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 🙂

Imagination or reality, fiction or true story. Everything blends together, and if the characters really existed, if their story is partly true, I freely transcribed what Surya told me in her English as precarious as mine. Have I already posted this on vf? I can't find it. Maybe on the small forum Wapiti created to continue our wild stories that went on for pages and pages and no longer pleased anyone on vf.

No matter.

I heard from Bavani—life is crazy, isn’t it?

That’s why I’m bringing her story back.

I’m settling into the -miscellaneous- section; I like being away from the noise.

When the house is overrun with running feet, laughter, arguments, and music, I go to the barn turned into a honey house. It’s cool, it smells of wax and honey, and among the disorder of hive frames, supers, and stacked jars, I refocus.

Here, in -miscellaneous-, no one rants. I can let my fingers glide over the keyboard in peace.

Alright, enough digressions. At the end of the notebook, I’ll tell you what became of this little girl.

Bavani

“Bavani, stop daydreaming, work.”

I’m not daydreaming, I’m thinking.

My teacher is Surya, and she asked us to write a story. She doesn’t like us—I heard her talking to the teacher in the little kids’ class. She said: I stay here because the white people pay better than in government schools, but it’s a shame to teach gypsies. Filthy street urchins.

I’m not a gypsy, I’m a Narikuravar. Grandmother told me: you’re going to this school, you’ll learn English well, and when you come back, you’ll be richer than the others because you’ll beg better from the tourists. Grandmother makes necklaces and sells them, but often she sells nothing at all.

There are lots of tourists in my town, Tiruvannamalai. Before, I lived behind the temple with dad and mom. We had our spot and were happy, especially when mom cooked rice on the brazier. Then we’d lie down, and I’d press my back against mom’s huge belly, and it would move inside. One day, mom told me: stay here, I’ll be back very soon. I waited a long time, and neither dad nor mom came back. After a long time, dad came, and we went to Salem to my grandmother, who’s dad’s mom.

I asked: where’s mom? “Shut up, two was too many.” “Two what? He didn’t say.”

So I went to Salem to grandmother’s hut, and there was no rice, and Muriga came to get me with his minibus. Now I live here. We eat several times a day—yellow rice, then white rice to digest, and eggs and bananas.

And we have to study.

Papom *

.../...

Papom: in common language, it’s the equivalent of -see ya-

Hi there, A question for those who’ve looked into this. What’s more advantageous or preferable: buying a local SIM card for GPS and SMS (we’ll handle calls via WhatsApp), or going with a plan from our mobile provider (Orange) that offers international packages with several options up to 150GB? Does anyone know the price of SIM cards at Vodacom?

Thanks to anyone who chimes in! 😉

Dan

Hi everyone,

I just found out there’s an update on the international driving permit. What was bound to happen has happened: it now costs (for now!!) 7 50 €. https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/actualites/A18833

There’s also a link at the bottom of the article for the list of countries where it’s mandatory.

Have a great day! 😊

Christelle

Hi everyone, I’m spending 15 days in South Korea. I’d like to know how I can get a guitar while I’m there. Since I’m a guitarist, I’d love to keep playing while I travel around the country. Thanks for your help! Have a great day, Titi

Hi there,

Thanks for letting me know about the launch of the new VoyageForum.

I just want to say that I hope this fresh start has helped get rid of those rude people who thought they knew everything about every topic and would attack (and sometimes insult) participants who didn’t agree with them.

It was starting to feel like social media, where everyone thinks their own posts are the most accurate and truthful, and it was getting really tiresome—especially when all we really want to do is talk about travel.

So, my hope is that there’ll now be stricter moderation of exchanges between travelers.

Good luck with this new beginning!

Hi everyone. I just joined this site and I’m trying to enter the contest, but no luck! For those who managed to do it, could you tell me how you did it? I followed all the instructions 😏 Thanks

Hi everyone,

I just got back from a little cruise that took me to Oslo, among other places. Pure coincidence had it that on April 6th, the City Hall was open for visits, and I found myself surrounded by Norwegians—men, women, and even very young children—all dressed in traditional outfits. Clearly, there was some kind of special ceremony going on, because they all went upstairs for... something? A woman told me it wasn’t religious (which I suspected), but then what was that moment all about? Thanks—I don’t like being left in the dark! Have a great day, everyone!

Hi everyone.

My family and I have decided to do a little 10-day road trip through Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. Practically all European countries require a vignette to drive on highways or in certain zones. For Germany, an Eco vignette is required to drive in certain areas, like downtown Munich. Would anyone know if this site: https://vignette-allemagne.fr/ is legit? It seems easy to use and quick, but it’s not referenced or mentioned anywhere.

Genuine site or scam? Thanks for your feedback. Best regards,

Stéphane.

Hi everyone, I’m not sure if you can help us out. We’ll be in Venice from June 8th to 17th. We arrive at the airport on the 8th and planned to take the Alilaguna waterbus to St. Mark’s Square to get to our Airbnb. We’ve estimated arriving at St. Mark’s Square between 11 AM and 12 PM. We didn’t realize we’d be arriving on the day of the race.

