Asia

Super cheap? Yes! But read this before you book...

Manchester

England

Singapore

Taipei

Taiwan

Hanoi

Vietnam

Mahé

Let’s face it, your current desktop background is probably a picture of the Seychelles, so why not make the jump from screen-saver fantasy to actual reality?
Visiting this tropical haven means trading your office chair for a sun lounger beside postcard-perfect beaches, where giant granite boulders meet impossibly clear turquoise water. It’s the kind of escape that’s both ridiculously luxurious and genuinely wild, where you can spend the morning snorkeling vibrant coral reefs and the afternoon greeting ancient giant tortoises. 
Forget fighting for towel space; the only thing you’ll be wrestling is the urge to never, ever leave, proving that sometimes, the most cliché paradise is actually the best one.

Seychelles

Forget fighting for towel space; the only thing you’ll be wrestling in the Seychelles is the urge to never, ever leave, proving that sometimes, the most cliché paradise is actually the best one.

Jaipur

India

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

Krabi

Thailand

London Heathrow

Kolkata

Medan

Indonesia

Dublin

Ireland

Phuket

Manila

Philippines

Jakarta

Colombo

Sri Lanka is often called the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean,’ but frankly, that sounds waaaay too delicate for a place that packs so much punch into one island. 
Forget choosing between beaches and mountains; here, you can sip world-class Ceylon tea in the misty highlands in the morning and be surfing on golden coasts that same afternoon. From spotting leopards and elephants on safari to exploring ancient rock fortresses and marveling at incredible temple ruins, Sri Lanka throws everything at you, and you’ll love every chaotic, flavorful, and unforgettable moment of it. 
It’s an island where adventure is mandatory, curry is king, and your itinerary quickly becomes a blur of astounding landscapes and genuinely welcoming smiles.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is often called the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean,’ but frankly, that sounds way too delicate for a place that packs so much punch into one island.

Nairobi

Kenya

Bangkok

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Thiruvananthapuram

Chennai

Kochi

Mumbai

Ahmedabad

New Delhi

Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and more 🌿 in £350s-£370s & €400s-€480s rtn

Shining a spotlight on these Diwali dates!

Teesside

Leeds Bradford

Norwich

Mumbai ✨ in £510s-£520s rtn

Clink! Can you hear the champagne glasses calling? 

Vancouver

Canada

New Delhi 🪷 in $9800s RT

Frankfurt

Germany

Johannesburg

South Africa isn't just a country; it's practically a whole continent squeezed into one incredible, diverse package. Where else can you start your day spotting the Big Five on safari and finish it sipping world-class wine near Cape Town, all while marveling at the sheer majesty of Table Mountain?
From the dramatic coastal drives of the Garden Route to the buzzing, complex history woven into every street corner, this place demands your full attention and rewards you with breathtaking scenery and adventures at every turn.
Prepare for epic views, mind-blowing food, and a destination that constantly reminds you that life is far too short not to own a pair of binoculars. Bonus points for spying the tiny penguins!

South Africa

Adventurous Travelers, assemble! South Africa delivers a jam-packed itinerary where you can start your day spotting the Big Five on safari and end it sipping local wine at the foot of Table Mountain. Think dramatic coastal drives and a rich, complex history alongside mind-blowing nature.

Malé

Maldives

Bengaluru

Munich

Dusseldorf

Hyderabad

Copenhagen

Denmark

Amsterdam

Netherlands

Brussels

Belgium

Asia, East and South Africa  🌿 in €390s-€440s rtn

The lowest these fares have ever dropped for some of you!

Mumbai 🪷 in €890s/£940s-£950s rtn

A city this big and this historic is sure to have a few surprises up its sleeves...

Washington DC

United States

Miami

Chicago

San Francisco

Mumbai 🕯️ in $690s-$760s RT

Hey Jack & team, I booked this deal to...
Kochi with Oman Air in March from Frankfurt 👍

Postcard from Niel

Postcard from Michael

How the stars lineup sometimes just right! 
I had planned to go to India at the end of January in any case and was thinking about extending my trip to Australia to see family when this offer came along. The date range was wide so I extended my trip to include a pilgrimage to cave sites in India and more time with family in Australia. 
I'm in Delhi as I write this, 10th Jan, and you can see my itinerary on the map forming a z shape across India. I'll head back to UK at the end of March.
Jealousy is beside the point, so a simple thanks for the alerts and guides you provide. This trip is going to be pretty spectacular!

Postcard from Sthirajyoti

Thanks to JFC we got super cheap return tickets to Mumbai for my cousin's wedding - and actually they were slightly cheaper than initially advertised.  So grateful!

Postcard from Katy

Postcard from Tintín 

Wow, what a deal !  a return flight to Barbados for 2 of flying from Birmingham on the 5th December.
Out of the ❄️ and into the 🌞 !!  Will send photo when we're out there.

Postcard from Sayyad

Bhutan

Czech Republic

El Salvador

Hi there, Travellers,
There's a lot going on in the world that might make you hesitant to travel right now, or, at the very least, rethink your plans.
Fares have jumped on long-haul routes, US airports are battling huge security lines, European airports are still learning how to navigate&nbsp;<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/will-the-new-ees-system-give-you-border-control-nightmares-this-summer">new EES protocols</a>, and the UK is hiking up its <a href="https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/03/23/flying-from-the-uk-is-about-to-get-more-expensive-particularly-if-youre-travelling-long-ha">Air Passenger Duty</a>. Oh, and the airspace around the major hubs en route to Asia is an active war zone.&nbsp;
Yes, it's all a bit chaotic.&nbsp;But never fear; I'm here to remind you that travel brings us together, opens our minds, and broadens our horizons.
For those of you gagging to get away now more than ever, our flight ninja Navigators are still digging up gold every day. But if you'd rather stay closer to home and live vicariously through the Jack's Community, just keep reading&hellip;
Happy travels and safe landings,

Katy - Editor of The Detour

"I am looking to go to Bhutan next year after many delays have meant I have had to postpone. Do you have recommendations for tours as they are getting busier and busier? Thank you!" - Michelle, Jack's Traveler

With journeys spanning more than 30 countries and ten years, Akasha's best memories live in the pages of her passport. She always consults her tarot (and her cats) before any big trip. Currently based in Ireland, when she isn't travelling, she&rsquo;s probably drawing in a caf&eacute; somewhere.

Answered by Akasha

What a great question, Michelle! Bhutan is a firm must-see for so many adventurous travelers, so we're delighted that you're able to get planning despite those setbacks.
For those of you who don&rsquo;t know, the Himalayan kingdom is home to the iconic cliff-hugging <a href="https://www.earthtrekkers.com/ultimate-guide-hiking-tigers-nest-bhutan/">Tiger&rsquo;s Nest monastery</a> and is almost as elusive as its resident, the snow leopard.
Its terraced rice paddies, <a href="https://followalice.com/adventure-trips/discover-bhutan/posts/the-3-national-parks-in-bhutan-every-foreigner-should-visit">lush valleys</a>, and iconic Buddhist sites mostly remain inaccessible to travelers due to a lack of flight options and the idea that it's simply unaffordable to reach.&nbsp;

Photo from Jack's Traveler Karen in our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacksflightclub/permalink/1049373075418553/">Facebook Community</a>
In fact, the country only started welcoming international tourism in 1974, with a mere 274 people visiting that year. Compare that to 209,376 tourists in 2025&mdash;wow!&nbsp;
We won&rsquo;t fib; the mandatory guide requirement and daily sustainable development fee (more on that later) don&rsquo;t exactly make this the cheapest or most flexible of trips. But with a bit of planning, it&rsquo;s no pricier than visiting other expensive destinations or places with similar sustainable practices, like the Galapagos.&nbsp;
One of Bhutan's <a href="https://jswlaw.bt/understanding-the-four-pillars-of-gnh/#:~:text=Bhutan's%20Gross%20National%20Happiness%20framework,cultural%20preservation%2C%20and%20environmental%20conservation.">4 pillars of GNH</a> (Gross National Happiness), the <a href="https://www.visitbhutan.com/page.php?id=68">Sustainable Development Fee</a>&nbsp;is meant to promote high-value tourism with a commitment to carbon neutrality and cultural preservation. Simply put, your money directly supports free healthcare and education for its citizens and environmental conservation.
Thanks to a COVID-era discount, the fee currently stands at $100 per night, paid before your travel permit is issued. If you&rsquo;re planning a trip for next year, note that the cost is jumping back up to $200 a night after August 31st, 2027. Keep in mind, this payment does not cover accommodation, food, or guide fees, although some agencies include it as part of their package.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve done a bit of digging in our community Facebook group and the deep recesses of the internet to find out which tour agencies come most recommended. Here's what the people are saying...

