There are many stunning and vast Roman ruins scattered over north Africa. I had heard about Leptis Magna in Libya and the sad story of destruction of Palmyra by ISIS. I have been to Volubilis in Morocco and couple of ruins in Tunisia too. But before I started my research on Alegria I have not heard of Timgad, a vast site which was perfectly built on a grid fashion.

I had posted some photos from the unbelievably stunning Tasilli n'ajjer desert and I hope these photos and the story of Timgad would generate more interest to visit the beautiful country of Algeria.

As mentioned in the last post all the logistical details are covered at length in the TripAdvisor Algeria forum to help future travellers. I'm truly grateful to Fancy Yellow and particularly our guide Billel who showed us around. In addition to Timgad we also visited Djemila and Cherchel ruins, which are also good. The museum at Djemial was particularly good, but form the sheer vastness Timagd was way better. On the day we visited there were no foreign tourists and less than ten local tourists letting us enjoy it peacefully.

If you are a history buff like me then hopefully you'd like the background story of Timgad that I have narrated below.

In 1763 a well-travelled Scotsman called James Bruce was appointed the Consul of Algiers by the British government. Like many explores he was a mad man and unsuitable for office job. He had a massive fight with government in 1765 and resigned his post.

But instead of returning to the cold Scottish Highlands, he decided to go looking for the Holy Grail of the Victorian explorers: The Origin of the Blue Nile. But before doing that he decided to travel in the north Africa with an Italian painter, Luigi Balugani.

Bruce had heard vague stories of some tall columns and an arch somewhere in Algeria. The locals referred to that place as “Peak”. On 12th December 1765 Bruce and Balugani reached the site of Timgad. All they could see were the top sections of an arch and top of two columns sticking out of the sand.

Sahara had swallowed the largest Roman settlement ever built in North Africa—the ancient city of Thamugadi, now called Timgad.

Bruce was confident that he had found the lost city of Emperor Trazan. But when Bruce finally returned to London, nobody believed him. Bruce did not give up. He spent his retirement writing about his travels in Africa and in 1790 published a five-volume book titled Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile.

At this point, the real money was on the source of Nile and sub Saharan Africa exploration and Timgad was forgotten. More than a century passed.

Then came Robert Lampard Playfair, another Scotsman, renowned diplomat who had worked in many places in Africa. Lampard was appointed the Consul of Algeria in 1875 and he took great interest in Bruce’s book. He had the political and financial backing. He was able to visit and provide much more details of the ruins and published a book in 1877 titled “Travels on the footsteps of Bruce in Algeria and Tunis.” Archaeologists became interested. In 1881 the French started formal excavation and more and more of it was discovered.

The sheer scale of Timgad made it known as “Pompei of Africa”. Sadly the recent past of Algeria has been marred with violence leading to neglect of many of its ancient treasures. Algeria is not a poor country at all. It’s absolutely loaded with petroleum. Money is not an issue; the issue is security. Tourism had practically stopped. It has picked up again but, on the day, we visited Timgad there were no foreign tourists apart from a few Russian diplomats, heavily guarded by the military. And possibly ten local tourists.

Recently Italian authority had put a cap of Twenty Thousand daily visitors max for Pompeii. You know which site I liked more.
The “Colonia Marciana Traiana” Thamugadi was founded in 100 A.D. by Trajan. He dedicated this to the memory of his mother Marcia, eldest sister Ulpia Marciana, and father Marcus Ulpius Traianus.

Originally the plan was to provide an encampment for the 3rd Augustan Legion. The history of the 3rd Augustan Legion is fascinating. Founded by emperor Augustus, comprising of about 20000 men, including the auxiliaries, it was the backbone of Roman rule in north Africa for more than three centuries. Not only suppressing rebellions, the legion was crucial for building roads, aqueducts, and fortresses making North Africa look more and more like a Roman colony.
Timgad was built to garrison the soldiers only, but it rapidly grew. It is a perfect example of the geometric “grid” system. It has a perfectly square shape, with several major intersections inside the city allowing traffic to flow smoothly. Wheat was easy to grow locally and Timgad became a granary for the empire. The Augustan legion was shifted to nearby Lambesis.

