Writing this as I’m awaiting ~24 hours in flights back to the states. Just spent two weeks in Jordan/Egypt but wanted to post about Egypt specifically because of the consistently awful things I’ve read about it on Reddit before coming here. Wife and I had a phenomenal time!

The caveat is we used a tour company for the trip and I think that’s a must-have when coming here. It helped with at least some of the vendors and made it a breeze to get around to the most impressive sites between Cairo/Luxor/Aswan.

We had 10 days in total in these cities and going down the Nile and it was absolutely breathtaking. The Pyramids have been the bucket list item for me and they didn’t disappoint in the slightest! Being able to go inside the Great Pyramid, tour the Valley of the Kings, explore soooo many temples between Karnak, Abu Simbel, Hapshetsut’s temple, etc was incredible and sailing down the Nile while exploring was next level.

From a vendor perspective, yes, they were annoying but we just kept walking and moving and they left us alone pretty quickly. Engaging with them is what lead to more attempts for sales and getting past your “no”, but if we found just continuing to walk and not engaging at all made them leave us alone quickly.

Now with the tour group we had a jam packed schedule and didnt really go exploring at night or into places of the cities we weren’t familiar with but im guessing that’s where the majority of the negative experiences are for folks. We wouldnt have done this trip without a tour group even though we usually book and do everything on our own for every other trip. Im glad we did as it gave the best experience possible.

Anyways, wanted to share some photos, our experience and our opinion that tour groups are the way to go for Egypt. We absolutely loved this trip and it became one of our favorites of all time!

TikTok travel videos got me curious about Almaty, so I went from April 28 to May 5. I honestly didn't know what to expect, and it turned out to be one of the most varied weeks of travel I've had. In just a few days I went from snowy mountains to a turquoise lake full of dead trees to a red desert canyon.

The arrival. The trip started before I even landed. On the way into Almaty, the plane flew over endless snow-capped peaks of the Tian Shan, ridge after ridge as far as I could see. Where I'm from, snow-capped mountains aren't something you ever see, so I spent the whole descent with my face pressed to the window.

Big Almaty Lake. This was the highlight of the trip, and the word I keep coming back to is mesmerizing. In late April the lake was still partly frozen, so the water was a patchwork of turquoise and ice, with snowy peaks rising straight behind it and clouds drifting over the summits. Parts of the lakebed were still exposed this early in the season. Even so, it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever stood.

Medeu to Shymbulak. I also hiked from Medeu up to Shymbulak. Spring was just starting at that altitude, so most branches were still bare, but here and there apple trees were beginning to blossom. That felt fitting, since the Almaty region is said to be where apples originally come from. I also went paragliding near the city, and seeing the mountains from above was unreal.

Kaindy, Kolsay and Charyn. For the lakes and the canyon I joined a two-day guided tour. Kaindy Lake was surreal. The bare trunks of drowned spruce trees stick straight up out of bright green-blue water, with forested mountains all around. The lake formed after an earthquake caused a landslide in 1911, and the trees have stood there ever since. Kolsay was calmer and more classically pretty. Charyn Canyon was a complete change of scenery: layered red and orange rock, dry desert, and tiny vans on the road below for scale. It's hard to believe all three are a day's drive from the same city.

The yurt camp. We spent the night at a yurt camp in the Alatau mountains, and it was one of my favourite parts of the trip. The yurts were decorated with traditional patterns, the hills around the camp were bright green, and the meadow was covered in dandelions. A very relaxed resident cat lounged around the grounds and spent most of its time yawning at us.

The city. Almaty itself surprised me. It's a green, lively city with the mountains always in the background. Panfilov Park was a favourite: the chestnut trees were in bloom, kids were playing badminton on the grass, and families were having picnics. It felt like the whole city was out enjoying spring.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Late April to early May was a great time to go. The city and valleys were green and blooming while the mountains still had snow. If Almaty is on your list because of TikTok, it lives up to the videos, and then some.

