Bonjour,
MA fille voulait faire une croisiére UCPA sur un voilier (2semaines). Elle n'avait jamais navigué.
J'ai payé avec la carte Gold MasterCard pour bénéficier de l'assurance annulation.
1 semaine avant le départ, elle navigue 2 jours avec des amis et est trés fortement sujette au mal de mer (fait constaté par un médecin) et je suis obligé d'annuler son voyage.
Je pense faire jouer l'assurance annulation et remplis un dossier complet (avec notamment les attestations de médecin).
Je viens de recevoir un refus de remboursement arguant du fait que ce n'est pas un accident de santé.
Merci de me dire si ce refus vous semble normal.
Amicalement
Denis
J'avais lu les conditions générales avant de poster ce sujet et ils parlent d'accident de santé
et en exclusion TOUTE CIRCONSTANCE NE NUISANT QU’AU SIMPLE AGREMENT DU VOYAGE,
J'ai bien peur que nos analyses se rejoignent.
Aussi vais-je laisser tomber la procédure (1 000€ de perdu 😠 ) et je vais rendre ma carte Gold 😏 (que je n'avais pris que pour bénéficier de cette assurance).
Dans tous les cas un grand MERCI pour votre réponse rapide et efficace.
Normalement une carte bancaire ( meme gold mastercard ou bien visa premier ) ne couvre principalement que les annulations de voyages en cas de maladie (grave) , accident, ou décès ....sa première fonctionnalité est avant tout d'etre un "produit de paiement" et non pas purement une "assurance voyage" donc c 'est forcément restrictif 🤪 ...certes elles ont un petit "plus" par rapport aux cartes "classiques" ( mastercard ou visa "simples") .....
ton cas ne sera pas couvert ....comme le dit "Teamten" essaye de voir si tu ne peux faire une "cession de voyage" auprès de ton organisme = si quelqu' un peut partir à la place de ta fille et si il est toujours temps ....ça pourra t éviter au moins 1000 euros pour rien ...... je sais c 'est rageant mais peut etre que la prochaine fois tu souscrira alors à une assurance voyage ( tout en en lisant les conditions , attention elles ne se valent pas toutes pour autant 😛 ! mais certaines peuvent aller jusqu'à couvrir n' importe quel cas d 'annulation justifié !) .
Encore une fois ça fait peut etre mal à entendre, mais on prend bien une assurance habitation pour sa maison , une assurance voiture pour son véhicule ...alors il faut une "assurance voyage" pour un voyage, tout simplement 😕 .....
en espérant que tu trouve une issue favorable à ton soucis ......
alex
PS : le mal de mer peut durer quelques jours juste le temps de s 'adapter... et il existe de très bon remédes contre ça vendus en pharmacie ( patchs à poser derrière l 'oreille , médocs...etc...) bon malgré ça , tout dépend de la sensibilité de chacun: j 'ai connu des gens qui ont "nourri les poissons" pendant toute une semaine en voilier 😛!!!
Normalement une carte bancaire ( meme gold mastercard ou bien visa premier ) ne couvre principalement que les annulations de voyages en cas de maladie (grave) , accident, ou décès ....sa première fonctionnalité est avant tout d'etre un "produit de paiement" et non pas purement une "assurance voyage" donc c 'est forcément restrictif 🤪 ...certes elles ont un petit "plus" par rapport aux cartes "classiques" ( mastercard ou visa "simples") .....
Non ; ce n'est pas plus restrictif que n'importe quelle autre assurance souscrite lors de l'achat par exemple, d'ailleurs c'est en général la même. Les exclusions sont similaires.
ça pourra t éviter au moins 1000 euros pour rien ...... je sais c 'est rageant mais peut etre que la prochaine fois tu souscrira alors à une assurance voyage ( tout en en lisant les conditions , attention elles ne se valent pas toutes pour autant 😛 ! mais certaines peuvent aller jusqu'à couvrir n' importe quel cas d 'annulation justifié !) .
