This trip took place in May 2023, a period of calm that later proved precarious.
Day of May 17
Departure from Marseille on El Al (tickets booked by ourselves, while the stay itself was organized by Voyageurs du Monde). Before check-in, six or seven El Al staff members conduct a security check—quite understandable, but they do it in total chaos. They send people to the left, then block them, redirect them to the right, for no apparent reason. Most of the staff don’t speak French, which complicates things. They work at an incomprehensible slow pace, stopping the interview to do something else, then coming back and starting over...
The flight goes smoothly, except for the meal service, which, for a four-hour flight that El Al delayed to lunchtime, is more than basic: a quarter-liter of water and a corned beef sandwich that’s absolutely disgusting and inedible. To get a coffee, you have to queue at the back of the plane. You end up missing Ryanair🙂
Arrival at Ben Gurion goes better than expected—the passport control is fairly quick, as is baggage delivery.
Transfer to the Lily and Bloom hotel, Lilienblaum Street (easy to remember 🙂)
As advised by Voyageurs du Monde, we book a table for the evening at the nearest restaurant, North Abraxas. Good atmosphere and decent food. We get a sense of the price level in Israeli restaurants.
Around us, diners share dishes placed in the middle of the table. Much more convivial than our individual plates!!
Day of May 18
The next morning, we go down for breakfast at 7:30 AM—a late hour, but the setup is slow, with the two servers taking their time. We ask the bartender for a long coffee and a black tea... It must be a complicated order because it takes him over 10 minutes to make it. He serves us with the grace of a dancer. A good breakfast if you’re not in a hurry, followed by a little stroll in the neighborhood, since our meet-up with Patrick Arfi, our guide for the day, isn’t until 10 AM.
P. Arfi is a former publishing house director in Paris who has lived in Israel for a long time and has a vast cultural knowledge. After an initial chat, we head toward Jaffa, focusing on the Bauhaus buildings preserved by a clever urban policy that allows high-rise construction while maintaining old architectural ensembles.
This policy keeps the streets looking more human-scale than the usual high-rise districts in modern cities.
With the visit to Jaffa, Patrick introduces us to a fascinating slice of history, despite the temperature nearing 38°C. Jaffa, once an independent city, is now a neighborhood of Tel Aviv—a predominantly Muslim area. We notice a few buildings in poor condition. They belong to Palestinian families who left Tel Aviv. Otherwise, the city has been very well restored, apart from these few buildings.
A government agency rents out the ground floors of these buildings, which helps fund part of the security work. They also try to track down the owners and buy back the abandoned properties, but some refuse to sell.
The visit is very touristy—most of the people we meet are tourists like us.
There’s very little local life, except in the lower part of the city.
To be continued, as I’ve reached the allowed photo limit.
I’m continuing the day of the 18th with our guide.
After a break for lunch at a nice seaside restaurant, Goldman Court (very different vibe from old Jaffa),
we walk through the small streets of Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood outside Jaffa to be built, and it still has many houses from that era.
We pass by the Suzanne Dellal Center, a world-famous contemporary dance center. There are lots of art shops and nice restaurants in this neighborhood, which has been preserved from high-rise buildings.
We head back to our hotel, which is on the edge of this neighborhood. It was an excellent day with a great guide.
We have dinner at Depi, a restaurant we’d spotted nearby that looked simple. Turns out, the food was quite sophisticated and pricey, but the atmosphere was good.
Tomorrow, we’re exploring Tel Aviv on our own.
Day of May 19
We’re picking up the car reserved by Voyageurs du Monde at Hertz. The taxi ordered by the hotel changes its mind at the last minute and leaves us stranded. The hotel receptionist also gives up and sends us to nearby Rothschild Boulevard to try hailing a taxi on the fly. Unfortunately, there aren’t many taxis passing by, and the first four that stop aren’t interested in our ride. We split up on either side of a big intersection, but it takes about twenty minutes before we finally find one willing to take us to Hertz. There, the usual paperwork at rental agencies, then they hand us the keys and just point to the car parked in double file outside the door.
It’s ours—a Citroën C3 covered in scratches and dents, with busted rims and not cleaned. No walkthrough. No document showing the car’s condition. We stop as soon as possible to take a whole bunch of photos to avoid any issues on return, which actually proves useful.
From there, we head to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, with a few hiccups using Google Maps, which sends us into a maze of charming but very narrow streets.
The architecture of this museum is a work of art in itself.
We’re welcomed into a vast hall topped by a large Roy Lichtenstein painting.
Gentle sloping ramps lead to the exhibition rooms.
On the first floor, there are several collections from donations, all of high quality. The first collection, from Moshe and Sara Mayer, spans from Van Gogh to Picasso, with an exceptional set of paintings despite the heavy carved wooden frames, like the Vlaminck below.
The other collections feature numerous works by dozens of famous painters, all very well presented.
We’re obsessed with a Chagall.
a Chirico
a Signac
among dozens of other treasures.
We skip Helena Rubinstein’s collection, made up of miniature reproductions of rooms from around the world, to head to the basement, where there’s a darker ensemble featuring Van Dyck, Brueghel, etc., and, as the highlight, a moving family portrait by a Dutch master.
Afterward, lunch at the museum’s restaurant, seated in the sculpture garden—pleasant atmosphere and decent food, especially for a museum café.
To be continued
Day 18 in the afternoon
After a short rest at the hotel, we head back out to the neighborhood to take a closer look at the Bauhaus buildings scattered around. The original pure style has sometimes been adapted to the climate here, with added ledges to provide a bit of shade from the sun, like at 12 Lilienblaum Street, right near our hotel.
Further on, we walk down Rothschild Boulevard to the Founders' Fountain, which pays tribute to the 69 Jews who founded Tel Aviv in 1909.
And to its monument proclaiming the three pillars of their mission: culture, religion, and labor.
A beautiful day in a vibrant, lively city. The current average age is 31.
So, all the behaviors you’d expect from European youth are present here—just amplified. On the positive side: lots of art shops, great restaurants everywhere, lively neighborhoods, beautiful people in the streets, etc. On the negative side: chaotic electric scooter traffic and—something we don’t see as much of yet—tons of electric bikes that can hit 40-50 km/h, ridden like scooters, against traffic, on sidewalks, honking at you if you’re in their way🙁. Also, a complete lack of motivation from young servers and hotel staff, along with some unprofessional setups.
The city’s architecture is also really pleasant.
We’re leaving tomorrow for Acre, having left plenty to see in Tel Aviv, but our main interest isn’t in big cities or beaches.
This trip took place in May 2023, a calm period that later proved precarious.
Day of May 17
Departure from Marseille on El Al (tickets booked by ourselves, while the stay itself was organized by Voyageurs du Monde). Before check-in, six or seven El Al staff members conducted a security check—quite understandable, but they did it in total chaos. They sent people left, then blocked them, redirected them to the right, for no apparent reason. Most of the staff didn’t speak French, which made things much more complicated. They worked at an incomprehensible slow pace, stopping the interview to go do something else, then coming back and starting over from scratch...
Hi, I’m surprised by the mess with El Al. Usually, it’s very organized. But you never know—you must’ve dealt with trainees. 😉 That happens often.
Day of May 20
We hit the road to Acre right after breakfast—120 kilometers, a smooth drive all the way to the outskirts of Acre. Driving is much easier than in Tel Aviv, with cars all going roughly the same speed. Arriving in Acre is tricky, though, because Google Maps keeps changing the route and leads us around a bit. We stop at the first parking lot we see. Lucky for us, it’s the closest one to the citadel. We head through the souk toward the port.
We stroll along the port, surrounded by loads of local tourists looking for thrills on speed boats that take them for a wild ride in the bay in front of the port.
We head back along the port’s ramparts to have lunch at Khan al-Shawarda Square in a restaurant run by Muslims. The square is a large, square-shaped plaza lined with 18th-century buildings. It was originally a monastery. Beautiful setting.
Afterward, we make our way back to the citadel. The visit starts with a walk through the aptly named Enchanted Garden, with its lovely trees—huge ficus trees that were supposedly planted during the British Protectorate.
I’ll continue the citadel visit later—it deserves a whole post to itself.
There’s very little local life, except in the lower part of the city.
To be continued, as I’ve used up the allowed number of photos.
Hi, regarding local life, it’s true that the upper part of Jaffa isn’t very lively. There are some high-end accommodations and luxury artisans, especially jewelers.
The area near the fishing port, however, is very lively, with frequent—even regular—art exhibitions in old warehouses. Not to mention a good number of really nice restaurants.
For the lower city opposite the port, the must-see is actually Jaffa’s flea market, which is world-famous. And don’t miss the carpet merchants from the Iranian Jewish community. It’s definitely worth checking out.
We head back along the port ramparts to have lunch at Khan al-Shawarada Square in a restaurant run by Muslims. The square is a large, square-shaped plaza lined with 18th-century buildings. It was originally a monastery. Lovely setting.
I’ll continue the visit to the citadel later—it deserves a whole post to itself.
If I may, I think there’s a stylistic mistake in your wording. Acre, or Akko, is originally an Arab city. That’s not pejorative—it’s home to Israeli Arabs (which they all are), Arab Muslims, and Arab Christians.
So when you go to a "Muslim" restaurant, you’re actually going to a restaurant run by someone of Arab descent. Similarly, if you go to a restaurant run by Israelis, you wouldn’t say "a Jewish restaurant" but rather "a restaurant run by Israelis."
In this Middle Eastern cultural melting pot, years ago, it was common to see some pretty harsh conflicts between the two communities—Arab and Israeli, Muslim and Jewish.
Leaders from both communities met and established a *modus vivendi* that helped restore peace. Today, leaders often meet to address everyday issues, and the theological discussions they organize are of very high philosophical caliber. That said, you’d need to master the Quran in its original text and the Torah Talmud, which isn’t easy.
Thanks Mitch for these clarifications. It's a travel journal, by definition not deeper than what a few days' stay allows.
Next, Acre
The entrance to the Templar fortress is through Ottoman-era fortifications, which provide access underground to the fortress ruins.
At the bottom of the stairs, there are rooms with impressive vaulted ceilings.
Next, we move into the large central courtyard where the Templar knights trained.
Then, we enter the magnificent refectory hall, whose 10-meter-high vault is supported by three massive pillars.
With a fleur-de-lis on two of the corner capitals of the room.
We then pass through the narrow tunnel that allowed escape to other parts of the fortress.
We then pass through the narrow tunnel that allowed escape to other parts of the fortress.
After this visit, we’re completely in awe of the scale of the structures and the beauty of the whole site.
Next, we try to check into our hotel, but the GPS sends us into the streets of the old city, where two-way streets are only as wide as a single vehicle (I say "vehicle" because there are several carriages shuttling tourists around, which limits traffic speed to a horse’s pace and makes passing tricky).
We drive around for over an hour, repeatedly coming across roads marked as open on the GPS but actually closed to traffic. Eventually, we have to leave the center, take a long detour, and finally reach a parking lot near our guesthouse, located right in the old city. It’s full, and we spend fifteen minutes circling without finding a spot before ending up parking on the sidewalk to walk the 300 meters to the hotel. We navigate through narrow alleys.
Two hotel staff come to take our luggage, and we manage to find a proper parking spot.
After a short rest, we head back to the port, where we admire the thick walls built by the Ottomans.
We then have dinner on the ramparts at Doniana restaurant, recommended by Voyageurs du Monde—and rightly so, because the food is good and the value for money is better than what we’ve encountered so far. We order a Saint Peter fish, expecting a John Dory, but the fish that arrives has nothing to do with what we call Saint Peter in France—it’s actually a tilapia. It’s called Saint Peter because of the miracle performed by Jesus when the tax collectors asked him to pay his dues. He then asked Saint Peter to go fishing. In the mouth of the first fish, he found a coin, hence the name of this fish.
There’s a great atmosphere on the seaside ramparts as we head back to our hotel.
A really great day, despite the difficulties getting around and parking.
Wow, and wow again!! You picked the perfect walk in Acre! The Templar city is a must-see! Save your tears for parking and traffic until you get to Jerusalem! 😭 😂😂😂 Your travel journal is great!!
Acre is a beautiful city whose walled heart deserves long explorations. We regret having spent only a day there, but at every stop, we regretted not being able to stay longer. These are the limits of a 12-day trip: visiting fewer places and seeing more at each one, or the opposite. We tried to find a middle ground.
Day of May 21
The next morning, breakfast is at a rather late hour (8 AM), but at 8 AM, nothing is ready. The people in charge are moving around in a disorganized way, with little efficiency. We eat what we can and leave as quickly as possible, eager to get away from this picturesque but impractical guesthouse.
On the way to Tiberias, we make a detour through Safed. We struggle to park the car and only manage to do so far from the neighborhood we’re interested in. We walk through the city center via a rather dull main street and head to the old quarter, built on a hillside with a network of alleys perpendicular to the slope, connected by a few lanes following the slope and some stairs—all inaccessible to cars.
We have trouble finding the synagogues we came to visit because we’re looking for important buildings on the slopes. In reality, we’ll see that these synagogues are quite modest.
From alley to alley, we finally find the charming little Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue, one of the oldest in Israel, where we admire the beautiful Holy Ark. At the entrance, a worshiper hands out kippas and collects them at the exit with a small donation.
Further on, we come to the Abouhav Synagogue, but unfortunately, we can’t go inside because a ceremony is taking place. We’ll only see the beautiful blue interior in photos.
All around, the charming cobbled alleys are home to many art shops, and we stroll through them for a while.
Before heading back to Tiberias. Our hotel is a large ranch/hotel/restaurant complex in Vered Hagalil, where we settle into a spacious, well-equipped bungalow. From the terrace, there’s a wide view of the Sea of Galilee, along with some mosquito company. The restaurant turns out to be quite good, with an impressive wine list that the waiter helpfully guides us through.
After lunch on-site, we head down to Capernaum, but we arrive too late to enter the site, which closes early. We stroll along the shores of the lake where Jesus walked on water.
Near an Orthodox church
And we return, passing by the ruins of Chorazin, a village cursed by Jesus for the religious indifference of its inhabitants, which was destroyed by an earthquake in the 4th century.
A transitional day.
Day of May 22
Today, we catch up on our schedule by starting as early as possible for Capernaum. The site is known for the miracle Jesus performed there, healing a sick man who had to be lowered through the roof due to the chaos inside the building (hence the meaning of the word "capharnaum" in French).
Extensive ruins remain, home to a few families of large rodents, the Cape hyraxes, like the dozens you see on Table Mountain in Cape Town.
Among these ruins, you can admire an ancient synagogue, of which a few white marble columns remain, with beautifully carved Corinthian capitals.
You can also see the foundations of the octagonal house that is said to be that of the apostle Peter, topped by a rather ugly new church where we can’t enter because a mass is in progress.
Day of May 22
Today, we’re catching up on our schedule by starting as early as possible for Capernaum. The site is known for the miracle Jesus performed there, healing a sick man who had to be lowered through the roof because of the chaos inside the building (which is where the French word "capharnaüm" comes from).
Among these ruins, you can admire an ancient synagogue, with a few remaining white marble columns and beautifully sculpted Corinthian capitals.
You can also see the foundations of the octagonal house believed to be that of the apostle Peter, topped by a rather ugly new synagogue where we can’t enter because a mass is in progress.
To be continued
Great observation about Capernaum! It really is a maze!! 😉
The ancient synagogue you mentioned is called the "Synagogue of Jesus." It was his place of prayer. It’s quite damaged, that’s for sure.
Regarding the foundations of Peter’s octagonal house, it’s not a synagogue but a Catholic church. And just a reminder, there’s no mass in a synagogue.😉
Thanks again, Mitch, for that correction.
From Capernaum, we head to Tabgha, where the Church of the Multiplication is located—the site where Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
Under the hotel, they left the rock exposed where Jesus performed the multiplication.
The church also has beautiful mosaics currently being restored by German Benedictines—a very meticulous process we got to witness.
We continue our journey around the Sea of Galilee and stop at Kursi to see the ruins of a large Byzantine monastery, destroyed—some say by the Persians, others by an earthquake. It’s believed to have been built on the site of a miracle where Jesus healed a man possessed by a demon by transferring the evil spirit into a pig.
The impressive complex is built from black volcanic stone with marble columns.
We continue our route around the Sea of Galilee and stop at Kursi to see the ruins of the large Byzantine monastery, destroyed—some say by the Persians, others by an earthquake. It’s said to have been built on the site of a miracle where Jesus healed a man possessed by a demon by transferring the evil spirit into a pig.
The impressive complex is built from black volcanic stone with marble columns.
Some beautiful mosaics remain, including one depicting two ducks and another with a Greek inscription.
Further on, you can see the underground remains of an extensive bathhouse, including the underfloor heating system with surviving pillars.
We have lunch at Kibbutz Ein Gev, at the Fishermen’s Restaurant, which has a lovely terrace overlooking the Sea of Galilee. But due to the heat—nearly 40°C—the service is indoors only. We’re getting used to it now, so we go for grilled St. Peter’s fish. 🙂
This afternoon, we’ll continue to the archaeological site of Hippos.
After lunch in Ein Gev, we take a small unmarked road at the exit of the kibbutz to climb the slopes overlooking the Sea of Galilee to the east and see the site of Hippos, where numerous civilizations succeeded one another. The city is said to have been founded by the Greeks of Ptolemy, then occupied by another Hellenistic branch, followed by Jews, then the Romans, and finally by Muslims before being completely destroyed by the 749 earthquake and abandoned.
The site has only been excavated recently, and much of it is still off-limits due to ongoing digs.
There are many remains.
You can see the scale of the site without being able to leave the marked trail set up for visitors, which protects the ongoing excavations.
A really interesting day, with beautiful sites and landscapes all along the roads.
Tomorrow, we’re heading to Masada, a historic high point where a group of Jews rebelling against the Roman Empire took the site from the Roman garrison in 66 AD.
A really interesting day, with beautiful sites and landscapes all along the roads.
Tomorrow we're heading to Masada, a historic high point where a group of Jews rebelling against the Roman Empire took the site from the Roman garrison in 66 AD.
Nice trip between Tiberias and Masada! Route 90, I presume?
