Siem Reap exists because of Angkor. The town sits next to the Angkor Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the former capital of the Khmer Empire, and almost everything a visitor does here orbits the temples a few kilometers away. This guide covers what actually changed recently, what the temple tickets cost, and how many days to give the place. Getting there The airport situation...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Travel advisory: Dubai and the wider UAE were caught up in the 2026 regional conflict with Iran. During a roughly six-week phase in early 2026, Iranian drones and missiles struck sites in the UAE, including near...

Where to stay in Montevideo comes down to picking a neighborhood, since the city is compact enough that Ciudad Vieja, Centro, and the Rambla are all walkable to each other. Here are the six areas worth choosing between. 1. Ciudad Vieja The colonial old town puts you closest to Plaza Independencia, the Palacio Salvo, Teatro Solis, and Mercado del Puerto. It’s the most atmospheric base, though...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Montreal’s own sights fill 3 to 4 days comfortably, our 7-day itinerary shows exactly how far that stretches without ever leaving the city. If a trip runs longer than that, or a free day lands before a flight...

Bogotá’s calendar runs from a weekly street party to two of Latin America’s biggest arts festivals, and timing a trip around one is worth the effort. Here’s what’s confirmed for 2026. Ciclovía (every Sunday and holiday) This is Bogotá’s defining event, not a one-off: roughly 120 km of major roads close to cars from 7am to 2pm every Sunday and holiday, a tradition...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Before you go: Sri Lanka in 2026. Colombo is open and tourism is running normally (the US rates it “exercise increased caution,” and the UK does not advise against travel). Two things worth planning around...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Travel advisory: Dubai and the wider UAE were caught up in the 2026 regional conflict with Iran. During a roughly six-week phase in early 2026, Iranian drones and missiles struck sites in the UAE, including near...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Before you go: the safety reality. Johannesburg has genuinely high rates of armed robbery, carjacking, and smash-and-grab theft at traffic lights, and it’s also a heavily visited city that millions get through...

La Paz: What It Is, and What It Isn’t La Paz is Bolivia’s seat of government, the city where the executive and legislature actually sit, though it isn’t the country’s constitutional capital: that title belongs to Sucre, several hours south, which holds the judiciary. It’s a small distinction that gets flattened in most travel writing, but it matters if you want to...

The first thing to get straight about the Maldives: you don’t pick a city, you pick an island. Of the roughly 1,190 low coral islands scattered across 26 atolls, almost every one that isn’t a local fishing village is a single private resort. There’s no bus route between them, no downtown to base yourself in. You choose one resort, or one inhabited “local island” if...

Memphis’s event calendar centers on May, when the city’s music and BBQ scene both peak, plus Elvis Week in August. This base-family guide also flags the one Mid-South event worth timing a day trip around. May: the big month RiverBeat Music Festival runs May 1-3, 2026, at Tom Lee Park downtown, the confirmed early-May music anchor. The long-running Beale Street Music Festival was on...

Montreal is Quebec’s largest city, French-speaking and built on an island in the St Lawrence River, and it works as well as a home base as it does a standalone destination. Two corrections matter before you plan around it: Montreal itself is not a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s a UNESCO City of Design, and the real World Heritage Site, Old Québec, is a separate city about 3 hours...

Phnom Penh sits where the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Bassac rivers meet at the Chaktomuk confluence, and that geography still shapes the city: the Royal Palace and most hotels sit along the riverside, while the harder history is a short tuk-tuk ride south. Most travelers give the capital about 2-3 days, usually paired with Siem Reap or the south coast on a wider Cambodia trip. That’s an honest...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Phuket is Thailand’s largest island, an Andaman Sea beach destination big enough that “Phuket” isn’t really one place: pick a beach base, Patong for nightlife, Kata for a first-timer’s...

