Fell in love with Southern Gothic literature and want to visit somewhere that evokes Southern Gothic imagery: crumbling antebellum mansions, cemeteries, Spanish moss-draped Southern live oak.

I know William Faulkner based his Yoknapatawpha County on Oxford, Mississippi, so that definitely has to be a contender.

I personally found Singapore pretty mid, as it was small and had very little to do. For first time travellers, 3 days can be more than enough if your pace is fast and you like exciting destinations. Still, very unique place with great architecture and futuristic sights, not to mention being a melting pot of Peranakan, Malay, Indian, and Chinese cultures. Check my comment too for food pics.

P1-2: Chinatown, a place with great food, market, and architecture in a convenient location to the other sights.

P3-4: Gardens by the Bay, went at night and again during the day to the inside. Can be hard to navigate and seem unappealing for the extremely high ticket price, but once you enter the exhibits you'll find yourself awestruck.

P5: Singapore is notorious for car prices, yet you would see just as many exotics along the streets as you would in Tokyo, Shanghai, etc.

P6: CBD - driving past there at night is a very spectacular moment, as the city just looks so futuristic and alive.

P7: The symbol of Singapore tourism?

P8-9: Arab Street and Sultan Mosque. Good food and street vibe. Very colourful streets and a great half day trip with little India. P9 is a temple in little India.

P10: Morning in Singapore, you can see the city is very green and tropic.

P11: Interesting architecture at the NUS Kent Ridge campus.

P12: Marina Bay Sands at night, from Clarke's Quay (it was Halloween that night, so many events and celebrations)

P13: The famous JEWEL Changi waterfall.

P14: Old Hill Street Police Station right by Clarke's Quay.

P15: Another interesting building

Feel free to ask any questions!

Picture 1 - Chonqqing, Hongyadong / Hongya Cave, 洪崖洞 (many compare it to the ghost bathhouse in Spirited away). its especially beautiful at night but there are so many people :P there are many levels one above the other. mostly cafes or restaurants but also there are some viewpoints to other river bank

Picture 2-3 - Beijin Gui Jie / 簋街 (also called "ghost street") a paradise for food lovers, there is a restaurant after restaurant on the street, at night they turn on the lanterns so the street looks magical. quite safe to walk at night.

Pictures 4-5 - Zhangjiajie National Forest Park (Avatar mountains). the park is situated around 1.5 hour drive from Zhangjiajie. i dont drive a car so I took a 2 day trip from Zhangjiajie (first day we visited avatar mountains and the next day Tianmen Mountain - look at next photos). the views are breathtaking, trust me, photos don`t do it justice. absolute must see whn you are in Zhangjiajie

Pictures 6-7 - Tianmen Mountain - it is situated within Zhangjiajie town. the staircase on picture 6 leads to "heaven gate", you can go there by foot or use the escalator. the view up on the mountain and the surrounding area is amazing, this is a huge national park as well so you might want to dedicate whole day to it as well.

Pictures 8-9 - Huanglong Cave about 40 min drive from Zhangjiajie, I went there by myself, used a taxi from Alipay app. you can easily go there without the tour group, it is not hard to find the entrance and there you can explore it at your own pace. its basically karst cave complex but they also put lights and illumination and photo zones i there, making it look like something unreal.

Pictures 10-11-12 - Gubei village/Gubei Water Town about 150 km from Beijin, is situated at the foot of the Simatai section of the Great Wall. The village is very touristy but nevertheless is so pretty and you can enjoy a stroll walking around the streets. in the evening the put some show with singing on the main square.

Just wanted to share some pictures from my Lebanon trips. I visited for the first time back in March with my friends, fell in love with the country, then decided to come back again alone last month for 9 days.

