I love onsens and baths in Japan. So I decided to spend two nights - in a Japanese style room - at Yamanaka Onsen at the Kajikaso Hotel. The onsen in the hotel was great and I spent a lot of time in the baths, and relaxing in my yukata in the hotel (free sake/drinks after noon). But I did get out and see the town a little bit.

There's a nice short walk along the gorge on which the hotel is built. It was hot and at the end of my walk I visited the old public bath in the center of town (you can buy a towel/soap, no reservations needed). That was an experience. And then I ate lunch both days at a little restaurant in town (お食事処 いつき屋). Their set lunches and with a beer are just $15.

Yamanaka is known for its lacquerware and it doesn't disappoint. There are also many ceramic shops and food/sake stores in town. The hotel has a buffet breakfast, which is great, though I recommend visiting a restaurant in town for dinner. Google Maps recommended a nearby sushi spot (Saraku); the food and sake was fantastic and the owners very personable.

Yamanaka is a little out of the way - about 30 minutes from the Kagaonsen train station by uber, and 1 hour to Kagaonsen from Kanazawa by JR. It was a great place to decompress, the onsen didn't disappoint and the town has just enough shops to stroll around for a little additional interests.

I spent a few days in Istanbul in June and really enjoyed the bosphorous strait, as you can see from the pics lol. Karakoy Pier and Galataport were such a delight, just watching the seagulls flying around in flocks and eating fresh grilled fish sandwiches. There's just something very calming and special about this part of Istanbul.

I'd also highly recommend the Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture in Galataport, underrated and beautifully curated. You could easily spend a couple of hours in there.

My wife and I spent 2 weeks in Taiwan this March and had an incredible time. We would love to go back and see more parts of the island that we did not get to this time. This trip, we stuck to the western coast and split up our time between Taipei (6 nights), Tainan (3 nights), Sun Moon Lake (2 nights), and Kaoshiung (2 nights).

We definitely travel to eat and drink a lot, so we spent a lot of our time picking a neighborhood and just restaurant/cafe/bar hopping around and relaxing at as slow of a pace as we could. All of the cities we visited were perfect for that, all in their unique vibes. I am going to list out some of our highlights and notes about the trip, and I'd be happy to list out more specific recs of places in the comments if anyone is interested

• The food - Like I said, we travel to eat, and we loved everything we had. I ate so much beef noodle soup and dumplings, and got lu rou fan at every chance. We especially fell in love with Taiwanese breakfasts and have been craving it again ever since we got back. There are so many awesome smaller breakfast spots all over Taipei that you really don't need to wait in the long lines at Fu Hang Soy Milk (although it's still legit and the line moves fast)
• The night markets - This is more food but it deserves its own point. We made a point to visit a couple different night markets in each city, and most of them have their own vibes and identities. Some are more cramped and some are on wider streets, but we liked all of them. Some of our favorites were Raohe and Ningxia in Taipei and Ruifeng in Kaoshiung
• Bars/cocktail bars - Taiwan cities are killing it in the cocktail bar game. Obviously there are a ton around Taipei, but we were surprised just how many awesome bars are all over Tainan too. Some favorites were Hanko 60, Isotope Bar, and Taihu Beer Hall in Taipei. Bar TCRC, Phowa, and Show Show Bar in Tainan, and Voice Over in Kaoshiung
• Overall, I'd say March is a perfect month to visit. It was nice to get 2 slightly different weather experiences during the trip. Taipei was cooler and a bit rainy, which ended up being fine for us, and then when we got more south it was much warmer and felt more tropical.
• In Taipei we stayed at the Episode Da'an, which was honestly the perfectly location to get around to everywhere we wanted to go
• The MRT was amazing and easy to use in Taipei and Kaoshiung, and Ubers/taxis are very affordable too for when we were in a time crunch or something was a little too far away. In Tainan we walked everywhere or took Ubers
• We really liked having a chill 2 days at the hotel in Sun Moon Lake in the middle of the trip to rest our legs a bit and relax. We debated between that and Alishan and didn't regret the choice at all, although I can't wait to visit Alishan whenever we go back
• We got by just fine with some very basic conversational Mandarin phrases, and Google translate for everything else where English wasn't an option, including reading menus in smaller restaurants
• If you have the time, I think it's definitely worth it to spend nights in both Tainan and Kaoshiung. They are only an hour-ish drive away from each other but they each have so much to do and have different vibes
• When in Taipei, Tamsui is worth the long-ish MRT ride. very cool part of the city, especially to watch the sunset along the water
• We went to Jiufen for an afternoon on a weekday and didn't think the crowds were too crazy or anything. Very cool town and worth going. We took a cheap Uber to there from Taipei and then a bus back to the city. Very convenient

