Bon, suite a mon vol au Guatemala (voir mon message d'il y a un mois) et a ma decalaration de vol a la police guatemaliene, je rentre en france pour les fetes de fin d'annee et je previens rapidement le service assurance de DARTY (attention on a que 5 jours apres son arrive en France, bon a savoir!!!).
J'explique auparavant mon vol a la vendeuse qui m'a vendu mon materiel et l'assurance (je lui est bien exlique que c'etait pour un tour du monde) et elle me dit pas de probleme, ca rentre bien dans le cadre de l'assurance.
Donc j'appelle, j'exlique mon cas et la fille me dit que n'est un vol a la tire (car pas d'arme ou de violence) donc pas pris en charge par l'assurance...
La, je tombe de haut, si j'avais ete insulte ou juste menace (sans arme), pas de probleme, mais la non!!!
Bon, je ne vais pas me laisser faire mais conseil a tous, si vous vous fetes vole, il faut toujours dire que c'est suite a un agression ou a une menace. Je suis desole, ce n'est peu etre pas honnete, mais ma sincerite et ma franchise m'ont fait perdre 2000€ de remboursement.
Donc bien lire son contrat d'assurance, surtout ce qui est ecrit en tout tout petit.
Nous devons etre le changement que nous voulons pour le monde. Mahatma GANDHI
Donc bien lire son contrat d'assurance, surtout ce qui est ecrit en tout tout petit.
Comme tu le dis toi-meme, tu n'as pas lu ton contrat d'assurance. Ca ne sert a rien de prendre une assurance qui n'est pas adapté.
C'est souvent le meme probleme quand on prend une assurance annulation de vol: les gens croient qu'ils peuvent annuler leur vols comme bon leur semble.
Le plus simple est encore de ne pas s'assurer, ou juste le minimum syndical... Je rappelle que le métier d'assureur consiste à encaisser des cotisations et à tout imaginer pour ne pas les dépenser !
Pour ma part je suis assuré au minimum légal pour la maison, la voiture, jamais d'assurance voyage, ni d'assurance médicale.. (on a déjà 11000 euros si on paye son billet d'avion en carte bleue).
Assureur = voleur, c'est une expression célèbre me semble t'il...
(on a déjà 11000 euros si on paye son billet d'avion en carte bleue)."
Bonjour,
A propos d'assurances, je paie toujours avec ma carte premiere, mais lors d'un voyage j'ai eu un accident pas trop grave mais qui a nécessité une ambulance, des radios, des soins et une ordonnance, en plus j'ai été immobilisé dans ma chambre pendant une partie de mes vacances, à mon retour ni la sécu, ni ma banque ne m'ont remboursé, j'ai payé presque 400 euros de ma poche. Je précise que j'avais les factures (clinique et pharmacie, ambulance écrit en anglais).
Pouvez vous m'éclairer pour les 11000 euros?
Merci d'avance.
Jamna
Merci pour votre réponse,
Mais quelle assurance dois je contacter. La sécu m'a demander une traduction de tous les documents, je l'ai fait et envoyé mais je n'ai plus eu de leur nouvelle. (2 ans)
Je ne cours pas derrière cette somme, mais c'est pour mes prochains voyages et vu mon âge... Que dois je faire pour une vrai prise en charge, je devrais partir d'ici février pour plusieurs mois.
Merci d'avance.
Pour l'assurance à mon avis c'est trop tard, et pour la sécu aussi sans doute après un tel délai.
A l'avenir en cas de problème avant toute dépense appelez la numéro de l'assureur en lien avec votre carte de crédit. Attention cette garantie est limitée à 90 jours de voyages consécutifs.
je vois, vous avez raison, car lors de l'accident c'est à ma banque que me suis adressée, et j'ai eu une réponse négative.
Donc, en cas de ... ce que je ne souhaite pas, mais au cas où j'appelle le numéro de tél. qui est sur ma carte en cas de maladie ou autre. Merci pour m'avoir éclairé avec autant de patience.
Bonne journée.
Oui, merci, j'ai compris la lecon (enfin je l'ai paye 2000€, cher quand meme).
Mais lorsque j'ai pris cette assurance, j'ai bien explique mon projet de TDM et elle m'a bien dit que j'etais couvert dans tous les cas de vol.
