Alors voilà, on a tous des noms de destination qui nous font rêver depuis longtemps. Pas forcément parceque c'est beau, exotique ou très loin. Non, juste comme ça, parceque ça nous excite, d'une manière totalement inexpliquée et irrationnelle.
Pour ma part, j'avoue que les noms suivants me font décoller : Samarcande, Zanzibar, Kamtchatka, Terre Adélie, Kerguelen, Pondichery, Cartagena, Manitoba, Hindu Kush, ...
Et vous ?
"Old travellers never die, they just smell that way"
ouh la la, la liste va être longue, je pense qu'on va faire le tour du monde avec nos messages mis bout à bout.
La comme ça, sans réfléchir, j'ajouterais ce qui me vient à l'esprit : Abou Simbel, Zimbabwé, Macchu Picchu, Yucatan, Grenade, Xi'ang, Pnom penh, Taipeh, Djakarta, Sigiriya, j'aurais bien ajouté Samarcande mais tu l'as dit avant moi...(et plein d'autres en réserve)
A votre tour, 😎
Seshat
Aimer s'instruire, être curieux, attentif, admirer, s'émouvoir, essayer de comprendre ce qui nous entoure... essayer de se coucher un peu moins con chaque soir !(Anna Gavalda)
l'endroit qui m'as toujours attiré c'est l'amérique andine et depuis que j'y ai été ça ne c'est pas démenti. Ca remonte à loin dans ma jeunesse et effectivement je serai bien en peine d'expliquer pourquoi. Même si on peu toujours trouver des raisons objectives telles que la beauté des paysages ou des sites incas ... ça n'expliques pas tout et la première fois que j'ai voyagé hors d'europe j'ai naturellement choisi l'amérique du sud, la question ne se posait même pas.
Sinon d'autres noms en vrac : Samarcande, Kirghiztan, Zanskar, Zanzibar, la Mongolie ...
... moi j'ai un petit faible pour les noms mystérieux d'endroits réels dont je sais qu'ils me sont et resteront inaccessibles ... : Machapuchare, Ama Dablam, Chomolungma (la liste pourrait être longue)
... ou d'autres dont je ne sais plus s'ils existent vraiment, si ce n'est dans mon imaginaire : Xanadu, Palavas les Flots 🤪🤪
Il m'a fait beaucoup sourire ton post parce qu'il m'a rappelé une longue conversation que j'ai eu avec un ami l'autre soir pour tenter de lui expliquer pourquoi je voulais ABSOLUMENT aller au Kirghizistan...surtout que je n'avais pas beaucoup d'arguments, sauf que je me sens irrémédiablement attiré par ce coin de la planète!
Kilimandjaro, Baie d'Halong, Angkor, Kamtchatka (aussi), Samarcande (grande gagnante, apparemment!!), Carélie, Laponie, Thulé, Vierzon (euh... pardon), Ecosse, Iles Silly, Réunion, Hoggar, Tanganika, Cap Horn, Parc de Torres, Salar d'Uyuni, Igua Sul, Zambeze, Ama Dablan, Olympus Mons (bon, ça, c'est pas pour tout de suite, pour personne d'entre nous, mais un jour peut être?), Awaï..
Et encore et toujours Prague, le Baikal, la Meije, la Grande Casse, Fontainebleau au petit matin, les Laurentides, le Mérapi...
Et avant tout cela, qui me fait vraiment rêver: les Tepuys, au Vénézuela. Un jour, c'est sûr...
😉....Merci Michel ( avec l'accent US....), moi qui ai habité Montpellier durant quelques années....😎, je ne me souvenais plus de Palavas les Flots.....Carnon plage, le Grand travers...que des destinations mythiques pour les voyageurs que nous sommes.........😏
Sinon, Palawan ( 😮 ! ), Khartoum, Kasirangua, Siberut, Bornéo, Samarcande, Ushuaia, Buenos Aires, Vancouver, Papouasie, Manaus, Belize, Zanskar, Mustang, Bretel les Gézaincourt.....et la liste serait longue....
Je serais partante pour : Le Zwaziland, Le Cap Vert, La Tasmanie, les steppes de Mongolie, Zanzibar, l'amazone, les Andes, et puis zut j'irais bien me ballader partout pour découvrir des lieux et rencontrer les hommes et femmes qui font cette terre. Tout les lieux font rêver dès que l'on sort de chez soi.
Marie.
Balades autour de la boule : Inde, Bangladesh, Turquie, Népal, ..
Récit Bangladesh
Récit Inde 2001
"Lorsque quelqu’un te blesse, tu devrais l’écrire sur le sable afin que le vent l’efface de ta mémoire mais lorsque quelqu’un fait quelque chose de bon pour toi, tu dois l’écrire sur la pierre afin que le vent ne l’efface jamais."
Proverbe Touareg
Pas beaucoup de monde là haut ... et Mars a déjà été cité par Loopkin (Olympus Mons et ses 18 000 m d'altitude si mes souvenirs sont bons 🤪).
Des noms magiques, irrationnels qui font rêver : Les jardins de Shalimar - Shangri-La - Royaume du Mustang - Mont Kailash - Vallée de Ferghana - Lac Manasarowar - Babylone ...
Des Lieux en vrac : Samarcande (N° 1 au top des destinations qui font rêver) que l'on associe à Bukhara et Khiva. Tadjikistan et Kyrgizstan. Alma-Ata. Lac Baïkal. Ulan-Baatar. Taklamakan ... et bien sûr RIMINI 😛
Disons qu'il n'y avait rien de spécifique qui m'attirait vers Conques, je serait parfaitement incapable de dire pourquoi, mais je devais aller là un jour avant de mourir...
C'est maintenant chose faite, sans aucun regret...
Enfin, disons que ce n'est pas dans mes projets futures 😉 . Mais on ne peu rien contre la volonté de Dieu, ou d'Allah, ou de qui que ce soit finalament...
Disons que c'était pour revenir dans le côté irrationnel, sans tomber dans les destinations hautement exotiques
Bien vu SylvieF, Ce coin de l'Islande (qui est assez connu) est tout simplement majestueux, inquiétant et incontournable. Tu devrais y aller faire un tour Beub.
J'ai le souvenir d'une nuit sous la tente passée à lutter et à prier pour que la tente ne parte pas en lambeaux. Dailleurs, un conseil pour une randonnée dans cette île : emporter une tente digne de ce nom et que vous avez testé (pluie, neige et vent).
"Old travellers never die, they just smell that way"
En fait, je fais une réponse de la part de Loopkin, il connait des problèmes avec internet explorer et ne peut plus faire de reply sur voyageforum.......🤪, il ne sait pourquoi, mais comme il est trés pointilleux et aime la précision, il m'a chargé de retranscrire sa réponse quant à la discussion sur l'Olympus Mons......
Il voulait préciser qu'effectivement Olympus Mons na fait pas 18000 m, mais 25000, et que son ascension n'est pas si facile que ça, parcequ'il est entouré d'une falaise due à un phénomène géologique particulier ( aréologique plus que géologique, d'ailleurs ). Et cette falaise mesure dans les 5 km de haut, en fait tout le tour, et est presque verticale ( on le voit sur la photo en pj de Gnome ). En plus, niveau UV, températures, vents de poussières et surtout oxygène, celà n'est pas donné à tout le monde de le réaliser. Le seul réel avantage, c'est que la gravité est trois moindre, donc on se fatigue vraiment pas vite.......