Photo from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shuotography/?hl=en">Jack's Traveler Shuo</a> in our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10164439411700171&amp;set=gm.1229229984099527">Facebook Community</a>
<h3 dir="ltr">Excursion to Himalaya</h3>
Excursion to Himalaya&rsquo;s team consists of licensed guides, drivers, and local staff who know their country like the back of their hand. Tours last anywhere from 7 to 14 days,&nbsp;<a href="https://excursiontohimalaya.com/bhutan/">depending on the itinerary</a>.&nbsp;
You&rsquo;ll find iconic cultural and festival tours on offer as well as trekking tours and even bespoke tours for luxury travelers. Their <a href="https://excursiontohimalaya.com/tour/7-days-bhutan-tour-package/">7-day private tour</a> costs $1840 for solo travelers, $1540 per person in a group of 2, and 3+ persons pay $1420 each. Costs include entire room and board and the SDF fee.
<h3 dir="ltr" id="thunder-dragon-tours">Thunder Dragon Tours</h3>
This tour agency wasn&rsquo;t recommended by our members, but a handful of Reddit threads like <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1r6w4vs/trip_report_8_days_in_bhutan_in_february/">this one</a> sing their praises for both affordability and flexibility.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.thunderdragontours.com/pages">Their website</a> offers a few examples of popular itineraries, but like many smaller tour companies, they&rsquo;ll only quote a price upon inquiry.&nbsp;
I reached out to their coordinator, Biswa, to find out more: 
<blockquote>
&ldquo;Our small team has been in business since 2019 and offers guided tours with customized itineraries. While we cater to all types of travelers, we specialize in solo travelers, female travelers, and senior citizens. Since all of the tours are customized according to preference, we don&rsquo;t have a fixed cost as it depends on the number of individuals and the type of accommodation and activities they&rsquo;d prefer.&rdquo; 
</blockquote>
When pressed a bit more, I asked if they could use their 7-day tour without modifications as a base for pricing. They told me they charge $150 per day for solo travelers ($100 each for groups of 2, $80 for 3-4). This includes accommodation in 3-star hotels and homestays, breakfast each day, all transport (including pickup), immigration assistance, and the guide&rsquo;s food and lodging. It doesn't, however, include lunch or dinner, as they emphasized flexibility for their guests in choosing their meal locations. It also doesn&rsquo;t include the SDF fee (an additional $100 per day) or entry fees to attractions. 
<blockquote>
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t include entry fees as we try to give the flexibility for the guest to change places in the itinerary last minute or to add new places along the way,&rdquo;&nbsp;wrote Biswa.&nbsp;
</blockquote>
A rough estimate including the daily SDF fee and a budget of $30 per day for food and $100 for all attractions brings the total to $1960 for a solo traveler, $1610 per person for two, and $1470 for a group of 3-4.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Luxury Holiday Nepal </h3>
This tour company came recommended by member Kristen:&nbsp;
<blockquote>
&ldquo;We went in 2022 with a tour company called <a href="https://luxuryholidaynepal.com/">Luxury Holidays Nepal</a> and were very happy with them. One of the things that we appreciated with this tour company is that they negotiated with the Bhutanese officials to respect the rate that the tourist tax was at the time we booked it.&nbsp;
We bought the package when the (SDF) rate was $60 per day, and post-pandemic it jumped up to $200 per day, which would've been a significant expense had our tour operator not gotten them to accept the original rate.&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Many of their group tours include excellent options for trekking and camping among a broader itinerary. You&rsquo;ve also got the option to start your tour in Nepal and end in Bhutan or to choose a more typical itinerary, such as Bhutan&rsquo;s Golden Triangle. 
For&nbsp;<a href="https://luxuryholidaynepal.com/majestic-bhutan-a-seven-day-bhutan-tour#package-options">a 7-day tour</a>, prices start at $1899 for solo travelers, $1399 per person for 2, or $1325 for a group of 3-5. This includes the SDF fee as well as full room and board. Keep in mind that since this is a group tour, you&rsquo;ll be joining an average group size of 15-20 people.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr" id="bhutan-green-travel">Bhutan Green Travel&nbsp;</h3>
At the Destinations Holiday &amp; Travel Show in Manchester, I just so happened to meet the BGT team in person. They welcomed me into their booth and handed me a very detailed brochure of over 34 <a href="https://www.bhutangreentravel.com/itinerary-types/">different itineraries</a>, including festivals, cultural tours, trekking, birdwatching, and photography. 
They&rsquo;ve been in business since 2011 and cater to both independent and group travelers. While many of their dates are fixed, they&rsquo;re still happy to craft bespoke travel packages.&nbsp;
Prices vary between low and high season. A 7-day tour in high season costs $2770 for solo travelers (single supplement applies starting at $50/night) $2540 per person for two, or $2130 for 3-6 people. This includes all room and board, transport, and excursions, as well as the SDF fee.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Exodus</h3>
A firm favorite among our community, Exodus is well-known in the travel industry for their immersive, small-group tours that work with <a href="https://www.exodus.co.uk/leader-awards-2025">a network of expert local guides</a>.&nbsp;
With a &ldquo;nature first&rdquo; ethos and B Corp stamp of approval, it&rsquo;s clear that <a href="https://www.exodus.co.uk/destinations/asia-holidays/bhutan-holidays">their tours in Bhutan</a> are a great choice for ethically conscious travelers. They offer a mix of festival-focused tours, including colorful <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrAzM9wZmoo">Thimphu Tsechu</a> (October) and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKov17GDFQo">Paro Tshechu</a> (March), as well as traditional itineraries outside the busy festival season. Their shortest group tours to Bhutan are 10 days, with prices depending on activities. <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/breaking-down-bhutan-how-to-find-the-best-tours">Keep reading for more info on tours, how to get there &amp; when to visit...</a>

Reader's Corner

Once again, we're sharing some of our fave, most inspiring Postcards you have sent in this month. From the glistening blue Indian Ocean to sparkling city lights, you all really know how to travel.&nbsp;

A cheeky spa weekend in Prague. The savings on spa and massage even covered the cost of the flight &amp; hotel!

Postcard from NomadicDiscoverer23028

Not as isolated as you&rsquo;d expect but the Andaman Islands have some of the most stunning beaches and some absolutely amazing scuba opportunities on what is a fragile yet beautiful tropical island paradise.

Postcard from Nadim

El Salvador is a great country. Amazing food and people.

Postcard from DaringCosmopolitan88259

Head over to our Postcards wall to check out where the Jack's Community has been recently, or add your own Postcard or Travel Story to share your travel memories with the crew :-)

Tales from the Road

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel chatter from around the Jack's Community this month.
<ul>
<li>We've been <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DV8PWGIDJQR/?img_index=7">comparing passport stamps</a>. Where's your favorite from? (Instagram) </li>
<li>From crypts to castles and cloisters, Traveler Katy has been gathering some <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacksflightclub/permalink/2758021577887019/">top Neapolitan tips</a> over in our Facebook Community. (Facebook) </li>
<li>It turns out, there's more to Barcelona than just Gaud&iacute;, seafood, and the seaside. <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jacksflightclub/video/7612611676994637088?utm_campaign=tt4d_open_api&amp;utm_source=7055758955263295490">Skiing, anyone?</a> (TikTok) </li>
<li>The camper van crew showed up with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacksflightclub/permalink/2751812515174592/">all their tips</a> to help Traveller Margaret plan an epic New Zealand trip. (Facebook) </li>
<li>Take a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWQyHB9DQ7_/?hl=en">volcanic sunrise hike</a> with Navigator Drew. (Instagram) </li>
<li>Mosquitoes&mdash;we've all got <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-228-scotland-by-public-transport-the-creme-de-la-creme-of-cable-cars#comments">our own tricks for warding them off</a>, it seems! (Jack's Members Lounge) </li>
<li>We <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacksflightclub/permalink/2753016238387553/">swapped planes for cable cars</a> earlier in the month, with stunning pics pouring in from all over the world. (Facebook) </li>
<li>And finally, if you liked Jack's member Shuo's pics from Bhutan, check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWWvPCOgFnw/?hl=en">this breathtaking compilation</a> from his recent trips&mdash;two of which he found through Jack's! Just sayin'... (Instagram)</li>
</ul>

Community News

Touring in Brilliant Bhutan & the March Community Buzz

Western Sahara

Egypt

Mexico

France

Italy

Uganda

Nepal

Hey there, JFC-ers,
This edition of The Detour comes to you from the comfort of an SBB train through the Swiss Alps! Team JFC is full of beans this weekend, as many of us wing our way to Italy for our first-ever in-person team meet-up. But of course, true to the name, I&rsquo;m taking a little detour en route to stop by Liechtenstein and spend the 10 Swiss Francs left on my Revolut card.
After 8 years of hard work finding thousands of awesome flights for you, dear readers, this trip is well deserved. But it won&rsquo;t be all fun and games &mdash; we&rsquo;re also looking forward to brainstorming exciting new ideas for JFC! Most importantly, though, we can finally put to bed the question of how tall all our colleagues are, having only ever seen most of them through a webcam lens!
Happy travels and safe landings,

JFC's Eleven Most Chaotic Cities in the World - As Chosen By You

It&rsquo;s official, dear readers &mdash; you have been to some very chaotic destinations indeed. After my escapades in Ho Chi Minh City brought back more than a few memories for Detour reader Avril, she suggested we all put our heads together and come up with a list of the most chaotic cities in the world.
As always, you obliged. So, without further ado, here are Jack&rsquo;s Flight Club&rsquo;s top 11 most chaotic cities around the globe&hellip; well, technically it&rsquo;s thirteen. Oops.
<h3 dir="ltr">11. Paris, France</h3>

