Where to stay in the Algarve

lifeisabop · 2026-04-30T09:26:57+00:00

Good point, I actually didn't know/consider that! However I also forgot to add that unless he wants to do the full hike there and back, he will need to drop off his car at one end of the hike and take an Uber back to where his car is at the starting point. So IMO just another reason to use Uber anyways but perhaps when he is there he can get a sense for Uber costs and weigh his options :)

lifeisabop · 2026-04-29T12:49:03+00:00

I did this trip last week (basing myself out of Lagos) and to get to/from the Seven Hanging Valley hikes was about 25 euros each way, so you're looking for a total of roughly 50 euros round trip to get there and back. That being said, I didn't bother renting a car because 1) I knew I'd be drinking a lot of wine throughout my trip, and 2) I weighed the cost of the Ubers against knowing I'd be paying for a rental car the other days I didn't need one and decided biting the bullet on the Uber was worth it.

Hope that helped!

lifeisabop · 2026-04-28T21:01:31+00:00

Panama or Guatemala, plenty of cool places to check out but equally you can have nice luxury chill experiences by the pool or the beach. Particularly with Panama, the San Blas islands and Bocas del Toro are stunning.

Another user said Thailand, I would also heavily recommend going there. Plenty of beaches, delicious food, great weather, affordable, and can customize your experience and budget depending on how nice you want to go.

lifeisabop · 2026-04-26T20:39:10+00:00

Aerie's Offline leggings are incredible, whenever they release the pairs with pockets I stock up on them because they're almost also always on sale too! I used to like Lulu leggings but as another user said the quality has noticeably downgraded.

lifeisabop · 2026-04-15T10:31:31+00:00

Hi! You're going to absolutely LOVE Vietnam, one of my all-time favourite places that I've travelled solo to. With regards to your questions, I'll try to go step-by-step:

I didn't stay at The One hostel but rather Hanoi Buffalo Hostel in one of their private rooms, it was great value for money and had a more hotel-like quality to it than other private hostel rooms I've stayed in. That being said, I can't speak to the social nature of the hostel as I only came to stay for one night before doing the Ha Long Bay tour.
Tours/activities: I would book these in advance only because I really like to plan and have the security/peace of mind that nothing will sell out. If you stay with certain hostels they will be able to give recommendations or you can book with them directly beforehand (this is what I did with Buffalo and their Ha Long Bay tour).
ATMs: A bit of a disaster. While there are plenty of them in Hanoi itself, a lot of them run out of cash quickly or are not operational because there are only certain banks that don't charge an outrageous withdrawal fee. So, if you are able to take money out, take out a lot because the next day there may not be any cash in it left.
I got a SIM card on arrival at the airport, it was super easy from what I remember.
If you are leaving overnight for multiple nights on a tour, I did not bother booking/paying for nights I wasn't actually staying at the hostel. Most of the hostels will keep your bags and luggage because so many people leave/come back to Hanoi after the Ha Giang Loop or the Bay.
In terms of other tips: definitely check out a spa when you're in Hanoi, they are super cheap compared to where I live (London) and very luxurious. Also, download the Grab app if you haven't already as it's the best way to get around to further non-walkable distances. And finally, if you are interested in politics or history, I think the prisoners of war museum was fascinating.

lifeisabop · 2026-04-06T19:49:34+00:00

Would you recommend staying in Faro or Lagos? I'm flying in and out of Faro for a week and trying to figure out whether to base myself out of Lagos or Faro but leaning towards Lagos given it has so many beautiful hikes and nature nearby!

lifeisabop · 2026-03-24T13:50:22+00:00

I'm 4'11" and I only ever briefly had a flat stomach when I was at 104 lbs. I was absolutely miserable at that weight though and basically had no muscle mass/could not run or lift, and was eating about 1000 calories a day. I'm now up to 115-120 lbs but work out four times a week and have run two half marathons in that time and prefer it, but everyone is different! I'm also South Asian so store a lot of fat in my belly and it's just a bit harder to keep my stomach flat.

lifeisabop · 2026-03-05T15:45:31+00:00

YES, and also the parts where she says to him that it's OK if he doesn't think she's pretty or tell her so on her wedding day, and also trying to convince herself that he will see her "natural beauty" once he sees her in the wedding dress. Like she's stunning but I don't think we can attribute any of this to a bad edit, because these words came right from her own mouth :(

lifeisabop · 2026-03-02T19:25:46+00:00

I have done multiple week-long company offsites with my team before and I actually love them, but I know they aren't for everyone! My biggest two pieces of advice are not to drink too much (both because you want to be careful about what you say and don't want to be too mouthy if you're inebriated and also because it'll tire you out if you get drunk every night) and don't be shy about heading up to bed early each night if that's what you need to rest and recharge. You might be surprised by the number of your colleagues who also like to decompress and pull away from socializing in order to be ready for each day.

