Nous arrivons à Vancouver dans la nuit, il est question de trouver un parking pouvant accueillir notre véhicule. Les prix sont de l'ordre de 3 à 5 dollars la nuit, et 13,5 à 15 dollars dans la journée. Autant dire que cela nous limitera dans la visite. Le budget pourrait rapidement flamber.
Nous cherchons en vain l'appartement où nos hôtes nous accueilleront dans la rue écrite sur mon portable, mais rien. Après avoir tenté plus d'une heure, nous comprenons que la Fatigue nous gagne peu et peu, il devient difficile de continuer à marcher de long en large dans le quartier de West End avec nos paquetages et reprenons la route du van pour y dormir dans le parking extérieur.
Le lendemain matin, nous arrivons enfin chez le couple d'amis de France. Régis, ancien camarade de classe de l'année dernière et son conjoint ont eux aussi franchi le pas de l'aventure. Ils la vivent différemment en tentant de s'en sortir dans cette ville, à chercher un nouveau travail, profiter de Vancouver et ses attraits qu'ils nous partagent de vive voix.
Nous nous rencontrons finalement au matin pour un petit déjeuner avant le festival du nouvel an chinois. Cette année, la chèvre est en vedette.
Nous atteignons donc le quartier chinois, nommé Chinatown, à pied après s'être rempli la panse. Nous arrivons et découvrons des troupes patientant en attendant que le cortège se mette en route. Nous déambulons dans les rues et effectuons un détour pour se retrouver au point final du défilé. Nous apercevons de nombreux dragons et lions chinois, mais également des officiers en costume irlandais jouant de la cornemuse, sans oublier la voiture de Ghost Buster !
A Chinatown, vous pouvez aussi trouver de nombreuses échoppes comme celle ci. Plus rien n'est écrit en anglais ou presque. Les habitués s'y retrouvent.
Nous sommes vivement conseillé de visiter le jardin " Chinese Garden" mais nous décidons de ne pas y aller.
Nous retournons à l'appartement et découvrons avec surprise cette magnifique voiture de collection dans la rue.
La découverte de Granville.
Granville, une île à part . Nous y accédons en traversant le pont Burard où nous apercevons une otarie en nous penchant pour admirer la vue.
Nous longeons le port et un fish and chips avec une décoration très sympa. Les tables pour manger sont en bois, et décorés de nombreux animaux comme l'otarie ou même le héron.. Cela vaut le coup d'oeil.
Nous pénétrons dans Granville Island où nous découvrons de nombreuses boutiques nous attendent.Nous nous baladons dans cette île isolée où une bâtisse est réservée pour les jouets pour enfants. Petit paradis pour les petits et les grands.
Nous observons également avec curiosité une usine haute en couleurs. En effet, un artiste a entrepris de peindre les silos en bonhomme, les camions de transport sont aussi décorés dans cette idée.
Nous visitons également le marché " Public Market". Celui ci est très grand et animé. Nous y mangeons le lunch, une petite soupe "bio" avec du pain et repartons faire la tournée des boulangeries et des boucheries du marché en quête de mets bien français. Nous rentrons avec du bon jambon, du saucisson et du fromage pour des prix raisonnables.
Nous découvrons également une de nos premières boutiques de souvenir destinée aux First nation. les produits sont vraiment différents mais terriblement chers. Nous faisons notre repérage et gardons nos coups de cœur en tête pour une prochaine journée shopping.
Nous retournons à West End en prenant un petit bateau Aquabus, chose très courante à Vancouver apparemment.
En Colombie Britannique la différence de température est elle vraiment énorme?
BOnjour,
Nous sommes toujours en contact avec des amis au New Brunswick qui pendant qu'il pelletait la neige en gros manteaux. Nous étions en train de jardiner en petit polo avec un grand soleil. Je crois bien 10 degrés tout au plus.
Stanley Park, une brise de verdure à coté de la ville
Stanley Park, une immense étendue de faune et flore qui côtoie l'urbanisme.C'est un endroit bien connu des Joggers surtout les femmes , cyclistes, touristes. Tout le monde se donne rendez vous à Stanley Park.
L'appartement que nous quittons se trouve environ à 20/30 min à pied grand maximum. Autant dire que nous y retournons plusieurs fois. Emilie qui était si impatiente de voir des ratons laveurs, en a pour son grade. Nous en apercevons plusieurs aux alentours du Lost Lagoon, leur territoire bien connu de tous. C'est sans mal que nous les approchons, qu'ils se baladent tranquillement le long du sentier, ou même s'amusent à traverser le petit courant d'eau. Nous prenons le temps de les observer à chaque fois que ces petits rongeurs croisent notre route. Notre présence ne les gêne pas le moins du monde, ils continuent leur chemin sans se soucier de nous.
L'occasion nous est même offerte de s'asseoir sur un banc face à un héron situé à moins d'un mètre. Méfiant, puis confiant. Il s'abreuve et continue sa petite vie. Canards, bernaches et goélands sont également de la partie, l'étang étant situé tout près de la mer.
Nous effectuons plusieurs balades à Stanley park, notre première journée est dédiée à la découverte des totems et du seawalk.
Nous entrons donc dans le parc, nous longeons la mer et arrivons à une intersection permettant de contempler les totems des first nation. Nous prenons une pause et mangeons un petit bout avant de poursuivre notre balade. Pour chaque totem, un panneau indique les animaux représentés et parfois il y a une explication sur la signification du totem. Nous analysons chaque totem et essayons de deviner les animaux sculptés au fur et à mesure.
Les animaux sculptés sont les orques.. les hommes..la grenouille. ..l'ours...très amusant de chercher à les distinguer.
Nous continuons notre balade sur le seawalk. Le chemin se divise en deux sections égales, une destinée aux piétons et la seconde pour les cyclistes. Nous marchons en contournant la montagne et en longeant la mer. Nous profitons du soleil et de la vue ! Nous découvrons sur notre chemin un petit phare rouge et blanc et assistons au coucher du soleil sur la plage.
Nous effectuons une autre balade mais cette fois en direction du Prospect Point. Il s'agit du point le plus haut du parc, duquel nous obtenons une vue sympa sur l'océan Pacifique et le pont Lion Gate Bridge.
En chemin, nous nous arrêtons aux alentours de Beaver Lake où nous nous trouvons sur un petit pont avec des oiseaux tout autour. Nous tendons nos mains et nous découvrons avec étonnement que les petits oiseaux s'y posent. Nous retentons l'expérience plusieurs fois et continuons notre chemin en quête du lac. Nous profitons d'un banc au soleil en compagnie des canards pour pique niquer.
La montée vers le prospect point s'avère plutôt agréable, sous le couvert des arbres le vent ne nous atteint pas et la forêt est très imposante. Nous arrivons à notre destination et profitons d'un instant pour visiter la boutique de souvenirs. Rien de très intéressant mais par curiosité c'est toujours sympa de faire les boutiques. Le prospect point ne nous transcende pas, nous apprécions la vue et repartons en direction de la forêt. De nouveau à coté de la mer nous nous installons confortablement sur un banc en face du coucher du soleil et profitons de l'instant.
C'est ce moment là que choisissent Regis et Arnaud pour se balader eux aussi et nous les rencontrons donc.
Pour les remercier de leur acceuil, ce sera japonais ce soir. Nous goutons des japonais vraiment cheap et tellement yummy. L'enseigne s'appele même : Yummy to go !
Nous prenons une bière dans un pub avant tout cela. L'ambiance est agréable ! Les soirées sur Vancouver se terminent pour nous.
Nous nous revoyons de toute façon sur l'île pour voir des baleines. Nous l'espérons et aussi pour qu'il nous apprenne à faire du surf. Nous les attendons donc avec impatience!
Nous sortons du centre ville pour nous diriger vers des coins plus reculés. Afin de parvenir à ces endroits, nous prenons différents types de bus, dont certains sont reliés par des câbles comme nos tramways. Notre première expédition en transport en commun se passe plutôt bien. Les lignes de bus ne sont pas très explicites, c'est pour cette raison que nous trouvons le musée après deux changements. Nous nous retrouvons donc à la cité universitaire ( University Of British Columbia) , le terminus de notre bus.
Nous nous trouvons dans un campus qui a la taille d'une ville où de nombreux étudiants gagnent leur classe par groupe. Nombreux sont ceux qui sont vêtus de tshirt de leur campus.
Après avoir suivi plusieurs panneaux indicatifs, nous découvrons le MOA : Museum of Anthropology. La raison pour laquelle nous sommes venus. Nos amis français nous le recommandent vivement.
Celui ci abrite de nombreux totems first nation plutôt récents.
Nous découvrons également de nombreux objets du quotidien, comme la vaisselle, les boites de rangement de tout type. Nous sommes impressionnés par la hauteur des totems et la dextérité des artisans qui ont créé ces immenses sculptures en bois.
En plus du département consacré aux first nation, le musée possède une collection impressionnante d'objets du monde. Des masques du Japon en passant par ceux d'Afrique, nous faisons le tour du monde en quelques rayons !
La MOA est trés riche, notre seul regret concerne l'ancienneté des totems ou sculptures des premières nations canadiennes. Rares ne sont pas les objets qui datent du 20 ième siècle. Assez impressionnant quand nous savons que ces peuples furent les premiers à être présents dans ce qui est maintenant le Canada.
Au derrière du musée, vous pouvez vous balader librement près de reconstitution de maisons first nations, ainsi que le long de différents totems. C'est d'ailleurs ici que nous voyons des mariés se faire prendre en photos. C'est vrai que le cadre est bien beau. Beau souvenir de mariage. Emilie réussit même à trouver des restes de paillettes dans des petits sacs oubliés :D
Nous nous dirigeons à présent vers un musée situé à Richmond.Pour y accéder nous retournons dans le downtown en bus et prenons le Skytrain, il s'agit du métro aérien de Vancouver.
Ce musée est classé parmi les lieux historiques nationaux, nous n'aurons donc pas à payer le ticket d'entrée car nous disposons du pass découverte.
" Gulf of Cannery" raconte l'histoire d'un conserverie de poissons comme le saumon ou le hareng. De la récupération du saumon à sa mise en boite. Vous pouvez suivre le déroulement de la fabrication.
