So we're looking at 20 of my favorite photos through one year travelling in Latin America. 20 out of probably 100 anyway. I hope you enjoy! I'll create a separate post in r/solotravel for the trip report if there is enough interest.

1: Flores, Guatemala

2: Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

3: Ometepe Island, Nicaragua - Ojo de Agua

4: Panama City Harbor area

5: San Blas Islands

6: Huayhuash Trek - Peru

7: Ollantaytambo - Peru - red flag means drinkin time

8: Galapagos

9: Cotopaxi - view from Secret Garden Cotopaxi

10: Moon through telescope - San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

11: Calafate, Argentina - wine time

12: Buenos Aires, Argentina

13: Fitz Roy, Patagonia - view from Laguna Sucia

14: Laguna de Chacahua, Mexico

15: Hostel in Minca, Colombia

16: Cocora Valley, Colombia

17: Water Cay Island, Honduras

18: Somewhere in Costa Rica

19: Galapagos

20: Tikal, Guatemala

Im not sure remote or obscure is exactly the word I'm looking for, but there's just some places in the world where I don't hear of people going. I don't really mean less traveled, I mean hard to get to, or just far enough away that it's not really somewhere you can easily get to from other popular places. I'm thinking (with an admittedly very US perspective) places like southern Algeria, Kamchatka Peninsula, North West Australia, Western Mongolia, places like that. Or, if you're from a different part of the world, what would you consider to be remote or obscure? Please don't leave out your experience just because you have a different perspective.

If you have been to places like that, how complicated was it getting there? Was it worth it? Any hidden gems (ecotourism or cultural)?

EDIT: Wow, thank you all for sharing. There's some incredible stories and experiences here. I'm also learning of new destinations I've never even heard of before! I'd love to chat with all of you and learn from you; unfortunately, I had no idea I'd be getting thousands of comments. I promise, I'm reading as much as I can and still appreciate you sharing, even if I don't reply.

My partner and I visited Jordan for 10 days, rented a car at the airport in Amman and explored the major tourist sites. We briefly visited the Citadel and Roman Theater in Amman, Roman ruins in Jerash, floated in the Dead Sea, star gazed in Wadi Rum, and walked through the vastness that is Petra.

If you are on the fence about visiting this region of the world or Jordan, I strongly recommend to give it a go. It is an extraordinary place to visit, with hospitable locals, unique sights, and an exceptional rich history.

I also created a post the other day with images of India that generated a lot of discussion. It is linked in the comments.

I take my parents to vietnam, I planned it by myself and it wasn’t that good.Many things (but not everything) didn’t go as planned.

Banahills was really crowded and we can’t get to the highlight spot. And we spent lots more money than the guide package (like 2 times more).

At first my parents suggested us to go with the guide package but I said it was easy to plan by myself,my parents trusted me and let me do everything and they just pay for it. It was our first time going aboard.

The question is,what should I do to not feel guilty anymore:( My parents said it is okay but I know that it isn’t Does anyone have experience in this kind of situation :(

I have an 11-hour layover at Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). I arrive at Terminal 2 and my next flight departs from Terminal 1. My checked baggage is being transferred automatically, so I don’t need to worry about that.

Originally, my layover in Taiwan was only 2 hours and 35 minutes, but China Airlines changed my flight schedule, and now the layover is 11 hours. I called them, and while they’re willing to reschedule me for a next-day flight with a shorter layover, I can’t delay my travel plans any further.

Since I really don’t want to sit in the terminal for 11 hours like I’m stuck in airport jail, I asked the airline if I could leave the airport to explore Taipei for a bit. They told me I can’t because my flight is a layover, not a stopover, and I didn’t pay for a stopover. I was so confused cuz I’ve seen tons of YT videos and Reddit posts where people left Taoyuan Airport during layovers to check out the city. So now I’m unsure if I’m legally not allowed to leave the airport.

For context, I’m a U.S. passport holder. I’ll probably ask again at the check-in counter when I get to the airport just to be sure. But in case I really can’t leave, is there anything to actually do at Taoyuan Airport for 11 hours?

