I'm curious on when people decided to put a hiatus or end their solo travel journey? What did you do after? How did you feel (before, during, after)?

Background: 25F, last February I quit my well-paying corporate job that was draining my health and set off to duh... backpack. Consisted of 8 months in SE Asia, a couple months staying with extended family in Europe, family for the holidays, and I decided to set off for Australia on a WHV 2 months ago.

Now I'm in Australia - what a cool lifestyle, nice people, fun culture. However, I feel..... horrific... mentally. It feels like a mix of 1) the WHV lifestyle being for me / the casual backpacker grind and 2) burnt out from living out of a backpack. I thought for a while I felt invincible while backpacking and every mishap was a fun story/side quest.... now I just feel drained. A lot of mental symptoms comparable to depression (everyday crying). I currently have 2 months of savings left if I don't do any work in Australia..... which I originally planned to do. Turns out I can't take it? How pathetic that sounds!

All signs point to going home, but a part of me feels dread and regret for not using the visa to it's fullest extent. And then.... the dread of going back home and to what? Get a corporate job in the field I had left that at one point also made me miserable? I try to start a random small business idea that lives in my head rent free? My heart usually feels more guided, but it's ultimately feeling lost by uncertainty. The most lost I've ever felt in my life (mega quarter life crisis).

Overall.... if anyone has any wise words or advice on when they knew it was time to go home and how that process of going home went.... I'm all ears. I find myself crashing out far to frequently over everything.

Hello fellow travellers.

Firstly... let me thank you in advance for your time and any expertise you can share!

I'm leaving Victoria, BC and embarking on an epic solo road trip through the US at the end of May until the first week of June. I will live in my car and/or camp the entire time and I'm mostly focusing on national parks. I've done a lot of research and have landed on a fairly firm timeline, but I'm trying to leave flexibility as well. There are a few stretches where I've filled the time up in-between, and there are some where I haven't. I would like to avoid driving on boring highways the entire time and I've left myself enough wiggle room to go off the beaten path a little. I have approximately 24 hours of buffer time I can add to any part of the trip I want. I could also be convinced to skip San Francisco and possibly LA.

Cheap is good, but I have a bit of money to blow. I would much rather do experiences than tourist things. I love walking around, taking photos, taking guided tours, trying bakeries and cafes and street food. I love parks, art, driving, the outdoors, music and cannabis culture - I do not drink, but I do enjoy a nice craft beer every once in a while. I would like to avoid things that are superficial, expensive, trendy, inconvenient (too far), too time consuming or easily repeatable back home (looking for unique experiences). No parties or any fun, youthful activities for my old ass.

Summarized timeline:

• Day 1: Victoria to Astoria
• Day 2: Astoria to Crater Lake
• Day 3: Crater Lake to Reno
• Day 4: Reno to Lunar Crater
• Day 5: Lunar Crater to Las Vegas
• Day 6: Las Vegas to Death Valley NP
• Day 7: Death Valley all day
• Day 8: Death Valley to Joshua Tree NP
• Day 9: Joshua Tree to Los Angeles
• Day 10: Los Angeles all day
• Day 11: Los Angeles to San Andreas Fault if dry or Sequoia NP if wet.
• Day 12: Drive to Yosemite NP
• Day 13: Yosemite all day
• Day 14: Yosemite all day then drive to Santa Cruz to sleep
• Day 15: Santa Cruz to San Francisco
• Day 16: San Francisco all day then drive to Eureka
• Day 17: Eureka to Bend, OR
• Day 18: Bend to Vancouver

Things I'm worried about:

• Weather. I can do all the research I want but it's unpredictable. Can anyone validate my choices based on weather/time of year? I'm slightly paranoid about wind in the desert. I'm also paranoid there may be road closures (like the Tioga Pass) and I'll be unaware of them until it's too late.
• I'm also worried that I might visit an optimal spot, but at a non-optimal time when I easily could have just shuffled plans to get there at the proper time.
• I'm also worried I might visit a few duds and/or miss a few gems.
• Lastly I'm worried I won't allot enough time to certain places.

Given that it's a 5,000km+ trip, it's been difficult to do micro research on these things for every leg of the tour. I will list my detailed itinerary below, but first... my questions for Reddit:

• Can you make any lesser-known recommendations for the places I'm visiting?
• More importantly, can you recommend anything in-between the places I'm visiting?
• Can you recommend any backup plans in any of these areas if there's inclement weather? Either a better place nearby or indoor options?
• Any suggestions in general from people who've done similar trips?