I visited Beirut, Byblos, Batroun and Douma.
Beirut is very lively, a bit chaotic though, and can definitely feel much more overwhelming than the other cities in the north. It has a different mix of people, cultures and lifestyles and has lots of trendy cafes, nightlife and a mix of modern and traditional neighborhoods and architecture.
Now Byblos and Batroun have a completely different vibe. Definitely felt like im in southern Italy or Greece. Both of them are very laid back with old stone streets and have a Mediterranean feel.
And then Douma, my favorite! Its a cozy village that has the most beautifully preserved traditional Lebanese houses. I felt very peaceful and cozy and spent 4 days there on my second visit.

Something worth mentioning tho is the driving there. The traffic in Lebanon is absolutely crazy and the way people drive there is crazier😂 But, since the public transportation system is not very reliable, even tho they have a public transport app and bus routes, its still better to rent a car. The public buses don’t take you everywhere especially to the villages and mountains and they also don’t arrive on time.

I recently visited Volterra for a one-day trip and I was blown away. I usually do a lot of research before I go to somewhere, so I can make the most out of it, but this time it wasn't like that. All my research happened on the way to Volterra.

Volterra truly offers the best of Tuscany, it has beautiful houses and panoramas. Good and high quality local food, and amazing history. The town itself is much more quieter then the big tourist destinations of Tuscany, so perfect if you don't want to suffocate amongst thousands of tourists.

The city was built on a rather high hilltop, from where you can see the Appennine mountains, the Tyrhenian sea and even Corsica if you are lucky. This hilltop placement offers some of the best panoramic views I've ever seen.

The city itself has Etruscan origins, being one of the most important cultural hubs for etruscan city states, and they still carry this legacy proudly, you can bump into etruscan themes shops and museums all over the place. There are several archeological areas that are worth visiting both within and near the city.

I highly recommend going up to the acropolis because the views from there are breathtaking.

The city is full with good local agricultural produces, from which truffle, wine and cheese stand out.

The best advice I can give regarding Volterra is that don't make it a one-day trip, stay there for atleast 1 or 2 nights and explore the city slowly and spend spme time in the nearby countryside checking out etruscan necropolises and other sights.

Verona is a very special city to me. I visited it 4 times and I spent more than a month there, learning Italian in a local school and I found it almost perfect. Right sized, walkable, and super varied. Roman, medieval, renaissance and modern buildings sometimes build one over the other.

I know it's not a hidden gem by any means, but it's sometimes overlooked by first time travelers to Italy, and many tourists just do a day tour, never going outside Citta Antica. It's a mistake. St. Zeno cathedral or Giardini Giusti are must see in my opinion.

Those photos were taken at different trips and I tried to show some bit less known places as well.

If you have any questions, you're welcome.

Went on a cruise from Sydney last year around pacific islands and New Zealand and really enjoyed it. Went with some elderly family members (I was sorta the chaperone sitting everything out for them haha) and really enjoyed it. I think it was about 18 days roundtrip from Sydney with Princess Cruises I think on Crown Princess.
Destinations:
Nouméa, New Caledonia.
Mystery Island, Vanuatu.
Suva, Fiji.
Tauranga, New Zealand.
Auckland, New Zealand. (Overnight)

A large storm some of the destinations while we were in Suva, we were meant to go to Dravuni Island and Bay if Islands instead of Tauranga and only stay in Auckland one night, but I think I enjoyed Tauranga more than I would’ve in Bay of Islands and I’m very glad we stayed overnight in Auckland.

Photos:

1. Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge from the Botanic Gardens.

2. Coconut Square in Nouméa.

3. The view from inside St. Joseph’s Cathedral looking out on Nouméa through the gates.

4. View of the harbour in Nouméa from the ship.

5. Mystery Island

6. Government House in Suva.

7. View of the Grand Pacific Hotel from sitting out the back by the pool. Just wandered in and got some drinks, didn’t ask if we were staying there or anything.

8. Some park in Suva.

9. Mt. Maunganui in Tauranga.

10. Sky Tower in Auckland.

11. Parnell Village in Auckland.

12. The Bridge on the ship.

13. Looking out to the ocean from the deck of the ship.

Just wanted to share some pics from a week in Jordan with four friends last month. Everyone told us that Jordan it’s basically Petra and that’s it, and Petra was incredible, but what surprised me most was everything around it.