Day of May 24
As we step out of the room, we come face to face with an ibex, which seems very at ease among the hotel’s shrub beds and isn’t bothered by our presence at all.
Today’s plan: the Masada fortress, about fifteen kilometers from Ein Gedi.
Before arriving at Masada (via Route 90, Mitch), we admire the extraordinary rock formations created by erosion in the limestone.
At the cable car, there’s hardly any line, and we’re quickly up on the plateau, with stunning views in every direction.
Despite the heat (over 38°C), which makes us seek shelter in the slightest shade,
We take our time exploring this extraordinary site, which Herod managed to supply with water, thanks to the work of many slaves, and where a few hundred Jews resisted the Roman troops after defeating the Roman garrison. This makes Masada a symbolic place for the Jewish people.
A model displayed on the plateau gives a great overview of the fortress.
There are many points of interest, but especially the ruins of the Byzantine chapel, with walls decorated with stones embedded in mortar and beautiful mosaics.
Masada to be continued—I’ve hit the photo limit for this post!!
Continuing our visit to Masada:
while walking around the plateau, we reach the staircase that leads to the top floor of Herod’s palace. It’s worth the effort because you have to climb the said staircase, which has 200 to 300 steps. All that remains of the palace is a beautiful set of colonnades and a few frescoes preserved in their original state.
An amazing visit, but exhausting due to the temperature.
On the way back, we stop late for lunch at Ein Bokek, a 100% touristy spot packed with all-inclusive hotels. The meal was bad and expensive.
Back in Ein Gedi, we relax and try out the hotel’s Dead Sea water pool to experience its curious properties. It’s fun to float on your back and propel yourself with just hand movements. Later, we skip the restaurant for dinner and head to the bar instead—much friendlier service, and the menu is simple but more than enough for us.
I just realized I skipped the day of May 23, which was actually marked by the memorable visit to the magnificent site of Beit Shean.
In the morning, we reluctantly left the comfortable bungalow at Vered Hagalil to head toward the Dead Sea. We made a very long stop at Beit Shean, an impressive site due to its size, where numerous civilizations succeeded one another—from the Neolithic period to the Egyptians, Greeks (under Greek rule, Beit Shean was one of the ten cities of the Decapolis), and Romans—until the earthquake in 749 that destroyed the city.
The site is that of a city with tens of thousands of inhabitants, spanning over ten hectares.
It’s structured around a beautiful central colonnaded street.
To the west, there are very significant baths, with the entire underfloor heating system still intact.
At the eastern end of the colonnaded street, you’ll find the ruins of a large temple.
Another remarkable feature: the 7,000-seat amphitheater that overlooks the site.
We spent several hours exploring this vast site, where there’s so much to see. To our surprise, there were very few visitors, unlike the Christian sites packed with tour buses.
More to come from the rest of the day!
After visiting Beit Shean, we continue to Kalya Beach, where we head down to the Dead Sea. The site is very well organized to make the most of tourists: paid parking, paid beach access. We have lunch at the lowest restaurant in the world, at -200 meters.
We’re the only customers, but it takes the two cooks a quarter of an hour to cut 10 tomatoes in half, add some feta pieces, and drizzle the sauce. While waiting, we enjoy the view of the Dead Sea.
We then head back to Ein Gedi to refuel and reach the Ein Gedi kibbutz where our hotel is located. Unfortunately, the gas station indicated on our map no longer exists—the site, which included a spa and restaurant, was closed due to risk of collapse.
We arrive at the hotel on fumes and ask them to help us out, as the nearest pump is in Ein Bokek, 30 km away, which we definitely can’t reach. There’s a pump in the kibbutz, but no one seems willing to assist us. The reception sends us (on foot) to the checkpoint 700 meters away. The checkpoint sends us back to reception... On the way back, a taxi takes pity on me, stops, and kindly gives me 10 liters of fuel, which allows us to make it to Ein Bokek. The hotel staff’s attitude was very unfriendly (the manager even suggested we call our travel insurance to send a taxi from Ein Bokek with a jerrycan of gas!!) and there was a complete lack of cooperation from the staff.
Fortunately, the rooms are spotless, with a breathtaking view of the rugged valley behind the hotel.
We dine at the hotel’s restaurant, which is a buffet. The dishes are half-cold, the chicken thighs are dry, probably reheated from the day before, and the sautéed potatoes are hard and cold. It’s also a real struggle to get a drink. The food is left uncovered, and everyone serves themselves with no regard for basic hygiene rules. It seems to suit the groups who pile their plates high, but this is low-quality cafeteria food. At 160 shekels per person, we wouldn’t recommend it.
A great day marked by the remarkable visit to Beit Shean.
Zero points for the welcome at Ein Gedi kibbutz and the value for money at its cafeteria..
Every time I visit, I never set foot in Kibbutz Ein Gedi. It’s a total tourist trap. Too bad for you and your experience. As for gas, everything’s been closed in Ein Gedi since the floods and destruction a few years back. And in Ein Bokek, is the parking at the end of the site paid? Is the public beach paid too?
You’ve got to separate the kibbutz from the hotel-restaurant where I was so poorly received. They took advantage of their position (or rather, they *used* to take advantage of it, because right now tourism is at zero).
In Ein Bokek, there were still free parking lots and beach access.
Day of May 25
It's a transition day, on the way to Jerusalem.
We’ve already had a great trip so far! :)
As in the previous days, driving is no problem until we reach the outskirts of Jerusalem, where Google Maps guidance becomes trickier.
We make a quick stop to drop off our luggage at the Brown JLB hotel, in a lively neighborhood near the Old City, and park the car further away in an open parking lot recommended by Voyageurs du Monde for Shabbat.
A nice downtown hotel. Warm welcome. The room is relatively small but well-equipped and very well furnished. The common areas are inviting, with deep leather sofas.
In the evening, we head to the First Station, a former railway station that’s now a gathering spot with rides, activities, and all kinds of restaurants—very calm at this time of day.
And we dine at Culinary Workshop, a trendy restaurant right near the First Station. Great atmosphere, good food, and excellent service.
Day of May 26
Our guide, Deborah C., picks us up at the hotel at 9 AM for a full tour of Jerusalem’s Old City. She’s a Franco-Israeli who’s been living in Israel for 20 years. We start at Jaffa Gate, the closest entry point. First fun fact: they had to cut an opening in the wall to the right of the gate to let Emperor Wilhelm II pass on horseback during his visit.
We pass by the Imperial Hotel, built in the late 19th century, where Wilhelm II stayed during his visit. Its façade is remarkable.
Then we leave the eastern entrance of the citadel to our right—we’ll visit it tomorrow for the sound-and-light show held inside.
We continue inside the walls to the room where the Last Supper, Christ’s final meal, took place.
It’s far from the famous depiction by Leonardo da Vinci. The room bears traces of Muslim occupation, with an Arabic inscription confirming there was once a mosque here.
Alongside it, a carved capital depicts young pelicans piercing their mother’s heart—a sculpture attributed to the Crusaders.
On other pillars, we spot graffiti left by the Crusaders.
Since Muslims still consider this room a sanctuary and Jews venerate King David’s tomb here, there’s significant interfaith tension around this site.
Miracles are said to have occurred in this room, with pilgrims suddenly speaking languages they didn’t know before. For this reason, some visitors lie on the ground and pray to experience the same miracle.
To be continued in another post (photo limit reached)
Continuing from Jerusalem.
After visiting the Cenacle, we arrive above the Cardo, a grand avenue lined with colonnades that spanned Jerusalem from one end to the other during Roman times.
As we can see on the Madaba mosaic that Deborah is showing us.
A little further on, we spot the Sidna Omar Mosque, with its tall minaret and a beautiful jacaranda tree brightening up the building.
We cross the square in front of the Hurva Synagogue, prepared for a big celebration.
We continue through small paved alleys to the top of the Western Wall (the term "Wailing Wall," which we use in France, is quite reductive and disrespectful given the site's religious significance for Jews), where we get an overview of the wall.
We can also see the Dome of the Rock, which we won’t be able to approach since the Temple Mount is closed to non-Muslims today.
We go down to the wall, with the women on the right and the men on the left, who can enter the covered vaulted section to the left of the wall. Many worshippers are praying there in front of stands holding Torah scrolls. I refrain from taking photos, though no one seems to mind.
The wall is a constant source of conflict between Orthodox Jews and non-Orthodox Jews, as the latter do not practice gender segregation. Women have eventually managed to get a stool placed on their side, allowing them to catch a glimpse of their male children on the other side of the partition during their bar mitzvah.
We then pass through small streets,
and admire one of the fountains built by Suleiman the Magnificent along the way,
We cross a souk where not all the items are local, by the way. 🙂
Jews, Catholics, Muslims—they all have one thing in common: they sell Chinese products.
It’s a pretty light basis for reconciliation.
We agree. That said, the shops in the souk are overwhelmingly run by very old Palestinian families. And your guide must’ve told you—the streets used to be wider, but commerce led to the stalls narrowing the alleys. I’m talking about the Arab Quarter of the Old City here. In the Armenian Quarter, it’s Armenians running the stalls. And in the Jewish Quarter, it’s Jews. But since Jaffa Gate is the most used by tourists, you’ve probably seen the result! That’s where the expression "The Souk" comes from! 😎
Past the souk, we arrive again at the wall in its westernmost section, known as the Little Wall or Little Kotel. Two female worshippers are praying there in peace.
We continue into the Arab Quarter, where some houses display photos or representations of Mecca, a sign that their inhabitants have made the pilgrimage to this sacred Muslim site.
We follow the Via Dolorosa, whose route has changed over the centuries, with each Christian denomination trying to have its own station (to attract pilgrims and their offerings). In front of the Chapel of the Flagellation, marking the second stop, we come across singing processions of pilgrims, with crosses and guitars leading the way.
Inside, a large stained-glass window depicts the scene of the flagellation.
Next to the Chapel of the Flagellation is the Chapel of the Condemnation, run by the Franciscans.
We then arrive at the Basilica of Ecce Homo, built in the late 19th century at the spot where Pontius Pilate is said to have presented Jesus to the crowd, saying "Ecce Homo," hence its name. Its architecture, in a very classical style, is interesting.
The Via Dolorosa then leads us to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Deborah draws our attention to the wooden ladder placed on a ledge. This ladder has been there since 1757 🙂 🙂🙂. Following an agreement on the sharing of the management of holy sites among the various churches, the Ottomans froze the distribution of each element of the sites at that date, an agreement known as the *status quo*, later reinforced by the Treaties of Paris in 1856 and Berlin in 1878. This rule has governed the smallest details for two centuries, sometimes bordering on the absurd. The *status quo* establishes in detail the schedules of ceremonies, the placement of lamps, and the responsibility for each part of the building. The principle is that no church can encroach on the territory of others within the building. For example, the Greek Orthodox have the right to open the south windows of the Basilica of the Nativity, but only during cleaning, while the Armenians have the right to clean the north face of the pillar supporting the Greek Orthodox pulpit, but only up to the ledge, and so on...
This ladder, present when the *status quo* was drafted, was not mentioned in it. Since then, an agreement among the six churches of the *status quo* (the Greek Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church) would be needed to move it.
This detail illustrates the ongoing battle among the various churches and congregations that share the management of these sites. Each one fights to gain control of as many symbolic places as possible. Behind these struggles lie issues far removed from the precepts of the religions involved, with power struggles playing out over ridiculously trivial matters.
Special: Church of the Holy Sepulchre:
Continuing our visit, we spend a very long time at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, though it’s quite challenging because the inside is packed with pilgrims.
The tour starts at the Chapel of the Crucifixion, run by the Catholic Church.
Next to it is the Chapel of Golgotha, where the rock on which Jesus was crucified emerges from the ground, all framed by an Orthodox altar. You can touch the rock by inserting your hand into an opening under the altar (if you’re very patient).
A little further on, worshippers pray with lit candles. We keep an eye on those candles, as they’ve already caused fires in the past.
Back on the ground floor, many people are queuing up in front of the Stone of Anointing. This is where Jesus’ body is said to have been laid to be anointed with oil before burial. In reality, the original stone was destroyed by pilgrims taking pieces of it. The Orthodox replaced it with a pink marble slab (prettier, but not very Israeli in origin), and surrounded it with six copper pillars (two belong to the Orthodox Church, two to the Catholic Church, and two to the Armenian Church). Above it hang eight lamps—four Orthodox, two Armenian, one Catholic, and one Coptic. To add to the theatrical scene, the clergy anoint the stone with oil every morning, and pilgrims rub their scarves and handkerchiefs on it.
Among the pilgrims, clergy from various denominations move around, sometimes preceded by bodyguards to keep away unwanted visitors. These clergy bless the different parts of the Holy Sepulchre to assert their church’s presence and rights over the site. The law governing the Holy Sepulchre is actually the *Wafq*, a Muslim law concerning religious properties. Under this rule, you lose a right if you don’t use it, and encroachment by neighbors becomes legal if you don’t oppose it.
The Tomb of Christ is impossible to reach because of the crowds.
Next, we head to the Catholicon, an Orthodox church with a spectacular choir, which is the center of the Holy Sepulchre.
We finish our tour of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with some less crowded spots: the small Syrian Jacobite chapel, which is in dire need of restoration, and where Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb is located. Here, we find a bit of quiet reflection among the few people present.
A Coptic priest passes by, far from the gilded splendor of the other churches here.
We leave the Church of the Holy Sepulchre a little surprised by the atmosphere inside. It must be said that the disparate architecture and the complicated layout of the place don’t exactly encourage quiet reflection—nor does the procession of clergy on blessing rounds.
To wrap up this long day of sightseeing (seven hours, with just a quick lunch break), we head back to our hotel through a shopping arcade with luxury stores, which connects the Old City to the area near our hotel.
Along the way, we notice a box housing what we later learn is a *hanukkiah*, an eight-branched candelabrum (plus one) lit during Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday commemorating an ancient victory of the Jews over the Seleucids.
We also spot small artworks featuring *mezuzahs*, tiny cases containing a scroll with excerpts from the Torah.
It was an amazing day with an excellent guide—we saw, learned, and felt so much that it’ll take us a while to process it all.
May 27th
We set off for Bethlehem and Jericho with a Palestinian driver and car so we could access these areas, which are off-limits to Israelis. The vehicle is a very uncomfortable 20-seater bus. The driver speaks English, but as soon as we leave, he puts in earbuds and starts talking to someone on the phone. He’ll keep this up all day and only speak to us four times in total.
Due to the size of the bus, we’re turned away by the police 500 meters from the Church of the Nativity, forcing us to walk the rest of the way in the heat. By the time we arrive, I’m on the verge of feeling faint, so we grab a coffee in the shade at Manger Square—a pedestrian area—before heading into the church. Minibuses are constantly dropping off tourists/pilgrims at the entrance to the basilica.
When we arrive, the right-side nave leading to the Grotto of the Nativity (where Jesus is said to have been born, according to the current consensus—though this spot bears no resemblance to the stable described in the oldest texts) is packed with pilgrims waiting in line. The queue isn’t moving at all; there must be over two hours’ wait.
We give up and head to the far end of the left nave to find the entrance to the underground chapels of St. Jerome, St. Joseph, and the Holy Innocents, which we can explore in complete peace.
The central nave is lined with two rows of marble columns, on which apostles have been painted.
Above the columns, Crusader-era mosaics—recently restored—depict various scenes.
We leave the basilica fairly quickly to retrieve our bus, cross back through Jerusalem, and head toward Jericho and the Mount of Temptation. After a short queue, the cable car ride gives us a view of the semi-troglodyte Orthodox monastery perched on the cliffside since the 6th century (rebuilt in the 19th century). I manage to capture it with my telephoto lens through the scratched Plexiglas windows of the cable car.
Unfortunately, the heat is overwhelming, and we decide not to climb up to the monastery.
Instead, we settle for admiring the view from the Temptation Restaurant. The temptation is pretty limited when you see today’s buffet—decent but very basic.
After lunch, we’ll head back toward Jericho—more to come!
After lunch at the Temptation Hostel, our driver took us at our request to Hisham’s Palace, the ruins of a palace built in the 7th century by Caliph Hisham ben Abed El-Malik. Right away, we were charmed by the original six-pointed star, known as the Star of Jericho, standing in the middle of the palace ruins. It must have adorned a monumental gate.
The heart of this site is the large and elegant dome that the Japanese built over a unique set of well-preserved mosaics, covering 850 m² of what were once the baths.
The mosaics are particularly beautiful.
The two most stunning are the central mosaic
and the famous Tree of Life mosaic (the two gazelles grazing peacefully on the right) and death (the lion devouring the gazelle on the left).
We also admired the beautiful capitals along the way.
It was a fantastic visit, despite the heat that made us give up on going further. We headed back to Jerusalem, admiring the stunning suspension bridge designed by Spanish architect Calatrava. A single pylon, held up by 90 cables, supports the entire weight of this curved bridge, which makes the engineering calculations incredibly complex.
As we approached Jerusalem, a massive traffic jam brought us to a halt, and it took an hour to cover the last three kilometers—something that didn’t improve our already grumpy driver’s mood. To avoid an extra detour, we got out 400 meters from our hotel in a hurry, which led me to leave behind a case with an SD card containing some of the day’s photos. All I had left were the ones taken on my smartphone, which aren’t as good.
We had dinner in the pedestrian area near our hotel, where the atmosphere was lively.
Before heading to the Citadel to watch the sound and light show that Voyageurs du Monde kindly added to our itinerary. More on that in my next post.
The sound and light show depicts the evolution of Jerusalem through the ages, highlighting periods of prosperity, successive occupations, and darker times.
Aesthetically, it’s a really well-done show.
On the way back, we pass by buildings where residents are enjoying the spectacle of the crowd.
Further on, worshippers are ending their day (including three wearing *schtreimels*, fur hats).
As we walk back through the Mamilla shopping arcade, we’re surprised to see it quite busy, with lots of people making purchases at the end of Shabbat.
A great day, brightened by the visit to Hisham’s Palace and the sound and light show—despite the disappointment of Bethlehem..
Day of May 28th
We drop off the car at Hertz. A moment of uncertainty when the receptionist starts photographing the numerous scratches and dents on the car. I show him the photos I took as a precaution when we picked it up, which immediately puts an end to his inspection. At the nearby gas station, we manage to flag down a taxi that takes us to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center.