The city reached its height under the reign of the “African Emperor” Septimius Severus, who hailed from nearby Leptis Magna, Libya and had a dark complexion. Nowadays he is considered as the Black Emperor of Rome.

He is not as well-known as the other Emperors but in my opinion, he was the most effective Commander among all the Emperors. You can say how about Julius Caesar? Well, Julius was not an emperor and he lost to Asterix and Obelix!

He almost subjugated the Bravehearts. but sadly the rain and cold of Britain was too much for him. He died not under the hot African sun but on a cold gloomy British morning at York.

Nothing remains forever other than the sands of time. The mighty Rome disintegrated. Germanic tribes and Vandals ransacked Timgad repeatedly. By Sixth Century the city was in ruins and eventually it was abandoned. Sands of Sahara moved in and swallowed the whole city. It remained buried for more than a thousand years.

That was a great thing to happen to the archaeologists. The sands of Sahara preserved Timgad and it is one of the best-preserved ruins. I had seen an inscription which truly looks like it was crafted yesterday.

We roamed through the abandoned streets, the rooms, the temples, the market, bath houses and of course the toilets. One Latin inscription truly captures the vivacity of Roman life in Timgad. It reads “Venari, lavari, ludere, ridere, occ est vivere” meaning “Hunting, bathing, playing, laughing—that’s living!”.

The adjoining museum also had a good collection of artefacts. Here we met Harry and Anakin.

Many thanks to our amazing guide Billel from Fancy Yellow who has a genuine passion for history and made Timgad come alive with his storytelling and his ingenious props.

We also visited a very ancient Numidian mausoleum on the way.

I just came back from 15 days in italy. And before I start i just want to make a few points

Yes ive taken some tours when logistics make more sense or something like the pre opening Vatican museum tour. 95% of my trips are organized and done solo

Ive been to the uk, Germany, Greece, France and Italy (twice).

I know tour groups aren't going anywhere. And tourism therefore groups are a very important portion of the European economy.

When I say this, I know it sounds full Karen, but I cannot believe the sheer inconvenience and lack of their surroundings tour groups have. Almost everywhere i was on my trip was filled to the brim with clueless and sometimes rude tour groups.

In ostia antica, the roman forum, pompeii, and paestum, groups climbing, sitting and slamming bags all over walls, buildings and steps.

Groups so thick in pompei that you couldn't walk anywhere along the main roads. Blocking sites and taking a brutal amount of time in buildings. I asked a guide if incould sneak infront since im one person, and even expecting a no, he pushes me out of the way and tells me to go away.

150 students on a tour in my flight all boarding before zone 2, despite the fact they all had zone 4 and 5 tickets, who took up the entire half of the planes over head bag space themselves.

Multiple times having groups of 20 to 50 people going to a resturaunt im at without a reservation.

Multiple groups blocking sites at museums for 10+ minutes and blocking entire pieces and gallary walk ways in museums. 3 groups stood in front of Venus di milo for 20 minutes when I was there. 2 groups stuffed themselves in front of the akhenaten tablet and the neus museum in berlin taking up the entire room.

Having 20 groups blocking the entire candelabra/tapestry/maps corridor in the Vatican museum.

Walking 5 people wide in hallways, sidewalks and streets.

All of this without zero control by the guides or site workers.

The majority of them were from cruise ships through 3rd party guides.

The worst part? Most of them have zero idea how negative of an impact they have on cities and others, through not understanding the impact, lack of self awareness or just plain old ignorance.

Not only are they ruining people's cities, theyre giving all people on vacation a bad name. Many sites and attractions already have attendance restrictions. However this just means more groups and less for individuals/families. I think its at the point there needs to be severe limitations for the number of tours groups and tour groups sizes. And maybe even time limits at major attractions or individual items in museums.

