j'aimerais vous faire part d'un truc qui est survenu depuis peu : la peur de voyager, la peur de l'inconnu et le fait que prendre les transport (avions, bus etc...) me gonflent énormement
bref, j'ai l'impresion de devenir casanier,
pourtant, j'ai déjà voyager à plusieurs reprises : au moyen orient, en amerique latine, en europe de l'est
et là j'ai l'occasion de partir pdt 1 an en Afrique pour bosser dans une boite de micro-credit
mais le désir de partir se tarit, (c'est du -, l'impression que j'en ai)
aujourd'hui je devais partir en Autriche, pour quelques jours, et rien que l'idée de prendre avion et train jusqu'a vienne me saoûlait, du coup, je ne suis pas parti.
le pire, c'est que je regrette meme pas.
la peur de l'inconnu : j'ai remarqué qu'effectivement voyager c'est chouette, mais en fait c'est vachement déstabilisant, quand je reviens en france, je suis triste, dégouté et je pense à une chose c'est de repartir
à la fois il ya une envie de stabilité, de construire quelque chose et puis vlan...une poussée de voyage et au pied du mur, je recule, je me pose pleins de ?
ça devient très chiant et je sais plus vraiment quoi faire??
bref, si c'est deja arrivé a des personnes, j'aimerai que vs m'en fassiez part
Pour ma part, je prends un plaisir énorme à préparer un voyage, à me documenter, à prévoir un itinéraires etc...Puis, environ une à deux semaines avant de partir, voilà que je me mets à avoir peur de tout, avion, bateau, routes, inconnu et je n'ai plus du tout envie de partir, pire, il me tarde même de revenir. Et puis ouch...je passe par dessus tout ça en me disant que cet effort sur moi même fait partie intégrante du voyage, puisque je l'ai toujours connue. Je pars, je me régale pendant tout le voyage et en rentrant, j'ai le blues du retour 🙂, alors, je prépare un autre voyage et c'est reparti 😎
Catherine
" La lucidité est la blessure la plus proche du soleil" René Char
Il y a une nette différence entre partir quelques jours, accuser la fatigue du voyage et partir 1 an pour vivre à l'étranger ...
Pas du tout pareil !
En 1 an tu devras forcément poser tes bases et "construire" quelque chose. Au même titre que tu le ferais en France, maintenant le résultat que ce soit dans l'un ou l'autres des pays te plaira ou non et tu souhaiteras rester ou au contraire repartir.
C'est une opportunité que l'on t'offre, à toi de peser le pour et le contre !
J'ai "erré" pendant 10 ans environ ainsi, d'un pays à l'autre en y restant en moyenne 1 an, donc boulot etc etc ... puis de retour en France, une "période" de sédentarisation plus ou moins voulu où effectivement j'ai posé "des bases" et construit quelque chose.
Mais l'appel de l'ailleurs est toujours là.
Je repars bientôt et pas pour 15j/3 semaines ni même 3 mois et je trouve nettement plus dur de le faire maintenant que j'ai "des bases" qu'avant. Pas le fait de tout quitter, non, ça au contraire, c'est même très facile. Ce qui est difficile à gérer, c'est l'administratif qui est indissociable des fameuses "bases".
Dans le genre "casse-tête" ... tu peux me croire ça ce pose là 🤪🏴☠️ et l'envie de tout plaquer pour ne plus être rattachée à quoi que ce soit se fait grandissante de jour en jour ...
Je me considerais libre et indépendante, à cause de ces c....., je me dis que finalement, je suis indépendante mais pas si libre que ça ou que du moins j'ai plus de contraintes qu'il n'y paraîssait.
Pour ce qui est de la peur de l'inconnu ... que ce soit ici ou ailleurs ... c'est kif-kif ! l'inconnu c'est le gars au détour d'un chemin, c'est la nouvelle loi de sarko, c'est ... chaques jours ! il n'y a pas qu'à l'étranger que tu peux voir, entendre ou vivre des choses déstabilisantes qui te donneront envie de partir.
