Mexico: The Magic of the Yucatán
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Mexico: The Magic of the Yucatán

by Lhorizon

in Between trips › Travel journals

Translated into English.

Original post
LH
Lhorizon
Veteran766 posts
Hello everyone,

What a pleasure to be back on VF after a few difficult years 😎 So, before diving into the topic, welcome back to VF and above all... keep going!

Well, I’m finally picking up my old habit of posting a new travel journal.

Before heading to Mexico in the summer of 2023 with my family (my partner and our two boys, aged 18 and 16), I had somehow convinced myself—though I can’t even remember why—that the Yucatán was too touristy, too cliché, too expensive, and overrated!

The country didn’t particularly appeal to me, but faced with my wife’s insistence—she’d been there years ago, before we met, and had promised to show our sons this incredible place—my arguments didn’t hold much weight.

And thank goodness, because I have to admit she was absolutely right to take us there! In the end, we encountered far fewer tourists than we’d feared (except at a few sites), and the prices, which we’d been told were geared toward American neighbors (US), turned out to be quite affordable. In short, it was pure joy on both counts. All that was left was for the trip itself to be beautiful and memorable—and it was...

1st stop: Isla Holbox and the whale sharks

Holbox (pronounced “Hol-bosh”) is a stunning island where you can relax in an enchanting setting.



Our main goal in coming to Holbox was to swim with whale sharks. So, the first thing we told our hotel, Los Arcos Holbox, upon arrival was to arrange an excursion with one of the island’s many tour operators: Glendy Tours Holbox. We set off the next morning, bright and early.

The itinerary for this outing is the same for all tour operators (and there are about thirty of them!): roughly two hours by speedboat, then snorkeling with the whale sharks, followed by another boat ride to Cabo Catoche for lunch, then more boating to a fish-filled snorkeling spot before heading back. In total, the excursion can take eight hours—or even longer.



Besides my two sons and me, there were only two other clients on board—a French couple. Our boat was one of the very first to leave, but after ten minutes, the pilot got a radio call. We turned back without any explanation, returning to the departure dock.

There, a young woman who clearly fancied herself a diva was waiting for us. She was Mexican and boarded the boat, snubbing all five of us while flirting with the pilot and guide, who were suddenly all eyes for her. We couldn’t understand how this diva had convinced our tour operator to turn the boat around just to pick her up when she hadn’t even booked and we were already far out. We left 20 minutes late.

The two-hour journey passed surprisingly quickly, and for good reason: we spotted dolphins six times! They were leaping out of the water as they moved. Pure joy. We stopped whenever they were near the boat.



The photo isn’t great—the ultra-wide-angle lens on my GoPro makes the dolphins look smaller—but at least I got a souvenir.

A few flying fish (exocets) also glided a meter or two above the water as we sped along. The false start was forgotten, and the day was off to a fantastic start in this stunning marine environment...

When we reached the area where the whale sharks were supposed to be, the guide explained that we’d now have to scan the sea until we spotted one. It could take five minutes or forty-five, he said, and if we were unlucky, we might not see any at all!

An hour and a half later—still nothing! The captain then headed toward a distant area where about twenty other boats were already gathered.

Sure enough, there was a juvenile whale shark (still a good eight meters long) there, and all the boats were lining up to approach it slowly, one by one, so as not to scare the animal. Each boat got about thirty seconds within a few meters of it, engine idling, before making way for the next. We were allowed to approach three times, but we weren’t permitted to dive in. That’s normal—such a crowd of divers around a single animal would stress it out, and here, whale sharks are protected by regulations: swimming with them is strictly controlled. There was even a coast guard boat with us at all times, monitoring everyone’s behavior.

We were torn between the luck of seeing such a magnificent animal, even from the surface, and the discomfort we felt about the absurd situation. All those boats lined up just to catch a fleeting glimpse of the shark for a few seconds—let’s be honest, it was ridiculous. In short, the whole thing was unpleasant, and probably even more so for the shark than for us, though it did keep gulping down kilos of plankton as if nothing were happening...

When it was our turn to approach, I dipped my GoPro into the water at arm’s length and framed the shot blindly, hoping for a decent image of the shark.



On the third and final approach, the sixth passenger on board—the one we’d had to turn back for ten minutes after departure—quietly spoke to the guide and captain after putting on her flippers (even though, I’ll remind you, no one was allowed to dive). She wanted them to ask the coast guard for permission to dive with the shark—just her! She whispered so we couldn’t hear what she was offering in exchange.

The two lackeys complied and shouted the request to the officials in front of all the other boats, with no shame whatsoever. With so many witnesses, the coast guard had no choice but to refuse. The diva wouldn’t let it go and asked them to insist, which they did, but the refusal was firm and final.

On the nearest boats, everyone had heard and was stunned. They openly mocked this bimbo who clearly had no shame. Hidden behind her star sunglasses, she responded with a dismissive smile. Pathetic.

The encounter with the shark ended, and we set off for Cabo Catoche, a site on Holbox Island where we were to have lunch.



We were a little disappointed not to have had the chance to see the usual school of whale sharks (they’re often dozens swimming together!), but that’s nature’s way, and we knew it.

And then, an unlikely stroke of luck: a boat ahead of us was putting divers in the water with a pair of adult whale sharks. We joined them, and while we were putting on our masks and snorkels, the guide briefed us. He said my sons and I would go first, followed by the French couple and the diva.

But Miss World, clearly unhappy with this order, quietly complained to the guide, who eventually switched the order. It didn’t bother us since we’d only get a minute in the water anyway—what’s a minute more or less?

So the three of them got in the water, and a moment later, they were done. My two sons and I, sitting on the edge of the boat with masks on and snorkels in our mouths, were ready to finally take the plunge. But instead of continuing to follow the shark, the captain was suddenly all eyes for Miss Silicone! He even let go of the wheel for a moment to help her back on board.

One of the two sharks had already left minutes earlier, and the second was swimming farther away. Other boats were arriving, and the captain went to join the queue 100 meters from the shark. Soon, even more boats showed up. There were way too many people, the shark left, and diving was no longer possible.

I was, of course, a little disappointed not to have fulfilled my long-time dream of swimming with a whale shark, even briefly. But I was mostly disgusted for my two boys, who had been so excited about it. I told the guide exactly what I thought and asked for compensation—not for missing out on swimming with the shark (you can never guarantee seeing one, nature isn’t at our beck and call), but for clearly skipping our turn to dive. He promised a refund.

At the end of the day, back on land, he dropped us all off, and as he was about to leave, I reminded him about the refund. He agreed again, calmly got back on board, and sped off as if nothing had happened—just him and the captain, two total cowards. I couldn’t believe it.

Of course, back at our hotel (which had booked this tour operator—Glendy Tours), I explained the situation and asked for my refund again. The receptionist called the manager, who arrived with the guide. Our runaway wasn’t so cocky anymore. Inside, I was fuming, but I kept my cool during the discussion that followed.

Right off the bat, I made a point of looking the so-called guide in the eyes while telling him he’d run off like a coward. I did my best to stay calm, speaking clearly, staring him down the whole time, and repeating several times that he was a coward, in front of the manager, who didn’t say a word. The guide had clearly been told by his boss to keep quiet because he didn’t utter a word during the entire twenty-minute conversation.

Anyway, I’ll spare you the details, but in the end, the manager only offered us another excursion the next day as compensation for the “inconvenience.” It was just snorkeling with fish, not another whale shark trip. He admitted their fault, but since we had to leave early the next morning and had other bookings for the rest of the trip, we couldn’t accept. And he refused to refund us.

On Tripadvisor, Glendy Tours has a mediocre rating (3 out of 5), but more importantly, it ranks 29th out of 36 nautical tour operators rated by customers. I was pretty upset with the hotel for booking such an amateur for us.



If you want to swim with whale sharks in Holbox, you might end up with Glendy Tours. And it might go well—I certainly hope so. But given the price of such an excursion (3,000 pesos per person, about 160 €!), I’d still suggest quickly checking online before you go to see which providers have the best ratings. You’ll have a much better chance of things going smoothly with the top-rated ones than with those as poorly ranked as Glendy Tours.

On the other hand, if you’re a beautiful young woman, you can choose them without worry—you’ll get better treatment than the rest of us...

To wrap up this excursion, I have to mention the “respect for nature” angle that all these tour operators highlight. They tell us they respect the whale sharks: only two or three people can dive at a time, and only for a few minutes, so as not to disturb these gentle giants...

We believed them before we left, but that’s not what we saw. When the sharks are hard to find except for one, everyone rushes it, and only the constant presence of the coast guard prevents the tour operators from putting their clients in the water.

Because for the second shark we saw, when the divers from our boat got out of the water and we left to join the queue while it was our turn to dive, other boats quickly arrived and started swarming the poor shark, which eventually left.

In other words, it’s clear these companies only respect the sharks when they’re being watched.

Boat reversing a meter away from a pelican

And for the snorkeling near Cabo Catoche, they attract fish daily by feeding them—a practice that’s normally discouraged. Afterward, these fish can’t feed naturally anymore and become dependent on Glendy Tours and its competitors.

A quick note on the rest of the excursion: Cabo Catoche (the site where we had lunch, on Holbox Island) is the northernmost point of the entire Yucatán. The place is paradise.



On the way back, we spent half an hour snorkeling at a site that turned out to be fish-filled only because the tour operators had the bad habit of feeding the fish. But this practice, which isn’t respectful of nature, is normally discouraged.



Plus, life jackets—like in many places in the Yucatán—are mandatory!!



As divers, we didn’t find the site very interesting, but objectively, it should delight those who aren’t used to putting their heads underwater in beautiful dive spots.

We hated feeling trapped in those life jackets, stuck at the surface, and for me, the highlight was swimming next to a pelican that wasn’t too shy—it was paddling right beside me in green water.

Anyway, it seems we can’t post more than 10 photos at once on VF, so I’ll come back with the rest of the journal in another message. Because after these early trip mishaps, the rest of the journey turned out to be magnificent...
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
... and here's the rest...

So, I was telling you about my pelican swimming in green waters just a meter away from me—here it is!

To wrap it up, our dream of diving with whale sharks didn’t pan out—unlike us, who stayed on board! But it’s all good in the end since we still have 18 days left to enjoy Mexico, and those guys and their plastic sweetheart aren’t gonna ruin the fun.

The rest of our journey through the Yucatan is actually turning out to be amazing. Even though we didn’t get to dive with whale sharks, in a few days—though we don’t know it yet—we’ll be diving with a wild crocodile…

Bioluminescence

On the far west side of the island (just 15 minutes from the little town of Holbox by golf cart), there’s a famous bioluminescence site: the plankton in the water glows at night.

The photos I’d seen online showed incredibly bright, metallic blue water at night. It was stunning.

If you’ve seen those same images, don’t be fooled: the plankton does glow, but much less than in those photos, and the light isn’t blue—it’s more of a grayish hue. Basically, it’s magical for kids, interesting for the curious, but overall a bit disappointing (there we go again…).

But maybe that bright blue glow depends on the season or water conditions…

The Beaches

Holbox Island has long, gorgeous white-sand beaches.



In the town of Holbox, they’re taken over by hotels, but as soon as you venture a little farther, you’ll find paradise-like spots: white sand, sea that shifts between green and turquoise, coconut trees…

Street Art

Lots of walls in Holbox are beautifully graffitied. Here’s a little preview.







That’s it for Holbox, but the journey continues...
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Second stop: Rio Lagartos and Las Coloradas

After leaving Holbox Island by boat to reach the mainland, we head to Rio Lagartos, still in the northern part of Yucatan.

This small, quiet town thrives on tourism, yet paradoxically, we saw very few visitors.





The great tip is to visit the Ria Lagartos reserve early in the morning, which is why it’s best to arrive the day before.

If you do, you can enjoy the late afternoon (on the day of arrival) to visit the two cenotes of Peten Mac and Chikila, located just outside the town.

The next morning, you visit the biosphere reserve by boat, and in the afternoon, you can head to Las Coloradas.

The Peten Mac Cenote

You reach the Peten Mac cenote via a pleasant path winding through the vegetation.





After a few minutes’ walk, the trail opens up to a small, wild cenote, surrounded by a dock and nestled in the jungle.



In this cenote live two wild crocodiles that, during our visit, didn’t show themselves right away. While keeping an eye out for the large reptiles, we chat with two local guides. It’s their day off, and they’re wrapping up their fishing trip. They haven’t caught a single fish but are enjoying a few beers in the great outdoors—sometimes, it doesn’t take much to be happy.

We tell them we’d love to see the two crocodiles. Immediately, one of them grabs his fishing rod and taps the water’s surface continuously with the tip.

The result is almost instant: within seconds, the first crocodile approaches quickly, almost like a small dog responding to its owner’s call, followed closely by the second. The scene is incredible.



They explain that the few visitors who come here sometimes feed the cenote’s two residents (though feeding wild animals is obviously a practice to avoid, for the animals’ sake). That’s why they rushed over at the guide’s call, hoping for a little snack. The two reptiles stayed for long minutes just a few meters away, floating peacefully on the surface.



The guide tells us that in the previous days, the female had built her nest near the dock. So, it’s best to avoid that area when the soon-to-be mom is around, because even though this freshwater crocodile isn’t aggressive toward humans, it can become so if it thinks someone’s threatening its nest or eggs.

Mama croc’s nest

While we chat with these two friendly guides, who share fascinating stories about the local wildlife, one of the crocodiles calmly dives with its mouth wide open.



It disappears, but its companion stays on the surface just four or five meters from the dock, allowing me to photograph it up close.



Already 10 photos posted! More to come...
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
I was snapping photos of this croc up close, as I was saying...

With a few curious dragonflies as a bonus!



Needless to say, unlike most cenotes open to the public in the Yucatan, you can’t swim in the one at Peten Mac! However, this spot, where we didn’t encounter a single tourist during the forty minutes we spent there, is a treat for nature lovers.

We leave the Peten Mac cenote for the Chikila cenote, located just a few hundred meters away.

The Chikila Cenote

Before visiting these two neighboring cenotes (Chikila and Peten Mac), we were clearly told that we could only swim in Chikila because of the two crocodiles living in Peten Mac.

So, as soon as we arrive at Chikila, our two sons put on their swimsuits and get ready to jump into the water to cool off at last, since the atmosphere is stifling with very high temperatures and humidity.

Just as they’re about to dive in, Victor, our oldest son, says this surreal sentence: "We’re all agreed, that kind of crocodile at the bottom—it’s fake, right?"

We weren’t suspicious at all because young kids had just been swimming there, women were washing their laundry with their feet in the water, and the locals had assured us before we came that crocodiles didn’t enter this cenote and that we could swim there without worry.

But the creature clearly starts moving at the bottom of the water: the fake crocodile is real!



We’re stunned! We immediately inform the women, who don’t seem particularly surprised and continue washing their laundry as if nothing happened.

The kids who had just gotten out of the water come back to admire the beast, though they don’t dip so much as a toe in this time!

After asking around, it turns out this cenote is connected to the nearby sea by a network of submerged tunnels (like most cenotes, in fact), and even though it’s rare, sometimes a crocodile slips in!

This one isn’t very big, and the locals assure us that the few crocodiles that end up in this cenote have never attacked any swimmers. But we still feel a huge retrospective fright, imagining what could have happened if our sons had dived right next to it.

Once the shock passes, the four of us laugh together about what will, much to our dismay, become a great travel anecdote.

Ria Lagartos, Biosphere Reserve

The main attraction of Rio Lagartos is its biosphere reserve, classified as such by UNESCO. It’s actually called Ria Lagartos, which means "estuary of the lizards" (understand: estuary of the crocodiles!), not to be confused with the town of Rio Lagartos (located just opposite), the "river of the lizards."

The reserve is best visited by boat, ideally early in the morning, because that’s when the animals are just waking up: still half-asleep, they’re easier to observe.



Within minutes, we reach the mangrove on the opposite shore, then navigate through the winding canals.



Ria Lagartos is a critically important area for the conservation of many endangered species. Some animals considered critically endangered, like sea turtles, are protected here.

The atmosphere is one of tranquility and calm, perfectly matching such a natural site.

This protected area allows you to observe many birds everywhere. It also serves as a stopover for a number of migratory birds.



Among all the birds living in the area, we’re lucky enough to spot an osprey. It’s a beautiful raptor with a wingspan of over 1.5 meters, feeding almost exclusively on fish.

The pressure of its talons is so strong that sometimes, when the fish it catches turns out to be too heavy, it may not be able to release its grip and ends up drowning!



Our guide José explains that a few years ago, part of the mangrove didn’t survive the passage of El Niño (or more precisely, the spread of its global consequences, since El Niño is localized in the Pacific Ocean), a climate phenomenon that causes a significant rise in water temperature.



The affected area isn’t very large, but it’s in this seemingly lifeless spot that we spot a crocodile.

Despite showing off its impressive teeth, it generally doesn’t attack humans since it feeds exclusively on fish, birds, and small mammals.



Note that if you want to maximize your chances of spotting a crocodile, you should leave from Rio Lagartos as early as possible, meaning no later than 7:00–7:30 AM. Because as soon as it starts getting hot, these large reptiles tend to hide in the mangrove.

The boat tour continues with a walk through a salt marsh where the water displays surprising colors.



Then we arrive in the territory of the pink flamingos. Here, there are two options: either the guide respects the regulations, which prohibit getting too close to these graceful birds to avoid scaring them, or they blatantly ignore the rules to satisfy their clients, hoping for a tip at the end.

Our guide José, very professional, will conscientiously stay at a distance. Hence the slightly distant photos illustrating this post.



José explains that a few years ago, there were many more flamingos here than today. Boats would approach them very closely and often at high speed, forcing them to fly in front of tourists’ cameras. The tourists were, of course, delighted with their photos, taken at the expense of the frightened flamingos.

And as expected, what had to happen happened: the flamingos left to live elsewhere, far from humans, to have peace. So today, there are far fewer of them in this part of the reserve accessible to tourists, though in the end, we still spot a few dozen.

