Du coup ça m'intéresse de savoir quels pays attirent le plus, et pourquoi, et si vous avez pu concrétiser cette envie d'y aller, et ce qu'il en est ressorti (déception, adoration, envie d'y retourner ou pas, etc).
Pour ma part c'était la Russie, depuis le début de l'adolescence, sans trop savoir pourquoi. J'ai même fait un peu de russe au lycée (avec le CNED, mais un peu compliqué d'apprendre seule, j'avais déjà une LV3, ça faisait beaucoup). Ce n'est pas forcément le premier pays que je voulais voir ceci dit, j'avais très hâte de voir Prague et l'Andalousie, qui me faisaient également envie, mais plus sur l'aspect esthétique que culturel. J'y suis allée en premier, puis après j'ai eu envie de visiter plein de villes en Europe, et ce fut le début des "années fastes de petits voyages".
La Russie est toujours restée là quand même. Ce fut reportée pour des raisons de coût (billets d'avion + visa) et j'attendais que monsieur se décide car je voulais vivre ça avec lui (il connaissait déjà).
J'étais attirée par la culture russe, la langue, les bulbes des églises...
J'ai été en Ukraine avant, mais bon même si c'est pas le même pays et pas forcément la même histoire, ça ressemble quand même, les cultures sont proches, ça me faisait envie aussi. Ce fut un merveilleux voyage, le meilleur, et cela m'a conforté dans mon envie de Russie.
Ce fut chose faite en septembre dernier, enfin Saint-Pétersbourg et Moscou. C'est surtout la première qui me faisait très envie, mais je rêvais de voir la Place Rouge et le Kremlin, puis les bulbes, c'est pas forcément à Saint-Pétersbourg qu'on les trouve le plus.
Le bilan ? Depuis le retour, je me suis remise timidement au russe (c'est difficile, surtout seule), j'écoute quasi que de la musique russe, je rêve d'y retourner. Donc oui ça m'a plu ! Surtout Saint-Pétersbourg, moins Moscou, mais je m'en doutais. J'aimerais voir d'autres villes aussi, bien sûr.
Donc pas de déception, des fois on rêve tellement d'un endroit que ça devient un fantasme et des fois à trop fantasmer on part dans des délires et on finit déçu. Mon copain avait peur de ça, un ami aussi. Mais au final ça va, je "fantasme" pas, je me renseigne sur un lieu déjà, j'arrive à savoir ce qui me plaira ou pas. Donc pas de déception, et je reste toujours attirée par ce monde et sa culture, même s'il est loin d'être parfait.
Bien sûr d'autres endroits me font aussi très envie, pour "plus tard" : le Pérou, depuis gamine, je sais pas trop pourquoi. À l'époque c'était moins touristique donc ce n'est pas l'effet de mode qui me donnait envie.
Le Mexique, pour l'architecture coloniale (aimant l'Andalousie, c'est logique) et les vestiges archéologiques.
Maintenant sans parler de "rêve", je suis très intéressée par Israël (Jérusalem surtout) pour son histoire, et par Pétra en Jordanie.
La Grèce me fait très envie, de même que Malte. Bon ça reste proche, je ne mets pas ça sur le même plan qu'un "rêve".
En tout cas je ne fus pas déçue des deux premières destinations dont je rêvais, à savoir Prague et l'Andalousie. Séville surtout reste une ville coup de cœur. Prague, on va dire un coup de cœur "esthétique", comme le reste du pays, du moins ce que j'en ai vu.
Le plus drôle ce sont aussi les endroits qui ne faisaient pas forcément rêver et qui devinrent des coups de cœur inattendus (dans mon cas, Madrid, et Cracovie).
