I (F, 26) have been travelling solo in Australia on a working holiday visa (for which I quit my job back home) for six weeks now, and it is not going the way I hoped. I am comfortable on my own, but I am by myself about 90% of the time and I really miss having someone to experience things with and to make decisions with.

I have met people through apps, WhatsApp groups and a few hostels, mostly for a day or a few hours. But most are heading in a different direction, and the ones on a similar route did not really click. I prefer real friendships over quick, superficial ones, which is hard while moving around. Tours are the only place where it works for me.

I am also struggling to make decisions on my own. I hoped that would improve, but I am constantly stressed about planning, and I was ill this past week, probably from exhaustion and stress. On top of that, Australia has not lived up to my expectations. The plan was to stay in Australia for about 8 months if I would love a certain place where I would want to live, which is not the case. Right now my plan is to go to Thailand and the Philippines after finishing the east coast, but I am scared this feeling will follow me. I really want to make the best out of the remainder of this trip but I don’t know how to turn this around.

My questions are thus:
- What helped you meet people you actually clicked with, not just for a night out?
- Has anyone turned around a trip that felt like this?
- Any tips for finding a travel buddy for a few weeks?

Hi all, I'm planning a solo trip to New Zealand from the US and could use advice from people who know the country.

The basics
Landing in Auckland at 9:10 am on Mon 9 Nov, flying out at 3:50 pm on Sun 15 Nov.
Only fixed plan: the India v NZ ODI in Hamilton on Tue 10 Nov. I'm a big cricket fan and want to see it live.
That leaves about 4 free days (11 to 14 Nov) plus the time before and after the match.
Travelling alone, comfortable driving, and I'll pay for a flight if it's worth it.

What I'm considering
South Island: fly Auckland to Queenstown on the 11th, then a Milford Sound day, a bungy (Kawarau), Arrowtown and wineries, and fly back to Auckland on the 14th.
North Island loop by car: Hobbiton, Rotorua, Taupō and Waitomo, then back to Auckland.

What I'd love advice on
Do I need a rental car, or can I manage without one? In Queenstown specifically?
Which option is better for 4 days, or is a split like this too rushed?
Milford Sound: self-drive, coach tour, or the fly-cruise-fly? Is it worth the cost and time?
Any must-see places or things people regret skipping?
Is early November a good time weather-wise, and are there any gotchas (daylight, road closures, tour sell-outs)?

Any solo-traveller tips: where to stay, how to meet people, safety?

Thanks, and happy to share how it goes!

Hello everyone! Just looking for some insight here about travelling around South America vs Indonesia. For context, I am a 31 (F) solo traveller with a time frame of 4 months (give or take) and a budget of about €8k (not including flights). I am leaving my job soon and looking for an adventure. My 'wants' for this adventure are to explore new cultures, meet new people, experience some fun nightlife, see some nature/wildlife I don't see in Europe and to relax on a beach/go surfing at some point for a few weeks.

For SA my itinerary would be as follows:

- Colombia 1 month (Bogota, fly to Santa Marta/Cartagena and see Caribbean coast, bus to Medellin, Guatape and maybe Salento and coffee regions)

- Ecuador 2 weeks (Quito - Amazon jungle tour, Cotopaxi National Park, few days in Banos, Cucena)

- Peru 1 month (travel to Lima and Cuzco, hike Inca Trail and maybe chill a bit more after a heavy month of moving around)

- Brazil 1 month (fly into Rio and visit beaches in the city, stay in Ilha Grande for a while, stay ing Arrail do Cabo and surf)

For Indonesia my itinerary would be:

- Java: 1 month

- Bali and Gili Islands: 1 month

- Lombok: 1 month

- Flores and Komodo: 1 month

I have not planned the Indonesian trip very thoroughly yet, but obviously my time here would be a lot slower paced and mainly focused on gradually exploring the islands, swimming, surfing and some hiking.

As I type I realise how different these trips are and it is impossible to compare them. However, I am wondering if anyone who has gone to either SA or Indonesia on similar trips could give me some insight on their experience, how you found it/enjoyed it and any recommendations or advice you may have.

