I love onsens and baths in Japan. So I decided to spend two nights - in a Japanese style room - at Yamanaka Onsen at the Kajikaso Hotel. The onsen in the hotel was great and I spent a lot of time in the baths, and relaxing in my yukata in the hotel (free sake/drinks after noon). But I did get out and see the town a little bit.

There's a nice short walk along the gorge on which the hotel is built. It was hot and at the end of my walk I visited the old public bath in the center of town (you can buy a towel/soap, no reservations needed). That was an experience. And then I ate lunch both days at a little restaurant in town (お食事処 いつき屋). Their set lunches and with a beer are just $15.

Yamanaka is known for its lacquerware and it doesn't disappoint. There are also many ceramic shops and food/sake stores in town. The hotel has a buffet breakfast, which is great, though I recommend visiting a restaurant in town for dinner. Google Maps recommended a nearby sushi spot (Saraku); the food and sake was fantastic and the owners very personable.

Yamanaka is a little out of the way - about 30 minutes from the Kagaonsen train station by uber, and 1 hour to Kagaonsen from Kanazawa by JR. It was a great place to decompress, the onsen didn't disappoint and the town has just enough shops to stroll around for a little additional interests.

I spent a few days in Istanbul in June and really enjoyed the bosphorous strait, as you can see from the pics lol. Karakoy Pier and Galataport were such a delight, just watching the seagulls flying around in flocks and eating fresh grilled fish sandwiches. There's just something very calming and special about this part of Istanbul.

I'd also highly recommend the Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture in Galataport, underrated and beautifully curated. You could easily spend a couple of hours in there.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel across four continents so far (Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas), but for some reason I’ve never gone to Oceania.

It’s not a money issue or a lack of interest. I’ve always wanted to visit Australia and New Zealand, but I’ve had this weird apprehension for years and I can’t really explain why.

Maybe it’s because it’s so far away from everything else. Maybe because I’ve always travelled in places where I felt I could relatively easily move from one country to another.

Has anyone else felt that way before finally going?
Did it completely change once you got there?
I’d love to hear your experiences.

Of all the national parks I've visited, my two absolute favourites on the planet are Fiordland National Park and Taroko National Park (Taiwan). For everyone visiting Aotearoa New Zealand, Milford Sound / Piopiotahi is an essential visit. However, this is most commonly done as a day trip from Queenstown, where you only get to see Milford Sound for a couple of hours. In this post, I'll try to convince you that Fiordland National Park deserves more of your time.

First, the two best bases for Fiordland are Te Anau and Manapouri. I split my time between both, with Te Anau being the primary base. The Intercity buses are the best way to get from Queenstown to Te Anau. Some of these buses continue on to Milford Sound, but you'll get off here.

There's a ton to see around Te Anau. Lake Te Anau itself is gorgeous, with a great glowworm cave across the lake, and many boat tours. I spent a day in and around Te Anau. I had booked a helicopter tour, but unfortunately strong winds cancelled that. Fiordland offers extensive multi-day hikes like the Milford Track or Kepler Track. I didn't do these, opting instead for shorter hikes. In addition to cycling, Fiordland is also excellent for cycling, with plenty of e-bike and mountain bike rental options available in Te Anau. There are flat options, but things do get mountainous, so e-bikes are recommended.

I highly recommend the Lake2Lake Trail along the Waiau river which connects the lakes of Te Anau and Manapouri. I did the round trip with an e-bike, though it's also great for walking - you could do a day trip completing the trail, then taking the bus back. It's not just a scenic trail, with plenty to stop at along the way, including a bird sanctuary and The Lord of the Rings filming locations.

Milford Sound is of course Fiordland's key attraction, and for good reason. There are a number of day tour options available from Te Anau. By cutting several hours off the usual Queenstown day trip, the Te Anau-Milford day tours offer more stops along the way, and more time in Milford Sound. The boat cruises are a must, but there's also plenty to hike and see in and around Milford Sound.