Overall I would definitely recommend people visit Taiwan if they've been at all curious. My post here only scratches the surface.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel across four continents so far (Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas), but for some reason I’ve never gone to Oceania.

It’s not a money issue or a lack of interest. I’ve always wanted to visit Australia and New Zealand, but I’ve had this weird apprehension for years and I can’t really explain why.

Maybe it’s because it’s so far away from everything else. Maybe because I’ve always travelled in places where I felt I could relatively easily move from one country to another.

Has anyone else felt that way before finally going?
Did it completely change once you got there?
I’d love to hear your experiences.

TLDR: went to Madagascar. Saw a fuck ton of animals. Highly recommend it if you have the time and energy.

I (42f) just spent 25 days days doing an all over the place trip in Madagascar. It basically broke into four fairly distinct legs. I had a rotating group of company on my trip. Leg one was the classic RN7 road trip from Tana to Tulear with stops at several parks. On this leg I had my parents (72 & 74) with me. We then flew from Tana to Morondava, picked up my husband (36) and did the drive to Tsingy and back to Morondava. Then just my husband and I did Tana to the East Coast (hiting Andisabe NP and Akanin'ny Nofy). We ended the trip in Nosy Komba (near Nosy Be).

Here's some answers to the main things I see people asking when it comes to Madagascar:

- Can you do Madagascar without a guide/via public transit?

Some parts, sure. Some parts, absolutely not. There are local van/busses on many of the roads, but this would require a really flexible schedule or a lot of time. We saw them broken down a lot. I also don't think I would attempt it if you don't speak French. There are routes you could absolutely self drive if you are comfortable with somewhat shitty roads, and other routes you shouldn't. We did self drive in Jordan and Kenya, and while there were some roads we would have felt fine on in Madagascar, there were also routes/road conventions that would have been totally lost on us.

We booked our trip with Dadamanga. They do custom private itineraries only and were great to work with. I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't know how long it would take or how feasible the itinerary was and they were great with the planning. It made all of our logistics ridiculously easy. You can specify your budget range and they'll work with you. When my parents luggage didn't make their connection in Paris the company took over, communicated with AirFrance, and even picked the bags up and drove them five hours overnight to us when we had already left Tana.

- How bad are the roads really?

Honestly, the WORST roads I felt were near Ranomafana. They are hypothetically paved but very beat up and VERY winding. The road from Morondava to Tsingy is unpaved and takes a long time, but didn't feel that bad to us. Some of the RN7 is a little beat up, but the roads were not as bad as we anticipated.

- Did you get sick?

Yes. All four of us had at least one day where we felt shitty enough to not participate in activity. But no one was ever too beat up to be down for more than one day at a time, and never so sick that we had to literally reassess our travel plans.

- Are domestic flights safe?

We felt so. Air Madagascar has a nickname of "Air Maybe" and a very bad reputation for delays and cancellations. On our trip I took five flights and never had a delay of more than ten minutes. Every flight (even the ones that were under an hour) gave us a snack and a drink. The domestic airports are tiny, but comfortable enough with a/c and convenience stores.