Vous êtes rapidement mis dans l'ambiance.
Plusieurs espaces sont mis à disposition, vous accédez à une usine de production de saumon en boite, une autre partie du musée explique la fabrication de l'huile de hareng et ainsi de suite. Les panneaux explicatifs nous montrent les différents procédés pour attraper du poisson.
Vous pouvez même accéder à la cabine du chef dans une reproduction d'un petit bateau et lire des témoignages d'anciens marins.
À Richmond, nous trouvons également le temple bouddhiste appelé International Buddhist Society .
De nombreux bouddhistes sont présents à notre arrivée. Nous nous faisons discrets devant leur prière et la cérémonie qu'ils entament. Les jardins sont juste magnifiques et les bâtiments nous font oublier que nous sommes au Canada. L'encens parvient à nos narines. .
Des statues géantes dorées nous entourent et nous regardent attendant nos offrandes comme celles qui se trouvent à leurs pieds. Nous y voyons de nombreux fruits. .fleurs et tout autre denrée. Un panneau prévient même, évitez de poser de la viande. . !
Et finalement, pourquoi ne pas voir de plus près Vancouver Island ?
Ça y est il est l heure pour nous de quitter le continent. Après un petit au revoir à nos amis français. Nous partons vers Twawassen pour rejoindre le ferry.
Nous prenons donc le ferry vers 11h. Nous n'attendons pas moins de 10 minutes sur la file 40 avant d'embarquer.
La voiture et les deux passagers sont prêts à embarquer pour une heure et demi de traversée pour un coût de 82 dollars.
Toujours l'excitation de voir des animaux marins nous poussent à rester sur le ponton mais rien n’apparaît devant nos yeux. De beaux paysages certes, des hydravions qui décollent et se posent vers les iles qui nous entourent et que nous dépassons.
Ça y est, il est l'heure. Les hauts parleurs intiment aux conducteurs des voitures de descendre se préparer pour sortir. Notre première arrivée sur l’île. Nous sommes attendus dans les environs de Victoria par la famille de canadiens pour un petit mois sous forme de Helpx. Au programme, divers projets de jardins tout en s'occupant des enfants, de la maison.. Rien de bien compliqué par rapport à ce que nous avons déjà réalisé.
Un petit test d'avoir des enfants et vivre cette expérience avant d'en avoir. Ahaha :D
C'est avec plaisir que je continue de vous suivre.. Merci de partager encore! Je sais que vous allez aimer l'Ile de Vancouver, c'est un bel endroit et très nature!
Hey ! Nous sommes maintenant à la frontière des USA mais le wifi n'est pas souvent disponible ou pour un court moment. Je tente tout de même le pc m'indique 10% de batterie :)
Vivre en communauté dans une famille canadienne.. sur le mois de Mars
Nous y voilà sur l’île de Vancouver. Nous choisissons d’un commun accord d’aider une famille dans leur quotidien.
Travis, Sarah, Tyee et Kodiac nous accueille donc dans leur demeure, une grande propriété non loin de la mer. Le voisinage y est sympa et les balades agréables. Ils possèdent un poulailler d’une quinzaine d’animaux, un canard et un chien nommé Bandit.
Sarah reste à la maison et nous l’aidons dans ses taches quotidiennes. Son mari Travis travaille la semaine, mais effectue le jardinage et les travaux d’extérieur le week end.
Ce couple possède un style de vie très sain mais pas à la portée de toutes les bourses.encore moins des nôtres qui sont en voyage . Ils mangent une importante quantité de légumes et nous y découvrons de nombreuses de recettes délicieuses et inconnues. Nous mangeons de la viande ou du poisson deux fois par semaine.
Sarah se révèle être une cuisinière pleine de créativité, nous goûtons donc des muffins au chocolat réalisé avec de l’avocat. Travis pour sa part, connait de nombreuses choses sur la nature. Il a eu l’occasion de vivre dans les bois pendant deux ans / 3 ans et y a appris beaucoup. Il a d’ailleurs construit une maison dans un arbre pour ses enfants.
Nous réussissons à nous adapter et à faire partie de la famille très rapidement. Kodiac, 7 mois, nous accepte tout de suite quant à Tyee, nous devenons amis après 24h !
La nature est très présente, le jardin dispose d’un potager et nous profitons des nombreux oiseaux habitant dans les arbres alentours. En somme de petits oiseaux comme le woodpecker.
Mais aussi des oiseaux moins communs en France comme les humming bird (colibri). Alexander reste au moins une heure devant à tenter de les prendre en photo et il réussit avec quelques beaux clichés comme cela.
Nous effectuons un peu de jardinage où nous nous employons à remplir les futurs potagers de terreau et de composte.
Nous effectuons notre premier barbecue de l’année sur l’île de Vancouver autour d’un bon feu de bois ! En effet, le week end est l’occasion de se retrouver avec la famille et les amis, en mangeant un bon hamburger maison avec des « French Fries » (frites)
Voici donc notre nouvel ami, nous allons tous les jours à la plage promener Bandit. Monsieur a droit à quelques exercices ! Emilie en profite pour faire son jogging avec son nouveau compagnon.
Un week end, Travis nous présente les ruches et les abeilles. Nous nous équipons de combinaison et de gants. Chaque ruche dispose d’une reine et de plusieurs cadres. Les abeilles créent les alvéoles en cire sur le cadre. Une ruche dispose de 5 à 7 cadres et les cadres situés sur les cotés contiennent du miel tandis que les cadres au milieu de la ruche retiennent les œufs qui deviendront de nouvelles abeilles. Chaque abeille a un rôle précis et une ruche ne peut pas survivre sans reine.
Pour chaque cadre, nous vérifions les œufs et le miel. Nous regardons également sur les abeilles paraissent en bonne santé. Cette expérience est vraiment impressionnante !
Travis nous parle à propos des animaux totems. Chacun de nous en possède un. Une légende First Nation raconte que les animaux voulant responsabiliser les humain ayant tout récemment découvert le feu. Ils décidèrent que chacun d’entre eux aurait un lien intime avec les humains.
L’anniversaire de Sarah tombant pendant notre séjour, nous décorons la table avec nos animaux totems en guise de marque place.
Grace au poulailler, la famille dispose d’oeufs frais tous les jours. Quand ils en ont trop ils proposent à leur voisin d’en profiter.
Quelle nouvelle en apprenant au matin que 10 des poules sont mortes et qu’il faut bouger leurs corps. Très peu habitué à voir la mort de près, le spectacle est navrant. La nature, nous direz vous. l’origine de ce massacre est due à une mink (vison).
Cette petite bête ne garde que les têtes pour démarrer. Nous entreprenons avec Travis de concocter un piège pour la récupérer et finalement elle finit par y tomber.
A Il faut savoir qu’elle ne reste pas vivante longtemps, elle finit dépecée par Alexander ( avec l’aide de Travis) et séchée. Pauvre petite bête, Alexander n’en mène pas large mais finit l’ouvrage du sang plein les mains, et la peau prête à l’emploi.
« Vous me direz que le dîner arrivé, l’appétit vient en mangeant. Je vous dis et affirme que cela est faux :) »
Nous effectuons une sortie pour découvrir les environs de cette ville. Il se trouve que lorsque nous faisons nager le chien sur les rives de l’océan. Nous apercevons un phare..mais aussi des étoiles de mers..des loutres..
Piqué par la curiosité, nous interrogeons nos hôtes à propos de ce phare. Il s’agit du phare Fisgard qui guide les bateaux pour rentrer au port. Celui ci est collé à un fort nommé Fort Rodd Hill. Cet ancien fort fut utilisé durant la seconde guerre mondiale. Il est imposant et nous passons bien 1 à 2h à nous balader dans les différents parcours guidés.
Nous accédons à la plage et nous rencontrons un oiseau pas si commun. Un oiseau qui court sur la plage, en faisant un bruit vraiment particulier. Il s’avère qu’il s’agit d’un pluvier kildir. Cet animal a la particularité, après des recherches, de feinter d’être blessé pour protéger son nid.
Mais ce n’est pas tout, un regard d’un oeil rouge éclatant nous observe en se rapprochant du phare. Il nous voit et continue de chercher son prochain repas. Cet huîtrier nous fait le plaisir de rester sur la berge pendant bien 30 minutes.
Et le voici enfin ce phare, vous pouvez vous y introduire par une porte que le vent rabat rapidement. Très bien guidé, et illustré, vous en apprenez plus sur les différents phares qu’il existe, les personnages qui y ont séjournés et les naufrages qui eurent lieu.
Retour à la maison, les préparatifs et les au revoir sont au gout du jour. Nous sommes fins prêts à partir quand soudain la voiture ne démarre pas. .Catastrophe, aucun moyen..Finalement, nous appelons une dépanneuse qui vient nous remorquer jusqu’au garage de Victoria où la famille a l’habitude de faire les réparations. Encore une fois disposant de la carte CAA, en BC, ( BCAA) que nous recommandons lorsque vous acquérez un véhicule, cela nous est gratuit. Aucun papier à signer seulement.
Nous en profitons pour visiter la ville de Victoria sans payer le parking. Victoria dispose d’un centre ville et d’une marina très attractive. Très facile de s’y déplacer à pied, cette ville a du charme. Nous décidons donc de partir en direction du quartier chinois..une rue principale est indiquée dans les guides..la rue qui autrefois fut coupe-gorge pour ce qui l’empruntait. Assez étroite, rien de très spectaculaire.
Nous continuons et descendons près de la marina où se trouve un office du tourisme. Nous continuons notre chemin et rencontrons quelques marchands ambulants de produits faits mains ou quelques musiciens.
Nous finissons notre balade sur l’apparition devant nos yeux du Legislative Building de Victoria. La reine est bien évidemment présente sous forme de statue et un rappel du Commonwealth nous est fait. Les pays sont nombreux.
Nous récupérons notre véhicule en payant tout de même 300 dollars à ce garage et repartons nous reposer pour partir le lendemain vers le Nord de l’île.
Tofino et Ucluelet, un week end extraordinaire > Du 16 au 18 mars.
Comme vous le savez notre point de chute se révèle Victoria chez des locaux. Nous partons aujourd’hui pour 3 jours à l’aventure, sur l’île de Vancouver avec nos amis de Vancouver City !