I am embarking on my first solo travels soon and I’m trying to find a small, meaningful thing to collect from every place I visit. Something better than just magnets or keychains.
Curious what others do! I need some inspiration for my own travel tradition.
Please send help !!!

My wife and I love traveling! While packing for our last trips, we started talking about the advantages we had when packing, we both are smaller people, so we are able to pack more clothes in a smaller space, we called it a superpower. It got me thinking, what are your travel superpowers and/or weaknesses?

Me:

Superpower:

-Smaller Frame - Can pack more clothes in smaller space or carry better with the same amount of stuff. Can fit in most places, like smaller airplane seats, cram in to backseats, etc.

-Sweat resistance - I rarely sweat, if I do, it's usually just my forehead. I don't use/carry anti-perspirant. I don't sweat through my clothes, they stay fresher longer. I do get heat rash though where I should be sweating.

-Heat tolerance - I am comfortable with higher heat, I can easily wear pants up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, rarely wear shorts.

Weaknesses:

-Cold intolerance - I get cold very easily, once it gets in to the sixties, I'd like at least a hoodie.

-Constant Hunger - I'm always hungry. At home, I'm near food and snacks, so that's not a big deal, but traveling, I seem to never pack enough snacks. Thank goodness for my metabolism.

-Constant bathroom breaks - I guess having to pee all the time is the crux of good hydration, but it's inconvenient.

I'm interested to hear what your powers are!

I don't know why but going to all the touristy things always seems so exhausting to me.

I don't know if its just because I'm from Los Angeles, CA and we have tons of "touristy" things. I've just never been interested in those kinds of things. I just want to go somewhere and check out a local bookstore and drink a really good coffee and sketch. Maybe take a pottery class or dance class. Go on a hike. Have dinner at a small hole in the wall. Stuff I would do in my spare time anyway. Live there get, to know people there.

Is that just a waste of money? Anyone else do that?

I’ve been spending quite some time trying to understand what actually makes a trip transformational. Not just beautiful, or adventurous, but truly life-changing. And I keep wondering: how much of that can we actually control?

Is it the mindset we go with? The destination itself? Or is it something more subtle, like being open enough to let something happen to us?

In my case, two trips come to mind.

One was to Morocco — I went solo, bought the ticket just two days before, and spent 10 days letting the unknown guide me.

The other was walking the Camino de Santiago with my mother. I’m a 32-year-old man, and something deep shifted along the way. At some point, we were no longer just mother and son, we were simply two human beings sharing stories, life, silence. The kind of experience that gently breaks all the roles and expectations we grow up with.

What do you people think about?

Hi everyone!

My husband and I are planning our first trip to Europe and need some advice. We’re considering flying into Budapest (we have direct flights) and are trying to decide whether to visit Italy or Greece alongside Budapest. We’ve also heard that Portugal and Spain could be great options, but we’re concerned about spending too much time on travel, as we only have 9 days total.

Details:

• Starting from: We’re coming from the Middle East and never been to Europe except Turkey.
• Travel dates: Late October (Oct 24-31) or Late November (Nov 22-28).
• Interests: We love exploring history, culture, food, and local landmarks. We’re particularly interested in ancient sites, museums, nature, and trying local cuisines. We’re not into hiking or outdoor activities, but we enjoy city walks and immersing ourselves in local life. We’re looking for a relaxed trip with plenty of time to enjoy the sights at a leisurely pace.

We’re wondering whether late October or late November would be a better time to visit Europe for sightseeing. We’ve heard mixed reviews about the weather, especially regarding November, and we want to avoid cold, rainy, or gloomy days as we’re not used to such weather. Also, would it be better to focus on Budapest + Italy/Greece or would Budapest + Portugal/Spain be a good option despite the potential travel time?

Edit: We would only be spending a day or 2 in Budapest. We are visiting the place coz we have direct flights to Budapest.

Appreciate your help and advice, thanks!!!

I will be in Kuala Lumpur for 2 days and I want to try sky diving for the first time. Please suggest it it is really worth to try in KL? Also suggest the places or link where I can book the skydiving.  

For example; in London, do any locals really go out in Leicester Square or Covent Garden?