Meme une simple menace verbale, alors pour moi un vol a la tire pas de probleme, de plus avant de faire ma declaration a l'assureur j'ai ete revoir la personne qui n'a tout vendu (matos et assurance) et elle m'a reconfirme pas de probleme, suite a ce que tu m'as explique tu est couvert a 100%.
D'ailleurs meme elle ne savait pas que je n'etais pas couvert dans ce cas la (pourtant elle les vends ses assurances), elle a ete tres etonnee, elle a appeller pour me faire justice et elle a ete degoute pour moi, de cette injustice, je pense qu'elle va arretter de les vendre des assurances ou bien expliquer la demarche pour ce faire rembourser.
Si je l'avais su... Enfin comme tu dis je suis idiot de faire confiance et de ne pas verifier et controler tout les papiers (mais entre nous qui a deja lu et tout compris tout les papiers que tu signes, toutes les clauses, que ce soit des papiers d'assurance maison, de carte bleue, ou des differants contrats de la vie de tout les jours???).
Nous devons etre le changement que nous voulons pour le monde. Mahatma GANDHI
Si je l'avais su... Enfin comme tu dis je suis idiot de faire confiance et de ne pas verifier et controler tout les papiers (mais entre nous qui a deja lu et tout compris tout les papiers que tu signes, toutes les clauses, que ce soit des papiers d'assurance maison, de carte bleue, ou des differants contrats de la vie de tout les jours???).
Disons que en ce qui concerne les compagnies d'assurances, il faut lire 3 fois plutôt qu'une...car ces compagnies sont passés maîtres dans l'art des clauses multiples et très restrictives.
"Aloha!Guide sur Hawaii.
Nouveau! Visitez notre blogue "Vivre au Mexique". Aventures et conseils sur la région de Riviera Maya
quels voleurs ces assureurs ! il est vraiment spécifié en clair que tu ne peux bénéficier de l'assurance en cas de vol à la tir ? pourrais tu pour notre information nous préciser de quelle assurance il s'agit ? prise avec qui afin que personne ne se fasse avoir comme toi ? sur ta déclaration de vol les conditions sont elles spécifiées clairement (vol à la tir) ! tu pourrais peut être essayer quand même d'envoyer le dossier, les personnes que l'on a parfois au téléphone ne sont pas tjrs très bien renseignées ?
Quant à la jeune femme qui t'a pris en pitié, je ne suis pas sure qu'elles ne vendent plus ces arnaques ! il y a souvent des primes à la clé
Quant à la jeune femme qui t'a pris en pitié, je ne suis pas sure qu'elles ne vendent plus ces arnaques ! il y a souvent des primes à la clé
Exact! Et dites vous bien quand un assureur ou un banquier vous propose d'emblé un produit soit disant bien pour vous, en général il vous proposera le produit qui lui raportera le plus de commission et pas forcément le produit qui est le plus rentable pour vous. Donc ne jamais rien signer sur place, toujours demander un autre produit équivalent pour comparer les clauses.
Sachez que même si vous avez signé un contrat la loie Française vous autorise dans un délais de 7 jours ouvrés de résilier ce contrat sans contre partie.
Il s'agit de l'assurance DARTY, le fameux contrat de confiance!!!
Mais j'ai deja ete censure pour ca par Voyage Forum, d'ailleurs je ne voie pas trop pourquoi, sachant que mon message est pour informer afin que d'autres puissent profiter de mon experience et de ne pas avoir les memes problemes que moi...
Et pour la suite, j'ai un oncle qui va s'occuper de la suite et de ma defense dans ce dossier (ca merite au moins de julien courbet!!!), il va faire ce qu'il peux pour me faire rembourser car je suis en tour du monde (d'ailleurs betement je leur ai dit afin de faire avancer les choses, en leur disant que je n'avais que 2 semaines en france pour resoudre se probleme, il en ont profiter pour me dire non sachant que je ne serais pas la pour faire valoir mes droits).
Nous devons etre le changement que nous voulons pour le monde. Mahatma GANDHI
La société dont vous parlez n'est pas un assureur ; elle utilise certainement les services d'une des grosses compagnies de ce type de service, et n'a pas la loisir de fixer elle-même les clauses.