This vast center, spanning several hectares, brings together images, testimonies of what was the largest holocaust of the modern era, monuments to the memory of those who fought, and a study center.
We walk down the Avenue of the Righteous (in memory of all those who saved Jews) to the Children’s Memorial, then to the Pillar of Heroism and the great Hall of Remembrance, an imposing basalt building whose darkness is striking. The names of the main Nazi extermination camps are engraved on the floor. From there, we move on to the art museum, which features works created during the Holocaust, sometimes in the camps. You can sense a desire to cling to a normal life, despite the context.
At the exit, a heavy downpour discourages us from exploring further in the park, and we skip the railway car and the Wall of Remembrance to take refuge in the main museum, which traces the history of the Holocaust.
Even though we know the numbers and are fairly familiar with the facts (given my age), the way it’s presented here really shakes you, and we come out feeling a bit shell-shocked.
A long, deeply moving visit—definitely not the mood for taking photos.
Still in the rain, we head by taxi to the Israel Museum. The entrance gallery is already a work of art.
We feel the need for a break and have lunch at the museum’s restaurant, in a very pleasant setting with a great quality-to-price ratio.
Inside the museum, we find such a wealth of exhibits that we can only visit part of it. The archaeological section starts with terracotta sarcophagi of exceptional beauty.
The ethnic collections are also remarkable.
Here’s a quick rundown of the ethnic section in ten photos—the rest to follow.
Next, we visit the contemporary painting exhibition featuring major works by Picasso,
Léger, Braque, Magritte,
Derain (L'Estaque has changed a lot since that era)
extending all the way to Basquiat.
It's a museum of exceptional richness, though, like the one in Tel Aviv, you can tell it was organized around donations rather than clear themes.
We continue with the sculpture garden,
then the Shrine of the Book, a stunning circular building housing the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of which date back to the 3rd century BCE.
The end of a very busy day, but more to come for the evening/
To wrap up the day spent at the Holocaust Museum and Memorial, we had dinner at the Mamilla Hotel’s rooftop. The service was plentiful but inefficient—our aperitifs were served *after* the main dishes, for example 😛. This gave us plenty of time to admire the stunning view of the illuminated ramparts🙂.
We enjoyed the view a little longer on our way back to the hotel, taking the scenic route.
To finish off the day spent at the Holocaust museum and memorial, we dine at the Mamilla Hotel’s rooftop. The service is plentiful but inefficient—our aperitifs were served *after* the main dishes 😛. This gave us plenty of time to admire the stunning view of the illuminated ramparts🙂.
A very full day
Great choice with the Mamilla rooftop. Well located.
About the aperitifs served after the main dishes:
You may have noticed there are no French-style "bistros" in Israel. And at restaurants, no one orders aperitifs to start the meal—it’s a concept they’re not familiar with.
For a fun anecdote, during our first trips in the 2000s, we encountered some amusing situations. One day, we ordered two glasses of white wine on a terrace. They brought us two huge wine glasses filled three-quarters of the way! Enough to quench your thirst. Similarly, if you ordered a bottle of wine at the table, it was served at room temperature! In the middle of summer, that’s a problem! In 2022, at the old train station, we ordered a bottle of white wine with a bit of apprehension, but it was served in an ice bucket, with the ice properly replenished regularly. The place was run by people of Russian origin. Coincidence? Who knows.😎
As for us, there are quite a few pizzerias with Italian wines that are served properly by the waitstaff. But not always.
Despite the vineyards in Israel and the lack of religious prohibition, they still struggle with wine. But things are starting to change! The evenings at Mahane Yehuda Market are well-lubricated! 😎
On the other hand, the young crowd knows their beer! 😎
May 29th
It’s our last morning, and we spend it strolling on foot through the Nahalat Shiv'a neighborhood, behind the hotel. It’s fascinating because it was one of the first areas where Jews settled outside the walls of the Old City. Slated for demolition to build large housing complexes, it was saved by collective efforts, and most of it has been preserved. The majority is now pedestrian zones, creating a very pleasant atmosphere.
Graffiti artists had a blast in the neighborhood.
You’ll also find beautiful art shops here.
And relaxed locals.
Next, we transfer to the airport, arriving four hours early—which isn’t too much, since it takes us two and a half hours to check in :(. We have to queue because we couldn’t check in online; El Al’s website kept freezing during the process :( :(. Contrary to what we were told, it’s not security checks causing this mess—most passengers get through those in minutes—but El Al’s poor organization. Only 7 check-in counters are open, even though there are 15 El Al flights departing per hour at this time, meaning 2,200 to 2,500 people to process—over 300 per counter!! No mercy for families with young kids or elderly passengers :(. Yet, a women’s sports team gets to skip the line :P. Either way, we still make it to the gate with plenty of time since the flight is delayed by an hour. When we board, the staff doesn’t bother hurrying things along, letting groups block the aisle while they debate who prefers the window seat. There’s no flight attendant in the aisles to help people (including solo moms with three kids) with their luggage or speed up the boarding process. It takes 35 minutes—quite a record for a Boeing 737. There’s not even a safety demo :(.
On board, the service is the same as on the way there: a quarter-liter of water and a disgusting corned beef sandwich :(. We land in Marseille over an hour late, and the baggage handlers add to the delay by taking 35 minutes to deliver our luggage.
Just little travel hiccups :) :) :).
Trip summary:
This trip allowed us to experience places and situations that will never be the same again due to the October 7 attacks and the events that followed.
We wanted to share this modest account as tourists because these twelve days were overall excellent, except for the outing to Bethlehem and Jericho, which was a bit disappointing. The organization by Voyageurs du Monde met all our requests, and the two guides in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem were outstanding. In twelve days, you leave a lot behind—we’d have loved to spend more time in Acre and Jerusalem in particular, but we were constrained by time.
We discovered exceptional places, Jerusalem first and foremost, but also Beit She’an, Masada, Hisham’s Palace, among others.
A few thoughts on specific points:
Driving:
Driving was no problem. The roads we took were in good condition. Drivers mostly respect speed limits, so traffic flows smoothly at roughly the same speed. The only gripe: they honk at the car in front a tenth of a second after the light turns green.
Restaurants:
You need to book ahead at restaurants, or risk being turned away. The ONTOPO smartphone app helped once we figured it out.
Restaurants are very expensive unless you stick to street food, which is more affordable.
We loved the dining style—multiple varied dishes placed in the middle of the table for everyone to share. It’s very convivial.
Restaurants mostly serve Israeli wine, which they enthusiastically praise. At 10 € a glass, we’ve had better. As Mitch put it, ** **
We’d been warned that service in restaurants and hotels wasn’t always top-notch. That proved true in many cases (though not in the establishments recommended by Voyageurs du Monde). Smiles are often missing, and the organization sometimes shows surprising unprofessionalism. There are often many servers, but their work pace is quite slow. At a large brasserie in Jerusalem, we had to leave after 10 minutes without ordering because the waiters were busy sorting menu pages right in front of us, ignoring us, and the hostess who’d seated us had vanished without taking our order. At another bar where we were the only customers, it took a quarter of an hour to get two coffees. Two servers were there, but they were busy with tasks more important than serving a customer. At the Mamilla Hotel, a luxury restaurant, they served our aperitif *after* the main course, etc...
Urban planning:
In Tel Aviv, architectural and urban planning choices make the city pleasant (with the bonus of great beaches). We appreciated the smart measures to preserve remarkable old buildings. We were also impressed by the security features in new buildings: underground bomb shelters, airtight safe rooms in every apartment.
In Jerusalem, the requirement to use Jerusalem stone—a light limestone—for all construction has preserved a beautiful uniformity in the facades.
Outside these two cities, buildings are often ugly, especially in newer neighborhoods that completely lack greenery, which the climate and soil conditions don’t make easy.
Signs are generally in two languages: Hebrew and English.
For signs only in Hebrew, we used the Web Translator smartphone app, which instantly translates text from photos.
Christianity, history, and tourism:
At all the Christian sites, we encountered crowds of pilgrims on bus tours visiting Capernaum, Tabgha, the Mount of Temptation, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem—even though many of these holy sites have no proven historical or archaeological basis. It feels like a circuit designed to focus pilgrims’/tourists’ attention on places without evidence that the corresponding events actually happened there. The Via Dolorosa is a prime example: the number and location of stations have changed over the years before the current doctrine prevailed. Of course, if they told visitors, “It happened somewhere around here,” they’d be less motivated. A striking example is the Stone of Anointing, which is the center of an elaborate spectacle.
The conflict-ridden co-management of holy sites by various Christian churches is downright surreal and would be laughable if the potential consequences of missteps weren’t so serious.
I hope everyone reading this post gets to retrace this journey in peace one day, and I’d like to thank Mitch for providing more precise and interesting details than mine.
Day of May 29th
I hope all those reading this post can one day redo the same trip in peace, and I’d like to thank Mitch for sharing some really helpful and more detailed info than mine.
Thank you all.
My small contribution comes from the fact that I often go there. And like you, I love getting off the beaten path—especially in Jerusalem. It’s true that in 12 days, you can only cover the essentials. At least you did it, and there’s still so much left to see...
As for restaurants, nothing new to report! Nothing changes! You really need to be a local to get good service. It can be really frustrating, I get it.
Even for street food and falafel, there are magical spots. Just look for the line—like the guy making falafel at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City walls. A must-try!
I’m surprised by EL AL’s behavior. Though I should mention I always pick my seats when booking. It costs more, sure, but at least there are no issues. And yeah, EL AL’s food is terrible—we can all agree on that. But for COVID, they kept our seats with a 25% bonus for two tickets, which made the next ones practically free. EL AL was pretty solid on that point.
I hope you get to go back. It’s a tough country but so rich in history.
For my part, this year I’ll be spending three weeks in August with EL AL: one week at the Dan Boutique Hotel in Jerusalem, five days in the Judean Desert at Nofei Prat with friends, and we’ll finish the rest up north in Shaqed, also with friends. Hopefully, the Golan will be accessible so I can at least enjoy some red wine therapy! 😉
Thanks for sharing your story. See you in Jerusalem soon.
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If I close my eyes and think of the Sultanate of Oman, I first smell a light scent of incense, feel the warmth of a sunbeam on my skin, before sand slips through my fingers. I taste the sweetness of a date, a real candy, then the flavor of coffee with a hint of cardamom and rosewater... I hear the desert wind whistling in my ears, the distant call of a muezzin, then the murmur of water. I open my eyes to see smiles, welcoming gestures, a turquoise sea, rocks ranging from ochre to purple, deep wadis where torrents burst forth, orange dunes, white sandy beaches where tiny crabs scurry at full speed. I see incredible oases emerging between arid mountains. I see abandoned villages that I’d dream were full of life, imposing fortresses overlooking valleys, and lively souks where offers are delicate and negotiation is a mutual courtesy.
All that, and so much more.
This is what I tried to capture in my illustrated travel journal, which I’ll fill in here and there with photos.
I drew this journal “cold,” after my return (actually, I made it this summer, while our trip was last winter). It’s a pretty special format—I bought it in Japan without really knowing what I’d do with it. Well, it found its purpose! Below is a photo of this accordion-style journal: here, it’s only partially open, because when fully unfolded, it’s 5 meters long!
For drawing enthusiasts: The accordion format is both a constraint (each sheet is 9 cm x 27 cm) and a freedom (you can create a fresco). The paper is also a bit special: it doesn’t allow for fine lines, but it takes ink well (liner pen). However, everything has to be done almost in one go (with a very light pencil sketch) because it erases poorly. It absorbs too much water for coloring with markers or watercolors (unless you avoid soaking it), but it works well with oil pastels and their use with a brush and solvent. Since it’s yellowish, it allowed me to create contrasts even with white pastel.
On the right, the "welcome marker"—those dates offered everywhere as a sign of hospitality. On the left, a tribute to those stunning doors worn by time, admired all over the old quarters, including the abandoned ones.
Oman is one of the world’s largest producers of frankincense resin. Incense burners are everywhere, from the simplest clay ones to the most precious handcrafted silver ones...
Hospitality will often lead you to accept a small coffee, an "Omani coffee," very light, subtly flavored with cardamom, maybe a touch of saffron, and occasionally rosewater.
Here, I’ve depicted a man in the common everyday attire of Omanis: the dishdasha, mostly white (during the week and daytime; colors are more common in the evening or on Fridays and Saturdays). While you’ll see some men dressed in Western clothes, they’re very few. The white dishdasha is truly the shared attire of all men. The dishdasha, which has no hood, is distinguished by a small pom-pom attached to the collar, the furakha, which is soaked in perfume. And believe me, Omanis go overboard with it! "It smells like the pom-pom" is an expression that’s now part of our shared language, my husband and I.
Another must of men’s attire is the kuma, a small round head covering, usually white with brightly colored patterns. The keffiyeh is also worn (but without the cord called an agal in Arab countries), and it’s mostly worn by those with roots in the desert, from what I understood.
And what about the women, you might ask? Some are veiled, some in full black (but not a burka—more like a chador + abaya), due to the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whereas the traditional outfit used to be a layering of very colorful dresses. Most of the women we saw wore neutral clothing, a plain veil over their hair, but with their faces uncovered. We also saw many saris and colorful veils—don’t forget that 40% of the population consists of Indian, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi immigrants, who work a lot in tourism, hospitality, restaurants, services, and construction.
Just to clarify, as a tourist, there’s no pressure to wear a veil, and never any disapproving looks. Of course, you’ll save the mini shorts, plunging necklines, bare shoulders, and midriffs for the hotel terrace—but I’d say that’s the same for men and women, and with the sun being strong, it’s better for your skin too.
Here’s the introduction! In the next post, I’ll tell you about my itinerary, and we can dive in!
After as many weeks as I have fingers on my right hand, we're hitting the road again, fully recovered from our pharaonic adventure. Back in France to drop off our daughters (sorry, girls!), this time it's just the two of us, ready to be welcomed by a new destination. They say it offers one of the richest cultural heritages in the world for those willing to put in the effort. It's the land of the ancient Silk Road, where we'll follow a journey steeped in history and discoveries straight out of *One Thousand and One Nights*. A former Soviet bloc region independent only since 1991, we'll be walking in the footsteps of Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Alexander the Great, Marco Polo...
Another fun fact about this country: it's strictly forbidden to import porn on your phone. True story. The same goes for painkillers! Unless it's about sodomy—though the two don’t seem connected, that’s just how it is. Don’t ask me why! Anyway, I’m getting off track. Here’s the big question: Where do you think we’ve just landed?... To give you a hint, the locals are known for being incredibly welcoming. No sooner said than done—our first taxi driver, proud to transport French travelers, refused to let us pay for the ride. Great vibes for these two weeks ahead. So, any guesses?
Uzbekistan!!!
"So, my little wanderers, back at the decks? What’s this mystery destination you’ve got in store for us at the start of the year?"
Yes, the schoolyard bell’s ringing again! We’re hitting the road... or rather, the skies! At first glance, our destination might surprise more than a few. First off, simply because I was here exactly twenty years ago, and I don’t usually like retracing my own footsteps. Secondly, because the name of this place screams mass tourism—basically the opposite of what Flo and I look for.
Despite that, in this land of backsheesh, I’d promised myself I’d come back one day to experience it my way. And since Flo told me, during our wanderer chats, that this destination straddling Africa and the Middle East was in her top 2 travel dreams, the stars aligned for this roots-style trip to quickly make it onto our pharaonic festivities program! Unless you’re totally clueless in general knowledge, you’ve probably guessed by now—we’re off to Egypt! Of course, a few classics will be on our itinerary, but above all, we want to soak up a culture that can’t be appreciated in four-star resorts or on a Nile cruise boat. And let’s be clear, these next two weeks won’t be a walk in the park—neither for our two daughters who are joining us, nor for our bodies!
And that’s clear from the get-go: after our first flight, eight hours of trying (and failing) to sleep on Milan airport’s metal seats, our second flight, landing, passport stamps, our Uber ride, and our first Cairo kilometers, we finally drop our exhaustion at the little guesthouse we booked in Giza. Doesn’t all that energy deserve a little reward?
Oh, absolutely! And here it is: a full-on slap in the face for everyone! But just look at this view from our hotel terrace? For 20 € a night for four, even with this incredible view, I figured the room must be pretty shabby, right? Nope... Is the staff rude, then? Nope... Okay, so what’s the catch? You’re gonna tell me breakfast is included too? Well, yes! Honestly, this Egypt trip is off to a great start.
And the rest of the afternoon, spent rubbing shoulders with locals, only confirmed this vibe. After digesting our pyramid view, we dove into the hustle and bustle of our neighborhood with the goal of exchanging money, eating at street stalls, and testing the hospitality of the locals. Ten out of ten!
Eight little sun breads with baba ganoush and falafel? 80 pounds, or 1.5 €. A dozen Middle Eastern pastries? Same! 80 pounds! Two hawawshis, those little pita breads stuffed with meat and spices? 10 pounds each, or about twenty cents! Not to mention all those smiles and free "welcomes" left and right!!!
What a welcome! We end this first day with a sunset over the three sisters of Giza—where we’ll obviously be gawking tomorrow...
"How about a Christmas market this year, huh? A little romantic weekend getaway...
- Yes! That’d be cool! Strasbourg? Colmar?
- Feels a bit déjà vu, doesn’t it? Plus, slim chance of snow there... And I’d love something a bit more exotic with a touch of originality..."
"Okay, Google, give me the list of the five most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe.
- In fifth place, the Christmas market in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
- Save your breath! Lithuania, here we come!"
We wanted cold, and cold is exactly what we got the moment we set foot in this new, unknown land. As for landscapes, forests and lakes stretch as far as the eye can see across this vast plain, its vegetation scorched by the frost of a winter that’s clearly already well underway here.
Lakes, in fact, set the scene for our first visit to Trakai Castle, whose brick-red towers and walls rise proudly against the azure sky of our first day. Lakes, because this castle was built on an island and is only accessible on foot via a series of walkways spanning half-frozen lake offshoots. I couldn’t have picked a better spot to build my castle! Translation: We’re totally sold! Proof is we spend two hours hiking around the area, alternating between forests, reeds, and cozy houses tastefully decorated for Christmas.