Quel pays m'attire le plus ? A vrai dire c'est impossible de répondre. Tout dépend de l'envie, de l'humeur du moment. En règle générale, je suis plutôt attirée par les grands espaces, les volcans, les paysages minéraux, les déserts. Je dirais que je suis davantage attirée par la montagne que par la mer, même si j'ai besoin de m'y ressourcer régulièrement...Je peux aussi apprécier les ambiances qui se dégagent de certaines villes. Je n'aime pas beaucoup les forêts tropicales en revanche. Elles m'oppressent.
Mes coups de coeur ? La Tanzanie, le Népal, l'Argentine, la Bolivie, l'Utah, la Chine, la Nouvelle Zélande, l'Egypte, la Jordanie, la Birmanie... L'Indonésie a été mon 1er grand voyage. A l'époque, tout, absolument tout m'avait enchantée. J'y suis retournée depuis. En règle générale, j'ai aimé tout ce que j'ai eu la chance de pouvoir visiter dans ce vaste monde. Sinon, j'ai été un peu déçue par la Malaisie, le contact avec la population. Et puis...je n'ai pas beaucoup aimé le Turkménistan que je n'ai fait que"traverser" en venant d'Ouzbékistan pour rejoindre l'Iran.
Mes prochains voyages ? La Namibie cet été et re Népal en Automne. A plus long terme, la Russie et le Kamtchatka, l'Ethiopie.
Avec l'âge, j'ai envie de passer plus de temps dans chaque endroit, chose que je ne faisais pas systématiquement quand j'étais plus jeune...😇
Pour le moment je ne suis pas trop sortie d'Europe (juste le Maroc et la rive asiatique d'Istanbul, et il y a longtemps la Guadeloupe avec mes parents, même si ça reste la France) et j'ai surtout été dans les villes, donc ça limite.
Sans forcément passer beaucoup de temps d'un coup, je n'aime pas ne passer que 3 jours dans une grande ville comme beaucoup le font dans un city break. Sauf si la ville est en effet petite, je reste au moins une semaine, et je suis retournée dans plusieurs endroits pour approfondir, je n'aime pas me contenter des "essentiels", j'aime bien sortir un peu des grands sites touristiques (je n'ose pas dire sentiers battus car bon chaque sentier a été battu de toute façon)
J'en suis à 4 séjour d'une semaine à Rome (en couple, j'y avais été avec l'école, mes parents...) 4 à Madrid, 3 à Barcelone, 4 à Séville, 2 à Naples (et je compte bien y retourner).
Quand un endroit m'a plu j'aime bien y retourner oui, je n'aime pas trop "survoler". Après si un jour je vais plus loin ce sera plus compliqué, je ne me vois pas partir très longtemps (pour des raisons de couts surtout, aussi de santé)
J ai déjà visité bcp de pays qui m attiraient depuis longtemps et je n ai pas été déçu !
Disons que d une façon générale, je peux être attiré tant par le patrimoine architectural d un lieu que par l ambiance qui semble s en dégager. Il y a aussi le côté mythique de certains endroits qui peut être tentant. Et j ai longtemps été bcp plus attiré par les mégalopoles que par les espaces naturels, mais c'est en train de changer. Ce qui compte aussi bcp, c'est la gastronomie !
Je pense que le contexte dans lequel tu vis au quotidien façonne singulièrement tes attirances : quand j étais à Nantes je rêvais de Shanghai, Dubaï ou New York. Quand j etais a Shanghai, cetait la verdoyance du costa rica ou les grandes etendues de Sibérie qui me faisaient de l oeil. Quand j étais à Paris, je rêvais de plages à eau turquoise, de campagne verdoyante, de villes avec une vraie ambiance de noël ou encore de transports en commun salubres. Maintenant que je suis à Shenzhen, je suis attiré par le côté libre et ouvert des gens et des pays anglosaxons, et je ne perds pas une occasion de retourner à Shanghai ou d aller faire un tour ailleurs en Asie. Je pense aussi faire les châteaux de la Loire ou l Écosse dans les mois à venir.
Mais voici encore les principaux pays qui me fascinent particulièrement et que je n ai pas encore eu le temps de visiter :
L Iran, pour son patrimoine, ses paysages, son climat et la gentillesse des gens. De plus, j adore la culture et la langue perse.