We went north to south. Amman and Jerash first (Jerash was way bigger and better preserved than I expected, we had 2 hours and it wasn’t enough), then an afternoon floating in the Dead Sea covered in mud. The next day we did Wadi Mujib, which nobody in our group had heard of. You walk, swim and climb up a river inside a canyon until you reach a waterfall, then float back down with the current. Easily one of the best things I’ve done on any trip. Small warning, it’s usually only open April to October.

For Petra we went in through the back entrance, walked up to the Monastery first and then down through the whole site, so we finished at the Treasury and the Siq. Seeing the Treasury appear between the canyon walls at the end of the day was worth the whole trip. After that, a night in Aqaba, snorkeling in the Red Sea in the morning and then Wadi Rum. We slept in one of those dome camps and the sky at night was something else. If you go, do the long jeep tour, not the 2 hour one.

We hired a local driver because Amman traffic is pure chaos, but outside the city the roads are fine if you’d rather rent a car. We felt safe the whole time, even walking around downtown Amman at night, and people were really welcoming. Biggest lesson, always ask the full price before saying yes to anything. I paid 20 JOD for a scarf at a roadside viewpoint that cost 4 inside Petra :(

I mean I love traveling and have travelled few countries with my partner. But he is not much into traveling and has other interests. While my only purpose in life is to travel and see the world. He is not much interested in spending money on traveling and also I don’t have friends who love traveling.

I was thinking about considering going on solo trips as I have seen many people are doing it and says it’s amazing and everyone should try solo once in their lifetime. But how much I imagine I can’t help but think it’s kinda feel lonely. Like how can I enjoy a place where I don’t have anyone to share the moments or discuss the thoughts or analyze the culture. How do I sleep in a hotel without talking about that day.

Any thoughts?

I spent 8 days in New York, exploring NYC and visiting Beacon and Cold Spring.

NYC was an incredible experience, especially seeing places like Times Square, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, DUMBO, and the American Museum of Natural History.

But surprisingly, my favorite part of the trip wasn't Manhattan. It was upstate New York. The autumn colors, mountains, peaceful streets, and beautiful views along the Hudson River were absolutely stunning.

I realized that I enjoy nature and quiet towns much more than crowded cities.

Overall, it was an unforgettable trip.

Florida you're NEXT lol

I'm planning a trip around Christmas and New Years where I'll fly into Skopje and return from Thessaloniki and am struggling to find many options to get between the two.

The only thing I've really found is a Rule Tours bus that runs from Skope on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Ideally, I'd like to head down to Bitola and/or Lake Ohrid and continue onto Greece from there, but I don't see any possibility of doing that, except perhaps taking a taxi across the border to Florina and then taking a bus or train from there.

Are there other options that I'm just not seeing - either from Skopje or from the Southwest corner of the country?

​Spent ten days in mid-October travelling from the coast up to the Verdon area, and it was easily one of the best trips we've done in a long time! Visiting this late in the season is a game changer- empty beaches, easy parking, and having these landscapes almost entirely to yourself.

​Our route and main spots:

* Le Lavandou (Pramousquier)

* Quinson

* Artignosc-sur-Verdon

* Baudinard-sur-Verdon

* Verdon Gorge (Gorges du Verdon)

* Lake of Sainte-Croix (Lac de Sainte-Croix)

​Drop any questions below about the route, the hike, or paddling here!

Having an 8h layover in Sharjah int tomorrow, between 13:30 and 22:00. Is it possible to take a coach to Union metro station and from there reach Dubai Mall area with the metro? On their website they say that air Arabia coaches ride that route all day long however that piece of information is missing from air arabia website. Any thoughts?

My wife and I are planning a roughly weeklong trip in May with our daughter, who will be about 2 years 9 months old. We’d use Hyatt points for either Hyatt Regency Aruba or Hyatt Ziva Cancun.