I’m sharing a little recap of this new 4-week trip to China—nothing fancy, just my experience.
We’re taking advantage of the extended visa exemption to return to China for the 4th time. I loved last summer’s trip so much that I’m a bit worried about being disappointed this year. Plus, I’ve had a few hiccups before this departure: my WeChat account got blocked, and I couldn’t recover it (luckily, Alipay still works fine); I couldn’t verify my 12306 account for weeks; Trip.com failed to book our second train; and I’ve got an injury that’ll slow me down during the trip... Ugh, I hate starting a trip with these kinds of issues. Then, oh surprise! Just before leaving, my 12306 account got verified! Super easy to use from that point on—I could book a few train tickets without fees.
We’re sticking with Free’s e-SIMs, which work great in China.
August 2–3
Anyway, on the morning of August 2nd, we took the RER to CDG. As usual, we couldn’t check in online. It’s always a bit frustrating, especially since we didn’t have any checked luggage. We flew with Air China. We arrived at the check-in counter at 9:50 AM, 2 hours and 40 minutes before the flight. The line for our check-in stretched 300 meters across the airport in both directions. What a joke!! We spent 1 hour and 45 minutes in that line just to reach the counter and get our boarding passes. By then, it was 11:35 AM, and boarding had already started at 11:20 AM. The screens showed a 25-minute walk to our gate—on the other side of the airport, of course—plus we had to go through passport control and security... Long story short, the plane didn’t leave without us 🙂 We boarded among the last passengers, and we took off at 12:30 PM. We’d flown Air China four times before, but this time, it felt *really* low-cost. The check-in chaos, the cramped seats (12 seats per row), no music by artists known outside China, mediocre food, and a boarding area at Beijing Airport with only 10 seats—worthy of Ryanair or EasyJet. And yet, the price was sky-high. Again, D.’s vacation requests were denied outside of July and August, so we’re traveling from August 2nd to 30th. We couldn’t have picked a worse time for inflated prices, and with the situation in Iran, we got hit with a 390 € fuel surcharge. I’ve never paid so much for flights—I felt like I’d bought business class, but nope, far from it!!
We landed in Beijing around 4:15 AM. It was 28°C with thick fog. We drove and drove and drove for 20 minutes, as usual in Beijing. Then we went through a first check, a second check, a third check, and waited for our connecting flight at 6:40 AM. A small Airbus A320, but way more space than in the Boeing 777 from the first flight. We landed in Kunming, Yunnan, around 10:15 AM in the rain.
We headed to the subway. You can’t pay at the machines with Alipay here either, so we set up the transport QR code directly in Alipay to scan at the subway gates. The process is a bit long the first time if you haven’t entered your info before, but once it’s done, it’s *so* much easier! We took Line 6 to the terminus for 6 yuan each.
We’d booked a hotel nearby, on the 16th floor. It’s actually studios on different floors of a huge residential building. The view’s pretty nice from here. We settled in quickly—back to those wooden beds, or rather, mattresses as hard as wood, which we *hadn’t* missed...
Then we went out for our first bowl of noodles of the trip and wandered through the shopping streets of the old town.
It was crowded, and the weather was cool—around 19–20°C. We tried a local specialty: milk skin, thick, dried, then grilled with rose jam. Yeah... we won’t be having that again. The taste and texture of the milk skin... no thanks.
We saw a lot of wild mushroom hotpot too. It’s on our list for later. We also passed through the Jinma and Biji gates, where I played with reflections in puddles. I *love* doing that 🙂
At the end of the day, we headed to a temple advertised as open 24/7 on Amap. Of course, when we got there, it was closed. We’ll go back tomorrow. That was the first of many disappointments with Amap this trip—I hadn’t had that issue on previous visits.
We were exhausted after that sleepless flight. Night was falling, and we decided to grab a quick bite without much appetite. We shared a delicious vegetable fried rice for 12 yuan—we even left half of it. The portions are *huge*.
After a couple of small purchases, we headed back at 9 PM, wiped out, after walking 17 km between the airports and these first steps in Kunming. I expected to see quite a few Western travelers here, but we didn’t spot a single one. Instead, we met lots of curious Chinese people, many of them super friendly and helpful—almost *too* eager, like when they’d run to serve us as fast as possible. It’s a bit much, but it’s great to be back!
Hi everyone, I’m Patrick, 67 years old, a seasoned traveler (already 22 trips outside Europe).
In autumn 2025, I took my first 3-week trip to Japan, with stops in Tokyo, Kamakura, Matsumoto, Kamikochi, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Koyasan, Tokyo again, and Nikko.
I wanted to go back in May 2026 and explore some lesser-known places to complement my first trip.
Last year, there were four of us traveling together to discover Japan (a fairly classic itinerary). This time, I’ll be traveling solo for part of the trip and with a couple of French friends for the rest.
The weather was gorgeous in May, averaging around 25°C, with two very hot days in Kyoto and only two rainy days.
As usual, I organized everything myself, gathering plenty of information from various sites, including this one.
Transportation:
An ICOCA card is essential.
I got a 5-day Kansai-Hiroshima pass because I took the shinkansen between Hiroshima and Osaka three times, and it paid for itself quickly.
Accommodations:
Mostly through Booking. No issues at all. Average cost was 46 € per night.
Meals:
For breakfast, I alternated between buying food at a konbini to eat in my room or on the train and grabbing something at local cafés.
For lunch and dinner, I tried to vary my meals as much as possible—lots of sashimi, sushi, and ramen.
Okonomiyaki in Osaka and Hiroshima.
Oysters in every form (raw, grilled, fried) in Onomichi and Hiroshima.
A variety of seafood (shrimp, shellfish) in Hiroshima and Matsumoto.
Fish whose names often escaped me, but notably mackerel and eel (unagi).
Tempura and gyoza.
Chicken skewers (yakitori) and one teppanyaki meal.
One omakase meal (9 different dishes).
In the end, not much meat aside from a few yakitori skewers. No splurges on super expensive wagyu or Kobe beef.
Average dinner cost: 4,800 yen, drinks included.
The Itinerary:
Day 1: Departure from Brussels
Day 2: Arrival in Osaka
Day 3: To Himeji, then Kurashiki
Day 4: To Fukuyama, then Tomo no Ura, then Onomichi
Day 5: Cycling the Shimanami Kaido
Day 6: To Takahara, then Hiroshima
Day 7: To Kyoto to attend the Aoi Matsuri parade
Day 8: To Miyajima
Day 9: Hiroshima, then Kyoto
Day 10: Southern Kyoto
Day 11: Northern Kyoto
Day 12: Final day in Kyoto, then to Nagatsugawa
Day 13: Start of the Nakasendo Trail (Magome to Tsumago)
Day 14: Second day of the trail (Kiso Fukushima)
Day 15: Third day of the trail (Narai), then Matsumoto
Day 16: To Mt. Fuji (Kawaguchiko)
Day 17: To Tokyo
Day 18: Excursion to Enoshima and Kamakura
Day 19: Flight home, with a 10-hour layover in Hong Kong
Day 20: Arrival in Brussels
This time, I landed in Monastir on a direct flight from Nice, again with Tunisair. We left about ten minutes late, and the flight lasted around 1 hour 30 minutes. A meal was served on board (cucumber salad with Edam-like cheese, carrots, and two small portions of dishes I couldn’t identify—semolina with peppers, olives, and parsley, two small rolls, a square of processed cheese, and a chocolate cake). It’s worth noting because it’s not common on flights this short.
In February, France and Tunisia were in the same time zone, but now Tunisia is one hour behind. This time difference and the flight duration work perfectly for a short 15-day trip since it takes me a few days to adjust to jet lag.
Luckily, I’d asked my hotel about the taxi fare from the airport because the drivers (there were several around me) didn’t hesitate to quote outrageous prices. The actual fare is 20 dinars, but one asked for 120 dinars. I refused, and another offered 60 dinars. I replied, "That’s too expensive—I’ll take the metro!" (Having tried the Tunis metro, I had no desire to repeat the experience in Monastir with a suitcase!). I started walking toward the metro, and one of the drivers caught up with me, saying, "20 dinars is fine!" I’ll skip the details, but the negotiation took a little while.
When I arrived at the hotel, I told the receptionist someone had asked for 120 dinars. He put his hands to his head and said, "They’re awful!" He remembered our phone call two days earlier when I’d booked (he’s the one who told me I could take the metro).
The Mezri Hotel isn’t expensive. I got a sea-view room for 75 dinars (22 €). (I’d booked a balcony room for 90 dinars but wouldn’t have had time to enjoy it.) It’s well-located but noisy because there’s no double glazing.
The receptionist is a very kind older gentleman. He called a friend whose wife is from Tozeur to find out if I should take a bus or a *louage* tomorrow and what time.
I arrived at the hotel around 7:00 PM and had time to stroll along the corniche to the ribat. Despite some run-down buildings, the seaside seemed livelier and cheerier than Sousse’s.
Monastir is the hometown of former president Bourguiba. I passed his mausoleum by taxi. There are Tunisian flags along the avenue by the sea because every year on April 6—the anniversary of Habib Bourguiba’s death—the president of the Republic visits the Bourguiba Mausoleum in Monastir to pay respects.
The taxi driver mentioned other Tunisian presidents. He complained about rising prices and insecurity, blaming President Kaïs Saïed (I’d already heard that security was better under Ben Ali).
At the end of my stay, I’ll take time to explore Monastir, but tomorrow morning, I’m off to Tozeur—a long bus ride awaits me.
With my girlfriend Christelle, we’ve chosen South Africa for our first trip to Southern Africa, focusing on safaris—after a long debate with a Cape Town/Kruger combo.
But that would’ve meant cutting out St Lucia, which would’ve been harder to fit into another trip.
And St Lucia—thanks to Michel and all those travel journals—we really wanted to go there.
So our 11-night itinerary ended up like this, mostly shaped by school holidays:
- 3 nights in St Lucia
- 1 night in Hluhluwe
- 1 night at Mkhaya Game Reserve (Eswatini)
- 1 night at Hlane Royal National Park (Eswatini)
- 3 nights in Kruger (Berg en Dal / Satara / Tamboti)
- 1 night at Shindzela Tented Camp in the Timbavati private reserve
- 1 final night in Kruger at Lower Sabie
All of this in the off-season and rainy season, just a month after catastrophic floods that killed over 150 people and seriously damaged Kruger’s infrastructure.
I’ll jump straight to St Lucia and skip the loooong journey to get there (with a layover in Frankfurt, landing in Johannesburg, a domestic flight to Durban, and the rest by rental SUV—First Car Rental, perfect, no complaints).
To motivate readers—especially some familiar faces here—I’ll drop in a first photo.
Hi everyone, we're back from a DIY USA road trip we organized from July 31, 2026, to August 26, 2026.
The destination: The Southwest USA, including Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Roughly 7,000 kilometers covered.
The car: A Chevrolet Equinox for two, rented through BSP Auto and Avis. Inside, we had 2 suitcases, a travel bag, two carry-on bags, a Walmart cooler, photo gear, and water bottles (a 40-pack).
The route: Dallas DFW, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Alpine, El Paso, Tucson, Sedona, Albuquerque, Amarillo, and back to Dallas to finish with a departure from DFW.
The travelers: Two seniors well advanced in years (73 and 75) but still active (nothing too physically demanding—to stay alive and fund our trips), fully independent physically, though a bit less so mentally. Big USA fans, a country where anything is possible. More walkers than hikers, preferring 3-star hotels over roadside motels, Italian restaurants over US food, frequent stops for photos, museums over nothing, naps over forced marches. Not too whiny, just enough to stay French in the land of the "great Satan," as they say.
Not great with languages—street English (but handy), and my Spanish is non-existent except for: "Hola! Una cerveza por favor!" That’s about it. My wife understands everything but refuses to speak.
The cost of the road trip: Around 12,000 €, including AF flights, the car, gas, gifts, visits, and everything else. Well managed, since we’d budgeted 13,500 € initially.
The positive side: A delight, with those endless open roads. Museums to discover. The realization of the Hispanic presence and its important history in this part of America. Lovely locals. Tourists who were more or less friendly. A terrible Texan accent that was hard to understand. Gas stations that were like real stores, with prepared food, alcohol sold in Arizona and New Mexico, and employees who were always up for a laugh!
The negative side: The heat throughout the trip... 43°C in Dallas at the end. Impossible to walk the streets. Lots of homeless people in downtown Dallas. Hotel breakfasts that were always the same. You get used to it.
So, it was positive overall, but the concept is starting to wear us out. We might rethink the DIY road trip model for next time. If the man upstairs grants us more time.
Next up, we’ll wait for the first batch of sorted photos to go through the wringer.
Here we go!!!
I left home at 4 AM on October 31st and headed to Barcelona. Driving through Barcelona on the ring road stresses me out a bit, but at 6 AM the traffic is smooth, and I arrive at the airport without any issues. I call the valet, who quickly comes to pick up my car. He takes photos of it from all angles before letting me go.
Baggage check-in hasn’t started yet, and there are already several of us waiting.
Once free, everything happens very quickly. The flight to Abu Dhabi is on time and goes smoothly. I’ve never had any problems with this airline, which I’ve been using for several years.
The flight to Bangkok arrives at 7 AM as scheduled. This is my first time in Thailand and Bangkok. I’m used to traveling in India, and I notice that everything here is well organized—the customs process is quick, and the luggage is already on the carousel.
I booked a taxi on Booking. All I have to do is find the right exit and door based on the agency’s instructions. A large sign with the names of people who booked is posted on a wall. A hostess greets me and calls the taxi, which arrives 5 minutes later. I booked one night at the Lost Inn BKK hotel in the Phra Nakhon district, and we arrive at 9 AM. The welcome isn’t warm, and I have to wait until noon, sitting on a chair, before I can check into my room. I’m exhausted, and sleeping sitting up isn’t ideal. Noon finally arrives—the room is small but clean, which is fine for one night. I quickly take a shower to wake up because I plan to spend the afternoon visiting the Grand Palace. First, I need to exchange some money, and the banks are all close together on the same street, which is very convenient. When I enter one, a hostess gives me a ticket and invites me to sit down. There are about twenty counters, and I wait quietly until my number is called. The exchange is quick, so I can head out to find the Royal Palace. It’s actually very easy, and the walk is pleasant.
Entry to the Royal Palace (500 baht).
It’s magnificent and grand, and there are quite a few of us visiting. The sky is gray, it’s very humid, and a shower interrupts the visit. It’s a vast complex of temples and palaces. The buildings are colorful and sparkling, with a great sense of serenity (without the tourists, of course). I quietly enjoy the place and try to take photos without tourists, which isn’t easy.
Very close to the Grand Palace is Wat Pho, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the capital.
It’s very famous for its 46-meter-long reclining Buddha statue.
Walking around the temple, you can see different representations of Buddha, all covered in gold leaf.
Inside the temple, on one side, monks recite their prayers, while the other side is reserved for tourists who come to meditate in silence.
Before returning to the hotel, I have dinner at an Indian restaurant. I go to bed early because tomorrow’s wake-up call will be very early again.
Saturday, November 2nd
Wake-up at 4 AM, departure from the hotel at 4:30 AM. The taxi I booked via Booking is waiting for me and takes me to the airport. The trip is fairly quick—he takes small roads, and at this hour, there’s no traffic.
The flight to Phnom Penh is on time. Before boarding, I realize I left my fleece jacket on the carousel, but it’s too late to go back for it.
The flight goes well, and customs is quick.
At the exit, I take a tuk-tuk to Julieka’s GH near the museum. The welcome is friendly. I won’t be able to check into my room until noon, so I take the opportunity to exchange some euros on the market street. The street is lined with restaurants, and I’ll have my first meal there.
The museum is right across the street, so I don’t waste any time visiting it.
The representations of Hindu deities are very different from those in India, and I don’t recognize them. Many beautiful Buddhas are on display.
The museum is very pleasant, and there aren’t too many people, which is a plus.
At the exit, I return to the GH, settle into my room—which is decent and clean.
The Royal Palace is 1 km away. I walk along a garden, and at the end of the street is the Tonlé Sap, but I turn right. I arrive at a large esplanade and see the buildings with tiered roofs and glazed tiles. The entrance to the palace is a little further away.
At the entrance, I notice there isn’t the same crowd as at the one in BKK.
Khmer architecture is magnificent. The complex consists of gardens, palaces, pagodas with golden roofs, and slender spires.
The Silver Pagoda houses the small Emerald Buddha, which is actually made of jade. The silver flooring is covered with carpets. Photos are not allowed.
The walls surrounding the pagoda are covered with frescoes depicting scenes from the Ramayana.
My partner and I traveled from Sunday, July 5, 2026, to Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
We spent a long time debating whether to rent a car or use public transportation. In the end, after reading so many posts about travelers getting scammed by police or rental companies—even those recommended by blogs and reviews—we decided to stick with public transport. It worked out really well. Sure, we had a little less freedom to go where we wanted, but it was way less stressful for us.
Sunday, July 5:
Arrived at Cancun Airport. Withdrew cash from the ATM in the terminal just before exiting. The ADO bus counter (they pronounce it "A-Jee-O") is right behind you when you're facing the ATM. Bus to downtown Cancun cost 145 pesos per person.
Stayed at "Rose 5," booked on Booking. The studio was super clean and perfect for one night. The owner’s instructions for accessing the place were very precise, with photos included. Check-in was self-service with a code. The ADO bus terminal isn’t far, and there are shops and restaurants nearby. We really appreciated that the AC was already on when we arrived. By the way, I’d recommend always booking places with AC—it’s *really* hot in Mexico.
Monday, July 6:
Bought a SIM card with data from a TELCEL store. My partner, who’s on Free Mobile, was able to use her regular plan. Just so you know, I found the network pretty unstable. As soon as we left the cities, neither of us—me with TELCEL or her with Free—had any signal.
Another thing to watch out for: roaming charges. I had to turn my SIM back on for less than 30 seconds to get a bank SMS code, and my phone apparently connected to the internet—resulting in an 8-euro roaming fee.
Left on an ADO bus to Chiquila for 278 pesos per person. During our trip, ADO buses were always on time, comfortable, and clean. The AC is *cranked* though, so bring something to cover up with—it gets cold. Some routes were fully booked even in the low season, so try to reserve 1 or 2 days in advance either via the app (when it works) or at the counter.