La Russie, pour son patrimoine et cette ambiance si particulière qui semble s en dégager à chaque saison. Et idem, histoire fascinante et très belle langue.
L Ouzbékistan pour son patrimoine et cette petite touche ex urss.
Le Brésil, pour son art de vivre et sa diversité, le mariage de patrimoine, de modernité et de nature. La aussi, une langue sympa.
L Argentine et l Afrique du Sud pour leurs architectures variées, leurs gastronomies et le côté majestueux des paysages.
Malte, le Portugal, la Grèce et l Andalousie pour leur art de vivre, leur climat et la beauté des villes et paysages.
Plus au Nord, l Écosse, Amsterdam et Stockholm m'ont toujours tenté.
Côté paysages grandioses et culture millénaire je rêve de l Égypte, de Oman, du Liban et du Nord de l inde (ladakh).
En grand fan de plage, la RepDom et Maurice me disent bien aussi.
Enfin, NYC et la Californie me tentent de plus en plus pour leur dynamisme, leur diversité et leurs cultures locales.
Voilà, ça fait encore un long post mais je ne pense pas avoir rendu un hors sujet ? Haha
Il n'y a pas un pays qui m'attire en particulier mais plusieurs. La Chine où je ne me suis pas rendue depuis des années mais avec laquelle je garde une forte connexion. J'y ai fait de nombreux voyages mais elle reste un pays insondable pour l'occidentale que je suis et ça, ça me plaît. J'aime son désordre, son histoire et les Chinois bien sûr, parce qu'ils sont rigolards, bons vivants et grands amateurs de musique. J'aime aussi les pays du Proche-Orient. La Syrie surtout, un pays de coeur où je ne retournerai sans doute jamais. Les deux villes qui m'ensorcellent le plus dans ce bas monde sont Damas et Jérusalem. Et enfin, comme toi, la Russie. Dont j'ai tellement entendu parler lorsque j'étais enfant. Très tôt ce pays m'a fascinée. J'aime sa littérature, son cinéma, sa langue. Impossible d'étudier le russe dans mon collège et dans mon lycée, dommage. J'ai toujours trouvé des excuses pour ne pas y aller, va savoir pourquoi. J'ai décidé de m'y rendre l'année prochaine.
Un pays qui me fascine, mais me rebute aussi : l'Inde. Gamine ça me fascinait, surtout à cause des films que j'ai vu. Les temples, palais, les saris colorés... Depuis j'ai découvert la gastronomie indienne (bon celle qu'on trouve en France hein) et j'adore.
Étant une grande fan d'architecture, d'histoire, forcément j'ai envie de voir. En plus c'est un autre monde, il y a tout à apprendre.
Mais bon il y a l'architecture et il y a être sur place... Déjà le climat, au secours (je déteste le chaud et l'humidité, et encore plus la pluie) mais bon la foule, la saleté apparemment, la perspective de la tourista à tous les coups, les arnaques, et tout ce que je lis, ça me fait pas rêver. Donc c'est typiquement le pays que j'aimerais voir tout en redoutant d'y aller. Bon je pense pas être la seule dans ce cas.
Un peu pareil pour l'Égypte (les pyramides... mythique !). Une amie y a été seule, mais bon fallait voir les conditions...
Par contre si je suis un peu curieuse de tout dans l'absolu, c'est vrai que la Russie c'est vraiment une attirance inexplicable, et je me sens bien globalement dans les pays de l'est, du moins en voyage (oui je ne sais pas si j'aimerais y vivre), je me sens dans mon élément. Je doute que ce soit le cas de l'Inde 😛
Plus jeune je rêvais de voir San Francisco et l'ouest américain, maintenant ça me fait moins rêver. J'aimerais voir mais ça reste du "pourquoi pas".
En ce qui me concerne, le pays que j'aime le plus est la Grèce.