Note that during these boat tours, if you wish, you can make a stop in the middle of the estuary to cover your body in mud, then rinse off in the water half an hour later. We didn’t do it, but it’s supposedly great for the skin.

The tour ends with the observation of the pink flamingos. Next stop: Las Coloradas...
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
SC Scot2021 Regular ·
Hi! What a great idea! A new travel journal about the Yucatan! We're heading there for the first time during the two months of next summer with our two boys, aged 15 and 10... I’ll be following your adventures in detail and with pleasure😎

Sylvain
carnet de 8 semaines dans l'Ouest Américain: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10554947;#10554947
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Las Coloradas

Las Coloradas is located 25 minutes by car east of Rio Lagartos.

Originally, the current site of Las Coloradas was a place where the Mayas produced salt. This activity continues today: seawater is stored in large basins, then gradually evaporates under the region's scorching sun while its salt crystallizes.

This water is also rich in algae, plankton, and small pink shrimp: it's these that give the water its unique color (as well as the pink flamingos that eat them, by the way). Visually, this landscape is quite spectacular.



A few years ago, this site was almost untouched by tourists. You could even swim in these pink waters to take incredible photos. But since a tourist's drone crashed into one of these basins, polluting it for a while, swimming has been banned.

During our visit (July 2023), the entrance was paid, but above all, it was mandatory to be accompanied by a guide: you can no longer wander freely around here.

And that's nothing compared to what's brewing: the authorities are heavily investing in this site by building large-scale tourist infrastructure all around the salt production plant. The stated goal is clear: to achieve record tourist revenues...



Once these works are completed and the tourist capacity is multiplied tenfold, the question will be whether it's worth it: in our opinion, no.

Indeed, the color of these basins, which you can tour in half an hour, is amazing and photogenic, that's undeniable, but not enough to justify the prices and lack of authenticity that will inevitably come with it.

Okay, I'll stop here for today—I'll publish the rest very soon.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! 😎
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Hey Sylvain,

We absolutely loved the Yucatán (contrary to my expectations, I must say!) and we hope all four of you have an amazing trip there too.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask along the way in the travel journal—it’ll always be a pleasure to answer...

See you soon.
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
SC Scot2021 Regular ·
Re - hi there! Diving with whale sharks was one of the things we wanted to do since we’re spending 4 days in Holbox, but reading so many (too many) negative comments about the poor sharks put us off adding it to our to-do list... Diving for just 1 minute in the middle of all that boat chaos? No thanks... Such a shame because it sounded like a dream when we first started researching....
carnet de 8 semaines dans l'Ouest Américain: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10554947;#10554947
69 69Eric Veteran ·
Hi there! The Yucatán isn’t on my to-do list, but I’m happily jumping in on this thread. Between the Miss World vibes, whale sharks, and that crocodile in a cenote where it really shouldn’t have been, I can’t wait to see what’s next… 😉 Lovely photos and such a pleasant read. Thanks!
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Hey Éric, thanks for your comment—it really made me laugh! 😏

The next part is coming soon, but it might not be as thrilling 😮. Still, I’m excited to highlight this amazing destination...
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
To wrap up Rio Lagartos, a quick word on accommodation.

In this small town of 2,000 people, hotels are concentrated along the malecón, so you’re spoiled for choice. If you’ve got a bit of time, you can walk from one hotel to another to compare prices and play the competition.

We stayed at Posada El Perico Marinero. The price was steep (123 euros per night for 4), and by far the most expensive accommodation of our entire 3-week trip, but for this stop, I wanted a pool for our sons. And it’s one of only two hotels in the whole town with a pool, which isn’t a luxury given the scorching heat there.

The hotel is slightly off-center, making it a quiet place to stay, and it’s just a 5-minute walk to the tiny downtown area.



The hotel has an on-site restaurant and another great one in the downtown area (a 5-minute walk), for which the hotel receptionists give discount vouchers: Perico Marinero. The food is excellent, the location on the malecón is perfect, prices are reasonable, and the staff is welcoming.



While sipping our aperitif on the terrace, we watched a raccoon calmly cross the street. No complaints—this town, which is also frequented by pelicans, is truly a nature town...

And finally, the guide. Finding one is super easy! You can ask for a guide at the hotel reception, which is what we did at Posada El Perico Marinero. You can also stroll around town, where you’ll quickly become a target for different guides offering their services. However, when you decline, they’re not pushy.

Watch out: there are official guides and others! Usually, the latter are fishermen who take tourists on their boats because it’s much more profitable for them than fishing. But they haven’t received any training for the job and don’t necessarily provide reliable information.

Our guide, Jose Ramos Gamboa, is an official guide known by everyone who offered us their services on the malecón, and they all said he was an excellent guide—even though he was their competitor! In hindsight, we felt the same way. That’s probably why several hotels work with him...

The price: 1,800 pesos (about 95 euros) for a 2-hour tour for 4 people. Instead of negotiating the price like most people, we preferred to negotiate the duration, and Jose agreed to give us a 3-hour tour for the same rate.

If you’re interested, feel free to contact him by phone or WhatsApp: (999) 910 57 83 – By email: contacto@riolagartosdiscovery.com (specify his name: Jose Ramos Gamboa) – His employer’s website: Rio Lagartos Discovery (they offer different types of tours, including nighttime ones).



3rd stop: Valladolid and its surroundings

We left Las Coloradas for Valladolid, heading due south. Along the way, we stopped at the Kikil cenote for a dip. In short, a cenote is a water-filled sinkhole (and it’s *a* cenote, not *a*! 😉). These geological features are usually located in the middle of nature, and swimming in them is often delightful.



Kikil is frequented by a colorful bird found in large numbers, the turquoise-browed motmot. These pretty, multicolored feathered balls spend their time fluttering above swimmers’ heads to return to their nests, which they’ve built on the cenote’s walls.



It’s a pretty, wild, and uncrowded cenote. The few people there when we arrived didn’t stay long, and we quickly found ourselves alone. Pure bliss.

The only downside: the mandatory life jacket.

There are nearly 10,000 cenotes across the Yucatán Peninsula. Their refreshing waters are so appealing that you’ll likely swim in one (or several) almost every day.

I won’t detail every swim in these often-exceptional natural sites because, let’s be honest, no one’s that interested :smile:. I’ll just describe a few along the way in this travel journal. However, for those who might be curious, I’ve written a detailed article dedicated to these natural wonders: The Magic of Cenotes

The Kikil cenote is a perfect, refreshing stop between Rio Lagartos and Valladolid.

We chose this colonial city not only to visit it but also to explore the region. It’s ideally located for that: Mayan archaeological sites and cenotes are all around. There’s plenty to do.

Of the four colonial cities we visited, Valladolid was the one we liked the least. That said, it’s still pretty, and it’s a human-sized city (50,000 people), unlike Mérida, for example.

In our opinion, the advantage of touring the Yucatán counterclockwise is that you start with Valladolid and end with the stunning Campeche. But of course, everyone has their own preferences!

The square is dominated by the San Servacio church, the largest in the city.

We stayed at Hotel San Clemente for its ideal location: right in the city center! Just cross the street, and you’re at the foot of the San Servacio church, facing the main square.

Its location is exceptional (the best of all the hotels we stayed at in the Yucatán’s colonial cities), and the breakfast terrace by the pool is very pleasant.

Price: 68 euros per night for a room for 4 (in the middle of July, no less).



We explored the area, and of all the cenotes nearby, I’ll mention two we really loved and where we often found ourselves completely alone. These are cave cenotes, not the usual open-air ones.

The X’ux Ha cenote:



And the Chihuan cenote:



The atmosphere in cave cenotes is special: the air is very humid, sounds echo, the water is delicious, and you feel privileged to be there.
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LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Without further ado, after nature, let’s move on to ancient stones.

Between Valladolid and Mérida lies what is arguably the most iconic site in the entire Yucatan: Chichen Itza.

It’s an ancient and vast Mayan city that once housed up to 50,000 inhabitants. Today, its most famous structure, world-renowned, is the pyramid of Kukulcan, the feathered serpent god in whose honor it was built.



Alright, no need to play tourist guide for this ultra-famous and unmissable Yucatan site—just a few images will do, but this famous Mayan site is truly impressive to visit.

The Temple of the Warriors

The Tzompantli were sculpted wall sections depicting human skulls impaled on stakes! This violent Mayan practice actually existed.

Iguanas are everywhere in Chichen Itza. Even on the skulls of the Tzompantli—no respect from these little creatures.

All Mayan cities were built near one or more cenotes, these sinkholes that were the region’s only water source. The Sacred Cenote at Chichen Itza

Without further ado, after the ancient Mayan stones, we move on to a nature activity that exists only in the Yucatan and nowhere else in the world: diving in cenotes.

We did two incredible ones with Scuba Tulum, a dive club that gave us an amazing day.

First, we headed to the Ponderosa cenote. Visually, this stunning cenote lives up to its nickname, the Garden of Eden! Nestled in lush vegetation, its inviting water spans nearly every shade of green and blue.



The downside? It’s pretty busy—swimmers, snorkelers, and divers all come to enjoy this gorgeous cenote. But you can still spend half a day or even a full day there—it’s that beautiful, pleasant, and perfectly set up.

After entering the water in the main pool (the one in the photo above), you dive into a network of underwater galleries and caves. Claustrophobes, beware.

Before the dive, we were warned to swim breaststroke with our fins instead of kicking like in freestyle. Why? In some narrow passages, it prevents damaging the floor and ceiling by hitting them with your fins.



At the end of the tunnel is the highlight: impressive underwater light displays. Looking up, you can see the beautiful mangrove on the other side of the surface, located in a second cenote—this one inaccessible by foot.

Sunrays make their way through the tropical vegetation, then pierce the water’s surface down to the cenote’s depths. It looks like a movie set, but no—it’s just nature.

It’s hard to capture the grandeur and beauty of this dive spot with just a GoPro video still—I’ve got nothing better to show you! But it gives you an idea of what it looks like...



Back in the starting pool, a cute little freshwater turtle swims peacefully among us. A sublime dive.

After getting out of the water, Isella, our dive guide, gives us a choice for the second dive we’ll do in the afternoon: a cenote decorated with countless stalactites, or another in the mangrove where a wild crocodile lives. I’ll mention right away (but I’ll go into more detail later) that this croc is considered non-dangerous to humans by authorities and specialists who monitor it regularly.

Both dives sound amazing, but especially the second—an opportunity like this might never come again. Still, I don’t want to influence my sons, so I ask what they think. “The crocodile sounds cool,” I hear them say. Sold—it’s the croc for us.

I’ve almost reached my photo limit—see you in a bit...
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
The second dive of the day will be at Casa Cenote. It’s a kind of small lagoon with waters of an unreal, enchanting green. It’s surrounded by lush mangroves.



Its peculiarity is that a wild crocodile has made it home for several years now. Yet, every day, people swim there! And regularly, the reptile even swims among them in the most peaceful way possible. This has been going on for years, and it has never attacked anyone.

At this point in the story, it’s time to debunk a myth: crocodiles aren’t necessarily all man-eaters, far from it. It depends on the species and their geographical distribution. Freshwater crocodiles are generally little to not aggressive at all, unlike saltwater crocodiles.

The crocodile at Casa Cenote is a Morelet’s crocodile. It’s a species of freshwater crocodile that rarely approaches humans, though you should obviously always stay cautious. If threatened or approached too closely, it can become aggressive in self-defense.

Its diet mainly consists of fish, mammals, and birds. No humans.

The Morelet’s crocodile rarely exceeds three meters in adulthood. The one at Casa Cenote, still young, is about two meters long now.

This crocodile has been known to locals for years—so much so that they’ve given it a first name, Pancho, and even an affectionate nickname: Panchito! The creature has become the star of the place, and while swimmers might not be lining up, there are still a few every day who come to swim here. Some even travel from far away just to see it up close! That’s exactly what we did.

The dive begins in what is often crocodile territory: the mangrove.

Swimming along this beautiful vegetation with your head underwater while keeping an eye out for a crocodile is a unique experience. The mangrove seen from below is stunning—its many shades of green reflect on the surface, shimmering in the sunlight. I really wish I had a camera that could capture these magnificent images faithfully. Luckily, they’re etched in my memory.



After swimming along the mangrove for a few minutes at very shallow depths (one to three meters), we actually go *underneath* it! That’s how we end up paddling through an unexpected network of tunnels and galleries, even passing through one or two small underwater caves.

This kind of cave diving has its own particularities:

- It’s obviously very dark (which definitely doesn’t help the quality of my photos!).

- Especially in these fully submerged underwater tunnels, it’s impossible to surface for air since there *is* no surface! You even have to sign a waiver (stating you’ve been properly informed) before the dive.

- It’s mandatory to follow the guide line, which our experienced dive guide, Isella, unrolls meter by meter.

- The guide, of course, must have specific certification for cave diving, in addition to the usual scuba instructor qualifications.

- Finally, this cenote connects to the sea through the underwater galleries. A bit of salty seawater seeps into the cenote, but it doesn’t mix with the freshwater. This separation between saltwater and freshwater is called a halocline. Since saltwater is naturally denser than freshwater, it settles at the bottom, where—surprisingly—you can still visually distinguish it from the freshwater. It looks like a large oil slick. As soon as you swim into it, everything becomes murky, a bit like when you open your eyes underwater without a mask. This lack of visibility isn’t the most reassuring when you’re on the lookout for a wild crocodile, but this unsettling experience is worth it.



That’s the setting for this surreal dive.

Along this network of underwater galleries, a few gaps in the mangrove above our heads let the sun’s rays through, creating a visually stunning effect.



Oh, and a pro photographer with top-notch underwater gear came to take our picture down there, which explains the much better quality of the images above.



When we exit the tunnel, we know that this is precisely where Panchito’s territory begins. During her pre-dive briefing, Isella explained that our big toothy friend mainly lives in this part of the cenote, right after the galleries.

And sure enough, as soon as we emerge from the tunnels, she immediately waves at us, pointing to the water’s surface. At first, we don’t spot any crocodile. Seeing our hesitation, Isella joins her elbows to form a big V with her forearms and claps her hands together, mimicking a jaw snapping shut!

No doubt about it—Panchito is somewhere around here.

And indeed, we eventually spot his webbed foot just below the surface, gently resting on the mangrove amid the sunlight. The rest of the creature is above the surface, out of sight for now.



Apart from a few root ends, everything is dark around this foot, and the water is full of particles, but the moment is fascinating.

Isella signals that we’re going to surface to see him up close and in full. Naturally, the adrenaline kicks in a little, but not too much—we all feel surprisingly calm.



We wonder what pose we’ll find him in on the other side: Will he be watching us? On the defensive? Mouth open? Well, as it turns out, once we surface, he’s taking a nap!



He’s about four or five meters away from us, lazily sprawled on the mangrove in the shade of the vegetation, dozing off. Or so it seems—we can tell he’s still keeping an eye on us with his half-open eye. But he’s obviously no more aggressive than he’s ever been with anyone and rests peacefully, likely used to visitors like us.

It’s impossible to take a decent photo of him because of the ultra-wide-angle lens on my GoPro, which makes Panchito look small and distant. Plus, he’s hidden in the mangrove’s shade, and the strong contrast between the dark shadows of the vegetation and the bright sunlight on the leaves doesn’t help either.



But never mind—the moment is intense for my two sons and me. They take turns asking me to take their picture in front of the creature.

We soak up these two short minutes with this unique companion, who didn’t even flick a scale in the end!

But it’s already time to leave. We put our heads back underwater, hoping he’ll do the same, because apparently, watching a crocodile waddle in the water is worth its weight in gold.

No such luck: Panchito prefers to keep napping, despite the fish below the surface teasing him relentlessly right in front of his teeth. Maybe he’s just digesting his last meal…
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
The dive is over, we're heading back to debrief.



Before coming to Mexico, I’d read a lot of varied info online about Panchito. So before and after this dive, I asked Isella to help me sort through all that info, since some of it really intrigued me. For example, I’d read that Panchito was only a meter long and wasn’t growing anymore, or that the cenote was closed off and therefore inaccessible to other crocodiles, etc.

With a smile, Isella diplomatically debunked these fake news stories. She explained that this crocodile is regularly monitored by the authorities, who recently measured and weighed him again. He’s grown a bit and put on some weight since the last measurements, which is normal. According to the experts, he’s still at the "adolescent" stage and, at two meters long, currently poses no danger to humans.

She also told us that, like most cenotes, this one is indeed connected to the sea through a network of underwater tunnels. And contrary to what I’d read online, other crocodiles *do* occasionally enter—though it’s rare.

But this big reptile is territorial by nature: he defends his nest, his feeding areas, etc. That’s why any other crocodiles that wander in don’t stick around for long on his turf.

To wrap up—and without further ado—I should mention that the site is generally quite fish-rich overall, which makes this already unique dive even more beautiful.

I only have two small regrets from meeting Panchito: not seeing him swim, and not being able to get a proper photo of him.

Of course, we would’ve loved to see him swim around us, but on the other hand, we could’ve easily not spotted him at all.

In fact, Panchito sometimes leaves the cenote when visitors come to see him, or he might be so well hidden in the mangroves that you can’t detect his presence. Those visitors leave empty-handed, which is why we’re savoring the luck we had to see and approach him—we won’t forget this moment anytime soon.

One important point to emphasize: crocodiles are animals that many people find frightening. And understandably so, given their teeth and the phenomenal power of their jaws. But not all crocodiles are man-eaters, and some—like the Morelet’s crocodile, which is Panchito’s species—aren’t aggressive toward humans.

For comparison, an adult Morelet’s crocodile measures 3 meters and weighs 200 kg. The two most dangerous crocodile species in the world (the Nile crocodile in Africa and the saltwater crocodile in Southeast Asia and Australia) measure up to 6 meters and weigh as much as a ton!