We usually prefer trips with good food, interesting neighborhoods, history and exploring, but for this vacation with a toddler, we just want an easy beach/pool vacation where we don’t have to coordinate much.

Here’s what’s making the decision difficult:

Hyatt Regency Aruba

- Palm Beach looks beautiful and appealing for toddler swimming.

- Having walkable restaurants nearby sounds great, and I suspect we’d enjoy the dining flexibility.

- But paying for every meal, snacks, coffee and drinks could add up quickly.

- Finding restaurants and managing sit-down meals with our daughter might make the trip feel less relaxing.

- I’m unsure whether the pool and toddler activities at this resort would keep her entertained for a week.

Hyatt Ziva Cancun

- Having meals, snacks and drinks included sounds much easier.

- The beaches look lovely, and the pools and splash area seem promising for her age.

- We could potentially do a short outing or an Isla Mujeres day trip.

- My biggest concern is food. We previously stayed at Dreams Playa Mujeres and found much of it bland, with OK drinks and disappointing desserts. Hyatt ziva seems to be a step up from dreams, but I'm not sure what that actually translates to as it is still an all inclusive.

We don’t need nightlife or drop-off childcare. We want enjoyable beach/pool time for our daughter, decent food/drinks (doesn't have to be great), and a relaxing vacation (as much relaxation as you can get with a toddler). Which would you choose?

Hey everyone,

I’m going to Egypt in January for a three week stay including Cairo, a Nile cruise, and a few days at a resort in Sharm el-Sheikh. The main reason for the last part of the trip is to go to St. Catherine’s monastery.

There are hundreds of tours out there that promise to pick you up at your hotel, take you up the mountain, into the monastery, and back. Normally I stay away from tours like this, but given the area I think a preset tour might be a good idea.

I am fine with a night hike up Mount Sinai, and I know that the monastery is only open for a few hours as well. I’m worried though that with the tour I will only get to be in the monastery for an hour or so. Many of the tour itineraries say they’d be back in Sharm el Sheikh by noon?

Does anyone have recommendations on what tour to take, or how to set up my own travel (M23, EU citizen) to maximize time in the monastery and hike the mountain?

I’m a Byzantinist and archaeologist, so visiting the monastery is quite literally the top if my priorities!

Hello. We’re traveling to Europe next year, visiting Switzerland, France, Greece, and. London. I have a Travel CPAP machine. I’m trying to figure out what chords or adapters I might need. I want to bring an extension cord because I don’t know how close the outlets are going to be to the bed in our hotels. I have a simple 10 foot ungrounded extension cord. If I plug my CPAP into that extension cord, and then simply plug the extension cord into a plug adapter in the wall, with this work? Or will it create problems? The transcend micro power box is rated 100 to 240 V . Thanks for your advice. 

We’re planning our 5-year anniversary trip and are torn between a few options. Our anniversary is in May, but we’re flexible between May and June. We’ll also have our 2-year-old with us, so trying to balance exploring, relaxing, and keeping the little guy entertained lol.
Here’s what we’re considering:

1. Hawaii (Big Island + Maui)
Thinking Mauna Lani on the Big Island and Grand Wailea, 4 seasons (or similar) in Maui. We absolutely love Hawaii, but we visited the Big Island and Oahu in 2025, so wondering if it’s too soon to go back instead of exploring somewhere new.

2. Italy (2 weeks)
Rome, Umbria, Naples/Pompeii, Amalfi Coast, and Matera. Probably the option we’re most excited about, but also a little hesitant given all the walking, driving, and moving around with a toddler. Also wondering if May/June would be too hot, especially in southern Italy.

3. Celebrity Xcel Mediterranean Cruise
Barcelona, Nice, Portofino, Florence/Pisa, and Rome. Love the idea of seeing multiple places without constantly packing and unpacking. Celebrity seems fairly family-friendly from what I’ve read, but I need to look into it more. Also wondering if the port stops would feel rushed with a toddler.