Ceci dit, il y a d'autres pays qui m’attirent (et d’autres pas du tout !). Mais ce que j'ai toujours aimé plus particulièrement, ce sont les îles, quel que soit le pays. Il y a, dans les îles, surtout lorsqu’elles sont petites, une atmosphère et un style de vie un peu particuliers. Ce sont des microcosmes, à dimension humaine, qui semblent toujours un peu détachés des problèmes des gens du continent. Bien sûr, la vie dans les îles a ses propres problèmes mais les îliens les abordent souvent avec plus de philosophie et ils me semblent bien moins stressés et moins pressés que les continentaux. Du moins, c’est ainsi que je le ressens…
le pays qui m’attirait le plus avant d’y avoir mis les pieds pour la première fois
le pays qui m’attira le plus une fois que nous y avions passé un premier séjour
Alors pour le 1 c’est sans conteste l’Egypte. Je pense que mes cours au lycée y sont pour quelque chose. A l'époque le programme d'histoire prévoyait l'Egypte antique à l'entrée dans l'enseignement secondaire. C'est facile de captiver les jeunes étudiants avec un tel sujet. Voir toutes ces merveilles en vrai fût un immense bonheur même si nous avons eu bien des contrariétés avec les Égyptiens qui travaillent dans le tourisme. Après une première expérience, nous y sommes retournés non sans nous être préparés psychologiquement à affronter les sollicitations. C’est avec plaisir que j’y ferai je pense encore quelques voyages.
En 2 c’est la Birmanie. Notre désir en prenant le billet c’était surtout de visiter la pagode Shwedagon sur laquelle nous avions lu un très beau reportage. Mais une fois sur place nous avons découvert une population extraordinaire de gentillesse qui s’offrait de nous guider vers des sites encore dans leur jus pour le seul plaisir de communiquer avec le visiteur et de leur montrer leur patrimoine. C’est le pays où nous avons reçu le meilleur accueil.
Ce ne sont pas vraiment les pays qui m’attirent dans leur ensemble, mais plus exactement certains lieux précis. Je rêvais de voir Angkor, nous y sommes allés 3 fois pour 5 semaines au total et en dehors de ces visites nous ne connaissons pas du tout le Cambodge.
Du coup ça m'intéresse de savoir quels pays attirent le plus, et pourquoi, et si vous avez pu concrétiser cette envie d'y aller, et ce qu'il en est ressorti (déception, adoration, envie d'y retourner ou pas, etc).
Aucun pays ne m'attire. Pays suppose des frontières, et j'ai beaucoup de mal avec ces limites-là.
Ce sont des lieux, ou des trajets qui m'attirent. Et les motivations peuvent etre très variées.
Dans le cas de Kars, ça a été la lecture d'un roman d'Ohran Pamuk, Neige. L'ambiance qui régnait dans cette ville du bout du monde à l'isolement encore amplifié par la neige me fascinait. Le nom aussi, rude, minéral.
J'y suis allée, au tout début du printemps. Le séjour a été jubilatoire. La longue approche par un voyage ferroviaire lent, très lent, sur les hauts plateaux de l'est de la Turquie. Une ville naguère russe, marchande. Le marché aux chevaux, le regard embrassant l'espace à perte de vue sur la steppe du haut de la citadelle, le trajet en tofas déglinguée jusqu'au mont Ararat...
J'y suis retournée en été, peu de temps après, avec plaisir. Je ne sais pas si j'y reviendrai. Je crains qu'elle n'ait perdu ces dernières années beaucoup de sa personnalité.
Sarajevo était un choc de jeune adulte. Le moment où on est bien obligé de réaliser que le monde dans lequel on évolue n'est pas ce que l'on voudrait croire. En 1992, j'ai cessé de vivre sur un continent civilisé, qui avait enfoui les horreurs dans un passé révolu. Du coup ça faisait de cette ville un symbole de la fin des illusions, quelque chose d'irréel. Et j'ai eu envie de la rèintégrer dans une géographie effective.