In the end, meeting Panchito was a highlight for us. This unique dive turned out to be one of the most memorable we’ve ever done, thanks to Panchito the croc, of course, but also the underwater tunnels and the beauty of the mangroves—so stunning to observe from below.

Finally, for those interested, I highly recommend Scuba Tulum. They welcomed and guided us wonderfully, especially thanks to Isella, our dive guide, and her colleague on land, Guadalupe. Don’t hesitate to contact them, whether you want to dive with Panchito or elsewhere.

Practical info for those interested in diving in Tulum, with or without Panchito.

1/ First, about Panchito’s cenote: be careful, there are two cenotes named Casa Cenote just a few kilometers apart!

The one we’re talking about in this post is also called Cenote Manatee (or Manatí). That’s where Panchito lives.

Don’t confuse it with the other Casa Cenote, more commonly called Cenote Xpuha, located about twenty kilometers further north.

You can also meet Panchito just by swimming, not necessarily diving. There’s a map of the cenote displayed at the entrance.



On the map above, the entry point is at the bottom left (main entrance), and Panchito is most often found in the area at the top right (between Crack Passage and Cavern limit).

Otherwise, for more details, just ask the locals on-site.

2/ We dove with Scuba Tulum – Address: Calle Sagitario Ote. 8, Tulum, QR 77780 – Phone: 01.984.115.2336 – Email: scubatulum@gmail.com

It’s the kind of dive shop we love: simple and friendly welcome, safety standards respected without the usual fuss, some clients but not too many—unlike some places that feel like a factory.

Our two main contacts, Guadalupe and Isella, were always straightforward and open. They patiently answered our many questions and taught us a ton of fascinating things about crocodiles, the nature of the Yucatán, the locals, and their way of life.

Like all dives in Mexico, the price isn’t cheap, but it’s in line with what other dive shops in Tulum charge: 2 dives for 150 € per person (but what dives!). For all cenotes, you also have to add the entrance fee: for Casa Cenote, it’s 200 pesos per person (about 10-11 €).

In conclusion, we have a wonderful memory of the diving experience we had with this shop.

Note that, in addition to dives in the various cenotes in the area, Scuba Tulum also organizes dives in the nearby ocean.

Of course, you can also reach out to the many other dive shops in Tulum, all of which regularly visit this spot.

That’s all for today, see you next time for more...
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
4/ Izamal, the Yellow City

On the road from Valladolid to Merida, there’s a nice little stop to make: Izamal.



It’s a small town (15,000 inhabitants) where the streets are very quiet, and even completely deserted when we visited.



5/ Merida

After the peaceful calm of Izamal, we’re off to discover the bustle of Merida. With its million inhabitants, it’s generally considered the “capital” of the Yucatan.



Like Valladolid, Merida enjoys an ideal geographical location, making it a great base for exploring the surrounding area.



So it’s from here that we’ll visit another renowned Mayan site, Uxmal (78 km away), and take a dip in various cenotes in the area.



Among the sights to see in this big city, we particularly enjoyed the Governor’s Palace. It houses large murals depicting the tragic history of the Mayans, painted by the Mexican artist Fernando Castro Pacheco.



Another must-see is the Municipal Palace. The best time to admire it is at dusk, when its tower and arches light up.



Finally, a classic but effective tip: if you love the colors and scents of Latin markets, you’ll be spoiled for choice in Merida. The San Benito Market and the Santa Ana Market, in particular, are just a few minutes’ walk from the central square.



We leave Merida, a beautiful city steeped in history, for Uxmal.
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
6/ The Mayan city of Uxmal

For a long time, the Uxmal region (pronounced "Oosh-mahl") had very few inhabitants for a simple reason: cenotes were much rarer in this part of Yucatán than elsewhere, and this water shortage made the area difficult to live in.

The main building of this wonderful site is the Pyramid of the Magician. It’s also called the Pyramid of the Fortune-Teller, or even the Pyramid of the Sorcerer! And the magic is exactly what happens when you admire this stunning 40-meter-high structure, with far fewer tourists than at Chichén Itzá.



Okay, I won’t bombard you with photos of every building on the site—one or two will do—but Uxmal is really pleasant to visit.

The Nunnery Quadrangle, whose exact purpose experts still aren’t certain about!

The site is much, *but really much*, less crowded than Chichén Itzá because it’s not on the most touristy routes in Yucatán.

The Governor’s Palace

A little further on, the Governor’s Palace is considered an architectural masterpiece, notably characterized by its great refinement. Its hundred meters of length are decorated with nearly 20,000 small sculpted elements (figures, masks, etc.).

As for the guardians of the old Mayan stones, they’re still there, of course.



7/ The most beautiful colonial city: Campeche

Ah, Campeche! It’s no surprise it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site.



Unlike other colonial cities located inland on the peninsula, Campeche has its feet in the water: it borders the Gulf of Mexico.



As in many Mexican cities, the central square or *zócalo*, called Independence Square in Campeche, is pretty much the heart of the city.



On each side, it’s lined with lovely arcades: yellow on one side of the square, red on the other.



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LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
What truly makes Campeche charming are its countless colorful house facades, even if they’re sometimes a bit faded.



The city has a lot of charm and also benefits from a major advantage: it’s not yet too touristy because, much like Uxmal, it’s relatively far from the usual Yucatan travel circuit.



While you can find colorful facades in other colonial cities in the Yucatan, nothing compares to Campeche’s city center—there are so many everywhere!



We absolutely fell in love with Campeche—if we had to recommend just one, it’d be this one.





Our next stop will be one of the most memorable parts of our trip: visiting a new Mayan city, but the most authentic for us since it’s isolated in the jungle and therefore has almost no tourists. And that’s after spending a night in the jungle.
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
SC Scot2021 Regular ·
Awesome, everything you did is on our itinerary! And wouldn’t Calakmul be the next stop?....
carnet de 8 semaines dans l'Ouest Américain: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10554947;#10554947
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Won! 😎
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
8/ Sleeping in the jungle and visiting the Mayan city of Calakmul

Okay, let me clarify right away—when I talk about sleeping in the jungle, I’m not talking about a Mike Horn-style expedition! It’s simply spending a night in a tent at a small, isolated campsite on the edge of the Calakmul jungle. It’s way better than a basic hotel, and for travelers like us, it’s more than enough to experience something unforgettable and totally out of the ordinary.

This campsite is a bit closer to the Mayan city (52 km) than other accommodations in the area (60 km). Calakmul is so remote that if you get up early and cover that distance, you’ll arrive at the site when it’s... deserted! Having a Mayan ruin in the middle of the jungle all to yourself—pretty cool, right?

To get to Calakmul, you have to pass through the small village of Conhuas, located on Route 186. Seven kilometers to the south is Campamento Yaax’ Che, in the jungle—that’s where we slept.

The entrance to Campamento Yaax’ Che

As soon as we arrived, we had what’s apparently a rare experience, but it immediately set the jungle mood. After walking just twenty meters or so—right past the welcome signs in the photo above—we came face-to-face with... a deadly coral snake! The scene was set.



This little reptile is as pretty as it is dangerous—its venom is among the most potent of any snake. So don’t let its modest size (only about fifty centimeters) fool you.

Anyway, we quickly realized we’d have to watch our step, especially once night fell and we’d be walking around by headlamp.

We left our legless friend behind, only to be greeted twenty meters later by two four-legged ones: two spider monkeys playing in the trees above our heads.



In just a few minutes, our first encounter with the locals of this jungle—where we’d be sleeping—exceeded all our expectations.

The third animal to make its presence known wasn’t as cute as the monkeys or as dangerous as the snake: mosquitoes! There weren’t swarms of them, but enough to make us slather on bug spray right away.

Among the other jungle residents, there’s the nephila. What’s that, you ask? It’s a beautiful spider, about ten centimeters long, graceful and colorful, that weaves the largest web in the arachnid world.



But what’s really impressive is how strong and sticky its web is—even hummingbirds get trapped in it. So strong, in fact, that it’s being studied to improve... bulletproof vests!

Plenty of other animals live in the jungle. Some big cats, like the area’s stars—the jaguar and the puma—roam here, but they’re rare in such a vast space, so spotting them is unlikely. We didn’t see any.

Back to the campsite: it has only nine tents, spaced far enough apart and all sheltered by tin roofs to protect against the heavy seasonal rains.

When we were there, it wasn’t crowded—only two other tents were occupied besides ours, which made our sense of isolation even stronger. Even the managers don’t sleep there.



The comfort is basic, of course, but we knew that before arriving. Inside the tents, there are just mattresses.

In such a setting, the campsite is naturally very eco-friendly: compost toilets, recycling, water collectors—everything is done to protect the environment, which is exceptional here.

There’s obviously no running water or electricity in the area. In each shower, a bucket of water had been prepared for washing, but the murky brown color and opacity quickly put us off the idea of showering—even though we’d been dreaming of it all day.

It’s a bit of a shame, especially since the high humidity made us sweat, but when you’re roughing it, you don’t expect a four-star experience. Still, we savored the chance to spend the night in such an incredible place.

Once settled, we headed back down the same path we’d arrived on. About a kilometer from the campsite is the restaurant Oxte’ Tun, which is also very basic: a tin roof, a few wooden pillars, and no walls. Its simplicity blends perfectly with the surrounding jungle, and like the campsite, it’s exactly the kind of place we came here for.

It’s run by locals—Manuel, Laeticia, and Fernando.

Fernando

Our first interaction with them wasn’t very warm, so we were a little disappointed. But when we saw Laeticia bustling around her stove, we couldn’t help bombarding her with questions about Mexican cuisine. That broke the ice, and they quickly became friendlier and more welcoming.

Laeticia

Fun fact: Laeticia is a master of Mexican cooking. With the few ingredients she has here, she still managed to treat us to an amazing meal. So if you’re passing through, don’t hesitate to stop at this little roadside gem: Oxte’ Tun.

The sun sets early here, so we did too!

For us, sleeping in the jungle had two big advantages. Practically speaking, we weren’t too far from the Mayan ruins, so we could get there right when they opened the next morning to avoid crowds.

But for travelers like us—who don’t need much to be amazed (and that’s a good thing!)—the real draw was sleeping in such an unusual setting, surrounded by the sounds of the jungle at night.



In the end, we didn’t hear *that* many animals at night, but the ones we did hear made enough noise that you couldn’t miss them!

First, the background music was provided by cicadas—they never stopped. Even though they were loud, it was a pretty effective lullaby.

Then, every now and then, we’d hear monkeys communicating with each other through short, deep growls. They’d call back and forth, even when far apart, so the sounds seemed to come from all around the tent.

Occasionally, we’d hear unidentified cries.

And finally, just before dawn, we’d wake up to the melodic songs of different birds.

Spending a night in such a natural, isolated place has a magical quality—especially when you’re used to the noises and smells of the city.
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LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
The problem when you're enjoying listening to the jungle sounds at night is that you don’t get much sleep! Anyway, the night still passes, surrounded by cicadas and monkeys, and it’s the birds that wake us up.

It’s daylight, and we’re heading to the Mayan city of Calakmul, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s located 52 kilometers from the campsite. But since the road quickly turns into a dirt track with a 30 km/h speed limit, we have to drive slowly (we’re not here to run over our animal friends). So, it takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes to reach the site.

This track cuts through the jungle, a large part of which is also classified by UNESCO—as a biosphere reserve. So, one UNESCO wonder can hide another…

Along the way, we spot ocellated turkeys several times.



These are large birds (nearly a meter long) with beautiful multicolored plumage. Their heads are blue with lots of round, red growths—kind of like warts, but prettier (or at least less ugly)!



Note: The ocellated turkey doesn’t like being photographed! At least, the one I’m trying to capture through the car window pretends to attack us repeatedly—charging at us suddenly, then slowly backing off for a few seconds, only to charge again.

And when I finally decide to drive away to leave it in peace—after all, this is *its* jungle, not ours—it proudly runs after our car, looking satisfied with a smirk on its beak. The turkey won; I admit defeat.

Among the other animals in the reserve—not all of them easy to spot—are jaguars and pumas, spider monkeys and howler monkeys, tapirs…

There are also 350 bird species, including toucans and several types of eagles, vultures, and parrots; 70 reptile species; and nearly 400 butterfly species…

And with 1,500 plant species, the flora is just as impressive.



In short, nature lovers, the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve is made for you…

We got up early this morning, and it paid off—when we arrive at the Mayan site, there are only three cars parked there! It’s incredible, but we’re going to have a Mayan city, and not just any one, almost entirely to ourselves.



Calakmul was a Mayan city that reached its peak around 650 AD. Very powerful at the time, it had up to 50,000 inhabitants.



Today, beyond its history, what makes this city magical for amateurs like us is that the jungle has reclaimed the site over the centuries. It gives the lost city a bit of an Indiana Jones vibe.

Only about twenty of the 6,000 structures scattered in the jungle have been cleared and are accessible, despite the trees that have taken over these ancient stones.



The natural setting of this historic site is truly impressive.

One of the main attractions for visitors exploring Calakmul is that, unlike more famous and crowded Mayan sites like Chichen Itza or Uxmal, you can climb to the top of the pyramids here.

And as always with pre-Columbian pyramids, the climb is steep.



The first pyramid on the itinerary is Structure I. It’s 50 meters tall and faces the site’s main jewel: the second pyramid, or Structure II.

Structure II (in the background) seen from the top of Structure I

As we climb the first pyramid, we hear distant, incredibly loud animal cries that we can’t identify. We wonder what it could be—maybe a big cat? But it’s only when we reach the second pyramid that we realize: the cries are coming from a group of howler monkeys. Clearly, they weren’t given that name for nothing!



To really understand how impressive the howler monkey’s scream is, you should know that in the entire animal kingdom, it’s one of the three loudest. At 140 decibels, it even beats the roaring deer and the lion (which only reach 110–120 decibels) and isn’t far behind a jetliner taking off (140–170 decibels)! You have to hear it to believe it—it’s truly mind-blowing.

To let loose with their vocal cords, the seven or eight monkeys chose a tree at the foot of one of the most important temple-pyramids in the Mayan world. That’s the magic of the jungle: for us, this wildlife encounter in such a historic place will be unforgettable.

We leave our primate friends—visually, at least, because we can still hear them—as we start climbing the famous pyramid, whose square base measures 120 meters on each side! From the top, you can see the first pyramid we climbed just minutes earlier, swallowed by the endless jungle.

The view from the top of this jewel, rising above the wild vegetation, is breathtaking.



When you think about it, the landscape hasn’t changed much since the time of the Maya. And that’s a good thing.

It’s time to go.

Down below, the monkeys keep letting out their ear-splitting cries
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LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Awesome, everything you did is on our itinerary! And wouldn’t Calakmul be the next stop?....

Sylvain, a lot of visitors only spend two weeks in the Yucatan—sometimes even less—and as a result, they rush through it. It’s a shame.

You’re going to spend two months there with your family, plus one or two other countries, I think (I seem to remember reading that somewhere on VF).

So you’ll see way more than we did—it’s really great. Enjoy this beautiful region that is the Yucatan!

We all loved Calakmul, but I’ve also read some accounts (very few, though) from travelers who thought there wasn’t much to see there.

It’s really a matter of taste, and I hope you’ll all enjoy it (our sons were just a little older than yours when we were there). If you do, take your time: this site, with its mix of nature, wilderness, and history, is totally worth it...
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
MO Montagnard74 Globetrotter ·
Hello! Campeche, Mérida, Uxmal, Coba, Calakmul—so many places that still resonate deeply with me, vivid memories from my month-long trip to Mexico back in 2012!

But I’m thrilled to see there are still "off-the-beaten-path" sites and "rustic" accommodations I love so much. Here’s to the next adventure! !
"Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux." Marcel Proust
SC Scot2021 Regular ·
Hi, Yes, we’re taking our time, and we’ve already booked our night at the Roots campsite you recommended. We love these situations that push us out of our comfort zone and teach our kids so much!👋🏼
carnet de 8 semaines dans l'Ouest Américain: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10554947;#10554947
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Hi Montagnard,

So glad I brought back such great memories for you!

We’d been told so often that the Yucatán was *ultra*-touristy that we weren’t expecting to find ourselves in some spots that were barely visited—or even deserted, like Calakmul. What a fantastic surprise that was.

And while some sites are packed (Chichén Itzá, Mérida, Tulum, etc.), not all of them are! That’s the beauty of taking your time, like Sylvain mentioned earlier—it lets you uncover those hidden gems and enjoy them the way they deserve…
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
I’ve added tons of photos to my travel journal, but I think videos capture the reality better.

Anyway, before I continue with the story, here’s a quick 2-minute video that gives a pretty good sense of the Yucatán: right here 😎
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Before wrapping up the trip (Bacalar, Sian Ka’an, and Tulum), here’s some practical info about Calakmul:

- Yaax’ Che Campground

Operating since 2003, it’s run by a family from a local community. The initial goal was to establish a camp with low-impact environmental infrastructure. Twenty years later, this camp is a success, welcoming tourists while helping preserve the reserve’s environment.

One of the 9 tents at the campground

Contact: serveursturisticos@yahoo.com.mx

Phone: +52.983.101.1921

Address: Campamento Yaax Che in Calakmul, Carretera 186 Escacega – Chetumal KM 98 Entronque a Calakmul KM 7, 24640 Conhuas

To book a tent (or several), the best option is to go through the excellent website of the community tourism association this campground belongs to: Peninsular Alliance for Community Tourism.

Don’t hesitate to check it out—you might find something perfect, as it also lists other interesting, community-based, off-the-beaten-path spots in the Yucatán.

Alternatively, you can also book through the usual platforms: Booking, Agoda, Tripadvisor...

Price: It might seem surprising, but here, the price is inversely proportional to the comfort level! We paid 78 € for a tent for four people (in July). Some might find this rate too high for the amenities, but we don’t—it’s worth it to step off the beaten path in this ultra-touristy Yucatán.

Meals included: A light breakfast (not very filling) is included in the price. You can swap it for a small sandwich for your day visiting Calakmul, since there’s nowhere to buy food in the area.