J'ai été très intéressée par toutes vos réponses mais le vôtre me surprend: il suffirait de posséder la carte???? L'agence qui m'a vendu un vol plus hôtel pour mon dernier voyage m'a affirmé que j'étais obligée de payer l'intégralité du pri avec ma carte (premier) pour pouvoir bénéficier des assurances.
Alors qu'en est-il en réalité??
J'attends avec grande impatience votre réponse, merci d'avance.
"J'ai été très intéressée par toutes vos réponses mais le vôtre me surprend: il suffirait de posséder la carte???? L'agence qui m'a vendu un vol plus hôtel pour mon dernier voyage m'a affirmé que j'étais obligée de payer l'intégralité du pri avec ma carte (premier) pour pouvoir bénéficier des assurances."
Oui, il suffit selon moi d'avoir la carte pour être couvert par l'assurance, sous réserves que les conditions de la vôtre soient les mêmes que celles de la mienne ; lisez donc les conditions et clauses... Trouvez vous quelque chose qui indique que l'on doive avoir payé avec la carte ?... 🤪
De toutes façons l'idée selon laquelle il faudrait payer avec la carte pour être assuré ne tient pas : si vous allez en Espagne en voiture, vous êtes couvert par cette assurance rapatriement sans avoir payé pour autant la voiture avec la carte, ni quoi que ce soit d'autre.
Par contre, il est probable que l'agence vous ait répondu sur la base de l'assurance annulation, pas de l'assurance assistance rapatriement ; dans ce cas effectivement je pense qu'il faut payer avec la carte.
ben en général je les lis mais je les comprends pas....à croire qu'ils font exprès d'utiliser un langage spécial...
c'est comme les papiers des impôts....tu en lis 3 lignes, tu as déjà 5 termes que tu comprends pas, qui, les uns à la suite des autres, forment un charabia incompréhensible.
Si je l'avais su... Enfin comme tu dis je suis idiot de faire confiance et de ne pas verifier et controler tout les papiers (mais entre nous qui a deja lu et tout compris tout les papiers que tu signes, toutes les clauses, que ce soit des papiers d'assurance maison, de carte bleue, ou des differants contrats de la vie de tout les jours???).
En Norvège, il n'y a pas de mauvais temps, il n'y a que des mauvais vêtements. Proverbe norvégien.
J'ai réservé un vol sec Zurich Cancun sur Go Voyages du 19/10 et retour le 01/11. Go Voyages m'envoie un mail aujourd'hui pour me dire que le vol retour est…
J'ai récement pris la compagnie aérienne Corsair qui devait partir de la République Dominicaine et arriver à Orly à 11 du matin. Hors il y a eu un retard de 4…
Pour l'info, il semblerait que Mastercard prenne en charge les frais engagés à l'étranger pour ceux qui y ont été bloqués à la suite des vols annulés par le…
Nous devons partir à Hammamet du 16 au 23 avril 2011 depuis Nantes avec LastMinute. Nous pensons que tout sera rentré dans l'ordre. Toutefois nous avons…
J'ai besoin d'aide, j'ai réservé 3 billets d'avion avec last minute début mars 2013, payé par cb et j'ai envoyé le 4/3 290 € de chèques de vacances à leur…
Many of us have noticed that bugs have been making it difficult to navigate the forum lately.
I’ll let Kate and Ticapi explain the issue:
I went to your profile to check out the Thailand travel journal, and when I clicked on it, it brought me back here again. All week, I’ve been dealing with bugs like this—it’s really discouraging from continuing on VF.🙁
I had the same thing happen, and multiple times. For me, it was Montagnard’s latest journal that kept coming up no matter which discussion I clicked on.
BOLIVIA: THE COUNTRY ON THE BRINK (What's Really Happening)
A dramatic saga is unfolding before our eyes in the Andes. Between suffocating blockades, clashes, an international airlift, and historic political decisions, Bolivia has just experienced 48 hours of rare intensity.
Here’s the full breakdown (economic, social, and political) of the last 48 hours:
For travelers and tourists: the article also includes an important note about the upcoming publication (starting tomorrow) of the precise status of roadblocks, route by route.
I’ll post the full update here on Voyage Forum!
