u/RagingClitGasm

My partner and I are spending a long weekend in Aruba in about a month, and I was curious to see if folks had any recommendations for a boat tour that’s fun for both snorkelers and non-snorkelers (i.e., includes some snorkeling but is not entirely focused on snorkeling).

I LOVE to snorkel, and my partner really doesn’t— he might go in for a few minutes, or might just stay on the boat or swim around without a snorkel. On other vacations, we’ve enjoyed tours with multiple stops in which some/most stops are not for snorkeling, or where the snorkeling stops have an alternate activity (even if that activity is lounging on a nice beach).

I do sometimes drag him on snorkel tours, but sitting on the boat alone gets old pretty fast. We enjoy history, nature, and wildlife, and would enjoy a couple of cocktails but wouldn’t be into a booze cruise.

Hi! My partner and I are looking to do a quick getaway to an AI for the first weekend of November (Oct 30-Nov 3).

- Flying from NYC, budget $3k
- Adults Only preferred
- We’ve been to Cancun and the DR, and are open to returning, but would be particularly interested to hear about other options

Any suggestions would be welcomed! We have major decision fatigue (planning a wedding and a big honeymoon) so are struggling to even narrow things down.

Hi!

My partner and I are getting married in a few weeks, and although we have a long honeymoon planned for January, we’d like to take a short long weekend trip at the beginning of November (Oct 30-Nov 3) as a little minimoon/birthday celebration. My partner has requested a beach destination, but we’re both feeling a bit burnt out from work and planning both a wedding and our big honeymoon, so we’re struggling to narrow things down. I spent an hour this afternoon just sort of blankly staring at the Google Flights Explore page!

We’d be flying out of NYC with a budget of around $3k. We enjoy both all-inclusives and DIY/AirBnB vacations so are open to any type of accommodation. We’ve already been to the Dominican Republic, Cancun, and Antigua, and while we’re not fully opposed to repeating a destination, we’d prefer something new.

Any suggestions for a beach destination that feels doable in a weekend? What’s your favorite Caribbean island that doesn’t break the bank?

Thank you!

Planning our Sri Lanka itinerary for late January 2027, we have just one night to stay near Yala National Park to do a half day morning safari before continuing on to our next destination.

I’ve read that the Katagamuwa entrance can be significantly less crowded, while still offering similar chances of seeing a leopard compared to the main entrance to Block 1. However, accommodations in Kataragama seem to be slim pickings compared to Tissamaharama.

Does anyone with experience with both entrances have insight on how big of a difference it makes in experience? Any suggestions for places to stay near the Katagamuwa gate (late evening arrival, so not spending much time other than sleeping) for $200 USD or less?

Thanks!

Wondering if anyone is in the same boat, or had this happen and can give a data point on what came next for them!

I have been on PAYE all along, thankfully never switched to SAVE. I got a letter from Mohela on 6/9 telling me to recertify my income by the 18th, and I submitted my application on the 10th by allowing access to my IRS records.

On 6/12 I got a letter from Mohela saying they’d received my IDR request, then got a correspondence processing delay letter on 6/20. That was the last thing I received from Mohela other than my usual Autopay notification for my July payment.

On the FSA website, however, my application is marked as complete and says that it was processed on 6/23.

I’ve seen a ton of posts from others here who’ve gotten a ton of letters with incorrect IDR repayment plans ($0 or standard plan amounts), but I’ve gotten absolutely nothing.

Anybody else?

We’re getting married next month and spending our wedding night at the Renaissance Chelsea. After an exhausting weekend of showing out-of-town family around the city, I’d love to make a reservation for a nice brunch on our first day married. The catch is that we’re getting married on a Monday, so brunch would be on Tuesday.

Thanks in advance!

My partner and I are planning our honeymoon for January and have mapped out a tentative itinerary (note that we’re starting at the beach and doing the usual loop in reverse, as we have more beach directly after this part of the trip). I’d love feedback on this plan, and have a few specific questions at the end. Thank you in advance!

Mon 1/18: arrive CMB (most likely in the morning) drive directly to beach town

Tues-Thur: beach days, whale watching

Fri: drive towards Udawalawe for an afternoon safari, then drive on after the safari to stay the night in Tissamaharama

Sat: morning Yala safari, drive towards Ella

Sun-Tues: Ella/Nuwara Eliya

Wed: drive towards Kandy, visit temple of sacred tooth

Thu: drive towards Sigiriya, visit Dambulla Cave Temple

Fri: Sigiriya hike in the morning, then relax or afternoon safari (Minneriya, Kaudulla, or Hurulu)

Sat: day trip to Polonnaruwa

Sun: drive towards Negombo

Mon 2/1: fly out

In total, that’s 4 nights beach town, 1 night Tissamaharama, 4 nights Ella/Nuwara Eliya, 1 night Kandy, 3 nights Sigiriya, 1 night Negombo.

Specific Questions:

1. Transportation: private driver, but I’m thinking it may make the most sense to have them start on the Friday we do Udawalawe. In that case, is it pretty easy to get an Uber all the way down to the southern beach towns on the spot, or should we book a ride in advance?

2. Any recommendations for which beach town? We’re mid/late 30s, like quiet/scenic beaches, enjoy a cocktail or two on the beach or after dinner but will not be partying into the night, and some access to basic Western food (burgers, pasta) would be nice just in case as my partner tends to have stomach issues the first few days of travel. We do want to go whale watching one day, so should we just stay in Mirissa?

3. Should we just stay in Ella and do a day trip to Nuwara Eliya (or the other way around), or split our time to stay in both?