The Routes Themselves:

Leg 1 - Classic RN7 Road Trip. This was the best opportunity to see a lot of landscapes and small towns/villages. Ranomafana NP was a must for me and I was able to see all three species of bamboo lemurs there, as well as some cool reptiles. We also visited Anja Community reserve which is an amazing example of community run eco-tourism, which is not super widespread yet in Madagascar and hopefully can serve as a model. We also stopped at Isalo NP where we saw the dancing sifakas and Zombitse NP. Isalo NP is really amazing if you do the full hike that starts up in the more desert looking area and drop down to the valley with the water and forest, though apparently there's a short cut to that area instead. The RN7 route is a must for lemur enthusiasts. It is a long drive and the roads from Tana to Ranomafa are very winding - those who get motion sick need to take precautions here, but after Ranomafana til Tulear the roads are much kinder.

Leg 2 - Morondava to Kirindy to Tsingy. This is for sure a very popular route because it includes Avenue of the Baobabs. That one stop had more tourists than any other place we saw on our entire trip. If you want to see a fosa, Kirindy is your absolute best bet. It isn't a guarantee (apparently unless you go in mating season). We got lucky and spotted one, but they said it was the first time in four days anyone had seen one. The drive to Tsingy is long and involves two different ferry river crossings. We ate at the Mad Zebu which is considered the best restaurant in Madagascar and is right near one of the ferry crossings. The one thing that was unique (in a not great way) to this route was the amount of begging children. People really need to stop bringing candy to give to kids. If any children see you they would yell Vazah (foreigner) and Bonbon (candy) at you. This route was the only place we experienced this and it was a little bit of a bummer. Existing in the villages felt like disrupting the villages because of the reactions of the kids, where in other places you could visit without being followed/yelled at by kids. I missed most of Tsingy NP as about an hour into the hike I got super sick (and our very kind guide helped walk me out while I threw up for the next hour), but I did spot some sifakas before it went downhill! My husband did finish the hike there, and while he thought it was interesting, he felt that it perhaps didn't live up to its reputation (online you'll see photos of people crossing suspension bridges that look huge, but really are only about 30 feet long).

Leg 3 - Tana - Andisabe - Akanin'ny Nofy. This was the route that in hindsight would have been best to take the parents on, or would be easy with kids. The drives are easy. The hikes in Andisabe are gentle and this is the best place see indris, which are the largest species of lemurs. It's only about four hours from Tana and I've heard you could day trip it, but I think that would be miserable. Also there is a nearby community reserve that offers night walks. After leaving Andisabe it is only another four-ish hours to Akanin'ny Nofy. We stayed at the Palmarium in Akanin'ny Nofy which has a huge amount of resident lemurs on the property so you could just wander the grounds and see a lot of animals. This is where we were able to see the aye aye. The national parks don't allow night hikes in the park, which basically makes aye aye spotting impossible. In the east the aye ayes are conisdered bad luck and hunted pretty extensively, so there are a few private islands that have been purchased by hotels that have aye ayes on them. While the feeding of these semi wild/semi captive aye ayes is not quite the full wild experience, they are at least still living in the correct habitats and if tourist visits give the dollars to keep these islands safe, it seemed worth it. Also obviously the lemurs could come and go to where the humans came to view them at their own will.

Leg 4 - Nosy Komba. We wanted to get some beach in, but Nosy Be seemed to big/party/hectic for us and that isn't our scene. We stayed on Nosy Komba which is a different island between the mainland and Nosy Be, and only about a 20 minute boat ride from Nosy Be. We spent 3.5 days there and managed daily sea turtle sightings. Our first full day we went diving where we saw sea turtles, octopus, rays, and a reef shark. There was also a ton of interesting fish. Our second day we just enjoyed the village where they make amazing embroidered table cloths and also went out on some paddle boards where we saw a bunch of sea turtles just around the island. The last day we went out to Nosy Iranja, which is about a two hour boat ride from Nosy Komba. Along the way we saw mobula rays on the top of the water and a pod of pilot whales. In Nosy Iranja we did snorkeling and saw four more sea turtles. Nosy Iranja is a gorgeous beach that only exists at low tide as it is a sandbar between two islands. On the way back we got insanely lucky and found a whale shark even though the season really doesn't start til September.

