u/Delugewellness

TLDR. I'm about to head on a one-way(ish) trip from CO USA to South East Asia with my partner. Going a little crazy reading all the very positive AND very negative reviews for almost ALL the recommended companies (Anytime, iPostal1, Travelingmailbox etc). Trying to decide what is best for my specific situation, advice appreciated!:

CO was home, won't have a CO address upon departure, planning on forwarding some mail to my parents in TX. I don't think they are going to want to ship things like potential replacement credit cards to me, so I'm looking for a slightly better solution. I've been advised to not give up my US address, so their place will serve this purpose. (Is that for residential or mailing? Haven't lived/nor planning on living in TX.)

I don't get much snail mail, I don't plan on shipping packages across the sea. (Virtual)Mailbox is more for tax/bank/important doc purposes, potential replacement credit cards etc.

I am not planning on working, so income/business stuff doesn't necessarily apply (other than interest from bank accts).

Looks like I need to sign/set up a specific notary form before I leave?

Just looking to have a plan B set up and in place before departure in 1m, so I don't end up in an Oh Crap situation thousands of miles away. I've already dug through quite a few posts and my confusion is compounding. Any tips/experience is appreciated!!

Background, I'm just a tourist, so forgive my ignorance, but this post is in hopes of being more informed.

Upon check in, my hostel in SC informed me that not long ago, the caves recently forcibly changed ownership (with guns), so they are no longer offering/endorsing tours.

Who owned them before and who runs it now? I'm very curious and wanted to be more educated before I gave any $$. Another case of tourist income leaving the home country, maybe vice-versa? What was it like before?

Have also heard the site is not being managed with the environment in mind, curious if anyone has any input here.

Not trying to stick my nose too-far into Guatemalan politics, I really just don't want to be completely ignorant.

Traveling solo (28F) 9 days July 24th- Aug3rd. I plan on booking almost nothing in advance unless there is something recommend to be booked in adv.

DAY 1: Land in Guatemala City around ~2pm, uber to Antigua

DAY 2: Explore Antigua, acclimatize. Book volcano tour for next day.

What should I do specifically in Antigua?

DAYS 3&4: Hike & Overnight Fuego Volcan Acatenango thru OX, travel to Lake Atitilan

DAYS 5&6: Explore Lake Atitilan, chill rest days. What specifically should I do? Looking at less-touristy areas to stay, I really want to enjoy local Guatemalan cuisine. Leaning towards San Juan la Laguna or Santa Cruz based off some quick research. 2 days too much/enough for the Lake and surrounding areas?

Help me decide!!

OPTION 1.

DAYS 7,8&9: Fly to Flores, explore Tikal and surrounding areas. Fly to GC & then home on day 9. Where to stay here? Any specific must-sees?

OPTION 2.

DAYS 7,8&9: From Atitilan (not sure if this is the best route) to the coast, surf in El Paredon. Beginner surfer. Not sure what else specifically to do at the coast?

I don't think I have enough time for Tikal/surrounding areas AND the coast.

Things I'm interested in: nature, diving, hikes, flora/fauna, chill time, beaches, surfing, socializing, local food/culture tours, caves etc

HAPPY FOR ANY RECOMMENDATIONS!!

TLDR, it's looking like all my friends/roomies/bf have bailed on me for what was a spontaneous Costa Rica trip. Looking around Jul 26- Aug 3rd(ish flights aren't booked yet bc yay standby). By this point I would have normally done some kind of research and prep work (I'm not a by-the-hour itinerary kind of gal) but I wasn't expecting to be solo for this one. 🫠

CR? PR? DR? Nicaragua? Where should I go considering I'll likely be solo and managing transport by myself? ( I can fly anywhere Frontier flies thru standby thanks to my roomie) Trying to keep this trip fairly $$$ & safety conscious if possible.

Some things that interest me that I'm potentially hoping to find:

Surfing (Beginner)

Diving

Sustainability-minded experiences

Beach time

Yoga/retreat?

Nature/Hiking/plant & animal tours

Plant Medicine

Cultural exchange

Volcanos

Good food and all the yummy fruits

Connecting with others!

LITERALLY MOST OTHER THINGS

I'm a little stressed trying to figure out my best game plan by myself, HELP! Any input is appreciated. I have experience traveling solo, but I was kinda hoping to not have to do everything myself this go around, esp this close.

The summary: My partner and I are headed on a one-way trip to bop all around SE Asia in Sep. We are a little confused looking at phone plans and how to keep our US numbers whilst abroad, mostly for bank auth etc. I have a galaxy A71 5G that is NOT E sim compatible (2019) and I was thinking of "parking" my US number thru tello with a physical sim for aforementioned bank auths, then buying local sims. My BF is getting a galaxy s24 that is single phys sim and E sim compatible. He also wants to park his US number, but we were thinking a package "South East Asia" E sim bundle may be best for his coverage.

My question is how to go about this. Is a phys Tello sim paired with a low monthly plan (not sure the exact specs yet) being switched as needed at destination with local sims the best practice for my phone?

Is there an easier way for both of us to keep our numbers and still have moderate coverage/service? GoogleFi/Voice has come up a few times in our research, but it seems that coverage is likely to be cut off without pinging US towers after 60-90 consecutive days. I currently carry a $50/m Tmobile plan that offers pretty good abroad coverage, but the same problem of having coverage cut off is a big ???

What have you done for long-term travel? Any other options we haven't thought of? How do we simplify this process? Any tips are appreciated!

Hello, TLDR, extended travel abroad later this year, wondering about cell phone coverage.

Hiya! My partner and I are headed on a one way trip to South East Asia in sep. Curious if anyone has any resources/experience with VentureX cell phone insurance abroad? I'm currently paying $50/m on Tmobile (ouch) with my VX. I plan on canceling this come sep and am leaning towards E-sim packages for SEA, potentially local Sims as well. There's always the worry my phone will break/get stolen, but I'm having serious doubts VX insurance would help me without a 'normal monthly cell phone bill. Advice??

Also if you have any recommendations on how to somehow keep valid VX phone insurance while abroad for a long period, let me knoooww