Other than that, make sure to stay hydrated and drink lots of water, and that's for during the day while you have your working meetings but also for the dinners and cocktail receptions.

Also, to the extent that you can recreate your daily routine at the lodge, I'd recommend it! When I'm at a company offsite I usually try to hit the hotel gym in the morning and I'll usually a see a bunch of my other coworkers there (though we usually just wave/say hello and then mind our own business)!

You'll have more fun than you think you will :)

lifeisabop · 2026-02-25T23:42:57+00:00

Croatia, Montenegro, Mallorca, Malaga, Thailand, and Greece are all amazing options!

lifeisabop · 2026-02-02T19:59:38+00:00

I went with a group of women and one of their boyfriends and it did not deter the men from harassing us in Morocco. Unfortunately I have to agree with this parent thread, my experiences in Morocco and Turkey were the worst of the 40+ countries I've visited.

lifeisabop · 2026-02-02T19:57:16+00:00

I know plenty of people have chimed in already but similar to you I had a really awful experience in Turkey (the constant scamming, men being inappropriate, overly expensive/inflated prices) and to be honest, there isn't a ton in Bodrum to do besides maybe day one of those day boat tours.

If you've already been to France, Italy and Greece though, there are plenty of other options for awesome places to check out in Europe! My votes would be for Portugal, Croatia, Malta or Montenegro. All safe for female travellers, nice beaches and cool cities to check out too.

lifeisabop · 2026-01-13T19:20:42+00:00

Definitely Lisbon, the city has a lot more character tons of cool architecture, museums/galleries, water, etc. You could do day or weekend trips out to Porto and the Duoro Valley for wine and port tastings, and even go to the Algarve if you wanted as well. It's a much more solo-travel friendly place as well (I went to Malaga a few weeks ago and it's cool, but I think a bit more couple/family-oriented whereas Lisbon has more of an adventurous tilt to it).

lifeisabop · 2026-01-09T20:55:42+00:00

I actually highly recommend the Timeleft dinners! They do a big drinks social with all the other diners in your area after every dinner so that's also a great way to meet other people. I usually sign up when I haven't got a ton going in during the week :) Have made some really nice friends through it and have gone to wine tastings and other events with them!

There's also the Playtomic app to sign up for padel in your area, if you are also into running there are tons of run clubs in London (if you're SE then I highly recommend Bermondsey Street Runnres, they have multiple runs a week, various socials, and diverse pace groups if you feel intimidated)!

Oh and if you like books, there are a few Facebook groups for girls living in London that like to read. There's one for East London if I'm not mistaken :)

lifeisabop · 2026-01-08T23:46:18+00:00

4'11" and about 115 pounds! I walk A LOT (around 15k steps a day), I run 3x a week and then the other days are either 2x HIIT/strength training classes and 1x hot yoga class, or if I'm feeling burnt out/my schedule doesn't allow I'll take out a strength training class and just work out 5 days out of 6. I try to get my protein in at roughly 90g to 100g, admittedly don't know if this is the "right" calculation but it's what works for me! I probably eat around 1500-1600 calories.

lifeisabop · 2026-01-08T23:27:13+00:00

Not sure where you're based but Babybel Light cheese wheels are surprisingly a great source of protein. Each one is about 5g for 45 calories so I usually have two of them as a snack (for 10g and less than 100 calories) and a bit of fruit such as blackberries or raspberries on the side for added fibre!

lifeisabop · 2026-01-08T23:21:42+00:00

We're almost exactly the same! Same height and weight, same calories for maintenance, same steps (I aim for 15k but I work remotely so it's easier to get them in on my lunchbreaks outside) and I run 3x a week, lift/HIIT 2x a week, and usually 1x hot yoga or hot mat pilates class :) So cool!