Note that there are two short nature observation trails around the campground, including a bird-watching tower in the middle of the jungle.

- Admission fees for the Calakmul archaeological site

Here’s how the total access fee breaks down (2023 rates):

1/ At the exit of the small village of Conhuas, you pay a road maintenance fee (104 pesos per person).

2/ 20 km later, you pay the entrance fee for the biosphere reserve (150 pesos per person).

3/ And upon arrival (another 40 km), you pay the access fee for the Mayan archaeological site (90 pesos per person).

The total cost is 344 pesos per person (about 19 € at the 2023 exchange rate).

With all these successive payments, it feels a bit like we’re being milked, but in the end, it’s a small price to pay for such an exceptional site as Calakmul.

Warning: Don’t run out of gas, water, or food!

Calakmul is completely isolated in the jungle—there’s nothing nearby, and it’s far from everything. That’s part of its charm, but it also comes with some drawbacks: you need to plan ahead for gas, water, and food.

For gas:

Fill up well before reaching Conhuas, as gas stations are nearly nonexistent on Highway 186.

Coming from the west, the last gas station we found before Conhuas was in Silvituc (45 km from Conhuas and 105 km from Calakmul).

If you’re coming from the east (Bacalar, Chetumal, etc.), it’s best to fill up in Bacalar, especially if you’re making the round trip from Bacalar to Calakmul (470 km).

For water and food:

Stock up well before reaching Calakmul, or you might go hungry! Not having water while walking in this usually scorching-hot site can ruin your visit.

The best option is to buy food and drinks either in a town you pass through on the way (whether coming from Campeche, Bacalar, or elsewhere) or at a typical roadside shop—but in any case, do it well before reaching Conhuas.

Otherwise, you can still find supplies in Conhuas, but with limited choices, as the stores are small and not well-stocked.

And finally, if you pass the first checkpoint 1 km after Conhuas, at the entrance to the road heading south to Calakmul, your last chance is 6 km further at the Oxte’ Tun restaurant on the right side of the road. There, you can buy small sandwiches. They don’t sell bottled water, but you can refill your empty bottles (don’t make the same mistake we did—keep your empty bottles instead of throwing them away!). They also sell sodas.

9/ Bacalar

I admit we didn’t stay long enough or make the most of it. It’s a shame because the area is stunning—the colors, especially of the water, are breathtaking and perfect for swimming. The temperature is delightful.



Bacalar Lagoon is nicknamed the “Lagoon of Seven Colors” because of—or rather, thanks to—its different shades of blue, turquoise, and green.



We went to the famous Pirates’ Channel by canoe. First, you have to paddle for a good twenty minutes or more (we had to fight the wind).

Then you arrive at a spot where there’s not much to do except swim and enjoy the scenery.



On the way back, we thought we could swim along the shore, but it seems nearly impossible: hotels have taken over the waterfront, and access to the water is privatized. There might be a few public spots, but if so, we didn’t see them.

When we thought about heading to a public *balneario* (a free but usually overcrowded small beach area), we found a small, nearly deserted dock nearby:



Here’s what the public *balneario* looks like (in the background):



...and the private docks right next to it:



We also took a short boat tour of the lagoon. We briefly saw a submerged cenote, its circular shape clearly visible.



Then we headed to a new swimming area.



There’s nothing to do there—just savor and enjoy. At that moment, the daily grind of work back in France felt so far away.

One place we loved was a small, friendly restaurant, Baluartes Marina Laguna Azul (Avenida Costera 1, por Calles 20 y 22, Bacalar, 77930). The food and cocktails are good and filling, and ideally, you should go in the evening and ask for the upstairs area—it’s much nicer than the ground floor:

Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
10/ The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve

There are three ways to visit the Sian Ka’an reserve:

- The short excursion from Muyil (2 to 3 hours) - The long excursion from Muyil (5 hours) - The full Sian Ka’an excursion (8 hours).



We chose the first option: the short excursion from Muyil. It unfolds in three stages:

- We start with a visit to the small ancient Mayan city of Muyil - We continue with a short but pleasant trek through the jungle - We finish with a lovely boat ride that ends with an unforgettable swim in the Mayan canals.

Finally, you can do this excursion with or without a guide, and it’s worth noting that you can also head straight to the dock to take the boat if you want to skip the first two stages.

Step 1: The Mayan ruins of Muyil

This is an archaeological Mayan site that isn’t particularly impressive at first glance compared to Chichen Itza, Uxmal, or Calakmul.



That said, this site, nestled in nature where visitors aren’t crowded, is really pleasant to explore.



Inhabited early by the Maya (from around 300 BC to 900 AD), the site’s strategic position allowed its inhabitants to control an important trade route.

Today, its main archaeological attraction is its stepped pyramid, called El Castillo. It’s also the tallest structure (17 meters).



For reference, you can breeze through the ruins in about fifteen minutes if you’re not too curious, or take an hour or more in slow-travel mode. We took our time—it was just so enjoyable.

Step 2: Short jungle trek

Next, we cross a jungle area on a lovely wooden boardwalk: the Canan Ha trail.



After a 10- to 15-minute walk, we reach an observation tower whose summit sits just above the canopy.



The climb is about as steep as a Mayan pyramid!



The view from the top is worth the detour.



All that’s left is a short walk (5 minutes) before reaching the dock.

Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Step 3: Boat, lagoon, mangrove, and swimming in the Mayan canals

While the first two steps (ruins and jungle) were already very enjoyable, the third one left a truly unforgettable memory. I’d read about it before going but was skeptical—wrongly so, because it’s really nothing but pure pleasure...



The nautical outing begins with crossing the Muyil lagoon. Shallow and translucent, its water takes on multiple colors: shades of green and blue, white sandbanks, and brown shallows.

Next, we reach the famous Mayan canals that wind through the mangrove.



Historically, these canals allowed the Mayans to access fresh water, which was vital for them. Today, we get to swim in them!



Before jumping in, we have to put on a life jacket—not through the arms but through the legs: the idea is to wear it like a diaper!



We might not look particularly cool dressed like this, but it’s surprisingly comfortable, and the sensations in the water are amazing.

The perfect water temperature is also a huge relief from the ambient heat and helps make the moment magical.



All we have to do is let the current carry us gently, without swimming.



We drift slowly through a beautiful mangrove, in emerald-green water.



For this floating stroll, the boat pilot had announced a duration of about 45 minutes, but you can also prolong the fun: we enjoyed the moment so much that it took us over an hour.

We eventually arrive at a small dock lost in the vegetation, marking the end point. There are two options here: either the pilot came by boat to pick up the swimmers, or he came on foot via a dock through the vegetation, by which we return with him to the boat, still moored where we got into the water.



We returned via this footpath, alone in the middle of nowhere. After a 10-minute walk under the scorching sun, we retrieve the boat.



There’s just about ten more minutes of navigation through the mangrove and the Muyil lagoon in beautiful landscapes to return to the starting dock of Step 3.



From there, you can head to the site exit, either directly (a 5-minute walk) or by retracing the outbound path in reverse (crossing the jungle section and then the archaeological site). We chose the second option to keep enjoying it as much as possible.

To conclude, Sian Ka’an was one of the great surprises of our trip: this outing didn’t look like much at first, but in the end, all four of us really loved it.
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Final part...

11th and final stop: Tulum

There’s obviously something for everyone here, but as far as we’re concerned, we didn’t like Tulum. Its only real draw is its archaeological site, which most of us have probably seen in photos all over the place—often presented as iconic of the Yucatán.



Tulum is a town where the coast is literally taken over by hotels: beach access is almost entirely private. The town itself has zero authenticity. And yet, tourists—many of them American—seem to love crowding into these charm-free hotels, on beaches that are regularly overrun by sargassum.



Luxury (and often bizarre) hotel projects keep popping up along the coastline for I don’t even know how many miles, alternating with the ones already there.



Anyway, we visited the Mayan city of Tulum, which was actually interesting, even if you can explore it pretty quickly.

The city was fortified (Tulum means "fence" in Mayan) and located at the highest point on the coast. This allowed it to control maritime trade routes while being virtually impregnable.

The most iconic building on the site is El Castillo.



The second structure overlooking the Caribbean Sea, smaller than El Castillo, is the Temple of the Wind God.



This walk among Mayan ruins overlooking the sea is where our Yucatán journey comes to an end.



Thanks for following along with this travel journal! 😎

Adios amigos...

Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
XE Xeta Veteran ·
Hello Lhorizon! So nice to catch up again 🙂 After Indonesia and Bolivia, we’re sharing Mexico too!

We went as a family for the whole of July 2022. Reading your travel journal brought back great memories of photos from Chichen Itza, Izamal, Uxmal, Campeche, Tulum, and Holbox. We made a detour to Chiapas to visit Palenque and the Agua Azul waterfalls. We also stopped at the Kohunlich ruins on the way to Bacalar (like you, we didn’t get to enjoy Bacalar much, but for health reasons 🤪—I’d had an ear infection for two days, and our oldest son hurt his foot in the lagoon when we arrived in Bacalar🏴‍☠️).

On our side, we swam in the cenotes of Yokdzonot (the place is stunning, though we were a bit annoyed that life jackets were mandatory), Chihuan (we loved it just as much as you did), and Kankirixche (phew, no mandatory life jackets—a semi-open cenote with lots of locals and a platform for diving from several meters up).

I totally agree—this region is absolutely beautiful !
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Hi Anne,

What a nice surprise indeed! A half-surprise, actually, since I’ll admit I was vaguely keeping an eye out for you

If you’d like—and this goes for everyone reading too—this is an open travel journal: feel free to add your own experiences in the Yucatan so readers can find all the info they need to plan their trip, especially about places I didn’t visit...

Unless you’d rather treat us to another lovely travel journal?...

Thanks for chiming in. I’ll send you a quick PM to catch up and not clutter the thread for everyone...
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
MO Montagnard74 Globetrotter ·
My history with the Yucatan goes back to 2012, so I’ll just read along instead 😄

One question though: near Tulum, on the way to the Sian Ka’an reserve, there was a beach where you could swim with tons of turtles—I don’t remember the name. Does it still exist?
"Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux." Marcel Proust
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Sorry, I don’t have the answer to your question, but I do know there are quite a few turtles around Tulum since the coral reef offshore (I can’t remember if I wrote this in my travel journal, but it’s the second largest on the planet after Australia’s) is home to a large number of fish, marine mammals, and reptiles, including, of course, turtles. So it’s an animal you can often come across in the area.

I’ve heard about Akumal Beach, where you can swim with turtles, but that’s probably not your beach since it’s north of Tulum (not toward Sian Ka’an). Today, the site is reportedly (conditional tense: I read this but haven’t verified it) completely overrun by mass tourism...

Just to add a little backstory, the Tulum area has changed a lot over the years. My wife, who visited a long time ago (over 25 years—how time flies!), didn’t recognize the small, super laid-back fishing village she’d loved so much in what’s now a big city... It’s possible your turtle beach has suffered the same fate, even if it hasn’t been as long since you went for a dip there 🙂
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
MO Montagnard74 Globetrotter ·
Ugh, I just checked on Google Maps—I think it might be Akumal Beach. It was already a popular spot back then, but you could still snorkel peacefully among the turtles.

Your girlfriend’s comment doesn’t surprise me. Even in 2012, you could feel the real estate pressure everywhere.
"Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux." Marcel Proust
PA Pastani88 ·
Hi there,

Thanks for this amazing discovery! Mexico is my biggest travel dream. Some friends of mine went there in early 2023 and told me it was absolutely worth it. And these beautiful photos along with the whole adventure you describe—it’s exactly what I love.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful post.
TO Torpan Regular ·
Thanks for this beautiful travel journal of this stunning region—I traveled through it the same way you did back in 2019 (*Mexico: A Kaleidoscope of Colors*). I had the same feeling about Tulum, and I loved swimming in the cenotes! Have a great evening! !
SO Sofisonsec Regular ·
Amazing travel journal with beautiful photos! I love Mexico—I’ve been there three times, especially for diving in the sea (with bull sharks) and cenotes. I’ve also visited Mayan sites and the Río Lagartos Biosphere Reserve. I’ve explored the Yucatán Peninsula too, and I just got back from La Paz in Baja California, where I dove with sea lions. I’m heading back next year because the people are so welcoming, the food is great, and it’s a stunning country.
je continuerais à faire très prudemment des choses dangereuses, pour pouvoir les faire longtemps...!
FA FamilleUS Veteran ·
Great job on this travel journal and these beautiful photos! We have wonderful memories of the Yucatan (Christmas 2007 with family).

The Forum is coming back to life...
Nos escapades : Le Maroc, l'Egypte, la Mauritanie, la Tunisie, l'Afrique du Sud, Lanzarote, les Etats-Unis (3 ans), le Canada, le Mexique, la Colombie, le Pérou, la Guadeloupe, la Martinique, l'Indonésie, la Thaïlande, Israël, Dubaï, la Jordanie, la Turquie, et Tahiti... pour l'instant !
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Hi Pastani, and thanks for your comment! 🙂

Mexico is my biggest project

So don’t hesitate to ask any questions you might have—I’d be happy to try and answer them, and if I can’t, the other readers of this travel journal will surely be able to help.

Thanks by the way to the last three contributors—Torpan, Sofisonsec, and familleUS—I’m thrilled to have brought back such great memories for you too of this beautiful corner of the world...
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
MA Macac ·
Hi there, Thanks so much for this wonderful travel journal. I’m heading to the Yucatan in January 2024 and I’m putting together an itinerary that’s similar to yours. Your account has been super helpful! That said, some friends and colleagues are warning me against a self-drive trip because of safety concerns. Did you feel safe, and did you go through an agency? Thanks
Lechantre
XE Xeta Veteran ·
Hello, Thank you for this wonderful travel journal. I’m heading to the Yucatan in January 2024. I’m putting together my itinerary, which is similar to yours. Your journal has been a huge help. However, friends and colleagues are advising against a self-drive trip due to safety concerns. Did you feel safe, and did you go through an agency? Thanks

Hi Christine, I’ll go ahead and reply to the message addressed to Lhorizon (since they kindly invited me to contribute to their travel journal 🙂). We took a solo trip to Mexico (mainly in the Yucatan, with a detour to Chiapas) in July 2022. No safety issues at all. Some parts of Mexico do have a bad reputation, but the Yucatan isn’t one of them. I had heard about corruption involving law enforcement, though. We didn’t encounter any of that. The only thing that bothered us was a roadblock run by a woman and her young son near the Agua Azul waterfalls (Chiapas), where a "donation" was required to continue our journey (unfortunately common in that area).
SO Sofisonsec Regular ·
Hi Christine,

What you need to know is that the Yucatán Peninsula is the only part of Mexico where the soil is made up entirely of very poor coral reef. So there’s almost nothing that grows there—no livestock, no farming. It was the poorest part of Mexico until 1976, when Club Med bought land and a beach in Cancún. No one believed in tourism back then. Club Med won its bet by creating jobs and making Mexicans realize there was a huge business to be made in tourism.

All that to say, the Yucatán Peninsula is now the most economically prosperous region in Mexico, and tourists are highly protected because it’s their only economic resource.

The only tourists who aren’t welcome there are Russians—they flaunt their money, wads of cash, and jewelry, and Mexicans fear that one day one of their own might snap and kill one for their wealth, damaging the region’s reputation.

I’ve traveled there, taken buses, and visited sites alone without ever having an issue or getting a sideways glance.

However, I was strongly advised not to leave the Yucatán alone.

So if you go, don’t hesitate—just enjoy yourself!
je continuerais à faire très prudemment des choses dangereuses, pour pouvoir les faire longtemps...!
RO Rouquine38 Globetrotter ·
I’m jumping into this travel journal a bit late... I’m only on day two, but I’m happily reliving our 2018 trip memories. Already 6 years ago! 🤪
"Voyager est un triple plaisir : l'attente, l'éblouissement et le souvenir." Ilka Chase
LH Lhorizon Veteran ·
Hi Christine,

Thank you for this wonderful travel story

My pleasure! 🙂

Friends and colleagues advised me against a self-drive trip because of safety concerns. Did you feel safe, and did you go through an agency?

Yes, we felt safe, no, we didn’t go through an agency, and I can confirm what Anne and Sophie mentioned earlier.

Like you, we were warned about safety before our trip there. After doing some research—online and also by talking to different friends and family who had all been to the Yucatan a few months before us—it turned out that safety issues are mostly a problem in other parts of Mexico.

We were told that the Yucatan is very safe because it’s a major financial asset thanks to tourism, which the country really can’t do without. So, they’ve put in the necessary measures to combat insecurity, and you can see it—we regularly saw pick-up trucks full of heavily armed soldiers. For some, it’s unsettling; for others, it’s reassuring. There are also frequent police (or military, I’m not entirely sure) checkpoints on the roads.

To sum up, I’d say you should stay normally vigilant, as you would on any trip, but there’s no need to be paranoid. We never felt the slightest sense of insecurity there.

Anyway, I hope you have an amazing trip in this beautiful part of Mexico...

Lolo
Le blog voyages : http://derrierelhorizon.fr/accueil/
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AT
Attila 9 hours ago · Perju
Amazing Kyrgyzstan!
This trip had been on my mind for about fifteen years.

But the discomfort of overnight stays, the difficulty of communication, and the prices of the few car rentals kept making me postpone the project.

And then, everything fell into place—I told myself, now’s the time!

Preparations took longer than usual; the destination is still far from mainstream.

A bit of Kazakhstan? Not in the end.

The south or not? Yes, in the end.

Pre-book or play it by ear? Only two stops were a leap into the unknown.

To help me find the ideal route, I made great use of this forum (thanks to everyone for patiently answering my questions!), pored over travel journals and blogs (Christian, Jeff), zoomed in on Google Maps and Yandex, and bought the guide published by OunTravela on this destination (the guide has been updated since).

---/---

You’ve got your passport, international driver’s license, bank cards, and euros?

