I had 10 incredible days in Laos, and it's by far the most underrated country I have visited. Most people visit neighbouring countries like Thailand and Vietnam, which are more commercial and touristy, but miss out on this absolute gem.

Pic 1: Sunset from Phadeng Peak, Nong Khiaw (Highlight of my trip)

Pic 2: Our campsite for the night

Pic 3: Nong Khiaw during the day

Pic 4: Phadeng Peak Hike Starting Point

Pic 5: Kuang Si Waterfall (Best waterfall I have ever seen)

Pic 6-7: Luang Prabang Town

Pic 8: Nam Xay Viewpoint

Pic 9-11: Vang Vieng during sunset

Pic 14 : Patuxai Vientiane

Pictures from 3 days in the Kutaisi, Georgia area. Flew in and out of the airport via Wizz Air ($100 rt from Prague). Stayed in a $10/night hostel, food is really good, cheap and underrated(sorry no good pics of it lol). Super easy long weekend trip from Europe and highly recommend. Favorite part was definitely exploring the abandoned Soviet buildings, although some have refugees living in them so be careful + respectful. Used public transport to get to Tsalktubo, but hired a driver for $45 on our last day to explore other parts of the area.

Pics 1-6: Kutaisi
Pics 7-13: Tsalktubo (abandoned Stalinist spa town)
Pics 14-15: Motsameta Monastery
Pic 16: Katshki Pillar
Pic 17-18: Chiatura(old Soviet mining town)
Pic 19: Mgvimevi Convent (cave monastery)
Pic 20: Random gas station on side of road with Soviet murals lol

Just finished two weeks in Peru, and honestly, this felt like one of those once-in-a-lifetime trips. Went on my own and ended up spending most of it with people I’d only just met. Figured I’d share a trip report while it’s still fresh.

Lima (3 nights)

Stayed at Pariwana in Miraflores, which was a brilliant start as a solo traveller. Met loads of people straight away, including a few who had roughly the same amount of time in Peru and were heading along a similar route.

Went surfing down by the coast, ate very well at La Preferida and Tanta, and spent a few afternoons wandering around Miraflores. Also went to Molly’s for a few pints and the football, which was exactly what I needed.

The nights escalated fairly quickly. Went to Lima Bar and Saha with people from the hostel. Very late night. Great fun. Less great the following morning.

Paracas

I had Peru Hop booked for my journey from Lima to Cusco. It’s a hop-on, hop-off bus, and I liked the idea of stopping at places along the way rather than going straight there.

There was a mix of people on board, but I found it really easy to make friends. Having familiar faces at the next stop made a big difference travelling solo.

Met a French guy and a couple of Swedish girls on the bus who were super cool, and we ended up hanging out at the next few stops. Made travelling solo feel a lot less daunting.

In Paracas, I did the Ballestas Islands boat trip and visited the national reserve. Seeing penguins was a particular highlight. Stayed at Viajero, where we did a table quiz and had a few beers. Nice place to spend the evening before moving on.

Huacachina (2 nights)

This place is ridiculous. An actual oasis surrounded by massive sand dunes.

On the way, we stopped at a pisco vineyard, learnt how it was made, had some tastings and a really nice lunch.

Stayed at Wild Rover and spent the first afternoon by the pool before somehow ending up partying until about 6am. The next morning involved an Irish breakfast and football on the TV. Not my most adventurous cultural experience, but very enjoyable.

The dune buggy and sandboarding trip that evening was probably one of the best things I’ve ever done. The scale of the dunes is hard to explain until you’re standing out there. Absolutely unreal.

Naturally, celebrated that with more beers and another late night. Two nights felt right for me, although I left needing a decent sleep.

Wild Rover suited the trip I was having, but if your priority is quiet evenings and early nights, my account of staying up until 6am probably tells you everything you need to know.

Nazca and the bus to Arequipa

This was a long journey, but I slept better than expected. The seats reclined, we got blankets, and I managed to watch a fairly unreasonable amount of Breaking Bad.

