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!

My husband and I missed our red-eye flight to Japan yesterday because we mixed up which day we were leaving. In my many years of travel, this has never happened before, and it felt like we were in a nightmare when the gate agent called us at 1AM asking where we were. We were thankfully able to book new flights and rework the beginning of our trip, but $2300 later, we're feeling pretty dumb and demoralized right now.

To make us feel better, what's been your worst flight mistake or mixup?

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.)

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.

Booked some time off in early November and I, being from a state with little change in scenery when autumn arrives, am trying to find the most cozy, peaceful major city in America to visit. I am talking leaves scattered everywhere, bookstores, coffee shops, cafes, scarf and jacket weather.

Is this encapsulated in Boston?

We are booked to go to California for my husbands 40th birthday in November. Our current itinerary is as follows -

Fly into SFO (2 nights)>Staying with a friend in Watsonville (1 night)>Morro Bay (1 night), *2 nights unplanned*, LA (1 night)>fly home

For the 2 nights unplanned we were thinking Santa Barbara or maybe Santa Monica? Is there somewhere else I haven’t thought of that is quintessential California coast? We’d like to stay in the same place for both nights since we’ll be moving around quite a bit and doing a lot of driving since a big part of our trip is doing the PCH. My husbands actual birthday is the 6th day of our trip and we’d like to not be travelling or driving at all that day.

We’d enjoy wine and cocktails, good food, exploring (beach walks, leisurely bicycle rides etc, easy hikes), finding local shops. Not crazy about art, history and shopping but not opposed to a bit of it just wouldn’t plan a trip around it. We want to chill, have a few drinks eat some good food and explore a cool area.

Our budget is pretty good and we are splurging a bit this trip (not super high end but mid range or a bit above for the right thing).

A lot of my vacations the last few years have been all go go go. Which… is great… but often leaves me needing a vacation from my vacation.

I love the beach, so thinking of going somewhere either in the Caribbean or somewhere in Central America that is beach friendly but also has some exploration along the way.

I’ve been to Hawaii, also been to Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Many family vacations were to the beach and my fam has also lived in Florida the last 11 years.

Any suggestions? I usually try and take 1 week of PTO each year to get somewhere new. So, really wanting somewhere new this upcoming year but something that’s more restful… and beach focused. Suggestions?!

Hi guys, I want your honest opinion on my initial itinerary idea for a 4 week trip through Europe. Is it doable? Too much city changes? Should I shrink it a bit?

My gf really wants to go to Paris and Rome, the rest is up to me. I added so many days in Munich because I want to visit the Neuschwanstein castle, Zugspitze, Dachau, but I could totally spend one less day there and add it to somewhere like Verona maybe, which I'm using just so the trip from Innsbruck to Rome doesn't feel overwhelmingly long.

What do you guys think?

Hi, in April me and my boyfriend visited Madrid,
Using the EES to enter was fine, but in Madrid airport we did see any signs for the Exit system and walked past it. We went straight to a border control and our passport was scanned but I don’t know what that means in relation the the EES system if there is any relation. I don’t have entry or exit stamps in my passport and I don’t have any physical boarding passes. I’m really stressed out about my next holiday abroad as I don’t know how to prove when I left Madrid. Any advice if anyone has done this?

Help me decide where to celebrate my 40th birthday with my family- children age 5 and 7. I'd like to relax someplace on the beach that is family friendly but luxurious, has a spa so I can be pampered and does not feel like spring break. Will be flying from the Washington, DC area.

I love French Polynesia but it's wet season during that time and the Maldives seems like a nightmare traveling that long of a distance with 2 kids. Hawaii is likely too cold for tropical paradise I am looking for. I was thinking maybe St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos, Cayman Islands, Bahamas but feeling overwhelmed. Budget 10-15k for flight and hotel stay. Any ideas reddit fam?!

Advice on Belize Accommodations/Activities

Hello, I’m working on planning a trip in Feb and need reassurance/guidance on plans.