Photos:

1. Big Almaty Lake, still partly frozen in late April

2. The Tian Shan mountains from the plane on the way into Almaty

3. Kaindy Lake and its sunken spruce forest

4. Charyn Canyon

5. Our yurt camp in the Alatau mountains

6. Kids playing in Panfilov Park, Almaty

7. Dandelion meadow at the yurt camp

8. A yawning cat at the yurt camp

9. Apple blossom on the hike from Medeu to Shymbulak

My wife and I spent a wonderful 10 days in Poland during the first couple of weeks of September. Here’s a quick summary of our highlights

2 days in Warsaw - old town, POLIN museum, Łazienki Park, University of Warsaw rooftop gardens

Malbork Castle on the way from Warsaw to Gdańsk

2 days in Gdańsk - Royal Route, St. Mary’s Church (including climbing to the top), Solidarity Museum, shopping at The Forum

1 day in Sopot - rode bikes on the coast, Sopot town center, Marriott Resort & Spa

3 days in Kraków - St. Mary’s Cathedral, Kazimierz, Pharmacy Under The Eagle Museum, Wawel Castle, shopping at Rynek Głowny, Wisła Kraków match, Auschwitz-Birkenau

2 days in Zakopane - walked the town center, gravitational slide, Five Polish Lakes Valley hike in Tatra National Park

Poland was a lovely country, not very busy, exceptionally clean, easy to get around (we used public transport and did not rent a car), delicious food with great variety, and a distinct, proud culture. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a less touristy European adventure. Some of our favorite food included: pierogi (of course), zapiekanki (so delicious), obwarzanek, placki ziemniaczane (potato pancakes), kielbasa (polish sausage), and lots of ice cream.

Pictures 1-3: Warsaw Old Town
Pictures 4-5: Malbork Castle
Pictures 6, 8-9: Gdańsk Old Town/Royal Route
Picture 7: Potato pancakes and chicken
Picture 10: Breakfast in Gdańsk at Stary Młyn
Picture 11: Grand Hotel in Sopot
Picture 12: St. Mary’s Cathedral in Kraków
Picture 13: Obwarzanek in Kraków
Picture 14: flowers at Wawel Castle
Picture 15-16: Auschwitz-Birkenau
Picture 17: view of the Tatras atop the gravitational slide in Zakopane
Pictures 18-20: pictures taken on our hike in Tatra National Park

Some places are so picturesque and beautiful that one may think that’s unfair.  Swiss Alps definitely ranks very high in that list. We have been to Switzerland before, visiting Interlaken, Lucerne, Geneve, Rhine falls etc and were suitably impressed. One small gripe was that Matterhorn refused to peep out of the clouds and the camera went unused.
We decided to try our luck again with Matterhorn. I realised compared to Bernese Oberland the Engadin(e) valley gets “relatively” less tourist in summer but it’s no less scenic. So, the plan was to fly into Zurich, catch the train to St Moritz, a few days there, train to Zermatt, try our luck for couple of days and then train to Chamonix, a few days there and fly out of Geneve.  
There were five of us. One person has mobility issues, so long hikes were out.  Two were young girls, spending their free time on Insta/Tic-Tock so I had to include a few things they recommended.
Switzerland remains reassuringly expensive. And in St Moritz you pay another 25% on top of normal Swiss price.

Train tickets: I had my days planned out well in advance so I bought four Swiss day supersaver passes as soon as they were available. For 54 CHF excellent value for money.  That covered the normal trains running on Bernina line and the ticket for Glacier Express. Needed to pay only for the GE seat reservation.
Engadin pass: we were entitled as we were staying for more than two nights. You pay 10 CHF as deposit, refundable. Fabulous.  All the cable cars that I wanted to ride were free, which truly saved me a fortune. Free bus and train ride in the upper Engadin region. For anyone planning to travel to Engadin, I recommend staying three nights just to take advantage of the pass.

Zermatt: small compact town, just walked.

Chamonix: local travel card which includes free local travel in bus and trains.

My views (my views only, feel free to disagree):

Zurich Lindt Chocolate factory: younger daughter emotionally blackmailed me to visit. OK, but not something that I’d recommend for the money and trouble.  
We had to leave our large suitcases at a store near the station, booked through Bounce app. I’m glad that I had done that. Out of curiosity, I went to check the self-storage lockers at Zurich station. It was a Saturday midday and there were several people waiting. Bounce was faster and cheaper.

Engadin ( Engadin)  : the little town of Pontresina was our base. Lovely little town, excellent connections, much cheaper than St Moritz, highly recommended. We stayed at a small hotel called Muller, I have nothing but praise for the staff. I loved the walk from the hotel to the small Request Stop of Surovas for the Bernina line. We caught the GE from Samedan which is just ten minutes taxi ride.