I (M29) am travelling to tokyo in late november. I have formed an itinerary and was hoping for a review and more recommendations.

stay: hotel graphy nezu

day 1: after checking in at the hotel, visit shibuya and meiji jingu and book an izakaya food tour/pub crawl in the evening. also shinjuku if I have time.

day 2: visit ueno park and akihabara.

day 3: travel to hakone and come back in the evening of the same day

day 4: visit odaiba and teamlab planets/borderless.

day 5: day trip to nikko and come back the same day.

day 6: visit disneysea theme park.

day 7: free day. no plans. do whatever I want. probably some shopping or maybe a massage.

day 8: checkout and leave for airport.

is there something I should add or remove. Also, would like recommendations for stuff to do on my free day. thanks in advance.

25F, traveling to Guatemala with a friend in December. I have a few days before our trip in between my work schedule and would love to add on El Salvador solo.

I would land around 11pm at night and depending on the day I leave home, have 4-5 full days there. It seems like Uber is pretty safe there, so I would either Uber to El Tunco when I land or stay near the airport and Uber the next day.

Right now, I'm thinking 2 full days in El Tunco, then 2-3 full days in Santa Ana. Would anyone recommend 3 full days in Santa Ana or is 2 fine? Or am I rushing and should maybe pick one spot to hang for 3-4 days instead?

Also, any recommendations for transfers from Santa Ana to Antigua would be great. Right now I'm eyeing Gekko Trails, but they have a 3am departure.

Any advice on this would help me make my decision! TY!

33M I'm taking a three-month sabbatical from work to travel around Asia. I've been struggling with burnout, and I decided now is the time to stop and take a breather. I've just landed in Seoul, so it's officially started! It's my first time visiting most of these places, so I'm really excited. I've tried not to hop around too often to avoid travel fatigue, and this is the itinerary I've landed on.

Edit:
The two Japan legs might seem odd, I've always wanted to live/work in Japan so thats why I am doing a longer slower trip to start off with. This is just to test the waters etc although I am getting alot of input about Osaka and Nagoya so I might have to tweak my plans potentially. Im planning to pick up winter gear back in Korea and then visit north Japan for the first time, hopefully do some skiing and enjoy the onsen.

My sabbatical plan
Seoul (19–22 Oct, 3 nights): a few days after landing from London

Japan (22 Oct–11 Nov, 20 nights)
Yokohama (3 nights): running the marathon on 25 Oct
Shizuoka (3 nights): post-race recovery
Nagoya (5 nights): base for day trips
Takayama (3 nights): mountains and old town
Osaka (6 nights): with nearby cities as day trips

Vietnam (11–19 Nov, 8 nights)
Tam Coc / Ninh Binh (3 nights): countryside
Hanoi (5 nights)

Taiwan (19–26 Nov, 7 nights)
Taipei (4 nights)
Tainan (3 nights)

Malaysia & Singapore (26 Nov–4 Dec, 8 nights)
Kuala Lumpur (3 nights): visiting friends
Johor (5 nights): visiting friends, with Singapore day trips

Thailand (4–14 Dec, 10 nights)
Beach (6 nights): leaning towards somewhere resorty
Still flexible (4 nights): maybe Chiang Mai

Korea (14 Dec–3 Jan, ~3 weeks): Christmas and New Year with family

Japan (3–18 Jan, 15 nights)
Sapporo (8 nights)
Noboribetsu (2 nights)
Hakodate (3 nights)
Tokyo (2 nights): then flying home to London

Happy for critiques/comments on the itinerary. Parts are flexible and I'm open to suggestions. I'm still working out Taiwan and Thailand in particular. Would you do anything differently, and why? Food recommendations are very welcome too!