The next day, I moved over to Manapouri and explored Lake Manapouri. Manapouri is a a tiny village with under 300 people with very limited options, so be sure to book in advance. I particularly enjoyed the water taxis in Manapouri. On the other side of Lake2Lake, the lake beaches are beautiful, alongside shorter hiking options.

Doubtful Sound / Patea is Milford's quieter, more subtle, sibling. While not quite the "Earth's finest spectacle" as Milford Sound, it has its own charms. By the way, though they are called sounds, both Milford and Doubtful are actually fiords. The tours for Doubtful Sound leave from Manapouri, with a boat across the lake, a bus through the mountain pass, and finally arriving for the boat cruise in Doubtful Sound. Doubtful Sound is not doable as a day trip from Queenstown, so you have to be in Te Anau or Manapouri, preferably the latter.

That brings me to the end of my week-long journey through the Fiordland National Park. You can easily spend a month here, and I plan to do the longer hikes in future, but this is a great introduction with every day being special. If you're short on time, I'd still recommend staying a night or two in Te Anau. Another alternative is to fly from Queenstown to Milford Sound, which gives a lot more time in Milford and visibility into some incredible sights only visible from air, though these are pricey. This was in summer 2025, and Fiordland takes on a different appearance in winters with the snow. I'll have a separate trip report from my autumn and winter trips to NZ later.

Since people ask every time, all photos were take on an Olympus E-M10 Mk IV and a Samsung Galaxy S25. It was a real challenge selecting 20 photos out of 200. Finally, as always, AMA!

Hi everyone,
I’m curious how other travelers would handle this situation.
My partner and I booked a private sleeper cabin for two on Chapa Express from Sapa (Lao Cai) to Hanoi through Klook several months in advance. We specifically paid extra for a private cabin because we wanted privacy during the overnight journey.

When we arrived at the VIP lounge shortly before departure, we were informed that our private cabin was no longer available due to an operational issue. Instead, we were told we would have to share a cabin with strangers.

What frustrated us most was that we only found out at the station. By then we had already checked out of our hotel, arrived with our luggage, and the train was about to leave. We didn’t really have a practical alternative anymore. If we had been notified earlier, we could have booked another train or changed our travel plans.

While we were waiting for an update, we were already inside what we thought was our assigned cabin. Staff members were speaking loudly among themselves in Vietnamese, and although I couldn’t understand the conversation, it felt like there was confusion about what would happen next. After waiting for a while without any clear explanation, we were asked to move from Cabin 8 to Cabin 12.

The refund process was also confusing. Different refund amounts were mentioned before we eventually received 2.5 million VND in cash. We even had to request a handwritten acknowledgment because there was no official receipt at first.
I’ve already opened a case with Klook, and they have escalated it for review, so I’m waiting for their final response.

I’m not posting this just to complain. I understand operational issues can happen. What disappointed me was the lack of advance notice and how everything unfolded only minutes before departure.

I’m curious what other travelers think:
-Would you consider the compensation fair?
-Has anyone experienced something similar with sleeper trains in Vietnam?
-If you were in my situation, would you have accepted the shared cabin or tried to find another option?
I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts.

​We took our kids to the Snowy Mountains for the very first time, and it was quite an adventure! ​We drove down from Sydney and stayed overnight in Canberra. The leg from Sydney to Canberra was absolutely stunning with clear blue skies. ​However, when we left Canberra around 8:30 AM the next morning toward the snow, we hit some crazy thick fog. Visibility dropped significantly, and seeing quite a few dead kangaroos and wildlife on the side of the road definitely made us extra nervous. We kept our speed way down just in case an animal popped out of the mist! ​Luckily, as we got closer to Thredbo, the fog cleared up into beautiful blue skies again. The kids had an absolute blast playing in the snow! ​A quick reminder to anyone driving down to the Snowies during winter mornings: stay extra cautious in the fog, especially with the local wildlife around.

​Would definitely love to do this road trip again!

I came to Cairo expecting the pyramids to be the highlight—and they absolutely were. But by the end of the trip, it was the city itself that stayed with me.