Bernina Express: there is absolutely no need to pay extra money and travel by Bernina Express. The SBB trains have large windows which can be easily opened by pinching the bar inwards. No worry about glare from the windows, which can’t be opened in Bernina express.  You can get down as often as possible. It’d be a shame not to stop at Ospizio Bernina, Lago Bianca, Alp Grum and Miralago.  Lago Poschiavo is breath-taking. The colour was as stunning as lake Peyto in the Canadian Rockies. You don’t need to go on long hikes, short hikes would be very rewarding. I strongly recommend, if possible, to break the journey into two days. No need to pend much time in Tirano. Grab a pizza and hop back on the next train.

Many cable cars in the region. Top three would be Muottas Muragl, Diavolezza and Corvatsch.  Of course, you can go up on many more if you have time.

Lakes: Top three are lake Silvaplana (I can sit and watch the windsurfers the whole day), Miralago and Lago Bianco (actually a man-made reservoir).

St Moritz: you got to visit just to check out the prices!! Again, was forced by the daughters to go to a “insta” famous chocolate/coffee shop. There are many prettier towns in the Alps.

Glacier express: This time it was my sister who blackmailed me. The biggest advantage is that you don’t need to change platforms with many bags. Pound for pound Bernina express line is a better value. Some of the view from GE was a bit monotonous. The view of Andermat was fabulous.

You CAN open windows in Glacier Express. The staff were exceedingly nice. They showed me how to pull down the upper half of the glass section of the doors. More than enough for photos. There is one window in the first class which can be pulled down too. Being a “cattle class” passenger, I did not want to disturb the rich and famous too often so requested the staff only once.

Zermatt and Matterhorn: My prayers were answered. Clear blue sky with fluffy clouds. I have seen thousands of photos but is still unforgettable. Sadly, there was hardly any snow.

Photo tips: sunrise shot of glowing Matterhorn : you can of course get up very early and hike to Riflesee but for lazy folks like me, get up at 6 am, have a coffee, then stroll for ten minutes to the bridge near the church and see the peak on fire.
Sunset shot : fifteen minutes’ walk from station, then hundreds of steps would take you to Murini View point. Worth the effort.

Gornergratt : the final stop does not show you the ridge , only one side, so it’s not that great. Much better view from Rotenboden and Riffleberg.  

I strongly recommend stopping at Riffelberg to sip a beer and see the Matterhorn framed by pine trees.

Take the first train up if possible. It was insanely crowded by midday.

Don’t even dream of buying any outdoor gear from Zermatt. Too expensive.
Zermatt is very popular with my “desi Indian” brothers and sisters. Enjoy Biriyani and Naan at Golden India restaurant.

We stayed at a small hotel called Tannenhof. Nothing fancy, well located, perfectly accessible, can see Matterhorn form the breakfast area.

BTW Toblerone company was forced to remove Matterhorn from their logo as they have switched production to outside Switzerland.  
I’m very much into history. I request you to read about the “battle for Matterhorn”, the rivalry, the jealousy, the sabotage, the tragedy and the controversy surrounding Edward Whymper’s ascent in 1865. Then please visit the small but poignant Mountaineers’ Cemetery.

We then caught three trains to go all the way to Chamonix in France. Our day pass covered most of it. Needed to pay extra 5CHF for Vallorcine to Chamonix Sud. No one asked to check the passports. One of the trains was six minutes late. Sacrilege! We joked (as regular users of East Midland railway in the UK) and felt very happy to see the British inefficiency and laughable punctuality have reached Switzerland as well.
Stayed at a lovely AirBnB at Chamonix. Bought passes for two days covering most of the cable cars.

Tip: It is unbelievably cold and windy at the top of Aiguille du Mudi. It was 20 degrees at Chamonix and it felt like minus 5 up there. Be prepared. Mont Blanc did not cooperate with us, hiding most of the times. There is a glass room called Void; we skipped it as it was an hour-long queue. Book the cable car slots well in advance as the morning slots get taken up quickly and the chances of clouds covering Mont Blanc is high in the afternoon.

Please also visit the Montenvers glacier and the ice cave. It’ll make you feel sad. You can see a glacier dying in the front of your eyes.
Lovely view of the whole Mont Blanc massif and the town below from the Brevent cable car.  Chamonix is significantly cheaper than the Swiss towns. Lovely walkable town.  

Caught the Alpy Transfer bus back to Geneve.

