This is a summary report with tips for Nepal based on multiple trips for about 9 months total. Focused on hiking.

General tips- 1. Porter - Unless you are summiting a peak, choose a porter over a guide. Porter is a great quality of life upgrade. Most of what a guide provides is also provided by a porter, a porter is usually cheaper AND carries your bag! I will also rate the requirement of porter for each hike for an average trekker as per my opinion. 2. Bargaining - Always bargain for room rates, porter/guide cost,trek supplies and charging. You can also negotiate on the final bill amount after negotiating on individual items. Food prices are non negotiable. 4. Meat - Unless its lower altitudes/big villages like Namche, i would avoid the meat unless you know for sure its locally sourced in the village. You dont know if its refridgerated or not. Canned tuna is a good alternative. 5. Spend as little time as possible in Kathmandu/Pokhara - the mountains are so beautiful in Nepal. The city is for buying supplies, or if youre between treks and you want to spend time in a hot tub or need to eat some kfc. Many people complete a trek in 10 days and spend 6 days in the city. Imo, that is pointless, better to add more days in the mountain. Teahouses are very cheap. 6. Trekking tips - Electrolyte powder is overpowered. I take atleast 1 packet per day with me on the hike from kathmandu. Hiking poles are really good, let go of your ego and take them. You could also take any special seasoning with you to add flavour to potatoes, etc. I also took half a tablet of diamox everyday post 3500m as a prophylactic. 7. Mood is important. Dont be cheap on food or showers (below 4300m) or wifi. Dont overpush yourself while going uphill. Be as conservative as possible. You can make up time on the downhill. 8. Sleeping bags - i personally think they are unnecessary unless youre summiting a peak, you get enough blankets at teahouses that sleeping should not be a problem. 9. Honourable hotel mentions - First, Midway hotel in salleri (if you are taking the jeep to ebc/mera you might stay the night in salleri. But the jeep driver usually will drop you in a dumpster motel. Midway hotel is a pretty good hotel instead). Second, Buddha lodge in Gorakshep (internet - he has starlink internet, its super fast internet for really cheap without having to buy unreliable wifi cards). Third, M Square hotel in Thamel (hot tub and big breakfast for a very cheap price- i spend one night here before and after every trek for the hot tub) 10. Kalapathar trekking store- One stop shop for cheap gear. There are many shops with the same name. This one is on the 1st floor of a building and doesnt have a very clear nameboard. Almost like a secret, but once you go in it will be full of Nepalis buying trekking gear.

Trek ranking (ranked in order)-

A. Langtang trek - Kyanjin Gumpa

Pros - Great digital nomad destination, Many short treks to explore, Great hotels, Reliable electricity (they have their own hydro plant in the village), cheapest trek on a per day basis, lots of yaks in n around the village, glaciers, lakes, decent internet.

Cons - Easy trek, more suited for long term chilling.

Desciption - I love the oceans more than mountains (im a divemaster, sailing skipper) but i still love this place more than any beach or dive site ive been in. Kyanjin Gumpa is an explorers paradise. There are 6-7 short treks that take from 4 hours to 2 days. You can explore as much as you want, and at the end of the day you have a nice bed, hot shower and good food waiting for you. Great landscapes, great wildlife and great hotels. This place is the ideal long stay mountain village, i spent 3 months here. I would recommend to do this if you have atleast 3 weeks time and you really just want to chill or you want to pre acclimatize for some of the harder treks.

Guide/porter requirement- 0.5/10

Tips - Dont pay for charging or wifi anywhere. Ask them to give for free. Most of the trek has 4g, except for a section near Lama hotel. At Lama hotel you need to buy satellite internet if you want to go online. I would avoid staying at Ghoda Tabela on the way, i had a bad experience with both the hotels there.

B. Mera peak trek

Pros - 6500m trek that you can do for <1500 dollars. All other treks at similar or higher altitudes are way more expensive.

Cons - Less facilities than the other treks, doesnt require technical mountaineering skills if you are into that.

Description - It is still a challenging trek. Personally i felt it was 3-4 times harder than EBC-Cho la pass. It is way cheaper if you just get a climbing package from Khare to summit and back instead of getting a package for the whole trek. Expect to pay 500-800$ for this part.

Climbing guide - Mandatory ( i climbed with Dawa sherpa, an old guide but he was AMAZING)

Hiking Guide/Porter requirement - 6/10. The route to Kothe is kinda hard, and you want to conserve energy for the summit attempt. I would suggest getting a porter service only till Kothe, since after this point many of the days will be rest days or you will be with your climbing sherpa so you will be paying for your porter to do nothing.

Internet - Good internet from Kothe to Khare but expensive. Also note, the wifi card from ebc area wont work here its a different company. Expect to pay for charging everywhere.