I started with an early morning at the Pyramids of Giza, did the classic Nile night cruise, and wandered through Khan el-Khalili. I was never really into the typical souvenirs, so I found myself looking for perfume oils, Egyptian coffee, chocolates, spices, and other local things instead.

One afternoon, I hopped on the Cairo Metro, got off at a random station, and just walked. That unplanned detour turned out to be one of the best parts of the trip. The narrow lanes and everyday life there were far more memorable than I expected.

I skipped a few touristy spots, walked more than I had planned, and realized Cairo is a city best experienced without rushing.

Note (for Indian travelers): It's much easier to convert INR to USD before your trip and then exchange the USD for Egyptian Pounds in Egypt. Directly exchanging Indian Rupees in Egypt can be a bit of a hassle.

Am I indeed the dumb cow airport staff considers me to be? Am I missing something? Why do I have to scratch up my laptop in the dirty bin? Why can't it be left in its thin fabric case once it's already in the bin by itself.

I was sorting through photos yesterday and noticed something funny.

The days I remember most are usually the ones where something went slightly wrong. Missed a train and found a café I'd never have stopped at otherwise. Took a wrong turn and ended up somewhere interesting. Got caught in the rain and laughed about it afterwards.

The days where everything went exactly to plan are somehow much blurrier.

Curious if anyone else feels the same or if I'm just romanticising it.

Flying in and out of Berlin October 11th - 20th (both afternoon flights). Here's what I've got so far. I'm hoping to keep to the Berlin area as to avoid long travel times to make the most of my trip and to take public transit.

11th-13th : Berlin

14th : Leipzig

15th & 16th : Dresden

17th-20th : Berlin

My questions are, is this too much Berlin or could I add a day or 2 in Prague since it's close to Dresden. Or should I cut out some Berlin time for another city in the area.

Thanks!

A few years ago I used Ambleside as a base for rambling in the Lake District and Cheltenham as a base for the Cotswolds. In both cases, my wife and I used the local bus system to take us to nearby trail heads.

We would love to repeat that wonderful experience, but in Eastern Europe. Do you have any suggestions for good places to base ourselves? We understand that we may need to use a car to do this.

We tried organising a trip for six friends this summer and I swear deciding where to go took longer than the holiday itself!

One person wanted a beach, one wanted a city break, two people had completely different budgets, and someone would disappear for days before replying.

We eventually booked something, but it felt like as the organiser that 90% of the effort was just trying to get everyone to agree.

Is this just normal when travelling in a group, or has anyone found a better way to make decisions?

(English is not my first language, so I used a translation tool when writing. im sorry if you mind)

I visited both countries during their respective off-seasons: China in May (Beijing 7days) and Japan in June (Kobe, Tokyo, and Kyoto 12days). Before I get into my detailed experiences, let me sum it up in one sentence for anyone trying to decide which country to visit:

If you’re looking for a relaxing vacation and an easy-to-navigate, enjoyable introduction to Asia, I would highly recommend Japan. But if you’re looking for a more intense, immersive, and whole different experience, and you’re prepared to deal with crowds, noise, smoke, and language difficulty, then I would recommend China.

If Japan’s attractions are small, refined, and beautifully curated, China’s are often on a completely different scale, grand, vast, and monumental. In Japan, I could comfortably visit five or six attractions in a single day. In China, I was already exhausted after visiting just two.

I have two pieces of advice for anyone traveling in China.

1. I strongly recommend hiring a tour guide whenever possible. A good guide can take you along the most worthwhile route, save you a lot of energy (im a low energy person), help you avoid getting lost in large scenic areas, and provide useful historical and cultural background that you might otherwise miss.

2. try to start your day as early as possible. One of my favorite places I visited was the Old Summer Palace. I arrived at around 7 am and spent 200 rmb on a guide who gave me an in-depth tour. Standing there and seeing the giant beautifully carved stone and jade ruins, I was honestly blown away. It was an incredibly moving experience. but it didn't stay peaceful for long😂. a large group of elderly tourists began arriving, and the place quickly became much noisier.