Je voudrais bien voir ça 🙂.
Tout est dans le "justifié", et les conditions de cette justification...
Encore une fois ça fait peut etre mal à entendre, mais on prend bien une assurance habitation pour sa maison , une assurance voiture pour son véhicule ...alors il faut une "assurance voyage" pour un voyage, tout simplement 😕 .....
en espérant que tu trouve une issue favorable à ton soucis ......
Je m'en passe depuis 42 ans.
Je suis bien curieux que vous me présentiez une assurance qui aurait couvert un cas comme celui qu'on nous présente là. 😉
Au plaisir de lire cette précieuse information ; et le prix de la cotisation aussi...
Merci pour vos conseils, toutes les analyses se rejoignent, le mal de mer ne peut être considéré comme un 'accident de santé' clause un peu nébuleuse qui recouvre ce que veux bien l'assurance.
Cela d'autant plus que d'aprés quelques autres post sur le sujet de l'assurance gold, les remboursements sont trés rare ET trés compliqué à avoir (mon dossier pour le remboursement faisait + de 30 pages avec documents certifiés par le directeur de mon agence, certificat divers et variés de l'organisme UCPA du médecin, + certificat sur l'honneur, cela m'a pris + d'1 journée en cumulée pour compléter le dossier).
Donc deux conclusions -->
1/ NE PRENNEZ PAS CETTE ASSURANCE POUR COUVRIR VOS VOYAGES
2/ NE PRENNEZ CETTE CARTE GOLD QUE POUR SA COULEUR (le prix passe de 50 € pour une mastecard simple à + de 120 € pour une gold).
je ne souhaite pas particulièrement faire de pub sur VF pour cette assurance donc je t 'envoie le nom en MP si tu veux 😉 !
nous avons en effet cette fameuse assurance multiriques pour "n 'importe quel cas d' annulation justifié"... je me suis "amusée" d 'ailleurs cet apres midi à verifier le cas cité plus haut pour cette histoire de mal de mer et en effet ils m' ont dit que ça serait rentré en compte a partir du moment ou c 'est considéré comme "médical" et prouvé par un médecin ... donc un papier ( que dis-je : dossier 😛) écrit suffit, non pas uniquement basé sur le fait que la personne a "peur" de partir à cause de ça et de revivre ces mauvais moments bien sûr !
elle n 'est pas excessive mais dépend du montant du voyage .. en gros : entre 20 et 45 pour un voyage allant de 300 a 1000 euros...
Cette assurance est une des très rares qui couvre en effet tout cas d 'annulation justifié ....c 'est un contrat spécifique , comme je le disais: les assurances-voyages ne sont pas toutes comparables il faut bien décrypter chaque clause avant d'en prendre une : en effet si elle n 'apporte pas plus que ce qu 'il y a sur une CB type VIsa Premier ou Gold Mastercard ça vaut pas le coup de la prendre 😛!
Libre à toi de ne jamais prendre d 'assurance si tu estime que ta couverture CB te convient mais peut etre qu 'il ne t 'es rien arrivé comme cas "spécifique" non plus lors de tes 42 années de voyages 😉! et que si un jour tu as eu un probème et que ta CB a marché c 'est que ça rentrait dans ses conditions ...pour mon avis perso : elles sont assez restrictives ( mais ça n 'engage que moi ! ) Et j ' ai beaucoup des clients qui se croient "sur-assurrés" ... Je ne dénigre pas les CBs mais j 'invite en effet à comparer avec une assurance "purement voyage" ....
