#AirBNB tour pack

[sreehari28]

This is a video about the day my Friends and I traveled to Stockholm to see the Beyoncé Renaissance opening night hope you like it!

[henryshaa]

This is a video about the day my Friends and I traveled to Stockholm to see the Beyoncé Renaissance opening night hope you like it!Travel Vlog Mansion tour tour pack Megan Albright the beautiful country of Sweden traveled to Stockholm AirBNB tour pack travel vlogs

[w2soneshots]

Honeymoon -W2S

words: 0.5k+

warnings: light smut, swearing.

summary: you and Harry enjoy your romantic honeymoon in the Maldives.

notes: this is my 100th one shot!!💌 Thank you to everyone who interacts with my posts and also my silent viewers💞. I hope you enjoy this part two to the wedding fic🫶🏼. Love ya!🤗

Me and Harry got married yesterday. Today we're leaving for our honeymoon and I'm so excited. We decided on the Maldives. It's private, beautiful and has great food. We spent the night in a nice airbnb then grabbed our pre packed bags and left for the airport. Some people don't immediately go on their honeymoon but since we had a small wedding we wanted to get straight into the holiday.

When we arrived (after a very long flight) the warm air hit my face and I savoured it. Luckily the British weather had blessed us with sun for our outdoor wedding but it definitely wasn't the warmest. We had to get a sea plane to actually get to the island where we'll be staying. When it landed we were taken to our villa and given a quick tour by one of the staff.

"This place is beautiful! I can't believe we have an entire week here." I turned to Harry once the man had left. He pulled me into him. "I know, I can't wait." He smirked at me. I raised my eyebrows. "I need to get ready for dinner." I pulled away from him. "Just a quickie?" He proposed. I ran back towards him. "Five minutes." I told him. "Mhm." He hummed as he yanked my shirt over my head.

Ten minutes later we hopped into the shower then I began getting ready for dinner. I blow dried my hair, put on a little bit of makeup then picked out a pretty white sundress. I slipped on some matching white sandals then went to find Harry. I found him stood outside looking at the view. I smiled. He turned then his eyes widened. "Oh wow." He looked me up and down.

We walked to the restaurant hand in hand. It felt amazing to have no work, fans or proper responsibilities to worry about. We're just in our own little world. When we sat down to eat (at one of the cute outdoor tables) we ordered some drinks. We'd both already decided that we weren't going to drink loads during this week since we didn't want to wake up every morning with a headache so I ordered a fancy mock tail.

By the time we'd eaten our food it was already getting dark. Harry payed then we walked back to the villa. He unlocked the door and I went inside. Immediately his hands were roaming my body from behind. I turned around in his grip. Then I cocked my head to the side. He smirked at me once again. I gently kissed his lips. Suddenly the kiss turned desperate. Harry pressed me up against the wall, his hands either side of my head. I held onto his face.

Quickly he removed his shirt. Then he broke the kiss and turned his attention to my dress. Gently his hands pulled the thin straps from my shoulders. The dress fell to the floor with a light thump, pooling around my feet. I kicked it away. He admired my body, now only wearing a small white thong. "I'll never get bored of you. You're so fucking incredible." He breathed out. I smiled then lightly kissed his lips. "Then fuck me." I whispered into his mouth. Harry flung me over his shoulder in one swift swoop. I giggled as he dropped me onto the massive bed. "Don't you worry mrs Lewis, I will."

[ateez-himari]

[240830] SLEEPY LIVE

● 민기 is live on TokToq now (1:27 AM)

● 76,019 active viewers

'She's (Himari) right next to me in bed right now, we went to visit my mom together because she wanted to see the two of us. They get along really well so I'm relieved, they met before but it was when Hima wasn't doing so well'

'They actually went to the hot springs together when I was out with one of my close friends, my mom really enjoys being around her, she told me that. She asked when our wedding was so I told her that it would hopefully be soon haha'

'No, I don't ever get tired of being with her...we actually see each other a lot less than you think. Members in the same dorms already don't run into each other that often because of different lifestyles so imagine how it is with us living apart, and with her schedule often being packed'

'We've been seeing each other every day lately because of the tour but it's different since everyone else is there too. Sometimes it feels nice to have just us two...more domestic you know ? Being idols is obviously something we love, but getting to live as normal adults feels great too'

'Honestly...no I didn't picture myself with her at first, to me it was just some silly crush because she was a girl I was regularly around. Then we fought before my hiatus...a really bad fight, and I think that was when I realized that maybe it was more'

'I won't elaborate too much on it but a lot of 'Tunnel' is kind of based on what happened back then'

'It might seem silly to some people but just seeing her smile makes the world stop for me, and the first time she was genuinely happy after being stuck in a dark place I never wanted it to start again. Atiny probably know this already but she's fragile...so you have to be careful with her okay ? Love her like we do'

'Haha you can hear her breath ? It's because she's very close to my phone since it's on my chest...I'm too tired to lift it in my hands, I'm scared it'll fall on my face'

'The position is a little uncomfortable but I'm worried she'll wake up if I move. It's the first time she's slept well in some time, because of the situation with her brother...she worries about people a lot'

'About an hour ago she was fussing over my throat because it's very sore right now, instead of doing her rehabilitation exercises'

'Rehabilitation yeah, she went through rib surgery after Coachella...so now there's titanium plates on the broken bones. The doctors said she would be okay without a hiatus so no one knew about it, well only the ones that heard it on her live'

'Atiny are really observant, you're right it's why I always hold her waist instead of her ribcage area like I used to. The size difference is very cute but I have to be careful because of it sometimes'

'We're actually leaving tomorrow afternoon, we booked an airbnb for the rest of our break, it's in a really nice location too, it's romantic'

'Yeah the dorms are empty for the most part but we wanted to be alone in a house, just live like a normal couple for a bit. Our manager helped set it up actually since we were working non stop'

'Ahh you guys want to see her ? I wish, she looks adorable like this...but I'm not wearing a shirt and I think the flash is gonna wake her up'

'Speaking of I think it's time for me to sleep too, I just wanted to say hello quickly. Sleep well Tiny, I'll come back soon'

Translation by 9024subs

[protoindoeuropean]

Can you tell us more about you're trip to Kazakhstan!