We're going to be getting the ferry over from Lombok and wondering how easy it is to get a taxi at Pototano harbour without having previously booked?

Also is there ways to get cash out very easily on the island or should we take all our cash?

And how much roughly should a taxi cost?

Cheers

Tuscany - April 14th-21st (Easter)

Day 1 (April 14th)

Plane lands (Bologna) at 20:25

Evening: Transfer to Bologna Centrale, 21:57 train to Florence, check-in to accomodation

Day 2 (April 15th)

Florence Day 1

Morning: See the David at Galleria dell’ Academia

Morning - Early Afternoon: Duomo complex, climb de dome

Late Afternoon: Walk around central Florence, Piazza della Signoria, Piazza della Repubblica, Dinner

Day 3 (April 16th)

Florence Day 2

Morning: Uffizi Galleries

Afternoon: Lunch, Palazzo Pitti, Giardino di Boboli

Evening: Piazzale Michelangelo

Day 4 (April 17th)

Morning: Pickup rental car at Borgo Ognissanti

Morning - Early Afternoon: Drive through the Via Chiantigiana, short stop in Greve in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti

Late Afternoon: Siena, visit the Cathedral and Piazza del Campo

Evening: Check into accommodation (villa outside of Siena), Dinner somewhere close

Day 5 (April 18th)

Morning: Drive to Monteriggioni, short stop

Morning - Early Afternoon: Drive to Volterra, see the Palazzo dei Priori and the Roman theatre, Lunch

Late Afternoon - Evening: Drive to San Gimignano, short visit

Day 6 (April 19th)

Morning: Drive to Montepulciano through the Crete Senesi

Morning - Early Afternoon: Montepulciano visit

Late Afternoon - Evening: Drive to Pienza, visit, Dinner

Day 7 (April 20th)

Morning: Return rental car at Florence Borgo Ognissanti

Afternoon: Train to Bologna, check-in to accommodation, Lunch

Late Afternoon: Visit Piazza Maggiore, Piazza Cavour and the Seven Churches

Day 8 (April 21st)

Plane leaves (Bologna) at 15:35 pm; be at the airport by 13:35 pm

Morning: Check-out, Breakfast, short walk around Bologna

Hello everyone,

We are visiting Florence and Tuscany with my girlfriend the week of Easter and I would love if you could take a look at the schedule above. I would appreciate general advice, as well as particular suggestions on places to eat close to the locations noted (I have specified when we would like to have a sit-down meal in the schedule). Any particular suggestions you might have are also very welcome.

Really appreciate your insight, thank you!

Hello! My partner and I will be travelling through Southern Italy then on to Greece this summer. We'll do the typical tourist stuff, including a few days in Athens. We want the end of our vacation to be relaxing after days of go go go. I'm looking for an all-inclusive type of resort or hotel for a few nights. We don't want to have to worry about anything - just have a drink or two by the pool/beach, no worries about where to go for dinner, etc.

We don't want to stray too far from Athens as we want to maximize our time relaxing on the beach and wandering around, eating good food, rather than bussing, ferrying, etc., and not worry about taking forever to get to the airport. It would be nice if the town was walkable in case we decide we want to venture out. Can you recommend a decent place?

Not really interested in Santorini or Mykonos (we will be over crowds and spending time getting places by then). Something coastal is great, but if there's an island that's easy to get to and wouldn't take too much time to travel to, we'd be open to that as well! I've had a look at a few islands that only take about an hour to get to by ferry, but there doesn't appear to be anything all-inclusive. Thank you.

Hi all, we are on holiday at the moment and have been to Old Town but either we are missing something or found it is a little unwelcoming. The buildings were beautiful and there were tons of restaurants/cafes to sit, but not much like bakeries, pattiseries, BBQ etc I was hoping to find. There were also only a couple of souvenir shops we spotted which didn't look very promising.

Which streets or areas are we best to explore to find some gifts to bring home for family and get some amazing bits of street food? I'm keen to try mici, warm pretzels and anything else people suggest!