When we arrived at the ADO terminal in Chiquila, the ferry company counters were right next to it. Ferries leave every 30 minutes, alternating between companies, so no need to book ahead. Just take whichever one is leaving next (330 pesos per person).
When we got to Holbox (pronounced "Hol-bosh"), we’d booked a place via Booking called "Casa de Nana." It was a huge studio with a fridge, cooking plate, and utensils. The best part? The *location*. It was 100 meters from the beach and 200 meters from a Chedraui supermarket. They provided bath towels and beach towels, and the AC worked perfectly. There’s a key box so you can leave your keys inside when you go out. The only downside was that no one was there to let us in when we arrived, so we had to wait a while. The Wi-Fi was good, which was lucky because during our 4-day stay in Holbox, the phone network *never* worked. According to locals, that’s pretty common in Holbox, along with water outages.
Luckily, I’d had the good idea to download an offline map, which helped us find our way back to the place more easily. You can walk there from the dock.
The restaurant next to our place (La Barracuda) was great if you like seafood—I’d recommend their octopus dishes.
Tuesday, July 7:
We did a kayak tour in Holbox’s mangroves at 6 AM. We were looking for a sunrise kayak tour with a French-speaking guide. That’s exactly what we got with "Kayaking Holbox," where Diego, the owner, speaks English and French. He was joined by Gustavo, another guide.
We’d booked for a group tour, but we were the only ones. Diego still went ahead with it instead of canceling due to lack of participants, so we got a private tour at the group rate—really professional of him. They showed us this amazing ecosystem for over 3 hours. We saw all kinds of birds: pink flamingos, pelicans, egrets, frigatebirds... rays, a horseshoe crab, and a little crocodile that was *so* well hidden. Diego and Gustavo have a real eye for spotting animals—I could’ve passed by the crocodile 100 times and never seen it, it blended in so well. Their explanations about the flora and fauna were super interesting. We also got a little break where we tasted mangoes and bananas that taste *nothing* like the ones in France. A real treat—those little Mexican yellow mangoes! I’d definitely recommend Diego and his agency for a French-language kayak tour (1000 pesos per person).
In the evening, we walked to Punta Coco to see the bioluminescence. No need for a guided tour—if you really don’t want to walk, you can take a taxi. At Punta Coco, you have to pass the beach bar/restaurant and then go left into a kind of inlet that forms a lagoon. You have to wiggle your feet or move your hands in the water to create movement, which makes the light appear. Just don’t expect the kind of photos you’ve seen online—they’re all edited! It’s fun to see, but you won’t be dazzled by the light...
Wednesday, July 8:
Whale shark tour with "My Holbox Tours." Why recommend this agency over others for swimming with whale sharks? Simply because Valérie surrounds herself with top professionals to make your experience unforgettable. We were with Captain Fernando, who does everything to position the boat perfectly and make your swim easier. In the water, we were with Humberto, who also goes above and beyond to make sure you have an incredible time. He doesn’t just "supervise" like some guides from other companies who leave you on your own. No, Humberto reads the whale shark’s trajectory and guides you—all you have to do is follow him. He really puts in the effort, even holding your hand to guide you through this quick but intense encounter. Humberto also films the moment and will offer to show you the videos and sell them to you. His footage is really high quality.
Fernando and Humberto also prepared food for us. Special mention for their guacamole! Valérie is there to make sure everything goes smoothly on the boat and to answer your questions in French, English, or Spanish about these animals. If you choose My Holbox Tours, you can be sure you’ll get a top-notch experience.
About the tour itself: before you go, you should know that the sharks can be *really* far away. The day we went, it took 3.5 hours by boat to reach them. The boats are small, and let me tell you—on the way there, when we weren’t going with the waves, it was *rough*. Out of 9 passengers, 4 got seasick. But once you’re face-to-face with the shark, you forget all about that. Even if swimming with a whale shark isn’t exactly a walk in the park—they swim pretty fast, so you need some endurance to keep up. You’ll usually get 2 turns. Our first swim lasted a little over 4 minutes, and the second about 2 minutes because the shark was moving fast and we were still tired from the first swim. It might seem short, but when you’re swimming, it feels *long*. Either way, it’s an experience you *have* to do—but choose your company wisely. On the way back, there’s a stop at Cabo Catoche. Honestly, the snorkeling is pretty disappointing if you’ve done it elsewhere in the world. But the lunch stop at Cabo Catoche is really nice for relaxing (white sand and hammocks).
Thursday, July 9:
Short morning walk to Punta Mosquito at 6 AM. Really nice.
Ferry to Chiquila (330 pesos per person) + ADO bus to Valladolid (300 pesos per person).
In Valladolid, we booked "Casa Lucia" via Booking. The hotel is gorgeous, with a colonial style, and very close to the ADO bus terminal and downtown. It’s super quiet and clean. There’s a shared kitchen you can use with a fridge, microwave, and water dispenser, plus a big table by the pool and a nice indoor terrace. Breakfast was simple but included. The only small downsides were the tiny room and bathroom, no mirror in the room, and a noisy fan.
Friday, July 10:
Not far from the ADO bus terminal is the colectivo station for Chichen Itza. They offer a round-trip to Chichen Itza with an option to stop at Ik Kil cenote on the way back and then drop you off in Valladolid for 370 pesos per person (Ik Kil entrance included).
For the Chichen Itza visit, we’d booked a tour with a guide often mentioned in groups—his name is Juan Pat. He’s a Maya who lives near the site and speaks excellent French. He reserves spots in advance for you and queues up to be the first on-site. It cost 500 pesos per person + entrance fees. His tour lasts 2 hours and focuses mainly on the main pyramid and the ball court. He’s passionate and fascinating, even if some of his claims, as a Maya, might be a little biased. I think it’s *really* important to have a guide—otherwise, you’ll miss so much. You can contact Juan Pat on WhatsApp at +52 985 121 2381.
Afterward, we went to Ik Kil cenote (showers and life jackets mandatory, lockers available). It’s *very* crowded, but still really beautiful with its lush vegetation.
Saturday, July 11:
Since we didn’t have a car but still wanted to visit other cenotes that seemed hard to reach by public transport, we decided to book a taxi for the day. We agreed on 1200 pesos to take us to 3 different cenotes and wait for us at each one. (To find taxis, just look where they park near the ADO bus station.)
He picked us up at Zaci cenote, which we’d walked to. We got there at opening time and were the first ones there—had the place to ourselves for a while! 150 pesos per person. A pretty cenote in the city center with lush vegetation. It’s a bit like Ik Kil but without the deep cylindrical effect.
Cenote Xcanahaltun: the most beautiful cenote we visited. Entry 250 pesos per person. It’s a closed cenote with a hole that lets light in—a cave-like setting. You can kayak inside. There are little fish at the edge that nibble dead skin off your feet. Since it’s closed, the water is *freezing*!
Cenote Palomitas: entry 250 pesos per person. Another stunning closed cenote, even more enclosed than Xcanahaltun. The hole in the ceiling is smaller, so it was pretty dark when we arrived—kind of an eerie vibe. But when the staff turned on the lights, it looked like a "Gothic cathedral" full of bright stalactites.
Cenote Sac Aua: entry 290 pesos per person. The ticket includes a guided cave tour (tip-based). This cenote is really unique with its central island and way less crowded than Suytun. Just so you know, the water is *really* cold in cenotes. In these three, in July, we had the place to ourselves for a while and never saw more than 2 families at once—so peaceful!
Sunday, July 12:
ADO bus to Bacalar (536 pesos per person).
In Bacalar, we stayed via Airbnb with a host named Luli, who offers several rooms with shared bathroom and kitchen.
The room is nicely decorated in a pleasant setting. It’s ideally located near the lagoon and downtown. The shared kitchen is handy. The mosquito net over the bed is useful because there are *a lot* of mosquitoes in Bacalar. Luli provides a water jug, which is really nice. The only big downside is the lack of water pressure in the shower—we had to rinse off by filling a bucket. Also, there’s no real door separating the room from the bathroom. We never met Luli in person, but she was very responsive via messages. The terrace in the middle of the vegetation is lovely.
From the ADO terminal to the place, we took a taxi for 40 pesos. Since this driver was honest about the price (we’d checked beforehand), we decided to use him every time we needed a taxi in Bacalar. Here’s his WhatsApp: +52 983 184 3585.
Monday, July 13:
We did a boat tour on the lagoon with "Bacalar Francophone Activities." Since we were just the two of us, it cost 3500 pesos. If we’d managed to be 4 people, it would’ve been 1000 pesos per person.
We had a private 4-hour tour on the lagoon with Steeve and his very comfortable boat. He’s from Quebec, so his French is perfect. During those 4 hours, Steeve showed us the lagoon’s iconic spots *and* places other boats don’t go. He told us about the lagoon’s history and gave great tips on where to go and where to eat. As a little bonus, he gave us a video taken with his drone during our swimming break.
Tuesday, July 14:
We went to Los Rapidos by taxi (400 pesos round trip) and entry was 225 pesos per person. It’s *very* touristy but really beautiful. You can eat there (expensive), relax, and go down the "rapids" as many times as you want. It’s worth it if you spend a few hours there. You can’t bring in food or drinks—you leave them at the entrance and pick them up on the way out.
Wednesday, July 15:
On Wednesdays, navigation is banned on Bacalar Lagoon, so we’d planned another excursion.
Visit to Calakmul from Bacalar with ABCtours (WhatsApp +52 983 319 8359).
This agency organized a trip from Bacalar to Calakmul with a French-speaking guide. Communication beforehand via WhatsApp was smooth. Mr. Checo, the driver, and Fernando, the guide (who spoke great French), picked us up on the day. Mr. Checo drove very carefully on the long road and always made sure we were comfortable. Fernando is passionate about flora and fauna—he’s a biologist with a degree in ornithology, so he knows *everything* about animals. The slightest sound or song, and he knows what it is. He’s got an eye for spotting them, from the biggest to the smallest.
During the trip, we stopped at km 27 for a short forest walk, then went to see the two main pyramids on the site. On the way back, we stopped at the bat cave for the magical spectacle of millions of bats flying out at dusk. In the end, we saw or glimpsed (some briefly) spider monkeys, howler monkeys, a toucan, 2 tapirs, turkeys, 2 deer, and lots of birds. If, like us, you’re more into flora and fauna than archaeology, I’d *highly* recommend this agency and tour with Fernando.
It’s not cheap, but the road between Bacalar and the site is *long* (3.5 hours). Price: 3900 pesos per person for 2 (3500 for 3, 3200 for 4).
Thursday, July 16:
ADO bus to Playa del Carmen (614 pesos per person).
In Playa del Carmen, we stayed in an Airbnb. The building is on the town hall square, next to the casino.
The best thing about this place is the *location*—super close to Fifth Avenue (La Quinta). The kitchen is pretty basic, but the fridge works well. There are supermarkets nearby. The rooftop pool is really nice. The two big downsides, though, are the soundproofing (you can *hear* the neighbor’s alarm and all the events on the square) and the *total* lack of water pressure in the shower. We had to fill a trash can with water to pour over ourselves. When we told the owner, he said it wasn’t normal and someone would come fix it, but we never heard back. Based on previous reviews, this seems to be a known issue that never gets resolved.
Playa del Carmen is *very* touristy on Fifth Avenue, but in a fun, musical vibe—we never felt unsafe. There are *tons* of little souvenir shops for tourists on this street. There’s a beautiful monumental sculpture on the beach (the two figures meeting in the air), next to which you can see the Voladores show (men climbing a pole, tying themselves with ropes, and descending headfirst while "flying" around the pole). The show is tip-based and happens several times a day. In our opinion, Calle 38 is prettier than Fifth Avenue—it’s lush, green, and quieter, with the sea at the end. Great for an early evening stroll. We had really good meals at great prices at "El Tio Noy" tacos, just a few meters from Fifth Avenue in a side street.
For souvenirs, we’d recommend going to Walmart instead of Fifth Avenue—you’ll find skulls, tequila, mezcal, keychains, mugs, glasses... at good, fixed prices.
Friday, July 17:
We did the excursion to Isla Contoy. Isla Contoy is an uninhabited, highly protected island. Only 200 people are allowed to land per day on a rotating basis, so only a few companies have permission to dock there. Most agencies subcontract the day to a third-party company.
We booked through VRM (Viviendo Riviera Maya), but it was Ocean Tours Mexico that handled the tour. Contoy is a little paradise. We were accompanied by multilingual guides, including French speakers, throughout the day. Steffy gave us info about the island during a short walk on the marked trails, and Leño Tlatemoa kept the mood up on the boat rides with music and dancing. Isla Contoy is *truly* stunning, and the lunch was delicious: grilled fish and chicken, guacamole and tortilla chips, rice, fruit, drinks (everything is brought and taken back by the guides). The snorkeling part was pretty disappointing if you’ve done it in Cozumel, though. The stop at Isla Mujeres isn’t very interesting either—it’s too short to explore, and the island is *extremely* touristy. Still, the excursion was very well organized, and we had a great day (2970 pesos per person).
Saturday, July 18:
We wanted to go snorkeling in Cozumel but thought the prices from French-speaking agencies were too high. Plus, for snorkeling, we figured we didn’t *need* a French-speaking guide.
So we found a much cheaper solution by taking the ferry from Playa del Carmen ourselves and choosing an agency in Playa. The round-trip ferry cost 663.50 pesos per person. Then we took a taxi to the snorkeling boat (100 pesos). The agency we chose is called Mystic Snorkel—they don’t have a physical office. The tour cost 1400 pesos per person. It was a small boat, but that day we were the only ones, so we got a private tour at the group rate. We stopped at 4 different sites, all very different and beautiful. We saw all kinds of fish, corals, a nurse shark, and turtles. El Cielo, with its huge starfish, is *exceptional*. If you’re going snorkeling in the Yucatan Peninsula, this is *the* tour to do—the other sites are pretty "poor" in comparison.
Sunday, July 19:
Morning dive with Triton Diving. I chose the Cozumel dive option. Great experience.
Booking via WhatsApp was easy. On the day of the dive, Selene, who speaks French, was our guide. She’s *very* attentive to the group’s safety. The briefings are clear and precise. In Cozumel, we did 2 very different sites: the first was a drift dive with lots of life—beautiful corals and fish. The second was a wreck, the C53, a 56-meter boat you can enter. Not much marine life, but a beautiful wreck intentionally sunk for divers—still in great condition. An unforgettable moment. Selene even took videos during the dive, which the club sends you for free afterward. I’d *highly* recommend this club.
Just so you know, in Playa del Carmen, the beaches were full of sargassum during our stay, despite barriers and daily cleanup. Locals told us the problem is getting worse and the sargassum is arriving earlier in the season. Tourism has taken a *big* hit this summer, and they’re wondering if tourism can even survive the sargassum season anymore. A lot of tourists are heading to the islands—Isla Mujeres and Cozumel—to enjoy the beaches, as the west side of those islands is sargassum-free.
Monday, July 20:
Colectivo to Puerto Morelos. First, a colectivo toward Cancun that drops you off between Puerto Morelos town and Puerto Morelos beach (40 pesos per person), then another from that junction to the beach (10 pesos per person).
In Puerto Morelos, we’d booked a room via Airbnb at "Piedra del Caribe." *Best* place we stayed in Mexico. It’s an aparthotel. Our room was ready before check-in, so they let us in early. The place matched the description—spacious, with a comfortable king-size bed. The shower had *great* pressure, which isn’t a given in Mexico. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. They let us use the pool, restrooms, and rooftop shower after check-out while we waited for our ride to Cancun Airport. They even kept our luggage. I *highly* recommend this place.
In Puerto Morelos, there was *way* less sargassum than in Playa del Carmen—it was actually swimmable.
We did the snorkeling tour with the fishermen’s cooperative for 450 pesos per person for 2 hours. The reef is close to the beach (you’re not allowed to swim there), so the boat ride is short. It’s not as pretty as Cozumel, but it’s nice and affordable. On Puerto Morelos’s page, you can also access a small, not-very-well-preserved reef. There’s also a cenote in the sea where fresh water mixes with saltwater—the water is murky there. We had a great dinner and excellent cocktails at "La Choza del Puerto."
Tuesday, July 21:
Wandered around Puerto Morelos (check out the church and read everything—it’s entertaining!), relaxed by the hotel pool, and left for Cancun Airport by taxi (400 pesos) booked via InDrive to head back to France.
Our highlights:
- Holbox
- The whale shark tour
- The cenotes
- The local flora and fauna (so present!)
- Isla Contoy
- Cabo Catoche (except for the snorkeling)
What we liked least:
- The bioluminescence (barely visible despite good conditions)
- The food—we found it not very diverse in taquerias
- The constant tipping
- The lack of water pressure in showers (fixed, wall-mounted, no hose or showerhead)
Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions while it’s still fresh in our minds.
Traveling with just one spare pair of underwear, considering a hot shower a miracle, never staying in the same place too long by sleeping wherever night catches us, taking whatever local, improbable, and rickety transport we can find—this is the DNA of us wanderers. Except this time, the script for our movie is going to be a whole different genre. On paper, the destination doesn’t exactly scream epic adventure: Réunion! And what’s more... we won’t be two, or four, or even ten. We’ll be a solid thirty. All from the same family. Yes, thirty. At this point, it’s not just a trip—it’s a summer camp on the move! Why inflict this on such a peaceful island? Because my brother decided to get married there with his lovely bride. A great idea, you might say... especially when it involves relocating the equivalent of a small Ardennes village 10,000 kilometers from home for three weeks! So who’s stepping up to be the guide and wave the little flag?
So, for an exceptional trip, exceptional stories! Don’t worry, the debates at the supermarket over whether to choose plain chips or roast chicken chips, the beach picnics washed down with ti’ punch, and other rougail sausages to digest by the pool will only make it into the family archives. Here, I’ll stick to the tales of our beautiful escapes, the ones where we explore the wild corners of this little volcanic rock planted in the middle of the Indian Ocean. So where exactly are we headed?
For the first week—the subject of this first installment—we’re taking it easy. We’ll start by rediscovering the coastline, from the Souffleur in Saint-Leu to the Hermitage lagoon, before a little trip to the Cirque de Cilaos and its legendary road with 400 turns, just to get our legs warmed up.