Ce qui à mon sens est important de considérer, c'est ce que tu souhaites faire de ta vie, "home sweet home" ou "on the road again" ... mais ce choix n'appartient qu'à toi.
partir longtemps, c'est aussi, se dire qu'ici, en France, la vie ne sera plus comme avant,
alors la grande ?, peut on ou doit on revenir ou pas revenir?...
pas revenir, ça me rend triste et c'est assez dure à gèrer, quand on a un "chez soi", c'est + facile de supporter le départ et la vie à l'étranger parceque dans ts les k, si ça se passe mal alors, on pourra rentrer
si on décide de revenir :
on revient différent et les amis, les potes, les connaissances changent, ils ont fait leurs vies, leurs trucs
je crois que le plus dure, c'est de les voir comme tu dis "home sweet home". parceque c'est un style de vie vachement rassurant, pas tro de risque et puis on fait comme papa, maman...
la chose encore plus dure, c'est le jugement que peuvent porter les personnes qui sont devenus casaniers, et deviennent un peu "cons", ils cotisent pour leurs retraites (j'ai des reflexions dans ce genre là), assurent leurs avenirs, leurs gosses (ils en parlent)...
et toi t'es là, sans maison, sans enfants, sans cotisations ou pas tro, tu dois enchainer les missions internationales qui parfois mettent du temps à s'enchainer et t'es là, en attente
et puis hop ! si tu as un moment de doutes, tu vas t'entendre dire : "tu vois, je te l'avais dis", fallait mieux que t'assures un job sécurisant et sécurisé (genre fonctionnaire) juste après tes études.(master 2).
et du genre : - "tu pourras plus te réinserer ici en france", "ça va etre dure pour toi"
ou genre, l'employeur qui te dit : - "hum, vous avez fait quoi au juste en afrique ou en asie, ah ! banque, micro crédit,
vous étiez en vacances, quoi !!!
bref, je suis un peu triste de tout ça, de la bétise de certaines personnes.
parceque partir, voyager, travailler découvrir, ça a tjrs été un rêve que je réalise tt doucement avec mes petits voyages
mais ce que j'avais pas prévu avec mon regard d'adulte et de gosse à la fois, c'est la réaction des gens
parceque partir, voyager, travailler découvrir, ça a tjrs été un rêve que je réalise tt doucement avec mes petits voyages
mais ce que j'avais pas prévu avec mon regard d'adulte et de gosse à la fois, c'est la réaction des gens
Je ne sais pas trop comment aborder ton topic autour duquel je tourne depuis deux jours ..... 🤪 mais bon, là tu as un coup de blues, alors j'interviens quand même ......
Je ne sais pas si tu en parles, mais on ne connaît pas ton âge .... ce qui serait important car on réagit différemment suivant l'âge ...... quoique tu te dis adulte, mais c'est quoi adulte ..... ?
Ta première phrase est parfaite ...... parceque partir, voyager, travailler découvrir, ça a tjrs été un rêve que je réalise tt doucement avec mes petits voyages ....... on doit tous être en phase avec celà, et plusieurs d'entre nous doivent s'y retrouver .....
La seconde ..... mais ce que j'avais pas prévu avec mon regard d'adulte et de gosse à la fois, c'est la réaction des gens ...... là par contre ça va pas .... car tu aurais du prévoir ces réactions, surtout dans un pays comme la France, ou dés lors que l'on sort des sacro saints sentiers du quotidien et que l'on déroge aux régles de bienséance et que l'on ose être un tant soit peu original, on s'offre aux réactions épidermiques de la " populace " ..... c'est un constat normal et il faut le savoir et s'y habituer, on ne peut pas faire autrement ..... imagine la richesse que tu possédes .....
Maintenant à certains moments, je comprends que l'on y soit plus sensible, au vu des conditions matérielles et psychologiques dans lesquelles on se trouve ...... mais il suffit de regarder derrière toi un instant ( bien que je n'aime pas ) et de penser à tout ce que t'a apporté tes voyages, la richesse des rencontres et la faculté d'avoir maintenant cette facilité de te transposer dans d'autres univers ....... tous ces " gens " ne connaisent pas celà, ne le connaîtront jamais, et ne connaîtront pas les frissons de toutes ces aventures ...... quelle perte de temps, quelle indigence, quelle tristesse aussi de s'enfermer dans le même quotidien que la majorité des " gens ", même si parfois ils n'ont guère le moyen de faire autrement .......
Et là vient la question de savoir si justement ce bonheur que tu peux prendre lorsque tu es dans un ailleurs, ne doit pas avoir quelques contreparties ..... ce serait trop facile que tout se fasse dans la félicité absolue, sans difficulté d'aucune sorte, juste comme celà en claquant des doights ..... il faut bien avoir quelques contrariétés, et même je dirais que le plaisir ne serait pas le même ......