Stopped to see the Nazca Lines on the way. Really strange and fascinating to think about people creating those enormous designs so long ago. I was glad to see them without adding another overnight stop to an already packed trip.

Arequipa

Arrived early in the morning and stayed at Viajero again. Really liked Arequipa. Beautiful architecture, good food and a slightly slower pace, which I needed by this point.

Did an organised pub crawl that finished in a salsa bar. My enthusiasm was considerably better than my dancing.

Also spent one day doing basically nothing, just reading and chilling in the hostel. Probably one of my better decisions on this trip.

I did the full-day Colca Canyon tour, and seeing the condors was incredible. In hindsight, this is somewhere I would have given more time. I’d have liked to do the overnight hike rather than fit it into a day trip. I was absolutely wrecked when I got back.

The day trip was one of the compromises of trying to fit everything into two weeks. Glad I saw it, but I wouldn’t choose that format again if I had time to stay longer.

Puno and Lake Titicaca

Next stop was Puno. Definitely colder than Lima!

Visited the Uros floating islands, which was really interesting. Seeing the homes and hearing about daily life there was such a different experience from anywhere else on the trip.

Stayed one night in Puno and went to a pizza place called Bianca. Slightly random detail to include after talking about Lake Titicaca, but their garlic sauce deserves a mention.

Cusco

The journey to Cusco was another long one, with a few stops and a buffet lunch that put me straight into a food coma.

Stayed at Wild Rover again. Really social hostel, but that hill on the way back is no joke. Especially after a few beers. I liked staying there, although I’d think twice about the location if you want an easy walk home every evening.

Did a city bus tour and a walking tour with some Norwegian lads I met at the hostel. We ended up booking our Machu Picchu trip together, which became one of the highlights of the whole journey.

One thing I wouldn’t repeat was the Sacred Valley tour I booked in person around the Plaza for S/75. The guide didn’t speak English, and we were rushed through the sites. I saw some beautiful places, but came away feeling like I hadn’t learnt much about them. Definitely wish I’d checked the language and itinerary properly before paying.

Also went to Chango one night, ate loads and really enjoyed wandering around the city. Cusco was one of those places where I could easily have stayed longer.

Rainbow Mountain

Did this with Rainbow Mountain Travels after about four hours’ sleep. Would strongly recommend making better bedtime decisions than I did.

The altitude hit me much harder here than anywhere else on the trip. Getting up was tough, but seeing the colours and the surrounding mountains made it worth the effort. The guides were also helpful and brought oxygen up for whoever needed it.

Was very happy to get back to the hostel and go straight to sleep afterwards.

Before another trip, I’d also look into what to bring for altitude and stomach issues, and get proper advice on medication beforehand. Would have been a more useful bit of preparation than deciding which hostel had the best bar.

Machu Picchu

Went with the Norwegian lads through Yapa Explorers. Our guides were great fun, especially Juan, and we got incredibly lucky with the weather. Lucky enough that I managed to get sunburnt.

When we got to Aguas Calientes, we had to queue for tickets at one of the official Machu Picchu ticket offices. I’d heard stories about enormous queues, but there was nobody in line when we arrived. Our guide helped us choose the circuit.

The scenery along the way was incredible, but actually seeing Machu Picchu was something else. You see the photos so often that you wonder whether it can possibly live up to them. For me, it absolutely did.

We had clear views the entire time. Having a guide made a big difference too. I would have missed so much of the history just walking around on my own.

Spent the night in Aguas Calientes afterwards. Tried guinea pig for the first time, which I think will also be my last time, then took the train back towards Cusco the following morning.

Onwards to Bolivia

After a quiet night back in Cusco, I continued towards Bolivia with Bolivia Hop, travelling via Puno to Copacabana. Really appreciated having someone help explain the border crossing.

Copacabana was a lovely place to slow down by the lake after a pretty full-on couple of weeks.

I’ve literally just arrived in La Paz and am staying at Wild Rover again. Apparently I’m a creature of habit. The city looks incredible, and the altitude hasn’t hit me just yet. Going to take it slow and go easy on the beers tonight, although I appreciate the rest of this post doesn’t exactly support that claim.