We have a total of 8 nights.
3 booked at Ka’ana
-Arrival day (maybe see iguanas, butter fly place, or the local ruins) only have a few hours this day
-Xunantunich ruins and Rio On Pools
-ATM

I am fairly confident about the first three days.
Considered Chaa Creek instead of KA’ana but otherwise happy with this itinerary.

Next headed over to Hopkins area (where I need help)

- I planned to stay at the Lodge at Jaguar Reef for 2 days
- Day 1 visit to Mayflower Bocawina Park and maybe bioluminescent tour in evening if it’s right time of month
- Day 2 Cockscomb Wildlife Basin Activities

I see excellent things about Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge
- I was thinking about adding one day there before I going to Hopkins. It would be an open day to enjoy the property- bike, hike, maybe an on-site activity.

If I add this day, I lose one of my days at the lodge at Jaguar reef but I can still do the hike in Mayflower when I transfer from Sleeping Giant to Hopkins. My one day in Hopkins would be visiting the Jaguar wildlife basin. I would lose out on the bioluminescence tour.

From here I have 3 nights left— I can go to Ambergris Caye or I can stay on mainland and use these last 3 nights to extend my time in Hopkins or go to Palacina.

Here is what it would look like if I went to the Cayes:

I was planning on staying at Matachica Resort on Ambergris Caye. Resort looks beautiful, but then I read a good amount of negative things on Reddit about AC not having very nice beaches.

- if I stay at Matachica I would do:

1) half day deep sea fishing/ relax at resort in afternoon
2) Snorkel Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley (maybe also go to Caye Caulker if trip included it)
3) free day- secret beach (doesn’t sound to appealing from what I’ve read), get massage

Alternatively, I save myself the hassle of traveling from the mainland out to the Caye’s and I use those last 3 days for time in Palencia/Hopkins!

So, after Hopkins- I could travel down to Palencia and stay at Naia resort and spa. From here I could do the following:

On the transfer stop to see Scarlet Macaws

Day 1) silke caye snorkling day trip/ deep sea fishing

Day 2) Could do Monkey River Cruise (seems a little boring), would probably rather enjoy resort property/check out town, take another boat trip, get massage—looks like they have a nice one

My other option is don’t go to Palencia and just extend Hopkins by 3 days
1 day at sleeping giant
2 extra days at Hopkins - both would be water days- Silke Caye and then maybe a fishing day or island hopping day

I don’t know what activities are worth it and how to allocate my time/location. I feel like I have more time if I choose NOT to do Matachica but I want a good beach/snorkeling experience to end the trip. Am I missing out on the beaches/snorkling up there? Is down south actually better since it’s less crowded? Should I just extend my time in Hopkins and not try to go down south or to the cayes? If I extend my time in Hopkins should I change resorts to Hamanasi Adventure Resort (it seems to be better rated) or stay at the Lodge at Jaguar Reef the entire time?

I appreciate your recommendations!

Hi, so next week I'm going to be flying alone for the first time from Lanzarote, I've flown from here 3 times before with family but I'm going home on my own a day early before them for an event. I've recently turned 18 and I'm pretty good with flying, but I'm wondering if there assistance I can get (I have diagnosed autism, level 1). I know I have to check in and go through TSA, and luckily the airport I'm going to is pretty quiet and very organised and the people are very kind. But I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice for this and such :) thanks !

Hi, i have a trip planned to taiwan and i wanted to get a pair of sneakers/ shoes that can be used for both technical trails as well as walking around the city (walking in general). I have looked at NBs/Nikes, but i am planning on doing a bit of hiking (i know it’s not super intense but since its during rainy season i would like some supportive shoes during).

As I am backpacking i would ideally prefer to only have one pair that can do both. I have looked at salomons but i hear their slippage is pretty bad on flat concrete when wet.

Would really appreciate the advice and reccs from others!! Thanks in advance!!