J'y suis allée, un peu anxieuse. C'est une ville pleine de cicatrices, mais très vivante. J'y suis retournée, plusieurs fois. Je l'arpente avec un plaisir familier. Elle a aussi été le germe de la découverte de la littérature balkanique, que j'aime beaucoup ; de laquelle j'ai beaucoup appris en fait. J'y reviendrai surement. Elle fait partie de ma géographie indispensable.
J'irai, sans doute, un jour errer dans les rues de Drohobycz, en mémoire d'un merveilleux écrivain, B. Schultz, juif domestique tué d'une balle dans la tete.
Je ne connais pas encore les désirs à venir.
Pour les trajets...
De la Mer de Marmara à la Caspienne, Istanbul-Bakou en train. Impossible à réaliser jusqu'à maintenant puisque la ligne de train n'existait pas. C'est désormais une question de mois, je crois.
Voyage en ferry, de Venise à Tartous, puis Alep, Damas, Alexandrie par voie de terre, réambarquer à Alexandrie pour Venise. Il était pratiquement pret celui-ci ! Je n'ai pas besoin d'expliquer pourquoi il n'a pas eu lieu.
La M41, de Dushanbe à Bichkek. Pour la route.
Catherine
By this, and this only, we have existed. Which is not to be found in our obituaries. (T.S. Eliot)
Bien sûr d'autres endroits me font aussi très envie, pour "plus tard" : le Pérou, depuis gamine, je sais pas trop pourquoi. À l'époque c'était moins touristique donc ce n'est pas l'effet de mode qui me donnait envie.
C'est marrant, c'est la même chose pour moi.
Je ne sais pas si c'est une question d'époque.
J'ai la cinquantaine. Tintin et "Le temple du soleil" ont-ils eu une influence, ou la mode à une certaine époque de la musique andine ?
Toujours est-il qu'enfant, et forcément encore aujourd'hui (on reste toujours l'enfant qu'on a été), je rêve des Andes, des trains d'altitude, de la beauté avec laquelle les amérindiens s'habillent dans ces coins (et de leur beauté tout court).
Quand un endroit m'a plu j'aime bien y retourner oui, je n'aime pas trop "survoler". Après si un jour je vais plus loin ce sera plus compliqué, je ne me vois pas partir très longtemps (pour des raisons de couts surtout, aussi de santé)
Je pense qu'en "survolant" on loupe des tas de choses.
En revenant au même endroit comme si on y était un peu chez soi, on est du coup plus ouverts a des tas d'ingrédients.
C'est- pourquoi je ne sais pas si j'aimerai partir loin... il me semble que de ne pas pouvoir y retourner serait douloureux.
J'irai, sans doute, un jour errer dans les rues de Drohobycz, en mémoire d'un merveilleux écrivain, B. Schultz, juif domestique tué d'une balle dans la tete.
Quant à "B. Schultz" : B. Schulz suffit.
Quant à "un merveilleux écrivain" : oui (et c'est encore loin de la vérité).
en mémoire d'un merveilleux écrivain, B. Schultz, juif domestique tué d'une balle dans la tete.
Quant à "B. Schultz" : B. Schulz suffit.
Tu peux nous expliquer pourquoi?
Bonjour,
Parce que j'ai fait une erreur d'orthographe du nom. Je prononce "Bruno Schultz" et écris donc "Schultz" mais il n'y a pas de t. 🙂
Quant au merveilleux écrivain...
Un avant gout :
”Au mois de juillet, mon père partait aux eaux et nous laissait, ma mère, mon frère aîné et moi, en pâture aux journées d'été, blanches de feu et enivrantes. Nous feuilletions, étourdis de lumière, le grand livre des vacances, dont chaque page scintillait de soleil et conservait tout en son fond, sucrée jusqu'à la pâmoison, la pulpe des poires dorées. Aux matinées lumineuses, Adèle, telle Pomone, revenait du feu du jour embrasé et vidait sa corbeille de toutes les beautés colorées du soleil.” (premières lignes des Boutiques de cannelle)
Belle journée.