Voilà quelques exemples de comparaisons qu 'il faut bien "saisir"(attention je compare ici toujours entre "mon" assurance et une CB gold ou premier) :
- le remboursement de l 'annulation d 'un voyage par la CB n 'intervient que lorsque le voyage a été réglé entièrement avec sa Visa Premier et partiellement avec une Gold Mastercard . ( en gros quand tu payes une partie uniquement avec ta visa premier et tu regles le reste en espèces ou en chèque , la garantie ne marchera pas . pour la Gold c 'est un peu mieux car "partiellement") .
par contre j 'ai lu également quelque part ( info a vérifier pour la Gold donc) que l 'assurance ne remboursera que sur la base du montant versé avec la CB . genre tu as versé 500 euros en Cb sur un voyage qui en valait 1000 et tu payes le reste en chèque : si tu dois annuler , l 'assurance de ta CB te remboursera ( si ça rentre dans ses conditions ) que sur la base de 500 euros pas plus ! 🤪.....
avec la fameuse "assurance voyage" , ça prend la globalité du montant en compte moins une franchise de 50 euros ( + montant de l assurance non remboursable en lui meme ) .
La Visa Premier couvre uniquement par foyer fiscal , la Gold va couvrir cependant aussi les "co-voyageurs" sur ton dossier de voyage (mais à condition que tu voyage avec eux aussi d 'après ce que je comprend ... ou bien est ce que ça veut dire que si tu payes un voyage a quelqu 'un d 'autre hors de ton foyer fiscal ( a des amis par exemple) et que toi tu ne fasse pas partie du voyage ça marche quand meme ???à mon avis: non ... info à vérifier 😕 ! )
L 'assurance voyage prend toutes les personnes sur la facture sans distinction de foyer fiscal ou non .....
- la Cb n 'interviendra pour annulation que pour maladie grave, accident ou déces , complication grossesse , licenciement économique et destruction /vol locaux professionnels ou prives .
pas l assu-voyage: car pour n 'importe quel cas d' annulation justifié ( exemple : attentat , suppression des conges payes de la part de l 'employeur , mutation professionnelle, engagement d 'une procedure de divorce entre les 2 voyageurs , le vol de la CNI ou du passeport avant de partir et impossibilité de les faire refaire à temps , la Grippe A ......)
- Autre chose à bien voir aussi sur ces 2 CBs : il existe un plafonnement de remboursment jusqu 'à 5000 euros par an ET par famille donc si le fiston (enfant toujours à charge des parents) a été remboursé de 2000 euros déja dans l 'année et si les parents veulent se faire un autre beau voyage dans l 'année ils ne seront couverts que sur les 3000 euros restants même si leur voyage a eux est à 4000 euros en tout ...
a titre d 'exemple sur la fameuse assurance voyage ils sont couverts à hauteur de 5000 euros par personne ET par voyage ....
- sur les 2 Cbs le retard aérien est garanti sur vols réguliers uniquement , le ratage d 'avion ne l 'est pas ....
sur assu-voyages :retard indemnisé aussi sur charters et ratage d 'avion est assuré aussi .
- sur les 2 Cbs l 'indemnité de retard de livraison bagages est prise en compte a hauteur de 250 euros max par DOSSIER et sur vol reguliers uniquement encore une fois.... sur l 'assurance ça marche sur charters et reguliers et donne droit à 305 euros (indemnité forfaitaire) et par personne cette fois ...
- aucune garantie des bagages pendant le séjour avec les CBs mais uniquement pendant le trajet aérien , pas avec l 'assurance elle couvre aussi pendant le séjour ...
- l assu propose aussi un voyage de compensation pour un futur voyage de meme montant si il y a eu rapatriement médical ou bien remboursement des frais de séjours non utilisés suite a un retour anticipé ou a un rapatriement...mais ça c 'est un "plus" !
ouh là là j 'ai encore écrit un roman 😊!!
bref ça vaut le coup parfois d 'y regarder à 2 fois avant de dire "non je ne veux pas d assurance voyage" .... mais chacun a en effet son avis sur la question et chacun fait comme il veut 😉 !!
Autant je tiens pour importantes les assistances rapatriement, autant je me fiche des assurances annulation, et n'en ai jamais. Y souscrire ne m'intéresse pas.
Ce qu'il serait intéressant de savoir c'est combien de personnes (et sur combien de voyages effectués) ont dû faire fonctionner leur assurance annullation et quelle aurait été la différence de dédomagements entre les 2 systèmes.
