Discussions similar to: Nous sommes tous liés
FR
Bugs on VoyageForum
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.🙂
Open
Advertising banners on VoyageForum
Hello everyone,

Some of you may have noticed this morning that when you’re not logged in, advertising banners appear. We’re currently running tests, which is why they may show up in different formats.

A quick clarification: these ads will only be visible to users who aren’t logged in.

They’re necessary for the site’s survival. A website like VF incurs significant costs, whether for hosting or for the team working behind the scenes—we can’t keep it running on love and fresh air alone.

A member generously offered to help out after François’s departure, but we still need a new developer, and all work deserves fair compensation.

Hervé, from myAtlas, who took over VF, has no choice but to monetize the site to ensure it can continue to exist.

We sincerely thank you for your understanding and loyalty. Your support is essential to ensuring VF’s future.

Thanks to you, we can keep this site alive and continue sharing our shared passion.
Open
Various ideas to revive/improve the site
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.
Open
The New VoyageForum
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!
Open
A whimsical taste of coming back!
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)

Open
Editing our posts and blocking members in discussions we've started
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!
Open
The unique characteristics of French regions
Hello everyone.

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.

I remember a reply from a member in this thread: https://voyageforum.com/forum/ma-vie-en-camargue-pays-origine-en-colombie-pays-c-ur-d10778555/

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.

https://www.marseille-tourisme.com/decouvrez-marseille/traditions/le-parler-marseillais/

https://www.lexpress.fr/informations/accent-du-midi-ave-ou-sans_642635.html
Open
What can we bring to Sri Lanka to help after the floods?
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.
Open
Bugs sur voyage forum
Merci beaucoup. Evidemment, nous sommes toujours à l'écoute des bugs et ferons de notre mieux pour les résoudre. Mais les menaces de quitter le forum, le code s'en fiche. Nous, moins, car nous croyons dur comme fer en ce forum et au fait qu'il peut encore apporter des informations de qualité même face à l'influence grandissante de l'IA.
Open
Free app for group travel expenses
Hi there! Every year, I go on vacation with my family (there are a lot of us), and we used to use Splitwise. With their recent updates, we’re a bit frustrated because we’re limited in adding our expenses. Do you have any other alternatives (preferably free ones)? My son suggested Tricount, but I’ve never heard of it before! PS: If you have any tips for Mexico City this year, we’d love to hear them! Thanks!
Open
Voyage Forum Site
I'm stopping posting on the forum... these new rules are too complicated. I'll go to other forums that are less demanding... too bad!
Open
Tips for getting to Ella from Tissamaharama: local bus or private driver?
Hi there,

I can't figure out how to get to Ella from Tissamaharama by bus. Could someone help me out? There are four of us, each with a travel bag, and we prefer taking local buses if possible. Do we need to book a car with a driver instead, and if so, what’s the cost? Do you know any reliable companies?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

Mounette74
Open
Local agency in Quebec that accepts pre-routing
Hello, Happy to see VoyageForum "back in action" again, and even though I know my post is a bit off-topic, I’ll give it a shot anyway: We’re a group of four looking to take an organized trip to Canada at the end of September/beginning of October 2025, starting from Quebec. These kinds of tours exist, but our main issue is that local agencies don’t handle pre-routing from France, which is a deal-breaker for us. Of course, we’re not at all opposed to traveling in a (small) group. Thanks for your replies and any leads you might have.
Open
Looking for Lonely Planet Philippines 2018 PDF
Hi there. I’m planning my next trip to the Philippines. I bought the 2024 edition of the Lonely Planet guide, and what a disappointment! No practical info at all—it’s useless. Someone lent me the 2018 edition, and it’s got everything I love. The problem is, I don’t want to carry two heavy guides. I tried to buy the 2018 digital version, but it no longer exists—they only offer the 2024 version, which I already have in print!

If anyone has the **2018 DIGITAL version** of the Lonely Planet Philippines, I’d love to get it. In exchange, I can offer around fifty digital Lonely Planet guides (PDF or EPUB) for destinations all over the world. Just ask—I might have what you’re looking for (in English and/or French).
Open
About email notifications
Hi, Without changing anything in "my settings," I no longer receive email notifications when a PM arrives or when one of my public posts gets a reply. (I don’t have any followed threads)

Is this a temporary glitch or has the feature been removed?
Open
Actor Robert REDFORD has passed away.
Hello,

In 1985, the film "Out of Africa" was released, which inspired me to visit Kenya for the first time a year later. My passion for animals in their wild and natural habitat, and thus for safaris, was born while watching this film and appreciating Robert REDFORD’s acting.

Of course, the film’s director and Meryl STREEP also contributed greatly to this wonderful movie.....

In a way, I owe him this passion, and I thank him for it. Sometimes, during safaris, when we had our breakfasts in the middle of nature, in one reserve or another in Kenya or Tanzania, I often thought of him.

May he rest in peace, far from our world of madness. Thank you for EVERYTHING, Mr. REDFORD.

( In three weeks in Kenya, I think I’ll often be thinking of him....... )

...
Open
Is there a need for medications for clinics in South Africa?
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! 😉
Open
Buying a SIM card at Santiago Airport?
Hi, we're heading to Chile soon and need physical SIM cards (not eSIMs). Is it possible to buy them at Santiago Airport? We’ll have a few hours layover before our flight to Easter Island but not enough time to go downtown. Thanks for your tips!
Open
Germany Eco Vignette Website
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.
Open
Miscellaneous info for a few days in Brazil
hi,

We’re planning to spend a few days in Brazil and would love some tips. What are the easiest transfer options between Rio airport and our hotel? Where’s the best area to stay in Rio for 3 days? Has anyone used the domestic air pass, and how does it work? How do you visit the waterfalls, and which hotel is best there? And what’s worth seeing around Salvador de Bahia? Thanks in advance for your replies. Best,
Open
Where to buy alcohol in Chefchaouen and Merzouga?
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!
Open
Venice’s Vogalonga
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
Open
Sri Lankan rupees to exchange
Hi there, Back from Sri Lanka, we have some local currency left. This could be useful for you. Here’s what I’m offering: 1 x 5000-rupee note 3 x 1000-rupee notes 2 x 500-rupee notes 3 x 100-rupee notes 2 x 50-rupee notes 6 x 20-rupee notes That’s a total of 9520 Sri Lankan rupees, or 31 €. This way, you can start your trip without having to withdraw money right away at the airport and without paying any fees. For reference, here are some typical costs: Bottle of water: 130–160 Rs, tuk-tuk ride: 100–500 Rs, bus trip: 50–200 Rs, meal with a drink: 1500–2500 Rs. Possible to send in an envelope.
Open
Received private messages that disappeared
Hi, After sending this message to the VF team: "I notice that I still have my sent private messages, but no longer the received private messages. When the forum closed, I don’t remember deleting them."

And their response: "You’d have to check with other members to see if this is also the case for them, as we have no way of viewing the private messages you received."

I don’t think it’s possible to recover them—no big deal—but just for info, are there other members who’ve been or are in the same situation as me?

Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Open

You might also like