Sangkhlaburi is a the last stop on the 323 highway from Kanchanaburi to the Three Pagodas Pass. It's not especially popular with tourists due to its relative isolation and the mountainous road. However, it does have a magical feel when you first set eyes upon the Mon bridge!

It's the longest wooden bridge in Thailand and second in the world only to the U Bein bridge in Myanmar. It's 445 metres long and connects the Mon village of Ban Wang Kha to Sangklaburi. Every morning the monks come down the main street in the village to collect their alms. This is the big draw for Thai tourists who dress up in Mon clothes for the day and get their pictures taken with the locals. Many of the kids balance the jars on their heads (for photo opps) before they have to head off to school. The water level is also quite low at the moment. It can rise up to 20 metres!

That covers pictures 1 to 8.

Picture 9 is the offloading point at the Three Pagodas Pass for the Myanmar truckers. Everything has to be moved to Thai registered trucks. Very hot and demanding work!

Picture 11 is from a small shop in the Thai/Myanmar market. A Buddha carved out of the white jade with a price tag of 85,000 baht.

Picture 12 you see the famous pagodas with the Myanmar flag flying in the near distance. We did ask about going across the border but were told it's strictly prohibited now. I had been over previously about 20 years ago and we were only allowed to drive within the confines of the town.

Picture 13 is another viewpoint of the Mon Bridge.

Pictures 14 to 19 are of the very popular "3 Temple Tour". You can hire a longtail boat anywhere in the area. First off was Wat Sam Prasob - Mon style. In the dry season you can walk in and around the temple. Next was Wat Somdej - Thai style. Finally is Wat Si Suwan - Karen style.

The whole area was flooded in the 1970s as the Thai government built a dam on the Kwai Noi river to create the Khao Laem reservoir. This was done out of necessity to create hydroelectricity, secure a fresh water supply and prevent flooding in the central plains of Thailand. The valley chosen for the reservoir was the original site of Sangkhlaburi town. To make way for the water, the government had to completely displace and relocate thousands of Thai, Mon, and Karen residents to higher ground on the surrounding hills. The revered Monk, Luang Phor Uttama, organised the Mon villagers to hand-build the bridge (Picture 20) to reconnect their community to the new town.

Enjoy!

Hello Everybody! My daughter (15: US Passport) is flying alone internationally! This is her first time flying alone. She is traveling to LHR. This is with British Airways as well. We decided she was mature enough to fly without the unaccompanied minor service.

We have filled out the consent forms that British airways require, but a friend claimed that we needed to get the consent form notarized as well. However when we looked online, the website didn’t say anything along the sorts. (If this is wrong, please correct us!)

Furthermore, this same friend also claimed I would need another written letter signed by both me and my wife, that is also notarized, that is required by Heathrow. We looked into it and the website only said that was a requirement for children who were flying with one parent or with an adult who wasn’t their legal guardian. Can someone please give us the information needed? We’ve looked into it but couldn’t find the answers we were looking for!

If anyone had any other tips about navigating LHR, the documents necessary for her travel, and anything else—please let us know!

hi! i have a two week trip to europe scheduled at the end of august and am looking for advice on how long i should stay in each country. i'm flying into BCN and definitely want to spend some time in Barcelona, Italy, and London. i'm more than willing to make day trips to other countries but i'm struggling with how long i should spend at each location. also, if there are any recs for the area i'll take them.

info:

- two weeks in Europe, flying into BCN and departing from ZRH

- want to visit barcelona, italy, london, amsterdam

- budget, in the middle. something more private than hostels but not looking for luxury

- main interests are food

I booked my first trip recently, and went out for a week in Europe.

And now iv been back for a few days and everything is sinking in… I do not like traveling alone.

I don’t mind it. The places i went were so nice and fun, and i walked and ate in so many places, and i hiked, swam in lakes and all of that.

But I was lucky enough to have a friend living where i visited, and we did share half of the time i was there, and these days were the best. I loved walking and chatting and eating together.