Réserver des vacances sur un bateau sans savoir si on a le mal de mer, je trouve ça assez léger comme comportement... Après, faut pas se plaindre parce que les assurances n'assument pas nos "manquements".
Attention: le contrat d'assurance, avec la carte Visa Premier, est différent d'une banque à une autre. Pour la carte bleue Visa, je ne sais pas, je ne me suis pas renseignée.
Attention: le contrat d'assurance, avec la carte Visa Premier, est différent d'une banque à une autre. Pour la carte bleue Visa, je ne sais pas, je ne me suis pas renseignée.
Cordialement
C'est probablement pareil avec la Gold Master Card parce que je lis dans les dispositions spéciales, chapitre voyage de ma GMC de la HSBC que :
" La garantie est étendue, à l'incompatibilité absolue de l'état de santé avec le mode de transport et/ou la nature du voyage projeté "
Il semble bien que faire une croisière en voilier et mal de mer soit un cas d'incompatibilité absolue.
Catherine
" La lucidité est la blessure la plus proche du soleil" René Char
"Toute nouvelle sur le Forum grâce au membre Pathoch " Voila!! je vais vous expliquer mon problème Je devais partir en Thaïlande avec ma nièce et 15 jours…
J'ai réservé un voyage pour ma mère et moi à Madrid du 20 au 25 septembre. J'ai réservé avec ma carte visa premier en juin dernier. J'ai donc payé pour deux…
J'ai booké il y a 1 mois un A/R pour Bangkok (Go Voyages), en posant mes congés auprès de mon employeur. Par prudence, j'avais souscrit leur fameuse (!)…
Je devais partir en voyage avec LOOK voyage au Sénégal au mois de Novembre 2010 en ayant souscrit une assurance annulation. A 1 semaine du départ, nous…
Many of us have noticed that bugs have been making it difficult to navigate the forum lately.
I’ll let Kate and Ticapi explain the issue:
I went to your profile to check out the Thailand travel journal, and when I clicked on it, it brought me back here again. All week, I’ve been dealing with bugs like this—it’s really discouraging from continuing on VF.🙁
I had the same thing happen, and multiple times. For me, it was Montagnard’s latest journal that kept coming up no matter which discussion I clicked on.
BOLIVIA: THE COUNTRY ON THE BRINK (What's Really Happening)
A dramatic saga is unfolding before our eyes in the Andes. Between suffocating blockades, clashes, an international airlift, and historic political decisions, Bolivia has just experienced 48 hours of rare intensity.
Here’s the full breakdown (economic, social, and political) of the last 48 hours:
For travelers and tourists: the article also includes an important note about the upcoming publication (starting tomorrow) of the precise status of roadblocks, route by route.
I’ll post the full update here on Voyage Forum!
Don’t miss this in-depth analysis. History is being written before our eyes! https://www.petitherge.com/bolivie-paralysie-et-ultimatum
I just discovered a great show on Arte.
It's called "7 en route": seven young European journalists travel around Europe in a fully converted bus, making reports on every city they visit. It's amazing! 🙂
Yesterday, for example, they were in Rome, Italy, and the reports included things like the world's smallest restaurant—a super romantic spot for two. There was also a report on the king of paparazzi in Italy.
They have to pick topics that let us discover the little quirks of each country. And at the end of each episode, we get to see the finished report.
It's such a great show, mixing journalism, travel, and discovery—basically, a must-watch!
It airs in the evening starting at 6:50 PM (I think), and it started this past Monday, July 14th.
If you watch it, let me know—we can chat about it!
I left my heart’s country eight days ago and returned to my adopted one—or was it the other way around? Scotland-Morvan, Morvan-Scotland, I’m not quite sure anymore.
After a quarter without dragging my slippers around here, even though I’d loudly declared I had no interest left in this site, here I am again!