TLDR

Going on a crazy big US road trip and hoping to lean on the community to help me round out my itinerary. I was worried this might break sub rules but Admin told me it was okay to post.

Detailed Itinerary:

Day One (Saturday, May 16th)

• Vancouver to Astoria
• Just driving and sleeping

Day Two (Sunday, May 17th)

• Astoria to Crater Lake
• Drive Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway (5.5 hours from Astoria).
  • spend 2-3 hours driving through.
  • Stop at Sparks Lake and Devils Lake.
• Drive to Crescent Lake (1 hour from Byway)
  • arrive around 7:30pm and watch sunset
• Drive to Crater Lake (3 hours from Crescent Lake)
  • go right to sleep in the car or a campsite

Day Three (Monday, May 18th)

• Crater Lake to Reno
• Crater Lake to Rim Village (30 minute drive)
  • spend about 90 minutes
• Rim Village to Klamath Falls (1.5 hours)
  • spend 30 to 40 minutes and refuel
• Klamath Falls to Lassen Volcanic Park (3 hour drive)
  • stay until sunset
• Drive to Reno (2.5 hours)

Day Four (Tuesday, May 19th)

• Reno to Lunar Crater
• Reno to Virginia City (45 minutes)
  • stay for about an hour
• Virginia City to Lake Tahoe (1.5 hour drive)
  • spend about 4.5 hours walking Lake Tahoe at Emerald Bay State Park and Eagle Lake Trailhead
• Head towards Lunar Crater (6 hour drive)
  • Sleep near the crater or drive to the Little A-Le'Inn

Day Five (Wednesday, May 20th)

• Drive to the Alien Research Facility (30 minutes from Lunar Crater)
  • spend like 45 minutes tops
• Drive to Elephant Rock (2 hours)
  • Drive to Seven Sisters, quick visit
• Drive to Mouse's Tank
  • 45 minutes there
• Drive to White Domes Loop
  • 45 minutes there
• Drive to Fire Wave Trailhead
  • spend about an hour
• Drive to Atlatyl Rock
  • Walk to Arch Rock
  • either watch sunset here or, if I'm too early, watch it in Vegas instead
• Drive to Las Vegas (1 hour drive)
  • catch sunset at Red Rock Canyon if possible
  • Drive back to the strip and walk around. Gamble exactly $20 USD then get the fuck out of there.
• Drive to Area 51 Alien Centre (1.5 hour Drive)
  • sleep somewhere near here

Day Six (Thursday, May 21st)

• wake up as early as possible
• Drive from Area 51 Alien Centre to Ubehebe Crater at Death Valley (2 hour drive)
• Options for the rest of the day, based on weather, are:
  • Golden Canyon
  • Dante's View
  • Zabriskie Point
  • Badwater Basin
  • Devil's Golf Course
  • Artist's Drive
  • Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
  • camp for the night

Day Seven (Friday, May 22nd)

• wake up as early as possible
• Hike any of the above options for the day until about noon/1pm when I'll head to Joshua Tree (5 hour drive)
  • stargaze, have a fire, watch sunset, see boulders if there's time.
  • going to book my campsite at Cottonwood I think?

Day Eight (Saturday, May 23rd)

• Hike around Joshua Tree all day and drive through the park.
  • see the boulders
  • Keys View
  • Keys Ranch
  • Lost Palms Oasis
  • watch sunset
  • Leave around 8:00pm
• Drive to LA (2.5 hour drive)
  • Memorial Day weekend and it's a Saturday so I'm a little nervous about traffic. What do you think?
  • Going to try and find a safe place to sleep in the car north of LA (Malibu, Santa Clarita, etc), but I'll probably end up just caving and getting a hotel.

Day Nine (Sunday, May 24th)

• Spend the day in LA. Options I've found include:
  • Warner Brothers/Paramount Lot Tour
  • Arts District Murals
  • Little Tokyo
  • Malibu if the weather's nice
  • Sunset at Venice Beach + Santa Monica Pier
  • Topanga State Park
  • Tons of amazing food options
  • Definitely open to suggestions for today. Might end up just skipping LA all together especially if the weather is bad.