She&rsquo;s busy and bustling, the City of Light, and it seems that a lot of that light comes from headlamps. Considered one of the world&rsquo;s most congested cities, getting in a car there can feel like a whole adventure &mdash; especially if you&rsquo;ll be <a href="https://youtu.be/-2RCPpdmSVg?si=rMjSG-6Kw1TSsKlV">passing by the Arc de Triomphe</a> or tackling <a href="https://fabricofparis.com/2022/11/18/the-last-wall-of-paris-the-story-of-the-boulevard-peripherique">Europe&rsquo;s busiest urban motorway</a>.
Personally, I&rsquo;d rather just hop on the Metro, but even there it&rsquo;s a wild ride. The stations are notoriously smelly, the trains jam-packed like a tin of sardines or cancelled at short notice.&nbsp;
And then there&rsquo;s going by foot. Size-wise, Paris is fairly walkable, but the rules of the road for pedestrians may well confuse any level-headed visitor. In theory, jaywalking is illegal in France &mdash; but only if there&rsquo;s an official pedestrian crossing within 50m &mdash; and the fine if you get caught breaking the rules is a whopping &euro;4. Unsurprisingly, most locals don&rsquo;t care and just cross where they like.
Reasons to visit anyway: It&rsquo;s Paris, of course! It&rsquo;s iconic, having long been a shining star of stage and screen. Aside from seeing the major sights, there&rsquo;s something about the art, culture and history oozing from the city&rsquo;s pores that make it undeniably appealing. You could say, it&rsquo;s got a certain je ne sais quoi. 
<h3>10. Rome, Italy</h3>

Much like Paris, Rome is a bustling European capital. This time, with added mopeds!&nbsp;
Crossing the road here is often a challenge, as the scooters weave in and out of the cars, hurtling across pedestrian crossings without much care for those on foot.&nbsp; But this site offers up some handy tricks you can employ to make sure that you reach the other side in one piece:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Make eye contact with drivers or politely hold your hand up to signal to them that you want to cross</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Once you step out into the street, commit! There&rsquo;s no turning back.</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Find an older person to cross with (sure, drivers might respect them more, but they&rsquo;ve also been doing it for a good while</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Find a nun to cross with &mdash; they have God on their side, after all!</li>
</ul>
Reasons to visit anyway:&nbsp;Pizza, pasta, the Colosseum! Rome is brimming with alluring sights going far beyond the ones you&rsquo;ve heard of. Want to see where Caesar was murdered? Or maybe you just like cats? Either way &mdash; head to the <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/torre-argentina-roman-cat-sanctuary">Torre Argentina</a>. Or how about visiting an old-school <a href="https://anamericaninrome.com/2018/05/boccione-forno-in-romes-jewish-ghetto/">bakery in the Jewish Ghetto</a> that&rsquo;s been serving up ricotta and cherry cake for 210 years?&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr"> 9. Bangkok, Thailand</h3>

&ldquo;The article about crossing streets in HCMC brought back memories of trying to cross streets in Bangkok. We deployed a similar strategy: wait on the side of the road until a critical mass of people is achieved, and then all move across at the same time. It was scary/exhilarating! We arrived back at the hotel each night covered in grit from the diesel exhaust.&rdquo;
<hr>
&ldquo;No list would be complete without Bangkok!&nbsp; You've just got to run and hope for the best!&rdquo;

The city&rsquo;s hectic roads are only part of the chaos, though &mdash; the glowing neon billboards and huge malls next to ancient temples are enough to give you whiplash. The stench of durian and street food stalls mix with exhaust fumes from the city&rsquo;s 7 million cars. It&rsquo;s a lot by any standards!
Reasons to visit anyway: 9th place may not seem like it gives Bangkok enough chaos credit where it&rsquo;s due, but the main thing that offsets it is the <a href="https://youtu.be/NFw-WizIt50?si=w1giE5keLa5t5DeQ&amp;t=704">cracking public transportation</a>. Getting around the city is easy once you know how, so you&rsquo;ll have no problem whizzing between the markets and temples &mdash; probably not <a href="https://farandwild.travel/wilder/article/temples-of-bangkok">all 400</a> though, that&rsquo;s a stretch even for us!
Plus, we JFC-ers loooove all the other <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/explore?tfs=CBwQAxoZKABqBwgBEgNCS0tyDAgEEggvbS8wNzNxMRoZKABqDAgEEggvbS8wNzNxMXIHCAESA0JLS0ABSAFgyAFwAoIBCwj___________8BmAEBsgEEGAEgAQ&amp;tfu=GioaKAoSCbQXY2AIFTNAEcTVEHxtilxAEhIJF17BaFHbEEARxNUQfMVkV0A">cheap Southeast Asia flights</a> you can pick up once you&rsquo;re there!
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">8. Phnom Penh, Cambodia</h3>

&ldquo;Hello there. Regarding traffic chaos, I have to include Phnom Penh. It's crazy enough as it is, but come 4pm and the "rush" hour, it gets particularly bonkers with both moto riders and tuk tuk drivers mounting the pavement to make a right turn more quickly.&nbsp;
I'd advise either viewing this spectacle from above with a drink or actually in a tuk tuk. Both much safer than being on the back of a motorbike trying to weave a path through the chaos. Enjoy!&rdquo;

Much like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Phnom Penh seems to take a &ldquo;good luck out there&rdquo; approach as it waves you off to cross the street. Then there&rsquo;s the added fun of tuk tuks, and the extra challenge of a lack of marked crossings. But all in all, <a href="https://youtu.be/bHvlYCULD3s?si=B9BpQg3mLBGJzQ6l&amp;t=123">this guy</a> makes it look pretty simple.
Reasons to visit anyway: Cambodia&rsquo;s history is intense and at times grim, but visiting the Killing Fields and learning about the Khmer Rouge will give you a real insight into the country&rsquo;s people and culture. It&rsquo;s also home to&nbsp;<a href="https://helloangkor.com/the-ancient-temples-near-phnom-penh/">ancient, intricate temples</a> that are way less touristed than famous Angkor Wat, so take the time to explore them with a little more breathing room. 
<h3 dir="ltr">7. Kampala, Uganda</h3>

&ldquo;There are almost as many motorcycles as other vehicles, and they:
1. drive down the middle of traffic in both directions,&nbsp;
2. drive on the pavements
3. carry dangerous cargos - I have seen the passenger carrying huge mirrors
4. drive through traffic lights
The roundabouts are road carnage - no sense of giving way to the right, so a total snarl
Traffic lights often are not working, but the police man major junctions to direct traffic (ignored by motorcycles)&rdquo;

Reasons to visit anyway: If you&rsquo;ve been a JFC-er for a while, you&rsquo;ll no doubt know exactly why you should head to Uganda. The clich&eacute;d thing would be to<a href="https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/gorilla-trekking-in-uganda-a-complete-guide/"> go gorilla trekking</a> (we're not knocking it, it's genuinely fantastic), but you might also want to spend a minute exploring<a href="https://moafrikatours.com/lake-victoria/"> Lake Victoria</a> by boat. It's the largest lake in Africa and just teeming with wildlife. We'd suggest not swimming in it, however, unless you don't mind sharing the waters with a few hippos and crocodiles.
&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">6. Kathmandu, Nepal</h3>

&ldquo;I traveled there by myself 10 years ago, just before the big earthquake of 2015. Imagine a metro area of 1.5 million people, where many of the "main" roads look like the last time they were paved was maybe 30 years earlier: remains of asphalt surrounded by dirt, deeply rutted.&nbsp;
The main roads were a non-stop stream of cars, trucks, motorcycles, tuk tuks, and bicycles. It's hard to describe how many traffic lanes there were; every vehicle is weaving in and out, maybe 4 or 5 or 6 deep in each direction. With cows standing in the middle of the road chewing their cud. I have no idea how THEY got there.&nbsp;
I hired a driver one day to take me to a couple of shops that were right across the street from each other. When it was time to cross the road, he simply took my elbow and steered me through the moving traffic. I still don't know how he did it. It felt like the Red Sea parting for Moses and the Israelites. Except the traffic never stopped flowing.&rdquo;

Reasons to visit anyway: You don&rsquo;t have to be into Himalayan trekking to enjoy Kathmandu (although, that helps). From <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/detour-173-cheapest-safari-in-tanzania">temples to tigers and the &lsquo;Toothache Tree</a>&rsquo;, Kathmandu is more than just your starting point for the long road to Everest Base Camp &mdash; it&rsquo;s a whole experience in its own right. 
<h3 dir="ltr">5. Ho Chi Minh City &amp; Hanoi, Vietnam</h3>

Okay, I&rsquo;m biased here because I&rsquo;ve lived through it &mdash; Ho Chi Minh City was an assault on the nerves and senses. At times, we found ourselves weaving on and off pavement between mopeds, people enjoying a coffee, and actual free-roaming chickens. In the middle of the city!&nbsp; It sounds like Hanoi isn&rsquo;t much different:

&ldquo;I feel Katy&rsquo;s pain with HCMC but another assault course is Hanoi. The narrow roads are no better even though you think you&rsquo;ll be safer &mdash; they come from all angles rather than travelling in the same direction!&rdquo;

And JFC-er Avril isn&rsquo;t the only one who thinks so &mdash; every traveller I met in Ho Chi Minh who had been to Hanoi agreed that the Vietnamese capital was just as bad. Somehow, I&rsquo;d imagined the ancient city with its traditional Old Quarter to offer a little respite. Apparently I was way off, and getting around there also requires <a href="https://www.contiki.com/six-two/article/cross-road-hanoi/">Jedi mind tricks</a>.&nbsp;
While Hanoi&rsquo;s Metro is still a relative novelty with only a few lines, that is a couple more than Ho Chi Minh has to offer at this point. One tip I can offer is using those Metro underpasses to get across big junctions, if you can!
Reasons to visit anyway: Both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi offer a great introduction to Vietnam&rsquo;s history and cuisine. The War Remnants Museum in HCMC was a tough visit, but essential to understanding the lasting effects of the Vietnam war on the country. They&rsquo;ll also give you a crash course in Vietnamese coffee and tea culture, with every second shop front hosting at least a few people with a cuppa in hand.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">4. Colombo &amp; Kandy, Sri Lanka</h3>

We&rsquo;ve already heard from you about hectic Colombo, so let&rsquo;s turn to nearby Kandy:

&ldquo;I live in Sri Lanka, near Kandy, which is much worse than Colombo. Sri Lanka has way more tuk-tuks per head of population than does India, and I would suspect more than anywhere else on the planet. In Kandy, they infest the streets, along with nose-to-tail buses belching black fumes.&nbsp;
Pedestrian crossings exist in theory but in practice are just road decorations, completely ignored except the single one which is light-controlled. The one way system was designed by a madman, in order to maximise the length of time vehicles spend stationary or near-stationary.&nbsp;
The walk around the otherwise picturesque Kandy Lake is spoilt by the continuous traffic jam next to you. Add to that the fact that the city lies in a hollow surrounded by mountains, a magnet for air pollution, and you have plenty of ingredients for chaos.
Nonetheless, although we're always glad to retreat to our home in the delightful Hanthana mountains half an hour away, I'd still miss Kandy. It's a fine line between positive bustle and negative chaos, I guess, and Kandy bestrides it.&rdquo;

Reasons to visit anyway: The lush jungle, epic views, stunning temples, and mouthwatering curries are incredibly popular among the JFC team &mdash; so much so that our Business Analyst Tara has returned to spend several months there yet again! You can read all about <a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/detour-140-sri-lanka">her 2024 visit here</a>, and take a look at some snaps from Flight Finder <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DHJkgxHInxV/?hl=en">Lauren&rsquo;s recent trip here</a>. 
<h3 dir="ltr">3. Delhi</h3>

There are nearly 35 million people living in Delhi, so it&rsquo;s hardly surprising that things get a little busy. Add in the tourists flocking to the same major sites, all attempting to tackle the same stretch of road but with little understanding of how local drivers operate, and it&rsquo;s sheer chaos.
You want an idea of what it&rsquo;s really like to cross the road in Delhi? I feel like <a href="https://youtu.be/H6bPVEUwnhc?si=34Lta5sWHZEDMEeo">this video</a> sums it up nicely. It&rsquo;s not a case of standing by the side, looking out across the pedestrian crossing, and waiting for a window. There will be no window. You can hardly see the other side for the moving walls of tuk tuks that stand between you and your goal.&nbsp;
Most of that chaotic energy can be found in Old Delhi, where livestock, vehicles, and street food vendors all weave frantically between one another. This truly is a city where the early bird catches the worm, and that worm is a gap in the traffic.
Reasons to visit anyway: Spectacular spots like the <a href="https://www.transindus.co.uk/highlights/red-fort-delhi/">Red Fort</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Jami-Masjid-mosque-Delhi-India">Jama Masjid</a> make the buzz worthwhile. And you can even escape for some peaceful moments in <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g304551-d324106-Reviews-Lodhi_Garden-New_Delhi_National_Capital_Territory_of_Delhi.html">Lodhi Gardens</a>. It&rsquo;s also an essential stop on the <a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/newsletter-2024-15-03">Golden Triangle</a> route, a veritable trip of a lifetime.
<h3 dir="ltr">2. Mexico City, Mexico</h3>

&ldquo;Having got back from Mexico City last week, it is on another level compared to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi! Everyone literally barges their car past everyone else and we saw two actual fights almost break out. Half the cars had broken windshields too. Absolutely chaotic.&rdquo;

In the city where drivers &ldquo;<a href="https://mexiconewsdaily.com/mexico-living/pedestrians-in-mexico/">consider a red light to be a mere suggestion</a>,&rdquo; crossing the street on foot is inadvisable, but likely unavoidable. Lanes of traffic won&rsquo;t always be going in the direction you expect, so taking your time to assess the situation in full is essential.
The Metro is a cheap and fast option for getting across the city. But there are lots of lines and, as you&rsquo;d expect in a city of nearly 23 million, it&rsquo;s pretty darn busy at peak times. 
Reasons to visit anyway:&nbsp;&ldquo;Mexico City can be overwhelming &hellip; One of the cheapest sightseeing things to do is ride the <a href="https://youtu.be/Mwz7MikjAcA?si=A4MpccCbr3FrEiQB">cablebus public transport cable car</a> over the top of the city and see all the painted roofs and people going about their lives. Super fascinating, and there is <a href="https://www.blondevoyagenashville.com/home/mexico-city-from-taquerias-to-fine-dining-where-to-eat-in-mexico-city">tons of good food</a> to be had for cheap everywhere!&rdquo;
<h3 dir="ltr">1. Cairo, Egypt</h3>

&ldquo;There aren't [pedestrian crossings] in Egypt (at least not in Cairo) - nor are there really any traffic lights (I saw three when I was there last year - two were near the airport). People also run across motorways!&rdquo;
<hr>
&ldquo;I agree with Cairo as one of the most chaotic cities.&nbsp; We got an Uber to the new Egyptian museum from our city hotel. 270 (Egyptian) pounds. Coming back, the taxi drivers were waiting, and the negotiations started at 800 pounds. We agreed on 500 including tip, and the driver said "follow me". We were by the side of a motorway. The "taxi" was on the other side. The cars were coming thick and fast. We had to cross it.&nbsp; What to do???
Looked the other way and there were the police. They will stop us, I thought. But no. &ldquo;Come on,&rdquo; said the taxi driver, so we stepped out and followed him across the motorway without looking either way. Survived, despite horns blowing. "We shouldn't have done that," said my husband. I was just relieved to get across.&rdquo;
<hr>
&ldquo;I was in Cairo a few years ago and the taxi I was in missed a motorway turn, so he just reversed up the motorway (into a bus!) - we were all alright, so no worries really. I have been to Cairo a few times before and thought I had it down with the road crossing etc, but reversing up a motorway is a new one for me!&rdquo;

Reasons to visit anyway: Pyramids are where most of us start when we plan a trip to Egypt. And the pyramids themselves may be breathtaking, but the crowds, the pushy street sellers, and the intensity that come with them can be a bit much. Thankfully, Flight Finder Kristi shared fantastic tips on escaping Cairo&rsquo;s chaos in a previous edition of The Detour &mdash; you can read all about her <a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/newsletter-2024-09-02">escape to Egypt&rsquo;s nature here</a>. 
That&rsquo;s your lot, readers! We had several more suggestions, too, including Lagos, Johannesburg, Dhaka, and Beijing. And if there's one thing I've learnt from this, it's that you can always find an instructional road-crossing video on YouTube to prepare yourself for the madness before touching down!

No, not Dakha in Bangladesh. This time we&rsquo;re talking about Dakhla in the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14115273">disputed Western Sahara region</a> to the south of Morocco. &ldquo;But why?&rdquo; you might ask. Well, it just got a whole lot cheaper to travel there, so you know that our Flight Finders have suddenly become obsessed.
Ryanair recently launched flights from Spain to Dakhla, so now you can combine a Madrid city break or a Lanzarote beach week with a few days rambling the Western Saharan sand dunes and catching the waves.
The city is squeezed between the waters of the Atlantic and the Sahara desert. With <a href="https://www.iksurfmag.com/travel-guides/africa/morocco/dakhla/#:~:text=Dakhla%20is%20known%20for%20its%20constant%20wind%2C%20an%20estimated%20340%20days%20per%20year">300+ windy days</a> a year, this is the place for anyone who appreciates a sprinkling of adrenaline atop their breach holiday. Kite surfing aficionados and newbies alike will want to make a beeline for the <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/style/article/2022/07/11/dakhla-a-windswept-lagoon-in-morocco_5989759_40.html">Dakhla lagoon</a>, if only to try and look as cool as <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@stighoefnagel/video/7225899792101133595">this guy</a>.&nbsp;