Loopkin
PS : ben vivement que tu reviennes....parceque là, je suis un peu perdu...🤪😉
AMERIQUES : Machu Pichu, Iguasu, Niagara, l'ile de Vancouver, Lac Titicaca, Le Colorado Canyon, Les bayous de Louisiane, Les Everglades, Salvador de Bahia, Patagonie, Amazonie.
Euh !!! il doit en manquer mais bon voila un début................... de TDM
Very young my ambition was to see a tiger, later that was to shoot a tiger, I accomplished that on foot with an old army rifle. It was while trying to photograph tigers that I learnt the little I know about them". Jim Corbett
LAURENT www.lrphotos.net
Alors moi, de bout du monde en villes frontières improbables, j'ai quelques coups de coeur à rapporter....
D'adord Vardo, en Norvege, arrivée en moto après des milliers de km, par le Mont des Sorcières.... Le grand frisson.... le vrai bout du monde, le Cap Nord puissance 10.
Ensuite Riga - j'aime Riga ; tellement l'Europe, et déjà la Russie.
Ensuite une ville inconnue, entre Ankara et Mersin, en Turquie, devant laquelle tous les bus passent ; dans un cirque, une vision incroyable... Sivrihisar.
Et il y en a d'autres... Dogubeyazit, Kars.....................
Je me vois parfaitement retourner dans ces endroits qui me font toujours révêr :
Celebes Island (Sulawesi) et le pays Torradja, Bornéo et ses forêts, La Réunion et la traversée de St Denis à St Pierre, Les Laurentides en hiver, NY (plus tard), tous les parcs de l'ouest US, et surtout Mésa Verdé.L'ouest canadien, mais là j'y retourne cet été, Aguas Caillentes et le Machu Pichu, les cordilléres de Vilcanota et Carabaya (de trés grands souvenirs ), la Namibie et son Spitzkoppe ainsi que les dunes d'Elim.Bref je n'aurai pas assez de temps pour tout refaire et continuer de galoper autour du monde parce qu'il m'en reste beaucoup a visiter😉😎
GIF SUR YVETTE/ LA COURNEUVE /LE FORUM DES HALLES/BENIDORM/WASHINGTON DC/GUANTANAMO/TCHERNOBYL/CHATEAUROUX ET LA GRANDE MOTTE................................
J'adore Chateauroux et les étangs de la Brenne, des oiseaux en veux tu en voila, des cervidés à tous les carrefours de forêts et surtout de trés bons restaurants dans la région 😉
🙁 Quel sens de l'humour, citer Tchernobyl dans une liste d'endroits censés faire rêver (c'était bien la question posée par Gnome au départ ou je me trompe ?) !!! Pour le reste, chacun ses goûts...
Mais Tchernobyl, personnellement, ça me fait pas rire du tout. y a-t-il quelqu'un d'autre que toi sur ce forum pour apprécier les catastrophes nucléaires dont les effets ne sont pas prêts de s'effacer ? 😠
Seshat
Aimer s'instruire, être curieux, attentif, admirer, s'émouvoir, essayer de comprendre ce qui nous entoure... essayer de se coucher un peu moins con chaque soir !(Anna Gavalda)
ben ouis Nadine 06, don't stress...😎
Sinon y'a aussi l'Atlantide, l'Eldorado, Utopia, la Syldavie, la Terre du milieu etc...Tous les lieux imaginaires et tous les lieux peu connus qu'on garde pour soi (cf cruel et éternel dilemne sur le même forum...)
oui, bon d'accord, j'ai sans doute répondu trop vite, comme dab.
J'ai quand même bien compris qu'il s'agissait d'une plaisanterie, rien qu'à voir la liste de Silencio, y pas besoin de dessin. Je suis la première à rire des blagues et mots d'esprits en tout genre, mais je persiste à dire que les plaies de Tchernobyl sont encore trop à vif sur place (et dans nos têtes) pour en rire, comme Seveso, comme les plages souillées par l'Erika, etc......
Peut-être que les champs de blé sont magnifiques, mais ne sont-ils pas encore radioactifs ?
rions, je suis d'accord, mais peut-être pas de tout...
Seshat
Aimer s'instruire, être curieux, attentif, admirer, s'émouvoir, essayer de comprendre ce qui nous entoure... essayer de se coucher un peu moins con chaque soir !(Anna Gavalda)
Les Terres du Milieu, effectivement, et par dessus tout, Imladris (Rivendell ou Fondcombe, en langue vulgaire) et la Conté!! Ce doit être vraiment super chouette.
je n'ai pas trouvé la part d'irrationnel qui vous a amené à cité ces lieux.
Ce sont tous des lieux certainement tres beaux, mais ce sont des critères rationnels ça...
Alors de l'irrationnel?
Je vais donné quelques noms avec leur dose d'irrationnel....
que j'ai visité: Istanbul, le mythe de la porte de l'Orient... Palmyre, la cité de la reine Zenobie qui avait osé braver Rome, ..... les rives du fleuve Niger, parce qu'elles évoquent pour moi, l'époque ou, à travers ma collection de timbre de l'afrique équatoriale française, je voyageais en reve.(j(avais 10ans vers 1960).......Hong -Kong, souvenirs de roman d'espionnage avec OSS 117, mélange de jonques et building., de belles espionnes......La pagode Schwedagon de Yangoon: la sérenité du bouddisme à l'état pur......Le mont sinai(la bible, les 10 commandements, ....).....Paris.. je ne me lasse pas de ses berges, .... L'ouest americain là, c'est John Wayne, les apaches, les charriots des pionniers...Le Ténéré(le Sahara en général), .. ou tant d'explorateurs étaient attirés irrésistiblement au risque d'y laisser leur os.... Tombouctou.: idem(mais quelle déception apres l'avoir vu..) Ah! René Caillé, Heinrich Barth, Gordon Laing, Théodore Monod...
que je n'ai pas encore visité: Zanzibar: rien que l'évocation de ce nom me fait rever(c'est ça l'irrationnel non?)..... samarcande, Boukhara, ça c'est le mythe de la route de la soie, et des grandes invasion mongoles.....Valparaiso...: le port mythique des tours du monde des clippers ....;Aden, .. irrationnel pour Rimbaud, c'est dire!!!