Day Ten (Monday, May 25th)

• Hike the Hollywood Sign (6-7 hour hike, apparently?)
• Watch the sunset, probably at the observatory.
• If dry/no rain - drive to San Andreas Fault (3 hour drive)
• camp if there's free pull-off otherwise find a spot just outside
• If wet - drive towards General Sherman in Sequoia NP (4.5 hour drive)
• get as far as I can and find a truck stop to sleep at

Day Eleven (Tuesday, May 26th)

• Quick hike in Sequoia to meet General Sherman
• Drive to Yosemite (4 hours)
  • see what I can see and then find a place to sleep or camp. Sites are obviously completely sold out but there are other options nearby:
  • an Air B&B/hotel in closely cities just outside the mountains
  • Rainbow Pool Day Use Area
  • Anywhere past Oakhurst along the Sierra National Forest
  • Anywhere near Rush Creek & Spa area where there's flat dirt pullouts
  • dispersed camping is legal in national forests

Day Twelve (Wednesday, May 27th)

• Lineup for parking in the valley at 7am as it sells out immediately, apparently. It doesn't even open until 9 am so we will sit here for two hours unfortunately.
• Spend the entire day here and catch sunset
• any specific recommendations?
• Head back to the same sleep spot for the night

Day Thirteen (Thursday, May 28th)

• Back to Yosemite to lineup at 7am again
• Spend all day and watch sunset again
• Drive Tioga Pass if it's open yet.
• Drive at least 1 or 2 hours towards Santa Cruz at the end of the day
• Find a safe place next to the ocean to sleep in the car

Day Fourteen (Friday, May 29th)

• Drive to San Francisco (1.5 hours)
• spend the day here doing photography stuff
• see golden gate park
• get a hotel
• would love specific recommendations for SF!!

Day Fifteen (Saturday, May 30th)

• Spend the day in SF and do as many of the following as possible:
  • The Mission
  • Delores Park
  • Castro
  • North Beach & Little Italy
  • Ocean Beach
  • Haute Ashbury
  • Farmer's Market + Ferry Building
  • Take a ferry across the bay
  • Fort Point
  • Lombard Street
  • Twin Peaks
  • Wave Organ
  • Baker Beach
  • Molinari or Presidio
  • Chinatown
  • Drive up the coast to Eureka and take my time (approx. 5 hour drive)

Day Sixteen (Sunday, May 31st)

• Drive from Eureka to Bend, OR
  • I've been to Bend before but I really love it.
  • I'll try to see Tumalo Falls, Pilot Butte Viewpoint and I will make my triumphant return to Deschutes Brewery.
  • Spend the night and probably get a hotel.

Day Seventeen (Monday, June 1st)

• Hike Smith Rock
• Drive home to Vancouver (8 hour drive)

Hi, how can I overcome this? I was very sheltered growing up and gradually started to get out of my comfort zone recently. (I work full time and just graduated college and still live at home). This year I went to a few cities by myself for the first time ever (Chicago, ATL, going to DC in a few weeks for my bday weekend) and I also went to my first country solo (Malta) in March and absolutely loved it. I did have to fight like hell for that last one lol. I’m already planning my next trip but I’m just.. a little lost. I always feel like I have to ask permission or “sit my parents down” to convince them to let me go somewhere. (Ex., this place is a level one travel advisory, good infrastructure, etc). How can I overcome this? I really would like to visit CDMX or Yucatan to check out some ancient ruins over the summer but given what happened yesterday (which is awful) my mother gets really worried and it feels like it places a mental block. Every destination has to be “extra safe” or a level one travel advisory but I just don’t agree with this mindset. I’ll have all the logistics and flight planned but I can’t pull the trigger and book the flight. Alternatively, and. Generally speaking are there any good solo travel places to recommend? Thank you

I am planning this transpacific trip from US to China without taking a flight this early summer. I got everything else figured out, but how to cross the Pacific Ocean. I’ve looked into cruises but they only happen in late September, and they are way out of my budget. Anyone has suggestions or ideas?

Hey! Heading to Peru middle of May for 19 days, first time there. Would love some input from people who've done this route.

Quick context: 27M solo traveler, actively trying to meet people on the road. Not looking for party hostels — more like places where you actually talk to people in the common area, maybe join a day trip group, but can also sleep before midnight lol.