Nous prenons la route en direction de Nanaimo pour récupérer les loulous au ferry pour 10h. Nous avons une heure et demi de route pour y parvenir. Une fois arrivé, nous payons 1 dollar pour garer la voiture pour 30 minutes et pour aller chercher nos compagnons. Ils feront la route à l’arrière du van installés sur les banquettes, que demandez de mieux !
Nous effectuons plusieurs étapes sur la route. Le marché » Goats on the roof » est très réputé, les chèvres s’y baladent sur le toit les jours de week end.
Nous nous baladons dans l’établissement qui fournit de la nourriture de tous les pays à des prix intéressants. Beaucoup de produits tournés vers le bio, et même la possibilité d’y manger directement ce que vous avez acheté. Les saveurs nous tournent la tête mais les prix nous font remonter à la surface de la réalité.
Nous reprenons la route en direction de Little Qualicum Falls » où nous effectuons une balade à la recherche des chutes dont nos hôtes nous ont parlé. Nous mangeons dans ce lieu un petit nique ensemble.
Après cette petite promenade de santé, nous nous dirigeons à présent vers Ucluelet. En effet, notre équipement de surf nous y attend pour une après midi riche en émotion. Une fois le van paré de nos planches de surfs, nous nous dirigeons vers la plage de Wickaninnich.
C’est donc l’ancien professeur de surf de notre couple d’amis qui nous loue les planches de surf pour 24h pour un coût de 30 dollars par personne avec l’équipement adéquat bien évidemment.
Il s’appelle Hendi, et nous attend pour nous donner le matériel. Ensuite, il ferme et retourne chez lui car sa principale activité donc ses principaux revenus se font en été et non en hiver !
Armés de notre matériel, et les planches mises sur le toit du van. Nous partons vers la plage Wa, la plage où nos amis ont appris et où ils nous donnent des conseils pour pratiquer le surf pour la première fois.
Les conseils sont rudimentaires mais nous permettent de comprendre et de pratiquer un petit temps sur le sable.
A traîner dans l’eau pour se remettre sur la planche et affronter des vagues plus fortes les unes que les autres. . Je me ramasse la planche dans la tête … dans les genoux. .à me faire tomber à quatre pattes dans l’eau, car ça reste douloureux.
Mais après deux heures, nos pieds et mains sont gelés. Nous sortons, nous séchons et retournons à la voiture.
A notre surprise, les toilettes sont fermés.. nous devons enlever les combinaisons et nous changer avec les moyens du bord.
Une fois fait, tout le monde a table.Un bon risotto prépare par Arnaud nous attend. Nous nous attablons à 4 dans le van. Convivial à souhait, nous discutons..puis nous décidons de retourner sur la plage pour assister au spectacle étoilé qui s’offre à nous. Géant, aucune lumière aux environs..nous les voyons avec grande clarté. Nous distinguons même la constellation du scorpion.
Il est l’heure de repartir sur Tofino pour dormir. Nos amis dorment dans un air bnb quant à nous dans le van juste devant leur habitation.
Le lendemain, nous nous réveillons. A peine habillés que quelqu’un vient taper à la vitre. Pas d’inquiétude ce ne sont que Régis et Arnaud qui partent prendre le petit déjeuner à l’extérieur. Le temps pour nous de prendre le notre.
Nous sommes attendus à Tofino pour un whale watching avec la compagnie Jamies. Nous disposons d’un bon Groupon, nous pouvons monter sur un zodiac pour 60 dollars par personne. Pas si cher pour une telle expérience.
Nous devons payer tout de même 6 dollars par personne. Une obligation pour nous de passer à la banque retirer du liquide car la carte Mastercard française ne passe pas dans les magasins ou atm depuis que nous sommes en Colombie Britannique.
Ca y est l heure est arrivée, nous sommes invités à enfiler des combinaison rouge et gants pour le froid et au cas où nous serions noyés.
Nous nous dirigeons vers le zodiac. Première fois pour tous deux, nous montons devant.
La traversée est mouvementée, l’occasion de ressentir les vagues et parfois de les casser. Sur le chemin, nous apercevons un aigle royal près de son nid. Pas trop près pas trop loin, le spectacle est agréable.
Nous parcourons les eaux, la mer..une sea otter, loutre de mer se prélasse à notre passage. Assez amusant, elle finit par nous remarquer et s’enfuit dans les fonds marins.
C’est parti pour plus d’une demi heure à scruter les eaux à la recherche d’une quelconque créature. Le conducteur nous rassure en nous assurant qu’elles sont très timides.
C’est alors qu’un cri d’un des passagers du zodiac nous informe qu’il a vu un geyser. Les baleines sont en vue. Petit spectacle en douceur. . Des queues..des dos de baleines font surface de l’eau mais ne vous attendez pas à ce qu’elle saute, c’est assez rare.
Les mouvements lancinants de la mer commencent à m’attaquer, le mal de ventre se fait sentir. Mais laissons ce petit problème de côté, ce spectacle ne se présente pas tous les jours
Une voix sur la radio annonce que des killers whales (orques) sont visibles près du rivage. Contrairement aux baleines, ces animaux sont bien plus actifs. C’est ce que nous allons voir, le zodiac repart de plus belle. Les orques nous accueillent par un saut hors de l’eau qui nous surprend agréablement.
Superbe, l’orque n’est pas seul. Ils sont bien quatre au minimum à nous faire un véritable show. Ils passent même tout près de nous, dessous le bateau pour réapparaître.
Merci à la nature pour ce spectacle dont nous rappellerons. Le zodiac repart, la sortie est finie.
Un petit café offert par la compagnie nous permet d’échanger sur ce moment mémorable.
Nous déposons les planches et entreprenons de faire des randonnées dans les chemins préparés à cet effet dans les forêts de la réserve de la Pacific Rim. Ils ne sont pas si long que cela et ont la particularité que vous vous déplacez sur des passerelles.
Le premier que nous empruntons se déroule dans la Rain Forest, une forêt humide où nous pensons nous trouver dans la jungle. Ils ne manquent plus que les animaux adéquats. Émilie quant à elle cela lui fait penser aux forêts interdites, très creepy.
Mais ce n’est pas fini car nous en voulons encore, nous partons vers la Long Beach » où se trouve un gros rocher nommé « le Rocher Incinerator ». Nous pouvons l’escalader, il n’est pas bien haut. Nous disposons d’une belle vue sur la mer et les montagnes environnantes.
Nous parcourons la plage, il fait bien beau. Des aigles royals partent pêcher, génial. Nous restons bien une heure à faire les paparazzis des aigles à courir après pour prendre la meilleure photo.
L’anse de Schooner se destine à être notre dernière balade. Nous parcourons rapidement le chemin, la nuit ne va pas tarder à tomber. Nous arrivons sur une plage plus isolée où nous avons la chance d’observer des anémones de différentes couleurs ainsi que de petits animaux marins..crabes..crevettes sont de la partie.
Nous espérons que vous aurez aimé le voyage avec la compagnie Nightmare et nous vous espérons à bord »font partie des mots que nous échangeons avec nos amis avant leur départ vers le continent.
salut,
Ca fait un ptit moment que je suis votre périple mais je n'étais encore jamais intervenu!! Bon ben maintenant c'est fait!! 😛.
Je vois que vous profitez pleinement du Canada et surtout vous en faites profiter les autres VFistes grâce à ce CR, merci!
Si je peux me permettre un tout petit détail : les oiseaux de proie que vous avez photographiés ne sont pas des aigles royaux mais des Pygargues à tête blanche (symbole aviaire des USA), mais comme je l'ai dit c'Est un tout petit détail.
Bonne continuation de voyage et continuez à nous faire ''rêver''!
A votre ''décharge'' en anglais le pygargue à tête blanche se dit ''Bald Eagle'' (aigle chauve) et souvent on parle d'aigle à tête blanche au lieu de dire pygargue à tête blanche!!
C'était la minute scientifique du Dr Cyclopède 😛
Bonne continuation 😉
Notre escapade à la découverte de l’ île de Vancouver.
Nous gardons contact avec un couple de français que nous avons rencontrés au Fir River Ranch. Ces derniers se trouvent actuellement sur l’île, comme nous. Nous prenons donc l’initiative d’aller les retrouver chez leur nouveau hôte à Qualicum Beach. Hélène et Julien travaille donc actuellement dans une ferme d’alapacas et de lamas. L’endroit est vraiment beau et tous les animaux sont mignons. Nous prenons le temps de discuter un peu de leurs projets, leurs envies. Quelques heures plus tard, nous devons partir, destination Campbell River afin de trouver le Walmart pour y passer la nuit.
Campbell river :
La nuit se passe pour le mieux malgré quelques rebondissements pluvieux sur la carrosserie du véhicule.
Elk falls Provincial Park où se trouve un petit trail agréable par une journée ensoleillée. Le trail est en fait une boucle et nous ne découvrons aucune chute.
Un peu déçus, nous repartons vers la van. Quand soudain, nous apercevons des oiseaux peu communs, des martins pécheurs. Nous les observons le temps de prendre quelques clichés.
Nous profitons de notre après midi de libre à nous reposer dans le van, lecture, paperasse et détente dans les environs font partie du programme. Nous nous baladons sur le seawalk de Campbell River où la marée est bien basse. Nous marchons sur cette plage où de nombreux cormorans sont présents sur la même roche. Amusés, nous nous approchons..
nous finissons par reprendre la voiture et nous diriger vers un pont appelé "Discovery Pier" où les locaux viennent pécher leur repas.
Nous discutons avec des locaux qui viennent pécher tous les jours..une morue vient nous saluer mais trop petite elle retournera dans l'eau.Nous nous couchons tôt en prévoyant la visite du parc Strathcona pour demain.
Malheureusement, le lendemain s’annonce pluvieux pour toute la journée, nous effectuons quelques achats et continuons nos occupations. En effet, nous dormons depuis deux nuits déjà sur le parking du Walmart de Campbell River à coté duquel se trouve un petit centre commercial.
Nous ne nous laisserons pas avoir le lendemain. A 7h pétante, nous voici déjà sur la route en direction du fameux Strathcona PP. la journée s’annonce belle et ensoleillée.