I recently watched a doc about their crazy population struggles over the last century and it has made me v interested. What was it like travelling there, how did you get around etc

Of course! I was there for two weeks with my friends and though we covered quite a lot of ground all things considered (Kazakhstan is just huge; it can fit 134 Slovenias :p), we had to pick and choose what to see (read: I had to pick and choose and the others agreed hahah) and still out time there was pretty packed.

෴ anyway I love talking about stuff like this, so I'm putting it under the cut, it's gonna get long Ꜣ) ෴

We started out in Astana and the city is really interesting, I have to say the authoritarian architecture with the central promenade is really fascinating,

but the other parts of the city are also interesting and I liked both the Expo center and the National Museum.

It does feel more plain than Almaty, though, and the planned-city aspect does come to fore when there's the slightest bit of rain and half the roads are suddenly under water.

Then we flew down to the Caspian sea (as predicted :p), the Mañğystau region, and started our 2-day tour (and had breakfast), setting off to the Karagiye (Qaraqia) depression (the road we were on goes to -116 m, the lowest point of the depression is at -134 m), the Ustyurt (Üstırt) plateau – the Sor Tuzbair (Tūzbair sory) dry salt lake (yesterday's pic is from there), the Sherkala (Şerqala) rock, the Köqala rock with petrified plants and trees, the valley of balls, the Shakpak Ata (Şaqpaq Ata) underground mosque – all just really really awesome things to see.

Honestly, I initially wanted us to go to the more inner part of the plateau as well, but we were there for just two days and that was already more than enough off-road driving, especially since there was more to come. Oh and our guide did have an English dictionary in the car lol but my best friend is fluent in Russian so she was translating for us – she also dealt with finding the tour because that's easier to find and cheaper to arrange on Russian-language sites.

Initially, I also wanted us to go to Baikonur, but that's officially Russian territory and a military object, so visitors from unfriendly countries are unfortunately (– in the tour organizer's words) not welcome ("hopefully that changes in the future"). And though it would be interesting to see the Aral sea up close and Baikonur even from some distance, the 30-hour train-ride + missing out on some other part(s) of the trip was not worth it.

Instead we took a plane from Aqtau to Shymkent (Şymkent) – I did end up seeing the Aral sea from above! – and then a taxi to Turkistan (Türkıstan). There we saw the Mausoleum of Ahmed Khoja Yasawi, went to the 8D flying theater (as cringy as the history of Kazakhstan presentation part is, with fake props and stuff, the part where they strap you in and have you virtually fly around the country is pretty awesome, ngl), had an interesting airbnb experience (tl;dr at the insistence of others we switched to a hotel) and went to the Otrar (Otyrar) archaeological site, again with a taxi, and almost died of the heat there – coincidentally we were there on the first of the two days when the hottest day on record world temerature records were broken one after another; it was something like 45°C and very little shade.

It was really interesting being in this part of Kazakhstan, because it was obvious that while Russian still got you farther than English, fewer people had a good knowledge of it. For some, my level of Russian was closer to theirs than that of my friend who speaks it fluently.

Anyway, then we did get on a train and took a 17-hour overnight ride to Almaty Ꜣ) We spet a day washing our clothes there, walked around the city a bit (went to the Baikonur metro station, at least, lmao) – it reminded me much more of Bishkek than Astana, it's much greener than the latter, for one. But the next day we were already on our way on a 4-day tour around this part of the country.

We spent two days in the Altyn Emel national park – both the white mountains and the volcanic rocks of Qatutau were awesome, but the best part was still the sand dunes (even if we didn't hear them sing) and seeing a Przewalski horse with a foal galloping around (my pic of that is not the best, but still)! Though I made a mistake in taking my shoes off before going up the sand dune and leaving them there at the bottom because when we then ran down the steeper part of the sand dune and ended up on another side of it, the sand there was extremely hot and I had to run from one grass bush – and the minimal amount of shade that provided – to another... but I made it, eventually. That day we had lunch in the only Uyghur-majority village in Kazakhstan (and were again wondering what makes lagman lagman because the different versions we've had on the trip differed to the point that no ingredient was the same, but it was still called lagman... we never got to the bottom of it) and slept over in the radioactive spa (not what it's actually called, it's just that the hot spring water there is rich in radon, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯).

The following day we continued on to lake Tūzköl (which is not included in most of these tour plans that are offered, so we had to ask for that to be included separately because I insisted; initially I was looking at a tour that goes on into the Bayankol (Baiynköl) valley, but that tour provider turned out not to exist anymore so I was looking for something similar, and there was nothing really – the tour we found was on indyguide, I believe, and ended up being great, but it was also a compromise of what can fit into a 4-day tour anyway) – this was probably my favorite part of the tour, including the road to there (whence the pictures of the bus stops – one of my friends who's really into this Soviet-style architecture was so overjoyed when we stumbled upon them, she almost cried hahah), and I've posted pictures from the lake before too :D I went a bit around the lake on my own and I met some Kazakh ladies, one was there with a daughter who's an art student (in Almaty) and spoke English as well so we could chat a bit more (I did talk to the older ladies in Russian too), it was just really nice.

On the way to Charyn (Şaryn) canyon, which was also really impressive, we had lunch and danced with the ladies who prepared it lol, and the last day with lakes Kölsai and Kaindy (Qaiyñdy) was also great – both are mountain lakes, so that's a bit more familiar, but Kaindy especially with the tree spikes was quite fascinating. By the time we got back to Almaty we were really tired, but still went out for drinks – and just walking around, on the wall on some random hospital, I saw the most beautiful mural I'd ever seen...