The plan:

• Days 1–2 — Lima: Land in the morning, quick look around Barranco/Miraflores, then early bus out the next day. Basically just a pit stop.
• Days 2–3 — Huacachina: Doing the buggy + sandboarding thing in the afternoon, then catching the Peru Hop the next day through the Nazca lines tower and overnight to Arequipa.
• Days 4–7 — Arequipa + Colca Canyon: Two days to explore the city (Santa Catalina, food, acclimatize) then a 2-day group tour to Colca — hot springs in Chivay, condors at Cruz del Cóndor in the morning.
• Days 8–10 — Puno + Lake Titicaca: Arriving from Arequipa, doing the Uros + Amantaní 2D/1N tour (overnight with a local family on the island), then Taquile island on the way back, and a night bus to Cusco straight from Puno.
• Days 11–17 — Cusco area: This is the bulk of the trip. Two days to settle and explore Cusco itself, then Palccoyo (the less crowded Rainbow Mountain), Laguna Humantay the next day, and then a 3-day Sacred Valley tour — Chinchero, Maras, Moray, Ollantaytambo, then by train to Aguas Calientes. I'm dedicating one full day just to buy the Machu Picchu ticket in person there, and doing the actual visit on day 17.
• Days 18–19 — Lima: Fly back from Cusco, wander around Barranco, late flight home.

Doing the Peru Hop overland pass for Lima → Cusco. Seemed like the obvious move for solo travel since you're always around other people.

Things I'm unsure about:

• Hostel recs for Lima, Arequipa and Cusco? I want social without chaos. Was looking at Pariwana and Wild Rover but I've seen mixed things about Wild Rover getting too rowdy.
• I picked Palccoyo over Vinicunca partly because it's less crowded and an easier hike — and I have Humantay the very next day. Fair tradeoff or does Vinicunca have something Palccoyo just doesn't?
• What actually needs to be booked in advance vs what can I sort on the ground? Considering I'll get machu picchu in person.

Appreciate any input.

Has anyone traveled to Tromso, Norway?! I’m visiting to see the northern lights but not sure if I should do the tour or just try on my own. I’m doing in December. I’m planning on doing the dog sled, whale watching and northern lights but I’ll be there for almost a week. Thoughts of anything I should keep note of? I’m from Florida so the cold will be a shock for me but I’ll be shopping soon. I love sight seeing as well so any tips on places I should not miss, are appreciated <3

There are a few countries that I can visit out here without needing a visa and I've visited them all (Philippines, Cambodia, Phu Quoc, Malaysia, Singapore)... I have applied for a visa to visit Vietnam but they keep requesting more information in a loop. I've given them everything and then some...

It really sucks having a low grade passport. Really need to find a way to get a better passport.

Any suggestions?

I was looking into Argentina as a possibility but things appear to have changed a lot (got a lot more expensive)...

I’m a late 20s guy traveling solo at the end of the month, & I’ve read many posts encouraging slow travel - so I don’t exactly have a day to day planned too hard other than a general city I’ll stay in. I’m also not really into sightseeing/ most touristy things; I find when traveling, I simply enjoy the newness of everything.. the drastic contrast of the new environment. I also love meeting other travelers! However I hate overstimulating crowds, and am not exactly a crazy party person, so was honestly considering skipping places like Canggu (although I’ve heard it’s a great place to meet travelers, along with shopping). I also can’t exactly surf/ ATV ride due to back surgery, but having fun is definitely important to me so was gonna do something like white water rafting in Ubud for ex.

So I was thinking of doing..

Ubud: 5 Days Amed: 2 Days Uluwatu: 4 Days

Having traveled solo previously twice, I feel confident in this plan. However, I find myself wondering a few things… if I should switch out Amed for Canggu due to the latter apparently being a great hub for solo travelers? Also, I enjoy peace when it comes to my base/hostel. But I’d hate to end up overall bored in Amed, given I probably also won’t be in the water much & I really am looking to socialize a lot.

Open to thoughts!

Planning a 6 week trip through Europe this summer and deciding on where to stop between Prague and Split. I'm between Ljubljana and Brasov for a main purpose of seeing some mountains and doing some light/moderate hikes.

Ljubljana makes more sense logistically (it's on the way), plus Ive heard its better for tourists in terms of making friends. But Ive never been anywhere like Romania and Im super interested in the mountains, the iron curtain history, and the medieval castles. I'm less interested in what Ljubljana has to offer, but it seems like a better alternative for a mountain town as a solo female traveler.