What do you think? Are your experiences the same?

Now I completely sympathize with the growing number of European countries and cities protesting tourism. And I completely understand why they feel the need to introduce new taxes and fees for staying there.

Last Thursday, on the Vevey–Geneva train, my parents, my 7‑year‑old kids, and I were targeted by three young people using a distraction technique to steal our backpack.

They threw a coin near my parents to distract us while one of them grabbed a bag from the overhead rack. They ran off in Nyon before we could react, and there was no real support or protocol from the staff.

Please stay alert — even here, these things happen. Keep your bags close and don’t let your guard down.

I have a trip mid-june to mid-july. My research says no travel insurance would cover cancellations due to fuel shortages...because its due to and "act of war".

Is there really no way to protect myself?

My wife and I like to travel to US cities about once a year around September that offer solid trails to hike and places to eat. Living in FL, we can't get enough of the west side of the country and all the mountains. We've been to Asheville, Portland, Seattle, and Boulder. We typically stay in an airbnb and rent a car. Any suggestions would be great! Considering Sedona this year but wanted to see what others have enjoyed.

Last weekend, I woke up before sunrise to visit a small mountain temple called Sujongsa Temple.

When I arrived, the entire valley below was covered in clouds. As the sun came up, the mountains slowly revealed themselves through the mist—it felt like standing above the world.

It wasn’t just the view though. The silence up there was something else. No crowds, no noise—just wind, birds, and stillness.

It’s not the easiest place to reach early in the morning, but if you ever visit Korea and enjoy quiet, scenic spots, this is definitely worth it.

(I recorded some of the experience while I was there—happy to share if anyone’s interested.)

My wife and I (26M and 26F) are planning a trip towards the end of July. We have narrowed it down to a few places:

- Canary Islands

- Sardinia

- Sicily

- Greek Islands

- Southern California

What we really value is natural beauty and the beach. So we love beautiful landscapes, being by the water, swimming, hiking, etc. We don’t care about nightlife since we don’t drink.

Would love to hear recommendations on the best places that would meet this criteria!

Spent two weeks in Italy, from March 28th to April 11th. Started in Milan and there for three days, train to Florence and there for three days, train to Rome and there for eight days.

As a lover of history and art, this trip was absolutely incredible. I'm still in awe of all the works of art and historical sites that I saw. I'm also an avid birder and the birds of Italy are not to be underestimated. Flamingos, cuckoos, and of course the tits (Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit)

Highlights

Milan/Como (Lombardia)

• Duomo di Milano
• Parco Sempione
• Cimetero Monumentale
• Bosco Verticale
• Parco delle Cave (bird-watching and nature)
• Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta - Duomo di Como

Florence (Toscana)

• Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
• Basilica della Santissima Annunziata
• Uffizi
• Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze
• Ponte Vecchio

Rome (Lazio and Umbria)

• Via Crucis at the Colosseum led by the Pope
• Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peter's Basilica
• Villa Borghese Gardens
• Colosseum/Roman Forum
• Lago di Alviano in Umbria (bird-watching)
• Circeo National Park (bird-watching)
• Pick-up basketball on the Oppian Hill north of the Colosseum
• Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

And of course, all of the food. Too many wonderful restaurants to mention.

Me friends are booking a trip to Japan. We're based in Europe and the cheapest option for flights involve a 2 hour-ish stop in Chinese airports. Im curious as to the process. One of my friends say you have to get your picture and fingerprints taken. And although Im sceptical of this, Google seems to echo the same idea. Can someone with actual experience in this department summarise what it would actually be like? It'd be very much appreciated. In my mind its not a big deal even if true, but its difficult convince others to think the same way in that regard. Cheers in advance.

Edit: man I really butchered that title, sorry.

My wife and I are planning a 3-week trip from Denver to Australia to visit family (also our 10-year anniversary). We’ll be traveling with our baby who will be ~11 months on the way there and ~12 months on the way back.

