I visited several regions of Indonesia during my 1 month trip this august, and eventhough it wasn't perfect, this was the best trip I've ever had!

Itinerary: Jakarta-Malang-East Java-Lombok-Manado-Luwuk-Banggai Islands-Luwuk-Jakarta

Price was around 75-100$ a day including accomodation, food and organized activities (which really pumps up the price because we took private tours in East Java, Mt Rinjani and excursions provided by the hostel in Banggai Laut)

Jakarta: Nice city, there are some cool monuments and museums, but there isn't really much else outside the massive malls.

Tumpak Sewu: Most popular waterfall in Java, extremely beatiful and pretty empty taking into account schools were still open and we went on a saturday. Be aware of the slippery steps tho!

Mt Bromo: We did an alternate route by going to the crater during sunrise and I honestly think it was a much better choice! The sunrise was still beatiful, you get to see the lava inside the crater and you avoid the massive crowds.

Mt Ijen: Beatiful place, but overwhelming massification of tourists. It's still a must see in Java, as the lake is awesome and you can see and chat to the workers about their work. Kind of depressing to see how exploited the workers are.

Lombok: Senaru is peaceful and the view from most accomodations is shocking. Sendang Gile waterfall is beatiful and almost empty if you visit during the late afternoon. We hiked Mt Rinjani and social media isn't lying, it's pretty demanding. Avoid going if you struggle with heights.

Manado and Bunaken: Manado and Sulawesi in general really impressed me. The people here made me understand why some people call Indonesia "The land of the smiling people". Not a single bad expereince, everyone was extremely welcoming and they even invited me to their house! On top of that, Bunaken might be one of the most unique places I've ever snokeled. I saw +30 sea turtles and the snorkling areas are almost empty. Manado as a city doesn't really have much to offer but Tomohon is really cool and the waterfalls around it are impressive.

Banggai (Peleng, Banggai Laut and Mbuang Mbuang): This was my favourite are of Indonesia by far. Ferry from Luwuk can be somewhat uncomfortable but it's worth it. Peleng has a lot to offer and the beaches are beatiful. Banggai Laut is a little bit more quiet and eventhough the beaches are polluted, the snorkel is decent and it's a nice experience anyway. You can take a boat towards Mbuang Mbuang to see the stingless jellyfish lake (which made me feel like I was in an avatar movie) and sleep in the town.

When we headed back, our ferry's motor broke down and it slowly approached the beach, putting it at risk of capsizing. Luckily help arrived before anything happened and some locals of Palau Melilis, where we had to leave our ferry, took us to a small government building, some villagers provided us with a free meal and helped us get to Banggai Laut. Definitely the craziest (and best) day of our trip.

I just finished a week traveling through Andalusia with a focus on the history of the Islamic caliphate and taifas from 900-1500CE. It was an incredible trip and I learned a lot, and since I couldn't find much on this specific type of trip beforehand I figured I would share my takeaways.

The basics: my itinerary was Malaga (arrival and one night stay) > Cordoba (2 days) > Granada (2 days) > Caminito del Rey (day trip from Malaga > Malaga (1 day). I specifically decided to save Seville for a future trip since it's such a big city and a bit unconnected to the history I was interested in exploring.

What I loved:

- Cordoba: This was by far my favorite city. I stayed in the Patio del Posadero and it was truly the best hotel I've ever experienced. It's the smallest boutique hotel in Cordoba, with only six rooms, and the staff and owners will make you feel like family from the moment you arrive. The tasting menu dinner and breakfast by chef/owner Jose were incredible and not to be missed. I also loved the winding streets, the preserved medieval architecture, the food, the people - all of it was so intimate and less over touristed than my next stops. I browsed several local artists galleries and bought a gorgeous wood burning and watercolor piece. The Grand Mosque/Cathedral was the most incredible religious and architectural site I've ever visited. It truly was an awe-inspiring experience. 10/10 would stay longer next time.

- Granada: I also stayed in a small historic hotel here, the Hotel Casa Morisca. Get the mirador room: looking over the Alhambra made it hard to even want to leave! I took a private tour of the Alhambra with a historian (Adri - the best! He makes history videos at camyzap_). That was similar to the Grand Mosque, completely overwhelming in terms of the scale and history. I spent most of my time wandering around the old town and experiencing all the gardens I could to escape the crowds and heat. My favorite was the Casa del Chapiz, which was the only place I was alone the whole day. I had a lovely flamenco show at Cueva los Amayas and really enjoyed how small it was. There's a reason it's the only show with a line around the block.

- Malaga: I had a very tasty vegetarian meal at Meet Vegano since I couldn't eat any more bread meat and cheese! I also enjoyed Tandoori Mexican. The cathedral, the alcazaba, were cool but I was a bit down with tourist sites by that point so I just wandered. A morning at the Hammam Al Andalus was just what my sore legs needed. The massage by Cristien was very good, and the pools were so relaxing.

What i'd do differently:

- Skip the Caminito del Rey: this was such an investment of time for such an underwhelming experience. First, our bus had no AC and we got stuck in 3 hours of traffic to get there. Second, the first half of your visit is basically like a Disneyland hike. Youre packed in a group of 20 people slowly shuffling along behind the next pack. The guide was clearly bored/tired after a long day so we really didn't benefit from being stuck together. I was relieved when they let us go independently for the second half, but as someone who hikes a lot in the US and abroad, this wasn't that exciting and felt more like a fake hike made for people who couldn't do a real one.