My imagination never stays fallow for long. Just enough time for my inner land to rest. It gets overgrown with fresh nettles, the kind you can pick without getting stung. Then, it’s time to till the fragrant earth and let the story grow.
I hesitated over where to set this story.
Maybe the Highlands, maybe the Hebrides, maybe the Orkney Islands, maybe the Shetland Islands. All of Scotland is myth—easy to embroider.
But in the end, no. I’d almost be too afraid to bare my soul.
The story will take place at home. Simple, practical.
1)
This morning, I was up well before dawn, feeling a bit grumpy, but nothing a bowl of coffee won’t fix. I love my bowl, and no one dares take it. It’s porcelain, edged with intertwined blue flowers. On the bottom, it says "Revol." The factory has existed long before the Revolution. It was my great-grandmother’s bowl. She drank roasted barley from it during the war, then her Leroux chicory.
Last year, a little guy dropped it. My bowl broke into three pieces. A black anger vibrated deep inside me. The little boy was so upset, on the verge of tears. How could I scold him!
I picked up the three pieces and took Little Boy in my arms. His hair smelled of the light, sweet sweat of toddlers. A gentle hug that healed—his budding sorrow and my anger—everything vanished, and time carried on.
Today, my bowl is even prettier. Man fixed it using the traditional kintsugi technique, except he didn’t use gold powder or lacquer but superglue, and he delicately painted the cracks with woad blue. And my bowl is even more beautiful now.
I’m lingering, I can tell—it’s just that a story wraps itself in life, and life can’t be told in the snap of a finger. Life is long. Like in architecture, you start with a rough sketch, called a "sous-cul" (the initial pencil drawing), then you make a tracing, which is the work itself, the one you later carefully roll up in a wooden tube.
Life is like that: you erase, you start over, you use the nub of the pencil until it’s tiny, but you keep going—dreaming, loving.
"Living is a full-time occupation, a unique adventure. Always a surprise and a wonder, which sometimes turns into astonishment. And, from time to time, happiness."*
Alright, enough digressing—this introduction is definitely too long.
Tomorrow, I’ll get to the heart of the matter.
(I hate that expression; it feels like I’m cutting into someone’s skin.)
I’m Yann, a 28-year-old TikToker who loves traveling!
Since I’ve been to several destinations, I’d love to get a flag from each one as a sort of trophy. But from what I’ve seen online, a lot of sites sell them with what looks like really poor quality...
So I’m reaching out to you all to share a site you usually use—help me start my collection! :)
hi there
I’d love to get some opinions—I’ve never used Airbnb before.
They’re offering a key handover via lockbox.
Any tips or advice?
Is it reliable?
Best,
Hi there, I’m Laura, and I’m looking for a few people to answer some questions so I can understand your travel wishes and challenges. It won’t take long—I can chat here, by email, or by phone. Don’t worry, I’m not selling anything! 😊
On this forum, we talk a lot about trekking in the Himalayas, but I’d love to share another side of Nepal: its spiritual, cultural, and religious atmosphere, especially in Kathmandu.
Nepal, much like Tibet and Bhutan, is deeply connected to the Himalayas—the ultimate sacred mountain range. This small country exudes a calming vibe, shaped by a strong spiritual dimension. What I loved most was the unique sensory experience you get there. Walking around temples and tantric monasteries, a distinct scent fills the air—aromatic plants used for ritual fumigation. Locals mainly burn Himalayan juniper, cedar, sandalwood, and other local essences. This fragrant smoke is a way to purify the space and reach the deities, and you’re constantly enveloped in these aromas.
Another striking aspect is the sound. As soon as you step outside, you hear bells ringing in front of temples. People ring them three times before praying to announce their presence to the deities. Nepal is also the birthplace of singing bowls and sound meditation practices. In Kathmandu, you can easily find meditation sessions or "sound baths."
The spiritual dimension is everywhere: a Hindu sadhu practicing asceticism, a lama in deep red robes with his mala, turning a prayer wheel while murmuring "Om mani padme hum." Newar Buddhism, Tantrism, and Hinduism coexist harmoniously in daily life.