Don’t miss this in-depth analysis. History is being written before our eyes! https://www.petitherge.com/bolivie-paralysie-et-ultimatum
I just discovered a great show on Arte.
It's called "7 en route": seven young European journalists travel around Europe in a fully converted bus, making reports on every city they visit. It's amazing! 🙂
Yesterday, for example, they were in Rome, Italy, and the reports included things like the world's smallest restaurant—a super romantic spot for two. There was also a report on the king of paparazzi in Italy.
They have to pick topics that let us discover the little quirks of each country. And at the end of each episode, we get to see the finished report.
It's such a great show, mixing journalism, travel, and discovery—basically, a must-watch!
It airs in the evening starting at 6:50 PM (I think), and it started this past Monday, July 14th.
If you watch it, let me know—we can chat about it!
I left my heart’s country eight days ago and returned to my adopted one—or was it the other way around? Scotland-Morvan, Morvan-Scotland, I’m not quite sure anymore.
After a quarter without dragging my slippers around here, even though I’d loudly declared I had no interest left in this site, here I am again!
My imagination never stays fallow for long. Just enough time for my inner land to rest. It gets overgrown with fresh nettles, the kind you can pick without getting stung. Then, it’s time to till the fragrant earth and let the story grow.
I hesitated over where to set this story.
Maybe the Highlands, maybe the Hebrides, maybe the Orkney Islands, maybe the Shetland Islands. All of Scotland is myth—easy to embroider.
But in the end, no. I’d almost be too afraid to bare my soul.
The story will take place at home. Simple, practical.
1)
This morning, I was up well before dawn, feeling a bit grumpy, but nothing a bowl of coffee won’t fix. I love my bowl, and no one dares take it. It’s porcelain, edged with intertwined blue flowers. On the bottom, it says "Revol." The factory has existed long before the Revolution. It was my great-grandmother’s bowl. She drank roasted barley from it during the war, then her Leroux chicory.
Last year, a little guy dropped it. My bowl broke into three pieces. A black anger vibrated deep inside me. The little boy was so upset, on the verge of tears. How could I scold him!
I picked up the three pieces and took Little Boy in my arms. His hair smelled of the light, sweet sweat of toddlers. A gentle hug that healed—his budding sorrow and my anger—everything vanished, and time carried on.
Today, my bowl is even prettier. Man fixed it using the traditional kintsugi technique, except he didn’t use gold powder or lacquer but superglue, and he delicately painted the cracks with woad blue. And my bowl is even more beautiful now.
I’m lingering, I can tell—it’s just that a story wraps itself in life, and life can’t be told in the snap of a finger. Life is long. Like in architecture, you start with a rough sketch, called a "sous-cul" (the initial pencil drawing), then you make a tracing, which is the work itself, the one you later carefully roll up in a wooden tube.
Life is like that: you erase, you start over, you use the nub of the pencil until it’s tiny, but you keep going—dreaming, loving.
"Living is a full-time occupation, a unique adventure. Always a surprise and a wonder, which sometimes turns into astonishment. And, from time to time, happiness."*
Alright, enough digressing—this introduction is definitely too long.
Tomorrow, I’ll get to the heart of the matter.
(I hate that expression; it feels like I’m cutting into someone’s skin.)
I’m Yann, a 28-year-old TikToker who loves traveling!
Since I’ve been to several destinations, I’d love to get a flag from each one as a sort of trophy. But from what I’ve seen online, a lot of sites sell them with what looks like really poor quality...
So I’m reaching out to you all to share a site you usually use—help me start my collection! :)
hi there
I’d love to get some opinions—I’ve never used Airbnb before.
They’re offering a key handover via lockbox.
Any tips or advice?
Is it reliable?
Best,
Hi there, I’m Laura, and I’m looking for a few people to answer some questions so I can understand your travel wishes and challenges. It won’t take long—I can chat here, by email, or by phone. Don’t worry, I’m not selling anything! 😊
On this forum, we talk a lot about trekking in the Himalayas, but I’d love to share another side of Nepal: its spiritual, cultural, and religious atmosphere, especially in Kathmandu.