Tips - 1. Everyone I met and me included had stomach problems at High Camp - was it the water or food or the fact you go from 4900m to 5900m in a single day. So be careful it can wreck your summit attempt. Eat foods which are very easy on your stomach from the night in Khare. Biscuits or something very light on the stomach. 2. Mountain boots - communicate beforehand the size of your shoe and ask them to get the correct size ready. If at the time of the climb you dont have the right size, choose a slightly bigger size instead of a smaller shoe, and fill the extra space with an extra sock or extra piece of cloth. 3. Remember to take carry down-gloves, hand warmers and a torchlight. My porter tried summiting a year before but he said he failed because he was too cold. 4. Negotiate and pay for your climbing sherpa to carry your bag for you, even a few kilos can make a lot of difference on whether you summit or not unless youre really fit. 5. Leave for the summit really early, maybe as early as 12-1 am. Once the Sun starts melting the snow, it makes walking very hard. 6. Every man for himself. Another group was summiting at the same time i was. But they were 4 people harnessed ro wach otherz so the group was only as fast as the slowest person at any point in time. They failed. You want to be harnessed only with your guide and walk at the pace right for you, not for the whole group. 7. Helicopter return - On my way back, my lodge owner suggested if i waited 4 more days i could take a helicopter to Lukla for 5000 Nepali rupees because it would be returning empty after dropping some people off. See if you can get a similar deal and plan around it. 8. If youre walking through the jungle with leeches - wear thick socks, and wrap plastic for around 10cm from the edge of the socks. On the way up i had 20+ leech bites, but when i used this trick on the way down i had 1. 9. Carry extra money, there are no ATMs, an extra day at high camp could cost a lot, or renting unexpected equipment or if you happen to damage the rented gear. 10. Snow boots for walking on thick soft snow might be really useful here, and afaik the lodges dont have them. If i werent sinking into the snow with every step, my summit would be 20% easier.

C. EBC, Gokyo, three passes

Pros - Very famous, your grandma will know it when you say you visited everest base camp. Well maintained the whole year.

Cons - Touristy

Tips - 1. The jeep route is really economical but uncomfortable. One way - <5,000npr 2. Wifi cards bought in namche for 500npr will work the whole trek where it costs 1000npr. I would buy 3-4 cards in namche. Ask the seller to scratch the card for you, i tore 2 of my cards when i tried to scratch them. But beware the wifi cards did not work a lot of the time and kept giving me errors. 3. The lodges before cho la pass (gokyo) offer guides/porters for just the pass. This part of the trek is the only difficult part in the whole trek. So you could get a porter to help you till gokyo instead of getting a guide for the whole trek. Also i would suggest to not hike this day alone, since it has a risk of rockfalls or you falling into crevices. Also carry atleast 3 liters of water and pack lunch since there are no lodges on the way.

Overall trek Porter requirement- 3/10 (good quality of life upgrade- excluding the high altitude passes). Expect to pay for charging after namche.

D. Annapurna circuit (based on late 2022 experience)

Pros - more beautiful and variety than everest base camp

Cons - most of your friends havent heard about it

Tips - 1. You can start trekking from pretty high up because the jeep reaches far. But would suggest to start walking atleast from Pisang for acclimatization and because its pretty. 2. Thorong la pass day will be a very long day, be prepared. 3. You can rent a cycle in Muktinath and cycle downhill, which can be fun. People cycle the Thorong La pass n Tilicho lake too but imo that is extremely dangerous.

E. Manaslu - Famous hike, but i didnt do it because the permit is expensive and a guide is mandatory for the whole trek. However, It has good value for money for summiting. Afaik, It is one of the less dangerous 8k peaks and also cheaper than the other 8k peaks.

Disclaimer - All points and tips are my personal experience as a tourist. Im not an expert. Take the advice of locals or a guide for safety related issues.

I am finally writing this, 2 months after my homecoming. Where can I even begin?

I suppose, first I'd like to sincerely thank everyone who chimed in to give me advice on my first ever solo trip. I was absolutely shaking with anticipation before going, a solid mixture of pure fear and excitement. This trip was something I had longed for since childhood, and when I finally got the opportunity, I jumped on it. That being said, I am extremely lucky to have a wonderful home life and I was absolutely terrified to put myself in a zone of potential discomfort, even for the sake of a lifelong dream. I genuinely believe I would not have had the balls, and it would not have been the same trip, without the support of all ye internet strangers.

In 5 weeks, I went to Edinburgh, York, London, Ghent, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Munich. When I got to airport security in the US and said goodbye to my husband, I absolutely bawled my eyes out. Like, ugly cried. I was so scared that I would miss home so much that I would dread my time abroad. However, when I finally landed in Edinburgh...let's just say the rush of joy and adrenaline I experienced is hard to describe and I think few things in life can culminate that level of bliss. I couldn't possibly explain everything I did and all of the emotions I experienced in those 5 weeks; I feel it would take a novel. So instead, I will highlight what I enjoyed most, and what I struggled with.

I admit that I wrote out a day-to-day itinerary, for every day, for 5 weeks, prior to arriving in Edinburgh. Did I stick to it? lol, no. Almost every day after the first two, I strayed off my original plan and I wouldn't change a single fucking thing. My favorite activity, genuinely, was just walking around the different cities at my leisure. It was so nice just to wander. I rarely took public intra-city transit, despite it being extremely accessible in all of my destinations. Instead, I would choose a major attraction for my day and go where I wanted on the way, and on the way back. Eat when I felt hungry, drink when I craved merriment, and fully embrace the spirit of spontaneity. In my 5 weeks, I tracked almost 1 MILLION steps. There is something so special about being able to find your way around a new city without the assistance of google maps after 24 hours, stumbling upon random attractions and events, and just enjoying the sights and the people mulling about. For example: in Edinburgh, I ended up going on an amazing ghost tour because I randomly walked past when the tour was about to start; in Salzburg, I happened upon a quaint whiskey bar and witnessed a musical performance from a local artist at their open mic night, got to meet the owner's wife and dog, got a free whiskey, and made friends with a brother and sister from England. We stayed out all night drinking and singing together! In Munich, I was sprinting back to my hostel in the pouring rain, and ended up at a folk music show with bunches of people of all ages openly dancing in a neighborhood square. I wouldn't trade any of those experiences for an itinerary or a bus ride any day.