Off we go to Lyon—just one night left before our early morning flight.

Tomorrow night, we’ll be sleeping in Bishkek! (‘Beefsteak’ for my partner’s mischievous nephews...)



You’ll find here a post with some practical info.
Open
AL
Aleph240758 yesterday
Villages around Hazaribagh in West Bengal
Wednesday, April 1st

Hazaribagh I’ve got a meet-up with Adam Iman, a guide and painter. He picks me up from the hotel at 10 AM. Another traveler from Bangalore is supposed to join us, but while we wait for them to arrive, Adam takes me to see the paintings done by his mother and sister at Hazaribagh station. The town became famous thanks to these murals, which you can also find in several nearby villages. This art form has earned a recognition label and is now protected, a sign of its cultural importance. Once the visit is over, we go pick up the other traveler and then hit the road to our first village: Belwara, where Sohrai art is practiced. At the entrance, a sign proudly announces that we’re entering an artists’ village, where this art is created by women organized into micro-enterprises. Some even offer workshops for those who’d like to learn this tradition.



Sohrai art is tied to the harvest season, from October to mid-November. The motifs, in natural colors, celebrate fertility and abundance. The artists use pigments from the earth: red oxides, ochre, white kaolin, and black manganese. On the walls, you’ll see animals, fish, birds—all symbols of life and prosperity. Looking closer at the murals, I gradually realize that each motif tells a story. The large animals, like cows or bulls, often take center stage. Their bodies are filled with intricate, almost hypnotic patterns. They symbolize wealth and prosperity for the household, as well as the deep respect for cattle, which are essential to daily life. On some facades, elephants stand out, massive and decorated with the same precision: they evoke quiet strength and a form of protection. But it’s when I stop in front of one of the houses that I really take the time to look. The wall, a soft ochre, is entirely covered in murals. Two large animals stretch out on either side of the door, their elongated bodies fitting the length of the wall. Their silhouettes are filled with geometric patterns and incredibly fine curved lines, as if every space had been patiently filled. Around them, stylized plants, flowers, and small decorative elements fill every gap. The dark, worn door becomes almost the silent center of the composition, framed by these living, protective forms. To the right, a more colorful motif catches the eye—a flower or a stylized lamp—like a touch of light on the earth. The whole thing gives an impression of perfect balance, between the rigor of the patterns and the freedom of the gesture.



Elsewhere, birds and freer forms bring movement. Peacocks, recognizable by their stylized silhouettes, embody beauty and vitality, while fish symbolize water, fertility, and the continuity of life.

On some paintings, the scenes become almost narrative: you can make out figures, everyday gestures, like a memory of the village inscribed in the walls. The decorative frames around the doors aren’t left to chance either—they symbolically protect the house, like a boundary between the inside and the outside world.







During the Sohrai festival, cattle are taken into the jungle early in the morning. Meanwhile, the women finish the aripans—those floor paintings—and continue the wall murals. Around noon, the animals return to the village; their horns are then coated with oil and vermilion in a gesture of gratitude, amid the vibrant colors adorning the houses. We visit several artists, including Parvat Devi, a renowned woman who has received many awards. Her arms are adorned with intriguing tattoos, which I’ll take the time to talk about in more detail later.



On another wall, the style changes completely. Here, no massive animals—just birds occupying the space, light and slender, as if caught in mid-movement. Two silhouettes face each other, their long necks arched almost like mirrors, while their spread wings seem to vibrate with the patterns that compose them.



The drawing is more graphic, almost airy. The lines are smoother, more fluid, as if traced in a single confident stroke. The birds’ bodies aren’t solid—they’re filled with repetitive motifs—scales, stylized feathers, spirals—that give an impression of continuous movement. Around them, everything comes to life: flowers burst open, arabesques swirl, and even the simplest shapes seem alive. What strikes me here is the sense of lightness. Where the large animals evoked stability and grounding, these birds bring something freer, almost joyful. They seem to embody movement, the circulation of life, like a breath passing through the village.



The colors remain the same—deep reds, intense blacks, and chalky white—but the rhythm is different. Faster, more spontaneous. As if each wall had its own personality, while still speaking the same language. On another wall, the style changes completely. Here, no massive animals—just birds occupying the space, light and slender, as if caught in mid-movement. Two silhouettes face each other, their long necks arched almost like mirrors, while their spread wings seem to vibrate with the patterns that compose them. The drawing is more graphic, almost airy. The lines are smooth, fluid, as if traced in a single stroke. The birds’ bodies are filled with repetitive motifs—scales, stylized feathers, spirals—that give an impression of continuous movement. Around them, everything comes to life: flowers burst open, arabesques swirl, and even the simplest shapes seem alive. What strikes me here is the sense of lightness. Where the large animals evoked stability and grounding, these birds bring something freer, almost joyful. They embody movement, the circulation of life, like a breath passing through the village. The colors stay the same—deep reds, intense blacks, and chalky white—but the rhythm is different. Faster, more spontaneous. As if each wall had its own personality, while still speaking the same language. That’s maybe why I’m so touched. I’d heard about these paintings from my friend Raja, and last year, I saw an exhibition in a village near my home. That first encounter made me want to come here. But seeing them in person is a whole different experience. These paintings are unique. This ancient art is passed down from mother to daughter, or mother-in-law to daughter-in-law, in a silent yet deeply alive continuity. At first glance, it might seem almost childlike in its simplicity and pared-down forms. And yet, everything is thought out, balanced, mastered. Nothing is left to chance.



This apparent simplicity, combined with such rich symbolism, moves me deeply. There’s something sincere and essential in these walls—and that’s probably what touches me so much.
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MO
Montagnard74 yesterday · Muriel18
Turkey 2026: Riviera, Antalya, and Cappadocia
Hi everyone!

If you're looking for great tips and offbeat spots, if you love exploring uncharted parts of a country, if the exotic is your adrenaline, then move along!

Our 15 days in early May in this part of Turkey (a country I first discovered during a city trip to Istanbul in 2017) will only tread well-worn paths and revisit popular routes. Simply because I kept hoping until the very end that our flight to Jordan wouldn’t be canceled. Events in the Gulf proved me wrong, so we left with: Zero preparation. Not a single hotel booked (well, except the first one), no visits planned, just a flight ticket bought three weeks earlier. No guidebook, no app—just the desire to explore southern Turkey and Cappadocia, whose images and the chance to stretch our legs had caught my eye.

Oh, wait—I did bring along a new guide: Gemini! Yes, my friends, generative AI was my chief advisor throughout the trip for sites to visit, accommodations, routes, and even restaurants! An experiment I wanted to try to form my own opinion on using this new technology. And what better way to test it than a Turkish getaway?

The verdict? You’ll have to wait for the trip recap to find out!

The main idea of the trip is also relaxation.

So, the plan is Antalya for a few days, the Turkish Riviera for a few more, Cappadocia as the highlight, and a return via Antalya to wrap up the trip. And it was all planned by AI!

So, if you're ready, fasten your seatbelts—cabin crew, doors to automatic and cross check—boarding for Turkey now!

A little sneak peek?
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MI
MirandaMouse 3 days ago
Mice in Switzerland, the Other Cheese Country!
I'm starting my first travel journal since VF reopened!

This will mostly be to share my impressions and some photos, with a few days' delay, but I'm starting this journal while I'm still here.

First, I'd like to thank those who helped me prepare for this trip.

I was able to organize this stay in one of the most expensive countries in the world thanks to the home-exchange principle. Not necessarily a direct swap, but through a points system, which is more practical for choosing where you want to go without it having to be a reciprocal exchange.

For this trip, there will already be two different accommodations. We'll see how it goes after that.

The first place is near Yverdon-les-Bains, close to Lake Neuchâtel.

So, we're going to explore this area!

We arrived under capricious weather that won’t leave us for the next few days!

We had dinner at a pizzeria recommended by *Le Routard* in Yverdon, then took a little nighttime stroll through the town center before heading inland to settle into our accommodation.

We discovered a very large, quiet house—and especially the cat that stayed behind! Funny for a couple of mice! He’ll be sleeping with us 😹
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GeorgesOZ 4 days ago · Hypnos
Langtang – Trekking in the Rain
We did the Langtang trek (hike) from September 10th to 17th, with the first and last days being the trip from Kathmandu and back—so 6 days of actual walking. It’s a fairly well-known trek but certainly not as famous or crowded as those in the Annapurna or Everest regions, which is why we chose it.

In theory, it’s mandatory to have a guide for this trek. In reality, it seems there are ways to bypass the regulations: we met at least two people hiking without a guide—a South Korean, a New Zealander, and possibly also a couple of English women and an American couple, though we’re not sure if they had a guide.

The agency we booked with had told us it was an affordable trek for relatively older people in good shape—which is our case (I’m 72 myself). I have to say upfront that we found it quite challenging, maybe because we didn’t have good weather—it was the end of the monsoon season. To be clear, no matter your fitness level, I’d say doing this trek in the middle of the monsoon season would be suicidal.

Day 1 – Journey from Kathmandu to Syapru Besi

On Monday, September 8th, there had been violent protests in Kathmandu against the government, which had, among other things, blocked access to social media and been accused of nepotism and corruption. There were 19 deaths. The situation was very tense on the day of our departure, Wednesday the 10th. The agency warned us that public transport was very unreliable. So, we decided to take a jeep, at an additional cost of $100 ($160 minus what was already budgeted for the bus).

We left a little before 7 a.m. and it took us a good hour just to reach the outskirts of Kathmandu. Along the way, we saw several houses and vehicles set on fire by protesters.

The road to Syapru Besi is only 120 km, but it’s frankly awful. It’s always narrow, winds through endless mountains, and the shoulders range from bad to confusing to nonexistent. Several sections are just dirt tracks. We didn’t regret opting for the jeep, as we could stop several times at our convenience—if only to let Y (my Thai partner) throw up everything she had. She’d taken her usual motion sickness medication, but the constant turns, accelerations, and braking eventually made her terribly carsick.

In Nuwakot, we stopped for breakfast at a nice little restaurant, Jimbu. It was around 8:30 a.m., and we’d barely covered 60 km. The restaurant has a lovely garden overlooking the Trishuli Ganga, the river flowing down from Syapru Besi. First photo: the river in the bottom right corner, mist and clouds over the mountain on the other side.

An hour later, my second photo: the hills along the Trishuli Ganga. You can see the different crops—lush green rice paddies in the lower right and corn, already yellowed and likely harvested, in the foreground on the left. And of course, the mist and clouds through which you can glimpse the mountain on the other side of the river.
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Bibouns51 4 days ago
Off on a winter adventure in the American West!
Day 1 – February 14

We all have two lives. And the second one kicks off the day you realize you only have one, with the determination to spend the time you have left on what truly adds sparkle to your life, Kevin! I like to elegantly introduce a trip with a philosophical quote. First, it gives you the illusion that I’m some kind of deep thinker, and second, it lets me fill up the first few lines of my blank page when I don’t know how to tell you I’m diving back into what really lights up my life: another adventure beyond the horizon! And nearly every other year, like a toxic relationship, my horizon tends to take shape in Uncle Sam’s backyard. And this, despite his cousin Donald calling the shots. Speaking of which, it was partly that impulsive guy who pushed us to be just as impulsive and snag our four flight tickets at a ridiculously low price—a direct result of foreign tourism taking a hit from BetaMax’s repeated antics... Four tickets? Who are the other lucky ones? In this case, our lucky ones are actually lucky ladies: My Flo, always up for exploring the world with me on foot, camelback, or scooter, is obviously in on the fun. The other two seats went to our daughters, Sasha and Luna, both thrilled to be part of this new American adventure...

But what’s the American West like in February?... A gamble. Let’s call it Russian roulette since we’re not landing during peak weather season. That’s why we encouraged our transportation and accommodation to get cozy and produce a little camper van, so we can stay ultra-flexible in the face of any weather tantrums. We’ll be roaming in Kara the van with the motto "Follow the sun!" Bad weather? We bolt. Snow? We speed up. Sunny? We act like it was the plan all along and soak it up.

"Okay, but why keep coming back to the same corner of the globe? After ten American adventures, you must be tired of seeing the same things, right?" But I’m not crazy, you know!... The American West is like making love to your gorgeous wife over and over, always enjoying it just as much. And contrary to what you might think, the American West isn’t just the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Las Vegas, and Bryce Canyon. Proof is, after ten trips to the U.S., my retinas are still untouched by three-quarters of the places I scribbled on a napkin for this adventure... Oh, and add to that my wife, who I’ve easily converted to my religion, and boom... relapse is even easier! Because yes, we’ve landed in Los Angeles after a sunny flight over Greenland, still under Danish flag for now. And we’re already heading east through the XXL traffic of L.A.’s eight-lane highways, eager to dive into our first discoveries. But first, night is taking over the sky, and second, we’ve been officially awake for 24 hours, so I suggest wrapping up this intro. I’ll tell you more tomorrow morning. Sound good?



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Calisson94 5 days ago
Back to Swedish Lapland: Trekking the Kungsleden and Crossing Sarek
Summer 2022 left me with a sense of unfinished business, so here I am back in Swedish Lapland for summer 2024, ready to attempt the Sarek crossing again—and this time, tackle part of the Kungsleden too.

After much hesitation, my partner Jean Marie and I decided to start with the Kungsleden, which is, from what we’ve read, stunning but very busy (and it really is!!), and finish with the wilder option: SAREK! This park is known as Europe’s last true wilderness—sounds like a dream, right?! The downside of this plan is that there’s no way to resupply in Sarek, and the Kungsleden isn’t exactly set up for long-distance trekking either, so we’ll have to carry a lot of food for the first part of the trip with Sarek in mind. Oh well, we’re motivated!

Our plan is to start in Abisko (the classic route), head to Vakkotavare (also classic, but with some variations to avoid the official trail and the crowds), then continue the Kungsleden from Saltoluokta. Before reaching Aktse, we’ll set off on an east-to-west crossing of Sarek (weather-dependent, since aside from the Skarja hut in the center of the park, there’s no shelter if conditions turn bad). At least we’ll be on the right side of the park to climb Skierfe and enjoy the jaw-dropping view of Rappaladen if we have to bail on Sarek.

All in all, that’s 17 days of trekking, including 1 rest day and 1 buffer day for weather delays.

So if you’re interested, I invite you to follow our fully packed backpacks!

08/03 - Abisko – 5km before Abiskojaure Some info (guides we used for prep, SFT map, sending food to Saltoluokta) 08/04 – 5km before Abiskojaure - on the east shore of Lake Alisjavri 08/05 – East shore of Lake Alisjavri – just before Tjaktja 08/06 – Just before Tjaktja – above the Salka hut via Nallo 08/07 - Salka – just past Singi + side trip to Djalson Lake 08/08 - Singi – Teusajaure 08/09 - Teusajaure - Vakkotavare (end of the first section of the Kungsleden) 08/10 – rest day in Saltoluokta + round trip to the Sámi village of Pietjaure 08/11 – Saltoluokta – Sitojaure 08/12 - Sitojaure - Skierfe - Sarek or no Sarek? 08/13 – Skierfe – somewhere above Rapadalen 08/14 – Somewhere above Rapadalen – above the Skarki hut 08/15 – Above the Skarki hut - Skarja 08/16 – Camping at Skarja 08/17 – Ruohtesvagge 08/18 – Ruohtesvagge - Padjelantaleden 08/19 – Padjelantaleden - Ritsem – End of the trek 08/20–24 - End of the trip (Lullea - Stockholm) And of course, the recap
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Aleph240758 5 days ago
New adventures from Perpignan to Ranchi (Jharkhand)
March 2nd — Departure by bus from Latour at 6:50 AM. The journey isn’t direct: we pass through Elne then Corneilla. In Perpignan, I switch to a BlablaBus heading to Barcelona’s northern bus station. Before reaching Le Perthus, French police stop us to check IDs. Several people aren’t in order, but after about fifteen minutes, we’re on our way again. We’re checked again at La Jonquera: this time, the wait lasts almost forty-five minutes while police identify those in violation and wait for a vehicle to pick them up. The driver then tries to make up for lost time; we finally arrive at our destination half an hour late.

I quickly head to the Arc de Triomphe metro station, located 200 meters away: you have to cross the bridge along the bus parking lot, then walk through a large garden; the station is on the right before the garden entrance. The trip to the airport isn’t direct: I have to change at Tomasso and take the line to the airport, where I arrive at 1 PM.

At the Emirates counter, I learn my flight was just canceled due to the war in Iran; they offer me another flight for the next day. I have to wait at the airport until 7 PM before being taken to a hotel; the next morning, I’ll take a flight to Vienna (with an 8-hour layover), then an Air India flight to Delhi, and finally a flight to Kolkata. I agree: I don’t know Vienna, so it’ll be an unexpected discovery.

At 7 PM, a small group is taken to the hotel, 35 minutes from the airport, where we’re served a light dinner upon arrival.

March 3rd — A taxi picks me up at 6:30 AM; the flight to Vienna takes off at 9:30 AM and arrives at noon. I’m free until 7 PM; the metro is direct to the city center. The weather is pleasant and not too cold, luckily, since my clothes are light.

When I exit the metro, I spot the St. Stephen’s Cathedral tower in the distance and approach it: the roof, made of glazed tiles, is remarkable.



Entry is free, and the interior, a mix of Gothic and Baroque styles in the center, is stunning.



Not far from there is St. Anne’s Church



, also Baroque, adorned with beautiful frescoes



—a music concert adds an enchanting atmosphere to the visit. I continue my walk at random through the pedestrian streets lined with magnificent buildings: I’m charmed by the city.







Before heading back to the airport, I stop at a lovely tea salon. My flight will eventually leave with a delay.

Wednesday, March 4th — Delhi and a little luggage scare We arrive in Delhi shortly after noon. Immigration is quick, and good news: my bag was checked through from Barcelona to Kolkata. I head to the connecting terminal and arrive half an hour before boarding: the flight goes smoothly. Upon arrival, the luggage comes out quickly… except mine. After filing a report, I’m told my bag is in Delhi—I have to retrieve it before taking another flight. I didn’t know (or had forgotten): with the delays, I wouldn’t have had time to pick it up and make the connection.