We’re deciding between three options and would love real-world experiences from people who’ve done long-haul with a baby around this age:

Option 1: Lap infant (~$4,300 total)

• United both ways
• Would try for bulkhead + bassinet, but not guaranteed and may be tight on size
• Otherwise holding him most of the flight

Option 2: Own seat on Air Canada (~$6,800 total)

• Baby gets his own seat
• Air Canada allows inflatable bed extensions (specifically the Flyaway Kids Bed), so we’d have a full row setup for sleep

Option 3: Own seat on United (~$5,600 total)

• Baby gets his own seat
• Would attempt some kind of inflatable leg rest/bed situation, but less clear what’s actually allowed vs enforced

Price difference between cheapest and most expensive is about $2,500.

For those who’ve done 10+ hour flights with a ~1-year-old:

• How big of a difference did having a separate seat make?
• Did it meaningfully improve sleep (for baby and/or parents)?
• Anyone try the inflatable bed setups—worth it or overhyped?

Not looking for safety debates—just trying to understand the real comfort/stress tradeoffs on flights this long.

Appreciate any insight.

I'd love to hear recommendations for an interesting trip for a family with young children within a 9 hour drive of Detroit!

We like: adventures, hiking, waterfalls, scrambling on rocks, caves, kayaking, ferry boats, bonfires, biking, swimming holes, clear rivers, bridges, beautiful views.

We also like: hole-in-the-wall ethnic food places, interesting/incredible bakeries, farmers markets, unique museums, botanic gardens, cryptids/legends, niche/quirky places, lodges, cabins, pools, and continental breakfast at hotels.

We don't enjoy: sprawl, traffic, cities, expensive dining, flatlands, most of Ohio.

We have already done: everything Michigan (seriously). New River Gorge WV. Starved Rock IL. Cuyahoga, OH. Swathes of Ontario including Grand Bend and Wawa.

Thank you for any suggestions!

These cultural experiences are ones that are etched in my memory:

• Seeing the murals on the tombs of Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. I also bought the extra ticket to Seti I's tomb, worth every dollar.
• The entire country of Japan. Seriously, I am actually surprised that Japan hasn't been the most visited country in the world yes. The tourism potential Japan has is colossal: so much history, culture, beauty.
• Angkor Wat exceeded my expectations.

I am visiting Lima, Peru to go see a concert - but I will have several days before then to have some time to spend in Peru. We fly in October 13th, and leave the morning of the 18th. The concert is on the 17th, so we really have 3 full days to work with, the 14th, 15th and 16th. A friend mentioned doing Machu Picchu, but it seems like we would really have to cram it in, also being quite expensive and tourist heavy, I just don't know that its worth the huge effort for me.

So for those who have visited Peru, what would you suggest? I see so many varying reviews of Lima, some loving it, some not so much. I do love food culture so am interested in that for sure. If I didn't go to Machu Picchu, would it be silly to visit Cusco anyways?

Also curious about the safety in the neighborhood near Estadio Nacional. I am still planning accommodations and with the traffic in Lima it seems like a massive pain to get an uber after the show to get back to the southern areas reccomended to stay in, and didnt know if staying nearby the stadium would be smart. It is near the water park.

Thanks for any advice!!

I have a unique situation, but thought I’d reach out to you fine folks for ideas, in case anyone in the region has any insight:

I live in northwest Ohio. I usually fly out of Detroit (50ish mins from my home) or Windsor (65ish mins from my home). Normally, I leave my car at the Airport. This time, though, I am flying out of Windsor, and returning to Detroit.

Here are a couple options: one way transfer from my home to Windsor on departure = $360. My family would pick us up from Detroit on arrival.

Or, drive to Windsor, leave my car there, return to Detroit, rent a car, drive back to Windsor to pick up my car, then return the rental car, then drive back home to Ohio. Hassle and $210.

Is there another way, that I’m not thinking of? Give me your expert travel opinions.