Voila ma contribution à ce theme passionnant
JP
Ne vous contentez pas de vivre par procuration, à travers votre écran:osez, allez-y!
décidemment t'en as de bonnes idées de discussion (mais où vous allez chercher tout ça?!)
pour moi il y en a deux: le lac titicaca et le taj mahal! mais c'est vrai que ça fait un peu petit à côté de vous alors je vais en inventer quelques-uns si ça te gêne pas: le mont kulh minchu ( 32 000 m avec des falaises mais aussi un dragon à combattre), l'ìle zielgkov, la prairie de la poudre-de-fée (mais il faut passer par le bois Joli et tourner 7 fois autour du grand chêne à reculons pour la découvrir mais chuuuuut...) et le désert de djaliba. bon mais j'arrête parce que je sens que je déconne là...
ju
"ne demande pas le chemin à celui qui le connaît, tu risques de ne pas t'égarer." Daniel Shabetai Milo
Plus sérieusement, on a été plusieurs dans cette discussion à citer des endroits sortis de l'imagination de ce que j'appelerais les créateurs de mondes imaginaires. Tolkien, Lucas, et bien d'autres. C'est fou quand même ce besoin qu'on a de se refaire des mondes encore plus fous, encore plus incroyables, avec des montagnes encore plus hautes, des dragons et autres monstres, et tout le binz, alors que, finalement, si on y réflechi bien, sur Terre, on est déjà bien servi en extrême. On a même des bombes atomiques!! Dans le genre fascinant, c'est pas mal, non? Et les quatorze 8000 de l'Himalaya, on ne peut pas dire qu'ils soient tout petits. Et le Taj Mahal n'a sans doute rien à envier, finalement, à Minas Tirith. Et au fond des océans, il y a une théorie de monstres les plus tordus les uns que les autres.
En fait, je me suis penché depuis quelques mois sur ces notions de création de monde imaginaires. Je compte mettre bientôt le résultat de mes réflexions sur mon site. Je vous tiendrai au courant dans ce topic. François, sois franc, si tu trouves que je fais trop de pub pour la géantropie, dis le moi, j'arêterai.
voila un beau et grand sujet qui me passione aussi, j'espere donc voir tes reflexions.
je voudrais juste dire que l'imaginaire est souvent la transposition mal vécue, mal assimilée, mal orientée.......de notre propre vécu, de notre éducatif, de notre personnalité, voire de notre affectivité.
je m'arrete là.
J'aimerais bien me rendre dans l'ile mystérieuse et au pays imaginaire .😏
faites que le réve dévore votre vie avant que la vie dévore votre réve, alors vous voyagerez tous les jours ..
bon ok j'avoue que je rêve de me marier avec peter pan.c'est mon "syndrôme".en même temps il y a pire je crois. ce que je peux dire moi c'est que les mondes imaginaires n'existeraient pas sans le monde réel.c'est bien de là que part l'inspiration non? je suis d'accord avec loopkin le monde est plein de merveilles et il ne faut pas se priver d'aller s'y remplir les yeux. je m'intéresse beaucoup aux contes et à l'imaginaire j'attends donc aussi d'aller sur ton site avec impatience
ju
"ne demande pas le chemin à celui qui le connaît, tu risques de ne pas t'égarer." Daniel Shabetai Milo
Bon, je vous épargne le récit de mes états d'ame et de mon passé, mais personnellement, après avoir de nombreuses années vécu presque uniquement dans des mondes imaginaires, je pourrais en dire long sur le sujet.
Mais il est vrai que ces mondes, avec tout le brillant qu'ils ont eu sur mon enfance et mon adolescence, n'étaient en fait que des représentations idéales du monde qui m'entourait, je me bornais à ne pas voir.
Maintenant que je me suis découvert le courage de sortir de ma bulle et de sortir voir le vaste monde, c'est cette étincelle de magie et de fantasie que je recherche dans des regards, dans des moments où le temps se suspend, dans cette découverte - réelle- de toutes les belles choses de la terre 🙂 Je suis peut-etre rêveuse, mais j'aime mes rêves, c'est ce qui rend la vie belle!!
Continuer à vous émerveiller, c'est la plus belle chose qu'on peut rescaper de l'enfance:)
un lieu que j'imagine bien comme destination : Pepperland : un endroit qui n'appartient à personne, où je peux me poser, y venir, en partir, pas de propriété, pas de papiers, pas d'argent...
Le Shire doit se trouver plus aisément...
"Je vais où mes pas me portent. J'espère que mes pieds sont plus intelligents que moi." Titus
En plus du site que tu nous invite à visiter, je suggère la lecture des "Supplications" de Svetlana Alexievitch (qu'elle m'excuse pour l'orthographe de son nom...). C'est un recueil de témoignages suite à la catastrophe. Des chiffres, du vécu, bref tout pour comprendre et savoir ce qui s'est passé et les conséquences. La redondance marque encore plus l'esprit, on ne sort pas de ce bouquin inchangé. J'utilise le terme de sortir du livre volontairement, car on se plonge dans la noirceur, l'horreur de la Biélorussie pendant et après l'expolision. Rien que d'en parler, j'en ai des frissons, et une grosse boule au ventre. C'est un sujet qui me touche d'autant plus que mon ancienne voisine est née "déformée" et subie tous les ans des interventions chirurgicales à cause de ça. Et elle est née en France. Ce livre m'a montré ce que je ne voulais pas imaginer : en France les radiations ne sont parvenue que plus tard et n'ont pas été aussi fortes, alors sur place... !
Mais bon, pour revenir au sujet initial du post, tellement intéressant. Je dois dire que moi aussi je suis un peu perdue dans tous les noms sités. Et rien que de les lire, je suis déjà sur un nuage. Et je me dis que pour moi, l'irrationnel serait de n'en visiter aucun et de rester sur place ! Je sais que la vie est trop courte pour tout voir, et pourtant, qu'est-ce que j'en rêve !!! 😕
Et pour ce qui est de ces mondes imaginaires... moi je dis : vive Burton, Tolkien et tant d'autres. Ce sont des exagérations du vécu, certes, mais ce n'est pas toujours négatif. D'ailleurs il faut du vécu pour avoir cette imagination !
Bon, je ne suis pas très inspirée, j'ai très mal à la tête. Je vais donc éviter de transmettre ce mal !
je pense que tu sais que pour les 6 ans, il y a la série des jeux SIM qui consiste à créer à plus petite échelle, des pays en y projettant ses désirs d'enfants de 6 ans . Des fleurs, des forêts, des animaux, des maisons, des lacs, des riviéres, .....ect.., c'est un premier éveil sur l'imaginaire ordinateur !!!
La cela devient beaucoup plus sérieux mais qui ne rêve pas plus grand, apauvrit son esprit.
faites que le réve dévore votre vie avant que la vie dévore votre réve, alors vous voyagerez tous les jours ..
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bonjour à tous les voyageurs qui ont les yeux grand ouverts sur le désert ...
je me suis toujours demandé ce que je "foutais" sur la terre. Et pourquoi mon père, mort quelques mois après ma naissance, ancien plus jeune résistant français, avait rejoint la Première Compagnie Sahariene motorisée d'Atar, et passé le reste de sa vie à réparer des moteurs de l'armée, en Algérie, en Mauritanie, au Sénégal, au Mali (qui n'existait pas sous ce nom), au Maroc et pour finir en Algérie où ma mère est née et a grandi. (croyez moi c 'est pas "cool" d'être enfant de militaire en pays occupé par la France et encore moins enfant de "pied noir").
Bien sûr, je n'ai jamais eu de réponse : les morts ne parlent pas, et l'armée ne parle pas.
Seulement, voilà, j'avais des photos...
Alors forcément, un jour j'ai pris la route. Je voulais voir, comprendre.
C'est grâce à VF que j 'ai pu me documenter, un peu, sur le passage de la frontière Maroc Mauritanie et j'en remercie ses membres, tout comme je remercie toutes celles et tous ceux qui m'ont accueillie, pendant 14 ans, sur la route.