Because of the Vogalonga race taking place on June 8th, is the Grand Canal still navigable? If not, from what time will it be accessible again?

Thanks, Jacques

What are your positive and negative experiences with dental implants in different countries around the world? Looking for something like 4-5 dental implants, good quality-to-price ratio.

Thanks.

Hi, Is it easy to get by in South Africa if you don’t speak English very well? What’s the best translator to use, please? Thanks and have a great day

Hi VF,

Surprise this morning: all VF pages have a dark background... I'm not a big fan! Did I accidentally do something wrong yesterday while checking my profile? Or is this a decision on your part to change the background color for everyone? I seem to remember François suggested this option (screen background choice) to forum users back in 2020, shortly before the site became inaccessible. I looked in "my options" for a way to switch back to the old light background but didn’t find anything. What should I do? No pun intended, but thanks for shedding some light on this! :-)

Murielle

Hi there,

I’m looking for people to interview because I’d love to understand your travel desires to help refine my professional project. Just to clarify, the goal is simply to understand your aspirations/barriers, etc.—I’m not trying to sell anything.

The idea would be to chat for about 30 minutes to an hour over the phone, answering a few questions. I’m most interested in people who travel in France, love nature activities, prefer to avoid overly touristy paths, enjoy unique experiences, and are into local artisans and producers...

Does this sound like you? Feel free to message me. Just to be clear, I won’t share any details from our conversations.

Have a great evening, everyone.

Hi there, I saw a deal with T-Mobile: 15 days for $35 Unlimited 5G domestic data - Customers using >50GB may notice reduced speeds - Unlimited domestic calls and text (SMS) - Wi-Fi sharing: unlimited at 3G speeds (600 kbps)

Is it easy to set up, and has anyone tried it already?

Thanks

Hi, I started a thread about Afghanistan.

Out of 4 pages, more than half had nothing to do with the country/topic. The mods closed the thread—why not ban off-topic members and clean it up instead? Instead of closing a thread that had 2 REALLY interesting videos! Because in my thread, there will be more videos to come...

If you close it as soon as a few members go off-topic, letting some former prostitute who’s never set foot in the country tell a guy who spent 10 days there what’s true or not about Afghanistan...

If all the anti-Taliban folks tell you *Le Figaro* or others do a better job than this YouTuber... LOL Journalists often haven’t even been there—they just copy each other or write articles via ChatGPT... *Le Figaro*, for example, gets millions in subsidies to churn out garbage... And now this young guy deserves to be silenced?

Reopen the thread and clean it up! Thanks

Hello,

After 20 years of operation and a 4-year hiatus, we were happy to rediscover this forum following its acquisition by Myatlas.

At the very beginning of the adventure, there was a section allowing members to share their ideas—good or bad, feasible or not—with the team in charge to help perfect the forum.

So, to help VoyageForum regain its momentum and adapt to new audiences and a new environment, why not put our heads together and suggest some improvement ideas in this thread?

I’ll get the ball rolling!

Travel journals are limited to 300 photos because photo storage is expensive. This limitation is completely understandable, and Myatlas found a solution by offering a paid subscription for those who wanted to exceed the free photo limit. Maybe this approach could be adapted here? Limiting without offering an alternative is a reason members leave.

Hi,

I’ve been using a Revolut card for my travels so far, and it’s been working great for me.

But now it has two issues: 1) There are spending limits before fees kick in (1000 euros—easy to hit on a trip abroad) 2) You can’t top it up with a Visa or Mastercard anymore since those networks block those transfers. Now you have to do a bank transfer, which is less convenient. And, debatable, but Revolut now uses its own exchange rate instead of the official one like before. I say "debatable" because when I checked, it’s pretty close to the official rate and the difference is minimal.

So I’m looking for an alternative. Some of you here mention the N26 card. Is it worth it?

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,

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.

Hopefully, a solution will be found soon.🙂

Hello! I’m a former VF lover (and, incidentally, an explorer of my Atlas 😊) and I’m genuinely thrilled the forum is reopening, but I have two little questions.

Over the past four years, I’ve put together a few travel journals that I’d love to share, but there are two things that bother me: - How can I edit my post after a few hours? (Because sometimes I need to correct mistakes even two days later.)

- At the end of VF’s previous run, there were a few members who were really unpleasant and enjoyed derailing certain discussions. As a result, I know several people who stopped coming to VF because of that. So, for MY travel journals, I’d really like to keep the vibe positive and kind. Is there any way to set something up so the person who starts a discussion can block them?

Thanks, and long live VF!

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.)

*Jean d’Ormesson

2)

Hi, I’m not sure if this belongs here. The videos aren’t mine—they’re from a YouTuber.

I find his trip mind-blowing and totally different from what we see on TV!

So far, two 1-hour-12-minute videos have been released, but there’ll be at least one more!

Some French journalists and politicians have been tearing him apart lately. At the same time, the guy put in insane work without any funding...

Personally, I’m really impressed by what he’s done...