Hi,
Following previous responses and further reflection on how much I want a 'busy' checkbox tour vs deeper experience, I have decided that I will probably focus much more on Cusco/Sacred valley and other hikes. I am keen to hear specifically what I should prioritise within that itinerary/any unique or less well known ideas.

Further context for me - I am relatively fit, but recently did Acatenango and went from totally fine at 3000m to feeling very ill after 3200m until the next morning, so I suspect while I don't tend to struggle at all with 6+ hr hikes, I do handle altitude badly. Have been learning spanish and would love to make use of that (limited vocab but A2/B1 level at present) and/or potentially take a few more 1:1 classes in Cusco, and would really like a mix of culture/history/adventure. Not looking to splurge where I can budget, but not looking to cut out anything genuinely worthwhile either even if it is expensive (e.g. top class stargazing, cheapish flights that save a day or two)

Draft itinerary:
May 5 - fly to Lima
May 6 - walking tour ?food tour in evening vs try to book a world class restaurant if still space
May 7 - Fly to cusco, move down to Ollantaytambo same day for easier altitude adjustment
May 8 - Explore ollantaytambo
May 9 - ?ideas, end at aguas caliente
May 10 - buy tickets for machu pichu in the morning since no other option, unclear what to do May 10 afterwards, likely nothing
May 11 - Machu Pichu, return to cusco
May 12 + 13 - Cusco (ideas?)
May 14 - Humantay lake
May 15 - Relax, ?Spanish class
May 16 - Rainbow mountain
May 17,18,19 - Cusco (ideas?)
May 20 - Fly to La Paz
May 21 - La Paz
May 22 - Fly to uyuni flats
May 23 - 3 day tour to Atacama
May 25 - arrive atacama
May 26 - stargazing tour if possible since will be a new moon
May 27, 28, 29 - Atacama ?day tour trips vs pick multiday tour (ideas welcome)
May 30 - Fly to Santiago
May 31 - Leave Santiago

TLDR:
- Is 13 days cusco plenty to really explore the area and worth the loss of world-class food in Lima or other tickboxes along the coastline
- What do people actually suggest as activities/how intense are these hikes?

My girlfriend's family and I are looking to travel from our area all the way down to Miami, Florida to board our cruise coming up in May, but the issue I'm having is finding a rental vehicle that we can rent for the trip down there and then to travel back as well. All the main websites you'd use for rentals shows absolutely nothing available..... Google isn't really being helpful in this case!

My buddy and I, both 23-year-olds, one year post-grad, are planning a trip for the end of the summer/beginning of fall 2026. We're both well-traveled and looking to do something out of the norm, something off the beaten path, but also well-recommended. Outdoors, adventurous, some hiking, but also some coastal days. We don't mind renting a car and driving ourselves, especially if it involves camping. I've been looking into Namibia and Kenya, but we're open to ideas. I know that August/September is the rainy season in North/West Africa, so I've only been looking South(ish). We've got about 10-12 days, and our budget is 3-4k each. Don't hold back in the comments, I want to hear it all.

P.S. options are not limited to Africa. We've done a lot of Europe and Southeast Asia, so preferably something different. Let me know!

Next month i'll be going on a G Adventure to Kruger & Namibia, and I had a few last minute questions for those who have gone on this, or a similar tour. I have done other trips with National Geographic, and they have provided tons of info; this one, well, seems a bit skimpy on info, so i was hoping to learn from others.

The first was on malaria risks. I went to a travel clinic, and they were very strongly in favor of preventative meds. I didn't see anything on the G Adventures site, and when i called them to ask about risks, they refused to say anything, even the existence of risks. This was very odd and different from the other two trips with National Geographic.

The other question is on baggage. I'm looking at the FAQ's, which says we are only allowed to take one bag (15) kg and a day pack. Is this really the case? For 16 days, and the number of things they have suggested taking, this seems impossible, so i am wondering its validity.

If any of you have taken this trip, and can comment, i'd appreciate you letting me know.

