Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 6
Eastern Caribbean cruise
My partner and I are taking our first cruise in late May. It is the Carnival Fascination, leaving San Juan (with a night at a hotel in Old San Juan) with stops in St. Thomas, Sint Maarten, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, and Barbados. We have usually done independent travel in the past, so this will be a new experience. We're in our mid-late 30's. We've never been to any of these islands before (though I have been to San Juan) and would like a nice variety of excursions (whether ship based or otherwise). I'd like to have some combination of beaches, snorkeling, natural beauty, unique activities, historical sites, hikes, maybe rum distilleries, but not sure what would be best on which island to get a nice variety. Basically something unique to each island, to get a good experience. I would appreciate any thoughts!
Hi
We (husband and I) have just over two weeks (3 weekends ) in Greece in May and are being joined by our adult daughters (late 20s) and their boyfriends for the first 9 days.
We are thinking of maybe 5 days in Milos and the rest in Sifnos so everyone can also experience both islands.
Partying/clubbing is not high on anyone's agenda. We all prefer swimming (though May could still be cool), walking, reading, walking through villages, sitting at tavernas at night and watching life unfold.
Any suggestions of where to stay in Milos?. As there are 6 of us it would be nice to be able to walk to a beach/tavernas instead of having to rely on cars.
Same for Sifnos.
We would prefer a self-catering place - or at least with a fridge and basic equipment.
Hi. I want to book evening transport from Kigali in Rwanda to Kabale in Uganda in advance of arrival at Kigali airport at 18:15. I'd be happy with a bus or taxi or whatever but want to have it booked in advance so I know I'm sorted. I have a commitment in Kabale the next day that I can't afford to miss. Any suggestions would be very appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Hi, all.
I took a solo trip from Coca, Ecuador to Leticia, Colombia (via Iquitos) using only public transit. I noticed online that there's a lot of information, only some of which is up-to-date, floating around with regards to the tripoint area where Peru, Brazil, and Colombia meet. This is my effort to set the record straight based on my experience in January 2020.
BOAT TO SANTA ROSA
Golfino boats depart from Puerto ENAPU, a government-run embarkation point near the mouth of the lagoon alongside which most of Iquitos sits. The boat was scheduled to leave at 5AM, and by 3:30AM there was already a line to get in. At about 3:45, the gates opened, tickets and IDs were checked, and passengers were funneled into a waiting area not unlike a bus station. There were two boats leaving, mine and an Eduardo bound for Yurimaguas (I think). The entire port, even at 3 or 4 in the morning, is heavily patrolled and very safe. It’s impossible to sneeze, let alone get robbed, in this area without a security guard noticing. You should, however, pre-arrange a taxi to take you to the port, as the ubiquitous mototaxis that fill the streets of Iquitos are notorious for being unsafe between 10PM and 6AM, meaning that the only responsible choice is to take a licensed taxi. It’s more expensive than a mototaxi, but you don’t run the risk of getting all of your stuff stolen.
The boat itself was perfectly fine. It took about thirteen hours to get to Santa Rosa, and we made four or five stops along the way. There was a toilet onboard and at every stop ladies selling refreshments paraded down the aisles handing out produce and sodas. Plus, breakfast was included in the fare, and it was a semi-edible sandwich containing some kind of mystery meat with a side of Inca Cola. All in all, it was perfectly fine and easily the most unexceptional long-distance boat trip that I took.
I was also made aware of another option for those who have additional time: You can disembark from the boat in Caballococha, spend a night in town, and then take one of two daily direct boats to Leticia the next day. This would work great if you have any desire to see the town of Caballococha.
SANTA ROSA: (Santa Rosa de Yavarí on Google Maps)
The boats from Iquitos, at least when the river is high enough, dock at a barge-like structure moored just north of the island. Passengers disembark only to be swarmed by porters offering to take you somewhere in their boats. Were it the dry season, I almost certainly could have simply walked to the immigration office, but the pathway was completely flooded and the only way on or off the barge was to pay five soles to one of the porters. They have it down to a science and they will simply refuse to take you for less than five soles, which fits the textbook microeconomic definition of a cartel. There might be some negotiability if you’re not a gringo, but as far as I could tell everyone got screwed out of five soles for a service that should have only cost one or two.
The town of Santa Rosa is, to be perfectly honest, not that exciting. There seemed to be some good food, but other than that the facilities were noticeably bare, on par with Santa Coltilde minus the paved roads and sidewalks. I would consider it a mistake to base yourself here rather than cross into Colombia or Brazil, where they have 24/7 electricity, internet, and a lot more to do. My porter, a native of Santa Rosa, told me that the town pretty much only exists so Perú can maintain a presence on the border, and he recommended that I go over to Leticia instead of staying. Did he make this recommendation because he wanted me to pay him to take me to Leticia? Probably. Did he make this recommendation because he was being truthful? Also probably.
Our boat had been delayed by two hours, so the immigration office had technically been closed for an hour or so by the time we arrived, and the lead officer seemed to have already been a couple of drinks into his afternoon festivities. Nonetheless, the porter dropped me off right in the middle of the downtown area and the immigration office was less than fifty yards from that point. The only real road in town goes from southeast to northwest, and if you walk in the northwest direction, the office will be on your left. The same porter who had taken me to that point for five soles then took me across the river to Leticia for ten soles.