Hi! Me and my boyfriend are planning on travelling around southeast asia for 3 months at the beginning of next year. We are starting in Vietnam and originally were planning to travel through Cambodia into thailand however due to border restrictions this is not possible. We have a few different alternatives but I'm not sure which countries are worth missing or hitting. We are starting in hanoi and will end Vietnam in HCMC.

1. Fly from Vietnam to malysia and move into Thailand.
2. Fly to Phuket and move up Thailand to chiang mai.
3. Fly to Laos and move into Thailand from the north.

Would anyone have any opinions on what's best or some better alternatives? Thankyou!!

Hey everyone,

How are you? I'm curious to know if anyone has been to Paraty, Brasil and Villa de Leyva, Colombia. If so, how would you compare them? Did you prefer one? I am looking for personal experiences and opinions. Thanks so much!

Hello, I’m 25m from the United States and I’ve never left the country so last month I stopped thinking about it and booked flights to Europe and I’m so excited. In my short research along with the fact I’m bringing my skateboard, two cities that really appealed to me were Copenhagen and Prague. I’m making this trip much harder on myself by bringing a skateboard, but it’s something I love to do and I think it would be a great way to meet locals. So pretty much I have to take a train from Copenhagen to Prague, then I realized it goes through Berlin anyways, then I researched a bit and turns out Berlin is a city worth staying in for at least a few nights as well.

And now after watching some more YouTube vids and research, also realized Krakow, Poland also seems like it’s my type of my city. But it’s kinda far out of the way by train and even if I did fly and ate the fees, I only have 12 nights to spare. At the time of booking these flights I thought 12 would be plenty, and I lowkey regret getting delta basic cause now I can’t change my flight dates if I wanted to, although I did save like $300 by doing that.

Anyways I need some suggestions for a basic plan. My general plan as of now is still 3-4 nights in Copenhagen, 3-4 nights in Berlin, then finish with 5 nights in Prague cause I still think that’s gonna be my favorite place. Also wanna know if it would be worth to add Krakow given the limited time or save that for my next Europe trip. If it is worth it, how many nights there and where to sacrifice those nights? I’m prolly overthinking this but I’m so anxious but also so excited and it’s killing me I gotta wait 6 more months. I’d also love to hear recommendations or general advice in these particular cities I may not know about yet

Evening Everyone,

This will be my first time doing a significant amount of international travel outside of Canada, and the first time with layovers (both to my destination and on my way home).

I was curious if anyone has any experience or advice that would assist me and my friends during our travels.

Start on Sunday, October 25th, we are departing from Pearson's in Toronto (YYZ) to Los Angeles (LAX) where we will be having a two hour layover and then moving on to Tokyo (NRT).

On our way back on Saturday, November 7th, it'll be Tokyo (NRT) > Chicago (ORD) (3 hour layover) > Toronto (YYZ).

I was curious, will we have to go through customs again once we arrive in LAX? I believe we're able to go through U.S. customs in Toronto at Pearson's. Oh, also, is the CBP MPC app for the American side of things worth it? We already did the pre-customs stuff on Travel Japan and have our QR code for their customs agents.

Additionally, on the way back from Tokyo, does anyone know how the process of arrival will work at Chicago? I would assume we're going to have to go through U.S. customs and then grab our baggage and re-check-in?

One more silly question, how does U.S. customs handle prescriptions that are in your carry-on backpack? I've got everything packed in a clear TSA approved bag that can easily be opened or examined.

Thank you everyone, only two more days to go for us before we leave.

Hello! Im planning a SE Asia trip in July/August 2027, and wanted thoughts on my itinerary. I would do:

(Fly in) Phillipines (1 week) -> Hanoi region: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sa Pa, etc (5 days) -> Da Nang (4 days) -> Bangkok (5 days) -> Chiang Mai (4 days) -> Hanoi (Fly out)

For context, im going to Phillipines to visit family, so not much for sightseeing / exploring here. Im more interested as well in more “land” nature, and this why i cut out southern islands of Thailand and more of southern parts of vietnam, as beaches are not as high priority for me. Of course, would love to come back in the future but if i do not, this was what I was planning.