Catherine
By this, and this only, we have existed. Which is not to be found in our obituaries. (T.S. Eliot)
Mon pays n'a pas accès à la mer donc il faut chaud et l'air est sec.
J'envie les pays qui ont la mer surtout les îles.
J'ai regardé un documentaire sur Cuba.Ce pays m'attire à cause de son architecture coloniale, sa mer, sa musique (salsa, rumba, ...), ses voitures des années 50 (j'adore la 2cv)
J'ai vu dans le documentaire (TV5) que ce pays accorde une importante à la médecine, l'éducation.
J'ai vu qu'il s'occupe des personnes âgées en leur offrant gratuitement de séances de sport en plein air avec un moniteur et aussi un club où elles se retrouvent (je ne sais plus combien de fois par mois) pour jouer aux jeu de société et partager un repas.
AFRIQUE , mon AFRIQUE
L'AFRIQUE des fiers guerriers dans les savanes ancestrales
AFRIQUE que chante ma grande mère au bord de son fleuve lointain...
Un peuple sans identité culturelle, c’est un peuple qui navigue dans l’obscurité.
Sans doute que les gens de cul bas ont le coeur haut...
Moi c'est le Népal. Pourquoi? Parce qu'ils ont le nez pas laid!
😄
Mais c'est intéressant de savoir pourquoi un pays attire plus qu'un autre ! Bien sûr des fois on ne sait pas trop pourquoi.
Cuba m'intéresse aussi, pour l'architecture coloniale oui, les vieilles voitures aussi, la musique, même si je danse pas.
Par contre je sais aussi qu'on peut y trouver une extrême pauvreté.
Le climat par contre me "rebute" un peu, comme tous les pays où il fait chaud et humide, ça peut même être un vrai frein tellement mon corps supporte pas la chaleur, et surtout humide !
Bon ce n'est pas prévu pour le moment mais peut-être un jour...
Le climat par contre me "rebute" un peu, comme tous les pays où il fait chaud et humide, ça peut même être un vrai frein tellement mon corps supporte pas la chaleur, et surtout humide !
Il y fait plutôt frais (20°à 25° maxi) entre Novembre/ décembre et février et pas d'humidité et pratiquement jamais aussi chaud qu'en été dans le sud de la France.
Par contre je sais aussi qu'on peut y trouver une extrême pauvreté.
Certainement moins que dans une grande majorité des îles des Antilles et comme l'a dit quelqu'un l'accès aux soins est gratuit ( 5% du PIB va à la santé!) et c'est le pays d'Amérique latine qui a un des plus forts sinon le plus fort taux d'alphabétisation.( 99,8% des adultes! contre 48% à Haïti) L'école est accessible à tous à Cuba.L'enseignement est gratuit. De la pauvreté certainement, le niveau de vie n'étant pas le même qu'en Europe mais pas vraiment de misère comme à Haïti par exemple.
J'ai lu des carnets sur Cuba justement car ça m'intéresse, il y a du bon et du moins bon, certains Cubains vivent mieux que d'autres, comme partout. Mais clairement j'aimerais y aller un jour.
Pas plus de 25 vraiment ? Par contre une île c'est généralement humide il me semble.
Disons que niveau climat il y a pire oui ! Tout ce qui est climat tropical pour moi ça représente l'enfer sur terre !
Tout ce qui est climat tropical pour moi ça représente l'enfer sur terre !
En partant l'hiver de France on se retrouve sous un soleil de fin de printemps européen... Des fois c'est même juste pour se baigner, la mer peut être assez fraîche et on supporte une petite laine le soir.