I take a taxi to the Ichamati Hotel. The welcome is warm, and the room is clean but very small. Without my bag, I feel a bit lost—I have nothing to change into.

Tonight, I’m dining with Raja and his friends at a beautiful restaurant, an old colonial house turned into a hotel.





We’re happy to see each other and have a comforting evening together.
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RichardXI 5 days ago
Page by Page on the Assisi Way – 1,200 km on Foot
Preamble

June 2024. While hiking with my brother on the GR 36 Tour du Morvan, I catch sight now and then of strange rectangular markers fixed to tree trunks. Against a bright orange background, a deep black Greek tau topped with a white dove. My first encounter with the Assisi Way. The Way of St. Francis: a pilgrimage route linking Vézelay in Burgundy to Assisi in Italy, covering nearly 1,800 km. It felt like an obvious next step—I immediately knew I’d take it on, attempt the adventure solo.



In the months that followed, I talked about my project to everyone—family, friends, my partner. An avalanche of comments, more or less the same but varying depending on each person’s character and life experiences. But deep down, it all boiled down to one legitimate question: why?

And the answers? Hesitant, awkward, partial, even confused. I quickly realized they weren’t so easy to find. It was as if my project seemed more like a whim, a kind of intimate caprice, rather than a well-thought-out plan. Of course, I knew the reasons that pushed me to leave—you always have to give some. Loved ones need to understand to feel reassured, and that’s understandable. But I fear that when I list them, they’ll sound like the same old checklist anyone embarking on this kind of journey might give. Of all the reasons I could mention, I’ll highlight just one here: the call of the road, the solo adventure that brings a powerful sense of freedom. A bit like Monsieur Seguin’s goat, who from her comfortable pen gazes longingly at the unconstrained horizon of the mountain. But if I’m being honest, I think I didn’t really know what I was looking for—or, more importantly, what I’d find. Deep down, when I reflect on it, one word keeps coming up that explains nothing and everything at once: desire.

Now well past sixty, I know that when I ask myself who I am or where I’m going, two things bring me fully back to myself: hiking and writing. And my intention was also to anchor this adventure through words, day by day. Writing down my feelings, emotions, discoveries, and reflections each evening. The famous travel journal that grounds the daily experience in reality. When I discovered the app "Polarstep," which was initially just meant to keep my loved ones updated and reassured, inform them of my progress, and maintain a connection, I found an opportunity to do it a little differently than usual. No retrospective notes polished up after returning, but spontaneous writing—recounting everything that crossed my mind during the day and publishing it immediately. A journey lived in real time.

This text is the exact transcription of my daily writings. Rereading them, I didn’t change a thing—just corrected a few mistakes and tweaked some awkward phrasing here and there. Short texts, fitting the format imposed by this kind of app. Writing as if addressing others.

Now, all that was left was to walk. April 18, 2026 – Vézelay.

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Jojoone1 last week
All Over Thailand
You can post your personal photos in the following thread: https://voyageforum.com/forum/quelque-part-en-thailande-d10655574/

This travel journal is therefore intended solely for my photos, to present a consistent style. All the shots were taken with a simple Samsung Galaxy smartphone and with whatever was at hand.

All stays combined, I’ve spent the equivalent of a year at most in Thailand, and I’m no great expert. However, after many trips, lots of reading on VoyageForum and other sites, and conversations with many locals as well as expats, my view of the country is becoming clearer, though it’s constantly evolving. You never stop discovering and learning.

I guess I wanted to deliver a puzzle, mainly for those who want to get an idea of the country here and for those who feel nostalgic about it. I don’t know if this minimalist sharing will interest anyone, but it’ll do me good to put it together. After so many months without traveling and then these other long months with VF closed, there’s plenty of material available.

There’ll be a mix of places, periods, and subjects, but it might well be intentional.



I suspect many Thais have dogs because they make excellent guardians for the home. Nothing better to deter burglars or to signal the presence of a snake. You’ll often see Thais tapping the top of their dog’s head, but don’t be fooled: it’s a sign of affection from them. Judging by the dogs’ reactions, they’re used to it.

Thailand is one of the countries on the planet where rabies is still present, so keep that in mind. It’s not just bites that can be dangerous, so don’t let just any dog lick you. Especially on a wound, of course. Even though dogs often fear humans—this dangerous and unpredictable predator—we still need to stay cautious. Be careful when walking into alleys because the dog will defend its master’s big yard. Be careful at night, and be careful when they’re in packs. It sometimes crosses our minds that Thailand isn’t all that made for walking around, and dogs are one of the reasons. That said, it’s not uncommon to see them chasing bikes or scooters. Cars, though? Much rarer—they’re too big.

It seems Thais prefer to give their dogs freedom by not locking them behind gates. Though sometimes the gate is closed, the little side door is wide open. Oh, and sometimes there’s no gate in front of the property, or it’s been full of holes for years.

You’ll often see dogs sleeping on the roadside, sometimes right on the road. When you approach, they move aside nonchalantly—or not at all. It’s less funny when they suddenly appear from thick vegetation, reminding visitors not to drive too fast. As a result, you’ll notice that dogs with injuries or missing legs aren’t that rare.

Since they believe in reincarnation and respect for all forms of life, they don’t chase dog packs away too much, and they don’t sterilize them enough. When you see a small pack roaming freely in the countryside, you think twice about running into them at the edge of a field. A darker side of this is that euthanasia isn’t often practiced. Twice, we saw dogs at death’s door in temples, enduring terrible suffering with no one to help. The image (and the smell) of one of them, agonizing and exuding the stench of death, still comes back to me sometimes.

Some of you may have seen the YouTube vlog of a French woman living in Phuket who was given a little pig by her Thai friends. The animal, well-fed, quickly became a happy and enormous beast with its own garden. Yet it didn’t take long for it to fall seriously ill and become incurable. In her video, the French woman described how difficult it was to find a vet willing to perform euthanasia.

You’ll often see bowls by the side of the road. Thais leave food and water there for stray cats and dogs. Overall, they have a big heart for animals.

If you ever pop into a shopping mall, you might see people pushing their small dogs in strollers. It’s not just for fun—these strollers are provided for customers to put their pets in, otherwise you can’t bring them inside. It looks a bit odd when you expect to see a baby.
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Zigomar67 last week · Puma2A
Argentine and Chilean Patagonia from El Calafate to Ushuaia
This travel journal summarizes a trip I took in March to Argentine and Chilean Patagonia. It starts in El Calafate and ends in Ushuaia. During my planning, I considered looking into the Australis cruise from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, as well as the W trek in Torres del Paine National Park. In both cases, I was put off by the prices. Instead of the cruise, I found two interesting wildlife excursions from Punta Arenas: whale watching in the Strait of Magellan and observing king penguins in Tierra del Fuego. The journey to Ushuaia was by bus. For Torres del Paine, things were a bit confusing, so I reached out to two agencies. In the end, I went with a rental car option, overnight stays on-site, and day hikes. I shared my full itinerary with the agency and ended up being taken care of by a local Argentine agency and a Chilean one. So, here we go...
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Nathalie971 2 weeks ago
From Southern Shikoku, between land and sea, to the blue waters of Miyakojima and finally the Tokyo metropolis
From Southern Shikoku, between land and sea, to the blue waters of Miyakojima and finally Tokyo’s megacity

Hi everyone,

I have to admit, I really hesitated before deciding to write this travel journal... Writing one takes a lot of time and energy, and since this is my 4th trip, I wondered if it would even interest anyone other than myself (both for the discovery and the writing). But after a few people asked, "Are you going to write a journal?" and especially after rediscovering the joy of reading other travelers’ journals about Japan or elsewhere on this forum, I’ve decided to share my 4th installment in the Land of the Rising Sun here.

The itinerary: 27 full days, from late May to late June 2025, right in the middle of the rainy season, including:

-->13 days in Shikoku, from Kochi (Kochi Prefecture) to Matsuyama (Ehime Prefecture)



-->7 days in Miyakojima (Okinawa Prefecture)



-->7 days in Tokyo



The trip was decided on fairly last-minute again this year.

Since I regularly check flight prices to track fluctuations for this destination even without concrete plans, stumbling upon a slightly cheaper direct flight (900 €) than what I’d seen in previous months (around 1,200–1,400 € on average) for a Paris-Tokyo route with Japanese airline ANA was too tempting to resist the urge to return to this enchanting country. After much hesitation between exploring the San’in region (Matsue, Tottori, Yamaguchi) and Southern Shikoku, the decision was made—I took the plunge! The ticket is booked: Paris to Kochi with a layover in Tokyo, all with ANA, the airline I’d been dreaming of... for 1,120 € per person. Okay, it’s not cheap, but it’s better than in 2023.

Departure in 2 weeks! Now I just have to get everything ready!

Intense prep work over these next 2 weeks to:

finalize a more precise itinerary and reach an agreement—yep, because even though we both love Japan, our preferences differ slightly, and we have to choose between exploring new places or revisiting beloved spots... decide how much time to spend in each area without rushing while still exploring research places that might interest us and watch videos about Japan book accommodations: yes, it’s possible to do this on the spot, but last year, we realized that last-minute options were pretty expensive, so we’re booking ahead—though we’ll keep a few options open in case better deals pop up later reserve rental cars order yen check the weather regularly and wonder if choosing the *tsuyu* (rainy season) was really a good idea—are we going to be drenched the whole time???

"What hard work," you might say! Going to Japan for a month—what a tough life! Despite this being my 4th trip, the excitement is just as intense as the first time.

The only small downside is that when we booked the flight, there weren’t many seats left, so we’re only sitting together on the international return flight. Plus, on the way there, we have middle seats. Another lingering question: what French-language films will be available? According to the internet, the selection seems limited. Oh well, these are just minor details—it’s already time to fly! PS: I’ll be posting slowly and irregularly... so for those interested, be patient, and maybe set an alert...
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Cendryon 2 weeks ago · Eole34
Kattegat Tour and Norway’s Majestic Fjords – 32 Days (Denmark, Sweden, Norway)
Kattegat isn’t just the name of the village in the TV series *Vikings*—it’s also the stretch of water separating Denmark from Sweden... the sea, basically! And further north, you’ve got Norway and its fjords! Originally, I’d planned to just do a loop around Kattegat, with the *Under* restaurant in Lindesnes as our anniversary treat... but along the way, we thought, why not "push" a little further north, keeping an eye on the budget since we’d chosen to travel by car in June 2025 through Scandinavia.

Why by car when most travelers opt for a camper van, while others prefer the comfort of cruises? Well, because we don’t own a camper van, renting one is pricey, and then you’ve got to add fuel costs (those things guzzle gas!), ferry fees, and other "tolls." All things considered, we went for mostly rentals—especially since there were four of us at the start of the trip. We spent the first week in Denmark with our daughter and son-in-law. Then they flew back to Belgium, and we continued our adventure as a couple. For accommodation, we mainly booked Airbnb apartments, which helped keep costs down and, most importantly, let us prepare our own meals (diet, diet!). In this travel journal, you’ll discover (or rediscover, for those who followed my older ones) our unbridled love for theme parks, museums, unique experiences, and—especially in Denmark—Legos! Unfortunately, we didn’t do any hikes this year because the unpredictable weather had made the trails slippery, and since I’d already taken three tumbles during the trip, I didn’t want to risk another! In the end, we traveled for 32 days, covered 6,200 km, and most importantly, discovered the charming country of Denmark, marveled at Norway’s breathtaking fjords—all without suffering the heatwave that hit France and Belgium that June! If you’ve got any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
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Servanel 2 weeks ago · Vandfaure
Two weeks in Malaysia in September 2017
Hi there,

Here’s our account of our trip to Malaysia from September 11th to 27th. I hope our tips can help others as much as this forum has helped us!

Day 0:

Departure from Nantes with a transfer in Amsterdam via KLM (720 €).

Day 1:

We arrive at KLIA1 in the early afternoon. First challenge: figuring out where to pick up our luggage. Turns out the answer is right under our noses—we need to take the airport’s internal metro! Once we’ve got our bags, we withdraw some cash from a Maybank ATM right there. Next up: SIM card! Just outside the arrivals hall, several kiosks offer them. We go for a Celcom 5 GB card (70 RM). Then it’s taxi time to get to KL, in the Bukit Bintang area—about 85 RM in a slightly old taxi with weak air conditioning. We check into our Airbnb apartment, which is clean, more spacious than a hotel room, and—best of all—has a charming balcony with a gorgeous nighttime view!



We end up hanging out on that balcony, reviewing our plans for the next day. After dark, we take the monorail just a short walk away to enjoy our first evening on a rooftop at the 34th floor: Hélipad (Raja Chulan station—you have to enter the Menara Tower at the base of the station) with a panoramic view of the city and its iconic towers.





Finally, we head to Jalan Alor to grab a bite in this super busy street. Big sleep ahead! 😴
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Muriel18 2 weeks ago · Puma2A
Two weeks under the Puglia sun
After a pretty disastrous weather-wise trip to Gran Canaria, we’re hoping this time the sun will shine in Puglia. It’s not a sure thing, though—the weather’s been awful all over Europe in early May.

For those who’d like to (re)read the story without the digressions, it’s here.

Saturday, May 16: This time we’re flying out of Charleroi (Brussels South): the ticket prices, flight times, and proximity all worked for us. The airport (Ryanair) was recently renovated... but it’s still not very well organized. There are hardly any seats in the boarding areas, and... the restrooms cost money!!! The flight goes smoothly, though, and we land in Bari a little late.

We quickly pick up our rental car, a very local-looking Pandina (even more so than the Fiat 500 in this region), and hit the Italian roads... and their unique driving quirks (like the fact that the countless road signs along the streets and in towns are purely decorative 😏, and that Italian cars don’t have turn signals 😮... except for rental cars).

About an hour later, we arrive at our first accommodation, right in the middle of the countryside near Monopoli. The owner isn’t there, but they’ve left us a ton of info via messages and even turned on the space heater, which is a nice touch. We explore the property:



And the next morning before breakfast, its immediate surroundings:





Sunday, May 17: After our "seaside" experience in Gran Canaria last weekend (packed with people and locals), we decide to start inland. After a hearty breakfast,



we head toward Alberobello, a super touristy village famous for its trulli—those stone houses with conical roofs. We easily find a free parking spot on a street near the Aia Piccola district, where some trulli are still lived in year-round.





We almost immediately come across the Trullo Sovrano (the only two-story one), which you can visit (but we skip it—it’s opening time, and there’s already a line).



From there, we head down toward the Basilica of Cosma e Damiano... but we don’t go in because there’s a mass.



Now we’re on the main Piazza del Popolo, which connects the two districts of Alberobello: Rione Aia Piccola and Rione Monti, the more touristy one.
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Fabhyène 2 weeks ago · Chrisfenua
3 weeks in Laos, stress-free
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...

This trip was in 2023, but when I wanted to write my travel journal, VF was still closed to contributions... So, now that I've just finished my Japan travel journal here, I figured it was high time to honor this destination we came back from so enchanted. Disclaimer 1: This is a written travel journal. There’ll be text! Too much, for some! Disclaimer 2: This is an illustrated travel journal. There’ll be photos! Too many, for some!

I have to say, every time I try to discipline myself, to keep it shorter, to include fewer photos... I end up adding more. It feels like my dear Aunt Nicole, who exhausted us with her slide-show evenings in the 70s/80s, decided to take her revenge. The upside for you, readers, is that you can slip away anytime without offending Aunt Nicole. I won’t even notice!

Anyway, since I love maps, here’s one to give you an idea of where I’m taking you. As you can see, we only saw a tiny part of Laos (the areas circled in red); we only had 3 weeks for ourselves (my husband’s newly retired, I still work), and we prefer taking our time over rushing around like crazy.



In broad strokes, it was very classic:

First, we “settled in” at Luang Prabang (8 days), because we wanted and needed to. From there, we took three days to venture a little further north—not far in kilometers, but as we know, distances aren’t just about km! Then we flew south to Paksé, letting ourselves drift down to the 4,000 Islands while stopping by the pre-Angkorian archaeological sites. We wrapped up with the Bolaven Plateau.

A few practical notes: We arrived via Bangkok, then took a Bangkok-Luang Prabang flight, having picked up our luggage in Bangkok to check it in for Luang Prabang. No issues—the Bangkok airport, which many of you know, is very well organized. We got our visas on arrival in Luang Prabang. Quick, but to be fair, we were on a “small” plane, and the big flights had arrived earlier, so we weren’t too crowded in line! At the end of our trip, we didn’t fly out of Paksé but from the nearby airport in Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani (a 2.5-hour drive from Paksé), then Bangkok and Paris. You’ll notice we skipped Vientiane to stay longer in Luang Prabang. That said, there’s now a high-speed train between Vientiane and Luang Prabang—good to know—and soon the (Chinese) train will go all the way to Bangkok and even Kuala Lumpur!

With that intro out of the way, let’s dive into the heart of the matter. To be continued: Slowing down the pace... in Luang Prabang
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Torpan 3 weeks ago · Tulipe57
Japan: First Discovery!
Here’s a little story about my first trip to Japan with my partner. We went for our first visit from October 29 to November 13, 2024.

I had planned this entire trip back in November 2020, but given the health situation at the time, I had to cancel...