Nous commençons par un point d’observation pour espionner des Elks, malheureusement pour nous aucun animal à l’horizon. Nous mangeons un peu et repartons en direction du trail le plus long prévu pour aujourd’hui. Sur le chemin longeant le lac Buttle, nous découvrons un panorama extraordinaire, le lac reflète comme un miroir les montagnes environnantes. Un spectacle à vous couper le souffle !
Le trail Bedwell (4heures) se trouve au bout d’un chemin de roches et de cailloux. Nous y arrivons avec quelques sueurs froides mais tout va bien. Nous démarrons ainsi ce chemin de randonnée qui nous permet de découvrir les hauteurs de la montagne.
Nous grimpons rapidement, le sentier est parfois difficile et plus nous avançons plus la neige se mêle à la partie.
Apres deux heures de marche intensives et la neige qui nous tombe dessus et nous fait glisser, nous décidons de rebrousser chemin. Le temps d’un petit encas, nous reprenons le chemin dans le sens inverse. Nous rencontrons un groupe de marcheurs sur notre chemin et sommes soulagés d’arriver à la voiture. Nous sommes trempés et fatigués, un bon repas chaud et nous repartons pour d’autres balades.
Nous reprenons le chemin et nous arrêtons et apercevons ce magnifique oiseau qui nous observe du coin de l’œil.
Auger point, petit chemin sans grand intérêt qui comprend une aire de pique nique ainsi qu’une plage cachée à l’abri des regards. Nous crions à plein poumons et savourons ce moment de liberté. " AWESOME"
Finalement sur le chemin, nous faisons face à un obstacle non prévu sur le chemin. En effet, un arbre énorme nous barre le passage. Nous escaladons et finissons ce chemin.
Le prochain et dernier trail de notre journée est le Lupin Falls. Une petite boucle de 800 mètres nous permet de nous étirer de notre marche de ce matin. Il fait beau, nos manteaux sèchent doucement et nous admirons des arbres gigantesques. Les chutes sont vraiment surprenantes.
Nous fermons la boucle et repartons ravis pour dormir sur le parking du Walmart le plus proche.
Le lendemain matin, nous nous levons tard et partons pour découvrir Cathedral Grove, un parc possédant les cèdres rouges les plus vieux du Canada dont certains sont là depuis presque milles ans à leur actif. Le parc est traversé par une route rapide et il comporte deux trails, un de chaque coté de la route.
Nous arrivons et commençons les chemins qui sont très peuplés. Cela nous est un peu désagréable donc nous fuyons les points attractifs pour découvrir la forêt.
L’odeur est vraiment agréable, et les arbres nous impressionnent par leur diamètre et leur grandeur. A vos narines, sentez à plein nez les odeurs boisés, de conifères...comme un parfum à l'air libre..
Nous mangeons des hots dogs chauffés à la poêle et nous nous dirigeons vers le Walmart de Nanaimo où nous passons une nuit calme.
La journée suivante, nous partons à Chemainus pour y découvrir les fameuses peintures murales de la ville. L’office du tourisme nous remet une carte nous permettant d’accéder à chacune des fresques murales. Elles sont aux nombres de 45.
Petit résumé sur l’histoire de Chemainus : une petite ville prospère par le commerce fait avec le bois..mais la crise la touche..comme de nombreuses autres villes au Canada.. Elle doit donc faire face..mais les fresques racontent aussi l'influence de migrants asiatiques chinois..japonais..et sont bien peintes.
La ville de Chemainus est très charmante, c’est comme si nous retournions quelques siècles en arrière. Les petites maisons ainsi que les commerces nous en donnent cette impression !
Nous nous baladons jusqu’à la plage, où nous sommes surpris de découvrir certains téméraires sortant de l’eau. ( un homme et son chien).
Certaines fresques nous dégagent tant de réalisme et d’originalité que nous sommes scotchés, d’autres sont moins impressionnantes mais toutes les peintures murales ont leur utilité, du souvenir des First Nation à l’emplacement de l’hôpital, chacune à une histoire à raconter.
Apres quelques heures de balade nous atteignons notre point de départ, il est temps de partir.
Nous retournons chez nos hôtes de Victoria..les freins de la voiture commencent à grincer. Une petite vérification s'impose pour que notre maison roulante ne devienne pas notre tombeau.
Travis et Sarah sont ravis de nous revoir et nous ouvre agréablement comme à de bons vieux amis. Nous discutons, rions, prenons le repas avec nos remplacants. A la bonne franquette !
Dans les environs du 13 Avril
Les adieux à la famille sont faits. Nous les quittons comme de bons vieux amis.
Nous reprenons le chemin du ferry au départ de Swart Bay. Une petite demi heure tout au plus de notre deuxième maison.
Le prix se révèle finalement 88 dollars pour Nightmare et nous deux. Contrairement au premier ferry que nous avons pris, celui du retour se trouve gigantesque. Sur la route, nous en profitons pour reprendre contact avec nos amis français de Vancouver.
Nous en profitons pour nous rendre à Stanley Park ou nous avons la chance de découvrir un petit raton laveur encore tout brun. Effrayé, il s'enfuit plutôt rapidement.
Dans la soirée, Emilie ayant une folle envie de makis de Vancouver, nous partageons un plateau et dormons chez eux.
Nightmare dort dans un parking pour 3 dollars la nuit. Au réveil, nous sommes prêts à partir mais la batterie est HS. Nous comprenons rapidement que l'interrupteur du frigo a été mis en marche et a pompe toute la batterie.
Emilie appelle BCAA qui nous connait bien maintenant et en moins d une demi heure. Notre dépanneur préfère vient nous donner du jus pour la batterie. En cinq minutes, nous repartons en direction des Rocheuses.
Un premier arrêt à un Wal Mart dans la ville d'Hope où nous décidons de découvrir des anciens tunnels qui ont permis à de nombreux voyageurs en train de rejoindre la partie Ouest du continent. Nous apprenons même que lorsque le train traversait les tunnels, il est de coutume de fermer les rideaux pour ne pas effrayer les voyageurs.
Amusés par ces anecdotes, nous nous y rendons. 3 voitures seulement sont sur le parking, et malheureusement pour de cause de "Hazard Stone Falls" ( Chutes hasardeuses de roches).. Nous ne pouvons pas le parcourir sans risque, mais le panorama de la rivière Coquihalla qui l'avoisine en vaut la peine.
Nous retournons à notre voiture tout de même penauds devant cette fermeture momentanée et reprenons la route pour rejoindre la ville de Merrit où notre bonne vieille enseigne Wal Mart nous accueille gratuitement sur son parking. Nous y dormons le soir même, épuisés par la route. Les conditions routières sont celles de la montagne. Elles changent rapidement passant du soleil à la grêle jusqu'au petits flocons de neige.
Le lendemain après midi, nous effectuons le plein d essence. Nous remontons vers la ville de Kamloops où nous cherchons à en apprendre plus sur le parc provincial de Wells Gray.
En effet l'office de tourisme du parc provincial de Wells Gray est fermé et donc certaines cartes pour se guider ne sont pas encore disponibles à cette période.
L'hotesse d'acceuil du visitor center nous offre donc une ancienne carte dont nous nous suffisons. Nous profitons de notre arrêt en ville pour vérifier la courroie mais finalement rien n est à signaler. Plus de peur que de mal.
Nous décidons d'un commun accord de rejoindre la ville de Clearwater. Un peu de route en évitant la 5 et en choisissant une route plus campagnarde qu'est la 5 A .
En à peine 1h30, nous l'atteignons en traversant vallées et ranchs disséminés un peu partout. La route se passe bien et nous voici aux portes de Wells Gray.
Nous nous dirigeons alors vers la ville de Valemount, où nous passons la nuit. Cette ville se trouve à mi chemin avec notre prochaine étape. Le sommeil ne se fait pas attendre.
Nous commençons notre périple avec le parc provincial Wells Gray. Nous y arrivons en fin de journée. Heureusement pour nous, il fait beau et nous avons le temps de contempler les 3 célèbres chutes du parc avant de passer la nuit dans un camping ouvert.
Spahats Falls : Impressionnante, cette chute qui sort tout droit du flan de la falaise.
Dawson Falls : Ces chutes sont sauvages et ressemblent beaucoup à celles du Niagara en version miniature.
Helmcken Falls : Au printemps, la chute continue de s'écouler et crée des contours de crème glacée hivernale
Nous y rencontrons 3 autres français qui campent eux dans leur tente. Nous préparons notre repas au dessus du feu pour notre première fois. Le feu ne tient pas longtemps, notre repas a quand même le temps de chauffer. Nous retrouvons nos amis après le repas pour discuter un peu. Ils ont effectué un voyage complètement différent du notre, de l’Amérique du Sud jusqu’au Canada. Nous échangeons sur nos différentes expériences et nous les quittons pour aller nous coucher.
Le lendemain, nous lavons nos casseroles et nous préparons pour une petite randonnée Placid Lake . La forêt nous semble abandonnée, les arbres bougent au grès du vent en émettant des bruits inquiétants. En arrivant au bout du chemin, nous rencontrons deux randonneurs qui nous annoncent que la fin du chemin est proche. Nous continuons surpris et découvrons un point de vue magnifique sur la vallée et les différentes montagnes. La vue est à coupée le souffle. Le temps de se reposer un peu, nous repartons ragaillardis. Nous arrivons à la voiture épuisés, 9kms à pied ça use, ça use !!
Le lendemain, nous nous levons tôt afin d'atteindre notre prochaine destination : le Mont Robson. Il est considéré comme le point culminant des Rocheuses.
Nous prévoyons une grosse randonnée pour aujourd'hui.
Notre première étape, le lac Kinney se trouve à 5 kms. Celui ci nous apparaît gelé et bleuté à certains endroits.
Nous poursuivons la randonnée en direction de la vallée des milles chutes en traversant un lac à sec et en entamant une ascension de la montagne. Cependant, la fatigue nous rattrape au 10ieme kms où nous rebroussons chemin mais nous gardons un bon souvenir.
La joie nous envahit quand nous retrouvons le van sur le parcours, 20 kms de marche derrière nous.