Next stop, the white dunes. Now, this one isn't strictly for you adrenaline junkies &mdash; I mean, who could say &ldquo;no&rdquo; to a stroll&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Chzvv1fP_x0/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">along this beauty</a>? But don't leave without trying your hand at <a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/OAcVymvtJG8?feature=share">sand-boarding</a>, too! After a long, hard day of fun, head to the local oyster farm to sample the local speciality.
Beyond the adrenaline and aphrodisiacs, the region is also home to the Sahrawi nomadic people. The harsh desert heat sees them migrating towards the coast during summer months, while winters are spent further inland. For a traditional desert experience while there, a guided camel trek to a Bedouin camp is likely on the cards.
So if you&rsquo;re in the mood for somewhere more than a little different, but not too far from the usual European suntraps, perhaps Dakhla is your next stop. And if you&rsquo;ve already been, we&rsquo;d love to hear all about it! Hit &lsquo;Reply&rsquo; to share your experience with your fellow Detour readers :-)

Travel Tips

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul></ul>
<ul></ul>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Note to self: <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2025/03/12/tsa-turtle-mans-pants-newark-liberty-international-airport/82304392007/">remove turtle from pants</a> before travel. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">After a number of incidents involving overheating power banks on planes, some airlines are cracking down and <a href="https://www.executivetraveller.com/news/singapore-airlines-power-bank-battery-ban">banning use</a> on board. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">From ghost towns to graveyards, check out these <a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2015-11-18/the-most-stunning-abandoned-places-on-earth?_sp=4df24eff-b5dc-4c90-857a-c025195fd1ba.1742040541031">creepy and fascinating abandoned spots</a> around the world. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">And finally, today we bring the joyous (and, let&rsquo;s face it, unsurprising) news that the EU&rsquo;s ETIAS entry &ldquo;visa&rdquo; has been <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/news/europe-travel-visa-etias-what-to-know/">pushed down the line</a> yet again. Non-EU visitors should still expect their biometrics to begin being collected from October this year, but current forecasts suggest the electronic travel authorisation won&rsquo;t be mandatory until the end of 2026. Hooray?</li>
</ul>

Travel News

11 Most Chaotic Cities Around the Globe

Morocco

United Arab Emirates

Hey there, JFC-ers,
February has finally come to an end, meaning I can start dreaming about warmer days and not having to wear gloves indoors.&nbsp;
This is typically the season when Europeans look towards Spain for a quick getaway to boost their vitamin D and sangria levels. But this year, the mass media seems set on telling us we&rsquo;re not wanted there.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve had lots of questions from members and friends about the so-called Spanish &ldquo;tourist ban&rdquo; recently, so for anyone who&rsquo;s fallen foul of those headlines, here&rsquo;s the low-down:&nbsp;
Spain is not banning tourists! So what are they doing? Well, local governments in many of the country&rsquo;s popular tourism areas have brought in <a href="https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-real-story-behind-spains-tourist-ban">rules to prevent new short-term rental properties</a> coming onto the market. As such, hotels will not be affected at all.
For the next few years, homeowners in Malaga won&rsquo;t be able to turn their vacant apartments into an Airbnb, and only those that are already registered will be available. Meanwhile, some of Barcelona&rsquo;s existing tourist rental licences are even being revoked. The idea here is to tackle the shortage of affordable housing for locals, and at the same time curb overtourism.
Another rumour we&rsquo;ve been asked about is the Spanish government needing access to your bank accounts. Thankfully, we can categorically tell you that this is another piece of misconstrued information &mdash; they will not ask for your bank details!&nbsp;
As is the case in many countries, Spanish authorities can ask you to prove that you have sufficient funds to cover your stay. In 2025, that amount is &euro;118/$125 per day. While it is unlikely that you&rsquo;ll ever need to provide this, be prepared to pull up your banking app on your phone just in case! You can find <a href="https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/washington/en/ServiciosConsulares/Paginas/Consular/Condiciones-de-entrada-en-Espana.aspx">more detailed information here</a>.
Hopefully that bit of myth-busting puts your minds at ease, because I honestly can&rsquo;t think of a better way to spend a few days than by indulging in way too many patatas bravas in the spring sunshine.
Happy travels and safe landings,

The Chaotic Cities JFC-ers Would Rather Avoid

After my account of the <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/vietnam-where-learning-to-cross-the-road-isnt-childs-play">moped chaos in Ho Chi Minh City</a> last week, quite a few of you wrote in to share in my traffic-based trauma. As expected, there are a few other places around the world that would give HCMC a run for its money:

&ldquo;Loved the re-learning to cross the road in Vietnam!&nbsp; You're right - India will compare similarly. Its a scary/daunting skill, but once mastered, it's a sense of thrill and accomplishment.
Thanks for the article!&rdquo; - Nalini
<hr>
&ldquo;"But at least there are pedestrian crossings&hellip;"
There aren't in Egypt (at least not in Cairo) - nor are there really any traffic lights <img alt="😅" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfJaswtXxj_axJVBHXPHeRyjE-Ig_ZQs95-iZa2FkqUHlbqqcBMidsrle2ipGpdvrlBV9Z0LWEbd3cnDG0RmcRoeuQ0y5dzs66-0RvS902fdIkZpFZMpwMCZ9PmxoxJ0xgtFo_qCw?key=bRsuJAHmQuwvzPTAPh1Frkfj" width="17" height="17"> (I saw three when I was there last year - two were near the airport). People also run across motorways! Fortunately I was with a local, who had to hook my arm, so I'd walk across the road with her, and I had to position myself on the other side of her and not look in order to keep going <img alt="😁" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXc33n-VykPe2OhVO9l76sPy2_lvqAHq122wSyH1Ov6VSp_rGHu4e8POB56A7KLLgeuiHG9BibowoWJYnH5Q3l3_7TlvPKQYM34Ep8JjdSxb04oBBUwf5olGvaYDO39OP3SKR8fgcA?key=bRsuJAHmQuwvzPTAPh1Frkfj" width="17" height="17"> But in a sense it was a learning to respect all road users!&rdquo; - Sarah

&ldquo;I feel Katy&rsquo;s pain with HCMC but another assault course is Hanoi. The narrow roads are no better even though you think you&rsquo;ll be safer &mdash; they come from all angles rather than travelling in the same direction!
Others on my list are Columbo and Delhi.
From my experience of both, crossing slowly and purposefully is a skill set, and the arm aloft indicating stop to oncoming hurtling buses really shouldn&rsquo;t be attempted. (sitting on these death trap buses is no different!)
I reckon that Jack&rsquo;s could make a top 10 of dreadful cities to avoid! Those are 4 of a possible top 10. I expect readers can add to them.&rdquo; - Avril

While I personally still enjoyed much of Ho Chi Minh City, not least seeing people living their authentic big-city lives, I can absolutely understand why the intensity could be enough to put you off.&nbsp;
Adding in Cairo to Avril&rsquo;s four &mdash; Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Delhi and Columbo &mdash; that takes us to five. What other cities in the world would you include in the Top Ten Most Chaotic Cities? Is there somewhere you would recommend your friends and family to avoid, and why? Or maybe a place you&rsquo;d still suggest they visit, but only after serious preparation?
Please hit &lsquo;Reply&rsquo; and tell us about the most intense and chaotic cities you&rsquo;ve ever visited!
In the meantime, here are a few places other JFC-ers recommend avoiding in our article on the <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/skip-this-see-that28-places-that-our-members-hated-and-loved">spots around the globe that members hated and loved</a>. 
Oh, and a quick note to the Neapolitans among you (if there are any left): last time we shared this, you were quick to defend your hometown. As a result, we also wrote a&nbsp;<a href="https://jacksflightclub.com/newsletter-2023-27-04">grovelling love letter to Naples</a> the following week.&nbsp;
Dubai

While the scale of the glittering skyscrapers alone is something to behold, our members were less impressed by how fake it feels. Add to that questions about rights, in particular those of the workers who built this megacity, and few seem keen to return.
Paris

Out of all the places on our list, Paris has definitely been voted as the most disappointing city by our members, staff, and pretty much everyone on the internet. It even has its own <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_syndrome#:~:text=Paris%20syndrome%20(French%3A%20syndrome%20de,severe%20form%20of%20culture%20shock.">syndrome</a>! Between dirty streets and tacky tourist traps, lots of people feel like Hollywood glamour has oversold the romance of the City of Light.
Marrakech

Most of us visit for the hustle, bustle, and charm of the old town. But some people feel there&rsquo;s not much charm left in the souks, where tourists are cornered into paying above the odds for generic goods, and street performers get mean if you pass by without leaving a tip.&nbsp;
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/skip-this-see-that28-places-that-our-members-hated-and-loved">Keep reading&hellip;</a>