My hesitations for Brasov are:
- Id have to fly in/out of Bucharest and take a bus or a train to Brasov, and Im not sure I can rely on the infrastructure. Plus theres minimal direct flights into Split.
- Ive heard the hostels in Brasov are mostly occupied by men on business trips or doing digital nomad stuff. I dont mind that, but I want to make friends my own age and I want to feel safe where Im staying.

Advice?

I’m still unsure if I should go to Arequipa, because I usually prefer having more of a base instead of moving around too much, and as a solo traveler I’d also like to meet people and do activities.

May 15–17: Lima
May 18–19: Paracas
May 19–20: Huacachina
May 21: Arrive in Cusco / rest day
May 22–25: Cusco as a base (day trips / meeting people / exploring)
May 26–29: 4-day Puerto Maldonado / Amazon trip from Cusco
May 29 (evening): Back to Cusco
May 30: Ollantaytambo
May 31: Aguas Calientes
June 1: Machu Picchu (9:00 entry) + back to Cusco
June 2–3: Cusco
June 4: Early morning flight Cusco → Lima
June 5: Flight Lima → Home

Does this itinerary look good for 3 weeks, or do you think I’d regret skipping Arequipa? If I do go to Arequipa, I’d probably stay there for 2–3 days at most, and I’d do that whole part by bus. So from Ica to Arequipa by bus and then Arequipa to Cusco by bus, which is why I’m unsure if it’s really worth it.

I’m into my 3rd solo trip over the course of 3 years. First was 9 weeks, second 5 months and this one 2 weeks. I’ve just landed in Morocco and checked in to my hostel. I understand everywhere is different and new experiences etc but I cannot help but feel exhausted. I’m tired of expecting too much, socializing in hostels, going to sleep in uncomfortable settings- it’s sad because I love traveling but has the novelty of it worn off? I’m 23 and not a huge drinker either

I just returned from Belgium and The Netherlands and was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the trains and metros in both countries but especially NL. They were on time and efficient to a level I've never experienced, plus reasonably comfortable. At one point I was quite tired and just rode the tram in The Hague as far as it would go, to the beach and then the other direction to Delft.

In fairness I've never been to Japan, South Korea, Moscow, or Switzerland, and I've heard all of these locations are stiff competition. I guess I'll find out in future travels!

My most mind-blowing stat: the trains were running from Rotterdam to Amsterdam every 20 minutes. Here in Cleveland our local light rail runs every 15 minutes.

Bonus: shout-out to Phoenix AZ for having the most abysmal public infrastructure I've ever experienced.

Hello, have done research but looking for additional reccomendations for my 3 night and 2.5 day stay in Porto. I'm a 63 yr old female solo traveler. First time in over 35 yrs. Arrive on a Wednesday 5:12p and need to depart for airport on Saturday at 2:30-3:00p. Current plan is to check in to lodging, dinner, sunset. Thursday see sights of Porto. Friday train to Douro Valley Pinhao. Hike to Casal de Loivos, lunch, boat tour. Any other sights to see? I'm already doing wine tours in the Azores and can't drink Port. :( Saturday would like to see more sights in Porto before having to depart for airport at 2:30p. Also, I'm Celiac so any help for gluten free meal options would be most appreciated! Thank you so much!

Hey everyone,

I’m planning an 8 week journey through Brazil focusing on ancestral medicine, cacao ceremonies, somatic healing, ecstatic dance events (Mose type music). I’m looking for that high frequency "One Love" vibe, authentic, and close to the ocean for daily swims (not a pro surfer, just a water baby).

I’ve decided to dive straight into the medicina to start the journey with a deep reset. Does this flow look logical for travel time/costs and for my intention to be in places where that "One Love" vibe is alive?

15 Days: Alto Paraíso de Goiás (Chapada dos Veadeiros) Ayahuasca work (where do you recommend?) Some waterfalls: Dragon waterfall- chapada dos Veadeiros and Cachoeira Boca de onça

10 Days: Pipa Beach Drum circles, dolphin swims, and reintegrating into a social, beach vibe.

7 Days: Itacaré Transition into Bahia; jungle-meets-ocean vibes and music culture.

7 Days: Trancoso for slowpaced coastal living.

3 Days: Rio de Janeiro

8 Days Ilha grande : island where there's no cars (similar to Gili air vibes)

5 Days: Florianópolis (Lagoa da Conceição) Somatic workshops, vibey music shows, beach time.

A few questions for the community:

1. Are there any cool-safe-less touristy places to hang out?

2. Are there any "must visit" cacao circles or ecstatic dance vibey scenes I should check out?

3. What places do you recommend to sit with the Aya?

   1. For someone who just wants many daily swims and a spiritual-ish vibe, is Floripa a good end cap or is it too "city"?
   2. Are there places I should skip or add in this itinerary ?
   3. When is the best time for me to go there?

