![Inside Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena in Rome, Italy [OC]](https://preview.redd.it/oybe0l4lfzah1.jpeg?auto=webp&s=e18d4436f782fcf4b7d1e192c1ca95bb5d69866e)
One of those places in Rome that feels strangely overlooked.
It is just a few minutes from the Pantheon, but somehow most people walk past without ever going inside.
Nikon Z5 · 600mm · ISO 2500 · f/6.3 · 1/1250s
I know “the most beautiful beach in the world” is a dangerous thing to say, but Nai Harn is that place for me.
Not because it is hidden or untouched, but because it has everything I love about Phuket in one view: the sea, the green hills, the soft sand, the evening light, and the feeling that life slows down a little here.
A few photos from above of the place I’m lucky to call home.
Shugakuin Imperial Villa was one of the most unique and beautiful places I visited in Kyoto. It feels very different from the crowded temple areas — quiet gardens, ponds, old trees, and wide mountain views.
Practical note: you can’t just walk in freely. Visits are by guided tour only. Admission is free, but you need to apply/reserve in advance through the Imperial Household Agency website:
https://kyoto-gosho.kunaicho.go.jp/en/shugakuin-rikyu/visit
I’d definitely recommend it if you want to see a calmer, more spacious side of Kyoto and don’t mind planning a little ahead.
Took this drone shot in Krabi while the clouds were moving through the valley. The jungle, limestone karsts, and soft golden light made the whole view feel unreal.
Hi everyone,
I’m posting on behalf of my mother because her Etihad Guest account has now been blocked for more than a month, despite multiple support contacts and documents already submitted.
This was her first Etihad booking and her first Etihad Guest account. She bought a confirmed Business Class ticket, created the account normally, and intended to use Etihad again in the future.
Instead, the account became inaccessible and the case has turned into a loop of “relevant team” replies.
Timeline
17 April 2026
My mother created her first Etihad Guest account after buying her first Etihad ticket.
10 May 2026
She tried to log in and received a message saying that, “to protect your account,” Etihad was unable to log her in. The message asked her to send a government-issued ID other than passport, plus a utility bill, to Etihad Guest.
She emailed Etihad Guest support the same day, attached her passport copy, and included her booking details. Etihad sent an automatic confirmation that the email had been received.
26 May 2026
After more than two weeks, Etihad Guest finally replied. They said the account was under review due to “some discrepancies revealed by an audit.”
They requested a government-issued photo ID excluding passport, plus a recent utility bill showing her name and address.
6 June 2026
My mother sent additional documents: her Polish residence permit card, an official PESEL register certificate showing her current registered address, and an insurance document showing her name and address in English.
She also explained that she does not have a utility bill in her own name.
The same day, she contacted Etihad live chat. The agent escalated the issue and gave an escalation reference. She was told the Etihad Guest response timeframe was around 72 hours.
10 June 2026
The account was still blocked.
She successfully reset her password, and the website confirmed that the new password had been created. But when she tried to log in again, the same account reactivation message appeared. So this is clearly not a password issue.
She contacted live chat again. The agent confirmed that the 72-hour processing timeframe had already been exceeded and sent another follow-up to the “relevant team.” She was told to contact Etihad again if there was no update within 48 hours.
During this time, Etihad continued sending OTP codes, password reset emails, and marketing emails to the same email address. She even received a “Last chance to book that flight” email after searching for new flights.
So Etihad can send OTPs, password reset emails, and sales offers to the same email address, but she still cannot access her Etihad Guest account.
15 June 2026
More than four days after the last escalation, the account was still blocked and no meaningful update had been received.
She contacted Etihad live chat again. In the latest chat, the agent confirmed that Etihad could see the passport had already been attached to the original email from 10 May. The agent also confirmed that the documents provided were sufficient and that no additional documents were required from her side.
Despite this, the account remains blocked.
The real problem
I understand that airlines need fraud prevention and account protection. That is not the issue.
The issue is that my mother bought a paid and confirmed Business Class ticket, created an Etihad Guest account normally, verified her email, reset her password successfully, submitted multiple private documents, and contacted support several times.