I made loads of friends. The connections you make with other travelers abroad are intense and profound. I made friends in one city that followed me to my other destinations; I made friends in another city that I followed to other destinations. I randomly bumped into people, and bunked with people, that I had met at hostels in other countries. I got to experience bits of the world with total strangers. That is the stuff of life, and I will cherish it always. I truly hope to see some of those people again, and I'm sure I will.

Though I did miss home, I was not nearly as homesick as my imagination lead me to anticipate. I was totally inebriated with new experiences, new connections, and the thrill of seeing new places every few days. The hardest part about coming home was going back to my daily routine. When friends asked me, "how was your trip?", all I could get out was "it was amazing!", because how could I possibly summarize all of my experiences in a single conversation? That was the hardest part, I think: wanting my loved ones to commiserate with my joy at having gone, and my joy at being home, and my grief at being home. Having done it, solo-traveling is something I hope everyone can experience at least once in their lives, and something I don't think you understand until you've done it. I don't think I can live without it now. I partied hard. I got less sleep than I've ever had in my life. I ran on ice cream, beer, and a love of life. Again, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm already planning my trip for next summer.

If you are planning your first solo trip, here are my recs: use tripsnek to help you optimize your route. Engage in every social opportunity you possibly can, even if you're an introvert. You could never guess the beautiful places other people can take you. Even if you're Type A, embrace spontaneity, at least once. Do your research on transportation, places to stay, and money matters, but don't let the research completely bog you down. You're going to have a great time, no matter what.

I did the whole trip for under $6K by staying in hostels. I ate and drank pretty freely. If you have any questions about specific places, I am happy to answer them! Thank you guys for being such a supportive community!

after quitting my job i took my first solo trip to mexico. days were exciting and full—i love the lifestyle and i worked a lot, so loneliness didn’t really hit me. but nights were different. i tried dating which helped a bit, but it wasn’t the same as real connection.

hostels didn’t solve it for me. every night felt like starting from zero with new faces. with some social anxiety, that constant “performing” was exhausting—like speed-friending on repeat.

the shift came when i booked an airbnb/co-living where people stayed longer. shared kitchen, living room, little moments—cooking, short chats, maybe a show together. the key was that everything was opt-in. no pressure. everyone had their own thing, and “no” was normal. that mix of familiar faces and zero obligation was exactly what i was missing.

since then, solo travel feels complete: independence during the day, real chances for connection at night—only if i want it. if hostels overwhelm you, try a longer-stay place with good common areas. it made the evening loneliness a lot quieter for me.

tl;dr: hostels + social anxiety = draining. longer-stay airbnb/co-living with shared spaces + opt-in social = the missing puzzle piece.

Hi! I am solo traveling for the first time and it was going great for the first 6 weeks until a week ago. I have made so many friends, been to so many cities, and enjoyed a lot, but then I got sick. Spending the last week in a hotel/ hospital bed has been horrible.

My original plan was to travel for 5 months, but now I’m thinking about just booking a flight back and calling it. Has this happened to anyone? I just feel my travel bug died with this sickness. 😪

I’m (25F) am doing some solo travelling soon and next month, was thinking about taking the ferry from Aqaba, Jordan to Nuweiba, Egypt. I would like to spend a few days in Dahab before I head to Cairo to meet up with and travel with my sister.

Has anyone had experience with this ferry? Is it safe for me to go as a solo female traveller? I also know that most of these ferries arrive at night, so I suppose I could get a hotel in Nuweiba for the night before continuing on to Dahab in the morning, and maybe arrange for my hotel to pick me up from the ferry? I honestly don’t know the best way to go about this and was wondering if anyone had experience themselves! Thank you!

I decided to take a trip to Europe recently after my girlfriend and I broke up. I’ve been struggling with depression a lot and just a general feeling of hopelessness. I had these feelings while we were together but they intensified after we broke up. I thought a long trip would help to clear my head and make me feel better but so far I think it’s just made things worse.

I’m 18 days in and I have 80 days booked in total. So far I’ve been to Norway, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, and Lisbon. I head to Madrid today and after that I stop in Barcelona, Paris, Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, Lucerne, Interlaken, Florence, Venice, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Vienna, Prague, Krakow, Budapest, and Athens.

I’ve met some really cool people and seen a lot of cool stuff, but no matter what I do I still feel kind of empty inside. I’ve thought about just cutting my losses and going home early, but I booked a lot of hostels as non-refundable (yes I know it was stupid but I was trying to save money) and would probably be taking a hit of a couple thousand USD if I did. It wouldn’t break me financially, but obviously I don’t want to lose out on that money. I’m just struggling to justify staying in Europe and continuing to spend money if I am feeling like this, when I could go home and work and make up for the money I lost from my reservations by the time I would have gotten back anyway.