Hey guys, I really need some advice because I leave in 4 days and I genuinely cannot decide what to do anymore.
I’m 19M from Calgary and I’ve done a few solo trips before. I went to Bali when I turned 18 and then Japan and Thailand last year. I absolutely loved Thailand, especially the beaches, the food, the malls, and how easy everything was to get around. I went to Koh Samui and Phi Phi and looking back, I honestly think the beaches were some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. For some reason I felt mentally out of it during that trip and didn’t fully appreciate it until I came home. Now I look back and wish I could go again.
Anyways, I booked a one way ticket from Calgary to Rome for October 25. My original plan was Rome, then Saudi Arabia for Umrah, then Java in Indonesia to see Bromo and Ijen, then Bali, and finally home. But because of the war, multiple flights got cancelled. I’ve had FOUR flights cancelled and I’m still waiting for refunds on them.
My plans changed a bunch of times and now I’m doing Rome for 3 days, Istanbul for 3 days, and then flying to Bali. I already have my hotel in Bali booked, my Colosseum tickets booked, and a Java tour that includes Bromo and Ijen.
Here’s where I’m stuck.
I currently have a flight from Bangkok to Calgary on November 21 that cost me around $500 with Etihad, but it has a 17 hour layover in Abu Dhabi and then a 14 hour flight home.
I found a flight from Bali to Calgary on November 13 for around $800, with layovers in Taiwan and Vancouver. If I take this, I’d spend around 20 days abroad instead of 28 or 29 days, which honestly sounds more manageable.
BUT if I go to Thailand, my plan would be to spend around 10 days in Bali, do the Java tour, then fly to Phuket for 4 days and Bangkok for 3 days before flying home on November 21.
The flights from Bali to Phuket are around $250, Phuket to Bangkok is around $70, and the hotels for Thailand would be around $600. So financially, the total ends up being pretty similar either way, although I’d need to account for the different flights home.
The problem is that I’m genuinely scared of getting burnt out. This trip has been so stressful to plan, and I’m already overwhelmed before even leaving. I’ve never felt this anxious about a solo trip before. I don’t want to spend almost a month away and end up exhausted or mentally checked out.
At the same time, I don’t know when I’ll be able to travel again. I’m starting school in January, and with student loans and everything, I might not get another proper opportunity to travel for 2 or 3 years.
Bali also doesn’t seem to have the same beaches as Thailand, at least from what I’ve seen. I’m not a swimmer or snorkeler, so for me it’s mostly about the scenery, white sand, turquoise water, food, markets, shopping, and just enjoying the atmosphere. I loved places like ICONSIAM in Bangkok, and I know Bali won’t offer exactly the same experience.
But I’ve already been to Thailand, so part of me wonders why I should go back instead of experiencing somewhere new. I also have the Java tour, which is something unique that I really want to do.
I’m so torn between going home from Bali on November 13 and having a shorter, more manageable trip, or continuing to Thailand and making the most of this opportunity while I still can.
Please be honest with me. What would you do in my situation? Would you go home from Bali or continue to Thailand? I leave in FOUR DAYS and I seriously need to make a decision. Please help me 😭

Throwaway because the journalist is on reddit. im Alban Toulemonde (not real, just in case for book or course). Sorry its long.

I (19M) am travelling alone in Australia for the first time. I have a medical condition (it is in my records) and a very tight budget untill I find work. I booked a room for 350$ a week because everything else was gone. The host is not some family, he has multiple listings in a city where people cant find a place to live, so you understand the type.
Before I arrived I asked nicely many times if he could do 300$, because I have no money and alone. He said no. Fine, I paid and I was an examplary guest, I swear on my life. After week one he moved me to his other house, no discount, I said nothing. 3 weeks total, 1050$, not one complaint from him.
Last day I asked to stay in another room or for late checkout because I had no place yet. He said no aswell. He knew I had nowhere to go. I checked out, went to the beach all afternoon, and that night I get a photo of a toilet overflowing and a claim for 1700$. More than the 3 weeks. My GPS timeline shows I was at the beach the entire afternoon. Satellites are on my side, his photo has no time on it. Which one is a fact. I said "Thank you for this wonderful image, it will help my case" and I dispute this claim in full. He said I am lying. Third time.

I posted the photo on a forum because something looked off and alot of people agreed. Support saw it. Last week they closed his claim in my favour (verified by support). I WON.
I told him on day one in writing, apologise, withdraw the claim, refund me and we forget this. He did not. Now, after the decision, he is still sending "evidence". He wrote "the toilet was fine before you arrived". Ok. It was fine, I was at the beach, Airbnb agreed with me, so who was in the room? Very ironic that the person with the keys to both houses is still asking me.
Worst of all, after he lost he messaged my mother. In another country. Not only is this predatory, it is beyond cruel to someone alone in a foreign country. Two panic attacks, no place to sleep tomorrow. I will pay him whatever he wants if he can prove I was there. He cant, because I wasnt.
A journalist found me through the forum and wants to publish this week. I said yes. Now he says I am "harassing" him and it is "over" so I should "move on". Over for who. He never apologised, support had to do it for him. If you charge a 19 year old 1700$ with no proof and lose, you ruined your own business, and if he is embarassed now that is
My friend says I won, let it go. My family says he needs to learn so he never does this to another guest, a friend of my family is a lawyer and says the same.