Nous rencontrons alors un couple d'allemand avec un bébé. Ils passent leurs vacances dans les Rockies pour une période de 4 semaines à bord d'un camping car. Ils nous apprennent que nous pouvons passer la nuit sur le parking sans avoir à payer, sachant que la saison touristique n'a pas commencé. Nous prenons un repos bien mérité.
Le lendemain, nous profitons de la présence de nos amis européens pour partager les informations et les bons plans que nous possédons. Nous nous dirigeons désormais vers Jasper, à leur suite.
La route vers Jasper est agréable. Une fois arrivés, nous récupérons des informations au visitor center où nous retrouvons nos amis allemands.
Nous sommes si impatients d'emprunter les fameux sentiers du parc national de Jasper que nous y allons de suite.
Nous partons en début d'après midi à la découverte du lac Maligne. Le chemin d'accès se trouve à quelques km de la ville et nous y trouvons de nombreux points d'intérêts.
Sur la route nous tombons nez à nez avec un groupe de mouflons d'Amérique.
Nous reprenons la route, enchantés de cette rencontre insolite et arrivons au bout. Nous entamons l'ascension du chemin Bald Hill nous permettant d'avoir une vue imprenable sur le lac. Le chemin est très enneigé et malgré notre volonté à toute épreuve, nous retournons sur nos pas.
Nous nous dirigeons de suite vers les autres chemins de randonnée. Une boucle autour du lac Moose enneigé également mais plus accessible. Celle ci nous permet d'ailleurs d'apercevoir le lac Maligne et de marcher sur la glace afin d'atteindre une île de laquelle nous avons une vue appréciable.
Après cette petite pause nous continuons notre chemin jusqu'au parking où nous apercevons un petit faisan?
Nous redescendons vers le lac Medecine à sec durant l'hiver et profitons du panorama que nous offre cette fin d'après midi.
Nous avons encore du temps avant la tombée du jour. Nous nous arrêtons au canyon Maligne. Les différents ponts nous permettent des points de vue différents. C'est vraiment magnifique !
Nous retournons à Jasper vraiment fascinés par la beauté des lieux lorsque nous découvrons des wapitis sur la route et les abords de celle ci.
Notre première journée à Jasper est riche en promesse !
Nous dormons sur un parking public dans la ville sans soucis.
Le lendemain, nous décidons de nous reposer un peu. Nous découvrons quelques boutiques de souvenirs. Rien de très intéressant, mais l'esprit des cowboys règne. La ville de Jasper est petite et charmante. Les chalets en bois entourent la ville et les boutiques sont minimalistes. Il n'y a pas de gros centre commercial et c'est tant mieux.
Au programme, découverte des lacs Anette et Edith. La couleur turquoise de ces lacs (non gelés) est extraordinaire. Découvrez par vous même.
Émilie se sent comme dans un conte de fées ! Nous profitons d'un endroit à l'abri des regards indiscret pour nous laver les cheveux . C'est sûrement le shampoing le plus froid de toute notre vie !
La journée est loin d'être terminée, c'est pourquoi nous nous dirigeons désormais vers les lacs Pyramid et Patricia. Ces lacs non plus ne sont pas gelés.
Nous nous rendons au lac le plus éloigné. Le lac Pyramid dispose d'une petite île sur laquelle on peut se rendre via un pont prévu à cet effet.
Nous apprenons que des loups transitent par l'île, mais nous n'en voyons pas.
Nous passons devant le lac Patricia et apprécions la vue. Notre prochaine et dernière destination de la journée est le marécage de Cottonwood.
D'après les informations du visitor center des castors vivent dans ce lieu. Après quelques efforts nous découvrons la maison des castors. Nous restons silencieux et notre patience est récompensée.
Nous voyons des formes bouger dans l'eau. Au moment où les castors s'apprêtent à sortir une bernache mécontente de notre présence se met à crier, ce qui effraie nos amis rongeurs. Nous repartons donc satisfaits mais déçus de ne pas les avoir observé en activité.
Pour nous récompenser de nos efforts de cette journée bien remplie, nous nous offrons un burger dans un pub animé.
Sur le chemin, au bord du chemin de fer nous rencontrons des wapitis en plein repas. Ils ne sont pas effrayés ni par les passants ni par les voitures.
Nous nous endormons d'un sommeil de plomb. Pour une journée de repos, nous en avons fait des choses !
Dans les environs du 20 au 21 Avril 2015
Notre première découverte de cette route des glaciers se révèle les chutes d'Athabasca. Impressionnantes, elles coulent sur différents étages. Vous avez même la possibilité de découvrir un ancien canyon où l'eau a coulé. Une petite descente dans le canyon et vos yeux peuvent apercevoir la rivière Athabasca couler en contrebas.
Le printemps est là, et les fleurs commencent tout doucement à s'ouvrir ! Rassurant après cet hiver interminable.
Les chutes de Sunwapta coulent dans un canyon protégé par d'étranges corbeaux sur le parking !
Au départ, difficile d'être ému par ces chutes comparés à ce que nous avons eu l'occasion d'admirer. Mais, prenez le temps de descendre jusqu'aux chutes inférieures..les teintes de l'eau vous raviront comme elles nous ont ravis.
Première étape de la route des glaciers :
La vallée des cinq lacs se visite par un petit trail assez court d'une heure où nous découvrons au détour d'un pont des cerfs mulets reconnaissables à leurs longues oreilles (comme celles des lapins) ainsi qu'un chipmunk assez curieux de notre présence !
La récompense de faire le trail quand le crépuscule s'annonce. Les animaux sont moins farouches et sont visibles plus facilement. Beaucoup de montées et de descentes..mais les lacs nous offrent de belles couleurs non glacées !
Icefiled Center.
Une fois que nous atteignons ce point, tout commence à devenir enneigé et les flocons de neige sont de la partie. Nous comprenons rapidement que nous pouvons remettre les bonnets et les gants que nous avions déjà rangés.
Nous tentons tout de même d'obtenir de l'information dans un visitor center que l'équipe d'informations à Jasper nous ont conseillé de consulter avant de faire les trails. Mais, arrivés sur place, nous apprenons qu'ils seront seulement ici à partir du 9 mai.
Devant l'Icefield Center se trouve le glacier Athabasca à peine visible avec la tempête de neige qui semble s'y produire. Nous commençons tout de même à nous en rapprocher suivis ensuite par deux, trois voitures.
Le Front du Glacier et une petite boucle sur le début du glacier sont possibles. Nous apprenons que le glacier recule de plus en plus, et que d'ici 100 ans il devrait disparaître. Outch ! Nous entreprenons de monter à travers la neige et le terrain boueux...le chemin est absent et recouvert de neige. Nous suivons la route qui est barrée et nous guidons aux panneaux qui semblent se trouver sur un parking. Arrivés au parking, le trail passe par un pont métallique..des panneaux d'informations s'y trouvent.. nous continuons. Face à nous la neige, et la tempête nous frappe le visage, difficile d'y voir clair. Nous voyons par contre les barrières informant de crevasses, nous suivons le sentier. Tintin au Tibet à la recherche du Yeti se révèle notre impression en moins préparé !! Ahah !
Nous quittons cet endroit émerveillés mais transis de froid. Nous continuons à descendre la route des glaciers vers notre prochaine randonnée : le col Wilcox.
Ce trail, nous l'entamons avec joie dans l'espoir de découvrir des animaux comme des chèvres des montagnes ou des mouflons.. nous ne voyons que leurs excréments. L'allée du chemin est vraiment dur car nos pieds s'enfoncent dans plus de 15 cm de neige. Il est tellement compliqué que lorsque nous cherchons à sortir nos jambes de la neige parfois celles ci sont retenues par la glace.
Nous choisissons de continuer tout de même jusqu'au premier point de vue. Le retour ..est rapide en 1h tout au plus. Nous n'en pouvons plus..sans raquettes ou chaussures à crampons..les randonnées en terrain neigeux ne sont pas pour nous.
Nous prenons du temps pour manger quelque chose de chaud, et faire sécher nos vêtements mouillés par la neige fondue. Nous reprenons le chemin sous un soleil éclatant..le maudissant de ne pas être apparu plutôt. Nous nous arrêtons de temps en temps pour prendre en photos des points de vue.
Tous les lacs sur notre route sont gelés..Le printemps reste de l'hiver ! Même le lac Peyto où nous avions prévu de randonner s'avère gelé et en territoire avalancheux. Autant vous dire que nous ne faisons pas long feu et continuons notre route.
Nous profitons de la seule station essence sur la route des glaciers pour nous arrêter et vérifier le niveau de l'essence. Il est bon et nous permet de continuer car ici l'essence est au prix de celui de la France. :O ( j'exagère)
Nous en apprenons tout de même un peu plus sur la rivière Saskatchewan Nord que de nombreux animaux empruntent en quête de nourriture. En effet dans ces vallées, rien ne glace et la neige n'y est pas présente car le terrain n'est pas assez humide. Les indiens le savaient, et le savent toujours, ce terrain foisonne de gibiers potentiels !
Le Lake Louise est un vaste complexe touristique contrairement à ce que nous attendions. Gelé, la règle des lacs au printemps n'échappe pas au Lake Louise voyons. Nous marchons un peu mais sans trop nous attarder, enviant les personnes qui le verront en été :) ! (Régis et Arnaud par exemple)
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Nous continuons la route vers Banff , faisons le plein et partons dans les rues que nous avons repéré sur Google Street. Formidable, une place nous attend au chaud. Bonne nuit !
Nous profitons d’une bonne nuit de sommeil réparateur et d’un bon petit déjeuner et nous nous dirigeons vers le visitor center pour prendre des informations sur l’accessibilité des trails que nous avions prévu de faire. Nous y retrouvons le couple d’allemand rencontré à Mont Robson. Nous prenons le temps de discuter et bien sur, nous nous renseignons sur les trails à effectuer aux alentours.
Nous nous reposons pour le reste de la journée. Nous en profitons pour découvrir un peu le centre ville et découvrons amusés que chaque rue a le nom d’un animal du coin. Par exemple, le moose street, squirel street et wolf street. Nous remarquons rapidement que la ville est plus commerciale et plus urbaine que sa voisine Jasper. En effet, un grand centre commercial trône au milieu de la rue piétonne et les fasts foods sont disposés de part et d’autre de celui-ci ! Nous revenons à la civilisation !