Overall, the experience was extremely pleasant. SBB app is fantastic. All the people we met were very nice and helpful apart from the guy at Zermatt station who seemed to be doing me a favour by asking my queries about connections and selling tickets.

Maybe, we’ll return again.

Spent about two and a half weeks in Hong Kong in late September. First ten days I was working out of Cyberport, then took a week off and moved over to the Kowloon side. All iPhone photos, mostly shot after work or late at night.

I thought I'd come back with skyline shots. Instead, almost everything I kept is street level. Taxis, trams, minibuses, and old apartment blocks with air con units stacked forty floors high.

Image notes:

1–2: Mid-Levels and the hillside roads above Central. The jungle just spills over the retaining walls between the towers. Never got used to it.

3–5: The trams. HK$3.30 a ride, and the front seat on the upper deck is the best view in the city. I rode them end to end a few times just to look out the window.

6–7: Yick Cheong (the Monster Building) in Quarry Bay. Residents banned photos in the courtyard, so these are from King's Road. Exterior is more interesting anyway imo.

8: Same stretch of King's Road. Half the old blocks are wrapped in green scaffold netting.

9: Taxi outside Mido Cafe in Yau Ma Tei.

10: A side street on the Kowloon side. Taxis are half the traffic.

11: Kids kicking a ball around a public pitch, squeezed in between the towers.

12: Minibuses lined up on a side street in Sai Ying Pun with the harbour at the bottom. If you're going, figure these out. They go everywhere the MTR doesn't.

13: A red taxi under a glass office tower. Old and new right next to each other.

14: Back on King's Road. Footbridges, tram tracks, and the hills right behind.

15: Monster Building again, looking straight up.

16: Happy Valley on a Wednesday race night. HK$10 to get in, beer garden in the middle of the track, skyline behind the back straight. Best ten bucks I spent.

17–18: Neon in Jordan and Mong Kok after rain. A lot of it has been pulled down over the last few years, so what's left feels worth shooting while it's there.

19: The beautiful building in the background with the crazy lines is the Bank of China Tower in Central. The one skyline-ish shot that made the cut.

20: A street corner well after midnight. The red taxis never really stop.

Only having evenings free for the first ten days turned out to be fine. The city is better after dark anyway. Cooler, emptier, and after rain everything reflects.

Stuff that stuck with me:

Transit is absurd. Octopus card and you can do MTR, trams, buses, ferries, minibuses, 7-Eleven, everything.

Old and new aren't in separate neighborhoods. A hundred year old shophouse sits under a glass tower and nobody thinks that's weird.

It is a walking city on a hill. Bring better shoes than I did.

Food deserves its own post. Short version: clear soup brisket at Sister Wah, roast goose at Tin Lung, wontons at Shing Kee. Mid-Autumn fell during the trip, so mooncakes everywhere and lanterns in Victoria Park.

Not perfect. Expensive, humid, hotel rooms are tiny. But I get why people get obsessive about this place.

Just got back from a 5 week holiday with my wife to Europe including a week spent in Southern Spain.

Was definitely one of the highlights of the trip, amazing weather, great moorish architecture, and brilliant beers in the sun.

We spent 2 nights in Granada and 4 nights in Seville and would have happily stayed in both for longer. The Alhambra in Granada is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been and was lucky to have a great morning 3 hour tour which flew by.

Seville was full of energy with plenty of things to do. Perfect weather 30 degree and sunny weather the whole time we were there which makes afternoon beers terribly appealing. Loved visiting the Alcazar and Plaza de Espana. And the Seville Cathedral is probably the most impressive cathedral over ever visited. Also enjoyed a day tour out to Ronda which is a lovely place in itself.

Andalusia is a place I very much intend to return to one day.

Pictures 1-4 - Granada
Pictures 5-14 - Seville
Picture 15 - Grazalema
Pictures 16-19 - Ronda
Picture 20 - Italica

My wife and I flew from Dallas straight to Istanbul and then from Istanbul to Tirane.

We were in between going to Albania or Uzbekistan and ended up choosing Albania primarily because of 5 Stinet in Koman.

We flew in to Tirane and stayed in a hotel near the airport because we were catching an early bus to Lake Koman in the northern part of the country. About a 3 1/2 hour bus ride later and a 45-minute ferry, we arrived at 5 Stinet.