We did also go to the Almaty market (that was when I could ask the taxi driver about the Uyghur situation, as I'd posted about), where I got a nice book and also had to do a double-take at this old lady walking around polishing a dildo – and then I saw that they're selling them just like that on the stands among other random stuff like shirts and tea pots and chess sets, as you will... Then we also just walked around the city – went to a small gallery, to a student quarter and ended the trip by going to the Auyl restaurant nestled in the mountains above Almaty.

There was a lot that happened in just those two weeks and I loved it!

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

Hi Cal my dear! Wishing you a lovely weekend! And sending MAJOR props for everything you’ve posted in the last day it was all fabulous! Here’s lots of emojis to prompt your brilliant mind :)

⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️ (THEYRE MARRIED!!!! LOVE THAT FOR THEM! So looking forward to seeing them with their new house and baby and their beautiful life together!)

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨(buckley parents suuuuuck! AND ITS FINALLY TIME FOR A DANIEL REVEAL! On the edge of my seat!)

🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟(loved chim’s pov! Thats my sweet guy he’s such a softie romantic! Very excited to see whose pov is next and find out who is approaching the library!)

- PCA <3

HI PCA <3 <3 <3 <3

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

42 for ⚡️(YEAH MARRIED! HONEYMOON TIME):

---

Buck and Eddie have to work three shifts before they can leave for their little honeymoon getaway. Whoever’s idea that - his - is obviously an idiot, because it’s torture. All he wants to do is have lots of sex in the little beach house AirBnb he booked in San Clemente with his husband, but no! He has to go to work and spend several days walking into fires, getting vomited on, and most importantly, not having sex. He barely survives. It’s really quite a travesty. 

It’s actually a pretty decent sign for Buck that he’s really fucking happy with his life that he doesn’t want to be at work. He loves work. His job is the greatest job in the world. His team is the best team on earth. Most of the time? Can’t get enough of it. But in the wake of their wedding - which was perfect and stunning and everyone else wishes they had wedding photos in front of a fire truck from the 1920s - Buck has other things occupying his brain. Much more exciting things. Which is kind of bad, considering he should really just be focused on saving lives. 

By the end of the third shift, Buck is practically vibrating, waiting for the time to end. They’re all packed. They’re leaving first thing in the morning. Not soon enough. 

Adriana and Ravi are coming to stay with Chris for the five days they’ll be gone. Chris thinks this is very cool. Much cooler than the alternative, which was going to be Pepa. Buck thinks this is a little unfair to poor Pepa, who has watched him hundreds of times. But he gets it. They’re younger and more fun and will almost certainly let him get away with more than Eddie would. 

When their shift finally does end, Buck can feel himself motoring through their leaving routine. He tries to light a fire under Eddie’s feet with his eyes so Eddie will move a bit quicker. 

“Changing like you’re between sets at the Eras Tour is not going to make tomorrow come any quicker,” Eddie tells him. 

“Oh, he’s got Eras Tour references,” Buck teases.

Obviously he has made Eddie watch the movie. Twice. But only twice! No matter what Eddie may or may not have complained. 

“We’ve still got hours,” Eddie says. “Calm down.”

“I will not,” Buck scoffs. “I am as excited for this as the wedding!”

Buck has made this point clear. Several times. They made cuts to their wedding budget so they could afford this waterfront rental. Buck is so fucking excited for this honeymoon. 

He understands that this might sound somewhat insane. Maybe a little vapid.

---

63 for 🚨 (yeahhhhh sorry for the angst):

---

It’s not easy or stable or linear. But he’s working on it.

The day after he learns about Daniel, Buck calls in sick to work. Takes a mental health day at Eddie’s insistence. This turns out to be a wise call. There’s a horrific factory fire that almost goes badly, and Buck probably wouldn’t have been in a good headspace for that. To make matters worse, his parents actually show up at the station. Eddie sends them away, for which Buck is grateful. He doesn’t want to see them again. 

And he doesn’t have to. 

Maddie comes over at his request and they talk through everything. He’s mad. Really mad. 

“You should have told me. After everything we’ve been through together, the trial, moving, how could you not tell me?” 

“I was terrified to tell you!” She admits. “Especially after Afghanistan and the trial, Evan! You slip into such dark places. Places where I can’t reach you. I didn’t want to risk it!”

And the thing is, he can understand that. She’s not wrong. He has descended into dark spells again and again since being honorably discharged. 

“And, honestly, Evan… I didn’t know how to talk about him,” Maddie continues. “I was never allowed. She’d get so upset at the slightest mention… It was like even thinking about him made me feel like I would be punished.”

Buck’s anger deflates a lot after that. Because, really. He can’t imagine. He can’t fucking imagine. 

They argue some more. They cry. They make up. How could Buck ever possibly stay mad at her forever? She loved him enough for two parents, when his own refused. 

So he moves forward. He keeps up with therapy. He cherishes his loved ones. He tries to live up to the role Christopher has graciously given to him. That Eddie allows him to have. He works on loving himself, to be worthy of the love they give him.

And life moves forward with him. 

ii.

They have their first Christmas together as a couple. As a family. Eddie, who wasn’t really a big holiday guy ever before Christopher, loves every second of it. It’s like holidays finally have a reason to feel magical, rather burdensome. He has the exact family he was missing before, in order for them to feel perfect. 

Buck goes all out. Decorates, plays music, bakes. Spoils Chris way more than he needs to. He comes back to life, in a way he’s been struggling to do since the whole Daniel thing. He is holiday cheer incarnate. Eddie is so disgustingly in love with him. 

On Christmas morning, sitting around a faux-pine tree, watching their kid open heaps more presents than Eddie got at that age, Eddie can’t help but feel a strange sense of tranquility. Like, oh. Right. This is what life is supposed to be. He can imagine ten more Christmases from now. He can imagine wedding bands. He can imagine more kids.

---

48 for 🧟(it's Eddie!!!!):

---

“Well, yeah,” Buck replies. “Good thing Los Angeles is a very small town. Like one intersection.”

“Okay, smart ass,” Eddie sighs. 

“Where in L.A.?” Buck amends his question. 

Okay, fine. It’s a fair question.