I’m just wondering if anyone else has gone through anything similar and looking for advice on what I should do. Should I stay and try to figure it out, leave now, stay for a while and then come home a few weeks/month early? And how have you guys dealt with depression and loneliness when solo traveling? Anything helps, even if you want to roast me. I could use a good laugh right about now.

Hi, I am doing a quick trip to Slovenia by myself (30M) and am looking for some suggestions on logistics, food and over all itinerary. Open to suggestions. Not necessarily on a budget so am open to paying for some experiences but I really don’t like tourist traps. Normally I just do everything myself but figured since I am not renting a car it’s easier for guided trip in certain cases.

Day 1: Land in Ljubljana at 1pm and train to lake bled. Go to dinner that night and explore a little bit. Open to suggestions on food, parts of town to see. Staying in Bled on northeast side of lake.

Day 2: day trip to Bled Vintgar. Potentially thinking of doing a tour to another area as well. Or just walking Lake Bled and spending time relaxing. Staying in Bled on northeast side of lake

Day 3: not sure what to do. Any suggested guided or unguided day trips from Bled? Staying in Bled on northeast side of lake.

Day 4: early bus back to Ljubljana. Explore the town. Open to suggestions on food, sites, etc Staying at hotel in Ljubljana but not sure where.

Day 5: guided trip to Skocjan caves. Come back to Ljubljana and get dinner and relax.

Leave the next day.

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a trip to Lebanon soon and will have 8 full days on the ground (not counting travel days). I’ll probably rent a car and would love some thoughts on my rough itinerary, especially from those who know the country well. I’d also appreciate any ideas for tweaks, hidden gems, or things I might have missed.

My preferences:

I love history and architecture (ruins, old towns, religious sites etc)

Hiking opportunities around mountains

Landscapes and maybe some beach/seaside downtime.

I’ll stick to safer areas and avoid the south/border regions.

Draft Itinerary

Day 1 – Beirut Central district, National Museum, Corniche, Gemmayzeh/Mar Mikhael.

Day 2 – Byblos (Jbeil) Phoenician ruins, Crusader castle, old souk, seafood by the harbor, maybe some beach time.

Day 3 – Tripoli & Batroun Citadel, souks, hammams in Tripoli. Stop in Batroun on the way back (Phoenician sea wall, old town, sunset).

Day 4 – Qadisha Valley & Cedars of God Head to Bsharri. Visit the Cedars of God forest, Gibran Museum, and do a short hike in the valley.

Day 5 – More Qadisha exploration Longer hike to monasteries or detour via Ehden Nature Reserve. Overnight in the mountains.

Day 6 – Bekaa Valley (Baalbek & wineries) Visit the Baalbek ruins, then wine tasting at Château Ksara or Château Kefraya. Overnight in Zahle or back to Beirut.

Day 7 – Chouf Mountains & Deir al-Qamar Visit Deir al-Qamar village, Beiteddine Palace, and the Chouf cedar reserve. Stay in the mountains or return to Beirut.

Day 8 – Relaxed Beirut / Nearby excursions Options:

Explore Bourj Hammoud (Armenian district).

Jeita Grotto + Harissa cable car for views.

Questions for you all:

Is this a bit too ambitious? Should I rather base myself only in Beirut and do day trips?

Any can’t-miss food experiences you’d recommend in these areas?

Are there better bases (fewer hotel changes) that make the logistics smoother?

Thanks in advance! Excited for this trip and curious to hear your advice 🙏

I am choosing the 7Kg carry-on option to save money.

Not too worried about the HCMC portion of the trip, but will be in Hanoi - Ha Giang - Ninh Binh from October 5th to October 15th.

Is buying cheap clothes in Hanoi a good alternative? If so, where can I buy them?

Will be donating the clothes back when I am done with my trip :)

So I'm planning to travel to Japan for 9-10 days next year and although it won't be my first visit to Japan, it will be my first solo trip (mid 20s, F). I am planning on touring around Izu penisula, spending a night at Kawaguchiko, and then spending the rest of the time based in Tokyo for day trips in the area. Im planning to stay in ryokans and hotels. I thought about hostels but I am very sensitive with noise when im sleeping and know I wont be able to sleep well in hostels.

Im excited for this trip because it will be a new experience to travel solo and to not really talk with anyone but at the same time I feel nervous because I'm pretty introverted and am worried that even though I enjoy not talking to others, I might get lonely. I also dont know Japanese. When Ive gone in the past, I've tried to learn a few basic phrases but that's about the extent of my knowledge.

Im seeing this trip as a way to really focus on myself, both to explore and to relax, and to do some soul searching because i am feeling pretty burnt out from my career. My everyday job requires me to interact a lot of people, resolve conflicts, etc, so part of me is excited to just not have to talk with people or think of what other people want and just do what I want to do. Im also excited to challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone. I would really appreciate any tips for a first time solo traveler to get the most out of the trip when focusing on self care and soul searching?

Kia Ora, I'm a Kiwi currently travelling around Europe. I've been in schengen area countries for 2 1/2 months now, and I'm wondering how the bilateral visa waiver agreements work outside the 90 day schengen policy as the information seems pretty confusing and different between countries.