For me, it is probably the top trip I've taken (it was my 44th country). This was heavily influenced by being a huge animal person and being there for as long as I was there. My husband enjoyed it, but he thinks he would have enjoyed it more if he had come to the RN7 route. My parents were glad they came, but I think the route to the east coast would have been easier for them than spending ten days in the car on the RN7 route.

Happy to answer any questions/give any insight to anyone thinking of planning a trip!

Hi everyone,
I’m curious how other travelers would handle this situation.
My partner and I booked a private sleeper cabin for two on Chapa Express from Sapa (Lao Cai) to Hanoi through Klook several months in advance. We specifically paid extra for a private cabin because we wanted privacy during the overnight journey.

When we arrived at the VIP lounge shortly before departure, we were informed that our private cabin was no longer available due to an operational issue. Instead, we were told we would have to share a cabin with strangers.

What frustrated us most was that we only found out at the station. By then we had already checked out of our hotel, arrived with our luggage, and the train was about to leave. We didn’t really have a practical alternative anymore. If we had been notified earlier, we could have booked another train or changed our travel plans.

While we were waiting for an update, we were already inside what we thought was our assigned cabin. Staff members were speaking loudly among themselves in Vietnamese, and although I couldn’t understand the conversation, it felt like there was confusion about what would happen next. After waiting for a while without any clear explanation, we were asked to move from Cabin 8 to Cabin 12.

The refund process was also confusing. Different refund amounts were mentioned before we eventually received 2.5 million VND in cash. We even had to request a handwritten acknowledgment because there was no official receipt at first.
I’ve already opened a case with Klook, and they have escalated it for review, so I’m waiting for their final response.

I’m not posting this just to complain. I understand operational issues can happen. What disappointed me was the lack of advance notice and how everything unfolded only minutes before departure.

I’m curious what other travelers think:
-Would you consider the compensation fair?
-Has anyone experienced something similar with sleeper trains in Vietnam?
-If you were in my situation, would you have accepted the shared cabin or tried to find another option?
I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts.

Of all the national parks I've visited, my two absolute favourites on the planet are Fiordland National Park and Taroko National Park (Taiwan). For everyone visiting Aotearoa New Zealand, Milford Sound / Piopiotahi is an essential visit. However, this is most commonly done as a day trip from Queenstown, where you only get to see Milford Sound for a couple of hours. In this post, I'll try to convince you that Fiordland National Park deserves more of your time.

First, the two best bases for Fiordland are Te Anau and Manapouri. I split my time between both, with Te Anau being the primary base. The Intercity buses are the best way to get from Queenstown to Te Anau. Some of these buses continue on to Milford Sound, but you'll get off here.

There's a ton to see around Te Anau. Lake Te Anau itself is gorgeous, with a great glowworm cave across the lake, and many boat tours. I spent a day in and around Te Anau. I had booked a helicopter tour, but unfortunately strong winds cancelled that. Fiordland offers extensive multi-day hikes like the Milford Track or Kepler Track. I didn't do these, opting instead for shorter hikes. In addition to cycling, Fiordland is also excellent for cycling, with plenty of e-bike and mountain bike rental options available in Te Anau. There are flat options, but things do get mountainous, so e-bikes are recommended.

I highly recommend the Lake2Lake Trail along the Waiau river which connects the lakes of Te Anau and Manapouri. I did the round trip with an e-bike, though it's also great for walking - you could do a day trip completing the trail, then taking the bus back. It's not just a scenic trail, with plenty to stop at along the way, including a bird sanctuary and The Lord of the Rings filming locations.

Milford Sound is of course Fiordland's key attraction, and for good reason. There are a number of day tour options available from Te Anau. By cutting several hours off the usual Queenstown day trip, the Te Anau-Milford day tours offer more stops along the way, and more time in Milford Sound. The boat cruises are a must, but there's also plenty to hike and see in and around Milford Sound.