Memphis’s own music-and-history core, Beale Street, Sun Studio, Stax, Graceland, and the National Civil Rights Museum, fills two to four solid days. Past that, the smartest move is a day trip into the Mid-South, since the city sits almost exactly where Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas meet. A car is essential for every option below. Tunica, Mississippi (30-45 minutes south) The closest...

Eight thousand life-sized clay soldiers, standing in battle formation under a Lintong warehouse roof, discovered by farmers digging a well in 1974. That single find is why most people book a flight to Xi’an, and it delivers. But this is also ancient Chang’an, capital of 13 dynasties and the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, so plan for a deep-history capital rather than a one-sight...

Montevideo photographs best at the edges of the day, along water, and in its colonial streets. Here are seven spots to build a photo walk around. 1. The Rambla at Sunset The roughly 22km waterfront promenade turns gold at sunset, with fishermen, joggers, and mate drinkers along the water making for easy candid shots. 2. Palacio Salvo’s Rooftop Book a guided tour to the top of this 1927...

La Paz, Bolivia: A 7-Day First-Timer Itinerary A full week covers the city thoroughly, three real day trips, and a slower final stretch before you fly out. Day 1 Arrive at El Alto (roughly 4,060-4,150m) and take a registered radio taxi into town, about $8-12. Rest for the day: soroche is common in the first 24 hours at this elevation. Drink water, order mate de coca, skip alcohol entirely. Tip:...

Montevideo doesn’t have wild mountains or jungle, but between its coastline, city parks, and nearby wetlands, there’s real nature within easy reach. Here are six spots worth seeking out. 1. Pocitos Beach The most photographed of Montevideo’s city beaches, curving along the Rambla with the “Montevideo” sign nearby. Good for swimming, sunbathing, and watching the sunset...

Bogotá’s food scene runs from centuries-old soup houses to a Latin America’s 50 Best-ranked kitchen, and the dish worth planning a meal around is ajiaco, not the bandeja paisa most visitors expect. Here are eight places and dishes to build a trip around. 1. La Puerta Falsa for ajiaco Open since 1816, this tiny La Candelaria spot is the classic address for ajiaco santafereño, the...

Be honest about what Montevideo is: a flat coastal city with no real mountains and very little true hiking within it. What it does have is green space along the water and easy countryside day trips. Here are the five best green escapes. 1. The Rambla The roughly 22km waterfront promenade is Montevideo’s real hiking trail, if you want to call it that. Walk any stretch of it, from Ciudad Vieja...

La Paz, Bolivia: A 6-Day First-Timer Itinerary Six days is enough to acclimatize properly, cover the city in depth, and reach three genuinely different day trips. Day 1 Arrive at El Alto (roughly 4,060-4,150m) and take a registered radio taxi into the city, about $8-12. Rest for the day rather than sightseeing: soroche is common in the first 24 hours at this altitude. Drink water, order mate de...

Memphis’s signature is dry-rub ribs, a spice rub with sauce served on the side rather than drenched on, plus slaw-topped pulled-pork sandwiches, distinct from Kansas City, Carolina, or Texas styles. This is a base-family guide, so alongside the city’s own BBQ institutions, it also points toward the one Mid-South day trip that doubles as a meal. Barbecue, the reason you’re here...

Past Ciudad Vieja and Plaza Independencia, Montevideo holds a handful of spots most first-time visitors miss entirely. Here are six worth the detour. 1. Castillo Pittamiglio An eccentric Rambla-side house built by a self-styled alchemist, full of odd architectural flourishes and hidden symbolism. It’s an easy stop if you’re already walking the waterfront. 2. Barrio Sur and Palermo...

Bogotá packs an enormous amount into a compact, walkable core, and most of its best experiences cost little or nothing. Here are ten worth building a trip around. 1. Walk La Candelaria and Plaza de Bolívar Bogotá’s colonial old town holds the Cathedral Primada, the Capitolio Nacional, and Plaza de Bolívar itself, with narrow streets branching off toward Chorro de Quevedo, the spot where the...