More than a month later, nobody gives a clear reason for the block, a real deadline, or an actual resolution.
Every department seems able to acknowledge the problem. No department seems able to own it.
The repeated replies are always some version of:
After weeks of this, these phrases stop sounding polite. They start sounding like support theatre.
If a company says “we care” but cannot explain the problem, cannot give a deadline, cannot say who owns the case, and cannot resolve it after confirming that the required documents were submitted, then the words become meaningless.
Good customer support is not scripted empathy. It is ownership, clear communication, and resolution.
At this point, this does not feel like “account protection” anymore. It feels like a broken verification process with no clear owner, no clear deadline, and no real customer support resolution.
Has anyone here managed to get an Etihad Guest account reactivated after this kind of audit review?
Is there any real escalation path beyond live chat repeating “relevant team” again and again?
I can share the case reference privately if any Etihad representative monitors this subreddit.
Shot this early in the morning at Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand.
I used f/13 mainly for the sunstar and to keep the ruins and Buddha statue sharp enough in the frame. The scene had pretty harsh contrast with the sun coming directly through the old brickwork, so I underexposed slightly to protect the highlights.
EXIF: Nikon Z5 · 19mm · ISO 500 · f/13 · 1/25 sec · -0.3 EV
I took this photo early in the morning at Sukhothai Historical Park.
This was one of my favourite mornings in Thailand. The park was still quiet, the light was coming through the ruins, and the old brick temples and Buddha statues had a completely different feeling than during the day.
Many people choose Ayutthaya because it is easier from Bangkok, but Sukhothai feels slower and more peaceful to me. It is not just a quick photo stop — it is the kind of place where it makes sense to stay overnight, wake up early, and walk or cycle through the park before it gets hot.
I left thinking I would definitely like to come back here again.
One of my favourite evening views in Rome.
Trajan’s Forum in the foreground, the Vittoriano behind it, golden light everywhere, and those umbrella pines doing what they always do — making Rome look even better.
Posting this because I've watched the same panic happen to friends a dozen times: they decide on Rome a few weeks out, go to book the Vatican Museums, and the official site (tickets.museivaticani.va) shows nothing for their dates. Cue the messages to me at 11 PM asking if their trip is ruined.
Short answer: usually no, but you have to know where to look and what you're actually buying.
Always check the official ticket office first. It's the cheapest, and sometimes slots get released a few days before — the inventory isn't as static as people assume. I've seen Tuesday slots pop up on a Friday morning more than once.
If the official site is empty, third-party platforms still tend to have something. GetYourGuide, Tiqets, Viator, Headout — they all sell Vatican access, but here's the part that trips people up: the listings aren't the same product. Some are plain skip-the-line entry. Some are "hosted entry" where a guide just walks you to the door. Some are full guided tours that cost 3–4× more. The thumbnails all look identical and the wording is deliberately fuzzy.
Stuff I'd actually check before clicking buy:
Disclosure (the relevant bit): I work on vaticanmuseums.tickets, which is a comparison page that pulls availability from those big platforms into one view, so you don't have to open six tabs. It's not affiliated with the Vatican in any way, and I'd genuinely tell you to try the official ticket office first — that's where my own family books when they visit. The site exists for the cases where the official one is dry and people are trying to figure out which third-party listing is actually decent. I make a small commission if you book through one of the partners; doesn't change the prices you'd see going direct.
Hope this saves someone a stressful evening of comparing 14 tabs at midnight.
One of those heavy Phuket rain moments when the whole street changes mood in a few seconds. I liked the colors of the old shopfronts against the rain and the motorbikes still moving through it like nothing happened.
Shot this crowded little game corner in Singapore. I liked how everyone was focused on their own board, while the red lanterns and background chaos kept the whole scene alive.
Nikon Z5 · 40mm
1/80 sec · f/4.5 · ISO 3200 · -0.7 EV
A quiet morning moment inside St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. I took this from near the altar, just as the sunlight was breaking through the nave behind Bernini’s Baldachin.
A view over the Sassi di Matera, one of the most distinctive old towns in southern Italy. The houses, churches, and stairways are built directly into the limestone cliffs.