Tu sais je suis un maniaque des voyages, et mon rêve serait d'être sans cesse sur les routes ..... je l'ai fait maintes fois, mais là en ce moment je suis un peu en panne, pour diverses raisons, et alors que ma vie personnelle et amoureuse est au beau fixe, mais je pars moins ..... celà ne me contrarie pas plus que celà, car j'ai la force et la fraîcheur de ceux qui sont partis et connaissent le monde, j'ai en moi cette sensation qu'un jour je reprendrais la route et retrouverait mes repères et mes émotions .... et puis est ce que de voyager autant et d'avoir côtoyé autant de monde ne t'a pas donné l'envie de vivre au jour le jour .... ?, de mettre un pied devant l'autre et de voir ce qui arrive avec l'optimisme de ceux qui savent que là bas, tout là bas, nous attend ce qui fait le sel de notre vie à venir ..... c'est un énorme avantage de savoir, pour l'avoir déjà vécu, que notre bonheur est tout autre que les petites jérémiades jalouses de ceux qui ne partent pas, et tentent de te déstabiliser avec des excuses futiles ....... la route m'a tant apporté ( je pense aussi à Parvat en écrivant celà ) que le simple fait de penser à toutes ces expériences vécues et à venir m'emplit de joie et de sérénité ...... et peu importe les difficultés du moment crois moi ......
Pense à celà et fortifie ton âme avec, tu n'en avanceras que plus fort et les bétises entendues te glisseront dessus sans t'émouvoir ......
Bonjour Guchuo,
Sans vouloir philosopher, il arrive des moments dans la vie où il faut savoir "écouter" nos ressentis. Ne penses-tu pas simplement avoir besoin de te "poser" pour aller vers autre chose, différemment ? C'est aussi à voir comme une évolution car tu prends un nouveau chemin de vie, riche de tes expériences qui t'ont aussi fourni des nouvelles compétences à valoriser auprès d'un employeur par ex. (sang nouveau dans la structure, valorisation des ressources humaines...) Qu'en penses-tu ?
Certes, il faut sauter le pas, mais il n'est pas exclu de repartir un jour et en attendant, partager tout ça avec ceux qui en ont envie. "Laisser le temps au temps". Bon courage à toi,
Geli
Alan t'a fait une très belle réponse je trouve 🙂 j'y adhère complètement et vais rajouter mon grain de sel.
quand on a un "chez soi", c'est + facile de supporter le départ et la vie à l'étranger parceque dans ts les k, si ça se passe mal alors, on pourra rentrer
Ben non, justement c'est pas plus facile ! je le sais je suis en plein dedans ... c'est ce que je te dis plus haut, c'est en fait un boulet que tu gardes à la patte, de l'argent que tu dois dépenser inutilement (et pas qu'un peu !), des contraintes, des soucis, du tracas pour ceux qui devront s'en occuper en ton absence ... bref le gros boulet 😕
on revient différent et les amis, les potes, les connaissances changent, ils ont fait leurs vies, leurs trucs
Là c'est sûr, la famille et les amis c'est plus pareil, mais toi aussi tu ne les comprendras plus. Partir c'est ce différencier d'une généralité qui se veut "casanière" et forcement ... ça dérange. Je l'ai déjà dit sur le forum mais le répète ici pour toi, je ne parle pas de mes voyages même à ma famille, ils ne comprennent pas, il n'y a que les voyageurs qui peuvent comprendre et à eux, j'ai pas besoin de l'expliquer, ils savent.
La question des cautisations pour la retraite ... elle est tout de suite réglée : si tu as dans les 35 ans ou moins TU N'EN AURAS PAS à moins de te la faire toi-même et pour ça, que ce soit en France ou à l'étranger ... c'est kif-kif
Les enfants ... regardes simplement la rubrique voyager avec des enfants et tu verras que de nombreux parents partent avec eux ! ceux que j'ai croisé sur la route étaient d'ailleurs tellement plus épanouies que ceux qui font nounou, crèche, maternelle etc ... que cela devrait être obligatoire sans compter la richesse culturelle que cela leur apporte.
Des moments de doute tu en auras toujours, et heureusement, ce serait trop facile sinon, mais cela n'importe où et pour tout !
Pour la question du RH, c'est au contraire que du bonus, tu apportes des langues étrangères, d'autres visions, façon de travailler, une expérience hors frontière que l'on ne trouve pas sur les bancs de la fac. Tu es entreprenant, volontaire, ouvert, fonceur, tu sais te remettre en question, t'adapter, analyser, modérer, prendre des risques etc ... la liste est longue crois-moi ! Mes 10 ans de "vadrouille" on toujours été perçu comme une chose positive, le seul bémole c'est que l'on m'a toujours refusé des formations de langue 😕 "vous n'en n'avez pas besoin" et moi j'aurais pourtant bien aimé ! pas grave, je vais retourner me les faire sur le terrain 😛
La réinsertion en France, oui, c'est dur, mais pas insurmontable. Tu as plusieurs spots qui en parlent sur le forum entre autre : http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=635734;
La bêtise humaine elle est partout, elle ne connait pas de frontière, n'a pas besoin de visa, résiste à toutes les maladies sans vaccination ni traitement et comble de l'horreur parle toutes les langues ... Bref, t'as pas le choix, faudra faire avec !