Here’s the classic route we took:

We booked everything ourselves and got a regional pass for the area from Kyoto to Hiroshima. The hotels were reserved 3 months in advance on Book... and Agod... (1030 € for 2 people for 13 nights = 80 €/night). For the flight, we chose a Qatar Airways flight with a layover to break up the long journey (950 € per person). We also got a pass on the same site (Japan-Experience) to take the train connecting Narita Airport to Shibuya Station (the N'EX Narita Express). Since the airport is 75 km from central Tokyo, we opted for this mode of transport, even though there are cheaper alternatives. After reading various posts on VoyageForum, I understood how important it was to have a Welcome Suica card to pay for public transport (subway, tram, bus, boat throughout the country), and we were able to buy one at Narita Airport. It turned out to be super useful! After a long but smooth journey, we found ourselves at Narita Airport in the evening. Even though we had a pass for the Narita Express, we had to go to a counter to make a reservation for the train (mandatory). Then, once we arrived at Shibuya Station, we took the subway for 2 stops and finally reached our hotel, exhausted (Hotel Asia Center of Japan – 270 € for 3 nights with breakfast included).
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Fabhyène 3 weeks ago · Tulipe57
Draw Me Your Japan...
Hi there!

I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.

Let’s start with the shotengai...



Our first "wow" moment came as we stepped out of the subway in Asakusa, the Tokyo neighborhood where we’d booked our hotel for our first five nights. Exhausted after our long flight, we finally arrived and took an exit that led straight into a shotengai—one of those covered shopping streets that pop up in city centers and flourished between the 1950s and 1980s.

It was an instant aesthetic shock, like a close encounter of the third kind between the modern city, a typical Asian market with its street stalls, the vintage vibe of the arcade, the sheer abundance of goods, and the bustling crowd—a mix of tourists, pilgrims (thanks to nearby Senso-ji Temple), and locals (it’s a very working-class area). In the end, it set the tone for a feeling we’d experience throughout the trip. Wherever we went, shotengai turned out to be fantastic spots for finding little restaurants, shops, or even fresh produce. Some are like real mazes, like in Kyoto, where we spent ages trying to relocate a restaurant we’d loved ;-)

In Kanazawa, the Omicho Market: And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:

To be continued...
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Holigirl 3 weeks ago · Solene40
South Africa in safari mode: February/March 2026
Hi everyone,

With my girlfriend Christelle, we’ve chosen South Africa for our first trip to Southern Africa, focusing on safaris—after a long debate with a Cape Town/Kruger combo. But that would’ve meant cutting out St Lucia, which would’ve been harder to fit into another trip. And St Lucia—thanks to Michel and all those travel journals—we really wanted to go there.

So our 11-night itinerary ended up like this, mostly shaped by school holidays: - 3 nights in St Lucia - 1 night in Hluhluwe - 1 night at Mkhaya Game Reserve (Eswatini) - 1 night at Hlane Royal National Park (Eswatini) - 3 nights in Kruger (Berg en Dal / Satara / Tamboti) - 1 night at Shindzela Tented Camp in the Timbavati private reserve - 1 final night in Kruger at Lower Sabie

All of this in the off-season and rainy season, just a month after catastrophic floods that killed over 150 people and seriously damaged Kruger’s infrastructure.

I’ll jump straight to St Lucia and skip the loooong journey to get there (with a layover in Frankfurt, landing in Johannesburg, a domestic flight to Durban, and the rest by rental SUV—First Car Rental, perfect, no complaints).

To motivate readers—especially some familiar faces here—I’ll drop in a first photo.

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Caroki 3 weeks ago
Three weeks in Albania with two older teens
We went to Albania in August 2025. Our itinerary included adventure (sporty activities, site visits), naps on the beach interspersed with swims, incredible natural sites, and a bit of culture.

I booked all our accommodations on Booking.com. Note: almost all places ask to be paid in cash!! You can obviously withdraw from banks, but the fees are pretty high. Luckily, we had plenty of cash, and the country is very safe. You can pay in euros most of the time, which avoids exchange fees. We started in Tirana. I’d read a really interesting post about Albania’s bunkers (link in my profile). We chose to visit Bunk’Art with a guide from the agency that wrote the post. It was fascinating—not only to better understand the country’s history but also because her grandfather was repressed by the regime, and she shared her family’s experience with us.

Bunkers are everywhere! In Tirana, Bunk’Art is the most interesting and largest. You’ll see the dictator Enver Hoxha’s office, where he would’ve taken refuge in case of an attack on the country. Bring a sweater—it’s really cold in the underground tunnels and their huge corridors. You can visit other bunkers around the country, in Tirana and elsewhere. Almost all are just abandoned. The cable car up Mount Dajti is right next to Bunk’Art. The view is stunning—you realize Tirana is so close to the mountains and the sea... But otherwise, it’s not that exciting for older teens (17 and 19) and their parents. We picked up a rental car in Tirana—it’d be ours for the next three weeks. We used Goalbania’s agency to avoid any hassles. First, there aren’t many cars available in Albania in summer. Second, French credit cards can be a nightmare abroad. So we preferred to sort that out in advance. After Tirana, we headed to Permet. Just a heads-up: the roads are in great condition except in the mountains. And Albanian drivers aren’t stressful to deal with. Though you might suddenly encounter a herd of goats crossing the road—haha—but if you’re not going too fast, it’s fine. In Permet, I’d been dreaming of rafting on the Vjosa, one of Europe’s last wild rivers. And we did it with a local agency! It’s beautiful, accessible to everyone, not too physical but still a bit lively—just how we like it. You can even jump into the river in some spots. In Permet, we also hiked through a canyon and visited a lovely little church.



And we took a workshop to make their local culinary pride: gliko. It’s a jam with whole fruits inside. We’d seen it on Goalbania’s site, and it was really fun. We were with a family where the secret to making gliko has been passed down for generations... Next, we headed to Gjirokastër. A city we loved: its old traditional houses (Skendulli and Zekate), its grand castle, the Ali Pasha Bridge. Along the way, we stopped for artisanal ice cream at a little shop run by a grandmother who’s been making it herself for ages.



One afternoon, my husband *had* to go to the coast in the south, to Ksamil (he’d read it was better than Sarandë). Verdict: we didn’t like it. Parking is a nightmare, the beaches are super noisy and crowded. The sea is packed with jet skis, boats, pedalos, and ropes. Avoid it.

On the other hand, we really liked Himarë, where we went next. We stayed at a campsite where we rented tents with mattresses and sheets inside. Right by the sea, on a low cliff (about 2 meters high). You can hear the waves at night... Magical!! To swim, you either jump straight into the sea (almost from the tent) or climb down a ladder, which you’ll need to climb back up to get out.



I was a little worried the campsite wouldn’t be very comfortable, so afterward, I’d booked a small place in Gjilek. Turns out, the place was really tiny (one room for four, no kitchen) and pretty expensive (over 100 € a night). We’d drive to the beach or restaurants—it’s on a steep slope, so not very accessible. Parking near the sea is tricky. But the (private) beaches were nice—we’d rent an umbrella not too close to the music and spend the day there. We also went to a wilder beach, harder to reach, via a long path. Behind the beach, there’s an amazing canyon where we’d sometimes climb using ropes (already in place, no need to bring your own) over big boulders rolled around by the stream, which must swell a lot in spring. So, the sea in Albania: it’s nice if you like swimming and relaxing, but it’s not the most interesting part of the country. There are so many other amazing things to see and discover—so many stunning sites! Maybe an agency could’ve helped us find more practical accommodations and avoid Ksamil and its surroundings. We left the coast to head to the beautiful city of Berat and its "thousand windows." We explored the city, its fortress, and its icon museum.



Then we discovered the Osum Canyon—it’s incredible. The view from the top is breathtaking. And at the bottom, it’s magical. There’s little water in summer, so rafting isn’t an option. We weren’t tempted by the big-tube descent offered by an agency—it looked fun, but the group had 40 people. We preferred hiking on our own as a family of four. We scouted the area on Google Maps... and found where to descend. We walked in the water, then it rose to our waists, then our shoulders... We weren’t moving fast. And how to get back up?? Eventually, we followed a group with a guide—the path was hard to find.



After that unforgettable hike, we visited the Bogovë Waterfalls. It’s pretty, and we swam, but the water was *really* cold. We passed through Tirana again and then headed to Shkodër. We explored a bit—its charming little streets, the Rozafa Fortress. There’s a tiny museum where you can see *huge* Ottoman stone cannonballs. And they tell you the (charming) story of the young woman who was walled alive in the castle’s foundations to ensure its strength... Shkodër is mostly a stopover to head into the mountains and discover Theth. Our goal: hiking in the Valbona Valley, from Valbona to Theth. We organized the trip ourselves, without an agency, but it took some time to figure everything out. So I’ll save you the trouble—haha. Book your tickets on the Komanilakeferry website. The ticket includes: 🙂 minibus transfer from downtown Shkodër to Koman 🙂 ferry ticket from Koman to Fierze. This ferry ride is *gorgeous*—between mountain slopes covered in pine trees, and sometimes a little house with a few fields...



🙂 minibus ticket from Fierze to Valbona. Now you’re in the mountains! The minibus drops you off near your accommodation—pick one as close as possible to the start of the hike (if that’s your goal!). The ones at the far end of the village add up to 1.5 hours of walking. Our choice: Guesthouse Dioni. The host is really lovely, it’s in the woods, and it’s basic but great. After a day of hiking, we arrived in Theth. What beautiful mountains! Then we explored Theth and the surrounding area. It’s pretty busy, but you can still enjoy the Blue Eye of Theth and its swim. It’s *so* cold! But so beautiful!



🙂 minibus ticket from Theth back to Shkodër. After a night in Shkodër, we drove to Kepi i Rodonit. A guidebook (I forget which one) raved about its beauty. And it *is* beautiful!



But the view is ruined by plastic bottles and other trash in the bushes, along the paths, and of course on the beaches. The only peaceful spot: the private beach at Kepi i Rodonit, which is cleaned. You can rent an umbrella and have lunch there. That’s where we spent our last few days—very relaxing. In short... Albania turned out to be perfect for us and our teens!
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Attila 3 weeks ago · ReneVoyageur
Albania in Autumn Colors
A new work assignment means our vacation dates can't stay the same.

We had planned to go to the Canary Islands, but flight prices are skyrocketing with this new holiday schedule.

So, I’m looking for an alternative to Gran Canaria and El Hierro and found two round-trip flights with Wizz Air to Tirana.

398 €, including baggage and seats—perfect!

Plus, the departure and return times are great, which is pretty rare for a low-cost flight!

All that’s left is to rent a car, plan the route, and book accommodations.

With two weeks, we’ll have to make some choices!

Here’s the final itinerary: Shkodra (2 nights), Valbonë (3 nights), Tirana (1 night), Lake Ohrid (1 night), Korçë (1 night), Përmet (1 night), Gjirokastër (1 night), Himarë (2 nights), Berat (2 nights), and Krujë (1 night).

A mix of countryside and small towns, a bit of the Mediterranean, and some mountains!

Late October isn’t the best season, so let’s keep our fingers crossed for the rest...

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6cha38 3 weeks ago
Our family trip from Denver to Yellowstone – a recap
Hi there,

I’m diving into a recap of our loop—pretty classic, really—Denver-Yellowstone-Denver this past summer, from July 24 to August 17. Given the sheer number of trip reports already out there (or in the works), and since I don’t have the writing chops or the photography skills of many of you, I’ll keep it practical—well, I’ll try, at least—to share our take on some of the less-visited parks and spots.

First off, a huge thank you to everyone whose trip reports, blogs, websites, comments, and more helped us put together this itinerary. Looking back, it could’ve been even better optimized: a few disappointments when we missed out on some great discoveries, often because we were short on time. Plenty of reasons to come back to the area!

We’re traveling with our four (almost) teens—18, 16, 14, and nearly 12 years old. To keep the trip enjoyable for everyone, we had to make compromises on both sides: cutting a visit short to spend more time swimming, waking up at dawn, and so on. But logistics also played a big role—things like laundry, grocery shopping, and keeping luggage organized could’ve quickly become time-consuming without a little planning. And honestly, I think we visited every Walmart along the way! Blame it on the lack of fridges in some accommodations and, more importantly, the *very* limited space in the car, which made it impossible to bring a proper cooler. I’ll come back to the car saga later.

For accommodations, this year we alternated between basic cabins in KOA campgrounds and Yellowstone (when staying more than one night in the same place) and hotels. Always with a pool (except in Yellowstone, of course), which let the kids burn off energy—because they always have reserves, even after packed days!—and, let’s be honest, gave us a chance to relax. No Wi-Fi issues either; we all had plans with 25 GB of data (a big thanks to Gilles for the amazing deal at 0.99 €). It worked perfectly, even for texts and calls between phones—no extra charges.

Now, onto our route: as I mentioned, a classic Denver-Yellowstone-Denver loop. To avoid rushing through the parks or spending all our time on the road, we prioritized staying as close to them as possible, with at least two nights in each place. And I’ve got to say, it’s really nice to settle in, even if it’s just for two nights. It also helped us deal with the weather, which wasn’t always great during this trip. The trade-off? With vacation time being limited, some driving days ended up being long. We knew that going in, but since we kept a relaxed pace with no time constraints (don’t ask me for timings—I don’t keep track of the clock on vacation, except in the morning to get everyone up before noon!), we sometimes ended up with marathon days.

With that said, I’ll dive into the trip itself in the next post.
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Attila 4 weeks ago
Storm in the Canary Islands
15 days across Gran Canaria, El Hierro, and a dash of Tenerife under the storm Thérèse!

The planned itinerary will be slightly disrupted...

(The version without discussions is here)
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Montagnard74 4 weeks ago
CAPE VERDE 2025: 3 weeks, 4 islands.
And we still haven’t seen everything! Before setting off for new horizons at the end of this year, it’s time for me to share my trip to Cape Verde this summer 2025.

I particularly love these spontaneous trips, and our stay in Cape Verde is one of those because it was only at the beginning of April that we decided on this getaway, which had been catching our eye for a while, given our love for the mountains.

As always—well, when it’s open—I turned to VF, and I want to immediately thank Marie, aka ptitortue, who helped me a lot in planning this trip through her travel journals and our exchanges!

Because Cape Verde is both small and vast! We decided not to rush from one airport to another, to enjoy the places and the people, but also to relax, since the work backlog from being stuck in May (see my previous travel journal 😅) had to be caught up on in June.

So, 4 islands will be our winners from 06/28 to 07/19:

Santiago first for logistical reasons, as round-trip flights from the capital Praia were the cheapest (650 €/person from Lyon via Lisbon with TAP, still!)

São Vicente, because it’s the gateway to the next one but ultimately more than that...

Santo Antão, pretty much the main goal of the trip since Marie (and the photos) had really sold it to me.

And finally, Sal Island, for some rest—a non-negotiable condition for my other half—and we’ll see that I should’ve listened to Marie...

That said, what a chatterbox I am—buckle up, flight attendants at the doors, off we go on new beautiful escapes! (Thanks to Sophie for the easy loan)

Last note for my eager fan club 😏: yes, there will be alcohol—how could there not be in the land of grogue!

It starts here:

https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10790234;a=10790234

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Songsam 4 weeks ago
Far from the daily grind*
Hello, Since I enjoy not only the countryside but also everything related to rail travel, I’m starting this photo thread dedicated to trains in Thailand (I’d guess most of us have taken one at some point...). Feel free to post your pictures here as long as they fit the theme: rolling stock**, stations**, platforms, tracks (even without a train on them), technical equipment, engineering structures (bridges, viaducts), etc.—all in Thailand. For each photo, I’ll (or you can) note the station or line where it was taken. Comments and questions are welcome.

* train ** interiors or exteriors

All aboard!
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Jojoone1 4 weeks ago
From the Awakening to Travel to Morocco in the 90s
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I inherited my love of travel from my parents and some of my grandparents. A strong passion, but one that was unfortunately limited by our family’s modest resources. Back then, living in northern Alsace, a simple trip to the southern part of the region—with the Wine Route as our destination—felt like an extraordinary journey to a land of plenty for the little boy I was in the late 60s and early 70s. Everything seemed so huge when you were still just a kid. Back then, I was overwhelmed by countless sensations—I was already highly sensitive, with a keen mind and a nose and taste buds that were developing like a pro’s. Which, as I’d later realize, wasn’t always an advantage.



Those magical days always began with a gentle late-spring or midsummer morning. The interior of the white Peugeot 404, license plate 210 LZ 67, had already soaked up the sun before the engine purred to life, and the cabin gave off a scent I could still recognize today—a fragrance I found so pleasant. Back then, I had no idea it was just the smell of warm plastic from the car’s interior. Yes, the scents of the 404 on sunny days became my madeleine de Proust... What’s more, the whole family was unusually cheerful because those moments of relaxation and leisure were rare. Everyone worked, and no one had an easy job or was well paid. Without the *Trente Glorieuses*, these experiences might never have happened.



Once we crossed the canton’s borders, I felt like I was light-years away from my everyday surroundings, and every kilometer plunged me deeper into *terra incognita*. It was thrilling. Far from my so-called "medium-sized" town, wheat fields, cornfields, and cabbage patches stretched out, punctuated by tall poles connected by long wires and topped with vegetation—like giant clotheslines without laundry, where magical beanstalks might grow to touch the sky. Back then, I was still far from tasting their product, which was simply beer. At the time, there was still a significant local hop production. Fun fact: it wasn’t until 2002 that Anglo-Saxon scientists proved hops and cannabis belong to the same biological family.

After the fields, the landscape took another step up as it rolled past the little boy’s eyes, often glued to the windows. First came modest hills, then a succession of rolling slopes that soon formed an unbroken chain. Their 700 meters in altitude felt like Himalayan peaks to me—impressive, inert giants, a whole new world. Gazing at them, an intense emotion welled up somewhere between my stomach and lungs, nearly taking my breath away. What mysteries, what treasures did these heights hold? And then there were the cherries on top—the crowning touch that made the scene even more magical: proud, majestic castles perched on the summits like impassive sentinels. Monuments from the past, yet firmly rooted in the present on their rocky spurs. The little boy’s eyes sparkled—he’d been given a castle for Christmas, complete with battlements, towers, a drawbridge, and fully armed knights. He’d watched and lived *Ivanhoe* on the only French TV channel that existed back then.