For those who love exploring a destination through its culture and spirituality, Nepal is an unforgettable place. What was your spiritual experience in Nepal like?
Hi,
I’m landing in Quebec and then heading to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. I’d like to rent a pick-up. My question is: does this vehicle come with a cover and is it secure enough to store luggage in? I’ve heard two conflicting opinions. Thanks
I just installed the Maps.Me app on my phone. I only recently found out about this app. I’m traveling in 2 weeks and a few days, and I’m a bit stuck on how to use it.
I’m from the Montreal (Quebec) area, and I’d love to know if there’s a kind soul out there who could help me get started and use the app at least minimally.
If there are private lessons available, I’d be interested in those too.
Like many others, I’m overjoyed to hear that VoyageForum is reopening! I’ve been waiting hopefully for this, and it’s wonderful that it’s finally happening!
I just couldn’t bring myself to actively participate in other French-language travel forums—their format and way of doing things never appealed to me as much. I really hope that VF’s structure, categories, and interface won’t change too much despite the handover, because I’m very attached to them. Through thick and thin, the site has held strong—it’s amazing!
In a previous message, François mentioned that there were positions to fill ahead of the reopening, including moderators...
I’ve been eagerly waiting for this and hoping to send in my CV.
Now, after reading the latest message, it seems like the team is already fully formed. But are there still a few spots left to fill?
I’ve been a VF member for 20 years (since 2004). I’d love to contribute to this wonderful adventure as a moderator if VF would trust me with the role. If the team is open to reviewing it, I’m ready to send my CV. Could you let me know the next steps?
I’m planning a 3-week trip to Japan in May with Voyage Privé. The package includes a 5 GB eSIM, but my phone isn’t new enough to support it. VP told me I could buy a SIM card when I arrive at the airport.
Sure enough, I’ve seen online that this is possible with different providers.
I only need it for checking routes, looking up addresses, train schedules, etc.—basically using Google Maps, TripAdvisor, and similar apps. No heavy downloads or major internet use. All hotels should provide free Wi-Fi for that, right?
Has anyone got any tips for me on this? What have you tried, and how much did it cost?
Thanks for your help!
I’d like to know if you can buy reef-safe sunscreen sprays at 7-Eleven. If so, how much do they cost? We’re traveling with backpacks, so we’ll either buy 100ml here or in Thailand.
I wanted to share a really unpleasant experience from our last trip booked with Promoséjours and organized by FTI.
We booked an 8-day/7-night stay in Egypt, from June 8 to 15.
The flight initially scheduled was changed a week before departure to take off at 10 PM from Paris CDG.
In the end, it took off with a 1-hour delay and included an unmentioned stopover in Marsa Alam.
We landed in Hurghada at 4 AM and arrived at the hotel at 6 AM.
So, we spent our first night on the plane.
For the return trip, surprise—the flight was moved up. We left the hotel at 10:30 PM on Friday the 14th to take off at 2 AM and land at 7 AM at Paris CDG.
So, we spent our last night on the plane too.
After sending a complaint letter to Promoséjours / FTI, they replied that the first and last days can be dedicated to transport (which I already knew) and that no matter how many nights you book, you’re not guaranteed to spend them in the hotel—it could just as well be on the plane.
I’m really questioning this.
Isn’t there a law that protects customers in cases like this?
Because when I do the math, the first and part of the second day were spent on transport, same for the second-to-last and last day. And I paid for 7 nights for a stay that only lasted 5.
Anyway, I just want to say thanks to them—thanks to their two sleepless nights in transit, I’m coming back even more exhausted from a trip that was supposed to be restful!
I also want to warn anyone booking through this agency about visas for Egypt.
At booking, they told me the visa was included in the price, then they sent me an email saying I’d have to pay for it on-site at 25 €.
Once there, we were directed to a special line for FTI customers, and guess what? They charged us 30 €!