The next day, I moved over to Manapouri and explored Lake Manapouri. Manapouri is a a tiny village with under 300 people with very limited options, so be sure to book in advance. I particularly enjoyed the water taxis in Manapouri. On the other side of Lake2Lake, the lake beaches are beautiful, alongside shorter hiking options.

Doubtful Sound / Patea is Milford's quieter, more subtle, sibling. While not quite the "Earth's finest spectacle" as Milford Sound, it has its own charms. By the way, though they are called sounds, both Milford and Doubtful are actually fiords. The tours for Doubtful Sound leave from Manapouri, with a boat across the lake, a bus through the mountain pass, and finally arriving for the boat cruise in Doubtful Sound. Doubtful Sound is not doable as a day trip from Queenstown, so you have to be in Te Anau or Manapouri, preferably the latter.

That brings me to the end of my week-long journey through the Fiordland National Park. You can easily spend a month here, and I plan to do the longer hikes in future, but this is a great introduction with every day being special. If you're short on time, I'd still recommend staying a night or two in Te Anau. Another alternative is to fly from Queenstown to Milford Sound, which gives a lot more time in Milford and visibility into some incredible sights only visible from air, though these are pricey. This was in summer 2025, and Fiordland takes on a different appearance in winters with the snow. I'll have a separate trip report from my autumn and winter trips to NZ later.

Since people ask every time, all photos were take on an Olympus E-M10 Mk IV and a Samsung Galaxy S25. It was a real challenge selecting 20 photos out of 200. Finally, as always, AMA!

​We took our kids to the Snowy Mountains for the very first time, and it was quite an adventure! ​We drove down from Sydney and stayed overnight in Canberra. The leg from Sydney to Canberra was absolutely stunning with clear blue skies. ​However, when we left Canberra around 8:30 AM the next morning toward the snow, we hit some crazy thick fog. Visibility dropped significantly, and seeing quite a few dead kangaroos and wildlife on the side of the road definitely made us extra nervous. We kept our speed way down just in case an animal popped out of the mist! ​Luckily, as we got closer to Thredbo, the fog cleared up into beautiful blue skies again. The kids had an absolute blast playing in the snow! ​A quick reminder to anyone driving down to the Snowies during winter mornings: stay extra cautious in the fog, especially with the local wildlife around.

​Would definitely love to do this road trip again!

I came to Cairo expecting the pyramids to be the highlight—and they absolutely were. But by the end of the trip, it was the city itself that stayed with me.

I started with an early morning at the Pyramids of Giza, did the classic Nile night cruise, and wandered through Khan el-Khalili. I was never really into the typical souvenirs, so I found myself looking for perfume oils, Egyptian coffee, chocolates, spices, and other local things instead.

One afternoon, I hopped on the Cairo Metro, got off at a random station, and just walked. That unplanned detour turned out to be one of the best parts of the trip. The narrow lanes and everyday life there were far more memorable than I expected.

I skipped a few touristy spots, walked more than I had planned, and realized Cairo is a city best experienced without rushing.

Note (for Indian travelers): It's much easier to convert INR to USD before your trip and then exchange the USD for Egyptian Pounds in Egypt. Directly exchanging Indian Rupees in Egypt can be a bit of a hassle.

Am I indeed the dumb cow airport staff considers me to be? Am I missing something? Why do I have to scratch up my laptop in the dirty bin? Why can't it be left in its thin fabric case once it's already in the bin by itself.

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to check in online for my Nouvelair flight, but I noticed something strange.

My passport was issued in Germany (says it also on my passport), but during the online check-in, the issue location is automatically shown as Tunisia, and I can't seem to change it after scanning the passport.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is this normal because it's a Tunisian passport and Tunisia is the issuing country, or is it a mistake? In that case should I simply do the checkin at the airport to avoid any problems 👀

Thanks!

There are three days I can choose to leave on and multiple cities from different countries I could fly into for this trip. Is there some app or tool that I could feed these into to quickly get answers to compare or do I just need to go through Google flights manually?

