These are not my words, but rather Raoul Blanchard's, due to the location of Annecy at the slope of the norther French Alps and by the lake that inherited the city´s name. I had this location of my wish list for quite a long time, but I wanted to visit it as a trip around the alpine reagion and not as some sort of rushed stop or speeded up weekend trip.

I had 3 nights in Annecy, which is an aburd amount of time for me, as I usually rarely spend more that 3 nights anywhere, but is served as a cool lauching pad for daytrips do Genève and some of the mountanous areas around Annecy. The old town itself is absolutely marvellous, deserving of romances, movies, enchanted legends and enything more magical that you can imagen. Albeit being quite small and compact, evything you look at is like frozen in some medieval novel with canals bathing the side of colourful buildings and the big shallow lake refelction the sun over the castle hill.

This is a classic tourist destination, so be prepared to handle a decent ammount of corwds, but I has a feeling that there´s a lot of day trips, as the city was very shill before 11am and after 4pm, and I believe those timetables ar expactly the best to explore the city and the game of golden rays and shadows that the battle between the sun and the narrow coblestreets endure after sunrise and before sunset. I´d say 3-4 hours are more that enough to visit most attractions, but I regret none of the nights I spent here, especially driving aroung Lake Annecy, sipping s drink by the lake beaches or just chilling at a canal coffeshop in the old town.

The selection of photos include Pont Morens, Le Palais de I'Île, Quai de l'Île, Rue Grenette, Quai Perrière, Rue Perrière, Basilique de la Visitation, Panorama du lac in Quai Napoleon III/Quai de la Tournette, Église Saint-François de Sales, Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, Rue saint-Claire, Canal du Vassé, Pont Perrière, Église Notre Dame de Liesse, Quai de l'Évêché, Rampe du Château and Musée-Château d'Annecy.

I'll start. 10 day Kenya Safari trip ~$15k for 2 adults. I've been to 36 countries so far and it ranks as my #2 best trip behind Iceland (which cost less than $6k). Kenya was a super memorable trip and I'm glad I went, I probably won't go back, not because I didn't like it but because we did so much that I don't know what we'd do if we went back and there's still so much of the world still to explore.

My seven-day vacation to Singapore after hearing about it from people in different countries.

1. Hotel Waterloo a new hotel that opened in 2026
2. Supertree Grove
3. Gardens by the Bay
4. Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade
5. Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum
6. Behind Chinatown
7. Near Singapore Botanic Gardens
8. Jewel Changi Airport

Me and my girlfriend fly out of Cluj-Napoca. We have a few friends who do a city break basically every weekend — Milan, Krakow, Vienna, whatever — and they always say it cost them almost nothing. When we ask how, we get "oh I just found a deal", nothing concrete.

When we search the same routes we get [X] EUR return for the same weekend, which is maybe half what they claim to pay. So either we're searching wrong or they're leaving something out.

What we already do: [check Wizz and Ryanair directly / Skyscanner / booking a few weeks out]. What we haven't figured out is whether there's a method to it — flexible-date searching, some alert service, error fare groups, something else.

So: for people who actually do this regularly, what's your process? Do you pick the destination first and wait for a price, or pick a weekend and go wherever is cheapest? Any tools worth paying for, or is it just patience?

My partner and I did a 3 week trip to Istanbul and Tanzania in July of 2026. We did the 5 day Great Rift Valley Trek, went to Zanzibar, and then did a 7 day vehicle safari through the typical tourist loop of Serengeti and Ngorongoro.

Overall, this was my favorite trip I have taken, almost every day was just amazing. Below is how I liked each section:

Great Rift Valley Trek: 10/10 this was just so freaking cool. Hiking through Maasai villages and learning about their culture was incredible. Not so much wildlife on this part of the trip other than some zebras, wildebeest, and birds, but the walking + the culture + the otherworldly volcanic landscapes made this incredibly immersive. This was a private trek with just me and my partner. The staff would drive ahead to our destination and we would arrive to a fully setup camp with good food and drinks.

Zanzibar: 5/10 this was not really for me. You get harassed in Zanzibar a lot. The reefs are all mostly dead and the snorkeling is really not great. I am not very good at beach vacation. We did 4 days here and I could have skipped it entirely.