The days where i was alone were mundane, even tho i planned for them, the activities still felt bland.

Did i do this wrong? Or im just simply not a solo traveler?

I'm traveling to India with my partner for a wedding and we'd like to spend ~8 days in Nov to December in a very basic/entry-level tour (Golden Triangle) including Ranthambore.

Do you guys have any recommendations for reputable agencies or similar companies for a tour? We do know the trip is doable solo (in a duo in our case), but we'd rather have a guided tour for our own convenience and also to get a local view of what we are seeing.

I'm aware that some people ask their hotels to arrange sightseeing and such, but I honestly prefer having everything planned before arriving and avoiding decision-making while traveling.

We have received some budgets from two companies, but to be honest, we got them from Google and can't really evaluate if the companies are trustworthy.

I really appreciate your feedback, and I'm looking for this trip!

Hi all, I’m about to turn 21 and I got struck by the feeling I need to experience more before I become stuck in an apartment with a shit ton of bills to pay. Me and my friend have always wanted to travel abroad but due to expenses, family trips, or lack of passports we’ve never been able to. But this will change next year. I’m getting my passport and we are starting to save in order to head on a two week trip to either China or Japan.

I hear great things about both countries and always hear both are a must when exploring the world, but with videos online it’s hard to decide which would be best for us.

We are two people who just want to experience something completely new. I enjoy shopping for souvenirs (customizable ones I’ll use daily) and site seeing. My friend is similar but has a specific love for tea (just got him a yixing tea pot along with one of his favorite teas from yunnan to surprise him for Christmas).

He’s more into the history of the world while I just enjoy discovering a new way of life and seeing things I don’t typically see in America.

My personal budget total will likely be around $5000 or so, with us splitting the costs of food, transport in the country, and hotel. What would be better for us with these things stated? Which country and city would you recommend?

(If it adds any additional, we know no mandarin/chinese/japanese, but we’d likely plan on trying to learn basic greetings and yes no, thank you, please, etc)

Thank you all!

Hello guys, we will be there between 21 August - 27 August. We booked Airbnb in Alicante center. I would like to listen your recommendations.

I'm backpacking through Europe this summer and will be taking the train from Vienna to Munich. My plan is to leave Vienna early in the morning, spend most of the day somewhere in the mountains, and then continue on to Munich later that evening.

I'm looking for a town that's:

• On (or not too far from) the Vienna–Munich rail route (I'm okay with taking a short regional train if it's worth it)
• Surrounded by beautiful mountains
• Has a lake that's good for swimming
• Not overly touristy
• Has a relaxed vibe where I could rent a bike, ride around, grab lunch, and just enjoy the scenery

I know I'm kind of asking for the best of both worlds, a place that's easy to reach but also feels like a hidden gem, but I figured if anyone knows, it's this community.

Does a town like this exist? I'd love to hear any recommendations, especially if you've stopped somewhere similar on this route. Thanks!

Hello! I’m a Canadian PR applying for Japan eVISA for the second time and I have quite a different situation from last year.

1. My husband and I are planning to travel toJapan from September to October for about 15 days. We currently have CAD 9,800 in our joint bank account, and the balance is gradually increasing. We already paid our flights and accommodations. Do you think this amount will be enough for our eVISA application?

2. We are planning to apply for the eVISA this week, but I will be changing jobs in about two weeks. I assume we won't receive a decision before then. Should I mention in my application that I will be changing employers soon, or is it only necessary to provide my current employment information at the time of application?

Thank you in advance for your insights!

Hello everyone! I chose Lago Maggiore for my 30th birthday celebration and we are traveling with a group of 10. The dates are 3-6 of September and I'm drafting an itinerary. We are staying in a beautiful villa near Besozzo, what are some good activities in the area (under 1h drive)? Also we are thinking of booking a private boat for the day but I don't see much options for 10 people except water taxis. Other things I'm curious about: what's the best vineyard to go to, which restaurants are a must in the area? Generally any advice would be appreciated, I want my guests to have the best time!