This travel journal is therefore intended solely for my photos, to present a consistent style.
All the shots were taken with a simple Samsung Galaxy smartphone and with whatever was at hand.
All stays combined, I’ve spent the equivalent of three years at most in Thailand, and I’m not a big expert on the country.
However, after many trips, lots of reading on VoyageForum and other sites, and conversations with many locals as well as expats, my view of the country is becoming clearer, though it’s constantly evolving. You never stop discovering and learning.
I guess I wanted to piece together a puzzle, mainly for those who want to get an idea of the country here and for those who miss it.
I don’t know if this minimalist sharing will interest anyone, but it’ll do me good to put it together. After so many months without traveling and then these other long months with VF closed, there’s plenty of material available.
There’ll be a mix of places, periods, and subjects, but it might well be intentional.
I suspect many Thais have dogs because they make excellent guards for the home. Nothing better to deter burglars or to signal the presence of a snake. You’ll often see Thais tapping the top of their dog’s head, but don’t be fooled: it’s a sign of affection from them. Judging by the dogs’ reactions, they’re used to it.
Thailand is one of the countries on the planet where rabies is still present, so keep that in mind. It’s not just bites that can be dangerous, so don’t let just any dog lick you. Especially on a wound, of course.
Even though dogs often fear humans—this dangerous and unpredictable predator—we still need to stay cautious.
Be careful when walking into alleys because the dog will defend its master’s big property, be careful at night, and be careful when they’re in packs.
It sometimes crosses our minds that Thailand isn’t really made for walking around, and dogs are one of the reasons.
That said, it’s not uncommon to see them chasing bikes or scooters. Cars, though, are much rarer—they’re too big.
It seems Thais prefer to give their dogs freedom by not locking them behind gates. Though sometimes the gate is closed, the little side door is wide open. Oh, and sometimes there’s no gate in front of the property, or it’s been broken for years.
You’ll often see dogs sleeping on the side of the road, sometimes right on the road. When you arrive, they move aside nonchalantly—or not at all. It’s less funny when they suddenly appear from thick vegetation, which reminds visitors not to drive too fast. As a result, you’ll notice that dogs with injuries or missing legs aren’t that rare.
Since they believe in reincarnation and respect for all forms of life, they don’t chase dog packs away too much, and they don’t sterilize them enough. Seeing a small pack roaming freely in the countryside, you might think it’s best not to cross paths with them at the edge of a field.
A darker side of this is that euthanasia isn’t often practiced. Twice, we saw dogs at temples on the brink of death, enduring terrible suffering. No one did anything about it. The image (and the smell) of one of them, dying and emitting the stench of death, still comes back to me sometimes.
Some of you may have seen the YouTube vlog of a French woman living in Phuket who was given a little pig by her Thai friends. The well-fed animal quickly became a happy, enormous beast with its own garden. Yet, it didn’t take long for it to fall seriously ill and become incurable. In her video, the French woman described how difficult it was to find a vet willing to perform euthanasia.
You’ll often see bowls by the side of the road. Thais leave food and water in them for stray cats and dogs. Overall, they have a big heart for animals.
If you ever pop into a shopping mall, you might see people pushing their small dogs in strollers. It’s not a gimmick—it’s just that these strollers are provided for customers to put their pets in, otherwise you can’t bring them inside. It looks a bit odd when you expect to see a baby.
It was winter, a winter with beautiful weather,
A season that only exists in the southwest of America,
I remember very well what I told you that morning
A month ago... A century ago, an eternity ago...
We’ll go... wherever you want, whenever you want...
Well, yeah, back from our adventure in our enchanting American West just a month ago, we’re already taking a bite out of one of its lesser-known competitors. "Flo, if you had to pick just one reason to justify your love for the U.S., what would it be?" The greasy, dripping burgers? No, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying it’d be the wide-open spaces... And that’s exactly what our new quest is taking us to—a land on the other side of the globe where the horizon also seems endless, where silence tastes like salty wind and sand, where freedom is measured in kilometers of desert tracks, where the GPS is mostly there to confirm you’re lost in the middle of nowhere... Add to that magic formula the fact that you’ll see more zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, and elephants than people per square kilometer, and you can imagine us setting foot in Southern Africa for the first time, more precisely at the small airport in Windhoek, capital of... of...? Brush up on your geography, damn it! We’re landing in Namibia!!!
To be honest, Namibian landscapes have been flirting with me for ages. So how did I resist this island of temptation for so long? First, the budget. Let’s just say that for the same amount of effort (and kidneys), the bank lets you choose two other adventures almost anywhere else on the planet. Then there were my girls. Yeah, back then, they were too little to dose up on Malarone, the only malaria remedy at the time... Long story short, ten years later, all the planets have aligned. First, I won the Euromillions! Well, almost... Let’s just say my girls are now old enough... not to take Malarone, but to stop following me on all my adventures! Jackpot! "Flo, how about a little two-person caprice, just the two of us, tackling the Namibian tracks?"
As we landed on the runway, first wow effect: The horizon is immense. It’s flat as can be, incredibly flat... So much flat space! Did I mention it was flat?... Looking into the distance, it feels like your gaze could circle the Earth without hitting a single obstacle—until you end up staring at your own backside. "Oh, what a nice view!" Well, it’s the first time I’ve seen my butt from this angle! Touching moment... Sorry, I’m rambling—must be the exhaustion from the three-flight marathon we just powered through via Ethiopia and South Africa... And yet, no time to philosophize about my anatomy. As usual, we want to rack up our first kilometers to be front and center at dawn tomorrow. After wrapping up the tedious Namibian immigration formalities and meeting the 4x4 that’ll be our companion day and night for the next fifteen days, we’re off! We’re not exactly fresh, but we’re ready to tackle the next five hundred kilometers in night mode, cruise control set due south! Just outside Windhoek, the local wildlife—a jackal—welcomes us with a smile: "Welcome to Namibia!" That’s what it said! Honest... Okay, first endless straight road, first flaming sunset, first corrugated dirt track, first Milky Way with zero light pollution... You get it—it’s definitely the day of firsts... First night camping, too, in the big trunk of our Toyota Fortuner parked by the side of the track... The real adventure, the kind that smells under the arms, can finally begin...
Here we go—finally, the big day has arrived! A trip the whole family (my two kids, my husband, and me) had been looking forward to for so long.
To keep it short, we left from Nice, arrived in Namibia on June 25, 2025, and left again on the 21st—four weeks later.
We used an agency for all the camping reservations, activities, and the car rental. At least that side of things was taken care of. Michaël was our contact throughout the planning and the trip itself.
We spent our first night at Londiningi BB. A bit out of the city center but very quiet. The rooms were spacious and clean, and we could eat on-site that evening. Perfect for recovering from the flight.
This travel journal is our second on VoyageForum, following last year’s where we recounted our four weeks in Vietnam.
The goal remains the same: since some members on this site share tips, experiences, and great deals that help us prepare for our trips, we do the same after returning—both to give back a little and in the hope that our experiences might be useful to others in some way.
Our route was as follows: Bangkok, Siem Reap, Krabi, Suratthani, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Chumphon, Bang Saphan, Prachuab Khiri Khan, Sam Roi Yod, Hua Hin, Phetchaburi, Bangkok.
Beyond rediscovering Bangkok, our objectives were the long-held dream of seeing Angkor and exploring southern Thailand, much of which isn’t overly touristy.
A quick big thank-you to Barbot, who took the time to answer several of our questions.
12/07/2013
The cheapest flight we found earlier this year was a Paris-Bangkok route with a layover in Moscow for 1440 €, total for two people.
So, this time we tried Aeroflot. Airbus A318 for the first leg, A330 for the second. Nothing particularly annoying to report—the passengers were very calm, the cabin temperature was comfortable, and we had enough legroom.
That said, the quality of the meal trays was pretty mediocre, and the flight attendants weren’t exactly comedians.
We’d like to remind everyone that it’s best to exchange as little money as possible at the airport upon arrival, since the rate is about 5% worse than at city banks.
Of course, we made sure to take the airport exit where you can catch official taxis to avoid getting scammed. So, we queued up, a little lady gave us the ticket, and off we went with the driver.
Generally, this system works well because these drivers are registered, know their duties, and the risks they face if they break the rules. Except that day, right off the bat, we got the scammer of the day. His first move was to snatch the ticket from my wife’s hands—the one you’re supposed to keep in case of a complaint. My husband saw it, but after a full day of travel, we were a bit out of it, and honestly, there was no reason to be suspicious. But once we started driving, the guy refused to turn on the meter. We insisted more and more firmly, but nothing. So, I used the famous method of opening the door and starting to step out of the car. At 40 km/h, that scares the driver more than the passenger. He finally turned on the meter, but that didn’t calm him down—quite the opposite. For the next half-hour, he ruined the ride by demanding extra fees here and there. Having dealt with several scam attempts last year in Vietnam, this wasn’t exactly new, and we were proud of ourselves for staying pretty zen. Still, this guy was a little scary—he was completely wired and aggressive. Honestly, it was hard not to think he was on something. He’d be perfect for a *Scarface* remake. When we finally arrived at the hotel, he followed us to the entrance. We paid the two tolls (25 and 45 baht), gave him the usual 100 baht extra for the ride, and stayed polite but firm. So, meter: 245 baht + 100 baht + 25 and 45 baht for tolls—we paid the exact amount, no way we were tipping this guy. He left furious, but he was already like that before picking us up... Anyway, avoid Mr. Chartree Chidchen, number 089 826 7308, car E2663!
We were so relieved to finally settle in at Feung Nakorn Balcony hotel in the temple district. 42 € per night, great reception, all the staff is friendly. The AC works fine, the bed seemed hard at first but turned out to be comfortable. The hotel is quiet, away from the nightlife, but at this time of year, many places are less crowded than in high season. Even with a nice fish pond and outdoor breakfast area, it’s a decent hotel, though we felt we could’ve found something better.
After a night on the plane, the first afternoon is always a bit of a slog. We napped for a few hours, and when we woke up—guess what—we were starving. We visited a temple across from the hotel (nothing special) and then decided to take the Chao Phraya Express, the river shuttle that serves many piers along the river. It was a really enjoyable experience. The steel gangway wobbles when you board and disembark, the boat sits low in the water, and sometimes you get splashed. During peak times, you’re packed in like sardines, but most of all, there’s that exotic urban landscape passing by, especially the temple rooftops.
At that exact moment, the boat was packed. We didn’t see a ticket booth at the pier, and we tried in vain to pay the few baht for the ride. The cashier on the boat was too busy, and another employee we called didn’t have time to help us. Oh well, we weren’t going to force the issue. Still, this mode of transport is super practical for avoiding traffic, and at the piers, the lines with station names are clearly marked, with colors matching the flags on the boats. Combined with a map like the *Routard* guide, it’s easy to navigate.
We easily made it to the restaurant *Harmonique*, located near one of these piers. It’s a unanimous favorite on this forum, and let us tell you—it’s well-deserved. What a wonderful experience that evening! We only saw the outdoor gazebo because there was no way we were dining inside. It’s not flashy, so those looking for a luxurious setting should look elsewhere.
That night, the staff was a bit slow, and we had to track them down several times to move things along. But oh, my friends—what a feast on the plate! Start with the appetizer platter for two at 250 baht, featuring four specialties, each more tempting than the last, followed by their famous crab curry for 200 baht. There’s *so much* crab in there! The dish is so delicious and rich that when you finish, you feel—how to put it—like it was almost *too* good, to the point where you’re almost put off eating for days. And also, oh yes, we *will* be back. Their satay chicken is just as amazing, and it would be a crime not to mention their generous dessert with ice cream, warm banana, and chocolate, plus their *excellent* almond milkshake.
Later, we took a taxi to Kao San Road, mainly to book a Ko Tao-Chumphon trip for 600 baht per person at the Lomprayah counter. In hindsight, we should’ve booked all three of our trips there right away.
Kao San Road is *ultra*-touristy—better for younger crowds, but it’s still worth seeing. There’s rock ‘n’ roll, hippies, and crowds everywhere.
We walked back to the hotel, and when we got a little lost near a canal, a really nice older Thai man spontaneously appeared out of the night to kindly point us in the right direction.
Finally, a real long night of sleep ahead—we cranked up the AC. Sweet, the vacation has begun!
Hi there,
I just got back from a trip to Sri Lanka from December 18th to January 1st with 2 adults and 2 kids (12 years old).
If it helps, here’s my itinerary.
We left on December 18th from Madrid with Qatar Airways. No complaints. I booked my tickets back in March for 800 € per person. (I flew from Madrid because I live near the Spanish border and was too worried about strikes in France.)
We arrived on December 19th at 4 PM (local time). Before leaving France, I’d booked a taxi through MyTransfer for 59 € to Sigiriya. A van was waiting for us at the airport exit.
A never-ending 3-hour drive to Sigiriya. We stayed at Samana Guesthouse—very simple, clean, with a pool and an excellent Sri Lankan breakfast. Shower and straight to bed.
Friday, December 20th: Beautiful weather, but very humid and hot. We visited Lion Rock (36 € for adults) and then Pidurangala.
I loved both sites—they’re a must-do in my opinion.
Spent the late afternoon by the pool.
Saturday, December 21st: Another gorgeous day. The guesthouse manager offered us a free 2-hour tuk-tuk tour. We first visited a lake, rice fields, the temple, and the Sigiriya market, plus the usual tourist trap—the botanical garden (no pressure to buy anything at the end).
Then we took a tuk-tuk to Dambulla Temple, the Golden Buddha, and the wholesale market.
Sunday, December 22nd: Still beautiful weather. I’d booked a taxi for 8 AM. We did all the long trips by taxi to save time. I’d ask for prices from 2 or 3 WhatsApp taxi agencies 2 days or the day before—super responsive, always got replies within 5 minutes. We headed to Ella (4-hour drive) for 22,000 LKR.
Arrived in the afternoon at Rest Full Homestay—a small, family-run guesthouse. Clean, cozy, and an amazing Sri Lankan breakfast.
In the afternoon, we went to Nine Arches Bridge. It was a Sunday, a Sri Lankan holiday, so it was *packed*—mostly locals and very few white tourists! Even though it was crowded, it was cool because it was all Sri Lankans. We waited an hour for the train. It’s worth seeing, but honestly, I didn’t think it was that amazing.
Then we headed to the station to check if we needed to book tickets for the train to Haputale—turns out, no.
Monday, December 23rd: Beautiful weather. We hiked Ella Rock—a gorgeous trek. The final stretch is steep but shaded, so it wasn’t as tough as I’d read. The whole hike is stunning from start to finish. We saw the train pass twice (one blue, one red) and lots of women picking tea.
After that, we did Little Adam’s Peak. It’s not hard, but it was *packed* with tourists—meh. Luckily, at the top, you can walk a bit farther (down one side and back up) to get some space to yourself.
What I *didn’t* like was the commercial vibe at the big café/restaurant with a pool at the entrance of Little Adam’s Peak. Loud music, all that money being made right next to little souvenir stands run by Sri Lankans or tea-picking women. Felt off.
Ended the day buying souvenirs at one of the few shops we found during the trip.
Tuesday, December 24th: Beautiful weather. Took the train to Haputale. We got to the station 30 minutes before the 9:30 AM train. We could’ve taken 2nd or 3rd class—I went with 2nd (160 LKR per person).
It was crowded, but we managed to get seats—first 2, then 3. Only a 1-hour ride, but I *loved* it—windows and doors open the whole time.
Arrived in Haputale around 11 AM, and the mist was already rolling in.
We walked to our guesthouse, The Mist Holiday Bungalow. Simple but clean, with a great view of the tea plantations. The owner’s wife is Vietnamese and used to work for French tour operators, so her French is still pretty good—helpful for us since our English is terrible. They booked us a tuk-tuk for 4:45 AM the next day (2,000 LKR) to Lipton’s Seat.
Spent the afternoon wandering around Haputale. Not much charm, but there’s a nice fruit and veggie market and a short walk through the tea plantations.
Wednesday, December 25th: Beautiful weather. The tuk-tuk was on time to take us to Lipton’s Seat. We were the first ones there—the sky was just starting to turn pink. In the end, only about ten of us watched the sunrise. The guesthouse had packed us breakfast, and we walked back down (half on the road, half through the plantations). Didn’t see any tea picking since it was Christmas, but the walk was still incredible. We took detours through villages full of kids.
After that, we visited the tea factory. The tour was really interesting, and we took the bus back down to Haputale. Such a great moment—whole families were heading to mass, dressed up and made up. All so beautiful.
At noon, we left for Udawalawe National Park. Taxi for 14,000 LKR. Stayed at River Inn Safari Cottage. *Warning*: It’s the same place as Eagle Safari Cottage. I don’t recommend it. We’d always stayed with families before, but here it was just staff—totally different vibe. The pool was nice but not very clean (water was murky). The bungalow was big and fine, but it was brand new—so new the asphalt floor wasn’t fully dry. It’s in the middle of nowhere, so we had to eat on-site. Couldn’t leave a review on Booking because they never confirmed we’d stayed, and they canceled our reservation the next day.
Thursday, December 26th: Beautiful weather. I’d booked a safari through the hotel for 5:30–10 AM for 54 USD. Honestly, yes, there are a lot of jeeps, but it was great. The kids loved it—we saw everything there was to see.
Left by taxi at 11:30 AM for Welligama (12,000 LKR).
We didn’t stay in Welligama city but at Coconut Beach, between Welligama and Midigama. *Total crush* on the guesthouse: Sky Mountain Café with View. Such a lovely family. The mom makes amazing meals at reasonable prices. The view from the hill over the sea is unreal.
Spent the afternoon walking along the beach.
Friday, December 27th: Beautiful weather. My kids are surfers. Unfortunately, there weren’t any boards their size to rent at Coconut, so we took a tuk-tuk to Welligama Bay (1,000 LKR). They surfed from 8 AM to 5 PM—rental was 5,000 LKR for the day. Meanwhile, we walked the beach and swam. Water was 29°C.
Saturday, December 28th: Beautiful weather, rain from 4 PM until midnight. Same surf day. They were so well-behaved the whole trip, so this was their reward.