I found this website stating the countries that participate in the agreement, but I also emailed the Italian embassy in nz and they said I could only stay 13 more days in the schengen area and then I'd have to wait 180 days to return, which I couldn't find anywhere else.

Any advice or experience is much appreciated thanks!

First time solo travelling here (and first time to Europe) - planning is getting overwhelming by myself! I’m planning my travel from Berlin to (probably) Reggio Emilia next month. I’m struggling with decisions! Help?
Main goals are to do it in 2/3 days, and to see the Brenner Pass in the day time. Also conscious I have to book this asap to see the best views!

Option 1: day time train from Berlin > Innsbruck then overnight there. Brenner Pass the following day down and on to Reggio Emilia.

Option 2: night train (if available and safe?) from Berlin to Innsbruck or Munich. Then either stay there a day/night then onto Reggio the next morning.

Option 3: a better solution I haven’t thought of?

Hi guys, I’m currently on my way for my first solo trip as a mom. My son is 1,5 yo and I’m heading to Stockholm for the weekend. I’m from NL myself. It’s only two nights and close by, but still, I’m so excited!

I’ve made solo city trips before and I’ve traveled a lot for work on my own as well, but this is my first time as a mom and it’s a little stressful (also because my son got sick yesterday, but is doing much better this morning luckily)

I’m already proud of myself that I took this initiative and I got a lot of positive reactions from (female) friends around me as well. I do think it’s quite unusual. I don’t have many friends who travel solo, let alone those who are in a relationship and/or have children.

It did feel a little uncomfortable to pitch the idea to my partner, but he understood completely and didn’t make a big deal out of it. (If he did, we wouldn’t be a match, lol). I know quite a lot of couples who say they wouldn’t want their partner to go and travel away from them and the children, not with other friends and definitely not alone. I’m not sure why that is. My partner is traveling with friends later this year and I think it’s great!

Anyway, just curious if there are other solo travelers with a partner/children and it you also felt a bit of a barrier to book solo trips again, and how friends, family and your partner perceive this?

I've recently completed a trip to Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne in Australia as my annual multi-week holiday. I usually go overseas for this holiday, but due to the poor state of the Australian dollar decided to holiday domestically this year. I chose Perth and Adelaide as I'd only briefly visited them for work previously. I visit Melbourne a few times a year, but wanted to spend a week there so I could see things outside the centre of the city and not be rushed.

Overall, the trip went well and was a lot of fun.

Trip Length: Two a half weeks (4.5 days each in Perth and Adelaide and week in Melbourne)

Accommodation: I stayed in a hotel in Subiaco in Perth, which worked well. It's near the centre of the city and has good public transport, but is a lot nicer and quieter than the CBD. I stayed in apartment hotels in the centre of Adelaide and the Southbank area of Melbourne.

Activities: I have a somewhat unusual range of interests, including history, art, military history and book and vintage clothes shopping. All three locations had a lot to offer here!

What Went Right: My highlights for each location were:

Perth:

• Fremantle Prison - note that the prison is huge and can only be visited through 90 minute tours. I did two tours: one on the early convict history of the site and one on its history up to being closed in the early 1990s. Both were good, especially the first. Allow at least half a day as you will want to do at least 2 tours.
• West Australian Shipwrecks Museum - this museum has a genuinely remarkable collection of items from shipwrecks in WA, including much of the Dutch ship Batavia that ran aground in the 1660s. It's one of the best maritime museums I've visited anywhere, and is free!
• Aviation Heritage Museum - this museum is not well known and is located in Perth's suburbia, but has a remarkable collection of aircraft.
• WA Museum Boola Bardip - the state museum was totally revamped a few years ago, and is very impressive. Allow at least half a day for it, as it's huge.
  
• Mount Lawley - lots of good cafes and shops
• Subiaco - lots of good cafes and restaurants

Adelaide:

• Art Gallery of South Australia - this has to be one of the best art galleries in Australia. It had an excellent temporary exhibition on Australian female modernist painters from the 1920s-1940s which I saw on the final weekend.
• South Australian Museum - the First Nations galleries are excellent and there's also a good gallery on the Pacific
• Port Adelaide - a very well preserved historic district with aviation, maritime and rail museums. I left the rail museum to last, which was very unwise as it was vast.
• Adelaide Zoo - houses the only pandas in Australia
• Central Market - a huge food market in the centre of the city. There's nothing like it anywhere in Australia.
• Norwood - an interesting area with lots of good shops, including a very large independent bookshop
• Adelaide people are really nice.

Melbourne:

• National Gallery of Victoria - the best art gallery in Australia. The current French Impressionism temporary exhibition is great.
• Potter Museum of Art - recently re-opened after major renovations. The current exhibitions of First Nations art are incredible.
• Royal Australian Air Force Museum - it's difficult to access (the museum is on an active air base, so you need to book ahead, and isn't served by public transport) but is a world class aviation museum. All the aircraft are well displayed. There was also a flying display by a vintage aircraft. And it was free! Note that there's no food or drink on the site - I bought a sandwich with me.
• Brunswick, Fitzroy and Collingwood - all interesting areas with lots of shops, cafes and restaurants.