Temples, Tailors, Banh Mi, Vy &mdash;&nbsp;Hội An at its finest

&ldquo;Thank you for your very informative piece on how to cross the road in Vietnam!! You've now scared the hell out of me!
My husband and I (both over 70) are setting out on a tour of Cambodia &amp; Vietnam on 17th March. Neither of us are in any way supple so this should be an interesting experience.
I think I might just look for coffee shops on the same side of the road.
We both intend to take a crutch with us - mainly for stability. I suppose I could always hold it up in the air (might even get a few tips if I get mistaken for a tour guide!)
I was surprised by your comment on the weather. I hadn't done any research and didn't think it would be so cold. Thank you for the heads-up&rdquo; - Joy&nbsp;
<hr>
&ldquo;Dear Katy,&nbsp;
I hope you are well. There&rsquo;s some amount of serendipity involved here, as I&rsquo;m taking my wife and six-year-old son to Vietnam for the first time next month. We won&rsquo;t be further south than Hội An, otherwise we are going northwards towards Ha long Bay, and we also want to experience something scenic and tranquil inland. We have nine nights total. What are some of your best memories and recommendations from the northern part of Vietnam?&rdquo; - &Oslash;yvind
<hr>
&ldquo;Hi Katy,
We&rsquo;re off to Hội An next Sunday, any tips would be appreciated.
Cheers, Dave (avid jfc&rsquo;er)<img alt="👍" src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfS7qxSnDg7MnVPDwXw3cZKaL2jQO8IcyOgR9h0ekbon1__DRwpyPARkM-oM8JsKiRD002dTLpzOq6uIMm5xYymoltRxjRvrroAKgp5ADWvwsp0fbGHZr8a_fG1XxKqiHZGQJC3?key=bRsuJAHmQuwvzPTAPh1Frkfj" width="17" height="17">"

Well, I had been planning on drip-feeding you all my Vietnam stories over time so as not to overwhelm you, but it seems like &lsquo;tis the season for Vietnam trips, and all of a sudden it&rsquo;s pretty urgent!&nbsp;&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ll start with Hội An itself, since we spent around 5 days there. It&rsquo;s hard to deny the beauty of the (mostly) pedestrianised streets of the old town, with colourful paper lanterns dangling overhead everywhere you look. You can easily walk around day after day just getting lost in the maze of alleyways, craft shops and restaurants, occasionally emerging alongside the river to gaze at the boats floating by.

But you should also expect a completely tourist-driven town. This place is fully set up to cater to those of us visiting from abroad, and I did hear it compared to Disneyland on more than one occasion (some of those utterances may have been from myself). That said, I would quite happily go back.&nbsp;
There are countless lantern-making, coffee, cookery, and ceramics workshops you can take part in, but ultimately we didn&rsquo;t do any. What we did do, however, was visit <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unicorncafe.hoian/">Unicorn Bowl &amp; Coffee</a>, where the cost of the barista teaching you how to make a traditional Vietnamese coffee is included.&nbsp;
I opted for the coconut coffee, while Rachel went for the salted coffee. Both were excellent, and I&rsquo;ve already bought the necessary condensed milk and coconut milk to recreate the magic at home!

We were generally hesitant about eating street food (with the exception of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hermawan_kartajaya_/reel/DEXs4BVhlxu/">ice cream rolls</a>!), so instead we visited Vy&rsquo;s Deli at <a href="https://tastevietnam.asia/vys-market-restaurant-hoi-an">Vy&rsquo;s Market Restaurant</a>. Think up-market food hall featuring lots of local and national dishes in a comfortable atmosphere.&nbsp;
Spending a few days in Hội An, you soon notice <a href="https://tastevietnam.asia/about-ms-vy">Ms Vy</a>&rsquo;s name everywhere &mdash; Morning Glory Mother&rsquo;s Kitchen was the first of her restaurants that we visited, and the food was fantastic! Plus, you get 10% off any of her other restaurants when you bring along your receipt from the last. Bonus!
You&rsquo;ll also want to try a banh mi or two while you&rsquo;re in Vietnam. There are a couple of spots in the city that are commonly considered the best, Madam Khanh - The Banh Mi Queen, and B&aacute;nh Mì Phượng. We visited the latter, primarily because it was right next to where our hotel shuttle dropped us off, but also because it was <a href="https://youtu.be/0nI9LvK7r-4?si=fwvUhVvQ9alP_ejL">one of the spots Anthony Bourdain ate at</a> when he visited. It was a 10/10 from me &mdash; my only regret was not going back for another.
One more classic Hội An experience is getting tailor-made clothes. You can hardly move for tailors in that town, so much so that the choice becomes overwhelming. Our hotel gave us a few recommendations, but we ended up choosing one suggested by another guest from our hotel who had already replenished her entire wardrobe! 
It&rsquo;s almost a military operation in&nbsp;<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/59VcQTxHtDwCwiQC6">Cloth Shop 52</a> in the Cloth Market, so come prepared and know what you&rsquo;re looking for. We decided to bring along items we already owned as an example, which made the whole experience much easier. As an idea, we paid around &pound;35/$44 for a pair of trousers and &pound;30/$38 for a dress.

A couple of things worth noting are that prices absolutely are negotiable in the cloth market, and although you can pay by card, it&rsquo;s worth carrying cash to avoid the 2% fee. Your clothes will be ready within 24 hours, and if you&rsquo;re as lucky as us, they&rsquo;ll fit perfectly!
I could go on at length about Hội An itself, but I&rsquo;ll round off with this: when you&rsquo;re in need of some downtime and a refreshing beverage, one of the endless 2-4-1 happy hours may seem like a good idea. And they&rsquo;re not bad, but they can be busy and soulless. Instead, I&rsquo;d recommend hitting <a href="https://www.facebook.com/7BridgesHoiAn/">7 Bridges Hoi An Taproom</a> for a local beer and tasty bar food in their chilled beer garden.
We actually stayed outside the old town in a hotel near An Bang Beach. The area was much less developed, and some of the beach was still undergoing work following storm damage. However, there were still some lovely, quiet spots, plus pleasant caf&eacute;s and restaurants to spend some time relaxing in. The thing that really sold us on this was that our hotel offered a free shuttle into the old town several times a day, which seems to be pretty commonplace.
We also did a couple of trips from here &mdash; one a quick basket boat tour at the Coconut Village, and the other sunrise trip to My Son Sanctuary, followed by a visit to the Marble Mountains.
The&nbsp;<a href="https://izitour.com/en/blog/basket-boat-ride-hoi-an">basket boat tour</a> was fun, and definitely worth doing, but again, it was like a ride at Disneyland. You&rsquo;re in one of hundreds of boats floating along that stretch of river at any given time, all while the boat drivers (captains?) sing Gangnam Style at you and each other across the water.

We didn&rsquo;t really understand why they were singing Gangnam Style at the time, but afterwards, the tour operator explained that it&rsquo;s one of the songs they find best for keeping the rhythm when they <a href="https://youtu.be/TgvKgIxf_sg?si=LbmxsAxZIoP_-18n">spin the basket boats</a>. Thankfully, the spinning is optional, and you are allowed to simply enjoy the spectacle from afar!&nbsp;
My favourite tour by far, however, was the trip to <a href="https://www.banyantree.com/vietnam/lang-co/guide-to-visiting-my-son-sanctuary">My Son Sanctuary,</a> which is up in the hills a couple of hours west of Hội An. We went for the sunrise tour because we&rsquo;d read it would be beautiful, but as it turned out, there was no sunrise that day, only major downpours. But when you&rsquo;re in the jungle, surrounded by ancient temples, you kinda don&rsquo;t care!
The main perk of visiting at the crack of dawn was that we got there way before everyone else. By the time we were done, around 9 am, bus-loads of tour groups were flooding through the gates on their way up to the site. We had practically had the place to ourselves, giving us the chance to explore the different buildings and paths without interruption.
We followed this up with a trip to the <a href="https://whereangiewanders.com/marble-mountains-vietnam/">Marble Mountains</a> in Da Nang, which honestly, I&rsquo;d love to have done at sunrise, too! It was absolutely mobbed with folk, which is especially trying when you&rsquo;re attempting to manoeuvre up and down narrow, uneven staircases. Nonetheless, the views and caves were spectacular, and we were fortunate enough to witness a Buddhist ceremony in action.

Unfortunately, we didn&rsquo;t have enough time to venture any further north than that on this trip, however I can share a couple more recommendations from friends we met along the way.
The city of Hue lies a couple of hours north of Da Nang. Formerly the country&rsquo;s capital city, it was the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, and has an appropriately fancy, <a href="https://thenwewalked.com/visiting-imperial-city-hue/">massive citadel</a> to match. Our friends spent a half day exploring the grounds, but they said that history buffs should definitely set aside a whole day!
For some true peace and quiet up north, &Oslash;yvind, you might be thinking of heading up into the mountains? We heard a lot of chatter about <a href="https://www.seeksophie.com/magazine/a/sapa-things-to-do">Sapa</a>, and its jaw-dropping rice terraces and less polluted air! However, it is preeeeeetty touristy there these days as well, so you may want to consider <a href="https://www.adventuresofjellie.com/vietnam/cao-bang-complete-guide">Cao Bang</a> for its waterfalls, mountain views, caves, tombs and more.
Hopefully all my stories and tips have got you excited about your upcoming trips! And if you happen to bump into each other at the 7 Bridges, send me a pic. Happy travels!