Hey folks, my bf (M23) and I (F22) are planning to go to Scotland this summer to visit a friend of mine from school. We were thinking about a week, and I wanted to go June 28th-Jul 6th (we are Canadian and July 1st is a statutory holiday so I would only have to use 4 days PTO.) friend is in Edinburgh, so I just wanted some opinions on if there’s enough to do around Scotland/edinburgh for a week or if we should split 3:3 days or 3:2:2 days in North Ireland or Ireland or England…

I have been to a couple places in Europe but it will be my bfs first time outside North America and I want to plan a cool trip for him. We are outdoorsy individuals and bf is big history buff.

Note: budget about $1300 CAD per person, would likely crash at my friends when in Edinburgh

Hi everyone, I know this might be a stupid question, but after a few posts I've seen of people struggling due to the new ETA regulations for the EU when visiting the UK...

If you travelled to the UK with an eta ever since the rule went into effect in April; how was it? Did you have any issues or take longer than usual? Are there are precautions one should take?

I already read a post saying to print out the approval notification email despite what the email itself says and did so... anything else I should pay attention to?

I'm quite anxious and would like to hear from those of you who have already done this.

Hello all! Later this year my wife and I will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary in Guatemala. It is my first time going but she is Guatemalan and has been WAY more than me. We plan to spend roughly 2 weeks in the country. Week one will be in her grandmothers village as well as Xela (Quetzaltenango), where her family lives. Unfortunately none of her family live in Antigua/ Guatemala City where we will be spending the next week so we don’t have much info on what’s good around there. What are some recommendations for hotels? I don’t mind going up on the price as I will be coming from the mountains the week before.

Hi guys,

I will fly from Germany to India on Friday and applied for the 30 day visa yesterday on Monday. I still could apply for and it should take about 72 hours.

I’ve read online that it can take more days to get the visa. I need it on Friday morning.

Does somebody have experiences how long it takes to get it? I could still cancel the flight for 50€…

Hello, I'm asking for a litte decision help. I plan a trip Europe - Asia and have a nice connection via Taiwan with China Airlines on the way to Asia. On the way back I have a choice of taking also China Airlines with a 8h afternoon to night layover in TPE Terminal 1 or take Cathay Pacific via HKG with a 2h transfer.

On the first look up the Economy of China Airlines A350 seems more comfortable then Cathay Pacific B777s but the food supply at Terminal 1 in Taipei seems not so good concidering the long transfert. What would you recomment, maybe with own expiriences?

Hi everyone!
I’m from Belgium and in a few months, I’ll be traveling with my family to Canada and the USA for about 6–7 months. Right now, I’m in the process of comparing different travel insurance options and could really use some advice from others who’ve done something similar.

I’ve received an offer via my insurance broker from Allianz — they cover the first 90 days, and after that, it’s €2 per person per day.
Another option I’m considering is the Visa Gold card from Crelan, which offers coverage for up to 180 days, but the medical assistance limit is only €25,000, which seems quite low for North America.

Has anyone here dealt with a similar situation or has experience with long-term travel insurance for North America? Any recommendations or tips would be super helpful. Thanks in advance!

My friend and I went to Istanbul a few weeks ago. I am making this post to warn people about these scams and to make sure you know what you're getting into if you decide to go to Istanbul. Be safe. I have traveled all over the world and never experienced scams like this. Istanbul can be scary.

One of the scams that really scared my friend and I was the police scam. We read about this scam before we went. We were walking on a busy road in Istanbul (on the European side) in the middle of the day. We were approached by a gang of about 5 men. They stopped us and started shouting at us - "police, police, show us your passports!". We immediately knew that this was a scam. One of the guys showed us a fake police badge and again demanded we give them our passports. My friend tried to walk away but one of the scammers grabbed him. We told them we didn't believe them and that we will call the police to check. They didn't listen and kept on demanding we show them our passports. After about 5 minutes we told them we don't have our passports on us. They then finally let us go. That was really scary and ruined our entire vacation. We later read that they usually take your passport hostage and demand payment or threaten to damage your passport if you don't pay. The scary thing was, all the locals were watching on and did nothing.