Ta vie est trop précieuse pour laisser les autres ou des "à priori" la guider.
les questions que tu te posent, je me les posent en ce moment. Ou plutot non, je devrait me les poser mais comme d`hab je fais l`autruche, je n`ai pas envi de me les poser . Je viens de finir mes etudes et je pars en expat pour quelques annees, j`ai aussi bien peur de la distance qui va se creer entre mes amis et moi, je sens que les mails vont se faire plus rares, ainsi que les coups de fils et lorsque je rentrais pour des vacances, ca va faire bizarre. Sans doute mal. Neanmoins on a parfois de bonnes surprises: lorsque je suis rentree d`une mission aux philippines (certains de mes amis m`ont aussi dit que c`etait des vacances... il m`a fallu un gros effort de self controle) la plupart des gens ne s`interressaient pas du tout a ce que j`avais fait, ils ne voulaient entendre que des histoires de plages, de plomgees, de cocotiers. Du coup, j`avais arrete de tenter de leur parler de la situation des enfants des rues, de ce que j`avais vu, je commencais directmeent par "ouais, pendant lesa vacances c`etait genail, la mer, blablabla" jusqu`a cette amie qui m`a sorti un "non, je m`en fous des plages, c`etait quoi ton taff? Pourquoi ils sont dans la rue ces gamins, raconte" . t`as beau avoir 20personnes qui seront fermes a ce que tu leur racontera, il y en aura une, tu ne t`y attend pas, et elle essaiera de comprendre et de ne pas laisseer de distance s`installer.
Pour savoir si tu dois partir la question que tu dois te poser c`est "puis je rester?" . Lorsque j`ai postule pour ce poste a l`etranger je me l`a suis posee, et puis je me suis dit que si je commencais a paris, j`aurais mes bases, mon appart, mes habitudes et que je n`arriverrai jamais a decoller. Peux etre que je l`aurais bien vecu mais je me dis qu`a 40 ans j`aurais eu plein de regrets. Et puis si ca me plait pas, je reviendrai plus tot!
Peu de temps apres, je suis allee a un mariage d`amis (le premier, ca fait tout drole), je l`ai voyait tous les deux, je me disais qu`ils avaient un appart, chacun un bouleau stable, tout bien organise, un enfant d`ici quelques annees... j`avoue que j`ai eu un pincement au coeur, je me suis demande pourquoi je partais, si je ne ferais pas meiux de ne pas me prendre la tete et de rester pour avoir la meme vie. Et puis comme tout n`est pas blanc comme une robe de mariee je me suis dit que je preferai mon rouge flamboyant que je vivrais au mexique que le beige de paris.
Alors, a ton avis, regrets ou pas a 40ans si tu restes?
Quant au coup des employeurs, je suis pas d`accord avec sch et plutot avec toi, j`ai pas l`impression qu`ils aient une ouverture d`esprit suffisante pour l`instant. Peux etre que le prix nobel de la paix pour le micro credit peut faire changer les mentalites!!!
Quant a la retraite, comme dis sch tu n`en aura pas et au passage tu peux t`en faire une en cotisant un tout petit peu chaque mois en t`y mettant des maintenant. C`est un placement comme un autre et en plus, comme ca ca te donnera un sujet de conversation avec tes potes restes en france, ils se diront que tu n`es pas si differents d`eux! 😉
Voila, je ne suis pas certaine d`avoir ete d`une grande aide mais je voulais reagir car ton message me parle beaucoup, tout particulierement ta phrase " mais ce que j'avais pas prévu avec mon regard d'adulte et de gosse à la fois, c'est la réaction des gens ".