So AITA for
saying yes to the journalist after I already won
asking and getting for the 3 weeks refunded for the stress
not deleting the forum post like he asked
Write a book or create a course about this to help people

Would you let it go? I promise you I am honest, I never had a problem with a host before

I am visiting Budapest in November to sit for my citizenship interview (yay!). As part of this trip, I am planning to rent a car for the day and drive outside the city (southwest) into the countryside to see where my relatives came from. Is there any advice one would give to a solo foreign female driver in this situation? I assume it will be alright--I know basic Hungarian and will have my GPS--but if you have any advice or caution, I'd be grateful to hear it! In addition, if there's anywhere I must see outside Budapest, grateful for your recommendations. :)

Hello everyone

Just for some context:
Lately I’ve been traveling on day trips by myself as a person who never even thought about it before. I do not own a car as I live in the capital city of my country so I have started to make trips wherever I could with buses and trains. As I am not really a planner and as a big introvert I find myself not knowing what to do with this much thought process going on in my head. I managed to somehow start small talk with strangers that happen to sit near me but as I never really spend a lot time alone until this point of my life. (I come from a big family)

How do you guys deal with being alone with your thoughts so much? I listen to music on the go and read books but after some time it becomes too much so I find myself wishing I had someone I can talk to. It is not that I don’t like the experience of being just by myself. It can be really freeing. I just wish I was more of a person that will start conversations….but the thought of approaching someone in real life really terrifies me. Sometimes I get really lost in my own thoughts and let’s just say it is not really nice…

How do you guys deal?

Just want to finish up with saying that I really admire everyone here and love reading the stories in this subreddit.

Thank you for reading.

24M from London, travelling solo. I want it social (but not the 18-year-old gap-year crowd), with adventure, some birding on the side, and as much heat and tan as possible.

Here’s the plan:

1 · Sat 14 – Land 19:39, shuttle to Antigua · Maya Papaya
2 · Sun 15 – Explore Antigua, Acatenango briefing · Maya Papaya
3 · Mon 16 – Acatenango overnight with OX · Volcano camp
4 · Tue 17 – Summit at sunrise, back to Antigua, night out · Maya Papaya
5 · Wed 18 – Shuttle to Lake Atitlán · La Iguana Perdida
6 · Thu 19 – San Marcos: nature reserve and cliff jump · La Iguana Perdida
7 · Fri 20 – Birding on the Jaibalito trail, kayaking, San Pedro at night · La Iguana Perdida
8 · Sat 21 – Shuttle to the airport, fly to Flores · Los Amigos
9 · Sun 22 – Tikal: guided tour, then the trails solo for birds · Los Amigos
10 · Mon 23 – Rope swing, then a Yaxhá sunset tour · Los Amigos
11 · Tue 24 – Fly back, shuttle to El Paredón · Cocorí Lodge
12 · Wed 25 – Beach, surf lesson · Cocorí
13 · Thu 26 – Mangrove boat tour · Cocorí
14 · Fri 27 – Wakeboarding in the mangroves · Cocorí
15 · Sat 28 – Back to Antigua, Saturday night out · Maya Papaya or Tropicana
16 · Sun 29 – Pacaya sunset hike · Maya Papaya or Tropicana
17 · Mon 30 – Chill, then the late flight home

Things I’m unsure about:

1. Lake Atitlán: I went to Lake Toba in Sumatra and found it “just a lake”. Is Atitlán different enough to justify 3 nights?
2. Flores/Tikal: is it worth the two internal flights (about £150 total)? And is 3 nights in Flores right, or is it dead outside the Tikal day?
3. Skipping Semuc: am I making a mistake? Is there any way to do it without two 8–10h bus days?
4. Wakeboarding at El Paredón: has anyone done it? Is it decent?
5. OX vs other companies for Acatenango: which group is the most fun for a solo traveller in their mid-20s?
6. Hostels: any better picks for a social but not super-young crowd?
7. Ending in Antigua: is 2 nights at the end worth it, or should I stay longer at the beach?
8. Anything else I’m missing, or anything you’d swap in?

Cheers!

Hi all! I’m currently solo travelling in Asia and considering a short trip to Mongolia from November 2–7. It’s my first time, and I’m not sure when or if I’ll get the chance to come back, so I’m trying to decide whether to go now or do something else.