La Paz, Bolivia: A 5-Day First-Timer Itinerary Five days lets you settle into the altitude, cover the city properly, and get out to two solid day trips plus a distinctly local afternoon. Day 1 Arrive at El Alto (roughly 4,060-4,150m) and take a registered radio taxi to your hotel, about $8-12. Rest for the day: soroche is common in the first 24 hours here. Drink water, order mate de coca, skip...

Montevideo’s calendar is built around one enormous celebration, plus a handful of smaller events worth timing a trip around. Exact dates shift year to year, so verify before you book. Carnaval (Late January to Early March) Montevideo’s Carnaval runs about 40 days, making it the longest in the world. It opens with the Desfile Inaugural and builds toward Las Llamadas, a candombe...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Kunming earns its “Spring City” nickname honestly, and these 10 picks cover why first-timers keep it on their Yunnan itinerary rather than just flying through: a walkable park with winter gulls, temples...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Kunming’s “Spring City” reputation isn’t just marketing, the mild year-round climate is why a central park works as a genuine nature stop and why a snow-capped alpine day trip sits barely three...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Kunming rewards photographers who plan around a calendar rather than just showing up: the gulls that make Green Lake famous only winter here a few months a year, and Dongchuan Red Land’s color shifts by season...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Once you’ve done Green Lake, Yuantong Temple, and the Golden Temple, Kunming still has genuine stops most first-timers never hear about: a preserved WWII-era university campus, a dated museum tied to a real...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Kunming’s calendar mixes genuine ethnic-minority festivals, honest previews of events that actually belong to other parts of Yunnan, and a couple of natural spectacles worth timing a trip around even though...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Kunming’s “Spring City” reputation makes it feel like an easy first stop in China, and mostly it is, but a few load-bearing facts catch first-timers off guard anyway: a two-track visa system that...

Heads up: some links here are affiliate links. Book or buy through them and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only point you to things we would actually use. Kunming’s food scene runs on one ritual dish, one seasonal risk worth taking properly, and a genuine coffee culture most first-timers don’t expect from inland China. Start with crossing-the-bridge noodles,...

Uruguayan food centers on wood-fired asado and the chivito, a loaded steak sandwich invented in 1944 in Punta del Este and considered the national dish, not a snack. Here are seven verified places to eat well in Montevideo. 1. El Palenque Inside Mercado del Puerto, the 1868 market hall in Ciudad Vieja, El Palenque has been the top parrilla since 1958. Go for lunch, especially Saturday, and expect...

La Paz, Bolivia: A 4-Day First-Timer Itinerary Four days gives you room for a proper acclimatizing day, a full city day, and two real day trips beyond it. Day 1 Arrive at El Alto (roughly 4,060-4,150m) and take a registered radio taxi to your accommodation, about $8-12. Rest for the day rather than sightseeing: soroche is common at this elevation in the first 24 hours. Drink water, order mate de...

Memphis’s music-and-history core is compact enough to hit hard in a day or two, which is the point if you’re using the city as a base for the wider Mid-South rather than a destination on its own. The city core, fast Beale Street is free to walk, day or night, home to verified clubs like B.B. King’s Blues Club, Rum Boogie Cafe and its own Blues Hall, Silky...

Bogotá sits in a high savanna ringed by salt mines, páramo, and small colonial towns, and several are close enough for a genuine day trip. Here are the five worth building a day around, plus one nearby town that deserves more time than a day allows. 1. Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral Distance: about 50 km north, 1-1.5 hours by car or bus. This is the number-one day trip from Bogotá: a full cathedral...

Montevideo rewards a relaxed 2-3 day visit rather than a rushed checklist. Here are the eight things worth building your days around. 1. Wander Ciudad Vieja The colonial old town, founded in 1724, is best explored on foot: Plaza Matriz with its 1790s cathedral, the Cabildo, the pedestrian street Sarandí, and the Puerta de la Ciudadela, the last surviving gate of the old city walls. 2. Stand Under...