“Mid-City area,” Eddie explains. Not that that might mean anything to Buck. “My wife… Shannon… Her mom had an apartment out there.”

“Her mom?” Buck asks. “You said she was caring for her, right?”

Eddie shifts in the driver’s seat uncomfortably. He doesn’t really want to get into all of it. It’s not easy to talk about. But, then again, he agreed to Buck coming. So obviously Buck is going to have to learn more of it than what Eddie explained to him that first night. Which wasn’t very much. And if they do find Shannon? Well, then Buck will probably hear a lot of it. There’s a lot Eddie needs to say to her. He’s not sure how composed he’ll be able to keep himself, after all this time. 

“Yeah,” Eddie confirms. “She was terminally ill. Cancer.”

“Fuck,” Buck sighs. “I’m sorry, man.”

“Thanks.”

It feels strange to accept condolences for Janet, but he does it anyway. She wasn’t his mother. They weren’t that close. He feels like he probably cost her time with her daughter. Definitely with her grandson. But… Yeah. He’s sad she’s probably dead. She was always very kind to him. In a judgment free way his own parents couldn’t comprehend. Not that he should be thinking badly of them. 

“I don’t know if she died or not before…”

“Zombies?”

“Yeah.”

“Kind of hope she did, for her sake,” Buck replies.

Eddie nods.

[stoked2surf]

Okay so things have changed up some this week!

we were in town (Santa Teresa) and talking to one another about the current living situation and the work we were doing (or lack there of). we both jokingly mentioned just leaving and getting an airbnb in town if it was cheap!

the work we were doing was not work at all and it was not rewarding in any fashion. When we signed up for the work stay it was described to us that we would be doing a lot of farm work, brewery work, and building projects. but when the owner of the organization told us a week into our stay he would be leaving for 3 weeks to go to Israel we were pushed into doing mundane brainless work like sewing a big shade net, or by his request 6. now it seemed really weird as his wife/partner was gone too and we were left with the workers who stayed with us to be the lead of these tasks, but with none of them speaking english it was hard to direct us to do more complex tasks and that’s why the volunteers were pushed into seeing instead of what we were told originally. so we ended up not learning anything it really building anything until our last few days. but at that point we were so done with that place!

I’m not gonna trash on the place publicly but there were some things we were not happy about that we both felt didn’t meet the living standards adequately for human health.

so we found out the car guy would give us a full refund for the days we didn’t need the car for and instead we would use that money to get an airbnb in santa teresa for the remainder of our trip. we found a sweet little surf shack for only 35 dollars a night, what a score! we went into town saturday for a night at a different place because we had no other plans as the original plan was a bioluminescence tour but since it rains so much it wasn’t worth it. we grabbed a cheap airbnb with hot water and short walk to the beach and hung out for the night cooked dinner and watched a movie in a clean home for the first time in three weeks. now i’m all for cold showers in the heat but not having hot water to clean off sunscreen and mud or get soap out of hair is a real drag! i get that in some cultures it is the norm but since we are fair skinned gringos on the equator we need to cake on some zinc and that stuff needs warm water to get fully off the skin. now feeling clean for first time in almost a month we realized how deprived we were of comforts.

sunday we informed our friends are mangrove that we were leaving and heading out monday morning. we packed up and moved into our new home at noon.

it’s a surf shack at the northern end of santa teresa up a steep hillside. and i mean very steep! it’s about a 600 meter walk to the beach but 300 meters are a 45° incline. but we were warned by the host prior and honestly it’s not the worst it really makes that cold beer feel earned. the walk down is beautiful, in one of the photos you can see on the decent through the trees is a wonderful view of the oceans aqua green water meeting the horizon. yes i really get to see this every morning on my way to surf it’s so rad.

we spend our mornings making coffee and hitting the beach as soon as possible and i surf for a couple hours or more while Annagrace does yoga, reads, and sunbathes. Then we go home refuel and hydrate and hit town for an adventure to so shops or grocery stores.

In costa rica they have sodas which are outdoor covered places to eat for cheap. the food is locally sourced, fresh, and “typical” which is what they call the dishes locals eat. we stopped at one right down the hill and it was the most magnificent food i’ve had in a long time. and it was only ~$12 usd!!! It’s a large portion of rice beans and salad with whatever protein you choose along with plantains. I got mahi and it canes with 4 mahi steaks, fresh and locally sourced. thats insane.

we spend our afternoons reading over espresso at a local shop or walking the beach looking for seaglass. today we grabbed food walked some and heading home to chill out since we stayed on the beach extra long and got too much sun. the weather most of our time here had been sun and monsoons on and off but since we left and moved down to the beach its been full sun all day and rain at night, which is lovely on the tin roof for sleep!

we are living life and i am realizing that there is so much stoke in the world to find and such little time. where am i going next and how? is a question ive started asking myself pretty often… well just have to see because American “life” seems so mundane now.

[towardsway]

Section 1: Planning Your Budget Vacation

1.1 Setting a Budget

Establish a clear budget for your trip, factoring in transportation, lodging, meals, and activities. Use budgeting tools or apps to keep track of expenses and prioritize your spending.

1.2 Researching Destinations

Some destinations offer more value than others. Research places known for their affordability, such as Southeast Asia or Eastern Europe, and consider traveling during the off-peak season to save on costs.

1.3 Travel Tips

Utilize travel apps and websites to compare prices. Set alerts for flight deals and be flexible with your travel dates to take advantage of the best rates.

Section 2: Finding Affordable Accommodation

2.1 Types of Budget Accommodation

Explore a variety of budget options including hostels, motels, and guesthouses. Look into vacation rentals that can offer more space and amenities for families or groups.

2.2 Best Platforms for Booking

Platforms like Booking.com, Hostelworld, and Airbnb provide a range of options. Learn to navigate these sites effectively by using filters and sorting features to find the best deals.

2.3 Unique Stays on a Budget

Consider unique lodging options such as glamping sites, houseboats, or tiny homes. These can provide memorable experiences without a hefty price tag.