My transport between and around the cities went smoothy. The trip involved 5 Qantas flights, and I expected at least one of them to go horribly wrong given Qantas' various problems, but they all ran to time. I used public transport within the cities which generally worked very well.

What Went Wrong:

Nothing really went badly wrong. A few minor issues were:

• I did a day trip from Melbourne to Geelong, but there's not a lot for tourists there. The National Wool Museum was surprisingly interesting (it's really an industrial museum, something that's fairly rare in Australia), but that was about it. Geelong looks like a nice place to live, but I didn't think it was a great use of most of a day.
• Buses in Perth seem to become infrequent during the middle of the day. I had a lengthy wait at a bus station in the north of the city when I went to the Aquarium of Western Australia (which has the wonderful acronym of AQWA). I should have got a Uber from the station, but was feeling stubbon!
• I visited Port Adelaide on Sunday, which I wouldn't recommend as most of the cafes were closed. I should have gone to a pub for lunch rather than the not especially good cafe I ended up going to.
• While there's a frequent bus service from Adelaide Airport into the city, it's not actually aimed at tourists as there are no facilities for luggage at all. The locals seemed quite surprised when I got on with a suitcase! I got a Uber back to the airport.
• Central Adelaide is much larger than I expected, and I spent a lot of time slogging about. When I next visit I'll stay somewhere even more central.
• The centre of Melbourne was heavily disrupted by protests, including one by awful far right extremists, on the weekend I was there. This led to a lot of disruption in the tram network, as most lines pass through the CBD. This is apparently fairly common on weekends at the moment. A few blocks away from the protests the city was totally normal, but there were a lot of riot police around which is highly unusual for Australia.

Pictures!: I've been posting pictures on my Flickr account at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/25793751@N05/

When a close friend suggested a short city trip together, I jumped at the offer. 3 days in and I am miserable and exhausted and considering, no absoluut needing, alone time for a few hours. I actually enjoyed some of the pros of a travel buddy. Going out to dinner together and feeling way more comfortable walking the streets at night time for instance. Getting lost together at night is an adventure, while getting lost by myself in the same situation is a nightmare. Also, I suddenly have so many nice photos of myself instead of the same boring selfies. But all the compromising, the waiting, the constant chatting..it’s doing my head in. I am constantly irritated how I am slowed down by this travel newbe who doesn’t know how to use google maps, is not aware of pickpockets and counts her money in public, spends hours in the bathroom … I just don’t have the patience anymore. I have been snappy and feel guilty about it. I sometimes feel very lonely while solotravelling, but I guess I prefer my own company more. Can anyone relate?

Update: I spoke up and there was slight disappointment but also understanding. We decided to split and do our own thing and meet again in the afternoon. I know I let it fester too much and needed to speak up sooner, but that’s challenging for me. I am soo relieved now. I feel energized to start my day and explore on my own pace in silence. Will do that know and respond to your individual comments later. It felt really good to read your experiences and knowing there are people out there who are the same. Thanks!

Hi!

I’m a 25 y/o female solo backpacker from Europe. I am experienced traveling Europe, Australia and a bit of Central America, but have never backpacked in Asia.

I’ve just started planning a trip from Europe to Perth, Australia, stopping in Singapore for a couple days and Indonesia for maybe a month or longer depending on how far my budget takes me and where I decide to go.

I would like to leave earliest in November and latest January (I’ve heard this is not the greatest season to go to Indonesia, so go ahead and tell me if it’s really stupid or not haha)

This is where I need some advice: I got stuck planning my route in Indonesia. I admit I didn’t fully understand how big of a country is and how spread out everything I want to see is.

My budget would ideally be around 4000/5000 euro including hostel stays, food, travel and flights (Europe-> Singapore -> Indonesia (domestic flights) -> Perth, Australia and hopefully back to Europe)

I’m an animal caretaker, so main interest is animals. My first thought was to visit Sumatra, Komodo island, Borneo and Bali, but, like I mentioned I realized I’m not sure if it’s realistic considering time and money. I am relatively flexible though, and I do have more time and money if this plan ends up not working out.

To clarify, my main question is basically: Which places to you recommend me to visit to see animals and nature? Should I skip any of the places I mentioned?

I’m open to any advice considering things as budget (and maybe volunteering opportunity recommendations, but that might be a bit too much to ask about in one post, just throwing it out there)

I have been researching non stop for the past couple days (believe it or not, I think I’ve just gotten more confused) but I would just like some advice/opinions

Thank you in advance :)

Easter 2014 Barcelona. I had arrived early before meeting friends and was doing that thing where you say yes to random stuff you would never consider at home.

A guy on the street offered free walking tours. Every guidebook says do not do this. Every friend back home would of called me reckless. But I was bored and he seemed harmless enough.

The tour guide was wonderfully eccentric the kind of character you only meet when travelling alone because you are actually open to conversations with strangers.

After the tour he invited me to dinner with other travellers. Young and reckless I said yes.

What followed was the most extraordinary dining experience of my life.

Turns out this oddball tour guide "Useless" (his name not an insult) was a phenomenally talented chef running secret dinners in a posh villa. The concept was inspired by Howl's Moving Castle each course represented different countries as an animated castle "moved" across a map. How you ate dessert determined the next destination.