4. Looking at flights, we may end up coming in on Sunday instead of Monday. If there was one more day to add to this itinerary, which location would you suggest extending by a day?

Thanks again!!

Hi! Looking for recommendations for a resort in the Maldives for the end of our honeymoon.

Logistics: We’re looking ideally for ~5 nights ending on a Saturday, late January through February. Budget is ~$5-7k USD (somewhat flexible).

Preferences: A good house reef is a big plus (only one of us likes to snorkel, so not having to make a trip of it would be nice). We don’t have strong feelings on beach vs overwater villa, or on speedboat vs seaplane transfer. All-inclusive would be great (if not, hopefully closer to the lower end of our budget range). Adults only isn’t mandatory but would be really nice. We’re not big foodies (I’m vegetarian and my partner is picky, so neither of us eats seafood).

Quotes from travel agents and recommendations from other travelers are welcome! I’d also love to hear how the Park Hyatt compares to other options, as we may be able to snag that with points.

My partner and I are trying to plan a 2-3 week trip early next year (January through March 2027) for our honeymoon and think we’ve gotten it narrowed down to two options: Sri Lanka + Maldives or Vietnam + Philippines or Thailand.

Our budget is $10-15k but our usual travel style is $3-5k. We want this trip to feel “once in a lifetime,” which is why we’re aiming for a longer trip somewhere further than we normally travel (we do the Caribbean almost every year). We want to end the trip relaxing in a beautiful beach resort: white sand beach, crystal clear water, and somebody bringing us cocktails. Optional points for great snorkeling for the one of us who enjoys that. Before that, we’d like something a bit more active/adventurous (but still maintaining a high level of comfort since it is our honeymoon). We love culture and history (e.g., temples) and nature (short hikes, beautiful scenery). I LOVE wildlife and he likes wildlife. We’re in our thirties and enjoy a nice cocktail before an early bedtime, but aren’t interested in much nightlife beyond that. Food is a consideration in the opposite way than you’d hope: my partner is a classic American picky eater whose pickiness is dialed up to 11 with the anxiety of travel (read: we need regular access to basic western food like cheeseburgers, or at least lightly seasoned chicken and rice).

In Sri Lanka, we’d do the usual circuit of Cultural Triangle, Ella, and safari, possibly doing it in reverse order to start with beach/whale-watching. We’d then head to the Maldives for a few nights at a resort.

In Vietnam/SE Asia, we’d start in Hanoi and do a Halong Bay cruise and visit to Ninh Binh. After that, we’d either fly south for Hue + Hoi An or to Cambodia for Angkor Wat. If we have enough time, we’d love to finish the trip at a resort in either Thailand or the Philippines (because the options in Vietnam seem just okay from what I’ve read).

Any insight on how these two destinations compare from people who’ve visited both would be extremely welcome! They look equally amazing on travel blogs and Instagram, but how comparable are they really?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice on figuring out the timeline of our day and how many hours of photography we need, as I don’t even really know where to start!

We’re planning to get married at city hall, hopefully snagging one of the later time slots (2pm or later, with the last times being 3:30). Unfortunately, we can’t bring a photographer in with us due to the guest limits as we’re both bringing our parents. I assume we’d be done there somewhere between 3-4pm.

We have dinner reservations arranged for 5pm with our families (parents, siblings, siblings). We reserved a back garden area in a restaurant in Chelsea, with a brief standing cocktail before dinner.

How have other couples worked photography into an awkwardly timed day like this? We don’t particularly want to spend the entire day posing for pictures (we’re a bit camera-shy) or pay the amount that would cost anyway, but we are also not sure how else to manage getting some pictures of everything we want. We want some of just us (ideally without our parents standing around watching us because then I will *definitely* be making my “this photo may have been taken at gunpoint” face), which I’d initially thought would be better to do before we meet our parents to go to the courthouse. But my family’s flying in for this and we thought it’d be nice to get some pictures with the family as well (before dinner at some other location? At the restaurant during the cocktail? I doubt we want pictures of us eating).

Should we just do all the pictures in between the courthouse and dinner, or do we need to book a photographer for longer? How long do people usually book a photographer for this type of thing, and how much should it reasonably cost? I am hoping to keep it under $2k, ideally less.

Hi! I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, so am hoping folks can point me in the direction of some reputable stores/websites to find an affordable (~$500 or less, if that isn’t totally unreasonable?) dress for my city hall ceremony followed by small family dinner in late August 2026.

I don’t want a big ballgown or anything dragging on the ground, so looking for knee length, tea length, or ankle length at most. I usually prefer A-line and fit and flare styles as I’m mid-sized and pear-shaped. I want something that’s fancier than just a casual sundress, and have been liking options with lace or chiffon.

Where I’ve looked so far: I’ve scrolled through the BHLDN website as I see that frequently recommended, but the options I’m seeing there are.. more adventurously styled than I’d like (am I filtering wrong? I didn’t realize “one piece” and “both breasts INSIDE the dress” would be difficult asks). I ordered some try-on dresses from Azazie, which I did like, although the ones available for try-on were quite simple (no lace or other details, just very basic). I also ordered some try-on dresses from JJ’s House, where I saw a lot more options that I liked on the website, but then I felt like they looked/felt low quality in person (uneven necklines, the lace had frayed edges that looked like they were coming apart, things that looked layered in photos actually just being weirdly tacked on extra flaps).

I’m just not familiar with any of this, and am having a hard time telling what’s reputable/legit online or what’s going to be SHEIN drop-shipping. I am also NYC based and would love suggestions of stores I could try in person!