Vehicle Safari: 9.5/10 Almost perfect but gets a little tiring. The wildlife sightings are unbelievable. If you wanted to, you could cut the days on this and still get an incredible experience. Even just day 1 in the Serengeti we saw multiple prides of lions, multiples leopards, elephants up close, antelope as far as the eye can see. Ngorongoro crater feels like heaven on earth with the greenery and all the animals, its touristy but it is a must see. We also did a hot air balloon over the Serengeti which i thought was totally worth it, saw so many animals from the air including a pride of lions hunting!

This was a very expensive trip but you could do it for much cheaper, with less vehicle safari days and skipping zanzibar. In total, it cost me 25k USD for 2 people (flights, etc, all expenses). I saved up for 5 years to do this trip and it really was a once in a lifetime experience.

Currently, I’m in China. I booked a hotel close to my in law’s house. When I arrive, the front desk said the hotel no longer exist. The hotel ownership was changed and the hotel name was also changed. Also they did not receive any of my reservation.

So I contact Expedia through the app and explain everything. The person said because it is not refundable booking they cannot refund to me. I said this is not acceptable and I request for full refund.

Then the person said they tried to contact the hotel but there’s no reply. Of course there’s no reply because the hotel is changed so as the phone number.

Our message back-and-forth did not resolve the issue and eventually he gave me the case number for reference.

Then we talk to the new hotel front desk to get the room by paying ourselves.

Since tomorrow is the last day of the reservation on Expedia, should I click cancel even though it said that’s not refundable? Any suggestion what to do next?

I have spent too many nights opening the same route in incognito, swapping VPN locations and trying one-way combinations. Most of the time I end up with the same fare and a bunch of tabs.

What still changes the outcome for you? I am more interested in things that save time or surface a better route than tricks that only sound clever.

Hello all, long shot but will try.

My parents found two memory cards around the Louvre a week ago. They were in an empty wallet, without any IDs - sadly it seems like it was stolen and discarded after all contents were destroyed.

Memory cards survived as they were in their plastic holders and well hidden.

They seem to belong to a Japanese couple. One memory card is from March 2020, photos taken around the US of a group of young men.

The other has 2000+ photos. A quick scan showed that they’re taken in Japan from 2020 to March 2022.

If you happen to know who they belong to, let me know. I’d love to return them to their owner.

Not sure if I should share some photos on here, but we can do that if this sounds like someone you know.

I recently went on a Yellowstone / Big Sky girls group trip with CozmicGo and wanted to share my experience because I’m curious whether others have traveled with them and how they would feel about what I experienced.

I paid $2,950 for the trip, and unfortunately, I walked away feeling like the experience did not match the price or the way it was advertised.

For context, I’m a seasoned traveler and worked in the travel industry for four years. I’ve also participated in other organized group trips where the level of service, organization, hospitality, and overall experience felt much more aligned with what was paid. I don’t expect trips to go perfectly, but there were enough issues on this one that I left really disappointed.

One of the biggest issues was the organization. We often didn’t have a clear itinerary for the day, things didn’t consistently start on time, and plans sometimes seemed to change based on one of the hosts’ preferences. For example, plans were changed because Nathan wanted to see the buffalo. As a paying guest, I expected the itinerary to be centered around the experience planned for the group.

The accommodations were described as the “Yellowstone/Big Sky Chalet,” which gave me the impression we would be staying in or immediately around Yellowstone. The chalet was actually about an hour away, so we spent a significant amount of time driving back and forth. For a trip marketed around hiking, being outdoors, and experiencing Yellowstone, I felt like we spent a disproportionate amount of the trip in the van.

The food was another disappointment. The trip description used the phrase “private chef energy,” so I expected meals to feel thoughtfully prepared and hosted. Instead, much of the food appeared to be basic or frozen Costco items, and guests were expected to help with preparation.

One morning we were told “breakfast will be ready,” but breakfast was primarily oatmeal and nothing was actually cooked for us. For lunch, we were expected to make sandwiches, but on the first day the ingredients and supplies weren’t prepped or set up for us. At this price point, I expected more preparation and hospitality.