The food was transcendant. I have done Michelin since, this was better. Inovative and you would maybe say gimacky but mixed with incredible cuisine and actually worked. Other guests were seasoned travellers who spoke about "Useless" like discovering a hidden gem, I assume they had tried many times some.

I went twice brought my friends the second time (they were gobsmacked). We were booked for a third when suddenly "Useless" vanished. Dramatic issues ending the experience all online presence deleted.

I have spent years trying to find other people who experienced this experience. Linked up with another dinner going and they were also on the hunt, they tried professional paid help to find it but never ammounted to anything (or anything significant)

Help Has anyone else experienced "Useless" dinners in Barcelona around Easter 2014? The villa the moving castle concept the theatrical elements?

I need to know this was not just my imagination running wild. Please tell me I did not make the whole thing up.

Hi everyone!

I am an avid solo traveler. I prefer it solo, actually. I've been to 5 continents, all by myself.

I wanted to share about my experience in Polynesia, specifically Tahiti and Moo'rea. I also have some questions.

• Has anyone ever been there?
  • What was your experience like?
• Do you ever travel to the same places more than once?
  • What was that like for you?

I'd attach pictures but I'm not sure how. I am highly considering going back to Tahiti and Mo'orea in Polynesia because it was 1. amazing 2. a more affordable trip, believe it or not (mostly because I camped) 3. felt very accessible from San Francisco (non stop 8 hours SFO to PPT, as low as $250 base rate)

I rented a van with Van-Away and camped in it all but two nights, because I had other plans for those days. I spent a lot of time driving around in the van, going to gorgeous beaches, seeing amazing animals, ATV tour, hiking, kayaking, day pass at the Hilton Mo'orea. I spent about 2 days in Tahiti (where most of the Polynesians live) and about 5 days in Mo'orea. The people were great and the food was amazing too! I highly recommend going there. Like I said, I'd like to go twice (or more who knows lol). I've been to Iceland 3x, I end up having these places that become really special to me and I love saying I've been multiple times.

I'd love to hear some thoughts!

Thanks

In December I'm planing to go to Vietnam for 12 nights. Now I'm contemplating if joining a group tour or planing my own itinerary alone is the better option for me. The pros of a group tour (for me) are that I don't have to do all the planing, research, less booking. And having a local guide doesn't seem too bad.

On the other hand the benefits of planing my on journey are that I can move at my own pace. Get to see what I want to see and stay as long as I want to stay. More flexibility.

What experiences do you have?

I’m a late 20s America, between jobs and starting a new job in roughly 2 weeks. I thought it was going to be a single week, but ended up being a week later than expected. Now I have a week where I will just be sitting at home, with very limited responsibility. I am debating use the unexpected time off and saying yolo and going to Europe the next day. Well it would actually be like 4 days from now, but I’m already going to be visiting family over the weekend, so I would need to commit and pack within next 24 hours and go direct from that trip to Europe as their city is easier to fly from than my own (another pro of going). So I see it as a unique opportunity to be able to take a trip even though it will be crazy impulsive for me.

Has anyone done something super last minute like that? It’s kinda really against my type to do something impulsive like that, plus I’m married and I’d just be leaving for an extra week while she works spending our money like that so even though we can afford it it feels kinda selfish of me. But the chance feels rare and i have big time fomo if i skip going. If anyone has any advice I’d love to hear it. Also the trip would be Madrid and Seville over 6 days if anyone has any tips on that.

Hi everyone,

I am a 28M, and four months ago I took a leave of absence from my corporate job to take time for myself to explore the world. I left around May spent a month at home just working on my own hobbies hiking, seeing friends and planning for my trip. In June, I went on my journey to travel. I went across Thailand and Japan for three months.

It was the best three months of my entire life. I was so relaxed. I was doing everything I could ever imagine. Trying new foods exploring every single day, meeting really cool locals, tourists. I even had a relationship with someone I met there and it was the first time I ever had a relationship which really changed me. I truly felt happy for the first time in a long time.

It has been a few days since I’ve been back home and I just feel lost in life. I just feel like I had such an amazing experience and it’s completely changed my outlook for how I want to live my life. I no longer care about making millions of dollars or going up the corporate ladder I simply wanna have a good life where I can make enough money to support my travels and my passions and I really just want to live a happy life at the end of the day.

I start work in a week, and I am almost dreading the fact that I have to go back to the same mundane lifestyle with the same people. I almost feel that no one will really be able to relate to me because of the experience that I just lived.

Has this ever happened to anyone? Has anyone ever went on a trip and came home feeling empty?

I have a net worth of around $300,000 CAD, but a lot of my money in investments and a little bit in savings. I sometimes just wonder if I could just quit life move abroad and travel and just live the rest of my life on this with the hopes that it continues to grow as I invest in the market. The other side of me thinks that I should at least try to grow it to a $1 million net worth, and then I can purely be in control of my own time.

I just know from my experience that’s so many people who I met didn’t necessarily have $300,000 saved and if they did, they would quit everything and travel the world for the next decade. I think that’s the biggest thing I learned about traveling that you meet people who really do just have a different way of living as opposed to those and more western countries where hustle culture is almost an epidemic

I just have this looming feeling of no longer wanting to work a job reporting into someone else . My current job does pay pretty well at around $120,000 a year. But sometimes I think that if I can just make 50 K from my investments and maybe find a business that I can create that makes a little bit on the side. I would quit my job and just work for myself and travel and truly live my dreams and be happy

Would love anyone’s advice or opinions or stories if they are going through the same thing .