Section 3: Affordable Vacation Packages

3.1 Understanding Vacation Packages

Vacation packages often combine flights, hotels, and sometimes activities at a lower cost. Understand how these packages work to maximize your savings.

3.2 Where to Find Deals

Research travel agencies that specialize in budget trips, and don’t forget to check out last-minute deals on various travel websites.

3.3 Tips for Creating Your Own Package

Learn how to bundle flights and accommodations effectively. Use examples to demonstrate how to save by planning your own itineraries.

Section 4: Activities and Attractions on a Budget

4.1 Free and Low-Cost Activities

Highlight free activities available at your destination, such as hiking, city walking tours, and local markets.

4.2 Discounts and Passes

Promote the idea of city passes that offer discounts on attractions and public transport. Share tips on how to take advantage of student and senior discounts.

4.3 Making the Most of Your Destination

Encourage travelers to explore local cuisine through affordable street food options. Highlight the importance of connecting with locals for insider tips on budget-friendly activities.

Section 5: Travel Hacks for Saving Money

5.1 Transportation Tips

Provide tips for finding cheap flights, such as using budget airlines or flying during off-peak hours. Explain how to navigate public transportation in new cities.

5.2 Packing Smart

Offer advice on packing light to avoid baggage fees and the importance of bringing essential items like reusable water bottles and snacks.

5.3 Money-Saving Apps

List apps that help travelers save money, such as Skyscanner for flights, HotelTonight for last-minute hotel deals, and GasBuddy for road trips.

Section 6: Real-Life Success Stories

6.1 Case Studies of Affordable Trips

Share inspiring stories from travelers who managed to explore new destinations on a budget. Include their favorite tips and tricks.

go for more @towardsway.in

[naomitours]

Tromsø, Norway: The North Above the North

I am not a "cold-weather" person, both in personality and in personal inclination. So you might wonder why someone like me would go to Norway in December. And if you asked me this after I actually got there, it would've been a damn good question! But I had a single reason, and a good one:

That's right, I went to see the northern lights. The green lady. "A-AURORA BOREALIS??", in the words of Superintendent Chalmers. People much smarter than me say this is caused by the sun's upper atmosphere emanating a solar wind that reaches *our* upper atmosphere. While not the most consistent place in the world to see it, Tromsø is one of the easiest and largest to try your luck.

Disclaimers from the Top of the World

The first thing you should know about Tromsø is that the sun doesn't come up for most of winter. You'll have light for a few hours, sure, but it's not the same. The meaning of darkness is different when it's ever-present, and those brief few hours of light mean everything. I found myself wanting to shed my coat and soak the light in through every pore of my body.¹ Depression is a real problem here, so is alcoholism. (I was even told by a local that they track alcohol purchases via card, to make sure nobody is drinking too much in the dark months!)²

The "sunset" over the Tromsø harbor, 1:35 PM.

The second thing you should know is that you need traction on your footwear. Pack your snow boots, or buy some shoe spikes because otherwise you'll be spending a good chunk of your time here on the ground, cursing the ice. My dumb-ass had decided to come to Norway on a whim, without thinking or preparing, so I showed up in my Doc Martens slipping and sliding. I almost couldn't make it to my Airbnb, my host having to come down and help me up the hills!! Thankfully I was able to borrow boots from my, again, incredibly lovely host³, but my god you've never appreciated gravel so much!

The Tromsø Troll Museum

That's right, the main attraction in the city, the reason you flew hundreds, perhaps even thousands of miles! This tiny museum with a bunch of trolls scattered all around!

It's a cozy space, and if you're as fascinated as mythology as I am, it's really a must-see if you're in town. Also, there's a replica of a hulder. According to local lore, these were beautiful women who would often try to lure men away from their human homes, to live in otherworldly pleasure with them⁴, or they would marry human men and join our world, retaining their otherworldly strength⁵!

Aurora Borealis

The biggest disclaimer I'd offer for the northern lights is this, you are never guaranteed to see them, even if you do everything "right". This was such a huge source of anxiety for me until I finally had a good sighting, then I was able to relax. I recommend doing some guided tours, these are not necessary (I saw them once right outside my Airbnb!) but it's going to maximize your chances by getting you away from the city's light pollution. There's many different modes of transportation for this, I myself took a bus and a boat, but I saw advertisements for planes, helicopters and even dog sleds*. The first time I ever witnessed the northern lights was on a sleepy little boat tour, New Year's Eve 2023.⁶

The interior was very cozy, more importantly it was warm, essential on a night with subzero wind chill. I enjoyed cookies and coffee and hot chocolate with marshmallows!

The lights don't look like the pictures, that should be stressed. The vast majority of aurora borealis photos are taken via long-exposure, and our eyes just don't work the same way. But on a good night you can see a faint green distortion in the sky, as if a riff into another dimension. It's like you expect an alien spaceship, or the giant hand of a monster to come ripping out of it, changing our world forever.⁷ But for the natives of Tromsø, it's just a day like any other.

View of the Aurora Borealis, from my Airbnb the next day.

I also recommend booking a few different tours, if you're like me and only really need to see it once, many will let you cancel on 24hrs notice if you pay extra. I recommend this as a good way to save money, but I'm kinda a cheapskate, so what do I know?

Also, please don't be discouraged if you don't see the lights on any given tour, you still do get some really beautiful photographs. It's important to keep a sense of relativity about you, you are standing at the top of the world, in the freezing cold. And in this moment you are having a novel human experience, regardless of whether or not you see some pretty lights on top of it.

What I Ate

Now, you might think the food is very bare-necessities in this sleepy arctic city, but you'd be surprised! One of the first things I had was something I had actually failed to find in Oslo, a delicious Norwegian donut called a skolebolle:

With a custard center and coconut flakes trimming the top, it's a deliciously sweet treat that I found in a Eurospar for the equivalent of a dollar. I recommend enjoying it with black coffee! Not pictured are the other things I got from the store, including paprika-flavored potato chips (highly recommended) and a large bar of Freia milk chocolate, which you'll not be disappointed by.