Still very early days for the Bolivia part, but excited to see more.

What I’d do differently

Give myself more time. Two weeks was enough to have an incredible trip, but I packed a lot in, and a few extra days would have helped. I’d especially have liked more time for Colca Canyon and Cusco.

Also, fewer big nights before early starts. Although I suspect I’d say that and make exactly the same decisions again.

My highlights / things I’d recommend

• Cocktails at Saha in Lima: Did their all you can drink offer when I visited, which set us up for a wild night out.
• Travelling with Peru Hop: Made getting between stops easy, and I met loads of people along the way.
• Ballestas Islands: Seeing penguins was a definite highlight.
• Sandboarding in Huacachina: One of the most incredible things I’ve ever done.
• Wild Rover Huacachina: Pool, parties and an Irish breakfast watching the football the next morning. Some very happy memories and some very rough mornings.
• Colca Canyon: Watching the condors was unreal. Wish I’d given myself time for the overnight hike.
• Machu Picchu: Obviously. Somehow even better than I’d imagined.
• Cusqueña Negra: Greatest beer of all time. Quite prepared to defend this opinion.

The landscapes were amazing, but the people made the trip. Started out alone in Lima and ended up sharing buses, meals, hikes and some very questionable nights out with friends from all over the place.

Would absolutely recommend Peru for solo travel. Happy to answer questions about the route, hostels or anything else below!

Pictures from my 1 week trip to Nicaragua.
Flew into Managua on spirit for $120 (rip) and flew out of Liberia, Costa Rica for $189 on JetBlue. The border crossing was surprisingly easy by public transport. Spent day 1 in Leon seeing the city and volcano boarding. Days 2-4 were in Granada(easily my fav city) which is pretty along with a day trip to Apoyo lagoon. Day 5-6 were for Ometepe island which may be the most place I’ve ever been and day 7 was San Juan del sur and bus to Costa Rica. Whole trip including flights was under $600. Super affordable great food great people and a great time. Don’t listen to the travel advisory felt super safe here and would highly recommend.

Pics 1-5 Leon
Pics 6-11 Granada & Apoyo Lagoon
Pics 12-17 Ometepe Island
Pics 18-20 San Juan Del Sur

Pictures from my trip to Poland. I don’t know why more people don’t visit here, truly has everything. Also some of europes best food in my opinion(the polish donut is 🔥), and a surprisingly affordable country to travel. Also really cheap vodka lol. Spent a few days in each of these cities except zakopane which I did as a day trip from krakow. Pics are from thought the year as I went multiple times since I loved it so much. Super easy to get to from anywhere in Europe and recommend to anyone visiting the continent.

Pics 1-5: Krakow
Pics 6-8: Zakopane(the polish side of Tatras)
Pics 9-12: Wroclaw(most underrated city in Europe)
Pics 13-16: Gdansk
Pics 17-20: Warsaw

Pictured from my visit of March last year to Moldova. Took the Soviet overnight train from Bucharest to Chisinau, then explored Chisinau for a day seeing all the main sites and visiting Old Orhei Monastery in the countryside. On my second day I visited Transnistria, the modern day USSR controlled by Russia, which was fascinating. This included bender which had one of the coolest castles I’ve ever seen & the capital Tiraspol. On my last day I did a self guided brutalist architecture tour of Chisinau before taking a cheap Wizz air flight out. All in all its super affordable(I spent less than $40 a day), has interesting history and definitely worth visiting if your into Soviet history + brutalist architecture.