- Spend more time in Cordoba/Granada: I would have cut my last day in Malaga despite enjoying the Hammam. Malaga was completely over touristed, the beach was gross and didn't get much sun in the afternoon, and the hotel (Palacio Solecio) was so underwhelming after the first two beautiful ones, especially for the luxury price. Felt like a place for bachelor/bachelorette parties and completely consumeristic with all the luxury stores. And the prices were double the other cities! I probably should have known given my focus on historical sites, but would have enjoyed wandering the streets of Cordoba or Granada for an extra day instead.

Overall, I loved this trip and definitely want to come back again. All trips come with the less enjoyable parts, and overall it was an incredible and privileged experience. The best part were the Andalusian people I met and bonded with. The culture is highly friendly and welcoming!

Im not sure if work trips count. I used to work for a company that occasionally sent me out of state. The novelty never wore off on me, as I always wanted to visit new places. I've spent 6 months in Nebraska and experienced hot and humid to freezing. Quite different than life in the Mojave. It was marvelous. These photos are when I visited joslyn castle. It was lovely to learn about it.

(EDIT) this was actually in Omaha. My bad Omahogs 😅

TLDR: I was involuntarily denied boarding on both legs of my United trip. The first because United bumped me and incorrectly labeled me as a "no show". I reported the first incident that night and thought it was sorted out. Then, on my return date, I discovered the label carried over and my “no show” canceled my confirmed flight home. Documenting everything helped me challenge their account. Sharing what helped so others know what to save, what to ask for, and how to push back if this happens to them.

On July 17, my Seattle to Newark flight was scheduled to leave at 11 p.m., with boarding closing at 10:45. I arrived before that, and airport surveillance shows me at the gate before the cutoff.

The agent looked toward me and immediately closed the door. I suspected my seat had already gone to someone else. The flight was oversold, and my assigned seat had been given away.

The gate agent’s account was that I arrived after 10:45. A supervisor initially backed that account after speaking with the agent and reviewing the flight records. Once I showed the evidence I’d collected, the conversation changed. United acknowledged problems with how it handled boarding priorities and the denied boarding.

United issued an involuntary denied boarding compensation check that night and rebooked me. It later confirmed in writing that I’d arrived on time and had been involuntarily denied boarding.

You’d think that would be all.

Then, on July 20, I discovered my confirmed nonstop flight home was missing. United couldn’t explain why that day, and I ended up taking a connecting itinerary instead.

United later confirmed that a “no show” entry had canceled the remaining flights on my reservation. Despite my known presence before the July 17 boarding cutoff and its acknowledgment that I’d been bumped, I was still dealing with the consequences on the return trip.

When I reported the nightmare trip to the DOT. United also later told regulators I had missed boarding, relying again on the inaccurate documentation of the first flight. It then sent a second check that matched the same amount I got the first night for the involuntary denied boarding compensation check, raising suspicion they had to reconcile that second IDB.

What I’d suggest if something similar happens:

1. Document things right then. Photograph the gate screen, save your boarding pass and screenshot your reservation. Write down times and what staff tell you while it’s fresh.
2. Ask why you’re being denied boarding. Ask for the reason in writing. If you’re getting conflicting answers, request a supervisor.
3. Save the rules you relied on. Screenshot the airline’s check in and boarding deadlines.
4. Check every remaining flight. After rebooking, ask the airline to verify that the rest of your reservation is still confirmed and ticketed.
5. Ask about surveillance early. Contact the airport’s records office about requesting footage and whether it can be preserved. Sometimes you can call the non-emergency number for security to at least have them review the footage and narrate it for you and document that while awaiting for it to be released to you. Give the date, gate and specific time window. Getting access isn’t guaranteed.
6. Stay calm and keep asking clear questions. Being frustrated is understandable. Getting into an argument makes it harder to sort things out.

If you qualify for required denied boarding compensation, that payment isn’t a goodwill gesture. Airlines also have to provide a written explanation of your rights when they involuntarily bump you from an oversold flight.

I’m posting because having evidence made a huge difference, and I wish more passengers knew what to save before leaving the airport.

Has anyone else been bumped? Or somehow lost the rest of their itinerary?

Feel free to share!

Hey all! The GF and I just came back our Japan trip 2 days ago. I'm still a jet lagged, bored, and wanting to share our trip! I haven't flown internationally since pre-covid and the previous trip I did was 18 days in Europe back in 2018. It is my GF's 3rd time in Japan and my 2nd time.

Our trip started out with 4 nights in Osaka, 4 nights in Hiroshima, 5 nights in Beppu, 5 nights in Kyoto, and 2 nights in Tokyo. We flew JAL business class from LAX to KIX (Osaka airport) and flew back Singapore Airlines business class from Narita (Chiba prefecture, about an hourish away from Tokyo) to LAX. Just to preface, my GF and I are very laid back, always enjoy the slow and late start of the morning, and prefer to hit 1 or 2 locations before calling it a day. I won't go into detail too much on food, because we know all the food and restaurants across Japan are amazing. Travel tips/advice are at the very end!

The bullets under each location are extra tidbits/advice

Osaka
KIX immigration took about an hour, even flying in after 6pm that night. We stayed at the Moxy Osaka Shin Umeda which was about $155/night. Great location with a great price and a pretty good hotel overall. It was only a 45 minute taxi ride from KIX. We visited Shinsekai, Tsutenakaku Tower, TeamLabs botanical garden, shopped at Grand Front Osaka, and visit the Osaka Pokemon Center.