My rough plan:

• Nov 2: Arrive, explore Ulaanbaatar
• Nov 3–5: 3-day group tour to central Mongolia (Kharkhorin, Erdene Zuu, Elsen Tasarkhai, night with a nomadic family, Khugnu Khan)
• Nov 6: Day trip from UB, thinking Terelj and the Chinggis Khaan statue
• Nov 7: Fly out

Questions:

1. Is may trip way to short to get a insight in this beautiful country, or should i consider something else?
2. I've heard the cold already has hit the country, so will this affect my trip in some ways? (besides just being cold)
3. Any recommended day trips from UB besides Terelj, and how bad is the traffic leaving the city?

I'm here with a recommendation! As a female solo-traveller and an elder millennial, I've just never gotten into the habit of taking selfies. And I've never figured out how to make them look good. As a result, I bring home a whole bunch of honestly terrible pictures of street corners and mountains and food on my phone, that I will probably never look at again and that none of my friends and family really care to look at. And I'm never in any pictures of my travel.

But! Ahead of my most recent trip to Hong Kong I was browsing getyourguide (don't @ me, I think it's convenient AF and have great experiences with it) and there was a lady on there who offered a one hour photo shoot in the mong kok area, with an analog camera. I booked it without really thinking about it and it was the best decision.

I love these pictures. I love that someone took me to their favourite spots in their hometown and put me right into them . I love seeing myself through the eyes of a local. I LOVE the neon lights! And I'm not even a big social media person, I won't post these anywhere, but I'm sure when I'm too old to go on adventures like these, I'll be so glad to look at beautiful pictures of myself in Hong Kong at night.

So, if you can, book a local photographer, ask them where their favourite spots are, and take pictures for an hour. You wont regret it!

I’m leaving for a 10 day trip in a few weeks. I’ve already started finishing projects at home and started cleaning. Do most people do this? Or am I the weird one?
Of course I take out trash and clean out the fridge. But I do all the laundry, change the sheets, clean the bathroom, dust shelves, mow the grass. And then finish all the weird little projects that just sort of linger. I’m only gone 10 days, not 10 months.

I mentioned this to a friend and she looked at me as if I had grown another head. She doesn’t do anything except take out trash and make sure all the windows and doors are locked.

I'm currently solo traveling around the Balkans and staying in a hostel where quiet time/lights off starts at 12:00 AM.

It's currently 22:15 and one of my roommates was going to sleep, so she turned the lights off. I was really tired after a long day, so went to sleep early as well.

Another roommate just arrived in the room and turned the lights on, so the girl who was sleeping complained about the light. Because of the noise, I peeked through my curtain and saw them arguing. The girl who was sleeping tried to get me to agree with her. I get her point, but personally, I'm wearing an eye mask, so the light isn't a problem for me at all.

Would you consider that 'lights off' should follow the hostel rules, or should it be whenever someone goes to sleep?

Edit: 2:00 AM: Our sleeping friend is also a heavy snorer friend so other roommate took revenge for the lights complaint and they are having a big argument. At this point I even feel the bed was too cheap for all the entertainment I’m getting, but I’ll go back to sleep with my nice sleep mask and ear plugs.

I know this might be something a bit trivial, but I am wondering if anyone has done long term travel without a laptop or with one.

I desperately need a new laptop and am looking at a macbook air to replace my behemoth macbook pro (no way im hauling that around), but i am weighing the pros and cons of going without one on a long term trip. I am not sure if using my phone for every single thing including watching movies and doing budgeting spreadsheets, booking flights, enjoying occasionally watching sports on rest days etc etc is viable. I also will be doing some job hunting and sending emails and taking care of my personal assets at home while away.

Will I regret my choice of going without a laptop for this long? Or would the money just be worth saving and putting towards my trip.

Would love to hear from both sides on this!

Hi everyone, looking for some travelers with experience in Bangkok/Thailand. I will be solo traveling to some parts of South East Asia in January. I am doing a group tour with Intrepid that takes us from Ho Chi Minh City through Cambodia and ends in Bangkok, where after the tour ends, I have almost 3 full days on my own before I head back to the US.

The Intrepid stuff ends the morning of January 9th, so I booked a city/temple tour through Viator of Bangkok for that day. I fly out the night of January 11th, so I was planning on using that day to relax at my hotel and enjoy the amenities before my long travel back home (I know I know, a lot of people probably wouldnt want to have a hotel day. But I am staying at the Ritz Carlton and really look forward to that so dont come for me for this point please).