Went to Czech Republic this past April as a part of a larger trip with other surrounding countries. This country was the highlight of Central Europe for me. Aside from Prague, did day trips to the medieval towns of Kutna Hora, Cesky Krumlov and Karlsteijn Castle. Amazing architecture. I particularly loved the international cuisine you could get in Prague, aside from the traditional Czech restaurants. Now onto the photos:

1. Cesky Krumlov: Overview of town

2. Prague: Charles Bridge

3. Prague: Charles Bridge

4. Prague: Main Square

5. Cesky Krumlov

6. Prague: St. Vitus Cathedral

7. Karlsteijn Castle

8. Prague: Vlata River

9. Prague: Charles Bridge

10. Prague: Astronomical Clock

11. Cesky Krumlov: Main Square

12. Cesky Krumlov

13. Prague: Old Town Hall

14. Prague: Old Jewish Cemetery

15. Saints Peter & Paul Basilica

16. Prague: National Museum

17. Prague: Kafka Head Rotating Statue

18. Kutna Hora: Bone Chandelier

19. Kutna Hora: St Barbara's Church

20. Karlsteijn Castle

My second time to Venice but this time around I was lucky enough to have a Veneziani take me around the city. The city is historic & beautiful - especially when the weather is great.

There’s a lot of problems in the city and a lot of it has to do with the way tourists behave and the lack of respect for the city and its rich culture. There’s decay and some areas have the stench of a stagnant lagoon. It’s filled with tons of scammers and mindless souvenir shops but it also has some of the most stunning architecture I’ve ever seen. Some of it is breathtaking.

There are some fantastic Osterias if you’re willing to put in the effort to navigate this maze of a city. Osteria Al Cicheto was my favourite serving great cicchetti and wine to pair with. Look for cicchetti spots over pizzerias. Use google maps to find them but also double check the place to see if it’s filled with tourists or locals - chances are if it’s flooded with tourists, it’s probably a trap. Venitian cuisine is world class - creamed cod with polenta was my favourite dish.

I do think it’s important to temper expectations before visiting. I had built up this great image of Venice in my mind and I was super disappointed the first time I stepped into the city. Went with a clear mind this time with the goal of actually giving it a good go and I ended up enjoying it.

Try to head out early morning or later in the evening when the streets are empty and you don’t have to shove your way through a sea of other tourists.

I’d recommend booking a hotel in Mestre and travel to Venice train or bus because hauling luggage through the streets could be back breaking.

1 Province - 10 Days - 3200 Kilometres - 110 kmph - 6 Overtakes - 12 Roos - 100 Cows - 2 Oceans - ♾️ Beaches - 10 Sunsets

1. Hyden Wave Rock
   
2. Esperence
   
3. Twilight beach
   
4. Hellfire Bay
   
5. Esperence Stonehenge
   
6. Warton Beach
   
7. Lucky Bay
   
8. Albany
   
9. Cape Leeuwin
   
10. Injidup Natural Spa
    
11. Busselton Jetty
    
12. Wellington Dam
    
13. Cottesloe Beach
    
14. Rottnest Island

I took a short six-day solo trip to Morocco at the end of March this year.I flew into Fez, where I spent some time exploring the impressive maze of narrow alleyways and beautiful mosques. I then booked a day trip to Chefchaouen, which I found surprisingly relaxing and peaceful. From Fez, I flew to Marrakesh (flying was cheaper than taking a bus). I spent the afternoon and the following day wandering around the expansive and chaotic Medina. During the last two days, I took day trips to the Atlas Mountains, visiting villages at the foot of the mountains, and to Aït Benhaddou, which I found somewhat underwhelming.

The highlights of the trip: The mosques of Fez and the tanneries, which are truly unique. I also loved Chefchaouen, where no one really bothered me and I could actually walk around in peace. In Marrakesh, the only place that really stood out to me was Jardin Majorelle. The main highlight of the entire trip, however, was the Asni weekly market, where we stopped during our day trip to the Atlas Mountains. It was one of the most authentic, vibrant, and bustling markets I have ever seen. Another thing that surprised me was the food, which I found surprisingly good and inexpensive.

Moving on to the negatives. Everywhere around Fez and Marrakesh, I was constantly hassled by vendors, and even more so by people trying to show me the way or claiming that a street is closed. The latter was particularly common in Fez, especially around the tanneries, where at least five people tried to show me the way and be my guide. The solution is pretty simple. I tried to avoid eye contact and ignore them, which usually worked. If it didn't, a simple but firm la shukran ("no, thank you"), repeated if necessary, always did the job. But do expect some disappointed or angry looks and some swear words here and there. Unfortunately, that is just how the situation is and you have to constantly make sure that you are not going to be scammed.