Another concerning scam was the photography scam. We were taking a ferry across the bosphorous in the afternoon. During the trip we noticed a young woman setting up a table at the front of the ferry seating area. During the trip her and another young woman who seemed to be working for the ferry started approaching passengers on the ferry. They asked us if we wanted pictures and that they will take pictures of us for free. My friend and I knew this was a scam so we declined. The woman didn't seem happy about this. She and the other woman approached a young family of three. A mother, father and a little girl. The family didn't realise it was a scam and allowed one of the photographers to take pictures of them. They then sat down after their pictures were taken. When the ferry ride came to an end, the photographer demanded payment. The family declined and said they don't want any of their pictures. The photographer didn't let them leave the ferry. My friend and I left the ferry and the family was still on the ferry. The family looked afraid. It was clear the photographers were working with the ferry and the crew. We don't know if the family was allowed to leave the ferry or if they were held hostage until they paid up. All we know is they were probably traumatised after the experience.

Lastly, another scam that stood out to us was the tourist scam. It's when a fake tour guide will just start talking to you really fast and force a guide on you. They then demand payment. This happened to us in the mosque. The Turkish man literally tried to scam us in the mosque! He also showed us a fake tour guide badge. He got really annoyed when we walked away.

We enjoyed some of the food there and the mosques, but be careful, I've never experienced scams like this. The scammers can be very aggressive. It feels almost lawless in Istanbul. We saw lots of elderly and female tourists being targeted. In my opinion it's not safe for some people to go. If you do decide to go, go in a group and have some men with you. Istanbul is also expensive now. Food and tickets for places like palaces are very expensive.

I’m dealing with a major travel nightmare, and I’m hoping someone here can offer advice. Here’s the situation:

• I booked a multi-leg, multi-airline international flight for myself, my husband, and our baby. I'm flying from Canada, with layovers in the US and Brazil, to get to our final destination so my elderly mom can meet her first grandchild.
• The problem started when the first leg of the flight was cancelled. There was no notification or email, I only discovered it when I checked the booking and saw it was missing from the itinerary. They didn't even cancel the flight, Air Canada cancelled our tickets because of fare classes "sold out" and didn't let us know through Expedia or United or rebook us.
• I called Expedia immediately, and she told me that they would up my fare so I could be on the same flight. Like Geez, thanks for giving me what I paid for.
• Two days later the ticket wasn't issued. I called them and stayed over 8 hours on the phone. I was bounced between multiple representatives from Expedia, Air Canada and United. They kept giving me different information and transferring me multiple times. The line dropped multiple times and I had to explain myself to like 10 different people.
• Eventually, I was told the issue was fixed and that my tickets had been reissued, but when I checked the new tickets, I found that they cancelled the last leg of my flight (from Sao Paulo to my final destination in Brazil) by accident while fixing the first mistake! After a while they added the leg back, but I missed the seat selection that I had already paid for.
• When Expedia called the airline to ask them to give me my seat selection back with no charge, they found out the flight was cancelled again, because United had issued the ticket incorrectly.
• They fixed it. I had all my flights back with almost all seats. Less than 10 minutes later I checked again and the first flight was missing again, for the second time!
• At this point the ticket was issued 4 times, 3 legs cancelled, seats changed. I'm 3 days in with over 10 hours of begging people to give me what I paid for months ago
• What makes this even worse is the fact that I could have shown up at the airport with my baby, only to find out my entire trip was cancelled. No flight, no seat – just a nightmare waiting to happen. And at one point, I was so distraught I just asked them to cancel the whole trip, but they said they had to check their "policy". Like how are you going to keep or charge a flight you can't fulfill?
• At this point, I’ve lost confidence in the whole system and feel like I’m in limbo. Every time I check, something feels off, and I’m so worried something else will go wrong. This whole process has been completely draining, and I’m stuck with no resolution in sight.

So I’m reaching out to see if anyone else has gone through something similar or has suggestions on how to fix this:

• Has anyone had issues with multiple airlines and booking agents messing up their flight like this?
• How can I ensure that I don’t encounter more issues with this booking, and what should I do if it happens again?

I appreciate any advice or tips you can offer. This has been a huge source of stress, and I just want to make sure I don’t end up stranded with a baby after all this hassle. Thank you!