Depuis quelques semaines, je me demande si je dois en parler ou pas..
Il se fait que les Mauritaniens ont transformé ma vie en me demandant de l'aide... Et cela, dès le mois de février 2012... (avais je une dette envers eux ? Question sans réponse)
Ah ah. La belle affaire, ils m'avaient vu venir. Mais quand on vous met des enfants malades dans les bras, en vous suppliant de faire quelque chose, qu'auriez vous fait ? J'avais travaillé dans un hôpital, je connaissais un peu les règles à suivre. Je ne me suis pas posé de question.
Et bien, toutes ces années J'ai rencontré des médecins, des chirurgiens, et ensemble, nous avons organisé des prises en charge, des évacuations d'enfant, des formations de chirurgiens, jusqu'à tenter de ne plus faire voyager les enfants hors de leur pays, et cela n'a jamais été simple. J'en profite pour remercier celles et ceux qui nous ont soutenus ainsi que la Chaine de l'Espoir, la Fondation Face au Monde et toutes celles et ceux qui ont tissé des liens entre nos deux pays.
Malheureusement, et malgré les efforts permanents des médecins et chirurgiens mauritaniens, certains enfants n'ont pas pu être pris en charge à temps. Aujourd'hui je voudrais parler de quatre frères et soeurs, orphelins de mère, atteints d'un glaucome congénital provoquant une cécité irréversible. Leur cas m'a été confié en 2020 quelques semaines avant le grand confinement. Nous n'avons rien pu faire pour eux alors, quand leur père m'a demandé un cadeau, je me suis jetée sur mon ordinateur et j'ai écrit une histoire.
A travers un conte, les enfants vont réaliser un grand voyage, explorer leur pays, réaliser un rêve. Jamais je ne pensais que ce livre serait publié, il l'a été, en 2023.
Ce livre rend hommage à la Mauritanie, il est un message pour celles et ceux qui ne se conaissent rien des difficultés de la vie là bas, il porte la dureté et la beauté d'un désert immense où il est possible de se ballader en 4X4, à vélo, à pied, à dos de dromadaire, en toute sécurité, il témoigne de la bienveillance des Mauritaniens pour le voyageur.
En tant que femme seule avec mon véhicule, un vieux Mercedes au chassis maintenant pourri et qui ne roule plus, j'y ai fait les plus belles rencontres de ma vie (j'ai vu d'autres coins du monde...).. Les enfants aveugles de Choum, d'Atar, de Nouadhibou et de Nouakchott sont à jamais dans mon coeur.
Des lectrices bénévoles ont transcrit le livre en versio audio gratuite pour les malvoyants, il est disponible dans les bibliothèques sonores de France, de la Fondation Valentin Hauy, dans la bibliothèque suisse romande.
J'ai effectué mon dernier voyage en Mauritanie avec mon vieux 4X4 afin d'offrir le livre un peu partout et surtout à ses héros et à l'école des malvoyants de Nouakchott.
Ensuite, j'ai pensé que la page devait se refermer parce que je n'ai plus ni les moyens ni la force de voyager.
Mes éditrices avaient choisi de lui donner ce titre : les yeux bleus du désert.
Cette publication a permis à une mission d'ophtalmologues bénévoles suisses de venir opérer les glaucomes en Mauritanie. Je m'en réjouis car chaque année, ils reviennent !
Cette aventure se termine, oui, car il faut une fin à tout, mais au final, elle est née ici, dans le site de VF !! Alors oui, il fallait que je le dise : MERCI !!!!!
Hi everyone,
I’m Loulou, a French expat who’s been living in Southeast Asia for about fifteen years, currently in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A passionate walker at heart, I’ve trekked in Nepal (Thorung La, Mardi Himal), India, Vietnam, and I’m still planning new hikes (Char Dham, Langtang, Annapurna).
I’ve just published my first travel journal, recounting three months of walking and encounters across India. A portion of the sales goes to an educational center I support in Kep, for children whose parents work in the salt marshes.
I’m also working on a second book about Nepal with a musician friend, focusing on the Mardi Himal trek—two independent perspectives on the same journey.
Happy to swap stories with you about the Himalayas, India, Southeast Asia, or just the urge to hit the road and walk far from home.
Safe travels,
Loulou
Hi! It was totally by chance that I stumbled upon VoyageForum (an ad online and a story lol), and I’ve been reading some really old posts from 2011 about Thai massage schools—discussions on how to get by, accommodation, prices, etc. It reminded me of my own experience: I kept things simple by staying with a local family during my entire trip. I only shared all the expenses with them, which, I’ll admit, was super cheap… and I often traveled with them, which naturally opened a lot of doors for me. To start, at the school in Salaya, my Thai friend immediately connected me with Teacher Phong (the school’s mentor and teacher of teachers, a former monk). I was supposed to join a group session with other foreigners, but for some reason I don’t know, I got two days of private lessons for free with this expert… incredible! And on top of that, he loved France! It was an amazing experience. I "discovered" massage by chance—the Thai family just told me: "Try it, you’ll see!" (I’d had a pretty intense massage in the capital before 😅… but the next day, I felt unbelievably great!))
Every morning, I’d take a taxi (chosen by the Thai family at prices that beat all the competition) to this school—I’ve forgotten the name of the little village now… right in the heart of the countryside. Then, in the evenings, I’d keep practicing massage on all the family members… and they’d teach me Thai at the same time!))
Since then, I’ve practiced a bit, with lots of positive feedback. Following Teacher Phong’s advice—he thought my pressure was deep, firm, and precise—he strongly encouraged me to take this seriously.
I love Thailand so much. It’s a whole different way of living… and it’s a real blessing, even if I couldn’t live there full-time. Anyway, that was an unforgettable memory, and sometimes the Thai family and I still say hi—from 2011, 2013… right up to today!
Who’d like to share their best and worst travel memories in a few lines?
For me, it’s watching the TAJ MAHAL at sunrise and getting chased by dogs at the top of a mountain pass in GREECE on the way back from ISTANBUL.
THANKS GUYS
"It seems to me that poverty would be less painful in the sun" wrote Aznavour...
Not sure...😕 Who can prove that people in hot countries are happier than others?
What do you think?
Is it better to live in Montpellier than in Lille?
Are the Pygmies happier than the Inuit?
Are Canadians less happy than the people of Louisiana?
Are there more French expats in hot countries?
And your travels? Do you choose your destinations based on the climate?
Do you rejoice when a bit of sunshine appears?
Hi everyone, just this once I’m not posting for a travel story, but to share a thought for Venezuela.
If you didn’t know—since it’s not making headlines—the country was hit by two 7.5-magnitude earthquakes last week. Over 2,200 people have died, more than 50,000 are missing, and some coastal towns have been completely destroyed.
Maybe when the scale of the humanitarian crisis becomes clear, our media will cover it a bit more... especially since earthquakes with this many casualties usually make the front page, but there’s been nothing in France.
So here’s a thought for this country, which, whatever you think of its politics, is a true jewel of South America, both for its landscapes and its people.
hi there
I’d like to invite you to discover my coastal province in central Vietnam: Quang Ngai.
This year, my province has really improved its infrastructure—mountains, countryside, and sea are all authentic here.
No harassers or thieves, and no Russians either.