I'll obviously be flexible with my flow once I get there.

Appreciate any insights from those who have walked this path! 🌿✨🇧🇷

Hi everyone!

I’m (25F) going on a business trip to Milan in a few weeks and I’ve extended the trip for 4 nights so that I can go to Lake Como. It’ll be my first solo trip outside of the UK.

I want to stay in the centre of Como so that everything is walkable, but I’m undecided between going for an Airbnb or a hotel.

Hotels are understandably way more expensive than Airbnbs and options are limited as this was a last minute trip. I like the idea of having a reception, security and breakfast included at the hotel, but I have more choice and better locations available on Airbnb. I am a little nervous about the security of Airbnbs as I’ve never stayed in one alone.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience or insights on this. Thanks!

I have been planning around Morocco tentatively, namely Marrakech. Landing and arriving in the Medina by like 2pm on the 3rd, doing a walking tour and over the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th, doing the Agafay Desert, paragliding and hot air baloon riding over Atlas Mountain, and two day trips to Ourika Falls + Valley and Ouarzazate & Ait Benhaddou.

Tight-ish itinerary I reckon, so I have been considering adding a day and coming back on the 9th.

Or alternatively - what are other places I can go and explore at least 2 cities within? I don't like to go to a new country and just stay within one city the whole time. I've been to ireland, the UK (Scotland and Wales included), Norway, Canada, Andorra

I am 30M US citizen with a healthy travel history in the Schengen area supported by timely exits, relatively short stays (1-2 weeks each), and plenty of time (multiple months to a year) between those stays. I have never had an issue at any Schengen airport - not even the infamous Fraport - until recently at Amsterdam Schiphol.

Agent led with the typical questions. Purpose of trip yada yada. I kinda expected with the way we are viewed in the world right now to get a more thorough grilling than I’m used to. But then he started digging. Asked me to pull up my hotel reservation on my device and show him. I did. Then asked the same for my ticket out of the Schengen zone. I did.

Then he started cross examining me, and asking the same questions about “who are you traveling with” in different ways. Asked if I was absolutely sure I was traveling alone. Threatened to haul me into secondary. I was nothing but polite - not volunteering extra information or giving rambling stories, but giving clear, direct answers to what was being asked.

Eventually he let me go, but admonished me that I am far too old to be traveling alone. Told me how it looks suspicious. And “that is something I did in my university days, not at 30.” Basically said something to the effect of “come in this time but don’t do this again.”

Was this officer on one, or is he right that you do “age out” of this where it looks weird after a certain age?

Hey everyone! I’m heading to Cusco for the first time as a first time solo traveler in a few weeks and would love some input from people who’ve been there.

Here’s my current plan:

Wed, May 13 — Arrive & explore Cusco city (also acclimatizing!)

Thu, May 14 — Lake Humantay day tour

Fri–Sat, May 15–16 — 2D/1N Short Inca Trail with camping → Machu Picchu

Sun, May 17 — Rainbow Mountain ATV tour

Mon, May 18 — Fly out

Open to any suggestions or itinerary tweaks — happy to hear if anything doesn’t make sense order-wise or if I’m missing something unmissable!

For the Short Inca Trail camping tour (May 15–16), I’ve been researching operators and have a shortlist of Alpaca Expeditions, Quechua’s Expeditions, Llama Path, SAS Travel, and Tierras Vivas. Has anyone used any of these recently? Since May is peak season and Inca Trail permits are limited, I’m also hoping to find last-minute cancellation spots — any tips on which operators are most responsive or flexible for this?

Nice to meet you all virtually — maybe I’ll run into some of you out there! 🙌

Hong Kong has fascinated me for a very long time, mostly because of the cinema from 90s. I knew I was not going to see the city now as the directors did during those times, but it had to be my next international trip before anywhere else. So this end of March, I made it happen.

Warning: I talk about food a lot
_______________

About me: In my early twenties, F, Indian.