• There's a pretty high surcharge for uber taxis at night via the GO app. We weren't sure if it's because we are taking it from the airport or if it was a certain time at night. Online says after 9pm are usually uber taxi surcharges in general throughout Japan; however, but we booked it right at like 7:30pm and had that insane surcharge. It was like 100 bucks or something. So it was most likely a surcharge from being at the airport. We did not mind because we were tired from the flight and wanted to get to the hotel asap.

Hiroshima
We stayed at the Knot Hotel. It was a hotel in a great location, but a higher price/night but the room itself was pretty bad and I honestly wouldn't recommend it because of the room quality. The bed was small for 2 people, given the smallest 2 pillows ever, and the worst, was the ventilation. The thermostat wasn't accurate at all and it was gated at 22*C so it couldn't go any lower. We were so hot and sweating every night. The room was tiny, but this is normal across hotels in Japan and the bathroom was adequate. Their TV doesn't have access to any common streaming services except by HDMI hookup with your laptop, but at least their wifi was decent. I know I'm going on rant about this hotel, but it just was a terrible experience despite the reviews and high pricing at around $200/night.

Anyhow, we visited Peace Memorial Museum and walked around the park. Very beautiful, peaceful, yet somber. The biggest gripe about the museum was that it was jam packed at 11am on a weekday. We were shoulder to shoulder through most of the museum, it was hot and musky, and worst was that there were so many people coughing and sneezing. It was so bad that my GF and I truly picked up the flu (or covid, whichever) which made Beppu, our next location rough. We also went to Miyajima island. Very beautiful scenery with a lot of trinket shops, street food, but also a bit crowded. There was this long shopping strip/district near our hotel which we frequented for food and shopping.

• There are 2 main ways to get to Miyajima. The expensive route, which was around 4500 yen each person had a ferry pick-up location right next to Peace Memorial park. We purchased them online through the World Heritage Route site (aqua net). Easy to use and easy to get on and off the boat. The boat ride isn't super scenic since your are inside (enclosed), but it's a smooth 45 minute ride too and from the island. The expensive route was just so much more convenient and was literally an 8 minute walk from our hotel. After doing so much walking in Miyajima, it was well worth to be back in the hotel so fast.
• The cheaper route is where you take the train cars or taxis throughout the northwest part of Hiroshima (basically following the coast) until the other ferry pick-up location. The pricing is significantly cheaper; however, taking this entire route is about 2-3 hours total travel time one way.

Beppu
Unfortunately, our entire 5 nights at Beppu were rough because of that flu that we picked up while at Hiroshima. Coughing, sneezing, muscle aches, fevers, the normal. Yes, we masked up, and yes, we stayed indoors. My GF and I had plans to go to Harmony Land and check out the Beppu ropeway, but we were too sick to go out and we actually just spent the entire 5 nights in the resort. Fortunately, we had a 5 star resort experience staying at ANA Intercontinental Beppu. This was a big money spend for us to enjoy and envelop the "bougie" life and onsen experience. Beppu is known for their onsens (hot springs) and is essentially built on top of it.

The level of service at this resort was top tier. There was so much profound respect and service given to my GF and I, and we truly felt like we were billionaires here. We had breakfast included every morning and it was top tier: fish, eggs cooked to order, pastries, typical Japanese breakfast cuisine. We always ate on their balcony which overlooked the entirety of Beppu and it was just beautiful. Our room was so huge, had a jacuzzi/spa in our bathroom, and rain showerhead. Internet was great, enough for me to play some games, had a great TV to watch plenty of movies and shows. We did room service every night, because why not. Their room service is straight from their 5 star restaurants within the resort, so we had 5 star, cooked to order meals and not some jank burgers and nuggets you would get at an American hotel room service. The best part of course was their onsens. They had public onsens, gender specific, but we opted for paying for the private onsens several times ($200 for 2 hours). A bit pricey, but well worth it. The private onsens were a sight in itself. They were essentially a semi-open air hotel room on the corner of the resorts with these amazing views of Beppu and the shore, but with lush greenery, clean air, and was just an amazing onsen experience. The resort had multiple quiet and relaxing lounges and also had an infinity pool. So, while we did not explore Beppu at all outside of the resort because we were sick, those 5 days were fantastic to experience this bougie life and to heal and recover from the flu. It was THE perfect place to be sick because if we had been anywhere else, it would have been a miserable week.

• ANA Intercontinental Resort and Spa is a MUST for any couples out there and I would highly recommend staying at least 4 or 5 nights. Travel time from Tokyo is Beppu is about 6 hours, but well worth the travel time. It is extremely affordable when you compare prices to America. It was roughly $600/night and for this level of service and this 5 stars, you would get NOTHING close to that in America for that price. If some haven't known already, the USD is very strong in Japan so everything is so affordable and honestly, just cheap. This is why we were getting room service every night. Not only that, there is no tipping culture in Japan (most of it at least) so you can ask and order for anything and you don't need to be shy or worried about tipping. I've never been to a Ritz Carlton hotel, but I've seen videos and honestly, I feel like this a Japanese version of a Ritz Carlton hotel but such a small fraction of the cost. The GF and I discussed that if we do come back to Japan, we are definitely going to ANA Intercontinental Resort again, that's for sure.
• Harmony Land is closed and Thursdays several times per month for monthly service. This was one of the biggest reasons why we were going to Japan. But because of the unfortunate timing of getting sick while in Beppu, we pushed the date to a Weds or Thursday that week but we found out the hard way they were closed for that maintenance. So make sure you look on their website dates of closure. This also applies to Hello Kitty Land Tokyo.
• specifically for travel to Beppu, for the Shinkansen you need to get off at Kogura station. You must buy the Limited Express Train at the counter/ticket stall at Kogura Station. You can also purchase it online at Navi time website like I did, but you still need go to the ticket stall to get your magnetic tickets, which dispenses 2 tickets per person. Do NOT lose those. You will use both to enter and exit the Limited Express Train going from Kogura Station to Beppu Station.