En tout cas le micro credit ca a l`air bien chouette 🙂
Merci pour vos messages, vos mails me touchent énormément et m'aident bcp dans ma réflexion et dans ma capacité à surmonter ce moment un peu difficile qui est celui de faire un choix...
je pensais vous demander, en particulier à toi Alan, (mais aussi aux autres) qui fait référence à un auteur : "Parvat"( que je ne connais pas), des références bibliographiques qui peuvent aider les futurs voyageurs à surmonter à la fois l'avant, le pendant et l'après départ...???
je connais quelques auteurs qui ont bercés mon "enfance" en BD, poésies ou roman. je pense à Prat, Rimbaud, Prévert, et meme Tintin...
je pense aussi à Marquez, Borges, Vargas llosa, lectures que j'avais faites avant de partir en Amerique de Sud
je pense à Kourouma, Hampaté bas, à Jef Geeraerts qui avait écrit un superbe livre sur le Congo : "Black Vénus"
et tellement d'autres ....qui me donnent envie de partir en Afrique noire.
ces lectures m'aident bcp à découvrir un pays, à me donner des ailes. à découvrir l'Autre....bref à titiller ma curiosité.
Merci aussi à tous : Sch, géli, petit panda.
c'est chouette de discuter et de partager ces moments là.
Parvat ...... c'est un membre féminin du forum .... 😉 qui vit un peu à l'emporte pièce et au jour le jour suivant ses humeurs et ses envies, et il y pas mal de leçons à apprendre de cette fille, dés lors que l'on frôle le type de vie qu'elle essaye de pratiquer, avec ses joies et ses peines ...... un peu comme tout le monde il est vrai, mais elle essaye de vivre " voyage " à plein temps ........
Tu peux te rapprocher d'elle pour en discuter ...... je ne dis pas que je suis en accord à 100% avec sa façon de voir les choses, mais c'est une façon de faire intéressante à notre époque .....
Quant au coup des employeurs, je suis pas d`accord avec sch et plutot avec toi, j`ai pas l`impression qu`ils aient une ouverture d`esprit suffisante pour l`instant.
c'est certain que sortant de l'école tu as beaucoup plus d'éxpérience que mes X ans de carrières ...
Ne penses pas ça sincèrement, tu te trompes !
je raconte juste ce que j`ai vecu: lors de mes differents entretiens, les recruteurs ne me parlaient que des stages "classiques" que j`avais fait et pas du tout de mes experiences dans le social alors que j`y ai beaucoup plus appris. Et lorsqu`ils m`en parlaient c`etait plutot pour essayer de me destabiliser ou parcequ`ils etaient sceptiques sur le fait que c`etait du travail.
De plus, pour en avoir discute avec une personne qui retournait dans sa ancienne boite apres 2 ans d`humanitaire ou elle avait mis en place tout un programme... sa boite ne voyait pas du tout ca comme une experience en plus et quelque chose qu`ils auraient pu valoriser ensemble, bien au contraire. Son cas n`est pas isole.
Neanmoins si tu as des millions d`exemple du contraire je veux bien te croire mais pour l`instant j`ai plutot vu le contraire.
Mais tout depend certainement du type de metier recherche. Dans ceux que je recherchais, ca n`etait pas bien vu.
nan, j accepte plus les messages prives.
je dis pas ca pour toi mais j en ai marre d avoir a repondre a des tonnes de messages prives pour des demandes d infos et dans plus de 9 cas sur 10 n avoir meme pas un merci malgre mes souvent longues reponses...
pour ce qui est du mordage d oeil desole, mais je suis vegetarien...
je raconte juste ce que j`ai vecu: lors de mes differents entretiens, les recruteurs ne me parlaient que des stages "classiques" que j`avais fait et pas du tout de mes experiences dans le social alors que j`y ai beaucoup plus appris. Neanmoins si tu as des millions d`exemple du contraire
Cela dépend aussi de la façon dont tu le présentes. Je n'ai perso jamais eu ce genre d'expérience, bien au contraire, mais mon travail dans les différents pays où j'ai vécu ne se limitait pas à 1 ou 2 mois mais à 1 an minimum, donc une réelle expérience, mais pas dans l'humanitaire, dans la vie de tout le monde et de tous les jours.
Des millions d'expériences ... tu me prêtes un âge canonique que je suis très loin d'avoir ...
Mais il est certain qu'ayant commencé ma "carrière professionelle" à 16 ans ... j'ai une sacrée longueur d'avance sur toi.
D'où mon message qui se veut optimiste et non pessimiste.
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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?
This isn’t exactly a traveler’s question... I’d like to know who handles the technical side of this forum?
I run a similar forum on a different topic (unrecognized children), and we’re dealing with a few technical issues that are slowly killing our forum... so I’d have one or two questions to ask 😊.
Also, I was wondering who created this forum... who the administrators or moderators are, etc.
I think this forum is great. Much better than Facebook, which I’ve been using since it shut down (so I’m happy to see it’s working again...)
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