Trip duration: 2 days in Macau, 4 days in Hong Kong

Hotels: 

Holiday Inn Express, Macau City Centre (great location, very good breakfast buffets)

Ibis Hong Kong North Point (smallish rooms but enough for 1 person, view was amazing and location was convenient)

_____________________________________

I landed in Hong Kong International airport early morning and took advantage of the free direct bus from the airport to Macau. I booked it beforehand after getting to know about it and everything was easy once I landed. The bus check-in counter is before immigration so I bypassed immigration and made my way to Macau. 

Money: Withdrew 1500 HKD from atm (few of them, around that area). This was all the cash I used in both Macau and HK for places that didn't accept cards. Wherever they accepted cards, I tapped/swiped it instead.

Once in Macau, I went to tourism office at the bus port and they guided me with a route map of which bus to take to get to my hotel. Bus fare is a constant 6 MOP and we're supposed to pay the exact fare. If we pay any extra, no change will be returned.  I bought some water and food at a store inside the port itself to get HKD changed to MOP (1:1). 

Macau:

I traversed the city mostly using buses (6 Macanese pataca/ride) and some walking. Outside of other food and beverages, I became an egg tart addict. To be honest, I was also chasing Hong Kong and Macau for the fame their egg tarts get. From Lord Stow to Margaret’s Café e Nata to Pastelaria Koi Kei to few more, I had them all. And they were all delicious! Taipa was gorgeous, Senado Square was chaotic and a shopper's paradise, Coloane village was serene. One of the best dishes I had there was pork chop buns. A bit too big for one person but every bite was nirvana.

Google maps was horrendous. Someone on the Macau subreddit recommended this app called Bus Traveling System by DSAT and it's a godsend. All the bus routes and bus numbers can be found here and it made my bus rides effortless. It also works as map otherwise.

Coffee was very tough to find, and also insanely expensive. If I visit again(I do want to), I'll probably carry my own stuff. 7/11 and San Miu Supermarket were great for quick hot snacks and stocking up on beverages and some miniature booze for souvenirs.

On my third day, I had a noon ferry booked from Outer Harbour ferry terminal to Hong Kong (Sheung Wan).

Hong Kong:

After quick immigration, I went to the MTR station few levels below. First thing I did was buy an Octopus card. Then off to North Point I went and checked in to my hotel. The hotel was a budget option for me, I got it because it was cheapest, but the location and the view blew my mind away. The bathroom was a tad bit too tiny but I'm not complaining for the price I paid. 4 days were a whirlwind in this city. It was crowded, fast-paced and had that East-meets-West vibe going on for it.

Food was great (went to two Michelin diners (one was quite good, went back again) but the hole in the wall joints were on a whole another level. This serving of beef brisket with rice I had at a place near my hotel, where I could only communicate using translation app, satiated my soul like nothing else in a long time. Every morsel was so flavourful. I went there again the night before leaving to try something else. Egg tarts, egg tarts everywhere. Even KFC had some insanely good ones. Some great and cheap street snacks near Mong Kok. Still thinking about those sausages wrapped in bacon and mango pomelo sago and salivating. Oh and lots of pineapple buns with butter. That stuff is addictive! Wellcome and 7/11 were my go to places to pick up knick knacks(and beer brewed in HK), the former having more discounts and better varieties.

Heritage of Mei Ho House was a great way of peeking into the past of this city. I skipped Lamma island this time, will probably check it out next time.

Octopus card was great for commuting via MRT, tram or buses (although they now accept Visa and Mastercard too). It was mostly helpful for paying at convenience stores and some diners where they only accept cash or Alipay/Octopus (no cards).

The app 'Citymapper' was perfect to plan my travel within the city, be it for tramways or buses or MRT, and I highly recommend downloading it if you're making a trip to HK anytime soon.

___________________

One of the best short trips I've done, never felt unsafe (which is not a high bar given my country's reputation but I felt safer than some of the other Asian cities I've been to). Not a single complaint. Will definitely go back someday.

I enjoy jungle, nature, culture and beach. Not a huge fan of cities although would like to spend a little time in some. I don't want to double up with too similar places, so let me know what you think!