Le jour suivant, nous partons pour Cave and Basin. Il s’agit d’une source d’eau chaude découverte autrefois par les indiens. Ils lui conféraient des propriétés magiques. 3 frères crurent découvrir la source et l’exploitèrent à des fins thermales.
Le musée est composé de trois espaces distincts. Le premier espace nous explique l’histoire du bassin. L’utilisation du bassin par les indiens, la découverte par les 3 frères et la particularité du bassin qui abrite une espèce rare d’escargot, d’où l’interdiction de se baigner dedans. La grotte nous mène au fameux bassin, un mince filet de lumière nous permet de distinguer les couleurs et le charme du bassin. L’odeur y est par contre très forte, pour vous donner une idée cela sent un peu comme de l’œuf pourri.
Nous restons dans la grotte un moment pour y apprécier le calme et la beauté du lieu et partons à la découverte de la dernière salle d’exposition. Celle-ci nous parle des différents lieux historiques se situant au Canada et l’espace d’une vidéo nous refaisons notre voyage à l’envers. Ce moment nous rappelle beaucoup de souvenir des lieux visités. Nous repartons mélancoliques et émus.
Nous dédions le reste de notre journée à la préparation du voyage aux USA.
Le lendemain, nous prévoyons une petite balade aux alentours du marais de Cave and Basin. Au début de la promenade, un serpent se frayant un chemin dans la terre nous surprend. Nous l’observons jusqu'à ce qu’il disparaisse dans la terre.
Nous continuons et découvrons des oiseaux dans les arbres. Nous rencontrons des groupes de touristes chevauchants des chevaux à la manière des cowboys. Nous poursuivons la route et entamons l’ascension du canyon …La montée est difficile à cause de la glace se trouvant sur le chemin. Nous persévérons mais après quelques mètres supplémentaires nous devons faire demi-tour car le chemin est trop dangereux. Nous retournons sur le marais et revenons tranquillement à la voiture, après avoir au passage profiter de cette vue agréable. Nous profitons du reste de la journée pour nous remettre de nos émotions.
Ca y est nous sommes bien reposés et bien préparés pour une nouvelle randonnée de bon matin. Celle-ci est possible en voiture mais nous préférons utiliser nos pieds. Voir des animaux en voiture ce n’est pas vraiment idéal. Un ragondin nous remercie de notre présence en se baladant devant nos yeux et en mangeant ce qu’il arrive à se mettre sous la dent. Au début, nous croyons voir un castor mais à la vue de sa queue..elle est bien trop fine.
Nous continuons notre chemin et apercevons de nombreux oiseaux ainsi que pour nous une première fois des chiens de prairie.
Ces petites bêtes sont nombreuses et poussent des cris en nous voyant approcher, cela ne les empêche pas de se lever sur leur patte et pour certains de laisser juste leur tête sortir du terrier.
La suite du programme nous emmène vers le lac Minnewanka, seulement la possibilité de prendre des photos après avoir roulé un moment. Mais, il le mérite, le panorama est magnifique.
Un petit casse croute, et nous voilà repartis pour un autre arrêt très court pour découvrir des formations rocheuses appelés joliment : les hoodos ou cheminées de fée. Assez déroutant dans un paysage si boisé, mais nous apprécions. Nous ne tentons pas la descente comme certains touristes !
La dernière étape de la journée se dessine, l’ascension du mont Tunnel qui surplombe la ville de Banff. Il est très dur, nous constatons notre fatigue, et avançons difficilement. Nous réussissons tout de même à grimper en haut pour obtenir le droit de s’asseoir dans 2 sièges rouges en face du panorama. En plein repos sur cette chaise, deux oiseaux, nous pensons un mâle et une femelle font leur apparition. De belles queues blanches et noires.., nous tombons sous le charme et effectuons un cliché.
La dernière journée à Banff et le dernier dodo dans la rue en face du Safeway (Martens, si vous cherchez).
La vallée de la Bow est un lieu où serpentent une route qui parfois se ferme pour permettre à la faune de s’épanouir seuls :p Ahhh ces humains !!
Nous prenons le temps de marcher voir le canyon Johnston avec ces chutes. Une petite et une plus haute, des passerelles vous y amène.
La première chute, nous en gardons un souvenir surtout car un petit spermophile cherche à manger quitte à venir renifler dans votre main. Il se montre très curieux, Emilie l’apprécie et émet même l’idée de l’emporter !
La dernière étape pour les plus courageux, ce sont les Ink Pots ( ou pots d’encre en français). Difficile d’accès, la neige et surtout les pentes glissantes sont toujours près de nous. Nous rencontrons même des marcheurs qui sont tombés et sont tâchés de boues qui nous préviennent que la glissade peut survenir à tout moment. Nous les atteignons finalement, de petits bassins d’eau où se forment des tâches d’encre. Le phénomène reste impressionnant, on aime ou on aime pas.
En revenant sur nos pas, nous apercevons un oiseau d’une taille assez impressionnante. Nous pensons reconnaître un martinet sombre mais finalement il s’agit d’un geai bleu huppé.
Nos derniers jours au Canada se passent à Okothok et à Pincher Creek. 2 endroits où se situent des parkings WaL Mart autorisant le overnight parking. Nous en profitons pour se reposer et pour préparer notre prochain pays : les USA. En effet, pas de temps à perdre, nous y prévoyons seulement 2 mois et demi tout au plus. Petit plaisir que l’on se fait, nous nous achetons des cordons bleus..souvenir de France :D.
Le parc national Watertons Lake est sur notre passage pour se rendre à la frontière qui sépare le Canada des Etats Unis. Nous nous renseignons et le parcourons rapidement en effectuant une petite randonnée.
En si peu de temps, nous assistons à un groupe d’élans ou wapitis qui sautent et courent dans la plaine. Amusants avec leur air très fier.
Par la suite, nous nous posons à un emplacement pique nique et une bonne dizaine de wapitis nous observent en se dorant la pilule certains dorment encore. Rappelons-le, il n’est que 9h, les lèves tard !
Nous profitons du calme et de la nature pour faire un shampoing rapide. Nous nous apprêtons à continuer notre route, lorsqu’ Alex remarque des animaux dans les montagnes. En effet, un groupe de mouflon d’Amérique descend à la recherche d’herbe fraiche. De plus, un animal reste seul en haut, avec l’aide du zoom, nous découvrons qu’il s’agit d’une petite chèvre des montagnes. Voila une journée qui commence bien.
J'ai ''découvert'' l'Ouest canadien par ton Compte rendu, fort intéressant et richement illustré!! Y'a plus qu'à y aller ''en chair et en os'' 😛
Bonne continuation de périple sur ''notre'' continent!
Salut Triade78,
C'est génial de vous lire, ça donne franchement envie de faire de même!!! :-) On se rend à Vancouver début du mois de février avec mon copain. On aimerait ensuite aller jusqu'à Montréal avec un Van comme vous en passant par les grands parcs nationaux, ... T'en penses quoi?? C'est faisable en hiver??? On souffrira pas trop du froid?
Merci pour ta réponse!!
Bisous
Salut Triade78,
C'est génial de vous lire, ça donne franchement envie de faire de même!!! :-) On se rend à Vancouver début du mois de février avec mon copain. On aimerait ensuite aller jusqu'à Montréal avec un Van comme vous en passant par les grands parcs nationaux, ... T'en penses quoi?? C'est faisable en hiver??? On souffrira pas trop du froid?
Merci pour ta réponse!!
Bisous
Hello,
L'hiver sera notre moment préféré de tout le voyage. C'était difficile et nous n'étions pas forcément bien préparés. On vous conseille pour en profiter pleinement. N'oubliez pas vos sacs de couchages bien résistants contre le froid car sous la couette ça pouvait cailler sec.
Après pour les balades dans les parcs nationaux, parfois avec l'hiver vous verrez des chemins fermés ou des bouts de parcs.., n'oubliez surtout pas vos surpantalons car nous étions en jean et ça chauffe. des bonnes bottes.
C'est faisable de le faire en hiver. Les couchsurfings nous ont bien aidé à affronter le froid parfois, et aussi les périodes passées en Helpx.
C'est possible, après on nous a mis en garde contre le risque de mourir de froid dans le van mais nous sommes revenus en France et bien vivants.
Voir ton souffle quand tu dors dans le van, dormir avec le bonnet, les écharpes :O ça restera mémorable. 😊
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!
Here we go with this second travel journal dedicated to the American West! It’s a must when you love it! 😊
We had left off in the charming town of Bisbee, which once thrived thanks to its copper mines. Today, mining is a thing of the past, and the town seems a bit sleepy.
Unfortunately, I didn’t dig deep enough on-site to answer all the questions my observations raised. Guess I’ll have to *dig* into the subject a bit more... no pun intended! 😊
Let’s hop back in the car and head a little further south to check out the esplanade that offers a view—if you can call it that—of the impressive open-pit mine.
Then, it’s off to the Lowell neighborhood.
Preserved almost exactly as it was, this area must’ve been bustling in its heyday. The vintage cars are still around, storefronts and signs look like they’re straight out of another era, and the whole place has a pretty amazing vibe. You’d almost think you were on Route 66!
Here, we’re not just discovering an old neighborhood—it’s a little slice of American history. And, a detail that’s great for my physical health: the area isn’t too spread out.
Lucky me! 😊
I won’t post too many photos here since I think I can turn them into a future photo exhibit. Between these and some shots from Route 66, I should have more than enough material! So, let’s keep a few under wraps... to preserve the surprise. 😊
So, a new year has begun. It’s time to reconnect with the VF buddies and wish you all my best for 2026—a year I hope is obviously full of travel, since, as I just made up:
"If travel’s good, everything’s good" 😄.
To celebrate, I’m inviting you into my new "travel journal," the one from our latest trip in November 2025, a little two-week adventure.
This time, we headed to The Gambia, a tiny country tucked right in the middle of Senegal, before making our way to Casamance.
The Gambia is English-speaking, Senegal is French-speaking, but the locals? They couldn’t care less—because in this part of the world, they mostly speak Wolof, Fula, Jola, or Mandinka.
Hence the title: Senegambia 😉.