Only once did my paternal grandfather join us on one of these trips. A tall, intelligent man with a face that could shift from stern to mischievous, clearly full of humor and charisma. Sadly, his relationship with alcohol had taken a toll on his life and, by extension, those of his loved ones. He had a strong personality—if his boss crossed the line, he wouldn’t hesitate to punch him, which meant he went through a lot of different jobs. Back then, you could quit one job and easily find another. It was quite something to see him in his final stages, hallucinating pink elephants and even drinking perfume when he had nothing else left. The last time I saw him, he’d slipped away from the doctors and nurses while hospitalized in pretty bad shape—at least, I assume his liver was the issue. We were sitting down for a family lunch when the door burst open, and there he stood in his pajamas, eyes twinkling with mischief, clearly pleased with the dramatic entrance. That theatrical moment didn’t spare us from burying him a few months later at the age of 71. One day, my mother told me the family doctor had quietly remarked that it was a shame—with his robust constitution, he could’ve lived to be a hundred. Yes, the family doctor—this was the man who’d come treat you any day, at almost any hour, just for a phone call. It really existed, it’s not a myth!

That day, his wife—my paternal grandmother—was also along for the ride. Everyone agreed that Jeannette was a good woman. She worked as a waitress at *Le Tigre*, the biggest brasserie in town, right in the center. Most customers preferred to be served by her, including local dignitaries and even the mayor. As a kid, I didn’t find her very fun, open, or warm—she seemed a bit stern. Back then, women in their fifties already had the face and build of grandmothers. Same went for men, don’t get me wrong. I had no idea about the struggles she faced because of her husband. I didn’t know that 30 years earlier, she’d had to flee Alsace while pregnant, under threat from Nazi fighter-bombers. I didn’t know she’d had several miscarriages, and that my father—her only surviving child, born prematurely in March 1940 at the other end of France—weighed less than a kilo at birth and was so tiny he could fit in a shoebox. Hard to imagine he’d grow into a strapping man nearly 1.80 meters tall, tipping the scales at 100 kilos. When you come back from summer camp in early August and ask why she didn’t pick you up with your parents, and they gently tell you she’s "in heaven," you don’t realize she passed away at 54 after suffering greatly from stomach cancer that had spread.

Back to that family outing, that enchanted parenthesis. I even remembered where we’d had lunch when I passed through Dambach-la-Ville decades later. One of those charming, flower-filled towns Alsace produces in abundance—and preserves so well. This one sits high on a hill, and I was a bit stunned on the parking lot because the view stretched far, revealing the Alsace plain below—its fields, villages, hills, and forests. The world seemed so vast and enticing that day, even though I was only glimpsing a tiny fraction of it.



The region was already very touristy, but I wouldn’t notice the downsides until much later. That Sunday noon, I discovered a large restaurant filled with diners. I can still see the enormous piece of meat they served me, decorated with a little wooden skewer topped with a flag. I kept that one for a long time. Those were the golden days of rich, flowing, thick sauces—so flavorful—and the era of the world’s best fries, made on the spot with the best potatoes. To top it off, I was *exceptionally* allowed a small bottle of apple juice, Orangina, or—even better if possible—Sinalco. Yes, Sinalco—like Orangina, but better. A brand that must’ve disappeared in the 70s, but why, and what a shame! Since then, Orangina’s little bubbles have taken the brand to the other side of the planet—it’s now Japanese.

Year after year, I’d eagerly await that ecstatic moment when the most beautiful castle in Alsace, the Haut-Koenigsbourg, appeared in my field of vision. The perfect model, the archetype that blended into the landscape at the height of a child’s dreams. The trip home always felt like a reality check—less jarring than an alarm clock, but more diffuse and melancholic. From then on, there was only one wish: *When do we leave again?*
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Elis 4 weeks ago · Djalma
9-Day Trek in the Balkans
Hi there, Here’s a recap of a trek through the Balkans covering three countries: Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo. I was with a friend, and we didn’t do the full route (only one day in Kosovo). It was a wonderful trek through snow-capped mountains and vast flower-filled meadows, meeting incredibly welcoming people. At the end of the travel journal, I’ll share what I loved and what I liked less.

Day 1: Flight from Paris-Beauvais to Tirana with Wizz Air. Since Albania isn’t part of Europe when it comes to phone service (at least not yet! :-)), we had to buy a physical SIM card—otherwise, the bill would’ve been sky-high if we’d used our French plan! We got one from Vodafone AL at the airport. You can buy online before leaving with a virtual SIM (e-SIM) for compatible phones, so you don’t have to swap cards. But given the uncertainty about choosing a plan online, we preferred buying one directly at Tirana Airport. Cost: 31 € for 100 GB. That’s way too much—100 GB is overkill. For 40 GB, it’s 27 €, and the plan lasts 21 days. The price difference isn’t huge, and it was cheaper than online. This plan covers all the countries along the Balkan range. Money tip: All guesthouses and accommodations accept euros. The local currency in Albania is the LEK. In Montenegro, it’s the euro. Bank fees for withdrawing money from an ATM in Albania are pretty steep: 8 € for a withdrawal of 600–700 LEK (about 200 €)! So it’s better to withdraw cash (euros) in France. Oh, and we booked all our accommodations before leaving, but payment is always in cash. Budget around 400–500 € for 9 days of trekking.

Then, a transfer the same day to Shköder, about a 2-hour bus ride. Cost: 10 € per person. Tickets bought directly on the bus. We spent the night in Shköder at a very clean guesthouse, Open Doors B&B. It had a small balcony overlooking the city. I really liked Shköder, especially its pedestrian street lined with restaurants and lit up at night. It’s a great place to stroll and eat. The food isn’t expensive—two big salads and two beers: 14 € :-) . Fruit prices are also very reasonable: 3 € for a kilo of cherries, compared to 9–10 € in France. Religions coexist peacefully in these countries—Catholics and Muslims. From our balcony, my friend heard the call to prayer for the first time, coming from one of the city’s mosques.

Day 2: Bus ride to Theth, about 1,100 meters in elevation gain, the starting point for our hike the next day.

The trip took 2 hours and 40 minutes with a break in the middle. The bus was affordable, but taxis also make the trip—though they’re very expensive.



We slept in the heights of Theth at a new guesthouse, "Mountain Vista Shkafi," with an amazing view.

The family was adorable. The husband is a handyman and built almost everything himself. Their baby is named "Sky"—such a cute name, right? :-) Throughout the trek, I found the guesthouses very clean, and the hosts think of everything—no need to bring soap or shampoo; they provide it. Lunch in Theth at a traditional restaurant on the main road. We tried "Tave Dheu," an Albanian dish with beef, cabbage (very common), and cottage cheese. Delicious but not quite filling enough. For dessert, a honey cake that was perfectly moist—such a treat! Desserts like this are rare; sometimes they serve watermelon instead. We took a small private bus for 5 € to the "Blue Eye" parking lot, then walked for about 45 minutes to reach a stunning natural site—a kind of lagoon with incredibly blue water. The bravest can swim, but the water’s freezing!







That evening, we dined at "La Montagne Blanche"—excellent! A delightful mix of grilled meats with potatoes and grilled peppers. Some watermelon slices (which I’m not a fan of) and the famous Raki, a brandy served in Turkey and the Balkans! It was my first time drinking brandy "bottoms up." 😉

To be continued... 😉
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DrCarter 4 weeks ago · Djackx67
Two-week family trip to Colombia in August with 8-year-olds
Hi everyone,

I’d like to share my family trip to Colombia with kids aged 8. After spending hours browsing the forum and only having two weeks there, we decided to focus on two regions: the Coffee Zone for one week and the Caribbean coast for another. We traveled from August 8 to 23.

Day 1 – First stop: Bogotá

We arrived in Bogotá in the evening on an Air France flight—nothing to complain about, decent service, comfortable, and on time. However, the first night was a miss. We’d booked a hotel near the airport (Abitel Prime) for convenience, but the soundproofing was almost nonexistent; we heard planes as if we were on the runway. Luckily, exhaustion helped us sleep well anyway.

Day 2 – Off to the Coffee Zone and Salento

The next morning, we headed to the airport for a domestic flight to Pereira with LATAM. No issues: punctual and efficient, and in 30 minutes, we landed in Pereira. The landing already set a different mood: lush valleys, endless plantations, and humid air. We picked up our rental car from Localiza. Unfortunately, the experience wasn’t smooth—the paperwork took forever, and the wait tested our patience. Finally free, we hit the road to Salento, one of Quindío’s gems. We arrived in the late afternoon and discovered a colorful village bustling with artisan shops and cafés. Our first stroll helped us soak in the atmosphere before dinner at Bambú restaurant—a great surprise with careful cooking and local flavors. We spent the night at Casa Serafín, a charming little hotel, nicely decorated and well-located… but unfortunately very noisy.

Day 3 – The magic of Cocora Valley

This was one of the trip’s highlights. We set off early for Cocora Valley, famous for its giant wax palms, Colombia’s emblem. We chose the 12 km loop recommended by the *Routard*. The landscapes were spectacular: towering palms, rivers, suspension bridges. It felt like walking through a postcard. The weather was perfect. That evening, we dined at Barnabé restaurant—pleasant setting, decent food, but the bill was a bit steep for what it was. Back to Casa Serafín.

Day 4 – Coffee and panoramic views

The plan was a visit to Finca El Ocaso. For 1.5 hours, we followed a passionate guide who explained the entire coffee process, from harvest to cup. Very educational, accessible for both kids and adults, all in a stunning setting. The tour was in English for us, and we translated for our kids, who aren’t bilingual yet. In the afternoon, we climbed to Salento’s viewpoint. The valley view was superb. That evening, we ate at Veggie Garden, a simple and pleasant spot that was a nice change from the heavier meals of previous days.

Day 5 – Horseback ride to Santa Rita Waterfall

We booked a horseback ride with Cocora Magic. It was a real success: calm horses, a beautiful trail, mountain and meadow landscapes, and finally the refreshing and wild Santa Rita Waterfall. Without a doubt, one of the best moments of our time in the region. We even got a bonus ride up a 300-meter hill. We then headed to Filandia, less known than Salento but just as charming. We spent the late afternoon enjoying the pool at MuchoSur Filandia. The hotel is beautiful, in an idyllic setting. However, we also had soundproofing issues and could hear our neighbors.

Day 6 – Rainy detour through Filandia and Manizales

Rain caught up with us in the early morning: torrents of water made it impossible to go out. We stayed at the hotel, reading quietly. By noon, the rain let up: a quick walk in Filandia, a quick lunch, then off to Manizales. We chose to stay at El Otoño hot springs. Great choice: as soon as we arrived, we plunged into the hot pools, perfect after hours on the road.

Day 7 – Hiking and hot springs

In the morning, we hiked the Camino de Super Coco (found somewhat randomly on Google). A pleasant trail with mountain views and a peaceful atmosphere. The afternoon was spent in the hotel’s thermal pools, with a short marked hike down to the river. Dinner on-site at the hot springs’ restaurant. A simple but very relaxing day.

Day 8 – Rain, jacuzzi, and games

We continued to Finca Los Alpes. The rain greeted us again, but this time it turned into an asset: nothing like a steaming jacuzzi with a view of the misty mountains. The kids enjoyed the facilities too: mini-golf, ping-pong, billiards. Dinner and night at the hotel, cozy vibes.

Day 9 – Off to the Caribbean coast

Back to the airport to return the car (still a bit long). Flight to Cartagena with Avianca: punctual and comfortable. Upon arrival, we picked up another car and headed straight to the Hyatt Regency, a modern hotel with a pool. That evening, we dined at the hotel—practical after a travel day.

Day 10 – Colonial Cartagena

We set off to explore Cartagena’s old town. It was enchanting: colorful facades, flowered balconies, colonial charm—just magical. However, the heat was stifling and very humid. Afternoon relaxation by the pool. Dinner at Gestlani, a good restaurant in town.

Day 11 – Road to Barú

A hearty breakfast, then one last swim in the pool before heading to Barú. We checked into Las Islas Hotel. The setting was enchanting: wooden cabins nestled in the vegetation, a private beach, turquoise sea, impeccable service. Dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.

Day 12 – Beach and relaxation

A full beach day in Barú. Warm water, white sand, coconut trees, peace and quiet. A real postcard scene with iguanas and birds.

Day 13 – On to Santa Marta

Another morning at the beach before hitting the road to Santa Marta. The drive was a bit long (6 hours), especially with traffic jams in Barranquilla. It was the longest car ride of the trip. We spent the night at Villa María Tayrona, a beautiful place near the park.

Day 14 – Tayrona Park

We left early for Tayrona Park. We entered through **El Zaino**, parked the car, and set off on a hike to La Piscina (about 2 hours). We stopped along the way at Playa Arenilla, a stunning little beach, to rest. Lunch on-site, a swim, then back by 4 PM. The hike was a bit tiring, but the nature was spectacular: dense jungle, the sound of waves, and even a monkey encounter along the way. Evening and dinner at the hotel.

Day 15 – Last swim and return flight to Bogotá

Our last morning was split between the pool and the beach (the hotel has direct access via a 7-minute trail through vegetation and flowers)—hard to leave this paradise. We drove to Santa Marta’s airport to return the car, then flew back to Bogotá. We spent the night at Casa Dann Carlton, a comfortable hotel. We simply ordered room service, arriving too late to go out.

Day 16 – Bogotá and the end of the trip

Our last day in Colombia. After a good breakfast, we explored La Candelaria. Its cobbled streets and colorful houses were worth the visit. We visited the Botero Museum (free) and the Gold Museum, both fascinating. Back to the airport for our 11:55 PM Air France flight.

That’s a wrap on a varied trip—lush mountains, colorful villages, dream beaches, and tropical jungle. The pace was pretty relaxed, well-suited for our kids. They absolutely loved the trip to Colombia. Driving in Colombia was very easy, and we didn’t regret renting a car at all—it gave us more freedom to get around.

If I were to do it again, here’s what I’d change: - I’d spend less time in the Coffee Zone to stay a bit longer on the Caribbean coast, which was more relaxing for the kids. Or I’d head to Medellín, but I didn’t think the city was very kid-friendly. - Bogotá is a city that deserves a day’s visit, but it’s not a must-see. Maybe I’d have taken the KLM flight from Cartagena to Amsterdam instead.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate!

Antoine
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Gaura last month · Fabhyène
Visiting Bologna in Photos
Since I didn’t have time to write a proper travel journal, I thought I’d share a few photos of Bologna—a really lovely city I discovered in 2017 while stopping on my way to Tuscany. Around Piazza Maggiore, which was packed with a stage and chairs for a show, stands the Basilica of San Petronio, massive and Gothic in style, with an unfinished façade (a common sight in Italy).





Another building near the square:

But Bologna’s real charm lies in its porticoes, which were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2021: 62 km of arcades running along buildings, letting you walk sheltered from the sun or rain. Back in 1288, the city required houses to include private arcades for public use. In the city center, you can stroll under 32 km of porticoes in all sorts of styles—some plain, some ornate—with a strong presence of red tones.
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Muriel18 last month
Gran Canaria... a trip that wasn't exactly thrilling
Okay, it wasn’t a total disaster either. Actually, I hesitated before starting this travel journal: is it even worth writing about a holiday that won’t leave an unforgettable memory? In the end, I went for it (there aren’t many recent travel journals about this destination). So, read on... or don’t .

Every time we’ve been to the Canary Islands, it’s been by default (basically: where can we go in winter or early spring when we only have a week—so not too far, not too much jet lag, but with decent weather?).

This time, we had two weeks, but the winter plan kept changing: first Thailand (dropped for personal reasons), then Martinique (dropped because of work leave dates that weren’t up to me), and finally, the Canary Islands.

We’ve already been to Tenerife (which we really liked) and Lanzarote (which we liked a little less). This year, two options: Gran Canaria or one of the smaller islands west of Tenerife (La Palma, or even La Gomera or El Hierro). We chose Gran Canaria... not sure it was the right call! Whose fault is it? Storm Thérèse’s! Yes, Storm Thérèse followed us on arrival, and its effects lasted quite a while. We had to adapt, cancel visits, change activities...

But even without Thérèse...

Saturday 21/03 Departure from Orly at 6:10 AM with Transavia. The plane took off on time and landed a little early, tossed around by strong winds before touching down. It had just rained, but it was (almost) no longer raining.



We quickly picked up our luggage and then the car at the Cicar counter. We got a Seat Arona instead of the Corsa we’d booked. Well, while the driving position didn’t feel great at first (I got used to it), the engine’s smoothness and power were much appreciated on the island’s winding and sometimes steep roads.

It was only 10 AM, and we couldn’t theoretically check into our accommodation until 3 PM (the owner promised to message me if it was ready earlier). So, we headed to the (big) *Jardín Botánico Viera y Clavijo*, where we planned to spend a few hours. We found a huge parking lot... empty. The passenger in the car in front of us (yes, we weren’t the only ones at the closed gate—there was a car in front and one behind) went to ask for info: it was closed due to the storm 😕. So, we calmly headed toward Puerto de las Nieves, on the northwest coast of the island.

The plan: go to a restaurant, visit the village, and do some shopping while waiting for early afternoon. As soon as we got out of the car, it started raining... we took shelter under the awning of a shop, waiting for it to pass. But the rain turned into a downpour, and within minutes, awning or not, Gore-Tex or not, we were soaked!

Since we were already wet, we might as well go to the restaurant—they weren’t far! But here’s the thing: contrary to what Google Maps said, they all opened at 1 PM, not noon! Back to the car, wading through 5 cm of water because all the village streets were flooded . The rain let up, we did some shopping, went to eat, and I got a message from the owner saying the accommodation was ready 🙂.

So, off we went to La Suerte, a few kilometers north of Agaete. The downside of the place, especially with luggage, is that you have to climb several flights of stairs via an outdoor staircase (after parking more or less far away on a steep street) to get there 😛). Of course, on the way from the car to the apartment, it started pouring again—the bags got soaked! Enough rain for today! We settled in quietly, and by late afternoon, we could (finally!) go admire the view from the terrace.

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