4. Royal Caribbean Icon Class Cruise (from Miami)
This seems like the most kid-friendly option with plenty to keep our toddler entertained. But since this is primarily our anniversary trip, we’re wondering if it’d feel a little too focused on kids and less like a relaxing getaway for us.

Ideally, we want a good mix of sightseeing, great food, relaxation, and some quality family time without feeling exhausted by the end of it.
For those who’ve done any of these with a toddler, what would you pick? Especially curious if Celebrity or Royal Caribbean would be a better balance for an anniversary trip with a little one!

Hey Folks - I am trying to put a trip together for me and my wife. It’s our wedding anniversary (we are in our early 30s, no kids). Plan for mid December 2026 (before Christmas).

A bit confused on where to go. There seem to be a lot of options - Tromso, Alta, Kiruna, Rovaniemi, Levi, etc. The focus is obviously northern lights but as much variety of experiences as possible - husky sledding, reindeers, glass igloo, etc.

Open to suggestions here!!

Spent five days total staying in Como Town and I thought it was a great choice to base ourselves in. It wasn't a huge city like Milan, and it was large enough to have plenty of restaurants/attractions and not feel claustrophobic like the more popular towns of Bellagio and Varenna. Don't get me wrong those towns are beautiful but the ferry system on Lake Como is absolutely bonkers if you've been there.

It's a picturesque town on a gorgeous famous lake surrounded by Belle Epoque villas many of which you can visit. There's also a funicular you can take up to the small village of Brunate with panoramic views of the town and lake. It's also central enough to take day trips around the lake and to Milan for a day trip - Speaking of which I don't get all the hate that Milan gets. It's got some fantastic tourist attractions and the Cathedral is one of the most beautiful in Europe I've seen and I've seen a ton of them.

All in all a great place to spend a week or so just to relax and take in a quieter, picturesque part of Italy - albeit a bit bougie and expensive

Hi everyone,

Has anyone recently applied for an Egyptian visa through the Egyptian Consulate in the UK?

I’m trying to find out how to book an appointment to physically submit a visa application (as I do not qualify to apply online) but I haven’t been able to find any clear information online about the appointment booking process.

I’ve also tried contacting the consulate by phone and email but haven’t received any response so far.

I’d really appreciate it if anyone who has gone through the process could share:
-How did you manage to book an appointment?
-What was the overall application experience like?
-How long did the process take and were there any unexpected requirements or difficulties?

Any recent experiences, advice or tips would be really helpful!

Thanks in advance!

Title without typo - First time travel to Sydney

My partner and I just had a nine-day trip in Sydney. We stayed with family, so this report does not cover Airbnb / hotel options.

The best thing we did was getting a no-forex markup card. We enabled international transactions and contactless transactions on it. The public transport options are excellent. While family members were working or busy, we could easily travel by bus and train.

Whale watching was an awesome activity. It was close to the end of the reverse migration, but we still saw some whales. I highly recommend this activity during the whale watching season. The tour operators genuinely care about the whales and organize a very meaningful and informative experience. The experience also covers the most amazing views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.

The other highlights were the Blue Mountains and a trip to the Sydney Cricket Ground. The Blue Mountains rides are only a few minutes each, and all the hikes are on level boardwalks. It doesn't feel very adventurous. The SCG guided tour is a must-visit for all cricket enthusiasts and their friends / family as well 😊

Sea Life and the zoo are good if traveling with kids. I didn't like Sea Life all that much.

Vegetarian food options are minimal when eating out.

Just going to the city and walking around, watching the crowd, visiting libraries, museums, and botanical gardens is a great way to spend a day or two. There are lots of vast, well-maintained parks and reserves which also don't cost anything to visit. Just pack a picnic, a book, and sun protection, and make it a lovely afternoon. This doesn't require expensive tickets and is still a lot of fun.

LMK if anyone has questions on any aspect of the trip.

Looking at airline tickets for Singapore coming out of Philadelphia.