And finally, the photos:

1: Tannery in Fez

2: Asni weekly market, Asni

3: Fez

4: Chefchaouen

5: Asni weekly market, Asni

6: Chefchaouen

7: Ben Youssef Madrasa, Marrakesh

8: Al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University, Fez

9: Koutoubia Mosque, Marrakesh

10: Jardin Majorelle, Marrakesh

I'm glad I visited Morocco and got to see everything on my itinerary. It's a vibrant country with amazing natural landscapes, architecture, culture, and food. If I decide to return, I'll definitely take more time and visit the desert and explore some of the less touristy spots.

Writing up this report as I couldn't find a lot of accurate information on current conditions for Iguazu Falls, which has been receiving record breaking water flow levels due to El Niño over the past month. Hubs and I visited both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides on Oct 26 & 27 (today), truly once-in-lifetime experience for us!

We went to the Argentina park yesterday and only the lower falls walkway was available to visit. We were initially bummed out about it until we actually saw the walkways above the falls - the water was right up to them at times, very sketchy! Made sense why the shut down quite a bit of the park, altho frustrating this was not updated on their website. For anyone visiting - Upper Falls & Devils Throat walkway are closed. Tons of coatis and monkeys running around, absolutely delightful.

Went to the Brazil side today and the primary walking trail is completely open except for the section that juts out into the water, pic provided for context why. Saw the boats were running from one of the companies but they couldn't get far in to the Brazilian side as the water was wayyy too powerful, didn't seem worth it. If I had to only pick one side to visit I would go with Brazil at the moment, still a comprehensive experience! We did get very wet on the Brazilian side, Argentinian side needed a raincoat but not as bad. Saw many tegus, couple coatis. Of note - I booked the 10:30am time slot, we got there around 9:15am (bus left at 8:30am from Puerto Iguazu) and had no issues with them letting us in early.

We took direct busses from Puerto Iguazu to both parks via Rio Uruguay, easy! The bus to Brazil did not stop at Brazilian customs both ways (just Argentinas), I guess if its a day trip they don't seem to care? Was a non-issue for us anyway. Both busses weren't full so we also had no issues with the bus leaving us behind like I'd read online, only a couple of minutes total and we were back on our way! Super straightforward.

Added comparison pics - the obvy deluge pics are mine, first pic is from WestEnd61 and the one of Salto dos Hermanas I pulled from TripAdvisor.

Overall it wasn't the experience we were expecting when we booked, but happy we got to see the falls at such a unique time, wildly powerful!

I'm really starting to think the entire rental car industry is shit.

Used to be loyal to Hertz, mostly because I got a discount through my employer, but then ran into issues with them messing up my reservations so I jumped to Avis.

For the last 2 or 3 years I had zero issues with Avis, till this current trip to San Diego....

I had to go to Avis three times in three days.

Reserved an EV, arrived, they had no EVs, offered me a gas car and would comp my gas, fine. Come to find out by comping my gas they meant that I could return the tank empty and they wouldn't charge me. Turns out that it had transmission issues.

Returned it to the airport, they tried to charge me for the comped fuel but argued out of that. They STILL had no EVs so they gave me a sportage hybrid, and again offered to comp my one tank of fuel. Fine.

Drive off the lot and make it to my hotel. Get in the vehicle in the morning only for the tire light to turn on. Found out there are 5! Screws in the left rear tire, so unless the road between the airport and hotel is secretly a construction site, I'm willing to bet those screws arent from me. Changed the tire and brought it back...AGAIN.

There were no employees checking in the vehicles, so I just left it. They charged me $111 for less than 1/4 tank of gas...that was supposed to be comped.

Offered to give me a Chevy Suburban... pretty sure that's the polar opposite of an EV...tell them I want an EV and at the very least I want a hybrid... magically they find an Ioniq 5. Great. Pull off the lot, not only is there a vibration in the steering wheel, the rear suspension rattles over every crack and bump in the road. I want to return it, but I'm pretty sure my wife will murder me if I go back to the airport AGAIN instead of enjoying vacation.