Here are the links. Sorry if this feels like an ad, but I genuinely think his trip is great—and most importantly, judgment-free. The only other thing I’d seen from him was his trip to Transnistria.

I Lived 10 Days with the Taliban 🇦🇫

Under Taliban Sharia in Afghanistan 🇦🇫

Hi everyone,

I’m in the middle of looking to buy a new hard-shell cabin suitcase and a large hard-shell suitcase too. I came across the brand Delsey Paris. Is this brand worth it? So I wanted to get your feedback as fellow travelers:

Have you already tried this brand?

Is the quality up to par?

Do you think it’s more high-end, a good value for money, or too expensive for what it is? I can’t figure it out—they have cheap suitcases in hypermarkets and others at high prices on their website.

And most importantly: do you have other brands to recommend for comparison?

I travel a few times a year (mostly by plane), so I’m looking for a suitcase that’s sturdy, practical, and not too heavy. Thanks in advance for your opinions 😊 I’m all ears for your experiences, good or bad!

Bonjour à toutes et à tous🙂🙂, MERCI à tous les voyageurs, voyageuses qui nous ont envoyé des cartes cette année, mes élèves commencent à être calés en géographie !!!!!!!! Je réitère mon appel à votre gentillesse !! Cette année nous travaillons aussi sur l'alimentation. Si vos cartes pouvez nous faire saliver avec les différents mets locaux, plats traditionnels, recettes typiques !!! ça serait chouette !!

Voici ci-dessous un résumé du projet :

Je m'adresse à l'ensemble des voyageurs, globe-trotters de ce forum. Je suis enseignant en Creuse dans un dispositif ULIS (qui accueille au sein d'une école ordinaire, des enfants de 6 à 12 ans en situation de handicap). Cette année, je débute un projet de journal d'école (qui impliquerait les enfants sur de nombreux sujets. Dans ce journal, une grande partie serait consacrée à l'ouverture sur le monde, la différence, le voyage, les pays du monde, la culture... Je lance un appel pour inviter le maximum d'entre vous à nous envoyer une petite carte postale (de France, du monde entier...) ! Pour nous faire voyager mais aussi nous amener à découvrir de nouveaux lieux, pays, de nouveaux horizons, nous questionner... de manière beaucoup plus ludique et passionnante qu'avec un simple manuel de géographie ! Une rubrique de notre journal pourrait s'appeler "Nous avons reçu un courrier de/du "LIEU" et serait l'occasion de rechercher des informations sur ce lieu et d'en informer nos lecteurs (un travail très riche en classe). Le projet débute en septembre 2025 mais n'a pas vraiment de date de clôture, en effet ce projet de journal et de découverte du monde va s'étaler sur plusieurs années scolaires (les enfants restant plusieurs années dans mon dispositif ULIS). Les cartes peuvent donc nous être envoyées tout au long de l'année, des saisons, même pendant les vacances ! (Les enfants les retrouveront à leur retour). J'espère que cette initiative séduira un maximum d'entre vous et que vous n'hésiterez pas à en parler à vos nombreux amis voyageurs. Faîtes nous rêver, faites-nous voyager !!! Pour ceux qui veulent nous écrire autrement qu’en français, ce n’est pas un problème, au contraire !! Je vous remercie par avance pour votre (vos) participation(s) ! Voici ci-dessous notre adresse. N'hésitez pas, si vous souhaitez être recontactés en retour, à nous laisser votre adresse sur un coin de la carte postale ! 😊

Les élèves du dispositif ULIS Ecole élémentaire de Bonnat 12 rue Georges Sand 23220 BONNAT Merci à vous et à très vite j'espère ! 😉 Julien

Hi, We’re leaving for South Africa soon (on 10/9) and I was wondering if there’s a need for things like paracetamol, since we can bring some! And if so, how should we go about it—can we drop them off at a private lodge, in Kruger, in Cape Town...? Thanks for any tips or experiences you can share—quickly, since we’re leaving soon! 😉

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! 😊

Hi everyone, Your thoughts on SIM cards and eSIMs for Rajasthan? I have a Free mobile plan for 19.99 € that includes internet but not calls. Can I use WhatsApp to contact people in France without extra charges? Or should I buy a local SIM? What about eSIMs? Your opinions, recommendations, warnings... Thanks

Hi everyone,

Facebook is giving me a hard time trying to access the Chiang Mai Marketplace from France. I’ve tried using a VPN, clearing my browsing data, and even using a browser not linked to an account—but no luck. The app is even worse since it checks the phone’s location data.

Any tips on how to get around this?

Thanks in advance! Olivier

Hi everyone. We’ve been feeling like there’s a big drop in activity on our forum... Probably due to the current situation... Have any of you canceled or postponed your upcoming trips? The forum is also facing competition from social media like Facebook and others, which play a big role in the political situation but are pretty limited when it comes to planning an individual trip. The mandatory ads for new members on the forum are also a major turn-off that should be removed. As for the current situation, I’m in Nosy Be, and there’s no problem here. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the future. I feel like this crisis is different this time and could lead to real change. Hope I’m not wrong! Thanks for your replies!