut costs (plus, I've always wanted to visit Vietnam!) on my way to my destination. However, I saw one person online say to not apply for the visa a week in advance, even though other sources said it takes 4-5 business days. I really want to go to Vietnam, but I don't want to get stuck in the airport for 2 days if my visa doesn't go through in time.

Is it too late for me to get a visa for Vietnam if I apply now? I'm an American citizen with a US passport, but I'm living in Japan so it's currently Friday night now here.