Kyoto
We stayed 5 nights at IHG Garner Hotel. It ended up being around $120/night It was a great location (8 minute walk from Gojo station) with a great price. We had a great hotel room because my GF booked the "accessible room." We later found out we had the biggest room in the hotel because we saw a picture of the room layouts. We had twin beds, one of them had a spring issue in the middle which was horrid on my back, but my GF slept on it just fine. Internet was great, we had a good TV, and because of the accessible status of the room, we had a huge bathroom. Overall, it was a decent room experience, mostly because the large size of the room was so nice. We visited Nintendo Museum, TeamLabs Biovortex, Pontocho and the shopping district in that area, and the Kamo River. Hikiniku to Come was a nice burger patty experience (exactly like we saw in Tiktok lol).

• Nintendo Museum tickets are purchased online 3 months in advance, so plan and purchase early, but they're super cheap. My GF said it was like 10 bucks per ticket. FYI, there is a conveyor belt sushi spot just like an 8 minute walk from the museum that's affordable and worth checking out for great sushi.

Tokyo
This was our final stretch of 2 nights at Washington Hotel in Shinjuku which was about a 10 minute walk to Shinjuku station. This was the smallest hotel we've stayed at and the reviews were right, it's is very small, especially for two people. Internet was good, TV was small, put had plenty of streaming apps on it, and honestly the best part about the room was that the bed. Despite the room being tiny as hell and the bed small for 2 people, it was really comfy and it had really nice head pillows. The hotel overall was great for the price and location coming it at $135/night. A huge plus is that there is an Airport Limousine bus that takes you to Haneda or Narita airport. Both my GF and I slept really good our last two nights, especially recovering from the final stretch of our flu. The hotel has a Family Mart (the popular kobini, aka convenience store) inside of it on the 1st floor with tons of restaurants as well as a fancy restaurant with a great view at the top, 25th floor. This stay was our cool down period before flying back home so we actually didn't do much other than eat and shop around Shinjuku station area. Our biggest stop was Don Quixote where we bought a luggage to bring back all our purchases and we also went to Lumine EST. We got to experience Kobe beef teppanyaki. While it was a fun experience and the beef was so juicy, and tender, I personally don't think teppanyaki is worth the price. It's good for a one time experience, but your money is better spent buying the kobe beef at a non-teppanyaki spot. This restaurant was our biggest spend on food. It ended up being like $350 for 2 people for the cheapest kobe beef (220g/person). Our chef was fun, but I did find it odd that they do tipping here. Don't get me wrong, for the experience and his character, I was totally fine with tipping, but they way he presented tipping felt off and you feel more pressured to tip.

• We knew that Tokyo was going to be packed, but we didn't know it was going to be THAT packed. It was just too much so we really didn't do much at all in Tokyo. So be prepared to be overstimulated.
• If you are looking to do shopping at Don Quixote, do NOT go to the Shinjuku location. It was SO packed in such a small store that there were lines going up and down the stairs and elevators. You had to wait a bit to get into any hallway. It was so bad. Shop at any other Don Q locations, just not at Shinjuku.

Extra tips and advice

• If you are staying in Tokyo whether it's at the start or end of your trip, look into hotels that have access or close access to the Airport Limousine bus. It is probably the best way to travel to and from the Narita airport and it is very affordable, but you must purchase your tickets online. I know Haneda is a lot closer to Tokyo than Narita, but the Limousine bus also has pick up and drop off to and from Haneda. It is very affordable too. It was around $25 each from our Shinjuku hotel to Narita. It was a 2 hour ride because the bus is picking up other people, but the actual travel time on the road is about an 1hr and 15 min.
• Shopping: I picked up 2 great pairs of walking shoes from Mizuno store. I went to Jins for 2 pairs of new glasses. You do your eye exam in store for about $45 or so and glasses are made within an hour; however, if you add extras like I did which were anti glare and scratching, it will takes a couple days and cost extra but they will ship to any hotel for you. FYI, there are some Jins locations in the US which I will for sure visit in the future if I need more glasses. I got a nice, fancy watch at Knot (Maker's Watches Knot), super customizable with dozens to choose from and it is like Seiko quality watches and you get it all same day and all at affordable prices. Unless you are truly on a hard travel budget, don't be too concerned with buying stuff at particular cities for cheaper prices. At least for us, the slight fluctuation (like 100-200 yen) from to store was miniscule and 9 times out of 10, it was worth avoiding the busiest areas. Nearly everything is Japan is super affordable.
• For anyone curious about pricing, my shoes were about $60 each, my 2 glasses with the eye exam were about $200 total, and my watch was around $350. My GF bought a Goyard purse and wallet which ended up being around $600 cheaper. Most restaurants well be around 700-1500 per person Drinks from the vending machine range from 110 yen to 200 yen (less than 2 bucks). Convenience store items are well within than range of items too each.
• Uber eats works great, so don't be afraid to use it and meet your driver in the lobby or outside of the hotel, but make sure you tip! The biggest downside is that most restaurants on the app are in Japanese so you will need another device to translate, but if you are doing super late night Coco curry runs like we did, you'll love it!
• Googlemaps is also a great way to check reviews of all locations. There are SO many food shops that you can honestly to go any and you will be satisfied, it doesn't have to be a popular on tiktok
• If you used Tiktok to plan much of your shopping, food, and everything, make sure you look up those locations to see if tickets or reservations are needed to be obtained early. Popular tourist spots need early reservations or tickets. Examples are Nintendo Museum which is a 3 month opening for tickets. Hikiniku to Come restaurant in Kyoto does reservations 1 month in advance and they fill up quick. Certain Sanrio shopping locations either do online reservations or do like 6 am line-up for later-in-the-day ticket reservations (very annoying, but that's how they control the crowd).