Nepal, much like Tibet and Bhutan, is deeply connected to the Himalayas—the ultimate sacred mountain range. This small country exudes a calming vibe, shaped by a strong spiritual dimension. What I loved most was the unique sensory experience you get there. Walking around temples and tantric monasteries, a distinct scent fills the air—aromatic plants used for ritual fumigation. Locals mainly burn Himalayan juniper, cedar, sandalwood, and other local essences. This fragrant smoke is a way to purify the space and reach the deities, and you’re constantly enveloped in these aromas.
Another striking aspect is the sound. As soon as you step outside, you hear bells ringing in front of temples. People ring them three times before praying to announce their presence to the deities. Nepal is also the birthplace of singing bowls and sound meditation practices. In Kathmandu, you can easily find meditation sessions or "sound baths."
The spiritual dimension is everywhere: a Hindu sadhu practicing asceticism, a lama in deep red robes with his mala, turning a prayer wheel while murmuring "Om mani padme hum." Newar Buddhism, Tantrism, and Hinduism coexist harmoniously in daily life.
For those who love exploring a destination through its culture and spirituality, Nepal is an unforgettable place. What was your spiritual experience in Nepal like?
Hi,
I’m landing in Quebec and then heading to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. I’d like to rent a pick-up. My question is: does this vehicle come with a cover and is it secure enough to store luggage in? I’ve heard two conflicting opinions. Thanks
I just installed the Maps.Me app on my phone. I only recently found out about this app. I’m traveling in 2 weeks and a few days, and I’m a bit stuck on how to use it.
I’m from the Montreal (Quebec) area, and I’d love to know if there’s a kind soul out there who could help me get started and use the app at least minimally.
If there are private lessons available, I’d be interested in those too.
Like many others, I’m overjoyed to hear that VoyageForum is reopening! I’ve been waiting hopefully for this, and it’s wonderful that it’s finally happening!
I just couldn’t bring myself to actively participate in other French-language travel forums—their format and way of doing things never appealed to me as much. I really hope that VF’s structure, categories, and interface won’t change too much despite the handover, because I’m very attached to them. Through thick and thin, the site has held strong—it’s amazing!
In a previous message, François mentioned that there were positions to fill ahead of the reopening, including moderators...
I’ve been eagerly waiting for this and hoping to send in my CV.
Now, after reading the latest message, it seems like the team is already fully formed. But are there still a few spots left to fill?
I’ve been a VF member for 20 years (since 2004). I’d love to contribute to this wonderful adventure as a moderator if VF would trust me with the role. If the team is open to reviewing it, I’m ready to send my CV. Could you let me know the next steps?
I’m planning a 3-week trip to Japan in May with Voyage Privé. The package includes a 5 GB eSIM, but my phone isn’t new enough to support it. VP told me I could buy a SIM card when I arrive at the airport.
Sure enough, I’ve seen online that this is possible with different providers.
I only need it for checking routes, looking up addresses, train schedules, etc.—basically using Google Maps, TripAdvisor, and similar apps. No heavy downloads or major internet use. All hotels should provide free Wi-Fi for that, right?
Has anyone got any tips for me on this? What have you tried, and how much did it cost?
Thanks for your help!
I’d like to know if you can buy reef-safe sunscreen sprays at 7-Eleven. If so, how much do they cost? We’re traveling with backpacks, so we’ll either buy 100ml here or in Thailand.
I wanted to share a really unpleasant experience from our last trip booked with Promoséjours and organized by FTI.
We booked an 8-day/7-night stay in Egypt, from June 8 to 15.
The flight initially scheduled was changed a week before departure to take off at 10 PM from Paris CDG.
In the end, it took off with a 1-hour delay and included an unmentioned stopover in Marsa Alam.
We landed in Hurghada at 4 AM and arrived at the hotel at 6 AM.
So, we spent our first night on the plane.
For the return trip, surprise—the flight was moved up. We left the hotel at 10:30 PM on Friday the 14th to take off at 2 AM and land at 7 AM at Paris CDG.
So, we spent our last night on the plane too.
After sending a complaint letter to Promoséjours / FTI, they replied that the first and last days can be dedicated to transport (which I already knew) and that no matter how many nights you book, you’re not guaranteed to spend them in the hotel—it could just as well be on the plane.
I’m really questioning this.
Isn’t there a law that protects customers in cases like this?