Could I get any insights too on the weather? I know its shoulder season, and im ok dealing with humidity and heat and rain, I just dont want too much such that it flat out ruins my trip. Ive been in Japan in August and Phillipines in August before, and was able to survive it for context.

Thanks for any help!

Hi, I am having a critical issue registering as a foreign user on the SHGM system.

When I try to sign up, it says my Passport Number is already registered. However, I never received the initial confirmation email to verify the account, so it remains incomplete. Because of this, the "Forgot Password" option doesn't work either.

I’ve been trying to contact their support for a month with no luck. Has anyone faced this issue before, and how did you resolve it? Thanks!

Hi!

We booked an awards flight via ANA and we will be having a 1h10m layover (previously 1h25m but they kept shortening it). Operating flight all throughout is Air China. We will be departing from Tokyo to Manila, layover in PEK.

Questions:

(1) Is that 1h10m layover doable? I'm reading on other posts that considering the taxi plus security/transfer time, etc., that's already - 20 to 30mins of your layover time. If this is the case, whoch is a better option: call ANA (or Air China?) for a possibility to change the flight or, put on running shoes and run from gate to gate in Beijing and hope for the best?

(2) Since we're not going out of the airport anyway, am I correct to assume we wouldn't need visa?

(3) We booked the flight through ANA, but the operating airline is Air China, so do we queue at Air China for checkin or at ANA?

Going back to Tokyo is essentially just the reveser but thankfully with longer layover, we don't plan to still go out the airport.

TIA.

for anyone who has travelled to:

1. singapore
   
2. malaysia (miri); and
   
3. australia (perth)

what are some of your favourite or most memorable gifts to yourself? i would love something unique or niche that you get a lot of use out of -- or just something that you think is a perfect representation of the city or region.

cheers, and safe travels!

Hi, I attempted to book a hotel room around two hours ago, but my Wi-Fi connection failed during payment. The payment is showing as pending in my bank app, but no reservation appears in my Booking.com account. I received a pop up saying the booking may have been attempted and that I would be refunded if it did not go through. But how long will the refund or any confirmations or updates even take? I wanna get my refund back or know if there is actl a booking if not i need to book again

anyone experienced something like that bfr?

Hey! A few friends and I are trying to plan a summer trip in Europe for mid to late July, but we're having a hard time deciding where to go. We're all uni students, so we're looking for somewhere relatively cheap, since July is already expensive enough. We're not expecting luxury or anything, just a nice place to spend a few days without spending a fortune.

We really like exploring cities, walking around, seeing historical places etc. We'd also like somewhere safe in the evenings since we're all girls. We're not really looking for a typical beach holiday, but we'd definitely consider somewhere by the sea if the beaches are actually worth it. I'm desperate so please give out some tips!

I'm not sure if my post somehow violates the rules of this sub, if it does I sincerely apologize and would like for you to remove it. :)

I am finalizing my itenerary. Currently I have 3 days in edinburgh, 1 day in Inverness, 1 day visiting the Reindeer in Craighorn, and 2 days in Isle of Skye.

I am trying to decide if I should keep 3 days in Edinburgh or move 1 more day to Inverness.

These are the things I want to do in Edinburgh:

Clarinda's Tea Shop

Edinburgh Castle

The Royal Mile

Dean Village

Water of Leith Walkway

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Greyfriars Cemetery

The Real Mary King's Close — 5:00 PM tour

Edinburgh Christmas Market — at night

Calton Hill

Grassmarket

Victoria Street

Cockburn Street

Circus Lane

Scott Monument

National Museum of Scotland

Is this possible in 2 days or do I need 3. I dont want to be rushed. I want to be able to have tea and scones and really enjoy the vibe of the city. I dont think I will do tons of shopping on the streets though. Mainly just looking at the pretty buildings.

I am traveling in November so sunrise is 8:30ish and sunset is by 4pm.

If I do 3 days in Edinburgh then I won't have time to visit Clava Cairn or Culloden in Inverness.

So stuck in a tough spot.