5 Stinet: (Pictures 1-3)

* We rented one of the cabins/chalets, and it was very private with a large restaurant on the property. Breakfast was included in the price, and the rest of the menu was very cheap and affordable.

* Kayaks could be rented out for about 10 euro, I believe.

Sarande: (Picture 4)

* We got the bus back to Tirane from Koman and rented a car in the city. Having it been my first time driving internationally, Tirane was a little chaotic for my first experience.

* We stayed in an AirBnB in Sarande with a beautiful view. The slope down to the waterfront and restaurants from our AirBnB was very steep, but there was a local grocery store near us, so we didn't have to eat out if we didn't want to.

Tirane: (Pictures 5-7)

* We stayed in a hotel near the city center and visited the Skanderbeu Square and the mosque located near it. I loved the architecture and the parks near the square.

Tirane: Bunkart (Pictures 8-9)

* This was an interesting museum, to say the least. It was quiet when we first entered but later got very busy, and it was difficult to walk around in the different rooms in the bunker.

* I learned a lot of the history of Albania through this museum and overall a great experience.

The people of Albania:

* I had good and bad interactions with the people in Koman and Tirane. Some may have just been that I'm used to a more "southern" kindness, having lived in the state of Georgia for years.

* Some people seemed cold and short, but I understand that may be Europeans in general. When we arrived at our city hotel in Tirane at the end of our trip, the front desk guy was like a breath of fresh air. I just wanted to hug him after feeling like I was a problem to all the rest of the Albanians.

The food in Albania:

* We tried to get several dishes of things every time we ate out to share. I enjoyed everything, but I can see it not being food one would enjoy if they aren't experimental.

* The prices were all very reasonable, from the restaurant in Koman, the water side restaurants in Sarande, and the city center restaurants in Tirane.

Would I rush back?

* In short, no. We did have a great experience overall, but I personally don't like to be made to feel unwelcome if I'm trying to enjoy someone's country.

* It did help that I tried to say basic phrases like "Thank you" and "Hello" in their language but they were pretty cold in general.

Hi everyone! It has been a while, but I just wanted to share what will be my last update of my amazing trip to Portugal that I had earlier this year. It will be covering some of the other cities I hit up in Portugal, that are not well known as Lisbon, but are still worth visiting, including some that I preferred over Lisbon and Sintra!! I will have linked my previous updates to Sintra and Lisbon below.

Here is the photo key!

Photos 1-3: COIMBRA

1: Coimbra from bridge

2: University of Coimbra

3: Callejon in Coimbra

Photos 4-7: TOMAR

4: Main Plaza of Tomar

5: Courtyard in Convento

6: More pictures from inside Convento

7: More Convento

Photos 8-11 GUIMARAES

8: Typical street in historic center

9: From top of Castelo de Guimaraes

10: Palace of the Dukes of Braganca

11:Castelo from distance

Photos 12-16 PORTO

12: View of Porto from Vila Nova de Gaia

13-15: Churches and cathedrals in Porto (don’t remember names)

16: View of Porto from Miradouro

Photos 17-20 EVORA

17: Typical street in Evora

18: Roman temple of Evora

19: Cathedral in Evora

20: Houses built into the aqueduct

Although Lisbon and Porto are overflowing with tourists and require a lot of planning to get the most out of your experience, there are so many other Portuguese towns and cities that do not get the love they deserve. Using my Portuñol, I was able to connect with so many Portuguese locals and really get to see how kind and welcoming the Portuguese people are. This is not a definitive guide, but just my experiences in the Portugal outside Lisbon.

COIMBRA:

Coimbra was probably the city I had the least expectations for going into this trip, but it ended up being one of my favorite cities in Portugal. You just feel like you are stepping into history as soon as step foot inside this Central Portuguese city. I spent 2 nights in the city, so I could have a full day to explore the city. Coimbra is very well connected to Porto and Lisbon by train, so it also makes a great option to breakup up your stays in Porto in Lisbon. I absolutely loved all the beautiful alleyways in Coimbra and getting lost in the streets. I am also very interested in historic universities, so the University of Coimbra was a real treat for me. I did pay to see the Joanina Library inside the university (no pictures allowed) and it was definitely probably the most beautiful I’ve seen to date. The botanical gardens are also worth a visit if you are the area. If I remember correctly, the city has both an old and new cathedral, both of which are very beautiful. Make sure to also see a fado singing while in Coimbra. The Coimbran variety is unique in that it traditionally sung by males, which is not the norm in the rest of Portugal from what I understand. When I was there in May, the main street was kind of busy, and there were some day trippers around the university area, but the city calmed down a lot in the mornings and evenings. I highly recommend Coimbra if you would like to visit Portugal!!