Because when I do the math, the first and part of the second day were spent on transport, same for the second-to-last and last day. And I paid for 7 nights for a stay that only lasted 5.
Anyway, I just want to say thanks to them—thanks to their two sleepless nights in transit, I’m coming back even more exhausted from a trip that was supposed to be restful!
I also want to warn anyone booking through this agency about visas for Egypt.
At booking, they told me the visa was included in the price, then they sent me an email saying I’d have to pay for it on-site at 25 €.
Once there, we were directed to a special line for FTI customers, and guess what? They charged us 30 €!
Basically, they’re great at making sure you *enjoy* your vacation—mostly by enjoying your wallet!
If anyone has dealt with this kind of situation and won their case, I’m all ears.
Hi there!
I’m heading to Thailand for two months.
So I thought I’d get a Thai SIM card to use Google Maps for getting around cities, mostly.
Here’s my question: will this SIM affect my apps? Or will they work the same as with my Orange SIM?
Is there any setup I need to do, or can I just pop in the Thai SIM?
I’d also like to switch back to my Orange SIM now and then while I’m in Thailand—on the same phone. Will I need to reset the phone, or will it reconnect without any issues?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Best,
Huiclos
Hi, I’d like to know where we can buy beer or wine in Chefchaouen and around Merzouga. We’ll be doing a circuit and staying at the Parador Hotel in Chefchaouen and in a bivouac in Merzouga.
Thanks for any info you can share!
Hello everyone,
I’m reaching out to all travelers and globe-trotters on this forum. I’m a teacher in Creuse working in a ULIS program (which welcomes children aged 6 to 12 with disabilities into a mainstream school). This year, I’m launching a school journal project that will involve the kids in many different topics. A big part of this journal will focus on opening up to the world, embracing differences, travel, global cultures, and more.
I’m putting out a call to invite as many of you as possible to send us a postcard (from France or anywhere in the world)! The goal is to help us "travel" and discover new places, countries, and horizons in a way that’s much more fun and exciting than a geography textbook. One section of our journal could be called "We received a letter from ," where we’d research the location and share what we learn with our readers—a really enriching activity for the classroom.
The project starts in September 2025 but doesn’t have a strict end date, since this journal and world-discovery initiative will span several school years (the kids stay in the ULIS program for multiple years). Postcards can be sent anytime—throughout the year, across seasons, even during holidays! The kids will find them when they return.
I hope this idea appeals to as many of you as possible, and that you’ll spread the word to your fellow travelers. Help us dream and explore!
For those who’d like to write to us in a language other than French, no problem—quite the opposite!
Thank you in advance for your participation! Below is our address. If you’d like us to write back, feel free to leave your address on a corner of the postcard! 😊
ULIS program students
Bonnat Elementary School
12 rue Georges Sand
23220 BONNAT
Thank you, and I hope to hear from you soon! 😊
Julien
🙂
Hi there! I have to leave Ivato/Antananarivo on December 16th. I have a lot of ariary that I’d like to exchange for euros since I might not be coming back to Madagascar (after this 21st trip). I think the exchange office at Ivato also buys ariary back. If any of you have seen the rate for this buyback in advance, thanks a million!
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for a website that would let me plot my travel route in advance so I can print it out. The idea is to create a map with a little “me” on a bike that my parents can move along as I progress, since I’m planning to cycle all the way to Nepal.
If any of you have done something similar or know of a good tool, I’d love to hear your tips!
Thanks in advance! 😊
I'm looking to buy an ultra-lightweight 50/55L travel backpack with a suitcase or front opening.
Does anyone have any brand and/or model recommendations?
Thanks,
Emma
Hello. We’re a retired couple heading to Sri Lanka from January to March. After the November floods, I’d like to know if we can offer hands-on help to the locals, maybe pack some clothes or other items people might need in our luggage, and who we could give them to. Thanks for any info from those on the ground.
Be careful when sailing between Somalia and northern Madagascar.
It appears to be Somali pirates who have widened their search in the Mozambique Channel, far from their usual attack zone, since, to my knowledge, there are no Malagasy pirates.
Not sure if this is the right section, but just wanted to warn future travelers...
Where’s Cape Vidal?
It’s in iSimangaliso, an independent park in KZN Wildlife, stunning and just a stone’s throw from St Lucia (KwaZulu-Natal, Maputaland).