Sunday, December 29th: Beautiful weather. Beach day at Coconut. *Warning*: It’s a reef break. For surfers, there are three spots (Coconut Left, Middle, and Right). The boys bodysurfed (with fins) all morning, and at 1 PM, we took the bus to Hikkaduwa.
Stayed at Hotel Universal Beach. Nothing special—right on the water, but the rooms were dark even though they were clean. The manager was super nice, but the rest was meh, and breakfast was mediocre compared to what we’d had before (2 eggs and 3 slices of toast). Plus, it was late—8 AM.
First impression of Hikkaduwa wasn’t great—way too many Russians for our taste.
Monday, December 30th: Beautiful weather. Spent the whole day exploring. Turtle Beach, then the other side of the beach (toward Galle) near the fishing port. The beach there is much wider, with scattered hotels and super quiet. It’s beautiful—I should’ve booked somewhere in that area. Ended up having a great day away from the crowds.
Tuesday, December 31st: Overcast, then beautiful, rain at 4 PM. Had to end the year (and the trip) with some surf. Rented boards for the kids (3,000 LKR per board for the day). Bad luck—the waves were on a reef break but small. Not great for them, but no big deal. They still got out of the water by 2 PM. Walked the beach (which is gorgeous), had a juice, and went for a swim. Then back to surfing in the rain at 4 PM.
Wednesday, January 1st: Left by taxi at 5 AM (18,000 LKR). Flight at 10 AM. Arrived in Madrid at 8 PM.
I could have titled my travel journal like Carmen: "Some trips are born twice." Indeed, we had considered this destination back in February 2020. However, an honest tour operator advised us against traveling at that time due to the climate. So, we gave up and opted for Guatemala instead (see "On the Mayan Lands" on this site).
So, why this title? When I was in primary school, over 65 years ago, the illustrations in my history books (Machu Picchu) and geography books (Lake Titicaca) made me dream, and those images stayed in my mind. It took until 2026 to finally make this dream come true!
We prepared our trip with Tout Pérou, a French-speaking "agency." Everything was handled via email and WhatsApp exchanges with our contact: Laurent, who was both competent, friendly, and full of good advice.
For 200 €, Tout Pérou provided us with drivers and guides whenever we wanted, helped us buy our domestic flights (cheaper when purchased in Peru), booked shuttles between airports and hotels, and got us a discount on the train ride to Aguas Calientes, as well as on the buses between Chivay and Puno and between Puno and Cusco. In short, Laurent took care of all the logistics and the Machu Picchu tickets. It was up to us to book our hotels. Tout Pérou provided a list, but we weren’t obliged to follow it. Another advantage of the package: we didn’t have to pay in advance; we paid the service providers directly day by day.
We didn’t meet Laurent in person because he was on vacation in Europe. Before his departure, he gave us a briefing, provided a summary table with the entire program, the service providers, their phone numbers, their fees, the schedules, and gave us plenty of advice (money, exchange, safety, etc.). After returning at the end of our stay, he kept checking in on us.
Lastly, we had also gathered information from Arnaud Lagadec, who runs a hotel in Cusco and offers tours of the region. He gave us a lot of useful information. Another contact: Thomas Montaigne, very friendly, who runs an agency in Arequipa (Agence Pérou Exclusif).
Day 1 – Paris to Lima
Foreword
I’ll share our trip without any pretension—I don’t have the talent of some contributors on this forum—and I’ll illustrate it with a few photos (taken with an ordinary smartphone). My comments are personal and only reflect my own views. So, please be kind! Feel free to comment on my story as you like, but let’s avoid pointless debates.
Even though we live in the south of the Paris region, true to our habits when the flight is in the morning, we chose to spend the night before our departure in a hotel near CDG and parked our car in a parking lot in Garches. This way, we avoid the stress that often comes with traveling around Paris (accidents, roadworks, traffic jams, etc.).
Check-in and border control went smoothly on that Sunday morning. Our Air France flight was uneventful. In Lima, border control took a particularly long time, and for the first time, we didn’t get an entry visa stamped in our passports.
As planned, a driver took us to the Miraflores district, where our hotel was located. We were surprised by the numerous signs about possible tsunamis, having forgotten that Peru is prone to such events and regularly experiences earthquakes. We’d see the consequences of these during our journey.
Exhausted from the early wake-up, the 13-hour flight, and the 7-hour time difference, we had dinner at the hotel before a restful night.
Note that this day was Peru’s presidential election day. As a result, we weren’t served beer—the sale of alcohol was banned that Sunday.
We did the Langtang trek (hike) from September 10th to 17th, with the first and last days being the trip from Kathmandu and back—so 6 days of actual walking. It’s a fairly well-known trek but certainly not as famous or crowded as those in the Annapurna or Everest regions, which is why we chose it.
In theory, it’s mandatory to have a guide for this trek. In reality, it seems there are ways to bypass the regulations: we met at least two people hiking without a guide—a South Korean, a New Zealander, and possibly also a couple of English women and an American couple, though we’re not sure if they had a guide.
The agency we booked with had told us it was an affordable trek for relatively older people in good shape—which is our case (I’m 72 myself). I have to say upfront that we found it quite challenging, maybe because we didn’t have good weather—it was the end of the monsoon season. To be clear, no matter your fitness level, I’d say doing this trek in the middle of the monsoon season would be suicidal.
Day 1 – Journey from Kathmandu to Syapru Besi
On Monday, September 8th, there had been violent protests in Kathmandu against the government, which had, among other things, blocked access to social media and been accused of nepotism and corruption. There were 19 deaths. The situation was very tense on the day of our departure, Wednesday the 10th. The agency warned us that public transport was very unreliable. So, we decided to take a jeep, at an additional cost of $100 ($160 minus what was already budgeted for the bus).
We left a little before 7 a.m. and it took us a good hour just to reach the outskirts of Kathmandu. Along the way, we saw several houses and vehicles set on fire by protesters.
The road to Syapru Besi is only 120 km, but it’s frankly awful. It’s always narrow, winds through endless mountains, and the shoulders range from bad to confusing to nonexistent. Several sections are just dirt tracks. We didn’t regret opting for the jeep, as we could stop several times at our convenience—if only to let Y (my Thai partner) throw up everything she had. She’d taken her usual motion sickness medication, but the constant turns, accelerations, and braking eventually made her terribly carsick.
In Nuwakot, we stopped for breakfast at a nice little restaurant, Jimbu. It was around 8:30 a.m., and we’d barely covered 60 km. The restaurant has a lovely garden overlooking the Trishuli Ganga, the river flowing down from Syapru Besi. First photo: the river in the bottom right corner, mist and clouds over the mountain on the other side.
An hour later, my second photo: the hills along the Trishuli Ganga. You can see the different crops—lush green rice paddies in the lower right and corn, already yellowed and likely harvested, in the foreground on the left. And of course, the mist and clouds through which you can glimpse the mountain on the other side of the river.
When we started looking for a summer destination a few months ago, our first criterion was to avoid extreme heat and heatwaves. We had already been to Norway two years ago and are considering going back in the future for other occasions. So, we had some fun asking ChatGPT which destinations enjoyed a mild climate during the summer without going too far. Among the list provided by the AI were the Canary Islands... The idea of a place we wouldn’t have thought of first, both not too far away and exotic enough, appealed to us: “Hmm, why not?”
This destination had never really attracted me, though Magali was a bit more interested. Five years earlier, COVID had caused a short break in my professional activity, and I had planned a trip because the flight price was attractive, and I was looking for a destination different from what usually appeals to me, more than out of deep interest. From a distance and with a social judgment I acknowledge (it’s not great, but it’s not completely wrong), I had the image of a destination for party-goers enjoying the sun without the slightest interest in local culture, with concrete coastlines and denatured landscapes—everything I detest the most. Still, I had done some quick research on the different islands and spotted Lanzarote for its beautiful volcanic landscapes, hiking trails, beaches, and the impression of a good balance between activity and fewer crowds than Tenerife or Gran Canaria. Then I dropped the idea of going, without ever reconsidering traveling to the Canaries...
Until now! Because we started researching the different islands of the archipelago to see which ones might appeal to us the most. It was La Gomera, the third smallest island of the archipelago, more praised for its hiking trails and preserved nature than for its beaches, away from mass tourism (fifty times fewer tourists than Tenerife) but still a bit more developed than its wild neighbor El Hierro, that caught our attention. Contrary to what might be suggested later, I’m not at all addicted to AI, but I use it from time to time to synthesize quick research or simply for experimentation. Since ChatGPT had started anticipating my tastes lately as if it had become my buddy (often successfully, sometimes off the mark), I asked which Canary Island would suit me best for a trip with my family. The tool answered first with... La Gomera. So, I tested it and teased it a bit to see if this suggestion was well-founded, as the method sometimes makes it contradict itself. But no luck: “You’d appreciate the wild nature of El Hierro, but with family, you’ll find little activity for the kids. You won’t like the touristy vibe of the big islands like Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. You could consider La Palma, but it’s really La Gomera that will suit you best, based on your interests and the criteria given.” So, we dug deeper into our research and were convinced without a shadow of a doubt that this island was the one waiting for us.
Without knowing it, we had Canarians in our circle who revealed their origins when they heard about our travel plans. One from Tenerife insisted we’d be better off choosing Tenerife (obviously...) because it also has preserved spots and that La Gomera, “you can explore it in two or three days, you’ll get bored quickly...” The other, a colleague from Gran Canaria who had never visited La Gomera, still recommended it without hesitation because it turned out her parents had just gone there on vacation: they loved it and had encountered few tourists. She also tended to think this destination was usually the subject of short stays, but according to what her parents told her, taking your time there was also a great idea. However, in our research, the idea that La Gomera is an island you can explore in three or four days max kept coming up. So, we considered combining its visit with La Palma or El Hierro, the other two that caught our eye. But hopping between islands by ferry represents a significant budget for non-Canarians, even more so for a family of four. Then, scrutinizing Google Maps, it seemed obvious that two weeks were too short to discover two islands as they deserve, and that there seemed to be plenty to see in La Gomera, given its very unique culture. After all, we read that some people spend several months a year there, others never even leave... Finally, these landscapes and this atmosphere, which seemed to us a mix of Europe, North Africa, and Latin America, tempted us. So, it would be two weeks in La Gomera, deal!
La Gomera is therefore the second... well, the third smallest island of the Canaries since La Graciosa was recently recognized as a fully inhabited island. It has the shape of a rough circle about 20 to 25 kilometers in diameter and has just over 20,000 inhabitants, half of them in its capital, San Sebastián de la Gomera, the only real town. Like its Canarian sisters, La Gomera is a volcanic formation that rose about 10 million years ago. The island is very mountainous and rugged, covered with red and black rocky landscapes. Geological activity has shaped, between the sprawling massifs that end in steep cliffs in the ocean, six coastal valleys with tropical vegetation that have favored human settlement. They divide the island like slices of a cake; from the north clockwise: the agricultural Vallehermoso, the rustic Agulo, the green, humid, and fertile Hermigua, the sunny capital San Sebastián de la Gomera, the southern and isolated Alajeró-Santiago, and the seaside Valle Gran Rey. They constitute the six municipalities (more like cantons to our French understanding) of the territory.
The large solidified magma massifs that shape the heart of the island have created a large depression more protected from the sun at its center, allowing the growth of a vast laurel forest, today grouped within the Garajonay National Park, La Gomera’s green lung, which has earned it the status of a World Biosphere Reserve. Its completely European appearance contrasts sharply with the rocky and tropical landscapes of the rest of the island. Thus, the climate varies greatly from one point to another on the island: in summer, you can quickly go from a dry and sunny valley at 35°C to a humid forest area at altitude at 18°C.
La Gomera was populated late. As with the rest of the Canaries, human presence is thought to have begun about 2,000 years ago. Groups of animist Berbers, probably fleeing persecution, gradually populated the archipelago, especially the western islands and La Gomera, becoming its small aboriginal population: the Guanches (or later Gomeros). The animist and pastoral civilization of the Guanches thrived until the Spanish takeover in the 15th century, which, after a short period of harmony and mixing with the indigenous people, suddenly ended in bloodshed... La Gomera later became the “Columbus Island” after Christopher Columbus’s stopover, increasing the blending of populations. In the 20th century, many Gomeros emigrated to Cuba and other Latin American countries in search of a better life, bringing back a mix of cultures and traits quite palpable in today’s Gomeran culture. It is, however, in La Gomera that the vestiges of Guanche culture seem to have left the most traces, in the language, gastronomy, social practices... Moreover, most Gomeros, especially in remote villages, have a particular identifiable type and proudly claim their ancestral roots, even making La Gomera a bit exotic in the eyes of other Canarians.
Perhaps that’s why it has never really wanted to develop its tourist infrastructure too much. If we set aside the tourists who visit for the day by bus or boat from Tenerife on a marked itinerary (and whom we ultimately rarely encounter), La Gomera has remained a hidden gem, a destination focused on nature discovery that attracts hikers, nature-loving divers, and scientists for its fauna and flora, and to a lesser extent, beachgoers who don’t seek overly developed coastlines. Tourist activity is therefore limited. Roughly speaking, you’ll find a majority of Spaniards, including a substantial number of residents from other Canary Islands, many Germans who have a particular fondness for La Gomera and spend long stays there or own second homes, to the point that the German cultural footprint is clearly noticeable in some places (it’s said to be Angela Merkel’s favorite holiday spot), and still quite a few French. The presence of other nationalities seemed negligible to us. Most travelers come mainly for hiking, but it’s also a prime spot for whale watching. Additionally, the seaside resorts of La Gomera—San Sebastián, Santiago, and especially Valle Gran Rey—are well-known destinations for hippies, especially German ones, ranging from chic boho hippies to old-school hippies who’ve been there for decades, quite similar to those you’d meet in India in Goa, Rishikesh, or Paharganj. Thus, practices like naturism, vegetarianism, and local organic production are quite well established in some areas.
Some practical info:
- The round-trip flight from Paris to Tenerife cost us 365 € per person (outbound with Transavia, return with EasyJet), including checked luggage and three seats reserved side by side.
- We chose two bases to explore the island: one week in Valle Gran Rey, reputed to be the most pleasant of the three seaside resorts, and one week in Hermigua, more mountainous and close to the natural park. We booked two houses with balconies and views: the first at 120 € per night, the second at 99 €.
- The round-trip ferry between Tenerife and La Gomera cost us 270 € with the company Baleària Canarias, including discounts for children aged 4 and 12, but I don’t have the exact details. It was a bit cheaper than with the other company, Fred Olsen.
- Finally, we rented a car through the agency Cicar for 360 € for 16 days, which comes to 22.50 € per day.
- Apart from that, we didn’t plan anything and decided the day before or even the morning of what we wanted to do. We didn’t invest in any paper guide on the Canaries, as information on La Gomera was scarce, but we used the very comprehensive site La Gomera Travel, a travel guide published by the Canary Islands Tourism Council, a real goldmine of almost exhaustive information on the island.
Alright, off we go for 16 days of adventure discovering La Gomera!
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.
Our first stop was just a few kilometers from Marrakech, at a lovely house perfect for relaxing and recharging before continuing. It’s called Bleu House, a little paradise on the outskirts of Marrakech. The welcome was very warm, with a beautiful pool and a lovely garden.
Next, we headed toward the Tichka Pass. The road has really improved in recent years—it’s much easier to drive now. No more getting stuck behind trucks, and today, the construction is practically finished.
Morocco has turned green after the recent rains. It’s a joy for the herds and shepherds.
I hesitated about writing this travel journal...
This summer, we only did the classics (the 3 northern parks and Zanzibar) and let a local agency take care of everything from start to finish.
No craziness, no risks, no sleeping under the stars, no self-drive, no venturing off the beaten path, no incidents, and not even any delays in the pre-planned itinerary...
But don’t think we were disappointed!
The whole family (there were 6 of us) came back with smiles and memories of great moments spent together.
So, if you're looking for a "classic" way to discover Tanzania, this is the place to be.
Our 2-week itinerary:
- Arusha (1 night upon arrival)
- Tarangire (1 night)
- Ngorongoro (2 nights in Karatu then Irmisigiyo)
- Serengeti (3 nights in Robanda, Togoro Plains, and Seronera)
- Zanzibar Stone Town (1 night)
- Zanzibar Matemwe (3 nights)
- Zanzibar Jambiani (3 nights)
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
This trip was in 2023, but when I wanted to write my travel journal, VF was still closed to contributions...
So, now that I've just finished my Japan travel journal here, I figured it was high time to honor this destination we came back from so enchanted.
Disclaimer 1: This is a written travel journal. There’ll be text! Too much, for some!
Disclaimer 2: This is an illustrated travel journal. There’ll be photos! Too many, for some!
I have to say, every time I try to discipline myself, to keep it shorter, to include fewer photos... I end up adding more. It feels like my dear Aunt Nicole, who exhausted us with her slide-show evenings in the 70s/80s, decided to take her revenge. The upside for you, readers, is that you can slip away anytime without offending Aunt Nicole. I won’t even notice!
Anyway, since I love maps, here’s one to give you an idea of where I’m taking you. As you can see, we only saw a tiny part of Laos (the areas circled in red); we only had 3 weeks for ourselves (my husband’s newly retired, I still work), and we prefer taking our time over rushing around like crazy.
In broad strokes, it was very classic:
First, we “settled in” at Luang Prabang (8 days), because we wanted and needed to.
From there, we took three days to venture a little further north—not far in kilometers, but as we know, distances aren’t just about km!
Then we flew south to Paksé, letting ourselves drift down to the 4,000 Islands while stopping by the pre-Angkorian archaeological sites.
We wrapped up with the Bolaven Plateau.
A few practical notes: We arrived via Bangkok, then took a Bangkok-Luang Prabang flight, having picked up our luggage in Bangkok to check it in for Luang Prabang. No issues—the Bangkok airport, which many of you know, is very well organized.
We got our visas on arrival in Luang Prabang. Quick, but to be fair, we were on a “small” plane, and the big flights had arrived earlier, so we weren’t too crowded in line!
At the end of our trip, we didn’t fly out of Paksé but from the nearby airport in Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani (a 2.5-hour drive from Paksé), then Bangkok and Paris.