TOMAR:

Out of all the cities on my list, I think Tomar is probably the least visited. The main draw of the city is the amazingly preserved Convento de Cristo, which was an important stronghold of the Knights Templar in Portugal in the 1100 or 1200s (if I remember correctly). I think I spent close to 3 hours here as I am a big history buff and was truly amazed. I was mostly shocked by how empty it was. I pretty much had the place to myself when I got there around 9 am. I think I maybe saw like two tour groups during that time. There are some tours that go through Tomar, but I think they only stop at the convent and then head off elsewhere. The city itself is even quieter. The main plaza is really beautiful and there was a cute café where I sat for like an hour and half just to relax. I found the whole town to be pretty charming. I think Tomar is best done as a day trip. I did things pretty slowly but was still ready to go when my train left at around 4pm. I personally did this as a day trip from Lisbon by train. It is about 2 hours one-way, so it was quite a long day. I believe I left at like 6am. I think you can also do this as a day trip from Coimbra, as the train is only one hour, but I didn’t find this out until after my trip.

GUIMARAES:

I loved Guimaraes as it gave my Portugal trip a different flavor. You can definitely notice a difference between the north of Portugal and the central and south. The architecture for one is quite distinct. The main plaza of the city looks like something out of a fairytale and is a great place for lunch (even though the restaurants are more centered towards tourists). I got to the city early in the morning and did quite a bit of café and bakery hopping which I totally recommend. This is something I recommend in general in Portugal as each city tends to have its own special desserts. Besides the gorgeous city center, I recommend visiting the castle and palace. They are right next to each other, and that whole area has parks and is just a great place to walk around. I did pay to enter both of them, but honestly I think it would be totally fine to just admire from outside as well. Guimaraes is very well connected to Porto by train and it takes about 40 minuets to an hour to get there from Porto. This is definitely one of the best day trips from Porto!

PORTO:

Porto is the most famous and popular city in Portugal outside of Lisbon. You are going to need at least 2 full days to see the sights of the city itself without rushing around. Porto is also a great base for many day trips in the region. Porto is very well connected to Lisbon, including by high speed train from Lisbon. A lot of tourists I spoke to flew into Lisbon and out of Porto, which is something I wish I had done. The city is itself is absolutely stunning and has a much different touch than Lisbon. A lot of people say they prefer Porto over Lisbon, but personally I like Lisbon better. If you are a solo traveler, just a fair warning, Porto has some serious romantic vibes to it. I think that is why the city didn’t click with me as well, but it may have also been travel fatigue for all I know. I was here in the end of May, and it was packed to the brim. To me it felt even more touristy than Lisbon, maybe because it is smaller? I would recommend visiting Porto in the off season and if not—mentally prepare yourself for the crowds!! The Porto metro is amazing! It is super modern and clean. Since my hotel was kind of far from the center, I used it daily and was thoroughly impressed. Porto is popular for a reason! It truly is gorgeous, just be prepared for the crowds and plan accordingly.

EVORA:

I will just come out and say it at the beginning. I think Evora is my favorite city in Portugal, maybe after Lisbon. Evora is the most important city in the Alentejo region of Eastern Portugal, famous for the Bone Chapel and remarkably well preserved Roman Temple. I adored the white washed houses with yellow trim and the beautiful alleys in every corner. I also think the cathedral was super stunning (make sure to also go to the top). I think Evora is super beautiful and I spent 2 nights here so I could have one full day. It was not busy at all, even during the peak of the day. In 2027, Evora will be the European Capital of Culture, so there will be a lot of events happening and it might be a great opportunity to visit. I felt at complete peace in Evora and I am sure you will too! If you don’t have enough time to dedicate a night or two to Evora, it is also a very easy day trip from Lisbon by train!

CONCLUSION

I know Lisbon gets all the love when Portugal comes up, but make sure to also check out some less visited places to get an even more authentic feel of the country. Please drop any questions below!!

My goal would be to live fairly simply. Maybe an apartment. Somewhere safe and that I can get by with my minimal knowledge of spanish. Not looking to just sit on the beach, but more absorb the culture. Good food, slower pace. Thats about it.