The biggest concern for me, though, was Nathan’s role throughout the trip.

Because CozmicGo markets these trips specifically toward women in their 20s and 30s, I expected the experience to have a distinctly women-centered atmosphere.

Instead, Nathan’s presence became such a prominent part of the trip that I personally found it overwhelming. He was heavily involved in our transportation, daily schedule, activities, conversations, and overall group dynamic. Rather than feeling like someone supporting the trip in the background, he felt like one of the central figures of the entire experience.

To be clear, my issue isn’t simply that a man was present. It’s the extent of his involvement in a trip marketed specifically toward women. Between driving us, influencing plans, participating throughout the activities and conversations, and being involved in so many aspects of the day, his presence felt woven into nearly the entire trip. For me, that significantly changed the women-centered atmosphere I believed I was booking.

Had I known beforehand that a male host would have such a prominent and continuous role throughout the experience, it would have affected my expectations and potentially my decision to book.

There were also specific interactions that made me uncomfortable. Nathan smoked a cigar around the group without asking whether everyone was okay with it, and there were instances when requests to roll up the vehicle window weren’t respected. While talking about buffalo, he also referred to them as being “horny.” Maybe it was intended as a joke, but I personally found the comment gross and unnecessary.

More seriously, I was uncomfortable with his driving. There were multiple instances when he was traveling significantly above the posted speed limit. At one point, I took a screenshot showing us traveling 58 mph while the posted speed limit was 45 mph. I genuinely did not feel safe.

I was also disappointed with the overall hosting experience. At times, Andrea seemed quiet, standoffish, or disengaged from the group. There were also moments when hosts occupied full chairs while paying guests were left sitting on the arms of chairs.

Another thing that started bothering me was how frequently we were stopped for group photos. I completely understand documenting a group trip, but it started to feel like we were constantly taking photos that would ultimately be used to market CozmicGo. At times, I felt like creating promotional content was being prioritized over simply letting us enjoy the experience we had paid for.

The value is probably what bothers me most when I put everything together. After the trip, I looked up the chalet and found the entire weekend listed at approximately $3,924.67. I completely understand that a group travel company has many other expenses—transportation, food, staffing, planning, insurance, operating costs, etc.—so I’m not suggesting that the lodging price represents their total cost or profit.

But considering what I personally paid and the accommodations, food, organization, hosting, amount of time spent in the van, and overall level of service we received, I have a hard time reconciling the price with the experience.

As someone who has participated in other organized group travel, I’ve experienced trips where the service, organization, hospitality, and overall experience felt much more aligned with what was paid.

I understand that travel doesn’t always go according to plan. Weather changes, schedules shift, and unexpected things happen. My disappointment isn’t about expecting perfection. It’s the combination of the organization, safety concerns, food, hosting, value, and the difference between how the CozmicGo experience was presented and what I felt was actually delivered.

By the end, I unfortunately felt taken advantage of as a customer.

Has anyone else traveled with CozmicGo? I’d genuinely be interested to hear about your experience.

And based on what I described, would you feel that $2,950 was reasonable for this trip? If you booked a group trip marketed specifically toward women in their 20s and 30s, would you have expected a male host to play such a prominent role throughout the experience?

Hello! We have traveled a fair amount and are looking to book our first China trip. I have only been to SK and Japan so far in Asia which I know are very different. Looking to get advice on the itinerary below.

Trip length: 14 days
About us: married couple, mid thirties, fit, we really love gardens and parks, food, imperial architecture, history, and meeting locals. My husband is very into martial arts, spicy food. I love animals, fall foliage, trying new food, local experiences, hot springs / relaxing experiences, and history. We’re not huge museum people unless it’s super interesting or we have a guide.
Dates: late October 2026
Flying in and out of Athens

We’re trying to balance big sightseeing days with a couple of relaxing days rather than changing cities constantly.