I feel like I'm not asking for anything over the top, an EV that isn't massively broken...but apparently that's not a thing Avis can pull off.

I am booked for my December flight (7 days), I'll be working most of it in bengaluru and then a wedding in varanasi. But what do I do after work in bengaluru, is there anything interesting to do?

Before I get the "interesting is subjective" comments, I'm genuinely curious on personal perspective.

Also any recommendations on transportation services?

I was on NH7 today SFO-NRT and it was cancelled for mechanical reasons. All PAX waiting at the gate were rebooked and given hotel vouchers if needed, but the plane departed shortly after it's original scheduled departure time.

I at first thought if it would arrive after NRT curfew it would be a problem, or loads of miss connections that it would be easier to rebook in SFO, but it's landing less than 90 minutes late, so most connections would have been made.

What kind of tech problems could let the plane fly back empty vs just getting a repair in SFO?

The live flight: https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/ANA7

Hi everyone, I am planning spend 3 - 4 weeks to take a break in Dec/Jan. I am located in US now and looking for some places. What I am looking for:

• Mid Dec to early Jan
• With snow, i love snow!
• Small towns but with gas, grocery stores, restaurants. Not a big fan of large cities
• Safe and affortable. I may stay in Airbnb or extended stay hotels.
• If closer to ski resort, would be a plus, but not required.
• In my mind, they are college towns, such as Ann Arbor?

Your ideas and suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!

I had been using my samsonite for 5 years and was really tempted by all the advertising of monos. They looked so cool online that I didn't even consider doing my research enough which was my biggest mistake and just saw some few good reviews on their website and ordered the carry on. First trip and the case cracked from the side. I got so upset and had to travel with the broken suitcase the entire trip. Contacted support as soon as I reached home and they refused to return it and now I'm stuck with $300 luggage that I can't even use again

Found some really cute shops on my last visit I wanted to share:

Tancredi & Morgen - about 15 minutes from the main town (Carmel) but this was my top spot. Such unique and special inventory and the staff was so warm, they gave us a bar of their in - house soap for our travels. I’m in the process of remodeling my home and I they had the perfect pillows and homewares I needed. I can’t wait to come back.

Olivia & Daisy bookstore has a wonderful selection of books and they even host workshops, i wish I lived locally.

carmel Valley Creamery - handmade cheese and other delights with such a warm and hospitable vibe. Really encourage you to take the time to get there- it’s so worth it.

Corkscew was also a nice stop for late lunch - the lemon pizza was out favorite and they have wonderful wine selection.

My wife and I are headed to Tokyo in November and we’re very excited. It’s both of our first times leaving the US. I have flights and accommodations already booked and passports in hand. Everything is ready and set.

But..

Upon filling out the visit japan web forms, I came across the question of “have you ever been convicted of a crime in Japan or any other country?” This instantly sent me into a panic because 13 years ago, I got a DUI. Very stupid I know, but I learned my lesson and even quit drinking.

I am struggling with the decision to put ‘yes or no’ to that question. I am leaning towards just being honest because everyone I’ve read said that it’s not a reason for denial but the discretion lies with the officer I get on the day.

Does anyone have experience with this that they can share to help alleviate some of my anxiety? I would very much love to be excited for the trip and even the flight, but this is weighing on me.

Thanks all.

Hello, I am going on a year-long exchange trip as an American high schooler, and I am stuck between Italy and Spain. I love both cultures and history; I am genuinely stuck. I have not been to either before. Please help me solve this dilemma. Thanks!

I (21M) am currently a Senior in college and will be graduating this coming May 2027 with a degree in education. Since I graduated high school I've continually worked except for Christmas breaks, so I really want to explore the world and different cultures.

I grew up in Spain with American parents, so I am fully fluent in English, Spanish, as well as have a working proficiency in French. I have also traveled with my family through most of Europe, going as far East as the Baltics and Poland.