La Paz, Bolivia: A 3-Day First-Timer Itinerary Three days gives you a proper acclimatizing day, a full city day, and one real day trip beyond the city limits. Day 1 Land at El Alto (roughly 4,060-4,150m) and take a registered radio taxi into town, about $8-12. Spend the day resting and hydrating rather than sightseeing: soroche is common in the first 24 hours at this elevation. Drink mate de coca,...

Montevideo is honestly a relaxed 2-3 day city on its own, which is exactly why day trips matter so much here. Uruguay’s countryside and coast are close, varied, and easy to reach without a car. Here are the five best options. 1. Colonia del Sacramento This is the number one day trip from Montevideo, full stop. Colonia is a UNESCO World Heritage old town founded by the Portuguese in 1680,...

La Paz, Bolivia: A 2-Day First-Timer Itinerary Two days is a tight but workable window for a first look at La Paz, as long as day one accepts that altitude sets the pace, not your schedule. Day 1 Land at El Alto International Airport (roughly 4,060-4,150m) and take a registered radio taxi down into the city, around $8-12 to most central neighborhoods. Spend the morning resting at your...

Memphis’s real advantage isn’t just the city itself. It sits at the exact spot where Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas meet, so a rental car turns it into a launchpad for one of the richest short-radius stretches of music and history in the country. Every trip below starts from downtown Memphis and returns the same night, except where noted. Tunica, Mississippi (30-45 minutes south)...

Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, sits high in the Andes at roughly 2,640 meters (8,660 feet), which shapes almost everything about visiting: the cool “eternal autumn” weather, the need to pace your first day, and the reward of one of South America’s richest capitals for museums, food, and street culture. This guide covers what to know before you land and what to do once...

Montevideo is Uruguay’s laid-back capital, a compact city strung along the Rio de la Plata. Be honest with yourself about pacing: this is a relaxed 2-3 day city, not a week-long destination on its own. It pairs naturally with a Buenos Aires ferry trip, Colonia del Sacramento, and Punta del Este. Seasons run Southern Hemisphere: December to March is summer and beach season, June to August is...

La Paz, Bolivia: Travel Tips for First-Timers (2026) Before you go: Bolivia in 2026. La Paz is open and welcoming, but plan around two 2026 realities. The boliviano floated in mid-2026 and its value is still moving, so check a live currency converter rather than trusting any fixed rate, and carry some small US dollars as backup. Occasional road blockades or strikes can briefly close routes, so...

4 Best Places to Stay in La Paz, Bolivia La Paz has an unusual quirk that shapes where to book a room: the city runs downhill in wealth as much as elevation. The higher, colder neighborhoods tend to be poorer, and the lower, warmer ones wealthier, the reverse of most cities. That inversion is worth factoring into your choice of area, especially if you’re still adjusting to the altitude. 1....

6 Best Photo Spots in La Paz, Bolivia At 3,640m in an Andean bowl, La Paz gives photographers unusually clean light and dramatic elevation changes within a few minutes’ travel. Here’s where to point the camera. 1. Mi Teleférico’s Red Line The single most dramatic frame in the city: the cable car’s span between El Alto and downtown lines up perfectly with Illimani (6,438m)...

6 Best Nature Spots Near La Paz, Bolivia La Paz sits at 3,640m in an altiplano bowl, and nearly everything worth seeing around it goes higher still. That’s part of the appeal: few cities put this much dramatic Andean scenery within a short trip of downtown. 1. Valle de la Luna About 10km south of the city, an eroded landscape of pale clay and sandstone spires that genuinely looks lunar under...

5 Best Hikes and Valleys Near La Paz, Bolivia Every hike near La Paz starts at altitude and usually goes higher. City center sits around 3,640m already, and most of the walking below climbs well past that, so give yourself at least a day or two to acclimatize before attempting any of them; drink water, skip alcohol, and consider mate de coca before you start. 1. Valle de la Luna