As usual, I’m sharing the live updates I sent to friends and family—super casual, of course.
I know this isn’t the kind of destination that draws crowds, but if you love adventure, laughter, and emotion, it might just be your thing 😊.
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!!!
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
Off to Southern Africa again! This time, the trip wasn’t just about wildlife—it was also about the local cultures and the breathtaking landscapes Mother Nature has to offer. It was an emotional rollercoaster in every way, as you’ll see.
We visited two countries: Zambia, known for its reserves, and Malawi, which is less well-known but absolutely worth a visit. Our flight landed in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, where our vehicle was waiting—though with a 3-hour delay. It was a 4x4 without the rooftop tent this time, since we stayed in lodges (prices are very reasonable in Malawi). Just a heads-up: don’t exchange money at the airport or banks—the official rate was 1,750 Malawian kwacha to $1. On the black market, the rate was between 3,000 and 3,500 kwacha, making the cost of living much cheaper.
With that out of the way, our first stop was South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. The first hiccup came at the Malawi-Zambia border: we were missing a document the rental company had forgotten. After some back-and-forth, they sent it via WhatsApp ($20 to get it validated by the police). But things got worse—the car’s chassis number was off by one digit from the registered one. I thought our trip was over before it even started! After what felt like forever, we got through with a "tip" of $200. Total border crossing time: 3 hours, costing nearly $400. We arrived in South Luangwa after dark.
Thankfully, the next day made up for it with an incredible day in the park (check out the photos).
We spent two full days in South Luangwa before heading to Katete for the Kulamba ceremony.
Kulamba is an annual event held at the end of August, celebrating the Chewa people, who live across Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique. The Chewa king attends, and representatives from neighboring nations bring offerings. Thousands gather for dances, speeches, and a massive market. There are few tourists, making it a truly authentic experience.
After a few days in Zambia, we returned to Malawi (the border crossing this time was smooth—just 45 minutes). Next stop: Lake Malawi.
Lake Malawi covers over 20% of the country and stretches 580 km. It’s home to a family of fish called cichlids, some of which are endemic to the lake. I recommend taking a day trip from Cape Maclear for snorkeling and to watch the fishing eagles swoop down to catch fish.
We hit the road again to visit Liwonde Reserve, where we had a few surprises. The lodge was on the other side of the river that borders the park, and the elephants didn’t seem to care. On the way from reception to our rooms, elephants blocked our path, and one even charged just before the stairs leading to our treehouse-style rooms.
To top it off, monkeys ransacked our rooms, tearing through plastic bags for food. A mixed experience, but no real harm done.
Next up: the mountains, specifically the Mulanje Massif. This is where Malawi’s tea is grown, and it’s also a great spot for day hikes or multi-day treks. The scenery is stunning, though sometimes the mist rolls in and hides it.
After the mountains, we visited another reserve: Majete. The park is growing and now has more wildlife. We saw lions and even caught a fleeting glimpse of a leopard. And of course, the elephants got involved again—this time giving us a real scare.
During the morning game drive with a guide, we stopped to watch a herd of elephants feeding. Everything was fine until, for some reason, a female got spooked—probably for her calf—and positioned herself in front of us on the track. After a few minutes, we thought the elephants would move on, but then a young one started provoking us. The problem? We had females and calves in front of us, but also two large adult males—one behind us and one to the side.
We were trapped, and even our guide looked nervous. After what felt like an eternity (though it was only a few minutes), the herd finally moved on, freeing the track. That afternoon, we did a self-drive safari and—you guessed it—we had zero interest in running into elephants again.
The next day, we headed back to Lilongwe for our flight home. It was a fantastic, varied trip with some intense moments (sometimes *too* intense). Malawi offers amazing opportunities for those who want more than just wildlife reserves.
Alright, this year, we're heading back to South America!
The initial plan was to retrace the route we imagined in the summer of 2020: a trip to northern Argentina starting from Córdoba.
Unfortunately, the flight to Córdoba no longer exists, and airfares to Javier Milei’s country are both outrageously priced and involve multiple layovers.
So, I tweaked Google Flights every which way and finally found a flight within my budget—departing from Clermont-Ferrand!
Not to Argentina, though...
Our transatlantic flight will cross the snow-capped Andes, landing in Santiago, Chile, with a return from Lima!
In between, two domestic flights and a big road trip loop starting from the coastal city of Arica to explore the treasures of northern Chile.
Our mode of transport: a pseudo 4x4 that won’t take us through sand dunes or devilish tracks but will let us tackle the entire secondary network, including unpaved main roads, while still being insured.
Is the suitcase packed with all-season clothes?
Are the driver’s license and passport ready?
Bank cards and a few euros too?
Off we go for just over 3 weeks of southern wanderings!
--/--
To keep all my esteemed readers on track, here are a few maps outlining the Arica-Arica loop!
1- From Arica to San Pedro de Atacama via Pica and the Salar de Huasco
2- Around San Pedro
3- From San Pedro to Cariquima
4- From Cariquima to Putre
5 - From Putre to Arica
Gas stations in this part of Chile are located in Arica, Iquique, Pozo Almonte, Pica, Calama, and San Pedro de Atacama.
I hope this travel journal might interest some people, but since we were completely self-sufficient (tent, sleeping bag, pot, cooking over a wood fire…) almost every day, I don’t have many hotel addresses or great restaurant tips to share! Sorry!
We used the Maio map at 1:50,000 scale. It’s part of the Boa Vista/Sal/Maio map. Bought on Amazon, but currently unavailable as of the latest news.
The people of Maio are extremely welcoming and warm, and we were always more than well received in the villages where we pitched our tent!
We’re usually big hikers, but since Maio is a beach island (gorgeous ones, at that!), we alternated a few hours of walking in the morning with some relaxation in the afternoon: beach, reading, fishing, resting…
1 euro = 110 escudos
Day 1 (Friday) Transfers by plane: Fogo-Praia-Maio
We opted for the plane to save some time on transfers, as the boat connections between Fogo and Praia take a while, and those between Praia and Maio are almost nonexistent.
You should budget around 40-50 euros per flight per person.
There are 2 flights per week between Praia and Maio—on Tuesdays and Fridays when we were there (January 2016), but currently on Mondays and Fridays.
A bit of a delay leaving Praia, but we arrived on Maio without any problems around 4 PM.
We took an *aluguer* (shared transport, 200 escudos per person) to the center of Vila do Maio, but it’s totally doable on foot with a backpack.
Since it was already a bit late, for this first night, we dropped our bags at Big Game Maio. A standard European-style hotel run by a very nice Italian family. It’s a bit pricey for us (5500 escudos for 2 people with breakfast), but after our 2 weeks in a tent on Fogo, we were happy to find a little comfort. And the breakfast is ultra-generous, with fresh products (cured ham, fruit, cheese, bread) and top quality. The hotel restaurant offers dishes that are a clever mix of Italian and Cape Verdean cuisine. Excellent!
Little tip: We didn’t try it, but Big Game Maio offers big-game fishing trips, diving, and quad rentals.
The hotel is 2 minutes from Vila’s beautiful beach, and we went for a dip at sunset and took a stroll around town. They’re redeveloping the waterfront with pretty sidewalks and light stone walls.
Vila beach
Sunset behind Santiago
Day 2 (Saturday): rest day + fishing
After 2 weeks of hiking and since Vila is such a peaceful place where it’s nice to take your time, we decided to spend an extra day there. We took the path heading south along the coast to reach Ponta Preta beach in 20 minutes. The path isn’t very pretty because there’s quite a bit of construction going on, which prevents you from really walking along the shore. Lots of real estate agencies, especially Italian ones, have taken over the land. But Ponta Preta beach is a stunning black-sand beach where we had the whole place to ourselves. We decided to go fishing from the rocks.
At 1 PM, the sun was blazing, so we headed back to Vila and dried the fish for the following days.
At 6 PM, we went fishing again, but this time at night from the rocks at the end of Vila beach.
8:30 PM: back to shower and eat at the restaurant.
The rocks and sea at Ponta Preta
Day 3 (Sunday): from Vila do Maio to Calheta de Baixo, via Monte Batalha (path 101) Hiking time: 5h
Since there aren’t many “summits” on Maio, we decided to head to Calheta de Baixo but via Monte Batalha. We left at 8:20 AM and somehow made it to Monte Batalha by 11 AM (2h40 of hiking). But the path is really hard to find in the middle of the dry grass and acacia trees. We kind of cut through randomly, aiming for the summit. Even though it’s not very high (around 300 m), the view is amazing—you can see all of Maio at 360°!
Short 30-minute break. The descent through the “forest” of acacias is even worse for finding your way. We oriented ourselves a bit by the sun to find the road connecting Vila to Calheta. We arrived around 1:30 PM at Calheta de Baixo. A very pretty little seaside village with colorful houses. An idyllic beach, a newly renovated square, and super-friendly people. We pitched our tent facing the sea on the terrace of an abandoned house (after asking the locals for permission).
We cooked some of the dried fish we’d caught the day before, along with fresh beans we’d brought from Fogo (and were still carrying!).
At the summit of Monte Batalha
Calheta
Calheta de Baixo
Day 4 (Monday): From Calheta de Baixo to Morrinho on foot. Hiking time: 3h. Then hitching a bus to Cascabulho, and a car to Pedro Vaz.
We left around 9:30 AM heading north (path 201), following the coastline where the beaches just keep coming—each one wilder and more beautiful than the last: Praia de Soca, Calheta Braca, Ponta de Pau Seco, Calhetina. We reached the dunes of Baia de Santana. There’s no real path, so you have to follow the coast, then go around the dunes, and when you spot the 3 coconut trees, head east toward them to find the track leading to Morrinho. Again, we discovered a village with a Wild West vibe, with colorful houses lined up on either side of a paved road. Just enough time to accept a drink offered by a local before jumping onto the passing school bus that took us to Cascabulho. There, we waited for a ride. A political delegation of 10 cars drove right past us without stopping. Luckily, one of the cars had a flat tire and came by 30 minutes later—and that one, thankfully, gave us a lift! They were heading to the inauguration of a water pump in Pedro Vaz. So that’s where we stopped too. After getting permission from the school principal, we pitched our tent in front of the village school… and became the attraction for all the kids who kept us company until nightfall! A woman gave us 2 jugs of water, but with all that company, it was tough to take a peaceful shower!!