What I am really looking for is a region of the world that is budget friendly (looking at traveling around 2 months) that is *relatively* safe (I have a pretty high tolerance though for safety) and backpacking/hitchhiking would be possible. Some people have recommended Latin America, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, but what region of the world would y'all recommend?

I spent last weekend in Athens with a friend. It was so nice to get some sun and warm weather and we had a great time. We had three full days to explore the city and went mainly on foot. We visited the main sights, did a walking tour, went down to Piraeus and the beach and indulged in some great food. The portions were hug though! And soo much meat. I was also surprised by the many wild turtles roaming in the parcs. And since I have never visited a Greek Orthodox church before, this was very interesting to me. I especially liked the many smaller ones strewn around the city.

Although we enjoyed our time, it will not be a city I want/need to return to and 1-2 days would have sufficed to see all the major things. Sadly our last day was a very rainy one, otherwise we would have loved taking a boat trip to one of the islands. I was also a bit disappointed by the flea market, which was mostly not a flea market at all imo.

Image 1: Parthenon on the Acropolis

Image 2: Changing of the guards at the Parliament which was really interesting to see. It looks more like a dance. I'm also digging the shoes with the pompoms

Image 3: Votsalakia beach

Image 4: Monastiraki square

Image 5: Meat vendors in the Central Market

Image 6: Olympic Stadium, which was part of our walking tour. Our guide told us lots of interesting things about the history of the Olympic Games.

Image 7: Dionysius Theatre as seen from the slope of the Acropolis

Image 8: Hadrian's Gate

Image 9: Plaka quarter, where we just walked around a while. Nice but also really touristy. Lots of shops and restaurant that very obviously cater to tourists and all sell more or less the same thing.

Image 10: Panagía Kapnikaréa Church

Image 11: Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens

Image 12: one of many wild turtles

Image 13: Flea market starting in Monastiraki square

Image 14: Moussaka and lamb shank (here at Bandiera's)

Image 15: Sunset

Image 16: Mikrolimano

Image 17: Gyros platter (here from The Greco's Project), which I had twice. Really good but very filling.

Image 18: Palm tree alley in the botanical garden. One the nicest places we visited because its was really well kept and very tranquil.

Image 19: Frozen Yoghurt (from Yogu Lab). I love Frozen Yoghurt but it's not very popular where I lived and this shop had a huge selection.

Image 20: View over Athens from the Acropolis

hello all together!

my girlfirend and I are looking for inspiration for a 3 to 3.5-week trip in january. We considered going for the philippines, but we feel i might be a bit one sided and just too many beaches and less diversity.

Generally we are most fast paced travellers. We like to wake up close to 7 and go to bed by 9 in the evening. With a full day of walking and exploring, which might sound horrible for some person, we are having a lot of fun and bascially the goal is to fall down in bed in the evening feeling dead from all the exploring. We love that.

As for now, we're not really into seeing countries twice, we want to leave some time inbetween. We have been to all of Europe, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, China, and Morocco. For the next trips we dont want to see this again. Surely someday again, especially south korea being out favorite memory.

As already mentioned above, we were looking at the Philippines for about 3 weeks, but we are worried it might be too monotonous (just endless island-hopping, white sand, and boat tours) and a logistical headache with too much transit time for our style. Just not too much diversity and basically filling in beach days unnecesarrily just to pass the time. We really liked south korea, but wont find it here of course, but the idea of mixing nature with cities, smaller villages and fun activities is what we are seeking.

We are workwise forced to go in january. Can be everything up to 3.5 weeks.

shouldnt me the same thing everywhere. That what we are worried about the philippines. Beach stays are 2h, then we want to go again.

We are not fixed on countries or continents. We do not want to see countries twice for now. Wished we couldve done american nationalparks, but wrong time. (should be warm, not snowy)

What would you guys recommend? Any initerarys we can have a look into?
With all the countries ive mentioned above i feel like its somewhere around south america? Let me know please!

Thanks

Especially interested in European/Middle Eastern airlines. I'd like to book economy for the first leg of the trip and then business on the second leg to/from SE Asia, same on the return trip (multicity).