Basically, they’re great at making sure you *enjoy* your vacation—mostly by enjoying your wallet!
If anyone has dealt with this kind of situation and won their case, I’m all ears.
Hi there!
I’m heading to Thailand for two months.
So I thought I’d get a Thai SIM card to use Google Maps for getting around cities, mostly.
Here’s my question: will this SIM affect my apps? Or will they work the same as with my Orange SIM?
Is there any setup I need to do, or can I just pop in the Thai SIM?
I’d also like to switch back to my Orange SIM now and then while I’m in Thailand—on the same phone. Will I need to reset the phone, or will it reconnect without any issues?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Best,
Huiclos
Hi, I’d like to know where we can buy beer or wine in Chefchaouen and around Merzouga. We’ll be doing a circuit and staying at the Parador Hotel in Chefchaouen and in a bivouac in Merzouga.
Thanks for any info you can share!
Hello everyone,
I’m reaching out to all travelers and globe-trotters on this forum. I’m a teacher in Creuse working in a ULIS program (which welcomes children aged 6 to 12 with disabilities into a mainstream school). This year, I’m launching a school journal project that will involve the kids in many different topics. A big part of this journal will focus on opening up to the world, embracing differences, travel, global cultures, and more.
I’m putting out a call to invite as many of you as possible to send us a postcard (from France or anywhere in the world)! The goal is to help us "travel" and discover new places, countries, and horizons in a way that’s much more fun and exciting than a geography textbook. One section of our journal could be called "We received a letter from ," where we’d research the location and share what we learn with our readers—a really enriching activity for the classroom.
The project starts in September 2025 but doesn’t have a strict end date, since this journal and world-discovery initiative will span several school years (the kids stay in the ULIS program for multiple years). Postcards can be sent anytime—throughout the year, across seasons, even during holidays! The kids will find them when they return.
I hope this idea appeals to as many of you as possible, and that you’ll spread the word to your fellow travelers. Help us dream and explore!
For those who’d like to write to us in a language other than French, no problem—quite the opposite!
Thank you in advance for your participation! Below is our address. If you’d like us to write back, feel free to leave your address on a corner of the postcard! 😊
ULIS program students
Bonnat Elementary School
12 rue Georges Sand
23220 BONNAT
Thank you, and I hope to hear from you soon! 😊
Julien
🙂
Hi there! I have to leave Ivato/Antananarivo on December 16th. I have a lot of ariary that I’d like to exchange for euros since I might not be coming back to Madagascar (after this 21st trip). I think the exchange office at Ivato also buys ariary back. If any of you have seen the rate for this buyback in advance, thanks a million!
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for a website that would let me plot my travel route in advance so I can print it out. The idea is to create a map with a little “me” on a bike that my parents can move along as I progress, since I’m planning to cycle all the way to Nepal.
If any of you have done something similar or know of a good tool, I’d love to hear your tips!
Thanks in advance! 😊
I'm looking to buy an ultra-lightweight 50/55L travel backpack with a suitcase or front opening.
Does anyone have any brand and/or model recommendations?
Thanks,
Emma
Hello. We’re a retired couple heading to Sri Lanka from January to March. After the November floods, I’d like to know if we can offer hands-on help to the locals, maybe pack some clothes or other items people might need in our luggage, and who we could give them to. Thanks for any info from those on the ground.
Be careful when sailing between Somalia and northern Madagascar.
It appears to be Somali pirates who have widened their search in the Mozambique Channel, far from their usual attack zone, since, to my knowledge, there are no Malagasy pirates.
Not sure if this is the right section, but just wanted to warn future travelers...
Where’s Cape Vidal?
It’s in iSimangaliso, an independent park in KZN Wildlife, stunning and just a stone’s throw from St Lucia (KwaZulu-Natal, Maputaland).
It’s the beach spot at the end of the Eastern Shores road. You can swim, fish... but watch out for waves, currents, and sharks...
There’s a really nice game drive where you can get out of your car at certain points, especially at Cape Vidal.