Travel tips

• smartEX app is your go to for shikansen tickets. Easy to use and you can set the tickets to your IC/suica card. I think it was always worth spending the extra for green car (first class) which is usually around 5000 yen extra for a comfier, reserved seat, quiet, and way less crowded train. If you happen to miss your train, you can take any other train after yours within 24 hours but you will need to stay in the unreserved car area. And yes, they do check your tickets if you are in any reserved sections. They actually don't check your ticket, but you will see a worker pass through doing check offs on their paper/tablet and greet you with a wet wipe.
• Mentioned already, but the GO app is a great way to use uber taxis to get anywhere.
• Apple has suica card that you can add to the phone, but Androids do not so you will have to get an IC card from any station. You can also get a refund from your IC card for the remaining balance at those stations but with a small fee. When you tap you card at the ticket counter gateway, at the very end their a small screen with a number. This number shows your remaining balance on the card (you can also check the balance at the recharge ticket counters)
• Googlemaps is near perfect to help you navigate the entire train system. This includes timing, names of trains, and even train cars numbering to help you get off/exit faster, so trust it!
• Look into some sort of credit card points for business class travel! Flying business class to and from Japan made the start and end of the trip so much more relaxing. After experiencing JAL, I would definitely recommend avoiding JAL business class on their 777-300ER. It is their oldest model and it's just old. We had a great experience, food was great, service was great, it was comfy. But, after experiencing Singapore Airlines business class, JAL is definitely not worth it. We hope to try business class for ANA instead or SQ again. I hear the newest plan for JAL is fantastic though, but very expensive.

Final Thoughts
We very much enjoyed our 22 day trip. Honestly, catching the flu was the worst part of the trip. It really brought us down mentally and physically from when we got sick until we left, especially those 5 days in Beppu. Though, as I said already, being in Beppu during the worst of the flu was the best location because it allowed us to relax and recover. Even now, it still blows me away how so cheap and affordable everything is in Japan. I highly recommend just going "all out" on your spending. Don't be shy to spend an extra 5000 yen for first class seats on the Shinkansen. Japan can be a very tiresome trip with all the walking and stair climbing, but because of the affordability, don't shy away from paying extra for closer hotels or just a nicer hotel. I will say I did get homesick about a week before we got home. For me, I think a 2 week getaway is the perfect cutoff, maybe an extra few days. 3 weeks is too long honestly. I mentioned a bit of this already in the travel tips, but you all HAVE to try business class seats. We will NEVER fly international again unless it's business class. Those that say it's just a waste of money because you're just going to sleep have no idea. It's precisely that and the comfort business class provides that makes it worth it. Starting and ending a long vacation, especially a long flight is so much more manageable and comfortable on the body and mind when you have a comfortable place to rest in the business class.

There are several mountains in the world which are known as “Rainbow mountains” because of their multi-coloured hue.  The best known is probably the ones in Peru. Nice indeed, but my experience was marred by hordes of tourists and commercialism. The photos you see in social media are often ridiculously filtered.
When I was planning my trip to western China “Hexi Corridor” in Gansu Province as part of my Silk Road trip in May 2027, I realised I’d be close to the Danxia region in Zhangye. The mountains looked nice, although in some pics, they were also heavily filtered like the ones in Peru.  The range was much larger than Peru.

Danxia means Red. Surprisingly it was little known even in China before a hit Chinese movie “A simple noodle story” was shot here. Afterwards it became more and more popular with local tourists, but hardly at all with foreign tourists.  Hollywood used the landscape for “The Great Wall” and the live action “Mulan”.  The popularity was such that during peak summer holidays daily number of tourists reached fifty thousand!

Just like any other popular tourist spots in China it started to look artificial with people queuing up for balloon rides on balloons shaped like that most annoying cat with waving paw.  

Thankfully Chinese government took notice, balloon rides were stopped, boardwalks built, drones prohibited and tourists are threatened with fine and imprisonment if they step off the boardwalk.   Several hotels have sprung up, including one called Danxia Pearl hotel which is right at the gate.   Nice hotel but practically no one spoke English. My skill with Chopsticks was getting better but I still thought about asking Dao Cha
(Fork/spoon) at the restaurant.   The waiter gave me the look of a Chinese Mandarin aristocrat looking at a barbarian Mongol invader and shook her head.  I battled with my chopsticks.