Here's what Im wondering: I would like to see a Thai beach on January 10th but dont know how best to do it. Would it be crazy to fly to Phuket from Bangkok around 7 am and hang out at Nai Thon Beach, and fly back to Bangkok around 7:40 PM? I found a round trip flight on Thai Vietair for a good price, but just want to see if there is something I need to know before doing something like this. I live in Florida so I suppose going to a beach isn't absolutely necessary, but if possible I would like to. Thoughts?

I organise calls with family and friends and buy foods that I would typically eat at home. Currently in Spain and bought myself a tin of Heinz baked beans to have with on toast (can you guess where I'm from).

Hi guys,

I’ve been planning on the go and now I’m staying way longer in a place I had only intended as a sort of lay over. I’m doing so because the other places are just a bit too expensive for what I want to be spending right now and I’m also 4 nights away from flying home. I’m getting frustrated that I chose to fly home later but that now feels stupid since I just as happily would have been home now in my normal routine than feeling like I’m spending unnecessary money being in a place that doesn’t move me.

I wonder if other people have struggled with this and how do you turn this negative thinking around? Just to clarify, i know this is a huge first world problem since I’m on a beautiful island in Italy.

I have solo-traveled many times, dozens of countries, sometimes for months on end, even lived in a city I initially barely knew anyone in for 6 months. I actually preferred it over traveling with friends for longer periods of time.

However, this past trip to France, Belgium, and Netherlands was extremely difficult, to the point of me not even being sure if I can do another trip.

I started in Paris (might’ve been my first mistake lol), and right away, I felt so out of place among couples. It was the most confusing feeling.

I was sitting at sunset watching the Eiffel Tower. It was simultaneously beautiful, and at the same time, I had tears in my eyes thinking about the fact I was doing this alone.

Cities like Amsterdam were easier, but I felt so out of place often still.

This freaked me out, because traveling is one of the biggest passions in my life, all my friends are in relationships, so they have their own things going on. I’m not really trying to join a random “travel group.”

Am I kinda cooked at this point (in the sense that solo travel just might not be for me anymore)? Did you ever have a trip like this and then bounce back?

I like walking. I'm going on a long trip to every country of SEA next year and my question is how is walking in SEA cities?

- I can tolerate 35-40 C temperatures because we have it in Europe from time to time, but what about higher humidity, is it really unbearable compared to Europe and does it make spending time outside impossible?

- if there are no sidewalks, can you walk on the side of the road and continue your stroll without worrying you end up in the middle of the highway?

- I know walkability is a huge issue in SEA but Wikipedia defines it as "the accessibility of amenities within a reasonable walking distance." I'm more interested in whether cities are fully accessible by walking or there are certain areas locked from pedestrians and you need to go there by car like in America

thanks in advance!

hi all, im wondering how this kinda brief sound plans. I've only done 1 solo trip where I flew to sydney from Brisbane and stayed in a hostel.

Now I am wanting to drive from Brisbane to great ocean road in Victoria and back, im assuming it'll take a0prox a week total of travelling. I want to car camp with a mattress topper, backrests down (I have a mazda 3 hatchback) im just not sure what to use to cover windows when i sleep if anything. I'd imagine i bring the same stuff I did to sydney but also like hygiene wipes incase. I have roadside assist in my insurance incase I break down. I plan to just stay in powered campsites along the way.

Is there anything I need to think about or look at? I plan to go in a few weeks after i finish Uni for the year, Thank you!

Day 1: Arrive, connect from HCMC, check into hostel
Day 2: Beach day, snorkeling trip
Day 3: Sunset Town evening market, hostel social night, maybe Hon Thom cable car
Ho Chi Minh City (Jan 23–29)
Day 4: Fly back to HCMC, settle in, evening on Bui Vien
Day 5: Jade Emperor Pagoda, get measured at a tailor, Ben Thanh Market
Day 6: Shopping — Saigon Square, District 1 boutiques
Day 7: Mekong Delta or Cu Chi Tunnels day trip
Day 8: Tailor fitting, War Remnants Museum, rooftop bar night
Day 9: Final shopping, collect tailored dress, last night out
Day 10: Depart

Budget: ~$1,360 USD total (excl. flights) — covers hotel, food, activities, shopping, tailor.
Would love input on:
Does this itinerary flow make sense, or should I reorder anything?
Realistic for the budget?
Solo female safety tips for Bui Vien/hostels?
Good HCMC tailor recs?
Anything missing for a first solo trip?
Thanks in advance!