Day 19. We went to bed super late again, so waking up was tough this morning, but the schedule’s pretty light. Like we’ve been doing a lot lately, we head straight for our meal: a bowl of veggie noodle soup, some baos, and fried dough sticks. 21 yuan—it’s crazy how little that costs.
I love the street as soon as we step out of the maze of our alleys:
We head toward Hongqiao Bridge (qiao means bridge) at the end of the street and start wandering up and down the old pedestrian town. It’s so nice. There are hardly any people, it’s really peaceful. Plus, it’s cool out—just a pleasant 30°C with a little breeze that feels great. This part of the city was built in 1704 and gives us a sense of what villages looked like before modernization kicked in. It’s exactly what I wanted to find in China. The wooden houses on stilts, the cobblestone alleys, the ramparts, the series of bridges (mostly pedestrian), or just a line of carved rocks to cross the river, the boats... I love this place!
I thought entering Fenghuang’s old town was paid, but nope. Some sites cost money, but I’m not sure which ones except for the elevator that takes you to a viewpoint. After wandering all the streets and alleys, we head down to the riverbank and cross over using stones, wooden planks, or the Xueqiao Bridge.
Another little series of photos because I just love this place so much:
We settle in a bit to wait for sunset, and at 7:25 PM, the lights come on. In no time, it's packed with people. The super pleasant little town has turned into a tourist attraction for thousands. You can't walk anymore—we're stuck in a dense crowd just shuffling along. Awful. Too bad, because the illuminated old town is really beautiful and the lighting does it justice. But this is just too much.
We shuffle our way to Hongqiao Bridge and escape the crowd. We check out the restaurants on one side of the street, then the other, and settle into one: rice noodles with shrimp paste sauce and tiny dried shrimp, and chili squid. I’d asked for mild spice, she said okay, but served me a plate of peppers with a few squid and onions. Super spicy! For dessert, to cool the heat, little fried sticky rice rolls with brown sugar.
Restaurants that display wrapped tableware charge for the set, usually 4 yuan per person. This time, it’s the first time they’ve also charged us for the paper napkins!
No energy left to go back into the crowd for one last look at the illuminated town. It’s 10 PM, so we head back to the hotel. We quickly check if the hotel we’d booked is still closed. I translate a sign I hadn’t noticed yesterday: for rent. And you can still book rooms there on Trip...
It's funny—almost 10 years ago, I started planning a trip to southern China that we never ended up taking, and now here you are doing pretty much the same thing.
Needless to say, I’m following along with huge interest. It’s really well illustrated.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
Day 20. This morning, we have to go back to Fenghuang train station. The bus on the way there was pretty convenient, and the departure point is barely 250 meters away. However, we have no idea about the schedule. We decide to leave at 11 a.m. just in case we have to wait for the bus more than 30 minutes. When we arrive, the bus is already there, ready to leave, and almost full. We have to buy tickets by scanning a QR code. But then, we need to provide a Chinese phone number and get QR codes as tickets. A lady helps us with all of that, entering a Chinese number for us. We squeeze into the bus, and off we go for a 20-minute ride (standing, of course!). We arrive well ahead of our 12:43 p.m. train. Fenghuang station is much smaller than it seems. No need to show your passport to enter—just a quick baggage security check, a single waiting room, and one access point to the platforms. There’s a McDonald’s, two small shops, and huge restrooms—70 stalls for women...
We quickly settle into the train, and 33 minutes later, we arrive at our next stop on this trip: Furong.
There’s a lady in a small booth right by the exit with some brochures about Furong. We ask her where we can buy bus tickets. She takes us next door, where we can actually buy entry tickets to Furong’s old town: 108 yuan per person. Okay, that’s done, but we originally wanted to buy bus tickets. She tells us to sit down, that a driver will come to pick us up. A few minutes later, we see a Didi arrive to get us. We ask the lady how much the ride costs, but she says it’s free. We get into the car, finding the situation pretty strange. I ask the driver using the translator if it’s free. He doesn’t answer and just drives off without even knowing where we’re going. Weird. When we get close, I show him the hotel on the map, he seems surprised, drops us off, and leaves. Okay, free transportation!
We drop our stuff in the room and head out to eat. I’m not sure why we didn’t book a hotel in the paid area of the old town, but about a kilometer away. Probably because the price must double. But I kind of regret that choice—the area seems really dead. So, we decide to walk toward the old town to find more life. We take a small, deserted pedestrian alley. When we get near the paid area, we stop at a restaurant to eat hollow baos that we stuff ourselves with vegetable mince, a dish of eggplant and green beans, and a plate of rice. The eggplants are so good in China!