There's also an abundance of little convenience stores that will get you hot meals for relatively cheap (Northern Europe is expensive!) On the right you'll see a pepperoni calzone that was pretty good, along with a Norwegian soda that was less so. But if you're looking for a finer taste of Tromsø, stay with me:

This is a sampling I did of Aquavit, the signature liquor of Scandinavia. All of it was made right here in Tromsø, and I had a lovely guide for this tasting. To name a few, lingonberries and reindeer meat, not to mention a small slice of grapefruit.⁸ It's a little skimpy, however the point isn't to eat, but to taste!⁹

Conclusion/Takeaways

It can be a very scary thing, to be so far away from home. In all my years of travel, though that uncertainty has diminished, it never truly goes away. Maybe travel is just like any other experience, your tolerance to it builds until you only feel the original high when you get even further out of the world as you've known it. In this way, travel is much like a drug. But what moves me most about travel is its capacity to help us understand not just the planet we live on, but our own place within it. And if you ever feel lost for purpose, I might recommend standing on top of the world, hunting for otherworldly apparitions in the sky //

Footnotes:

¹ Of course, if you actually try to walk around in Tromsø without a coat, you will a)freeze to death and b)look stupid

² LITERALLY 1984

³ Of course, I had to return the boots when I left for the airport, meaning I fell not once, not twice, but THREE times trying to get down the hills to the bus stop. Seriously, you can't wear your Docs, no matter how fashionable and punk rock they are!

⁴ But why would you want to do that, when society is sooooooo good?? Like, who wants to live in a fantasy world where there is no suffering or want when we have Pizza Hut here, right now?

⁵ A hulder also features prominently on the cover of that one metal album by the murderous Nazi that your friend still listens to, despite knowing he's, you know, a MURDEROUS NAZI.

⁶ I would later go on to watch a man in lederhosen play The Weeknd, Cher, and at midnight ABBA's "Happy New Year", all on a keyboard. Dude was a one-man entertainment MACHINE, the vibe was immaculate.

⁷ As seen in Avengers 17: We Saved the World Again, in theaters this summer! Go watch it. Right now. The corporations demand it. DO IT. CONSUME.

⁸ Make sure your meds don't interact with grapefruit. Grapefruit may cause side effects including sour taste. Ask your doctor if grapefruit is right for you.

⁹ You know, like, a tasting menu or something!!

[roamio]

Budget Solo Travel Tips: How to See the World Without Breaking the Bank

Solo travel doesn’t have to drain your savings! With the right tips, you can explore the world on a budget. Here’s how:

Pick Affordable Destinations: Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central America offer great experiences for less.

Book Smart: Stay in hostels, use Airbnb for longer stays, and consider house-sitting for free accommodation.

Cheap Travel Hacks: Walk, bike, use public transport, and watch for flight deals. Pack light to avoid extra fees!

Budget-Friendly Activities: Enjoy free walking tours, hiking, and discounted museum days.

Safety on a Budget: Stay aware, use a money belt, and invest in travel insurance.

Solo travel on a budget is possible and rewarding!

Full Blog

Budget Solo Travel Tips

For more tips, visit Roamio - The Traveller.

Got more solo travel hacks? Drop them in the comments and help others travel smarter!

[sreehari28]

This is a video about the day my Friends and I traveled to Stockholm to see the Beyoncé Renaissance opening night hope you like it!

[jow99]

Cahors to Argeles-Gazost

After a call with Mum it was time for breakfast and then packing up Tessi. Having stayed here 6 nights we had got ourselves quite settled.

In theory it shouldn’t have been a long drive but we were on secondary roads and it rained all day. Seriously all day.

We stopped for groceries and had hoped to get a coffee but there was nothing around. We then had hoped to find a nice spot for lunch and then a coffee but in the end we found a niceish spot to pull over and I made lunch.

We finally reached Argeles-Gazost and then we had some confusion finding the house. By the time we arrived it was around 5pm.

It was lovely to see Doug and Di and to meet their friend Matthias again. He spent a night and day with the group on the Lionheart tour. The Airbnb is quite spacious so houses the 5 of us comfortably.

We arrived with time to watch the end of the Vuelta and then it was nibbles and dinner. A very pleasant evening with a bit of reminiscing.

We were all a bit tired so not a late night and Doug has planned a long ride for tomorrow 😬

[umichenginabroad]

Week 2: Living it up in Amsterdam!

Time feels like it’s going by so quickly, as it’s already the end of the second week in Berlin. This week introduced the technical lab course, which for me is my robotic programming lab course. I haven’t had a great deal of robotic programming, and as everyone was introducing themselves during the first class, it seemed that the consensus was that a lot of people were pretty new. So it could be said that I was more than a little shocked to be doing partial derivatives and working with differential equations on the first day. Anyways, it actually wasn’t too bad as it made everyone work collectively and made time go by much faster as we were so laser-focused on finishing our tasks.

On Tuesday, we went on a fun brewery tour of the brewery on the VLB campus. You see, all the beer that was being produced was for research and scientific purposes. The brewery was experimenting with different techniques and recipes for different kinds of beer. We got to see the station where the barley is first broken down into malt, then where the yeast is added, and finally where the beer is dispensed. As an added bonus, we even got to try some!

Prior to the weekend, around Monday or so, 7 of my friends and I planned a weekend trip over to Amsterdam. We were to leave right after class on Friday and get there at around 1:00 am on Saturday and return back to Berlin at around 8:30 on Sunday night. I packed my stuff at around 5:45 am Friday morning because I’m just an all-round excellent procrastinator. 

The entire Amsterdam journey was an absolutely crazy one, but quite a memorable one. For starters, we missed one of our trains and had to race the train via taxi. One of our trains was heavily delayed, which caused us to miss our ensuing transfer train. As I was the only person who somewhat knew how to speak German, I was forced to put my minuscule vocabulary to use when I had to communicate to the information help desk and taxi driver that our train had been delayed and now needed a taxi service. We eventually were able to get a taxi service to the next stop, and thanks to the driver, just barely made it before the train, and the trip continued to proceed as normal. I thought that it was crazy that we had just happened to have one German speaker with us on this trip and for it to be actually a pivotal moment in the trip.  