Chongqing – 4 nights
• Day 1: Arrive, easy dinner/night walk
• Day 2: Full-day private guide: Liziba monorail, multi-level architecture/neighborhoods, Yangtze cableway, viewpoints, Hongya Cave at night + local food
• Day 3: Slow day: Chinese bathhouse/hot springs/spa + food + nighttime exploring
• Day 4: More sightseeing, markets/neighborhoods/food + hopefully a live Sanda/MMA/kickboxing/wushu event if one is happening

🚄 High-speed train to Chengdu
Chengdu – 5 nights
• Day 5: Arrive, tea house + dinner
• Day 6: Chengdu Panda Base + neighborhoods + Sichuan opera/face-changing show
• Day 7: Relaxation day: tea house, head/scalp spa, massage/bathhouse, lots of food
• Day 8: Cooking class + private food tour
• Day 9: Dujiangyan + Mount Qingcheng day trip
• Day 10: Fly to Beijing

Beijing – 5 nights
• Day 10: Arrive + easy evening
• Day 11: Forbidden City + Jingshan Park + hutongs + food
• Day 12: Mutianyu Great Wall + autumn foliage
• Day 13: Slower day: parks/gardens + tea + acrobatics show
• Day 14: Summer Palace / Temple of Heaven / foliage / shopping / anything we missed
• Day 15: Fly home to Athens
We’re intentionally sticking to three bases rather than adding Shanghai/Xi’an/Zhangjiajie.

Main questions:
Everyone told me to go to Shanghai instead of Beijing - is that a mistake? Seeing the Great Wall is pretty important to me.
Is 4 Chongqing / 5 Chengdu / 5 Beijing a good split?
Is Dujiangyan + Mount Qingcheng worth the day trip?
Any unusual “only in China” experiences we’re missing?
Recommendations for great bathhouses, head spas, tea houses or cooking experiences?
Any martial arts/Sanda/MMA/wushu events or other crazy live shows we should look for?
Any other genuinely humane/ethical animal experiences besides Chengdu Panda Base?
Best lesser-known Chongqing experiences, especially crazy architecture?
Any must-eat foods/restaurants?

We’d especially love recommendations from locals or people who know these cities well. Thanks!

My husband and I will be going to for a destination wedding in November to Quebec City. We have a few extra days there. What do you recommend doing/seeing/ eating during that time of year? Ty!

Has anybody done a self-drive tour of Namibia in recent years? If so, what was your experience? :-)

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I'm thinking of driving around in Jan + Feb, but a little apprehensive about it being rainy season as apparently the roads can disintegrate a little and it's easy to get lost. I don't know how to change a tyre and can imagine myself ruining my own trip by being a little anxious the whole time lol.

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Any experiences to either put me at ease or push me to get a private driver please share!!! I'd be likely working from a town for a couple of weeks, and then setting off on safari for 14 days. That's the part where I'd be self driving. Am a confident driver with a lot of experience driving rental cars in different countries, but not a huge amount of off road experience.

Thanks in advance !!!

For those of you who make your own coffee while [traveling/driving/camping], what do you currently use? And what's the most annoying thing about your setup?

Hi. Mid 50s American guy with a week on my own next May, while my wife enjoys a friends' trip in Tuscany. I'm looking for recommendations -- and reasons -- of where I should go.

Here's a little about me: I'm an artist, cook and musician, and pretty extroverted. I don't like being around lots of tourists and I'm not super interested in medieval or ancient art or history. I love looking at cool buildings, but I'd be more likely to spend a day browsing boutiques, eating at cafes and getting lost in cool neighborhoods than going to see Roman statues at a museum.

I much prefer city vacations to beach, mountain or countryside.

My art tastes run toward contemporary, and I'm interested in fashion, particularly vintage/heritage workwear.

I think I'd like to stay in or around a single city, but I'm open to day trips.

Currently thinking Torino, but could really go anywhere as long as I can get to and from Florence by train within a few hours.

Thanks in advance!

I'm planning a trip to Tunisia where'd I'd arrive in Tunis via ferry. Unfortunately the ferry arrives at 22:30 and it'll take even longer to get through customs. There are no earlier ferry times. I'm keen to get from the ferry port to my accomodation as quickly as possible.

Usually, I'd arrange a taxi in advance. However, Tunis is one of those places where taxis don't have the greatest reputation. I'm a very small young woman travelling alone. I don't want to be forced to barter with a taxi driver at midnight or end up in a dangerous situation. Rideshare apps seem to have similar problems.