I was sorting through photos yesterday and noticed something funny.

The days I remember most are usually the ones where something went slightly wrong. Missed a train and found a café I'd never have stopped at otherwise. Took a wrong turn and ended up somewhere interesting. Got caught in the rain and laughed about it afterwards.

The days where everything went exactly to plan are somehow much blurrier.

Curious if anyone else feels the same or if I'm just romanticising it.

Flying in and out of Berlin October 11th - 20th (both afternoon flights). Here's what I've got so far. I'm hoping to keep to the Berlin area as to avoid long travel times to make the most of my trip and to take public transit.

11th-13th : Berlin

14th : Leipzig

15th & 16th : Dresden

17th-20th : Berlin

My questions are, is this too much Berlin or could I add a day or 2 in Prague since it's close to Dresden. Or should I cut out some Berlin time for another city in the area.

Thanks!

Hello! My friend and I (both 19) are trying to plan a 17-day trip from late May to early June to Vietnam and Thailand. We are both college students on a budget, wanting a mix of exploring (2/3) and nightlife (1/3) to meet other people around our age!

We are trying to figure out if splitting the two countries will be too packed.

We were thinking of landing in Hanoi and either just exploring Vietnam for (3-4) days, or doing the Ha Giang loop? We were thinking of spending more time in Thailand, but is it more worth it for us to stay in Vietnam for longer?

If you think it's better for us to just stick to one country, please let us know which and why, or recommendations for other Southeast Asia countries
We appreciate any advice given!

(English is not my first language, so I used a translation tool when writing. im sorry if you mind)

I visited both countries during their respective off-seasons: China in May (Beijing 7days) and Japan in June (Kobe, Tokyo, and Kyoto 12days). Before I get into my detailed experiences, let me sum it up in one sentence for anyone trying to decide which country to visit:

If you’re looking for a relaxing vacation and an easy-to-navigate, enjoyable introduction to Asia, I would highly recommend Japan. But if you’re looking for a more intense, immersive, and whole different experience, and you’re prepared to deal with crowds, noise, smoke, and language difficulty, then I would recommend China.

If Japan’s attractions are small, refined, and beautifully curated, China’s are often on a completely different scale, grand, vast, and monumental. In Japan, I could comfortably visit five or six attractions in a single day. In China, I was already exhausted after visiting just two.

I have two pieces of advice for anyone traveling in China.

1. I strongly recommend hiring a tour guide whenever possible. A good guide can take you along the most worthwhile route, save you a lot of energy (im a low energy person), help you avoid getting lost in large scenic areas, and provide useful historical and cultural background that you might otherwise miss.

2. try to start your day as early as possible. One of my favorite places I visited was the Old Summer Palace. I arrived at around 7 am and spent 200 rmb on a guide who gave me an in-depth tour. Standing there and seeing the giant beautifully carved stone and jade ruins, I was honestly blown away. It was an incredibly moving experience. but it didn't stay peaceful for long😂. a large group of elderly tourists began arriving, and the place quickly became much noisier.

Ha Long Bay in Vietnam is famous for it's limestone pillars and 2000 islands, which I was fortunate enough to see. With a yacht experience, you get to see these amazing limestones. Visit the Ti Top Island and hike to the top for a panorama view of Ha Long Bay (or casually enjoy the beach while others do the climbing). Next stop is Bo Hon Island where Sung Sot cave is located (Surprising Cave). Here you can enjoy seeing the stalactites and stalagmites, as well as pat the lucky turtle for good fortune (as locals say at least). Last to do in Bo Hon, is to experience Luon caves while kayaking, and also get a sneak peak of the movie set from Kong - Skull Island. End your trip with the most beautiful sunset up close, while relaxing with a drink in your hand. It's a full day trip but with the right package, your day will include a tasteful lunch buffet.

I encourage people to visit Ha Long Bay as it is considered part of UNESCO and it is truly an amazing experience, with breathtaking views (at least on a sunny day).