Voyager pourquoi? 1- Pour quitter ce pays Pour ma part, je commence vraiment à prendre la France et les francais en grippe...En effet, ce pays me gonfle de…
Voilà, je suis très intriguée par votre créneau temporaire vous permettant de longs voyages. En effet, j'ai vu que certaines personnes traversent l'Asie à…
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Réflexions de voyageurs › États-Unis · 328 replies
J'ai remarqué que la rubrique Etats-Unis générait le plus grand nombre de discussions (31000) ouvertes sur ce forum. (La Thailande semblant être le deuxième…
J'ai toujours été surpris en Inde, de l’accueil qui nous est réservé..que ce soit dans les commerces, les hôtels, nos déplacements, ou n'importe. Surpris…
hello to all travelers with their eyes wide open to the desert...
I’ve always wondered what I was "doing" on this earth. And why my father, who died a few months after I was born—a former youngest French resistance fighter—joined the First Saharan Motorized Company in Atar and spent the rest of his life repairing army engines in Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali (which didn’t exist under that name back then), Morocco, and finally Algeria, where my mother was born and raised. (Believe me, it’s not "cool" being the child of a soldier in a country occupied by France, and even less so the child of a "pied-noir.")
Of course, I never got an answer: the dead don’t talk, and the army doesn’t either.
But here’s the thing—I had photos...
So naturally, one day I hit the road. I wanted to see, to understand.
It’s thanks to VF that I was able to do a little research on crossing the Morocco-Mauritania border, and I’m grateful to its members, just as I’m grateful to all those who welcomed me on the road for 14 years.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been wondering if I should talk about this or not...
It turns out the Mauritanians changed my life by asking for my help... And that started as early as February 2012... (Did I owe them something? No answer to that question.)
Ah, the irony—they saw me coming. But when you’re handed sick children and begged to do something, what would you have done? I’d worked in a hospital, so I knew a bit about the rules to follow. I didn’t hesitate.
And well, over all these years, I met doctors, surgeons, and together we organized care, evacuations of children, training for surgeons—even trying to stop children from having to travel outside their country. It was never easy. I’d like to thank those who supported us, as well as *La Chaîne de l’Espoir*, *La Fondation Face au Monde*, and everyone who built bridges between our two countries.
Unfortunately, despite the constant efforts of Mauritanian doctors and surgeons, some children couldn’t be helped in time. Today, I want to talk about four siblings—orphans of their mother—suffering from congenital glaucoma causing irreversible blindness. Their case was entrusted to me in 2020, just weeks before the big lockdown. We couldn’t do anything for them then, but when their father asked me for a gift, I rushed to my computer and wrote a story.
Through a tale, the children take a great journey, explore their country, and fulfill a dream. I never thought this book would be published—it was, in 2023.
This book pays tribute to Mauritania. It’s a message for those who know nothing about the hardships of life there, carrying both the harshness and beauty of an immense desert where you can travel by 4x4, bike, on foot, or by camel in complete safety. It bears witness to the kindness of Mauritanians toward travelers.
As a woman traveling alone in my vehicle—a now-rusted old Mercedes that no longer runs—I had the most beautiful encounters of my life there (I’ve seen other parts of the world...). The blind children of Choum, Atar, Nouadhibou, and Nouakchott will forever be in my heart.
Volunteer readers transcribed the book into a free audio version for the visually impaired. It’s available in sound libraries in France, the *Fondation Valentin Haüy*, and the Swiss Romande library.
I made my last trip to Mauritania in my old 4x4 to distribute the book everywhere, especially to its heroes and the school for the visually impaired in Nouakchott.
After that, I thought it was time to close the chapter because I no longer have the means or the strength to travel.
My publishers chose this title for it: *The Blue Eyes of the Desert*.
This publication helped a mission of Swiss volunteer ophthalmologists come to operate on glaucomas in Mauritania. I’m thrilled because they come back every year!
This adventure is ending, yes—everything must come to an end—but ultimately, it was born here, on the VF site!! So yes, I had to say it: THANK YOU!!!!!
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
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!
"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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