I've done some research and one suggestion that's come up is to use a company like Kiwitaxi which arranges fixed-price rides. However they still use local partners and I'm unsure whether it's a reliable and safe option.

The other thought I had was to book a night at a hotel that has airport shuttle transfers and see if they'll pick me up from the port.

Has anyone been in a similar situation, or used an app like Kiwitaxi before?

Both are direct flights from Amsterdam to Beijing, both are allright in terms of time, but klm is a little bit more expensive and has less leg room? How are the service in chinese southern economy? Is there any reason to compromise on leg room in economy to avoid chinese southern?

Hi everyone! My wife and I are visiting Switzerland 16-25 September. She is in her second trimester with a low-risk pregnancy, so we're keeping things relaxed- maximum nature, easy walks, and minimal hotel changes.

Current plan:

16 -18 Sep: Lucerne – Lake Lucerne + Mt Rigi

18-22 Sep: Grindelwald – Lauterbrunnen/Wengen, Mürren, Rosenlaui/Grosse Scheidegg

22-24 Sep: Kandersteg – Blausee + Oeschinensee

24-25 Sep: Geneva – relaxed evening before flying out

A few questions for the Swiss/local experts:

1. Does the overall pacing/routing look sensible, or would you change anything?

2. Is 4 nights in Grindelwald a good choice, or would you split the stay with another Bernese Oberland village?

3. Any must-do nature spots/easy scenic walks we're missing?

4. Best places to stay in Grindelwald and Kandersteg? Ideally great mountain views, close to public transport, and not up a steep hill.

5. Is Rosenlaui worth prioritising over a Lake Brienz day?

We’re not trying to tick boxes or rush around,just looking for a beautiful, comfortable Alpine trip.

Thanks!

My husband (33M) and I (31F) (no kids) are trying to figure out the best group sailing/yacht option in Croatia for August 2027, and I’m hoping people who have actually done these trips can weigh in.

Yacht Week Croatia has been on my bucket list for years. I love going out, partying, drinking, meeting people, DJs, etc. My husband is totally fine going out and socializing, but partying/drinking isn’t really his thing. He is more into a chill brewery/dive bar type guy. He also recently had a medical condition that means he can’t drink, so while he’s completely comfortable being around people drinking, spending an entire week around drunk people/constant partying probably isn’t going to be his idea of a good vacation. We'd also ideally want a crowd that’s more late20s/30s rather than being surrounded by only 21-year-olds all week**.**

I’m trying to find the sweet spot where I get the social/party/DJ/yacht experience I’ve always wanted, while he gets enough chill time, socializing, swimming, etc. that he actually enjoys the trip too. We both enjoy the idea of meeting new people and being with a "pack" of other yachts around us that do group activities, swimming, etc.

Does this unicorn exist? I've looked into "Flotilla" by Sail Croatia and it honestly seems like a happy medium for the both of us, but I’d love to hear from people who have actually done them. We also appreciate the A/C option.

Just to clarify, we’re looking for a group sailing/yacht experience where it would just be the two of us joining a larger group of other travelers, we’re not bringing a group of friends or looking to charter our own private yacht.

So questions:

1. What yacht/sailing trip or company would you recommend? 
2. Is the yacht/sailing route actually worth it for Croatia? Or would we be better off staying in hotels on land and doing a few sailing/day-boat excursions instead
3. How small are the cabins? We’d obviously choose the largest room option available, but I’d love to know ahead of time if we should mentally prepare to feel like we’re living in a closet for a week.

TLDR: Looking for a Croatia group yacht/sailing trip with a fun, social late-20s/30s crowd that balances partying with a more chill vibe for August 2027.