A local lunch costs around 1 €.
A *** hotel room is about 25 €, and you can find hotels right on My Khe Beach.
We have a specialty: *banh xeo*—10 crepes for just 1.5 €.
You can rent motorbikes to explore the province and maybe visit the many ethnic minorities.
I live here—I’m not selling anything, but I can help if needed (my father-in-law is a traditional Vietnamese doctor and he’s very skilled).
Hi everyone! 😉
I’m Typhaine, 35 years old. Five years ago, I left France for a solo round-the-world trip—no planes, just a van, hitchhiking, cycling, and even a canoe in the Amazon! Today, I work as a naturalist guide in Argentine Patagonia.
Wherever I go, my compass stays the same: observing and photographing wildlife, which I deeply admire and respect.
My project: I’d love to share this experience through a sustainable, authentic, and immersive nature tourism initiative. But to build something meaningful, I need to understand how other nature enthusiasts experience their own adventures.
If you:
Are over 20 years old
Have a true passion for Nature
Have already taken at least one trip lasting more than 3 nights (in your country or abroad) in your life
Promise: I’m not selling anything, this isn’t marketing. Your answers are 100% anonymous and will only help me shape this wild project.
A huge thank you to everyone for your help and kindness! Looking forward to chatting in this thread 😛
(Dear admins, this is purely a collaborative effort for my project study, with no commercial purpose. Thank you so much for your support!)
Photo: Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), female on the left and her cub on the right. Photo taken by me in Alaska, Denali National Park.
It’s something we often notice in this forum—and many others—this behavioral shift.
A long-time member, or even a new one, asks a question.
They get one or more answers, some brief, some detailed, and then... nothing???
Not even a simple thank you!!!
From what I’ve gathered, if the answers don’t align with what they wanted to hear, it seems natural for the asker to just disappear!! 😕
Unless—(and I fear this is the case)—basic politeness is no longer part of our society????
I spent 3 weeks in Bali last summer (+ 3 nights on Gili Meno and a day trip to Kawah Ijen in Java). So I wanted to see what ChatGPT could suggest for comparison...
Here’s the prompt I gave:
"You’re a local expert guide for Bali.
- Plan a 20-day itinerary for Bali with a side trip to Gili Meno and a day trip to Kawah Ijen in Java without staying overnight.
- I’m traveling with my wife, and I love visiting historical sites, hiking, relaxing at the beach, snorkeling, and exploring rice terraces...
- For the duration of the stay, I don’t want more than 8 places to sleep, and I’d like to stay at least 2 days at each stop to avoid unpacking too often. Except for the last night, where I’m okay with just one night near the airport.
- I prefer neighborhoods that are walkable and try to avoid typical tourist traps, though I don’t want to miss the must-see spots. So suggest a mix of iconic sites and hidden gems.
- Recommend hotels or guesthouses with a budget of 50 to 100 € per night, including breakfast. Make suggestions in areas popular with travelers, specifying the vibe (I prefer quiet), and consider safety and proximity to attractions.
- For lunch and dinner, suggest two to three restaurants that are well-rated by customers.
- Give me a day-by-day program with details on travel times, visiting times for each point of interest, and recommendations for transportation (taxi, train, bike, etc.).
Estimate the total cost of the trip, including accommodations, food, transportation, and activities, and suggest two tips for saving money in each category.
- Don’t make anything up—be realistic about travel times, take into account the opening dates and hours of sites, and give me the entry fees for places to visit.
- Ask me all the questions until you’re 95% sure you understand what’s being asked. Don’t generate your response until you’ve understood."
The AI asked for a few clarifications:
"Great request—I can build you a really optimized and enjoyable itinerary, but to be 95% sure I hit the mark, I need a few key clarifications (this will really influence the pace, areas, and accommodations)."
In the end, it proposed a program very close to what we actually did.
I’ll skip its accommodation and restaurant suggestions...
Its proposal:
"Ubud (4 nights) => we did 5 nights
Sidemen (2 nights)
Amed (3 nights) => we’d planned 2 nights
Gili Meno (3 nights) => we did Gili between Sidemen and Amed
Munduk (3 nights) => we did 2 nights before Pemuteran
Pemuteran (3 nights) with Ijen => we did 4 nights
Sanur (2 nights + 1 last night) => we chose Jatiluwih instead of Sanur
It suggested "activities" (and accommodations too):
IN UBUD:
- Walk around central Ubud (1–2h)
- Campuhan Ridge Walk
- Tegalalang Rice Terrace
- Tirta Empul
- Gunung Kawi
- Massage / market / slow café
IN SIDEMEN:
- Rice terrace hike (2–3h)
- Cooking class
IN AMED:
- Snorkeling
- Japanese Shipwreck
- Beach + relaxation
- Volcano sunset
ON GILI:
- Snorkeling at Gili Meno Turtle Point, Nest Underwater Statues
IN MUNDUK:
- Jungle & waterfall hike - Munduk Waterfall + Melanting Waterfall
- Loop: 3–4h (perfect for your level)
- Ulun Danu Bratan Temple
- Twin Lakes
IN PEMUTERAN
- Snorkeling: Menjangan Island
For Kawah Ijen, it detailed the day well:
👍 from Pemuteran = best possible option
12 PM: leave hotel (we left at 10 PM)
1 PM: ferry
3 PM: arrival in Java + transfer
11 PM: start ascent
2 AM–6 AM: volcano
Return to Bali around 11 AM–12 PM (we got back at 4 PM)
👍 still very intense, but doable with an agency
💰 ~80–120 €/person all-inclusive
IN SANUR:
- Relaxation
- Quiet beach
- Proximity to airport (30 min)"
I’ve kept the habit of blowing my nose in the sink and then washing my hands—a custom I picked up in India. Sometimes, non-travelers are shocked when they catch me in the act... 🤪
Also, when I run out of toilet paper, it doesn’t bother me—unless I’ve got company over... 🤪
Just got back from walking a friend’s dog (while they’re on vacation), wearing a djellaba and Tibetan boots... 😏😏😏 Oh, for sure, if I’d run into locals, I probably would’ve shocked them? 😏
Anyway, as long as I’m not spitting on the floor at a restaurant or squatting on the side of a highway with a water bottle in hand...
After taking a little trip around the world, I came back a few months ago with an idea in mind.
I mostly do diving, and I love observing animals in their natural habitat without disturbing them.
During the trip, I realized it was quite complicated to know where and when to see certain species.
For example:
where to dive with sharks or manta rays
where you might get a chance to swim with whales
I even discovered thresher sharks during my trip… I didn’t even know this species existed before, even though they’re incredible to see.
We spent a ton of time searching for info all over the place, especially on social media, without ever getting a clear picture.
So I started putting all this together on my own, in the form of a map, to make it easier to visualize where to go depending on the seasons.
I recently put a first version online (it’s called Fauneya).
There are probably mistakes, inconsistencies, or things to improve, and that’s partly why I’m posting here.
I’d really love to know how you all go about planning this kind of trip.
As part of my Master’s thesis, I’m currently conducting a public survey on a topic that concerns all of us when planning a trip: artificial intelligence and the role of human contact in travel planning.
These days, we’re using more and more digital tools to find ideas, compare options, and book trips... but is the role of human advisors still essential? At what moments? And for what types of trips?