Reader’s Corner

All&nbsp;the&nbsp;important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across&nbsp;the&nbsp;web this week.
<ul>
<li>The world&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.timeout.com/news/the-european-city-named-the-worlds-best-destination-for-women-solo-travellers-022825">safest cities for women solo travellers</a> have been named! And while the number one spot may not surprise you, there are a few others in the top ten you might not expect. </li>
<li>Whether you have a tendency to miss flights or your plans change, sometimes we just don&rsquo;t make those flights we booked. But did you know that you can <a href="https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/missed-or-cancelled-a-flight-claim-air-passenger-duty-refund/">get a refund</a> on those taxes in the UK and Europe? </li>
<li>Why <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/mount-etna-eruption-danger-tourism/">cooking a sausage on a lava rock</a> probably isn&rsquo;t as cool as it sounds. </li>
<li>And finally, if you&rsquo;ve been wondering how to spend your spare $1mil, look no further &mdash; <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fyre-festival-2-tickets-how-to-buy-billy-mcfarland/">tickets for Fyre Festival 2</a> are now on sale! And as a bonus, you&rsquo;ll probably end up featuring in another smash-hit Netflix documentary when it all goes up in flames&hellip; again.</li>
</ul>

Chaotic cities JFC-ers would rather avoid

United Kingdom

Japan

Scotland

Spain

Australia

Costa Rica

Federated States of Micronesia

Season's greetings, JFC-ers!
There's something about all the joy and glee going around in December that makes me actively seek out the weirder side of the festivities. And this year's Creepy Crimbo Crown goes to... Greece's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.argophilia.com/news/kallikantzaroi-greek-christmas-goblins/232499/">kallikantzaroi goblins</a>!
Much like Iceland's Yule Lads, these wee guys roam around causing mischief, until they're banished on 6th January. But don't worry, just hang a pig's jawbone above the front door and your house will be just fine. How very festive indeed!
Safe travels and happy holidays,

Katy - The Detour Editor

Two Years Living in Airbnbs: Here's What I've Learnt

Flight Finder Olivia splits her time between San Diego and Seattle. When she&rsquo;s not at her local coffee shop writing about the benefits of slow travel, you&rsquo;ll find her hiking or road tripping along the West Coast.

Written by Olivia

I&rsquo;ve spent almost two years living in Airbnbs full-time as a digital nomad. I usually stay for about 1&ndash;3 months (with some shorter term rentals in between) so it&rsquo;s safe to say I&rsquo;m pretty familiar with the lifestyle.&nbsp;
Airbnb is an incredible resource for slow travel, but there&rsquo;s definitely a learning curve to it, and lots to look out for when it comes to using it safely, affordably, and ethically. There are also some misconceptions that could use clearing up, and some secrets that should be shared!
I usually stay in the US or Canada, with a couple stays in England. So I&rsquo;ve checked in with my fellow writer Kristi, who has a lot of international experience with long-term Airbnbs, and verified that these tips apply pretty widely around the world.
We&rsquo;re also not affiliated with Airbnb in any way &mdash; that&rsquo;s how you know you&rsquo;re getting the real truth here.

Misconceptions
Let&rsquo;s get these out of the way first &mdash; while it&rsquo;s far from a perfect company, I think a lot of hesitation towards Airbnb comes from inexperience. Here&rsquo;s my take on some popular complaints, and why they don&rsquo;t stop me from using the service.
&nbsp;&ldquo;Airbnb owners drive up housing prices and wreck the market!&rdquo;
There&rsquo;s&nbsp;some truth to this, but it&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/28/economy/housing-affordability-airbnb-vrbo-backlash/index.html">nowhere near as widespread as people imagine</a>. There are too many other factors at play controlling rapid rent inflation.&nbsp;
Without getting into too much detail about housing markets, I can say from experience that many properties on Airbnb are not places that would be available for permanent housing if the website disappeared. Think basements, spare rooms, guest houses, and trailers. Some people even rent vacant lots to campers. Those flashy mansions on the homepage represent a surprisingly small fraction of what&rsquo;s actually available.
So if this is what&rsquo;s holding you back, you&rsquo;ll be happy to know I&rsquo;ve never found it difficult to book the sort of place that wouldn&rsquo;t be on the market at all without Airbnb, one where I know my money is mostly going into local hands.

&ldquo;That must be super expensive!&rdquo;
Monthly Airbnb rentals are always going to be pricier than standard leases in the same neighborhood, but there are a few things to consider:
<ul>
<li>You have nearly absolute flexibility on move-in and move-out dates. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">You don&rsquo;t have to do a credit/background check or fill out applications like you might with a regular lease. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">It&rsquo;s fully furnished, with utilities included. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">You have a host (usually onsite or close-by)&nbsp;whom you get to review at the end. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">You will almost never pay the nightly price. Most hosts offer massive discounts for stays of 30+ days. This has saved me over $1,000 a month before. There&rsquo;s a reason I prefer hotels for short stays and use Airbnb for longer rentals.</li>
</ul>
I generally stay in one-room homes like guest houses (comparable to a studio apartment) in either small cities or rural areas in the US and Canada. My monthly costs range between $1,100 and $1,400 USD per month. In my hometown of San Diego, studio apartments regularly cost $2k-$3k, so it&rsquo;s actually far cheaper for me to switch Airbnbs every month than to try and rent a permanent spot at home. While you can definitely find some swanky places on the site, you don&rsquo;t need to break the bank to use the service.&nbsp;
More cost-saving tips below!
&ldquo;Airbnbs have crazy rules and cleaning expectations!&rdquo;
I&rsquo;m honestly not sure where this myth comes from. Hosts set their own rules, so you&rsquo;ll find some oddball requests once in a while, but you don&rsquo;t have to book those rentals. That is absolutely not the norm. The most I&rsquo;ve ever been asked to do is not throw parties or smoke indoors, and to take the trash out before I leave. Just read the listing thoroughly to make sure you&rsquo;re okay with the host&rsquo;s expectations.

My tips for booking long-term Airbnbs
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Book as far in advance as you can. Prices don&rsquo;t typically fluctuate like airfare. Because you need long stretches of availability, it&rsquo;s best to book your spot as soon as you&rsquo;ve made your decision. I usually aim for 3&ndash;5 months in advance. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Stay in each spot for at least 30 days to get the discount. Hosts set those discounts, so some might offer it for 14 days, or 60 days, but there&rsquo;s almost always a discount. Play around with the trip length until you&rsquo;re satisfied with your savings. </li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Be flexible on location (or prepare to make other compromises). There are three main components to a good booking: location, quality of home, and price. You need to be highly flexible on at least one of those criteria, and I suggest you loosen up on the location. You&rsquo;re there for at least a month! You&rsquo;ll have time to explore. You don&rsquo;t need to be right next to the action. Especially if you work from home, you&rsquo;ll be happier in a nicer room. I cast pretty wide nets: &ldquo;Southern Utah&rdquo; or &ldquo;anywhere in England&rdquo; or &ldquo;somewhere in the desert&rdquo; are all criteria I&rsquo;ve started with and found comfortable, affordable spots. When I want to stay in a specific city, I generally have to either take a huge hit to my comfort level, splurge for a month, or get extremely lucky. </li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">Read listings with a fine-tooth comb. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t need to make sure that amenity is listed, every home has that!&rdquo; WRONG. You have no idea what kinds of things can be missing from Airbnbs. If you have deal-breakers (even basic things like heating or hot water) then you need to ensure they are either listed on the page, or message the host and ask. And be warned &mdash; it&rsquo;s common for hosts to say they have a &ldquo;kitchen&rdquo; when what they really mean is a mini fridge and a microwave.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>You can haggle. You can also reach out to hosts and try to negotiate a lower price. Kristi did this all over Europe and regularly saved cash ($500&ndash;$1200 a month!) &nbsp;Her advice: &ldquo;Find 3&ndash;5 options that are slightly higher than your budget and send a friendly and polite message stating your maximum budget and ask if they would be willing to negotiate on the price. I found that at least 1 of the 5 would say yes, and I would go from there.&rdquo;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Lastly, remember that the host also reviews you as a guest. Bad reviews can tank your chances of securing bookings, but if you&rsquo;re polite, follow the rules, and don&rsquo;t leave the place a wreck, you&rsquo;ll be fine. </li>
</ul>
So, while Airbnbs can absolutely be expensive, complicated, and unethical, they don&rsquo;t have to be. There's a reason they became so popular so quickly, and that homely comforts aspect really can win out over a hotel, especially if you'll be staying awhile like me.
If you&rsquo;re thoughtful and open-minded about your decisions, living full-time in short-term rentals makes a great way to explore the world without dropping your entire savings on a vacation. 
Do you have experience of staying long-term in Airbnbs (or similar)? I'd love to hear your tricks for finding your next temporary home, and hear about what makes short-term rental accommodation more appealing to you than a hotel. Just hit 'Reply'!