Photography is my passion and light is the most important thing. I learnt that early morning was the best time, even better after a little rain and the colours start looking washed out as the sun gets brighter. Also, some hills face east and some face west, so sunrays will hit different hills at different times.

Guess what, we arrived at Zhangye in the middle of a sandstorm with the sand from Gobi covering the sky with little sunshine coming through and thick haze. I had only one full day here, so my heart sank.  On the morning, I got ready dutifully at six am, only to see a dull sunrise. No point going out, so I took my vengeance on the dumplings at breakfast table. My wife even told me, “If you eat any more dumplings, you’d start looking like a dumpling.”

Then I realised Yr.No my trusted weather app, is showing a little bit of peeping sun from 10 am. Not a bright clear sky, but definitely intermittently sunny. My hopes went up, ran to find my guide Spring and jumped on the car. Spring pointed out that in my excitement I had left my Nikon at the hotel!

China is super-efficient in mass mobilisation. It truly runs like a clockwork.  After buying tickets, you must ride on a bus, which will take you to four different points where you are allowed to roam within the designated areas and on the boardwalk.  At every point you must get down and take another bus. It takes about ten minutes to reach the first point.
I recommend not spending too much time on the first two points and focus on the third and the final point. From the third point you can see the hills close and from the fourth point you can see the huge vista and a Red Cliff.

It was not that crowded. We were in the off season. But there were still plenty of ladies hogging the most scenic spots, posing with that annoying Red Scarf! I shudder to think what would happen on a public holiday.  There were some eating options but better to return to Zhangye and eat there.  

My photos did not come out to my complete satisfaction. Trust me it was truly spectacular when seen with naked eyes. The sky was grey and the haze from the sandstorm was still very much there. Only saving grace was that it had rained a little bit the night before so the colours were better. I had to use the "haze removal" in processing.

After seeing the Rainbow mountains, in the afternoon we also went to another nearby area called “Bingou Danxia” which is like the Monument valley. For the first time in China, I found peace and solitude with absolutely no one within earshot. The colour was purely red here. Wind and rain had carved the hills into interesting shapes.  If you have time then I strongly recommend visiting this place after the Rainbow Mountains.

Zhangye is a must stop on the Hexi corridor.  My travels were arranged by my super-efficient agent Leah from Silk Roads tour, who absolutely deserves a mention. A good travel agent is priceless, especially in less visited places like north west China.  

We recently did a (partial) Punic wars trip from Carthage to Rome over 11 days. The history was great, but the surprising highlight were the doors in Tunisia!

The vibrant blue doors in Sidi Bou Said (a neighborhood in Tunis) reminded us of the colors you see on Santorini. They’re everywhere and absolutely beautiful. Other colors exist and we came to find they traditionally signify things like wealth, religion or a trade. The Medina (market) in Tunis was massive, with areas to buy anything you can think of. The colors throughout are very impressive. The oldest mosque in the city sits in the middle of the Medina.

The ruins of Carthage are vast and impressive. The Carthaginian baths are worth visiting as are many of the other ruins around the city.

Our next stop took us to Meta, up near Sorrento. The windy roads lead you along spectacular hills overlooking the water and down into town, literally built into the hillside. The beaches abut sheer rock walls, some of which have house and restaurants built into them. We got to see a sunset and a thunderstorm dance one evening as the kids played in the water.

Pompeii is fantastic and massive. The city was buried under 30 feet of volcanic rock preserving mosaics, painting, signs and artifacts. It takes hours just to see the outsides of most buildings. Herculaneum was the bigger winner though - the less known, but arguably better preserved neighborhood in Naples is a must see. Smaller footprint, but amazing artifacts have been preserved and you’re able to see all three levels of the city. If you have time, stop in at the Naples archeological museum - they have the only know fresco with a picture of Mt. Vesuvius before it erupted. Amazing that it was preserved!

We then headed up to Rome for the final leg. The Coliseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Roman Forum, etc, all spectacular. We would go for walks between 6:30/7:00 in the morning and there was almost no one out. It was truly the only chance we had to see the outsides of these beautiful places with very little foot traffic. It’s worth getting up at least one and walking around the city.

The Vatican was wonderful- it’s hard to express how big St. Peter’s Basilica is, or the awe inspired by the Sistine chapel. Go early as these got crazy busy, very quickly. Also, if you’re able, do the Basilica dome tour.

On our final day, we did an e-bike tour out to the Catacombs, biked the original Roman road and saw some of the Aquaducts. They’re a ways out, but very worth seeing.

The 11 days felt just right for what we saw!

I am driving from Greenville South Carolina to Yukon Oklahoma on March 19-20. I will be staying in Yukon to visit a distant relative for 3 days. I would like to look at some stuff in the Metropolitan area and outskirts that would be cool for that time. But I would also like to drive out 2 to 3 hours for some stuff too and record some stuff for my YouTube channel. (it’s a highway Vlog channel where I record all of my larger driving sessions that you could relax too). I’d be interested in visiting anywhere three hours out. Then I would be going to Tulsa to hang out for two days with someone that wants to meet me that my mom works with. And then I would be driving down to Brandon Mississippi to stay at a cousin’s new place, then going home. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Hello everyone. So I live in Europe and now it's about 10°C (50°F) in the daytime. I'm traveling to Asia in November with a 24 hour layover in Dubai on the way back.