The survey is anonymous and takes about 7 minutes.
It’s aimed at anyone who travels (or has traveled) for leisure, whether you plan everything yourself or go through an agency.
While browsing the forum to gather info for my upcoming trip to Thailand, I often see the terms "traveler," "great traveler," and also "tourist"—so what’s the nuance for you?
I've traveled quite a bit in Vietnam over the past few years—from the southern delta to bustling cities and even some small islands—but what really sticks with me is the north, the high mountains.
Up there, there's something different—maybe slower, more raw. The morning markets with ethnic groups, women in traditional clothes, the colors...
The stilt houses, kids following you and laughing for no reason, the terraced rice fields—it almost feels unreal at times, so vast and quiet, yet so human and simple.
You often hear that Sapa has become too touristy, and that's partly true, especially in the center. But as soon as you move a little farther away, everything changes quickly. The landscapes open up, encounters feel more natural, and you rediscover something truly authentic.
I think it's that contrast that struck me—the difference between what you imagine before going and what you actually discover when you take the time.
And you—what memory do you hold onto from Vietnam? A particular place that touched you more than others?
Hello,
We’re finalizing the plans for our upcoming trip to China in May 2025. The second-to-last stop will be in Zhangjiajie, where we’ve planned to stay for 2 full days before heading to Shanghai.
We’re traveling solo using local transport and have arranged to stay in the city of Zhangjiajie.
We’ve seen that there’s a lot to see:
Tianmen Mountain, the Grand Canyon and the glass bridge, Zhangjiajie National Park, and that the sites are quite far apart with fairly expensive entry fees.
We’re thinking of dedicating one day to the national park and the Grand Canyon (glass bridge) and one day to Tianmen Mountain.
But we’re not sure if this plan is realistic—any thoughts would be much appreciated!
I should be serving a warming drink to the participants in the discussion about gardens and parks that provide us with beautiful photos, I could mention the delicious buttery scent wafting from bakeries in the thread about returning to France, but my heart, its powerful pulse that nourishes my entire being, is elsewhere.
Dasht-e Lut, Yazd, Esfahan, Bam, Kerman, Qeshm, Hormuz—a melody, a prayer at the heart of desire.
A dream, an unattainable fantasy? No. Not anymore.
A very serious Italian travel agency is organizing this trip for 6 people this winter. I’m signed up, I’m going, I’m living. Maybe.
"But you’re completely crazy!!!!"
I know... I know that every civilization, every society has a vital need to create scapegoats to define and justify itself, pathetically. And Iran is one of them, top of the list. I laugh or sigh, and it doesn’t bother me.
But that unchanging red, deep red and garnet, so beautiful in itself, in all the Western chancelleries repeats, whispers, shouts: don’t go, don’t go, don’t go, you’re putting yourself in danger and we can’t do anything for you. You’ll be turned into mere bargaining chips, into arguments for endless negotiations. Fear must be instilled, its power absolutely preserved, no concessions made to the enemy. The information (how many French hostages, real or fake, compared to the number of travelers?) is always lacking.
Traveling becomes a merciless confrontation between desire, the vital pulse, and anxiety, its ghosts.
Hi everyone, here’s our itinerary. Arriving on the evening of December 13th. Departing on January 7th.
Thanks in advance for your tips and valuable feedback.
Manila – 1 night
Coron – 4 nights
Coron to El Nido cruise – 2 nights
El Nido – 4 nights
Port Barton – 5 nights
Flight from Puerto Princesa to Vigan
Vigan – 2 nights
Sagada – 2 nights
Banaue – 2 nights
Bagabag – 1 night
Manila – 1 night
I’ve only booked the flight to Manila and the Manila/Coron flight so far. Is it possible to book boat trips, accommodations, and the Puerto Princesa flight last-minute?
Really disappointed with Costa Rica! Pura vida? The scam of the century!
(Costa Rica pure emptiness).
The country where animals are free and people are in cages.
3 weeks in December in this country and never again. Imagine the trailer of a movie that seems interesting, and when you go see it, you realize it’s a flop and the best moments were in the trailer.
Well, that’s exactly how we felt with Costa Rica pure emptiness.
My wife and I have traveled quite a bit and didn’t expect to be so wrong about a place.
On the main routes, we visited:
San José
Alajuela
Limón, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo (Caribbean side)
Jaco, Quepos, Manuel Antonio (Pacific side)
And a few short stops in intermediate towns.
Our dissatisfaction grew gradually like this:
When we arrived at the hotel, the taxi dropped us off on a small street in front of a white metal gate with ground-floor windows barred. We looked at it skeptically, but the sign matched.
He approached the gate, rang the bell, the buzzer sounded, and the door opened slightly. The hotel wasn’t bad for the price, a 10-minute walk from downtown, but with a "Fleury-Mérogis" vibe guaranteed.
So far, so good.
After showering and regaining our bearings, we headed downtown.
What started to unsettle us on the way was seeing houses with bars on the ground-floor windows and even on the second floor.
At first, we thought the hotel’s neighborhood wasn’t great.
Downtown San José:
It’s a generic city, not very exotic, with a pedestrian street and a small mercado where you can eat local food without frills. Very few tourists—if any—which let you blend in with the locals. We had lunch and struggled to make ourselves understood because, aside from one or two shops, English wasn’t spoken.
On the way back to the hotel, we took a different route, and while chatting and strolling, my wife pointed out a beautiful two-story white house completely barricaded like Fort Knox.
From that moment, we started noticing the facades of houses and buildings, and wow, it was creepy—most looked like prisons, some even with barbed wire.
Though put off, we told ourselves it was probably a big-city thing and the rest of the country couldn’t be like this.
So far, so good.
We relaxed at the hotel and had a drink at the bar. Night falls early, around 5:30 PM. By 7:30 PM, we headed back downtown for dinner. A bit unsettling for a capital—downtown was almost deserted, and aside from fast-food chains, very few restaurants were open, with hardly anyone on the streets.
Bars with security guards out front.
I won’t say we felt unsafe that night, but once it got dark, we realized the bars on the windows weren’t for nothing. First day in, and our impression was already mixed.
The next day, we explored the city and surroundings, and our feelings didn’t change.
So far, so good.
Off to Cahuita by bus—4 hours of travel.
The landscapes are very green but quickly become monotonous. The road runs alongside the forest and passes through a few towns and villages, and even in the countryside, there were just as many prison-like houses.
The bus dropped us off at Cahuita’s terminal station—only four of us got off. It’s a village, or rather, a small town. Cahuita is basically one straight road and a perpendicular one, and honestly, doubt started to creep in.
A few restaurants that add 13% tax and 10% service charge—so 23% extra. We dropped our stuff at the hotel and went to explore. In 20 minutes, we’d seen it all. We had lunch and planned to check out the famous park.
Entry is by donation—well, the "entry" is a joke. There’s a path along the forest by the sea, and that’s it.
Nothing’s going right anymore.
We thought it was a total scam, but since we hadn’t gone far, we decided to come back the next day to explore further.
We returned to the hotel, relaxed, and around 8:00 PM, we went out for dinner. Only two restaurants were open, and the streets were deserted.
Creepy!
The next day, we explored the so-called park more thoroughly and really got it.