Since this is officially our festive edition, we thought we'd rustle up our own take on a famous Christmas song, and gift you 12 altogether less usual travel ideas for 2025...
🥁For twelve drummers drumming: Head to Japan over Easter, 19th-20th April, for<a href="https://www.festicket.com/festivals/let-it-roll-open-air/"> </a>the <a href="https://narita.com/topics/archives/113?lng=en">Narita Drum Festival</a>. Expect a whole weekend of traditional Taiko drumming echoing through the streets as part of the 35th annual festival.&nbsp;
The event typically sees around 200,000 spectators flock to the impressive venue of <a href="https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6401.html">Naritasan Temple</a> over the course of the weekend, so prepare to compete for a good view!
🎺For eleven pipers piping: You shouldn&rsquo;t be shocked by this one &mdash; it&rsquo;s a bagpiping festival in Scotland! <a href="https://bagpipe.news/event/piping-live-2025/">Piping Live!</a> and the World Pipe Band Championships will be taking place in Glasgow from 10th&ndash;17th August, attracting pipe bands from all over the world for a week of concerts, parades, and good old-fashioned bagpipe show downs.
😈For ten lords a&rsquo;leaping: Head to the little town of Castrillo de Murcia in northern Spain, which hosts one of the world&rsquo;s strangest festivals every year during June&hellip;<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/el-colacho-baby-jumping-festival-murcia-spain">El Colacho.</a>
During the week-long religious festival, performers in devil outfits run riot through the streets, insulting and whipping passers-by and generally causing chaos &mdash; before they&rsquo;re finally driven out by the good men of the town.
El Colacho ends somewhat controversially, with the performers symbolically leaping over the town&rsquo;s babies (who are laid gently on a mattress, we should emphasize) to protect the infants&rsquo; innocence.
We have to admit that it all sounds a bit terrifying, but there have been no reports of accidents in the festival&rsquo;s history, thankfully. And for less child endangerment, there&rsquo;s always the<a href="https://youtu.be/SzTyn3qxi8s?si=RZP9jQoL5i1Uhqwr"> adumu jumping rituals</a> of the Maasai.

💃🏻For nine ladies dancing: Take a trip to the beautiful<a href="https://www.visityap.com/getting-here/"> subtropical Yap</a> in Micronesia.
Yap&rsquo;s waters are home to over 100 manta rays, and if you go for a dive at the islands&rsquo; cleaning stations between December and April, you might just witness nature&rsquo;s most spectacular dance-contest.
As part of their courtship rituals, female manta rays will lead hordes of males through the sea on<a href="https://blog.mares.com/photographer-engulfed-manta-ray-mating-dance-yap-micronesia-6485.html"> long, elaborate dances</a> for hours at a time. Uncanny. Unearthly. Unforgettable.
🐄For eight maids a&rsquo;milking: Fly over to the city of Bra in northern Italy during September, and take part in<a href="https://cheese.slowfood.it/en/"> Cheese 2025.</a>
It is (yes, you guessed it), the world&rsquo;s biggest dairy festival, with crowds coming in their thousands to sample delicious curds and whey from across the face of the globe
The event's chill vibes and focus on animal welfare and environmental sustainability is a great fit for Bra in general.
It's<a href="https://prettyslow.life/cittaslow-movement-slow-city-sustainable-living/"> a 'Slow City'</a>, part of an Italian movement that has deliberately stepped back from factories and industry to embrace relaxed, peasant-style eco-living &mdash; with a fully pedestrianised city centre, an array of communal vegetable gardens, and more.
🦢For seven swans a&rsquo;swimming: Stop by <a href="https://en.japantravel.com/hokkaido/otofuke-tokachigawa-swan-festival/66204">Tokachigawa Onsen</a> in Hokkaido, Japan during late January to mid-February each year.
Renowned for its hot springs and glorious winter views, this charming town also plays host to a yearly &lsquo;swan festival&rsquo; of lights, with an impressive illuminated display in the snow that&rsquo;s meant to resemble the elegant movement of birds. Because what says &ldquo;elegance&rdquo; better than a <a href="https://youtu.be/8-XIgPFTQvc?si=-C1SWSPe0Rj8RECs">laser show</a>?

🐣For six geese a&rsquo;laying: Visit the Mother Goose House, found in a town called Hazard, in rural Kentucky. This<a href="https://www.kentuckytourism.com/hazard/history-heritage/historic-districts-sites/mother-goose-house"> bizarre and delightful home</a> was built to resemble a colossal goose back in the 1930s, and has since become a beloved local landmark.
Tragedy struck a few years ago, when strong winds led to<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/kentucky-town-rallies-to-restore-beheaded-mother-goose-people-b1823424.html"> Mother Goose being beheaded</a>. Local residents rallied around, and successfully raised the funds required to rebuild her.
💍For FIVE GOLD RINGS: Book your flights to Australia, where you can legally<a href="https://www.trulyaus.com/gold-panning-australia/"> buy a miner&rsquo;s permit</a> and search for gold buried in the hills like an old-fashioned prospector.
Your odds of finding a nugget as big as your fist are slim, unfortunately &mdash; but in 2019, one prospector<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-22/large-gold-nugget-found-near-kalgoorlie-as-gold-price-soars/11135228"> stumbled onto a $100,000 lump of gold</a> near Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia, so we&rsquo;d suggest starting there!
Alternatively, head to the<a href="https://www.sovereignhill.com.au/visit/"> old-timey town of Sovereign Hill</a> and learn more about the fascinating history of gold mining in Oz.
🦜For four calling birds: Pay a trip to the sprawling <a href="https://www.monteverdeinfo.com/cloud-forests">cloud forests of Monteverde</a>, Costa Rica, home to magnificent waterfalls and a ton of rare wildlife, including the Resplendent Quetzal (what a name!).&nbsp;
There are over <a href="https://www.birdingplaces.eu/en/birdingplaces/costa-rica/monteverde-cloud-forest-reserve">400 species of bird</a> living in Costa Rica&rsquo;s cloud forests, so don&rsquo;t forget your binoculars, a little patience, and a rain jacket &mdash; unsurprisingly, it can get a little damp up there (evidence from my trip there this year below).

🐔For three French hens: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kentucky is the place to head for a real hen party &mdash; on the last weekend of September each year, Laurel County hosts the <a href="https://chickenfestival.com/">&lsquo;World Chicken Festival&rsquo;</a> in honour of its very own state hero, Colonel Sanders.
If giant skillets of deep-fried chicken don&rsquo;t sound like your thing, you can always take a walk in the 700,000-acre depths of the nearby<a href="https://www.kentuckytourism.com/an-insiders-guide-to-the-daniel-boone-national-forest"> Daniel Boone National Forest.</a>
🐢For two turtle doves: Stop by the coastal village of Velas in western India during March.
This is the time when adorable, baby Olive Ridley turtles hatch from their eggs and crawl towards the shore - and Velas holds a yearly<a href="https://www.travelandleisureindia.in/featured/velas-turtle-festival/"> Turtle Festival</a> in honour of the event.
If you&rsquo;re crying out, &ldquo;but wait, those are turtles, not turtle-doves!&rdquo; then you might prefer a trip to eastern England during the spring&ndash;summer breeding season. Turtle doves can be tough to spot, so your best bet is to <a href="https://operationturtledove.org/see-a-turtle-dove/where-to-see-habitat-and-time-of-year/">head to a nature reserve</a> that they&rsquo;re known to visit.
🍐For a partridge in a pear tree: As Nat Geo sensibly points out,<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/animals-birds-holiday-culture-christmas"> partridges don&rsquo;t tend to sit in pear trees.</a>
But if you go cycling through the<a href="https://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/hidden-gems/apple-and-pear-trees-in-blossom/"> Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park</a> in France during the spring, you&rsquo;ll be treated to the spectacular sight of the region's pear trees in bloom.
There&rsquo;s even a<a href="http://poire-domfront.fr/tourism-and-poire-domfront/itineraries/"> &lsquo;Pear Route&rsquo; you can follow</a>, stopping off at the charmingly colourful town of Domfront which is renowned for its delicious pear cider). Sant&eacute;!

Travel Inspiration

All&nbsp;the&nbsp;important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across&nbsp;the&nbsp;web this week.
<ul>
<li>Bleary-eyed revellers suffering the effects of the office Christmas party last weekend could have been forgiven for thinking they were hallucinating, as <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/santacon-attendees-overrun-new-york-boozy-event-2000954">thousands of Santas ran rampant</a> through the streets of New York City.</li>
<li>Also on the loose this week is the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/worlds-largest-iceberg-a23a-breaks-free/">world&rsquo;s largest iceberg</a>, which is slowly making its way north from Antarctica.</li>
<li>It looks like Editor Katy was ahead of the curve on this one, as <a href="https://www.timeout.com/news/this-central-asian-country-has-been-named-the-worlds-most-desirable-emerging-destination-121624">TimeOut puts Uzbekistan top</a> of its &lsquo;most desirable&rsquo; list.</li>
<li>And finally, it turns out pigs really can fly! Dutch airline KLM had an absolutely stinking week, as a flight from Amsterdam to Mexico City had to be diverted to Bermuda due to the awful pong emanating from the 100 pigs in the cargo hold.&nbsp;
After a 30-hour beach break and a stretch of the trotters, passengers, pigs, and crew were all able to return to the plane and continue their journey.
</li>
</ul>

India

Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and more in £350s-£370s & €400s-€480s rtn

Mumbai in £510s-£520s rtn

New Delhi in $9800s RT

Asia, East and South Africa in €390s-€440s rtn

Mumbai in €890s/£940s-£950s rtn

Mumbai in $690s-$760s RT