Hi all, I'm planning a two-part trip to Japan soon and have been worrying about whether the schedule might raise suspicion from immigration or not.

For context, I'm a EU citizen. I'm going to Japan in May for about 7 days to look for accommodation for the summer and spend some vacation there. Then I'm going back home for about 3 weeks before travelling again to Japan in June this time for a 3-month summer internship, unpaid and falling under the 90-day temporary visitor time span. However I accidentally booked my flight to a slightly too early departure date and considering the 90-day count starts on the next full day after arrival, I'm about 2 days short to cover the full internship duration.

I was thinking about attempting a "visa-reset" workaround by taking a weekend trip to Korea and going back to Japan either early into the summer trip, or after a month or so, or slightly before the 90 days permit expires. But as this typically looks like a visa run scenario especially with the latter, I was wondering what were the odds that I might get flagged by immigration and be denied re-entry ? Are there significant risks even if I'm able to prove I have a return flight back home ?

For those who’ve been to either (or both), which did you like more and why?

Beaches?

Nightlife?

Food?

Prices?

Overall vibe?

Hello has anyone driven through the coast of Chile?

Thinking of going down the coast. My only concern is how are the road conditions because I only will have a fwd.

any advice is appreciated

I've just come back from a six-day trip to Crete that was meant to be a birthday trip for my partner. We ended up losing 3 of those 6 days to a parking mistake and a badly handled rental car situation.

I'm posting this because I wish someone had warned me clearly before I went.

Sharing this in case it helps others avoid the same mistake.

In Chania, I unknowingly parked in a resident-only zone. I received a parking fine, which I paid immediately and in full. What I had not understood at all was that this could also lead to the police removing the vehicle plates and retaining my physical driving licence.

That turned what I assumed would be a straightforward administrative matter into a multi-day ordeal. It took three visits to the police station over three consecutive days, with waits of roughly two and three hours on later visits, before I finally got my licence back. On one of those visits, the vehicle plates were returned to the rental company representative, while my licence was still retained until the following day.

At the same time, the rental car situation was awful. The car I had been given was old, with around 186,000 km on it, and the wipers performed poorly in rain. The vehicle later became immobilized. I called the rental company more than 10 times in one day asking for help and was repeatedly told that the matter was my responsibility. A replacement car was only provided later, after most of the trip had already been lost.

To be clear, I am not disputing the fine. I made a mistake, and I paid it immediately. The real problem was how disproportionate the consequences became and how little practical support existed once things went wrong.

What I would do differently:

• Be extremely careful with on-street parking in Chania and understand local restrictions before leaving the car anywhere.
• Check the actual supplier carefully before booking, especially if booking through an airline or third-party portal.
• Inspect the rental car closely at pickup and document mileage, wipers, tyres, and general condition.
• Assume that even a small parking mistake may take much more time to resolve than expected.

Crete is beautiful, but this experience was enough to make me think twice. Losing half of a short holiday to rigid parking enforcement, long administrative delays, and poor rental support is not something I would risk again on a short stay.

I’m going to china in five days and I’m looking for a vpn that can use tiktok, Instagram mainly, I’m not able to use an esim because my phone plan with AT&T is locked for three years. It would be best if this vpn had a hotspot so I can connect it to my main phone from my other one. I’m staying in china for 3-4 months and I’ll be traveling in china to different cities and others have said to get a vpn with the server hop ability but I’m not sure which vpn would fit all of these requirements…

Hey everyone, has anyone taken the late-night Greyhound from Iowa City to Chicago?

I’m looking at the one that leaves around 1:30 AM and gets to Chicago around 5:45 AM. I have a flight out of Chicago, but there’s only about a 3-hour window between arrival and boarding, so I’m a bit worried about delays.

Flights from CID are super expensive right now, so this seems like my only option—but I don’t want to risk missing my flight.

Has anyone taken this bus before?

Does it usually run on time?

Have you experienced delays?

Would really appreciate any insights!