A path along the forest by the sea—2 hours there and 2 hours back, where you see animals that feel like showing their faces.
A total joke—"all that for this?"
The beach was full of wood debris and coconut husks. We wondered if the photos online were edited because the sea, very rough, wasn’t the azure blue we’d seen in pictures.
But calling this a park is a joke—it’s like a new concept.
When we thought about the reviews online, we started to suspect that professionals with interests in the country were monitoring and countering any negative feedback that could harm their business.
Too bad we didn’t check the negative reviews beforehand—we did while we were there, and it helped. We wondered if we’d become too demanding after all our travels, but no—when something’s bad, it’s bad.
Manuel Antonio’s park is even more ridiculous—there’s a short path along the sea for about 500 meters, and then nothing. You have to climb through mud and hack your way through the forest. We ended up barefoot because the mud was up to our calves. All that to see a raccoon and a few parrots flying overhead.
We didn’t expect Noah’s Ark, but we’ve seen more animals in Bali, Mexico, and Thailand while visiting temples or just walking around than in these so-called parks!
Puerto Viejo, not far from Cahuita and supposedly livelier—well, it couldn’t be worse!
According to Lonely Planet, it had a Caribbean vibe and wild nights, but maybe that was a long time ago. The good reggae music playing everywhere isn’t enough.
In the evening, Puerto Viejo was a bit livelier than Cahuita, but that’s not saying much. Very few tourists—if any—no night market, just two or three shops open selling $20 T-shirts. Same vibe as San José.
No big deal—we enjoyed the beach and the sun, which was reliable.
Our itinerary was supposed to include Tortuguero Park, but after talking to other travelers who’d just been, we changed our minds, knowing we’d be visiting Manuel Antonio Park on the Pacific side.
To get back to the Pacific side, you have to take the bus and go through San José again—5 hours this time—then switch bus terminals and another 4.5 hours to Quepos.
A stopover town to get to Manuel Antonio’s beach and park!
A town just like the others we’d seen—deserted as soon as the sun sets, and not exactly bustling during the day either. (Where are all the tourists?)
Still as many bars on the windows and that feeling of being in the wrong place.
7 km later: Manuel Antonio beach and park.
The beach is very beautiful and quite large, but don’t expect turquoise blue water—the waves stir up the sand, giving the water a brownish color.
Along the beach, shops and restaurants for about 300 meters, and then nothing. At night, after sunset, the town shuts down too.
Manuel Antonio Park is highly praised for its wildlife, so we were eager to see it. When you express dissatisfaction with Cahuita or Manzanillo parks, the response is always, "But you should’ve gone to Monteverde or Manuel Antonio!" No matter what you do or say, they’ll tell you, "You should’ve gone there or here."
Back to our famous park—entry was about $16, and contrary to what we’d heard, it wasn’t crowded!
Guides at the entrance with spotting scopes offered their services for about $30.
The park: a mix of boardwalk and dirt paths through the forest, sometimes running alongside beautiful coves and beaches.
As soon as we entered, a crowd was taking photos of a deer eating leaves.
A little further on, a guide with a group of five stopped. The guide raised his arm and set up his spotting scope! He showed them, about 100 meters away, a hummingbird perched on a branch. Some, looking through the scope, exclaimed, "Oh my God! Amazing! Incredible!"
For a moment, we thought they’d discovered a unicorn or were in Jurassic Park and had just crossed paths with a T-Rex!
The concept is comical—looking at a bird or another animal through a spotting scope because it’s too far away. Isn’t that what TV is for?
For our part, we saw monkeys, ants, an armadillo, an iguana, and the backside of a sloth climbing a tree. Amazing, incredible!
We stayed a few days in Manuel Antonio to enjoy the beach, changing hotels often because prices varied wildly from one day to the next for shameful services. On top of that, they’d quote a price in dollars and convert it at their discretion—thieves!
Alajuela, a city near the airport, has a two-story mall and a local market downtown! No interest except its proximity to the airport.
What we liked:
The climate and, in hindsight, San José—the most authentic city we visited.
What we didn’t like, in addition to what we’ve already mentioned:
Costa Ricans aren’t very friendly or communicative. English is barely spoken, not even by doctors at Quepos Hospital, where my wife ended up with food poisoning (thanks, Google Translate). The widespread obesity among Costa Ricans, who eat like Americans. The insecurity. The eco-hipsters who leave their $150 lodges in minivans with guides to visit parks and other sites, then return to barricade themselves in their fortresses at nightfall (oh my God, amazing, incredible). The blue signs at the entrance of towns that accept this payment method: "We accept American Express." Parking lots that become paid just because a guy is watching your car. Prices displayed in dollars. The cost of living (hotels, restaurants, taxes). Landscapes that are too green and not flowery enough. Beaches—nothing exceptional. Pollution in cities where big American trucks rule. Sewage dumped directly into the sea. Aside from the jungle, there’s nothing to visit—no ruins, monuments, or anything worth seeing.
In short, my wife and I think the hype about this supposedly eco-friendly country is overrated. It’s just the trendy destination of the moment. There are much better, cheaper, and more authentic places.
In hindsight, we keep the good memories and our beautiful photos, but if we had to do it over...
Before signing off, a little message to those who don’t like hearing opinions different from theirs:
Well, some things aren’t up for debate. And to those who’d have us believe that in 3 weeks, we don’t have the right to criticize a country or express our feelings—how can you praise it in so little time? What a scam. Costa Rica is a money pit. Pura vida? Pure cosmic emptiness.
If you like spending your evenings barricaded in your cozy hotel after dark, this country is for you.
For everyone else: run!
Hello,
Since the war between Russia and Ukraine, nothing is simple anymore for traveling to Belarus due to sanctions.
No more direct flights from the EU to Minsk.
Driving is a huge hassle, especially crossing through Poland at the only open border in Brest—you can wait 2, 3, or even 4 days just to get through by car.
The least painful driving option is to come via Lithuania and cross at the only open border, with a minimum wait time of 8 hours, sometimes up to 20 hours or more!!
Controls are very strict and annoying on both the Lithuanian and Belarusian sides. Avoid bringing alcohol, food, or cigarettes—everything will end up in the trash, especially when leaving Belarus for Vilnius, where the Lithuanians are tough, even with EU citizens.
The joy I once knew when visiting my wife in Minsk is sadly over—it’s now a real ordeal.
The fastest solution is to fly. My wife travels to France by taking a bus to Kaunas in Lithuania, where you can catch a flight (though not daily) to Paris Beauvais or Charleroi in Belgium with Ryanair, for example.
For the return trip, it’s the same: a flight to Kaunas and then a direct bus from the airport to Minsk.
The bus crossing is quicker than driving—the 250 km journey, including border checks, takes about 6 to 8 hours for buses leaving Lithuania around midnight, but controls are still strict at the border.
The biggest challenge is finding flight schedules that align with the bus routes between the two countries, given the unpredictable border crossing times.
Now, my wife travels via Charleroi in Belgium (near Brussels), and you can take a train to Paris. Alternatively, you can fly into Beauvais and take a bus to Paris (Porte Maillot).
For those driving, note that EU insurance and assistance policies no longer work in Belarus or Russia. You’ll need to get local insurance, usually limited to third-party liability (I don’t think full coverage exists?), as well as mandatory medical insurance. This is available at the border.