It’s already 4:30 p.m. when we leave. We decide to take a quick look around the paid area of the old town. I find it strange that the tickets I bought earlier are dated August 19 when it’s the 21st, but oh well... We get to the ticket check, I take the tickets out of my bag, and right away, the guy says, “No, no,” and shows me on a sign that we’re in Furong. Yeah, thanks, we got that! And without even checking our tickets, he tells us again that no, it’s not good. A young woman comes over and says, “Those are tickets for Fenghuang; you need to buy tickets for Furong.” What a goof I am! I left the Furong tickets at the hotel. In my hands are our Fenghuang bus tickets—same format, same type of illustration. Of course, they’re dated August 19!
We make the round trip back to the hotel, and from a distance, the guy at the old town entrance laughs and gives us the okay sign when he sees we’ve got the right tickets this time. As soon as we enter, I feel like I’m in an amusement park, with a big stage on a large square and lots of benches. Not at all what I expected here. Luckily, the vibe changes afterward.
We walk to the viewpoint over the waterfall and the old town. It’s pretty, but no wow effect this time. Yet, as I write these lines and look at the photos, I think the place is actually quite nice!
We sit down and wait for sunset. The town and the waterfall light up. There aren’t many people—it’s pretty. But still no wow effect. Yet again, the blue hour and the site should be perfect for blowing me away. Am I jaded after Yangshuo, Xingping, Tiantouzhai, and Fenghuang? Maybe the bar is just set too high now?
When we entered, we saw there was a show at 8 p.m. We head back toward the stage to watch it, arriving just in time. Well... three dances... we kind of feel like we’re at a school fair! It seems pretty amateurish, even though they do this every day, several times a day.
We leave, buy some cup noodles in case we get hungry later, but for now, not at all. I still cave for some fried taro balls. We love those—they remind us of Taiwan, where we ate them all the time. We head back via the main road to see a bit of life, but for the first time, I’m a little disappointed with this stop. We’ll see tomorrow when we actually explore the old town. But for today, it’s a bit of a letdown.
This travel journal is a real treat! 🙂
China, for me, was all about grand places but always packed with people.
I see that’s not the case—well, not always anyway.
Thanks
I totally agree with you, it’s such a delight!
It’s a refreshing change from the image of China we get through the media (surveillance cameras, social credit, policing…)
"Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux."
Marcel Proust
Day 21. Ugh, only a week left and this trip will be over 😕 Slept in again this morning because we had a light schedule and also because I’m sick and exhausted. We left around noon heading toward the old town via the pedestrian alley we like. People live with their doors open. Chilies, corn, and green beans dry in the sun, cats lounge around, an elderly woman sorts grains... The path is pleasant.
We stop at a restaurant at the end of the path, before entering the paid area. We want to try the local specialty, rice tofu. Well, honestly, it wasn’t great. Cubes of rice paste with raw minced garlic and chili in oil. Bland (or maybe it’s just my COVID?).
Then we explore the entire paid area with a few shopping alleys, viewpoints, and stepping stones to cross the river. We also go behind the waterfall. I like that change of perspective, even though there are inevitably some crowds here.
Elsewhere, almost no one. We look for Wuli Street since apparently, it’s the street not to miss here. It’s not on any of my maps. I guess it’s the main shopping alley? The street is pleasant and quiet. You can buy some local specialties like chili snails or sticky rice with mugwort, which I’ve been talking about since Guangzhou.
We leave the area to climb to the westernmost viewpoint, but as soon as we take a step toward the stairs, the guards in the little booth further away stop us. We can’t go there. Okay, turn back then.
D. gets some fried chicken as a snack, and I have jasmine tea with mung beans.
And just like that, we’re done visiting the site. It’s quick! It’s pretty—all the roofs are curved, it’s peaceful, and the view of the waterfall with the old town in the background is nice. But is it worth 108 yuan? Probably not, especially coming from Fenghuang, which is much bigger and free. Is it worth a stop on a trip? If you’ve got time, why not spend a night here, otherwise you can skip it without regret. If we’d left this morning, that would’ve been enough. And if you decide to come, make sure to stay as close to the waterfall as possible. Our neighborhood, a kilometer further north, is too dead.
I’m still loving your travel journal and can’t wait to leave even more! We’re going at the end of October. 😇
I think you were pretty lucky with the weather for August, in the end.