I would highly recommend getting a mountainside residence with a pool if possible. My two friends and I got one for roughly $50 per day, and it really made the down time that much more memorable and fun. Monte Alban is surrounded by the plains and mountains in every direction so thats a must visit site. The Centro Historic region is by far the most colorful and rich area in terms of night life. The mezcal and rooftop bars were a delight and the cocktail bars were quite reasonably priced. I highly recommend Llevadura de Olla for dinner which is a wonderful Michelin restaurant serving classic Oaxacan cuisine.

My bday is around Valentine's day and I want to go on a trip (Feb 10-14 range) somewhere with my wife that we haven't been to for my bday. I don't mind mild cold weather and want a 3-4 day trip. I don't want to go crazy, I don't mind spending some money but not overboard. ($1.5k-$2.5k) Budget ( flights and hotel, etc). (Flying from south Florida) So PBI, MIA and FLL airport.

Some of the things we enjoy and want

- Good food

- good activities and stuff to do and see

- decently walkable

- not super expensive

- mild weather

- decent people

Any suggestions are welcome and I can flex the budget if it's somewhere you think is worth it and that will make a good trip.

Also these are some cities I have been to (NYC, SD, D.C., Chicago, Boston, and Seattle). Also we both have our passports.

Super late considering these are from the end of April but it was so much fun and everything was so beautiful even though the weather was stormy.

Hi there!

Me and my friend (two women) are visiting Thailand from 20th to 28th October. We plan to visit Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi and Phi Phi.

Since it’s just the two of us, I’m a little more cautious, what scams should we possibly look out for? Are these places generally safe for women? Is there some precaution that we should keep? Excuse the paranoia. Thanks much! Appreciate the help

The places of each photo (no photoshop btw):

1, 2-Pizzo (Calabria)

3, 4, 5-Tropea (Calabria)

6-Capo Vaticano (Calabria)

7, 8-Scilla (Calabria)

9, 10-Reggio Calabria (Calabria obv lol)

11, 12-Messina (Sicily)

13, 14, 15, 16-Taormina (Sicily)

I did this trip in this year's July and it has been a truly great experience, the beaches were nice (Especially Tropea), the food was top-notch ('Nduja, Tropea Onions and much more) the water was so unbelievably crystalline and there were a damn lot of nice towns in this zone, this is truly a very overlooked zone in Italy (Especially Calabria, compared to other Italian places) and it deserves much more than what it gets. AMA

Just spent a few days in South Korea (Seoul and Busan), and honestly, I think the best way to experience this country is to have no set itinerary. Just wander through different neighborhoods, explore random alleyways, and soak in the vibes.

This is my second trip to South Korea this year, and I can’t wait to go back.

Photos

1. Temple near Ikseondong
2. a cafe in Ikseondong
3. Some random alleyway in Seoul
4. Seongsu
5. a computer cafe at a mall near DDP
6. Gwanghamun Square
7. Gyeongbokgung Palace
8. Random cafe in Seoul
9. Street cafes in Seosulla-gil
10. Jongno 3-ga = declared as the best neighborhood in the world by a travel magazine
11. 11,12,13 Haeundae Beach in Busan

Sky Capsule line in Busan

1. Somewhere in Busan
2. 16,17 Jagalchi Fish Market in Busan
3. 18,19 ARTE Museum in Busan

4. 20 Random cafe in Huinnyeol Culture Village in Busan

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Hello, good evening everyone! I’m thinking about visiting Poland for 15 days in April. I’m open to visiting any city, so I’d love some recommendations for hostels with a great social atmosphere where I can meet new people and make friends.

I’m not really into partying or loud music, but I love having good conversations over a cocktail or a glass of wine.

I’d really appreciate any recommendations for hostels you know that would suit what I’m looking for. Thank you!

I have a trip booked to Milan next May but have read nothing but negative experiences. It’s boring, it’s devoid of culture, zero nightlife etc . Which kinda bums me out because I was rather excited being in my early 20’s exploring new places. I’ll be staying in a social hostel so I’m hoping to meet people to do stuff with but I was hoping someone could chime in and tell me whether all this negative talk is warranted or if you actually enjoyed it?

Hi everyone!

My husband and I are planning a 12-day trip to Morocco in December, and we'd love some advice on our itinerary!