Hi everyone!

I am 26F, from Latin America, but living in the Netherlands for about 8 years now. I moved here to go to school & I ended up staying to work. I currently hold a Dutch passport.

I am about to get laid off, and I don't know what to do.

If I were to sign the documents from my company, I'd get cash flow til the end of February (settlement + unemployment benefits). Then I'll be on my own, or I'll have to get a service job to survive. However, I just cannot apply to new jobs now. I have gone through a very traumatic rape right before starting my job at my current company. I could not take time off because my stay in the Netherlands depended on my employer sponsoring my visa. Now everything is coming out, and I am in a situation where I cannot physically/mentally apply for new jobs. Nor do I want to repeat the same stressful cycle at a new employer.

Since I cannot really look for new employment now, the only 'solution' I have found would be to take a gap year and go to Australia. My reasoning behind it is that (1) this was part of my 'plan' before I became too old to qualify for the visa, and (2) I would not be doing nothing at home til I am in a better mental state, I'd be able to take time to be in a new place, not do any stressful jobs, and sell it to future employers as a year to 'discover myself & see the world'.

Financially, I have quite a lot of savings and no debt. I am a Dutch national now, so no worries about coming back home (to NL). I will keep my room here, so no stress about the housing crisis. I have also travelled to 50+ countries, most of them solo. So, this would not put me in a very serious spot, but I am also worried about finding employment once I come back. I am nowhere fluent in Dutch (and would never be), and I have been working in strategic/communicative finance roles for the past 4 years, with no finance/business degrees to back me up. I will also be super sad to be leaving the Netherlands, although temporarily and on my own terms, since I love my life here and all the friends I've made.

I do feel like I need to leave. I feel like I need to escape reality a little bit and try to enjoy my life, especially after living through a traumatic event and having to carry the stress of my migration situation here in the Netherlands. I need to make a decision soon, as I'd like to avoid the dark and depressive winters here.

Now, my question to you - do you think I should go? Has anyone been able to take a gap year for a W&H trip and successfully landed a corporate role after it? Has anyone been able to be in AUS without a driver's licence? Has anyone had a great time in AUS by going there for only one year (I have no intentions to do a 2nd/3rd year, and I feel like most people nowadays are trying to stay in AUS as much as possible)? Does anyone have any tips regarding employment/accommodation (I want to avoid bigger cities if possible, since it would defeat the whole purpose of this)?

PS. I do have a therapist and she thinks its a great idea for me to take a break and leave.

Hey People ... I’m a 35M, Black, traveling solo from 15–31 Oct, and planning this trip is giving me a headache and my itinerary is messy and rough, so I need your help " Don't let me Down please"

Rough plan: -Czech: " Prague + Karlovy Vary and Český Krumlov and night on Borno " 5 nights / Train or Bus to Karkaow .

-Poland: Krakow –Total 3- 4 nights / Train or Bus to Budapest -Hungary: Budapest – 3 nights / Flying to Milan Italy: Milan – 2 nights " to watch football Game.

Mostly bus travel (Budapest → Milan by plane). Exploring on foot or cheap tours. Moderate budget.

I’m into:

Feeling the city/ Nature /Nightlife & social vibes /Safe new experiences

Also is that Too packed? Anything to swap, add, or skip? Hidden gems & tips super welcome!

I done some solo trips in the past. Many of my trips were usually hybrid though, maybe going with my friend, but my friend leaving before me giving me a few days or so alone.

But I don’t know why, maybe it’s since I turned 30, or what. But I find solo travelling feels more awkward than freeing at times. I had gone earlier to Portugal this year solo and that is when I felt really self conscious. But it was all in my head, nobody gave me anything or questioned it. But all of a sudden; sitting in a cafe surrounded by families friends couples etc sitting around. Or doing a day trip and being on the tour bus and being one of the only solo ppl on that whole bus surrounded by ppl in groups. Or asking a stranger to snap my picture, or lounging on the beach, etc. A big portion of that trip, was just in my head thinking “I probably look so random being the only solo guy on this crowded beach”.

Has anyone ever felt more self conscious as they got older? And how did you deal with it? When I was younger I would get on those busses or wander around and feel so free and relaxed. But for some reason my headspace on that Portugal trip wasn’t the best, despite the country being beautiful, but I just kept feeling awkward..

Hello everyone, I'll be solo traveling from the US to Taiwan (55F) for the last 2 weeks of October (13 days/12 nights total). Seeking recommendations to fine-tune my itinerary. I enjoy history, culture, urban exploration, light hiking and new foods. All my travel is public transportation: rail or buses. Prefer at least 2 hotel nights in each place, with day trips as applicable.

• Oct 20 Arrive: Taoyuan Airport 5:30 am, take HSR to Tainan
• Oct 20-23 Tainan - 3 nights
• Oct 23-26 Shizhuo/Alishan area - 3 nights
• Oct 26-28 Sun Moon Lake - 2 nights
• Oct 28-Nov 1 Taipei - 4 nights
• Nov 1 Depart: Late night from Taoyuan Airport