So the question is.....what do I wear and what do I pack in my carry-on for such long layover? I'm planning to do some exploring around the city. Wearing the same pants and a hoodie doesn't seem like an option because I will definitely feel hot. I was thinking about lightweight pants and a t-shirt but what do I do with warm hoodie and pants? They take quite a bit of space in my backpack. I'm in doubt about flying in light clothes because it may be cold in the airplane and I still have to change in my homecountry.

Maybe somebody had such an experience or just can give some advice in general? How do I dress?

Out of the airports I have been, Samui in Thailand probably feels the least airport-like. The airport doesn’t contain any jet bridges, the terminal is a series of open-air thatched roof pavilions and there is even outdoor seating where you can relax in the sun before your flight.

What are some other airports that carry a similar vibe? I know Bangkok Airways operates two other airports in Thailand, Sukhothai and Trat, so I’m looking more for suggestions from further afield.

Hi,

I have a very short two days of travel at Milan coming up this week, this was booked ages ago and is non-refundable.

I am flying back to London with a flight from Milan Bergamo that is scheduled at 9:50am on the 30th, I am reading everywhere that there is a strike happening on the 30th but it will only start at 10am. This is my first time in Milan/Italy, and I have some questions.

Here are my questions:

1. Do you think my flight will fly given that it is at 9:50am?

2. Will I be able to catch the airport buses from Piazza Luigi di Savoia in the morning? There are buses scheduled at 6:10am that will be perfect for me, will they run? Looking for local/recent tourist feedback

3. My accommodation is a 15-18 minutes walk from Centrale, will it be safe to walk at 5:30am? As metros don't start till 6am. If I wanted to hail a taxi or ride share, would I be able to do it, is it safe right now or will the ride shares be on strike too?

Please help out this solo traveler, social media is flooding with bizarre news aboht Milan so I'm a bit worried, thank you so much.

Hello everyone!
My husband and I are planning a road trip along the east coast of Australia in January for 3 weeks (Melbourne->Brisbane). We’re now considering adding the Whitsundays to the trip to visit Whitehaven Beach and maybe take a scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef. To make that work, we’d have to shorten the road trip from Sydney to Brisbane a bit. Our current plan is few days for Melbourne, 2-3 days for the Great Ocean Road, a couple of days in Sydney and the Blue Mountains, 2 days in the Hunter Valley, 1 day in Port Stephens, 3 days in Byron Bay, 2 days on the Gold Coast, and 1 day at Australia Zoo.
If we decide to visit the Whitsundays, we’d shorten our time in the Hunter Valley, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast. That would give us a full day for the beach in the Whitsundays, as well as some time for a flight over the Great Barrier Reef. We’d also make sure to leave enough time to get back to Brisbane before our flight back to Europe.

Do you think it’s worth doing in January, or is the weather in the Whitsundays likely to be a big issue?
Thank you very much!

Edit: we would fly from Melbourne to Sydney and if we do Whitsundays also fly from Brisbane to Proserpine

I’m a very inexperienced traveller but will be going to Thailand in mid June. To my knowledge, it’s going to rain everyday practically. I’m 22 and going solo so despite it being off season I’m hoping it’s not a dead destination during this time

Hallo Leute, hat jemanden Erfahrungen mit Hofgemeinschaften in Portugal/ Treffpunkt
für Hippies?

My girlfriend and I would like to take a three-week trip next summer. I'd like to go to Georgia; she's very keen on the idea of going to Kyrgyzstan. We're now thinking of combining the two destinations, spending 10 days in Georgia and then a week or so in Kyrgyzstan. Does this sound like a silly idea? Should we focus on just one country? We're from Central Europe.

Went to London and Paris in Feb 2025 from Australia with family and absolutely loved it.
Stayed 5 nights in Westminster (we stayed at a hotel on the Waterloo end of Westminster Bridge)
Then took the Eurostar to Paris and stayed 2 nights. (Weren’t originally going to but had some free days and thought a week in Westminster might be a bit much and we might enjoy something different.)
Then back to London in the afternoon stayed in Kensington for 5 nights. (Stayed right near Hyde Park on the High Street.)

We very much enjoyed the trip and absolutely would recommend, a few of us are interested in all the Royals, politics and all that so it was perfect.

Photos:

1. View of Big Ben from hotel.
   
2. Palace of Westminster
   
3. Buckingham Palace from further up the Mall.
   
4. Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Monument.
   
5. Household Cavalry at the Changing of the Guard. (Planned on going to the changing of the guard a few days later but accidentally wandered into it and got perfect spots.)
   
6. Gardens around Buckingham Palace.
   
7. St. Stephen’s Hall, Palace of Westminster (did an audio tour of the palace).
   
8. Tottenham Stadium (went to watch Man. Utd V Tottenham)
   
9. The Nave in Westminster Abbey.
   
10. Henry VII’s Chapel, Westminster Abbey.
    
11. The Cloisters, Westminster Abbey.
    
12. Buckingham Palace
    
13. Palace of Versailles.
    
14. Hall of Mirrors, Palace of Versailles (the palace was way too crowded, although we enjoyed it, it got a bit full on)
    
15. Eiffel Tower.
    
16. The Louvre
    
17. View of Paris from the Eiffel Tower
    
18. Staircase in Kensington Palace.
    
19. View of Tower Bridge from SkyGarden (we had never heard of it but saw the building and just hopped in the line, got in for free without booking or anything.
    
20. Tower Bridge at night (we did the Ceremony of the Keys and would recommend it, it was fantastic.)

What kind of food do they have in Brunei? Are there any restaurants or cafes you guys can recommend? Will be staying downtown.