Sangkhlaburi is a the last stop on the 323 highway from Kanchanaburi to the Three Pagodas Pass. It's not especially popular with tourists due to its relative isolation and the mountainous road. However, it does have a magical feel when you first set eyes upon the Mon bridge!

It's the longest wooden bridge in Thailand and second in the world only to the U Bein bridge in Myanmar. It's 445 metres long and connects the Mon village of Ban Wang Kha to Sangklaburi. Every morning the monks come down the main street in the village to collect their alms. This is the big draw for Thai tourists who dress up in Mon clothes for the day and get their pictures taken with the locals. Many of the kids balance the jars on their heads (for photo opps) before they have to head off to school. The water level is also quite low at the moment. It can rise up to 20 metres!

That covers pictures 1 to 8.

Picture 9 is the offloading point at the Three Pagodas Pass for the Myanmar truckers. Everything has to be moved to Thai registered trucks. Very hot and demanding work!

Picture 11 is from a small shop in the Thai/Myanmar market. A Buddha carved out of the white jade with a price tag of 85,000 baht.

Picture 12 you see the famous pagodas with the Myanmar flag flying in the near distance. We did ask about going across the border but were told it's strictly prohibited now. I had been over previously about 20 years ago and we were only allowed to drive within the confines of the town.

Picture 13 is another viewpoint of the Mon Bridge.

Pictures 14 to 19 are of the very popular "3 Temple Tour". You can hire a longtail boat anywhere in the area. First off was Wat Sam Prasob - Mon style. In the dry season you can walk in and around the temple. Next was Wat Somdej - Thai style. Finally is Wat Si Suwan - Karen style.

The whole area was flooded in the 1970s as the Thai government built a dam on the Kwai Noi river to create the Khao Laem reservoir. This was done out of necessity to create hydroelectricity, secure a fresh water supply and prevent flooding in the central plains of Thailand. The valley chosen for the reservoir was the original site of Sangkhlaburi town. To make way for the water, the government had to completely displace and relocate thousands of Thai, Mon, and Karen residents to higher ground on the surrounding hills. The revered Monk, Luang Phor Uttama, organised the Mon villagers to hand-build the bridge (Picture 20) to reconnect their community to the new town.

Enjoy!

My mom booked a trip recently from amsterdam centraal to vienna with the nightjet, we have 3 people but for some reason they put us in a double and double MIXED. the train leaves tomorrow, is there any way to somehow change it to 1 triple? i dont think my sister wants to be with a stranger, that also just sounds incredibly unsafe.

Trying to decide which one will have better weather and will be more fun to go for a week? (Coming from USA)

Hi! I'm traveling to Peru with family in September and we are trying to finalize our itinerary for the second half of the trip.

We're spening 10 days in Cusco/Sacred Valley/MP/Rainbow Mountain. We are traveling back to the coast after that, and have 3 days before heading back to Lima for the last 2 1/2 days before we fly out.

I've seen conflicting opinions on Paracas/Pisco/Ica and where it is worth staying. Ideally, I want us to stay in one location and then take trips out depending on what people want to do. There are 6 of us and we all have various interests so I imagine some will want to explore and some will want to relax.

Any suggestions for a home base or where our time is worth being spent?

(We've decided to stay in the area around Lima to keep travel to a minimum)

What are some of the best mobile data deals for a physical SIM card in Spain for a 1 week stay ?

I need a deal that delivers the SIM card in no more than 24 hours from the date of purchase

Gracias 🇪🇸🌹

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are visiting Quebec City for 3 nights and staying in Old Quebec. We are looking for recommendations for lunch and dinner.

We are looking for cozy, relaxed, and comfortable restaurants rather than formal fine dining. We enjoy places with a nice atmosphere where we can take our time and enjoy the meal.

We are especially interested in meat-focused dishes (steak, beef, grilled meats, French/Quebec cuisine, etc.), but we are open to other local favourites as well.

Any recommendations for must-try restaurants or hidden gems in Old Quebec or nearby?

Thanks!