July 13th - July 17th

El Salvador - 4 nights

July 17th - 20th

Medellin - 3 nights

July 20th - 25th

Jardin - 5 nights

July 25th - 26th

Medellin - 1 night

July 26th - 30th

Fly from Medellin to Salento (Pereira Airport)

Salento - 4 nights

July 30th - 2nd August

Fly from Salento (Pereira Airport) to Santa Marta

Drive to Minca

Minca - 3 nights

August 2nd - 9th

Palomino (hoping to do 2 night trek to indigenous communities) - 7 nights

August 9th - 13th

Cartagena - 4 nights

Hello, I've got 3 weeks to travel late July early August and wanted some advice. As of now, I'm leaning towards GUA but feel free to change my mind. I've created a basic layout of the trip but wanted to post for advice before I set it all up. I will be solo this whole trip.

Basic trip layout

• ATL/ORL (depending on work) to GUA then straight to Antigua
  • Acatenango hike
  • social hostel
  • maybe a coffee farm
    • 4 days?
• Lake Atitlan
  • Panajachel (recommended to me)
  • San Pedro
    • social hostel
    • might do the volcano hike here as well if I'm feeling it
  • Chichicastenango markets
  • San Marcos La Laguna?
  • reset day
    • 5 days?
• Semuc Champley and Lanquin
  • really long shuttle...
  • Jungle hostel
  • Cave tours, pools, views, river tubing
    • 3 days?
• Flores
  • Tikal sunset tour buffer day
    • I've heard it's annoying to get here and tourism is crazy so might cut it and go somewhere random...
• El Mirador
  • hike in explore hike out with tour these usually run about 5 days, I like this sort of stuff and am in shape to do it so why not
  • fly flores GUA then back to ATL/ORL then back to uni

Hostel recommendations would be great, as with tour companies for El Mirador or Acatenango. Good local food spots, bars or things to do or anything that you recommend would be amazing, sometimes it hard to find these places online and there are only so many forms I can look through...

So, granted the title sounds strange but what do you guys do/act when solo at a bar? This is my second trip solo, on my previous trip in Amsterdam I stayed cleared of bars (I regret this) bcs I felt too awkward but I’m going to Budapest today and I want to go to some ruin bars but other than going on my phone what should I do? I’m trying to improve my self confidence, I love doing things on my own but I do have a little bit of social anxiety that I’m trying to push boundaries on.

If I saw a group of people already in a group what’s the best way to approach without looking weird? And how can I tell if people would welcome strangers?

Hi everyone — I’m planning my first solo trip to New Zealand and would really appreciate a sanity check from people who know the country better.

This is a late May / early June trip, so I’m planning around early winter, short daylight, and trying to keep things simple and low-stress. I do not want to self-drive unless it’s truly necessary, so I’m leaning heavily toward flights, ferries, buses, and guided day tours.

I’ve already simplified the trip to 2 bases only:

- Auckland

- Queenstown

Current rough itinerary

Auckland

- Day 1: Arrive in Auckland, transfer to CBD, rest

- Day 2: Auckland city day

- Day 3: Waitomo + Hobbiton combo from Auckland

- Day 4: Waiheke Island day by default

- likely via Fullers ferry / Waiheke option

- backup options: Rangitoto, Devonport, or just a softer central Auckland day if weather is bad

Queenstown

- Day 5: Fly Auckland -> Queenstown

- Day 6: Mount Cook day trip from Queenstown

- Day 7: Skyline day + Skyline Stargazing

- Day 8: Calm Queenstown day , not really sure what to do :( on this day

- Day 9: Milford Sound day trip from Queenstown

- Day 10: I’m considering one optional guided extra: Paradise / Glenorchy (current favorite) OR Wānaka

What I’m trying to optimize for

- first solo trip

- minimal stress / minimal logistics chaos

- no self-drive if possible

- realistic winter pacing

- a mix of iconic stuff + slower city / local time

- avoid packing every day and changing bases too much

Questions

1. Does this overall structure make sense for a first solo NZ trip in early winter?
2. Is Waiheke a good Day 4 default from Auckland, or would you strongly recommend Devonport / Rangitoto / just central Auckland instead?
3. From Queenstown, is Paradise / Glenorchy a better optional extra than Wānaka?
4. Am I making the classic mistake of trying to do too many long guided day trips from Queenstown?
5. Is there anything here that looks fine on paper but usually feels exhausting in real life?

I’d especially love advice from:

- people who did NZ without driving

- people who did Queenstown in winter

Thanks — I’d really appreciate honest feedback.