Dinner: pasta with beans.
We were woken up by rain during the night and had to rush to bring all our stuff inside the tent!
The beaches just keep coming...
The dunes
The 3 coconut trees, a landmark to find the track
Day 5 (Tuesday): Rest day and fishing at Boca da Ribeira beach
We packed up at 8 AM because the kids had school. We filled the 2 water jugs that the woman lent us and headed down to camp at Boca da Ribeira beach, which is a bit further east of Pedro Vaz. It took less than an hour to get there. This time, we really were alone in the world! We pitched the tent and spent the day fishing, reading, playing, and swimming regularly because the sun was beating down hard!!! We caught a nice fish that we grilled over the fire in the evening. With the crabs and shellfish we gathered, we made a seafood rice! Yum! What a feast!
That night, once the tent was zipped up, we felt something like rain on the tent fabric. I decided to go out and gather our things, and then—shock!!! It wasn’t raindrops we were feeling and hearing, but bugs attracted by the light!! Not just a few bugs—a huge swarm of them!!! Thousands of bugs covering the whole tent, the ropes, slipping into the seams and hems! Everywhere! The blue tent had turned green!!! After that, it was a real struggle to get back inside without letting any in! A real challenge, and there were always 3 or 4 that managed to sneak in anyway. Total war!!!
Boca da Ribeira beach
Day 6 (Wednesday): From Boca da Ribeira to Ribeira Dom João. Hiking time: 3h30
We woke up leisurely and waited for the sun to dry our things, damp from the dew. A man passed by, and we gave him the water jugs we’d borrowed, which saved us a trip back to Pedro Vaz to return them to the woman.
We left around 10 AM. We followed the sea to Alcatraz, then headed toward Pilão Cão. The path runs alongside the small hills on our right, and we passed above Lagoa Cimidor. The terrain is arid, and the path is hard to find among the many goat tracks.
After 3h30 of hiking, we reached Ribeira Dom João with 2 young people we’d met along the way.
Since it was a public holiday in Cape Verde, the kids didn’t have school, and with the principal’s permission, we pitched our tent in the kindergarten. She even kindly opened the school toilets for us. The neighbor gave us the water we needed to wash up and cook. We cooked beef steaks on charcoal. A nice change from fish!! Charcoal is a widespread artisanal product on the island. People almost never cook directly over wood but always with these big chunks of charcoal.
The hills on our right
Ribeira Dom João
Day 7 (Thursday): From Ribeira Dom João to Vila do Maio. Hiking time: 3h30
We woke up at 6:30 AM to clear out of the school by 8 AM. The neighbor made us coffee to save time. It took us 2 hours to reach Barreiro, another Wild West-style town! Since we didn’t want to walk on the road, we took the old track and reached Vila do Maio in 1h30.
Last night before taking the plane back to Praia the next day.
Barreiro
The old track
The church in Vila do Maio
That’s where this trip ends!
Maio is truly a magical island! A remote, isolated place with incredible, wild beaches and villages with a Wild West feel—colorful houses on either side of well-paved, well-maintained, and decorated streets. And the locals are so warm and welcoming.
Even for hikers like us, it was a great discovery, and we were able to alternate hiking and relaxation with great pleasure! Too bad the area around Vila do Maio is being overrun by real estate construction—ongoing, unfinished, abandoned…
And we still haven’t seen everything!
Before setting off for new horizons at the end of this year, it’s time for me to share my trip to Cape Verde this summer 2025.
I particularly love these spontaneous trips, and our stay in Cape Verde is one of those because it was only at the beginning of April that we decided on this getaway, which had been catching our eye for a while, given our love for the mountains.
As always—well, when it’s open—I turned to VF, and I want to immediately thank Marie, aka ptitortue, who helped me a lot in planning this trip through her travel journals and our exchanges!
Because Cape Verde is both small and vast! We decided not to rush from one airport to another, to enjoy the places and the people, but also to relax, since the work backlog from being stuck in May (see my previous travel journal 😅) had to be caught up on in June.
So, 4 islands will be our winners from 06/28 to 07/19:
Santiago first for logistical reasons, as round-trip flights from the capital Praia were the cheapest (650 €/person from Lyon via Lisbon with TAP, still!)
São Vicente, because it’s the gateway to the next one but ultimately more than that...
Santo Antão, pretty much the main goal of the trip since Marie (and the photos) had really sold it to me.
And finally, Sal Island, for some rest—a non-negotiable condition for my other half—and we’ll see that I should’ve listened to Marie...
That said, what a chatterbox I am—buckle up, flight attendants at the doors, off we go on new beautiful escapes! (Thanks to Sophie for the easy loan)
Last note for my eager fan club 😏: yes, there will be alcohol—how could there not be in the land of grogue!
"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...
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.
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...
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
My buddy Christian and I (Patrick) are off for 28 days in Argentina in March.
We’ve already shared several trips as a duo (Bolivia Peru, Namibia, Laos, Costa Rica).
Since we’re starting from the idea that at our age (65) we won’t be coming back here—there are just too many other corners of the world to discover—we did the "grand tour" of Argentina, with 6 domestic flights to make the most of our 28 days.
Here are our stops:
1) Departure from Brussels to Buenos Aires via Madrid
2) Arrival and first contact with Buenos Aires
3) Early morning flight to Ushuaia. Boat trip on the Beagle Channel
4) Ushuaia: hikes in Tierra del Fuego National Park
5) Ushuaia: last hike and flight to El Calafate
6) El Calafate to El Chaltén by bus. First hike
7) El Chaltén: hike
8) El Chaltén: hike
9) El Chaltén: hike and bus back to El Calafate
10) El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier
11) Flight to Bariloche. Car rental and surrounding areas
12) Seven Lakes Region
13) Nahuel Huapi National Park region
14) Flight to Salta. Car rental
15) To Tilcara
16) To Humahuaca
17) To Purmamarca
18) To Jujuy via the salt flats
19) To Cafayate
20) Around Cafayate
21) To Cachi
22) Back to Salta
23) Flight to Iguazu
24) Waterfalls on the Argentine side
25) Waterfalls on the Brazilian side and flight to Buenos Aires
26) Buenos Aires
27) Return flight
28) Morning arrival
Happy reading!..
We landed in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and headed straight to Kasane in Botswana to pick up our car.
Our vehicle is a 4x4 because in Zambia, it's practically impossible to use anything else, especially in the national parks. I’ve already had the pleasure of visiting South Luangwa National Park—it’s one of the reasons for this trip, the main one being to travel in Africa with one of my sons.
First stop: Livingstone on the banks of the Zambezi River. Along the way, we discovered a lovely restaurant at Socrates with a super-friendly owner (we’ll actually stop there again on our way back). We spent our first night in the rooftop tent after a stunning sunset, accompanied by the grunting of hippos in the river.
The next day, we set off early, heading to Kafue NP. In fact, we’ll always leave early—waking up between 5:00 and 5:30 AM and hitting the road an hour later. Kafue is a lesser-known park, mostly forested, and the animals are skittish because they’re not used to human presence. We crossed the park from south to north and came across various antelopes. Near Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, there are plains where wildlife is easier to spot.
After Kafue, we headed to South Luangwa. This journey requires stops in Mumbwa and Petauke. Two pleasant stops where we found lodges (a nice change from the rooftop tent) at affordable prices and met welcoming people.
For me, South Luangwa is Zambia’s most beautiful park—the river is stunning, the landscapes are gorgeous, and there’s a wide variety of wildlife, including, of course, big cats. A tip for those, like us, who aren’t with a guide: if you’re staying near the park for several days, don’t hesitate to do a "game drive" to scout out where the animals are so you can return the next day with your own vehicle. Of course, in the dry season, you’ll want to focus on waterholes to see the animals—and you’ll need a bit of luck too. The elephant population is growing, and we were lucky enough to see around sixty elephants crossing the Luangwa at dawn, spread across several groups. South Luangwa is the westernmost point of our trip, and we’re now heading east to Lower Zambezi.
Lower Zambezi is Zambia’s side of Mana Pools on the Zimbabwe side. We took a boat ride on the Zambezi to see elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and a multitude of birds living along the water and on the river’s islands. The sunset there is also magnificent.
To explore the park, we followed the waterways parallel to the Zambezi, mostly on the western side (see our route). Lower Zambezi is the last park we visit, and the final leg of our trip will be Victoria Falls.
Victoria Falls—or Mosi-Oa-Tunya ("The Smoke That Thunders")—are truly impressive, even during the dry season. We saw the falls from both countries: in Zambia for the overall view and the bridge that serves as the border, and in Zimbabwe to get as close as possible to the most spectacular parts of the falls.
This marks the end of our trip, which, despite a blown tire on the road, went off without any major issues. Zambia is a beautiful country that immerses you in wild, still-preserved nature.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ça y est, il est l'heure. Les hauts parleurs intiment aux conducteurs des voitures de descendre se préparer pour sortir. Notre première arrivée sur l’île. Nous sommes attendus dans les environs de Victoria par la famille de canadiens pour un petit mois sous forme de Helpx. Au programme, divers projets de jardins tout en s'occupant des enfants, de la maison.. Rien de bien compliqué par rapport à ce que nous avons déjà réalisé.
Un petit test d'avoir des enfants et vivre cette expérience avant d'en avoir. Ahaha :D
We were trapped, and even our guide looked nervous. After what felt like an eternity (though it was only a few minutes), the herd finally moved on, freeing the track. That afternoon, we did a self-drive safari and—you guessed it—we had zero interest in running into elephants again.
The next day, we headed back to Lilongwe for our flight home. It was a fantastic, varied trip with some intense moments (sometimes *too* intense). Malawi offers amazing opportunities for those who want more than just wildlife reserves.
2- Around San Pedro
Vila beach
Sunset behind Santiago
The rocks and sea at Ponta Preta
At the summit of Monte Batalha
Calheta
Calheta de Baixo
The beaches just keep coming...
The dunes
The 3 coconut trees, a landmark to find the track
Boca da Ribeira beach
The hills on our right
Ribeira Dom João
Barreiro
The old track
The church in Vila do Maio
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.
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!
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.
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.