As soon as we arrived, we headed to the Airbnb and just chilled out until everyone went to bed. The following morning we decided to go sightseeing and check out any potential museums or other tourist attractions that we wanted to hit up. We eventually settled on splitting up between sightseeing and visiting an electronic music museum.

I went with the group to the museum and as we were walking there, we were met with absolute torrential downpour. Since we had to make our time slot, we trudged through the rain to the museum, arriving on-time looking like we had swam through the waterways to get there. In the electronic music museum, we got to learn about the history of House music and see priceless artifacts like Marshmello’s helmet and Avicii’s keyboard. To top it all off, we even got to experience their own little DJ-mashup of some of the most iconic songs. 

That night, we met up with some other University of Michigan students who were traveling through Europe, and we decided that since it was one of their birthdays, to go out that night in celebration, seeing as he was turning 21. We walked around Amsterdam at night, appreciating the beautiful views of the city at night and basking in the nighttime culture of the city. Even though it was late at night, there were still streets packed with people having a good night out in pubs and bars. We walked around for about an hour, then attended a music festival. Now, this is where the night really starts to get interesting. 

When we arrived, we were really excited and were in high spirits. Then someone from our group got kicked out. We didn’t really know why and after clearing up the confusion, they were let back in. We then spent the next couple hours dancing and chilling around, eventually leaving at around 3:00 am. As we were all pretty hungry at the time, we decided to hit up this one street full of fast food shops until around 4:00 am. However, as we were walking there, another person lost their wallet. We spent about 30-45 minutes looking for that wallet until somehow, by the grace of God, we found it next to a curb untouched. It was a pure stroke of luck that we had found it and even more lucky that it was left untouched. Seeing as how the universe was so unfairly lucky to us, it decided that it was time to reverse the tables. As we were walking to get food, I saw that we were running behind and needed to get moving if we were to get there before everything closed. I started sprinting and turned around to tell my friends behind me that we need to get going. As I turn back around however, I see a bike coming straight for me and BAM, it slams right into me. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt and I was able to walk away from it with minor bruises and swelling. However, this experience was extremely scary and I am extremely grateful that things did not end differently. At last, we were able to get food right around 4:00 am and eventually headed back and called it a night. 

Sunday was our final day in Amsterdam and seeing as how our train back to Berlin left at 2:15, we could only do some light shopping in some of the shopping streets before we ended up heading over to the train station and heading back to Berlin. Overall, it was an extremely fun trip and well worth it. Even though we had some scary moments, we cherished the short time that we spent and left extremely satisfied with the experience.

This will no doubt go down as one of the most fun trips that I’ve had in recent years and definitely the most crazy and unpredictable trip ever.

That’s all for this week, see you guys next week!

Dervin Tian

Data Science

Engineering Laboratory Experience at TUB in Berlin, Germany

[hazygrains]

Day 3 - April 29, Saturday

Asis and I were out and about on our rented scooter around 5 am. We made a pitstop at the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish church. Afterward, we roamed around the area in search of an open cafe, but to no avail. Eventually, we decided to head to Shaka Cafe, as it was the only place we found that would open at the latest by 6:30 am. Arriving 40 minutes before the opening time, we sat and enjoyed the view of the waves and surfers from afar.

On Day 3, our plan was to island-hop. We hoped for good weather, but it turned gloomy with dark clouds and occasional rain. We still went ahead and rented a private boat for our group. Our first stop was Naked Island, a sandbar true to its name—completely bare. It was just sand and I couldn't fully appreciate it unless seen from above. Our middle stop was Daku Island, the largest of the three main islands, where we stayed for a while and enjoyed the infamous boodle fight. The last stop was Guyam Island, named aptly for its small size.

I don’t know, but this day felt exhausting, and the weather only added to the gloominess. We returned to our place around 3 pm, completely worn out. After freshening up, we were all knocked out. We only woke up to the sound of rain and decided to have our dinner delivered to our place. What a day!

Day 4 - April 30, Sunday

The group was out early and had our breakfast at Siargao Corner Cafe. The weather started clearing up. The sun was finally peeking! Unfortunately, it was also the last day of our friends on the island. They were bound to Manila later that afternoon. In the time remaining, we passed the Catangnan-Cabitoonan bridge and took tons of photos in this coconut road. We also visited a piercing shop, and most of them decided to have their ears pierced, while Asis opted for an eyebrow piercing. Our final stop with the group was CEV: Ceviche & Kinilaw Shack. I had no idea about this place, but one of our group members insisted it was a must-try spot in Siargao. They mentioned that whenever they attempted to eat there, it was either closed or jam-packed. And man, it was the first restaurant on the island that Asis and I both approved of. The dishes were delicious, with the ingredients complementing each other perfectly. Eating there was a perfect way to wrap up the entire group tour with our friends.

After parting ways, we returned to Mera's Garden Resort, our rented place, to collect our stuff. Riding on our scooter, we successfully transported all our gear—two backpacks, a tote bag, and a small suitcase—from General Luna to Malinao, our next Airbnb home for the next few days. Upon check-in, we dropped off our laundry nearby. In the late afternoon, we ventured back to General Luna town proper, aimlessly roaming with no particular destination in mind, enjoying the views, local vibes, and the cool night breeze. It was indeed a pleasant day.

[uncloseted]

Hi Christina!

I’m traveling to Málaga, Spain in a couple of weeks and I have a lot of anxiety because this is my first time traveling to a foreign country. I vaguely remember that you visited Spain, but I was wondering if you can share any advice such as your favorite / must haves travel essentials, how to enjoy your time yet be budget friendly? Not too interested in doing touristy stuff but I heard the beaches are nice? Do you recommend staying at an Airbnb, hotel, hostel, or a capsule hotel? Would love to hear your recommendations! Also, any followers of Christina’s can chime in as well, much appreciated. Thank you in advanced.