You’ll notice we skipped Vientiane to stay longer in Luang Prabang. That said, there’s now a high-speed train between Vientiane and Luang Prabang—good to know—and soon the (Chinese) train will go all the way to Bangkok and even Kuala Lumpur!
With that intro out of the way, let’s dive into the heart of the matter.
To be continued: Slowing down the pace... in Luang Prabang
It’s an ancient city that breathes, a living spring.
Here, no kitschy signs like “I miss you in Fengyu,” nor mass-produced fake antiques.
The century-old houses still bear the marks of wind and rain; in the morning, you hear roosters crowing, and at dusk, smoke gently rises from the kitchens.
This city doesn’t try to please anyone—like the spring water flowing through it, it simply keeps living at its own pace.
Located in Eryuan County, in the Dali Prefecture of Yunnan, the ancient town of Fengyu is a nationally designated historical and cultural city. It’s nicknamed the “land of scholars and ink”—during the Qing Dynasty, the Fengxiang Academy produced four *jinshi* and eleven *juren* in the imperial examinations. The Bai families made studying and farming a true legacy. Even on market days, you’ll find stalls of calligraphy and paintings, while lintels and screen walls are covered with family mottos.
Fengyu was also an important stop on the ancient Tea Horse Road. It preserves the second-largest Bai architectural complex in China, just after Xizhou. The famous traveler Xu Xiake spent seven days here and compared it to the “peach blossom paradise.”
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
Let’s start with the shotengai...
Our first "wow" moment came as we stepped out of the subway in Asakusa, the Tokyo neighborhood where we’d booked our hotel for our first five nights. Exhausted after our long flight, we finally arrived and took an exit that led straight into a shotengai—one of those covered shopping streets that pop up in city centers and flourished between the 1950s and 1980s.
It was an instant aesthetic shock, like a close encounter of the third kind between the modern city, a typical Asian market with its street stalls, the vintage vibe of the arcade, the sheer abundance of goods, and the bustling crowd—a mix of tourists, pilgrims (thanks to nearby Senso-ji Temple), and locals (it’s a very working-class area).
In the end, it set the tone for a feeling we’d experience throughout the trip. Wherever we went, shotengai turned out to be fantastic spots for finding little restaurants, shops, or even fresh produce. Some are like real mazes, like in Kyoto, where we spent ages trying to relocate a restaurant we’d loved ;-)
In Kanazawa, the Omicho Market:
And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:
The latest travel journal about Turkmenistan dates back to 2019. Here’s a quick update on this vast desert country, which is now a bit easier to visit than before.
This is my first travel journal. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. The country is slowly opening up, but it’s still possible to visit sites where you’ll be completely alone. In five days, I saw two Hongkongers, a few Germans, and a Chilean at the crater, ten Chinese people in a capital bazaar, and that’s it!
It’s possible to visit Turkmenistan from Uzbekistan. The easiest and most economical way is to take a taxi to the border from Bukhara. The trip takes a little over an hour.
Crossing the border takes quite a while because many Turkmen bring back items bought in Uzbekistan to resell in Turkmenistan. For example, diapers, baby products, or beauty products.
It took me over 2.5 hours to cross the border. To visit Turkmenistan, it’s mandatory to have a guide and go through a travel agency. British agencies often offer three-, five-, or seven-day trips for over 1,500 or 2,000 €.
But if your budget is more limited, you can contact a few Turkmen agencies directly by email, and they’ll make you an offer between 700 and 1,300 € for three to seven days. I took a five-day trip from Turkmenabat in the northeast of the country to Dashoguz in the north. The goal was to visit the main UNESCO-listed sites, including Merv, and archaeological sites like Nisa or Gonur Tepe.
Your guide will also be your driver. They’ll pick you up at the border. The formalities are very long because customs officers have to stamp multiple documents, and obtaining the visa you previously requested from your travel agency requires several checks. But the process goes relatively smoothly, even if each step takes a while.
Once on the other side, the first surprise is the brand-new highway all the way to Turkmenabat. A very long line of trucks stretches for several kilometers on the Turkmen side to cross the border into Uzbekistan. According to my guide, Turkmen trucks transport gas and cotton (though not this season, since the harvest is in September), but they mainly fill up their tanks because fuel is much cheaper in Turkmenistan. A full tank for a car costs about 3 €, which is unbeatable.
From the Farap border post, the goal is to reach the city of Mary, which is home to the UNESCO-listed site of Merv in its suburbs, about thirty kilometers away. This city is known as a foundation by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC under the name Alexandria of Margiana. Several fortresses are visible.
After more than three hours on the road, we have lunch at a Turkish restaurant called Aladdin. Several quotes from the president are visible along the highway, but the road is in good condition, and we move along easily. This will be by far the best road in the country—things will get much worse later.
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
Preamble:
Africa was calling to me, so a year ago, with our usual travel companions, we decided to return to the continent we love so much.
Where to go?
Uganda quickly caught our attention—wildlife we’re used to seeing, plus gorillas and the shoebill we missed in Zambia.
We got in touch with Paul, who’s been mentioned several times on the forum back in September, booked our flight tickets, secured the gorilla permits, and by early October, the most important things were done.
We still had plenty of time to hold our "prep meetings" for the final itinerary.
Three days before departure, I sprained my ankle (my weak spot, as you’ll recall from our Colombia trip).
I wasn’t in great spirits, but after a year of waiting, nothing was going to stop me.
We’d see how it goes!
Off we went for our new adventures
If you're looking for great tips and offbeat spots, if you love exploring uncharted parts of a country, if the exotic is your adrenaline, then move along!
Our 15 days in early May in this part of Turkey (a country I first discovered during a city trip to Istanbul in 2017) will only tread well-worn paths and revisit popular routes. Simply because I kept hoping until the very end that our flight to Jordan wouldn’t be canceled. Events in the Gulf proved me wrong, so we left with:
Zero preparation.
Not a single hotel booked (well, except the first one), no visits planned, just a flight ticket bought three weeks earlier. No guidebook, no app—just the desire to explore southern Turkey and Cappadocia, whose images and the chance to stretch our legs had caught my eye.
Oh, wait—I did bring along a new guide: Gemini! Yes, my friends, generative AI was my chief advisor throughout the trip for sites to visit, accommodations, routes, and even restaurants! An experiment I wanted to try to form my own opinion on using this new technology. And what better way to test it than a Turkish getaway?
The verdict? You’ll have to wait for the trip recap to find out!
The main idea of the trip is also relaxation.
So, the plan is Antalya for a few days, the Turkish Riviera for a few more, Cappadocia as the highlight, and a return via Antalya to wrap up the trip. And it was all planned by AI!
So, if you're ready, fasten your seatbelts—cabin crew, doors to automatic and cross check—boarding for Turkey now!
It often happens that we're asked what to visit in Belgium.
And the answers usually point to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, and Brussels—and rightly so, as these cities are well worth visiting ;).
However, Belgium, though small, isn’t just limited to these four cities.
I live in one of them (Brussels), enjoy spending time in the other three, but I’d like to highlight some lesser-known spots that could add to the trip for those who want to see a bit more or something different.
Between trips, I like exploring one or two corners of the country where I live.
Hence the idea for a travel journal of walks.
Most of the places I’ll talk about can be visited as a day trip from Brussels, whether by public transport or car.
In chronological order of the topics covered:
- The Gileppe Dam (Liège province) - message 2, page 1
- The Domaine de La Hulpe (Walloon Brabant) - message 3, page 1
- Mechelen (Antwerp province) - message 4, page 1
- The coast - message 5, page 1
- The Westhoek, from De Panne - message 6, page 1
- The Zwin, from Knokke - message 7, page 1
- Lier (between Mechelen and Antwerp) - message 8, page 1
- Mons (Hainaut) - message 9, page 1
- The Florenville region - message 12, page 1
- The East Cantons - message 13, page 1
- Dinant - message 18, page 1
- The Japanese garden in Hasselt - message 24, page 2
- Leuven - message 29, page 2
- Louvain-la-Neuve - message 32, page 2
- Ostend - message 42 (page 3) and message 166 (page 9)
- The floralies of Groot-Bijgaarden - message 43, page 3
- Halle Forest - message 44, page 3
- Pralines - message 54, page 3
- Charleroi - message 68, page 4
- Namur - message 92, page 5
- Le Bois du Cazier (Marcinelle) - message 95, page 5
- Couques and gosettes - message 96, page 5
- Liège - message 99, page 5
- Tournai - message 115, page 6
- Oudenaarde - message 121, page 7
- Meise Botanical Garden - message 124, page 7
- Tongeren - message 125, page 7
- Beersel Castle (Flemish Brabant) - message 126, page 7
- Brussels in lockdown (messages 150 and 154, page 8)
- Notre-Dame à la Rose Hospital in Lessines (messages 161 and 162, page 9)
- Westende (message 167, page 9)
I’ll keep updating this list as the journal progresses...
This trip had been on my mind for about fifteen years.
But the discomfort of overnight stays, the difficulty of communication, and the prices of the few car rental options kept making me postpone the project.
And then, everything suddenly fell into place—I told myself, it’s time!
The preparations took longer than usual; the destination is still far from mainstream.
A bit of Kazakhstan?
Not in the end.
The south or not the south?
Yes, in the end.
Pre-book or go with the flow?
Only two stops were a leap into the unknown.
To help me find the ideal route, I made great use of this forum (thanks to everyone for patiently answering my questions!), pored over travel journals and blogs (Christian, Jeff), zoomed in on Google Maps and Yandex, and bought the guide published by OunTravela about this destination (the guide has been updated since).
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You’ve got your passport, international driver’s license, bank cards, and euros?
Off we go to Lyon—just one night left before our early morning flight.
Tomorrow night, we’ll be sleeping in Bishkek!
(Steak for my partner’s mischievous nephews...)
You’ll find here a post with some practical information.
And here, the version of the travel journal without comments.
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As a supplement, the route track.
Not necessarily ultra-accurate since Google has serious gaps for this destination...
With the visit to Jaffa, Patrick introduces us to a fascinating slice of history, despite the temperature nearing 38°C. Jaffa, once an independent city, is now a neighborhood of Tel Aviv—a predominantly Muslim area. We notice a few buildings in poor condition. They belong to Palestinian families who left Tel Aviv. Otherwise, the city has been very well restored, apart from these few buildings.
We head back to our hotel, which is on the edge of this neighborhood. It was an excellent day with a great guide.
We’re obsessed with a Chagall.
We stroll along the port, surrounded by loads of local tourists looking for thrills on speed boats that take them for a wild ride in the bay in front of the port.
We head back along the port’s ramparts to have lunch at Khan al-Shawarda Square in a restaurant run by Muslims. The square is a large, square-shaped plaza lined with 18th-century buildings. It was originally a monastery. Beautiful setting.
At the bottom of the stairs, there are rooms with impressive vaulted ceilings.
Then, we enter the magnificent refectory hall, whose 10-meter-high vault is supported by three massive pillars.
With a fleur-de-lis on two of the corner capitals of the room.
We then pass through the narrow tunnel that allowed escape to other parts of the fortress.
We then pass through the narrow tunnel that allowed escape to other parts of the fortress.
After this visit, we’re completely in awe of the scale of the structures and the beauty of the whole site.
Next, we try to check into our hotel, but the GPS sends us into the streets of the old city, where two-way streets are only as wide as a single vehicle (I say "vehicle" because there are several carriages shuttling tourists around, which limits traffic speed to a horse’s pace and makes passing tricky).
We drive around for over an hour, repeatedly coming across roads marked as open on the GPS but actually closed to traffic. Eventually, we have to leave the center, take a long detour, and finally reach a parking lot near our guesthouse, located right in the old city. It’s full, and we spend fifteen minutes circling without finding a spot before ending up parking on the sidewalk to walk the 300 meters to the hotel. We navigate through narrow alleys.
Two hotel staff come to take our luggage, and we manage to find a proper parking spot.
After a short rest, we head back to the port, where we admire the thick walls built by the Ottomans.
We then have dinner on the ramparts at Doniana restaurant, recommended by Voyageurs du Monde—and rightly so, because the food is good and the value for money is better than what we’ve encountered so far. We order a Saint Peter fish, expecting a John Dory, but the fish that arrives has nothing to do with what we call Saint Peter in France—it’s actually a tilapia. It’s called Saint Peter because of the miracle performed by Jesus when the tax collectors asked him to pay his dues. He then asked Saint Peter to go fishing. In the mouth of the first fish, he found a coin, hence the name of this fish.
There’s a great atmosphere on the seaside ramparts as we head back to our hotel.
A really great day, despite the difficulties getting around and parking.
We have trouble finding the synagogues we came to visit because we’re looking for important buildings on the slopes. In reality, we’ll see that these synagogues are quite modest.
From alley to alley, we finally find the charming little Ari Ashkenazi Synagogue, one of the oldest in Israel, where we admire the beautiful Holy Ark. At the entrance, a worshiper hands out kippas and collects them at the exit with a small donation.
All around, the charming cobbled alleys are home to many art shops, and we stroll through them for a while.
Before heading back to Tiberias. Our hotel is a large ranch/hotel/restaurant complex in Vered Hagalil, where we settle into a spacious, well-equipped bungalow. From the terrace, there’s a wide view of the Sea of Galilee, along with some mosquito company. The restaurant turns out to be quite good, with an impressive wine list that the waiter helpfully guides us through.
To be continued
The church also has beautiful mosaics currently being restored by German Benedictines—a very meticulous process we got to witness.
We continue our journey around the Sea of Galilee and stop at Kursi to see the ruins of a large Byzantine monastery, destroyed—some say by the Persians, others by an earthquake. It’s believed to have been built on the site of a miracle where Jesus healed a man possessed by a demon by transferring the evil spirit into a pig.
We take our time exploring this extraordinary site, which Herod managed to supply with water, thanks to the work of many slaves, and where a few hundred Jews resisted the Roman troops after defeating the Roman garrison. This makes Masada a symbolic place for the Jewish people.
A model displayed on the plateau gives a great overview of the fortress.
To the west, there are very significant baths, with the entire underfloor heating system still intact.
We then head back to Ein Gedi to refuel and reach the Ein Gedi kibbutz where our hotel is located. Unfortunately, the gas station indicated on our map no longer exists—the site, which included a spa and restaurant, was closed due to risk of collapse.
We arrive at the hotel on fumes and ask them to help us out, as the nearest pump is in Ein Bokek, 30 km away, which we definitely can’t reach. There’s a pump in the kibbutz, but no one seems willing to assist us. The reception sends us (on foot) to the checkpoint 700 meters away. The checkpoint sends us back to reception... On the way back, a taxi takes pity on me, stops, and kindly gives me 10 liters of fuel, which allows us to make it to Ein Bokek. The hotel staff’s attitude was very unfriendly (the manager even suggested we call our travel insurance to send a taxi from Ein Bokek with a jerrycan of gas!!) and there was a complete lack of cooperation from the staff.
Fortunately, the rooms are spotless, with a breathtaking view of the rugged valley behind the hotel.
We dine at the hotel’s restaurant, which is a buffet. The dishes are half-cold, the chicken thighs are dry, probably reheated from the day before, and the sautéed potatoes are hard and cold. It’s also a real struggle to get a drink. The food is left uncovered, and everyone serves themselves with no regard for basic hygiene rules. It seems to suit the groups who pile their plates high, but this is low-quality cafeteria food. At 160 shekels per person, we wouldn’t recommend it.
A great day marked by the remarkable visit to Beit Shean.
Zero points for the welcome at Ein Gedi kibbutz and the value for money at its cafeteria..
Since Muslims still consider this room a sanctuary and Jews venerate King David’s tomb here, there’s significant interfaith tension around this site.
Miracles are said to have occurred in this room, with pilgrims suddenly speaking languages they didn’t know before. For this reason, some visitors lie on the ground and pray to experience the same miracle.
The two most stunning are the central mosaic
A very full day
On the right, the "welcome marker"—those dates offered everywhere as a sign of hospitality. On the left, a tribute to those stunning doors worn by time, admired all over the old quarters, including the abandoned ones.
Hospitality will often lead you to accept a small coffee, an "Omani coffee," very light, subtly flavored with cardamom, maybe a touch of saffron, and occasionally rosewater.
Here, I’ve depicted a man in the common everyday attire of Omanis: the dishdasha, mostly white (during the week and daytime; colors are more common in the evening or on Fridays and Saturdays). While you’ll see some men dressed in Western clothes, they’re very few. The white dishdasha is truly the shared attire of all men. The dishdasha, which has no hood, is distinguished by a small pom-pom attached to the collar, the furakha, which is soaked in perfume. And believe me, Omanis go overboard with it! "It smells like the pom-pom" is an expression that’s now part of our shared language, my husband and I.
Another must of men’s attire is the kuma, a small round head covering, usually white with brightly colored patterns. The keffiyeh is also worn (but without the cord called an agal in Arab countries), and it’s mostly worn by those with roots in the desert, from what I understood.
And what about the women, you might ask? Some are veiled, some in full black (but not a burka—more like a chador + abaya), due to the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whereas the traditional outfit used to be a layering of very colorful dresses. Most of the women we saw wore neutral clothing, a plain veil over their hair, but with their faces uncovered. We also saw many saris and colorful veils—don’t forget that 40% of the population consists of Indian, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi immigrants, who work a lot in tourism, hospitality, restaurants, services, and construction.
Just to clarify, as a tourist, there’s no pressure to wear a veil, and never any disapproving looks. Of course, you’ll save the mini shorts, plunging necklines, bare shoulders, and midriffs for the hotel terrace—but I’d say that’s the same for men and women, and with the sun being strong, it’s better for your skin too.
Here’s the introduction! In the next post, I’ll tell you about my itinerary, and we can dive in!
The large solidified magma massifs that shape the heart of the island have created a large depression more protected from the sun at its center, allowing the growth of a vast laurel forest, today grouped within the Garajonay National Park, La Gomera’s green lung, which has earned it the status of a World Biosphere Reserve. Its completely European appearance contrasts sharply with the rocky and tropical landscapes of the rest of the island. Thus, the climate varies greatly from one point to another on the island: in summer, you can quickly go from a dry and sunny valley at 35°C to a humid forest area at altitude at 18°C.
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
A little sneak peek?