That’s where the camp with bungalows and campsites is.
The vervets and samango monkeys (endemic to the area, and the males are pretty big) can be a bit of a nuisance if you’re trying to braai...
They’re super persistent and not shy at all—don’t let them intimidate you, and stay alert because their speed at snatching food is impressive.
Anyway...
I’m reporting two recent attacks by these hyenas... who were *not* in a playful mood...
The first one happened at night—a hyena tried to bite a camper’s nose off in their tent... and succeeded.
The other night, a camper returning to their tent in the early hours was violently attacked by two hyenas... and they had a close call!
So, if you’re camping there, be careful...
Measures are being taken, but for now, it’s a bit risky.
A white rental Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 carrying foreign tourists was attacked at the entrance of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park in the village of Bekopaka, western Madagascar, yesterday. So far, there’s been no response from the central government to curb these repeated armed attacks—usually between Malagasy people, but this time targeting foreign tourists.
After an engine failure in mid-2016 on a long-haul flight from BRISBANE to LYON, I developed a persistent aviophobia that I’m struggling to shake off. It’s becoming more and more of a hindrance.
Up until now, I’ve been using an avoidance strategy (for example, avoiding destinations that would require any other mode of transport than a car or train), but lately, it’s become really limiting.
I’m looking for a therapist—either in-person or via video call—who could help me get past this hurdle.
First and foremost, I hope this topic won’t just focus on my region—the South of France—and that those of you who enjoy exchanging ideas will share what makes your own regions special.
Personally, I’ve often wanted to push back when people call us vulgar (though I’ll admit I sometimes play it up). At heart, we pure-blooded Southerners just have our own way of expressing ourselves, which differs from other regions. We also get heated in conversations pretty easily (some researchers say it’s the influence of the sun and climate in general).
What some perceive as vulgar, we don’t see that way at all.
Do you want a uniform world with no differences? If so, how do you handle traveling to places with cultures completely different from your own?
In the travel community, the word "authenticity" comes up a lot, and it often takes priority in people’s searches.
In my specific case, speaking a purely regional language without having gone to school for it doesn’t help with understanding on this forum. That’s what creates what you call controversies—and what I call passionate exchanges.
It left me speechless and ended the conversation because, for him, that’s just how he sees things, and he refuses to debate it, sticking to his position. I’ll quote him, hoping he won’t hold it against me:
"For me, things like bullfighting, boxing, football, and MMA are just tangible proof that human evolution is still at a primitive stage."
For him, our Latin-origin bullfights are barbaric customs. For us *taurins*, we need to see men face wild beasts (bulls and *toros*) at the risk of their lives every day. Does that make us barbarians?
We’ve always had this need to confront death—it’s in our genes.
Take the example he gave about football: fans of the sport would be considered mentally underdeveloped. But what about a kid who’s passionate about the game and has that drive to be a winner, just like a boxer or athletes in other violent sports?
As a traveler myself, passionate about old stones and beautiful historic buildings, I’ve visited Rome but couldn’t fully appreciate it. Religion is everywhere, and I felt like I had a lead weight on my head realizing that millions of people worldwide have believed in a god for millennia.
I’ve also judged believers for basing their faith on archaic texts that don’t prove a god (or gods) ever existed—I still think that, but I’m open to being proven wrong so I can say, "You’ve convinced me I was mistaken."
- If everyone clings to their own ideas and positions, no discussion is possible, and that’s a shame.
I’ll take away two things from my forum interactions: some accuse me of being omnipresent when I just love exchanging ideas. My way of speaking is misunderstood (regional differences), even if I’ll admit I sometimes turn up the heat—or rather, the *aïoli* —which for me is just lively debates 🔥 (a regional specialty).
And my "mocking" side, which I really need to work on.
This topic isn’t just about me—I hope other forum members will share their own regional "specialties" . For example, in Alsace, some older folks switch to their local language when they don’t want outsiders to understand, and I still don’t know if it’s German or something else.