It’s the beach spot at the end of the Eastern Shores road. You can swim, fish... but watch out for waves, currents, and sharks...
There’s a really nice game drive where you can get out of your car at certain points, especially at Cape Vidal.
That’s where the camp with bungalows and campsites is.
The vervets and samango monkeys (endemic to the area, and the males are pretty big) can be a bit of a nuisance if you’re trying to braai...
They’re super persistent and not shy at all—don’t let them intimidate you, and stay alert because their speed at snatching food is impressive.
Anyway...
I’m reporting two recent attacks by these hyenas... who were *not* in a playful mood...
The first one happened at night—a hyena tried to bite a camper’s nose off in their tent... and succeeded.
The other night, a camper returning to their tent in the early hours was violently attacked by two hyenas... and they had a close call!
So, if you’re camping there, be careful...
Measures are being taken, but for now, it’s a bit risky.
A white rental Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 carrying foreign tourists was attacked at the entrance of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park in the village of Bekopaka, western Madagascar, yesterday. So far, there’s been no response from the central government to curb these repeated armed attacks—usually between Malagasy people, but this time targeting foreign tourists.
After an engine failure in mid-2016 on a long-haul flight from BRISBANE to LYON, I developed a persistent aviophobia that I’m struggling to shake off. It’s becoming more and more of a hindrance.
Up until now, I’ve been using an avoidance strategy (for example, avoiding destinations that would require any other mode of transport than a car or train), but lately, it’s become really limiting.
I’m looking for a therapist—either in-person or via video call—who could help me get past this hurdle.
First and foremost, I hope this topic won’t just focus on my region—the South of France—and that those of you who enjoy exchanging ideas will share what makes your own regions special.
Personally, I’ve often wanted to push back when people call us vulgar (though I’ll admit I sometimes play it up). At heart, we pure-blooded Southerners just have our own way of expressing ourselves, which differs from other regions. We also get heated in conversations pretty easily (some researchers say it’s the influence of the sun and climate in general).
What some perceive as vulgar, we don’t see that way at all.
Do you want a uniform world with no differences? If so, how do you handle traveling to places with cultures completely different from your own?
In the travel community, the word "authenticity" comes up a lot, and it often takes priority in people’s searches.
In my specific case, speaking a purely regional language without having gone to school for it doesn’t help with understanding on this forum. That’s what creates what you call controversies—and what I call passionate exchanges.
It left me speechless and ended the conversation because, for him, that’s just how he sees things, and he refuses to debate it, sticking to his position. I’ll quote him, hoping he won’t hold it against me:
"For me, things like bullfighting, boxing, football, and MMA are just tangible proof that human evolution is still at a primitive stage."
For him, our Latin-origin bullfights are barbaric customs. For us *taurins*, we need to see men face wild beasts (bulls and *toros*) at the risk of their lives every day. Does that make us barbarians?
We’ve always had this need to confront death—it’s in our genes.
Take the example he gave about football: fans of the sport would be considered mentally underdeveloped. But what about a kid who’s passionate about the game and has that drive to be a winner, just like a boxer or athletes in other violent sports?
As a traveler myself, passionate about old stones and beautiful historic buildings, I’ve visited Rome but couldn’t fully appreciate it. Religion is everywhere, and I felt like I had a lead weight on my head realizing that millions of people worldwide have believed in a god for millennia.
I’ve also judged believers for basing their faith on archaic texts that don’t prove a god (or gods) ever existed—I still think that, but I’m open to being proven wrong so I can say, "You’ve convinced me I was mistaken."
- If everyone clings to their own ideas and positions, no discussion is possible, and that’s a shame.
I’ll take away two things from my forum interactions: some accuse me of being omnipresent when I just love exchanging ideas. My way of speaking is misunderstood (regional differences), even if I’ll admit I sometimes turn up the heat—or rather, the *aïoli* —which for me is just lively debates 🔥 (a regional specialty).
And my "mocking" side, which I really need to work on.
This topic isn’t just about me—I hope other forum members will share their own regional "specialties" . For example, in Alsace, some older folks switch to their local language when they don’t want outsiders to understand, and I still don’t know if it’s German or something else.