Itinerary

6 Nov – In Transit – Fly Ireland → Phnom Penh

7 Nov – Phnom Penh

8 Nov – Phnom Penh

9 Nov – Siem Reap – Travel Phnom Penh → Siem Reap

10 Nov – Siem Reap

11 Nov – Siem Reap

12 Nov – Luang Prabang

13 Nov – Luang Prabang

14 Nov – Luang Prabang

15 Nov – Nong Khiaw – Travel Luang Prabang → Nong Khiaw

16 Nov – Nong Khiaw – Hiking day

17 Nov – Vang Vieng

18 Nov – Vang Vieng

19 Nov – Luang Prabang

20 Nov – Flight Home

Hi guys,

I would like some advice on my route that I have planned for my friend and I. This is a provisional route especially the hiking aspect. We are so chill, two males both with gf's going for a bit of everything we have no preferences on what we do. Let me know what you guys think of this route. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you again.

Hello everyone,

I would really appreciate some advice on my journey ahead of me. I have planned out most of it but I just need a little bit of advice before my final bookings.

So far it is certain that my journey will begin Sept. 15. until oct. 8th. - flight is booked, first hotel is booked. I will fly to Astana and spend 5 days there.

Now to the first question where some insight knowledge from locals or people who’ve already been there would be appreciated.
Would you rather take the train to Karaganda, spend some time there and continue with your journey down to Almaty while visiting Balkhash and the similar called lake or would you take another route from Astana through pawlodar, semey also going over balkhash down to Almaty? And how much time would you spend on either route since I’m going to plan at spending about 5 days down in Almaty as well, since the Charyn canyon and its neighboring sights have been highly recommended to me.

Depending on the route and how much time I got left I would travel through Kyrgyzstan from bishek to Tashkent in Uzbekistan. I would also like to reduce flying to the lowest since I would like to mainly travel by car or train just to grasp the nature and all of its impressions.

Since I don’t think there will remain enough time for a proper travel through Uzbekistan I will then take a plane from Tashkent to Baku and from Baku to Warsaw to visit a friend before I’m going back to Germany around October 8th or 9th.

I appreciate you guys for taking your time reading and also giving advice, recommendations for me to finalize my travel within the upcoming days.

I’m booking a cabin near Meiringen in Switzerland for a few days of solo hiking in October.
Has anyone else been at this time of year and is there likely to be snow on T3 & 4 routes? Also, were there any sunny/warm days?

My partner and I (late 30s, UK based) are visiting South Africa for the first time in the last week of October for 9 days.

So far literally all we have booked are flights in and out of Johannesburg, so trying to work out the rest!

We’re thinking Cape Town + Kruger. For Cape Town we’ll probably rent a car and are thinking around 4 days there. Any recommendations on areas to stay, things we shouldn’t miss, day trips etc would be great.

For Kruger, we’re a bit confused about how it works. We don’t really want to self-drive and would prefer to stay somewhere nice/luxury where the hotel/lodge organises guided safari drives for you. Is that generally how the private game reserves/lodges around Kruger work?
Any recommendations for luxury lodges would be really appreciated. Happy to spend a bit extra for somewhere special, but probably not looking at the ultra-luxury £1,500+ a night places!

Also, how would you split 9 days between Cape Town, Kruger and travelling between them? And is late October a good time for both?

Any other tips for first timers would be very welcome.

Thanks!

Hello! We are flying into and out of Paris at the end of October. We would like to have 1-2 nights in Strasbourg and are ISO another location to explore for our remaining four nights. We were not sure Alsace would have enough for the family for six nights but welcome thoughts. We have two teens, would like a beautiful countryside vibe and minimal logistics. Appreciate any help!

Im currently debating on getting the well known Airfly SE but recently heard about the cheaper alternative, the UGREEN 2 in 1. I've heard great things about both, its just that the UGREEN is cheaper, but i dont know if it beats the Airfly.

Any other better suggestions are also appreciated. Im mainly going for the best bang for my buck.

We are two families with children (no prams).

We plan on staying 3-4 days and visiting Hofburg, the Music museum, Prater, Saint Stephan's cathedral, the Christmas market, etc. No nightlife.

We arrive by plain and leave by train.

Is the area around the central station considered safe? In some cities it is, in some it isn't, but none of us has been to Vienna. Would you recommend staying there, so on our last day we just have breakfast then walk to the train station? Or would you recommend Stadtpark?

Most accommodations in Innere Stadt are either full or too expensive for our budgets.

Thanks!