We're flying into Casablanca and out of Marrakech. Our tentative plan is:

• Casablanca: 1 night
• Chefchaouen: 2 nights
• Fes: 2 nights
• Sahara Desert tour (Fes to Marrakech): 3–4 days
• Marrakech: 3–4 nights

We're wondering if this is a good balance or if you'd recommend spending more or less time anywhere. Is Chefchaouen worth staying overnight, or would a day trip from Fes be enough? Are we missing any must-see places?

We're also looking for recommendations for a reliable Sahara Desert tour from Fes to Marrakech. We're considering either a 3-day/2-night or 4-day/3-night tour and would love to hear from anyone who has done one.

Ideally, we're looking for:

• A reputable company with good guides and comfortable transportation.
• A luxury desert camp with a private bathroom and shower in the tent.
• A budget of under $8000 USD total for two people.

Is the extra day worth it for a 4-day tour? Any specific companies you'd recommend or avoid?

We'd also appreciate any December-specific advice, especially regarding weather.

Thanks in advance!

Hello, I (US Resident) travel fairly often, mainly in the winter for Snowboarding trips. Last year I took a trip to Calgary in Canada, and when coming back was sent to a room at the airport and had my passport taken. Once I got to the desk the lady asked me if my Passport has been reported lost or stolen, which of course I had never had it lost or stolen. I did have my passport mailed to me one time a few weeks prior as I had forgotten it when I was taking a trip into Canada, however returning from Canada on that trip I had no issues. Calgary was my first stop, and I had to get rebooked as it made me miss my flight. Upon arrival back into the US, I was taken into a room with border patrol and asked if they could search my phone, I said no problem. My phone was returned to me and I was sent on my flight. Now since then I have been to Canada on 4 seperate occassions all by car, and upon returning back into the states I am stopped at the border and have my car and phone searched. A few months ago after the 3rd search I was told by the officer that I should file a redress number, which I did and I ended up receiving one. I then travelled to Europe a few weeks ago (The country of Georgia) and when coming back into America, I got in the Global Entry line and was sent to a different booth. They asked if I had anything to declare and I told them i had about 12 bottles of wine, to which I was taken to the declare search area and had my baggage searched for the declared items, and then told I was good to go. This didn’t include a phone search, so I assumed my redress number was good and this was the normal declare process. A week later, I travelled back to Canada but flew into Buffalo and drove through. Upon returning I was again stopped for secondary inspection and had my car and phone searched. I told the officers that I had a redress number, and they told me it still hasn’t cleared up in their system. I’m not sure if it is relevant but I did enter from a different border point this time around, as google maps told me it was the fastest route back to Buffalo.

I emailed DHS Trip about this to see if they could tell me anything, and submitted a FOIA request to see if I could get more info, but haven’t heard back yet as it’s only been about a week. Can anyone tell me why this is consistantly happening to me? I don’t have any issues flying, my tickets aren’t SSSS, I have no issues checking in and getting bag tags, and I am an approved Global Entry member. Yet I consistantly get stopped.

My partner missed both recent eclipses in the US. I really don't want her to wait until she's in her 40s to see one so looking at upcoming ones and this seems like our best option IMO.

But neither of us have travelled internationally (besides one Caribbean cruise) and I'm sure it'll be way more than normal since extra people coming for the eclipse.

We're thinking a week, but honestly not sure.

We generally travel very frugally, but seems like for this kind of thing no matter what we do we are looking at multiple thousands of dollars.

Looking for all tips for saving money or in general

Visiting LA soon (landing at LAX) with an unlocked Galaxy Fold 8. Questions about T-Mobile's Prepaid U.S. Pass 7-day eSIM ($25):

1. Can I buy and activate it in the T-Mobile app right after landing, or do I need a store?
2. Does a Korean Visa/Mastercard (non-US ZIP) work for payment? If not, can I pay cash at a store?
3. Does it come with a real US number that can receive SMS verification codes?
4. Any store near LAX you'd recommend?

Thanks!

My girlfriend is Thai, and I wanted an idea of where I can take her this December. I am looking for a place with great views, snowy weather would be awesome, and ideally <10 hour flight from Thailand.

She has hinted at Kazakhstan a few months ago, but I was reading that there was a lot of smog around December and not worth traveling to in December. I was also looking into Shanghai. I am not a very experienced traveler and would love to get an idea of a place you think could top Shanghai. I also always travel to Tokyo so I really want to avoid that, but I am open to other places in Japan.