LETICIA:
There seems to be a great deal of misinformation floating around regarding immigration proceedings at the tripoint. Most importantly, movement between Peru, Colombia, and Brazil is completely unrestricted in this particular area. Those looking to leave the area will have their documents checked upon showing up to a port or airport, but those who remain within the Santa Rosa/Leticia/Tabatinga area can theoretically be stamped into any of the three countries and move freely between them. The only reason I bothered to stamp out of Perú and into Colombia was that I would be leaving by plane from Leticia. Second, there is a brand new immigration office in Leticia. It’s a large grey barge with a massive Colombian flag, and it’s welded to the dock less than fifty yards from the Malecón Turístico. Many people will tell you that you have to go to the airport to get your Colombian entry stamp. Such people may either be in cahoots with the taxi drivers who stand to gain from a roundtrip to the airport or may simply be operating on antiquated information. Either way, they’re wrong; you don’t have to leave the immediate downtown area of Leticia to officially enter Colombia.
Upon arriving in Leticia, I noticed a small Peruvian flag on the immigration barge in Leticia. Apparently, you can get your Peruvian exit stamp here, which made me wonder why I had paid five soles to go into downtown Santa Rosa to get my exit stamp when I could’ve gone straight to Leticia and accomplished the same thing. Someone staying at my hostel told me that he had had difficulty getting the Peruvian stamp here, despite its ostensible availability, so maybe getting it in Santa Rosa was the better bet. Or maybe my porter just wanted the extra five soles. I guess I’ll never know.
I got to Leticia around 6:30PM, and the immigration barge had been closed for some time by then. So I had been stamped out of Perú but had no way of getting stamped into Colombia. When I explained this conundrum to the Colombian police officer at the port, he didn’t seem too concerned and informed me that there exists a 24-hour grace period. So I went to my hotel and then came back to the port at 8:30AM the next morning and was stamped into Colombia without a problem. I brought my Yellow Fever vaccination certificate because I had heard that it would be necessary for entry into Colombia, but no one checked it. Also, the barge was air conditioned to about sixty degrees fahrenheit, which was very pleasant.
Leticia is quite nice. It seems to be perennially under construction, but the infrastructure is the best in the region. Money changers line the walkway from the road to the Malecón Turístico and they all offer pretty much the same rates when changing between Soles, Dollars, Pesos, Reales, and possibly Euros.
Hi all, I'm looking for opinions on where to go for a 3 day weekend in April.
It would be me and my husband for in April, flying from Houston, in our early 40s, leaving the kids behind, 3 nights, 4 days.
I'm considering: Chicago, Boston, Charleston, Savannah or taking a different route going to the beach in Mexico. Open to other ideas too.
I'm just looking for well traveled opinions on which destination makes for a better long weekend trip...all subjective, I know. We like the outdoors, and we like cities. We like to be busy when we travel and see it all---yes, even the tourist traps. We like to eat, but we are not exactly "foodies," because a cheap meal that get the job done is fine but we like to avoid chains. I prefer a walkable city for a short trip, but I'm not scared of public transportation either. We like history and beer. We've done D.C., NOLA, NYC, lots of California, and Colorado, so looking for something different this time.
Thank you!
Hello everybody!
Me and my friend are planning to go to the south of Sardegna in the end of September. We are not going to move a lot, so we were thinking of choosing one town that has nice beaches, food and bar scene (everything in walking distance)... so which one would you suggest?
Also, none of us drive, so we were wondering if thats a huuuge problem?!
Thank you in advance!
We are coming to Algeria in April, and some of the places we want to see are Djemila and Timgad. We really want to see both.
We will land in Algiers, and after a couple of days there could travel to Setif, or straight to Constantine.
If we stop in Setif and stay overnight, what is the best way to visit Djemila from there next morning? We prefer to use buses, collective taxes etc, not private taxes.
How much would the transport cost from Setif and back? Is Djemila closed any day of the week?
We then plan to continue to Constantine and stay a couple of days there, and visit Timgad from there.
What would you recommend for transport connections from Constantine to Timgad and back?
Is Timgad closed any day of the week?
Many thanks for all suggestions
Hi, I have 3 nights in Antigua and could really use some help with my itinerary. This is my current plan:
Day 1: Arrive in the morning (via night bus from Flores)
Day 2: Antigua
Day 3: Antigua
Day 4: Shuttle to Lake Atitlan in the morning
I would really like to do the Acatenango overnight hike, which means I'd start the hike on day 2 and return to Antigua mid-day day 3. This only leaves me the afternoon on day 3 and however much time I end up having on day 1. Is this really enough time to enjoy Antigua?
(I currently live in Colorado and will more or less come straight from Colorado, so I'm not worried about needing a few days acclimatize)
Thanks :)
Hello!
I have a bus situated in a storage unit in Juarez, Mexico that I am trying to sell. The back seats were taken out and 4 bed were put in the rear of the vehicle, there is also storage space on the roof.
A few months ago it was completely modded, even new paintwork. In perfect working condition.
I wondered if anyone knew the best place to sell the bus or any contacts who may be able to help? Any sites etc?
Thank you!