You now have to pay highway tolls—no more BELTOLL boxes. Instead, you pay a flat fee for the duration of your stay. Stop at the first gas station after crossing from Lithuania to fill up on fuel and cigarettes.
From what I know, Lithuania bans carrying more than 60 € in cash, but there’s no limit for USD (though it’s capped at $10,000??).
With a Visa card, you can now withdraw 1,000 rubles per week (about 270 €)—two months ago, it was only 500 rubles!!
For now, you can still pay by card in shops and gas stations.
However, major retailers like KORONA (which may be Russian-owned??) no longer accept foreign Visa cards.
Unfortunately, the additional sanctions announced by the U.S. on August 5, 2025, against Russia—and possibly Belarus—aren’t promising for the future.
After 20 years of visiting Belarus, I’m truly saddened to see the joy of living in this country with my wonderful wife turn into such a bleak situation, all because of human folly.
Hi everyone!
I’m putting together our travel itinerary for Veneto at the end of April. And the more I look and research potential sites to visit, the more I find!
We’ll only be there for a week—my family and I—including 3 days in Venice. So we have to make some choices...
I plan to rent a car when we arrive in Venice and head straight to Bergamo, which would be our first stop. We’d leave the car at the airport when we return to Venice so we can explore the city at our leisure.
What do you think:
1 night in Bergamo (a 2h15 drive from Venice airport),
1 night in Garda,
1 night in Verona,
1 in Padua, and
3 in Venice—would that be doable?
Thanks in advance for your tips and experiences! :)
Now that the curtain has fallen on the past year, it’s time to see what’s happening around here.
It seems pretty quiet, but I’ll read more in detail later.
First, I need to tell you all an anecdote.
My eldest little girl, in her third year of law school, was really scared she wouldn’t pass the year.
I told her:
“Trust yourself, you’ve worked so hard, and worst case, if you fail, you’ll just redo the year.”
“But I don’t think I’ll make it—they changed the rules, and if I mess up even one unit, I have to start all over.”
I knew her grades weren’t exactly stellar, and with what I was about to say, I wasn’t taking much of a risk.
“Here’s the deal, sweetheart: if you pass, I promise I’ll take you to India, just the two of us.”
I have to admit, India is a country I’ve talked about so much to all my grandchildren that in their minds, it’s become a magical, mythical place (hmm).
July had barely begun when my phone rang, her name flashing on the screen.
“Mamido, I did it!”
My promise came rushing back—oh no, oh no, oh no!
“Congratulations, sweetheart!”
A little shyly, she said:
“Is the India trip still on?”
And me, replying:
“Of course it is!”
And that’s that—a promise is a promise, or you risk losing that precious trust that keeps hearts warm and at peace.
We’re leaving in February. Only 8 days—yikes, the carbon footprint!
But we can’t miss her tutorials, or she’ll be kicked out.
Personally, that works just fine for me.
Going to India has become a challenge for me. It’s far, it’s exhausting, I sweat, I hate mosquitoes, the spices bother my mouth when I used to love them. There’s noise all the time—at night, the dogs bark nonstop, and we almost get run over. I’ll get lost in the streets because my sense of direction has vanished. I don’t like rice anymore. All that chaos and those cultural differences that once enchanted me now just overwhelm me.
But I promised.
The upside—and it’s a big one—Raman, the same driver I’ve had forever, will be at the airport with a sign with our names. We’ll stop at the same little shop for chai (or tea, plain and simple) with that aroma that intoxicates me, halfway through the trip.
It’ll be a tiny trip—staying with friends, I’ll show her a few places I love: Chidambaram, Mamallapuram, and the clinic where I worked. Then we’ll head back.
My little girl will go home to her parents.
As for me, I’ll leave right away for our Scottish island with Homme for our chilly winter.
How can you love a country so much you want to live there, then suddenly reject it, no longer able to appreciate what once made it special?
That’s the mystery of love, I guess.
I’ve visited the U.S. four times myself, including two long road trips. The last one was just this past August...
I won’t be going back. I already felt guilty last August, but recent policies have finally convinced me: the humiliation of Zelensky, authoritarian excesses, Gestapo-like methods for detaining people of foreign origin, the murder of innocent people (a mother shot dead), corruption, insane "tariffs," skyrocketing healthcare costs for Americans, the abduction of foreign figures to secure oil, the requirement to disclose social media accounts, and now... threats and blackmail to forcibly take Greenland—a region that belongs to Denmark and thus the European Union!
The reality is that simply posting this could get me denied entry to the U.S.!
In this context, I just can’t keep spending money there. I loved my trips, but there are so many other countries with stunning landscapes to explore.
So I get why you’d want to travel there. I did, and I loved it. But once a country no longer respects any of the values that made us love it, why go?
How can we even consider traveling to a country that threatens to take one of our territories by force?
Hello everyone,
Controversial topic? Not necessarily—maybe just a reflection on a world to come.
I spent the last 15 days of August on a cruise in Greenland, from Kangerlussuaq to Tasiilaq.
I was utterly amazed by this unique world of rock and ice, the little houses in every color, a simple life that’s also complicated by isolation and climate, among other things...
I carry in my heart the kindness of the people I met, the raw and gentle majesty of the icebergs, the colors of the sky...
So, I can’t even imagine a massive presence of raw material prospectors, heavy machinery requiring roads to be built—if that’s even possible—changing their way of life... putting sled dogs out to pasture!
Do fast food and Greenland’s northern lights really mix?
I wouldn’t trade my memories for an ESTA!
All opinions are respectable, which is why this isn’t a controversy—but I’m sorry, I have a soft spot for *my* Greenland.
We’re a couple aged 58 and 63. We’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to South India in Tamil Nadu and a few days in Kerala. We traveled with a local French-speaking guide and his friend, the driver. They both live in Pondicherry. We spent 3 weeks with them in the most authentic way!
We covered just over 2,500 km and visited not only temples but also archaeological sites, museums, and small artisanal businesses making tiles, tea, sculptures, bronze, and silk spinning. We were lucky enough to visit a public school, attend a wedding, and even a death announcement in a small countryside village. We were fully immersed in the culture, food, noise, and colors—it was incredible!
The hotels and guesthouses we chose were very clean and mostly quiet. We’re returning from India with amazing discoveries!
We’re happy to share more info if you’d like!
M-Claire and Jean
This catchy and somewhat mysterious title comes from several questions I’ve been asking myself.
VF has been back open for a reasonable number of weeks and months now.
The number of visitors overall matches past averages, but the number of members online in the last 24 hours seems relatively lower than what we used to see.
Yet, to my surprise, I’m seeing fewer travel journals, way fewer messages, and way fewer questions.
I don’t see many new registered users online, and I notice a number of members who are logged in but either aren’t participating or have stopped participating.
Something’s not adding up for me because, in my opinion, VF is still appealing, and I don’t see which other sites could really compete.
Was there a real break between pre- and post-Covid?
Does it just take more time for some people to discover the site or learn that it’s active again?
Do people now prefer quick consumption on sites like FB or others I’m not familiar with?
Where have the site’s old-timers gone, and what are they doing with their time now?
What’s really going on here?
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