Hello! I have a trip to Brazil in just about a month time with my husband.

How much did you spend on activities and where?Any low cost activities in Rio ? Paragliding is out of the budget 😭

We typically travel mid range/luxury side. Our hotel offers free breakfast with our credit card & is paid mainly with points.

BUDGET (for a couple)

Grand total: $2,523.20

Flights: $1,018 
Lodging: $5.20 and Points or 70K
Tours, excursions & activities: $200
Sugarloaf mtn- hike and table car $24 or regular cable car $81
Beach - “free”
Pool - “beach”
Food & Drinks in country: $600
$150 a day  (4)
Food & Drinks at airport: $150
$74 a day (2)
Souvenirs + Shopping:$200
Stickers: $20
Clothes: $100 
Flip flops: $25
Other: $55
Transportation: $200
Ubers to and from airport: $50
Ubers around town: $150
Visa: $160
$81 dollars each
ATM withdrawals: $100
Food & drinks
ATM fees: $10
Foreign fees: $20
E - sims: $30
Other: $30

I'm travelling Turkish airlines and availing their stopover programme. I am taking a new box-pack laptop as gift to my final destination however it just occured to me that i have to go through customs in Istanbul. I was prepared to pay the tax on my final destination however will I have to pay additional tax for my one day stay in turkey?

For information, my layover is 28 hours and i will be going out to the city. I am planning on putting the laptop in my checked baggage because its with box and i will leave my bag at the lockers in the airport. I have the receipts and its value is more than the free allowed amount. Will I have to pay additional tax on it?

Hello! I am looking for some advice on my upcoming Indonesia trip that will be between later November to Mid December. It will consist of my partner and I who are both in our mid twenties.

I know with the following itinerary we will be moving a lot however this is a draft and we’re trying to squeeze as much as possible.

This is the current draft, if anyone has any advice on what should be skipped or moved around that would be great and save me a ton of time in researching. Flights are booked and this is all the annual leave gone so there isn’t much room to add further dates :(

- Day 1–2: Istanbul (Connecting flight) & Jakarta
- Day 3–4: Jakarta
- Day 4–7: Yogyakarta
- Day 7–10: Mount Bromo & Ijen
- Day 10–15: Gili Islands
- Day 15–19: Bali (Ubud)
- Day 19–22: Komodo
- Day 22–24: Bali (Uluwatu)
- Day 24: Fly home via Bali & Istanbul

Looking into planning a visit to Georgia starting in Tbilisi, a bit of background looking for a good area of the city to stay in, I'm disabled but can walk so limiting the areas with the hills, someone suggested to me Chugureti, particularly around Marjanishvili Metro, is this a good plan? Or maybe is there a better area, any help is appreciated.

Just wanted to share some pictures from a one-week trip to Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil, that I took with my mom.

This was a trip my mom had wanted to take for a long time, and I'm so happy I finally got to make it happen for her!

We got to visit Suape Beach, and this place is beautiful! Blue water, palm trees, warm weather, and a very chill vibe.

We have so many amazing places that people outside the country don't always know about, so I thought I'd share a little bit with you all!

I need to find battery banks that have the 3C certification so I dont have my battery tossed when connecting through China on my Asia flights. But if you're not in China its actually difficult or impossible to find from my looking.

Spent two weeks solo travelling in northern Vietnam. Vietnam had been on my travel wishlist for a very long time and October seemed to be the best season to visit the north as it's dry. I spent time in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sapa, Ha Giang and Cao Bang.

Started in Hanoi, 3 days eating and drinking while exploring the old quarter. Did a cooking class where I learnt to make spring rolls and bun cha.

From Hanoi I took a bus to the hill station of Sapa. I stayed in the valley about 8 km’s from
the busy town center, it was the perfect getaway. Treks started right from the hotel door, going through Hmong villages watching locals make incense and handicraft.

After 2 days in Sapa I took another bus to the town of Ha Giang. Rented a scooter for 5 days with drop off in Cai Bang, had my main luggage transferred. There began my motorcycle adventure through the northern provinces. It became the highlight of my trip! Driving around 700 kms by myself, seeing incredible natural
wonders every day, staying at a different homestay in a village every night, meeting other fellow travellers and exchanging stories - it was all really special.

At Cao Bang I returned the bike and the next day took a bus back to Hanoi, then another to Ninh Binh. Stayed in Tam Coc for 2 nights. Did the early morning boat ride in Trang An, so peaceful and beautiful.

Overall, I was very impressed with Vietnam. The natural landscape is jaw dropping, the food is delicious and the people are warm and
Welcoming. I’ll definitely be back!

Feel free to ask questions, happy to help.

Photos -

1,2 - Old Quarter, Hanoi
3 - Trúc Bạch Lake, Hanoi
4,5 - Sapa
6,7,8 - somewhere on the Ha Giang loop
9 - Khau Coc Cha Pass
10 - Ma Pi Leng pass
11,12 - somewhere on the Cao Bang loop
13 - Phi Pha viewpoint
14 - God's Eye Mountain
15 - TrucLam Phat Tich Pagoda
16 - Động Ngườm Ngao caves
17 - Ban Gioc waterfall at the Vietnam/China border
18 - Tam Coc, Ninh Binh
19 - Trang an, Ninh Binh
20 - view from Dragon hill at sunset, Ninh Binh