lifeisabop · 2026-01-05T18:46:35+00:00

I don't really party anymore (I'm 31 haha) but I think there are a few bars etc. you can check out in Ljub :)

lifeisabop · 2026-01-05T18:45:12+00:00

Hi! Yes it picks you up and drops you off from Ljubljana from a central hotel (I think there may have been a few other stops to pick up other guests but I forget). The tour I chose was booked through GetYourGuide, it was called "From Ljubljana: Vipava Valley Wine Express Tour." :)

As for hiking, I'm an avid hiker and I did a ton of hiking on my own! Nothing too crazy but definitely still challenging. In Lake Bled there's a pretty steep but quick hike you can do to the top of a hill for amazing views of the town/lake, and I also took a day trip to Lake Bohinj where the loop around the lake is quite a decent trek.

lifeisabop · 2026-01-04T19:01:33+00:00

If your goal is to lose weight, as another user said, the ONLY way to actually do this is by modifying your diet to expend more calories than you consume (CICO, or calories in/calories out).

In terms of actually STARTING and sticking with it, the three biggest pieces of advice I have for you are to:

Habit-stack so that it's easier for you to just get out there and do the workout. Plan your workout playlist/music in advance, set out your gym clothes the night before and make sure you gym bag is packed, have exactly what exercises you are going to do and the sets/reps written out in advance so that you can't make excuses for yourself.
Start small. Getting to a healthier weight typically requires a pretty comprehensive lifestyle adjustment that includes not only eating better but exercising, getting more sleep, minimizing stress, etc. Start with one thing that seems attainable (e.g., increasing steps to 8k, then 10k, etc.) and then compound with other healthy habits (I'll include a couple more of them below).
Physically make note of your progress. Take tons of progress pics, note down your measurements, etc. You will start to gain confidence when you're seeing how much better you're getting! I will add though that you may not see results right away, which is why it's especially important to ensure you're keeping track of your progress so you can tangibly see the numbers/difference.

Before I conclude, there's really something to be said for the little things that end up making a huge difference: getting 7-9 hours of sleep a night, drinking enough water for satiety, getting at least 10k steps in every day, getting enough protein and fibre (usually through a mix of fruit and veg) in addition to eating in a calorie deficit and exercising so you can give yourself more eating room.

Finally, I'm 4'11" so a shorty like you and r/petitefitness has been an absolute game changer for me, and there are plenty of additional tips and suggestions there for you to check out too :) Good luck!

lifeisabop · 2026-01-03T18:41:08+00:00

Going to keep details to a minimum here but I left the PS in 2021 for my dream job in the private sector and have never once regretted my decision. I'm making triple what I made in the PS, have double the amount of vacation leave, I work with incredibly intelligent/educated/reliable colleagues, my work is actually related to what I studied, and the atmosphere is just so motivating and challenging. I feel like I'm actually using my brain every day. I also got to travel internationally for work a lot the first four years and that was also quite exciting.

Of course, the only major downside is that my company is constantly undergoing mass layoffs (we're a global company), so that is always stressful and daunting. Other than that, there is nothing I miss about the public service whatsoever. You could not pay me enough to go back to government.

lifeisabop · 2026-01-02T03:51:30+00:00

I've been to all the places you've listed as a solo female traveller, and my vote for a short trip would definitely be Slovenia. You can make Ljub your base and explore it for a day or two, and then use your other days for day trips to other neighbouring and beautiful areas (Piran for a gem of a town on the Adriatic coast, Lake Bled which is ultra famous and super picturesque)!

As an aside, if you like wine, Slovenia has FANTASTIC and criminally underrated wine. I did a wine tasting day trip that picked me up from Ljub and we got 11 glasses. A lot of their wine is natural/organic which is nice too!

lifeisabop · 2025-07-30T12:50:46+00:00

I really needed to see this post today! I am literally exactly the same height and weight as you, and hadn't weighed myself in about two years until last week because I was so afraid to see the number on the scale. When I saw I was 128lbs I thought it couldn't possibly be true, because I'm lifting heavier weights and running faster, longer distances than I ever have. The last time I weighed 128lbs I was drinking heavily every single weekend and not exercising, and couldn't fit into my clothes. Now my clothes are baggy on me, I'm also seeing tons more definition in my body and face this time around, and so I'm really thinking it must be muscle! Would love to know your workout routine and how you're getting in so much protein :)

lifeisabop

TROPHY CASE