That's so exciting! I bet you're going to have the best time. I've never been to Málaga before, but I have been to Spain and I solo travel a fair amount, so I'll tell you what I know.

Starting with where to stay, a hostel will be your most budget-friendly option. The average price of a hotel in Malaga is around $101 USD per night, while hostels can go as low as $20 USD per night. Hostels are also better in terms of meeting people, since they tend to be full of young travelers looking to make friends. Just make sure that the hostel has good reviews and is located in a safe area. TOC hostel seems like a popular choice. As far as Airbnbs go, they tend to be around the price of a hotel and come with their own rules and regulations. They're a great option if you're working while staying somewhere long-term and want to get a sense of what it's like to live there, but other than that I would skip them.

As far as how to enjoy your time, it really depends on what you like. I'll typically see if Conde Nast Traveller has articles on the places I'm going (here and here), then I'll do a search on Reddit to see what people like, and I also check out Atlas Obscura to see if there are any weird or interesting attractions around. I love museums, so I usually check out which ones are in the city. You can also Google something like "best free things to do in Malaga" and you'll get a whole list. I would maybe check out the Picasso Museum or the Carmen Thyssen Museum, which are free on Sundays, the Contemporary Art Centre of Malaga, which is always free, the Museum of Malaga, the Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro Castle, stroll along the Puerto de Malaga and Paseo Maritimo, and go to the Malaga Botanical Garden. If you like food and you want to save some money on eating out, going to one of the markets could also be a really nice activity. Grocery stores are also your friend if you're looking to save some money- I like getting some picnic supplies and then going to sit in a park or on the beach. I would maybe also look to see if there are any tours you would be interested in or a class you might want to take in something that's unique to Malaga. For example, when I was in Iceland, I did a ride through a lava field on an Icelandic pony, which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and super fun. Finding things like that that are really unique can help to make your trip more memorable. Tours can also help you connect with other travelers, which is great if you're on your own and maybe feel a little lost. Just wandering around the city can also be a great activity in itself and help you figure out what you want to see or do.

For travel essentials, I think people will try to sell you on all sorts of gadgets, but I don't really travel with that many things that are out of the ordinary. I'm in Greece now, and the travel items I brought with me are a universal power adapter and packing cubes. If you're going to stay at a hostel, I would recommend getting a good pair of earplugs (I like the Loop ones, but honestly any of them are fine), an eye mask, and maybe a portable lock box for your valuables (this is also useful if you want to go to the beach without worrying that your stuff will get stolen). If you're staying on your own, I usually travel with a doorstop alarm, but that's really for my own peace of mind- I've never actually needed it. Other than that, I try to carry a few different types of medications with me in case I need them, and I try to have long enough charging cables so that they'll reach regardless of where I am, but that's pretty much it. If you don't speak the language of the place you're going, the Google Translate app is a good thing to download because it can scan written text and translate it in real time. I would also check to see what the public transportation looks like and if you need to download any additional apps for that.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but please feel free to send in follow up questions! Mostly, just go into it with an open mind and try to have fun. The unexpected parts of a trip are often the best parts.

[livelysonletour]

We spent New Year's Day exploring Parque Nacional Peneda-Gerês on the Northern border of Portugal and Spain.

A bit tired but motivated for what I expected to be one of the most exciting days, I went out early in the morning to secure train tickets at the train station we visited on our walking tour. Part of the reason we wanted to get tickets early was to avoid lines and ensure we arrived to meet our guide on time. The other part was to redeem our inability to escape the train station upon our arrival to Porto way back in 2023. The tickets were secured easily enough, and I enjoyed walking through city streets caught between the day starting (for people like me) and the night ending (for people like the gentleman walking through broken glass and confetti with his Super Bock still in hand).

I came back to the Airbnb to get Cat, we packed a backpack with waters, rain coats, a lunch (cured ham, cheese, bread, olives, cashews, apricots, and orange juice), and bathing suits, and then headed out to take the train to Braga where we met our guide for the day, Pedro. After asking if we needed any car sickness medication, Pedro began driving us through the mountains up toward the park. Pedro is recent Mechanical Engineering graduate and a music and NBA lover, so we found plenty to talk about.

We stopped at a little cafe owned by his friend for coffee and breakfast - I had a pastel de chaves and Cat had a Portuguese croissant.

We then continued up the winding roads before coming to a trailhead located near the abandoned border gates between Portugal and Spain. We freely walked between the two countries and Pedro pointed out signs mixing Portuguese, Spanish, and Galacian. After re-entering Portugal, we headed down a beautiful trail called the Gerês Bridges Trail.

It was full of bridges, waterfalls, shepherd's paths, cows (check out the video Cat got below!), and the ruins of various users of the mountain pass (from Roman soldiers to Portuguese shepherds to park rangers), all providing spectacular sights. We had lunch on the final bridge at the base of a waterfall before hiking back up and to the car.

Pedro then took us across the Spanish border to the town of Lobios to enjoy the town's hot springs, Caldas de Lobios. We stopped at a small cafe and bought a coffee so we could change into our bathrooms suits and then gingerly stepped into the hot springs. The temperature varied slightly as the water flowed from how I like my showers to barely tolerable - which to be fair is not that significant of a delta. I also had the bright idea to try wading in a small stream near the spring's source and scalded my left foot.

After we had taken all we could handle, we changed and headed back to Portugal. We made a quick pit stop at Castelo de Lindoso, a medieval castle and its grainaries, before Pedro drove us back to Porto.

After such a full day, Cat couldn't bring herself to head back out for dinner so she finished some snacks we had and I ventured out to grab some local delicacies (as the Portuguese call it: McDonals) before we both went to bed, though I got up at 2 am local time to watch the Texas loss to Washington in the Sugar Bowl ☹️... Sadly the cows we saw on our hike didn't have long enough horns to provide the appropriate suerte.