I imagine you continued your journey to Zhangjiajie?
We’re still planning to visit Fenghuang, even if we only stay for a day. We’ll have between 5 and 6 hours there. My daughter raved about how beautiful the city is, and your photos confirm it. If we had to choose between Furong and Fenghuang, I think it’s better to prioritize the latter. Do you agree?
I have two small questions: did you notice any luggage storage at Fenghuang Gucheng train station?
And earlier in your journal, you mentioned having an international Free plan and an eSIM. I’m a bit confused because I thought the international plan was enough in roaming mode. We might get a VPN to use the hotel Wi-Fi.
Can’t wait for the rest of this beautiful journey...
Day 22. Our host offered to drop us off at the station. Really nice of them. We happily accepted. We arrived about 45 minutes before the train’s departure, but there was absolutely nothing to do in that station—no shops at all, even though we’d hoped to grab a bite while we waited. No big deal, we just chilled out.
The train was on time, as usual, at 12:23, and we arrived in Zhangjiajie 20 minutes later. As we left the station, we headed toward the bus stop. A woman appeared out of nowhere and walked us to the bus waiting area, telling us this was where we’d catch the bus to Wulingyuan. Sweet, but we hadn’t bought our tickets yet. We went back outside to the ticket counters—no one there. We checked the machines: everything was in Chinese. We tried scanning a QR code we saw everywhere—total gibberish. I walked over to what looked like a counter, and a man came out, leading us back to the waiting area, but this time straight to the ticket checkpoint, where he asked the attendant to give us the Alipay QR code. We paid 26 yuan for our two tickets to Wulingyuan, and the woman let us through the gate and walked us right to the bus. Everyone was super helpful. We waited just a few minutes for a minibus, and in under 30 minutes, it dropped us off in Wulingyuan.
The hotel we’d booked was under renovation, apparently. But this time, they’d communicated via Trip and let us know we’d been relocated to a nearby hotel under the same ownership. We showed up at the front desk of this new place, about 100 meters from the original. The woman asked us to cancel the old reservation and pay her 380 yuan in cash. I refused—it’s not our job to cancel, and I didn’t want to risk not getting a refund. Plus, I wanted to keep our original booking to ensure we’d get the same rebooking option and access to Trip’s customer service if needed. She insisted and offered a discount. Nope, we’re not canceling. Suddenly, out of nowhere, it wasn’t a problem anymore if we didn’t cancel... She gave us our key and some business cards that served as vouchers for breakfast since it was included in our original booking.
We went up to drop off our stuff and headed straight to the Zhangjiajie National Park ticket office, a 5-minute walk away, with its big eight-story pagoda. I’d bought our tickets on Trip too. The park’s rules changed in June—now you have to choose your route at the entrance for the first bus on the first day, and you need to make reservations for re-entry on following days. On Trip, in July 2025, you can only buy your ticket with route A or B, but not the re-entry. I tried doing it on WeChat’s mini-program, but it’s impossible if you didn’t buy your ticket on WeChat. Same issue on another site Trip recommended. We’d also tried with our host in Xingping, who spoke perfect English. He’d suggested canceling on Trip and rebooking on WeChat. We didn’t do it. Anyway, we got to the ticket office and explained we wanted a re-entry for August 25th with route B. A young girl who appeared out of nowhere acted as an interpreter between us and the ticket seller. Seems like it worked out. We’ll see tomorrow and the day after. There was no one around—I’d imagined crowds, but nope, we were pretty much alone.
We left the park entrance area to grab a quick bite, then took a little stroll around town. We bought some 80 ml mosquito repellent that we could take on the train. Not easy to find mosquito repellent in China, by the way. In Thailand, for example, you can get it at any 7-Eleven. Here? Not so much.
We sat down for a bit with some drinks, took a quick trip to the supermarket, and then headed back to plan tomorrow’s route. Honestly, it’s not easy, and it seems like we won’t be able to rely on Maps.me or Google Maps, and Amap doesn’t look great either. We’ll see.
Meanwhile, the night market was setting up right in front of the hotel. Lots of street food stalls, some jewelry... One stall was selling soft-shell turtle skewers. The turtle was skewered whole—I’d never seen that before. Turtles in aquariums next to fish and frogs in front of restaurants, ready to be cooked, sure, but a whole little turtle on a skewer? First time for me.
Between Furong and Fenghuang, I think the latter is the better choice. Do you agree?
Yes, no hesitation on my part.
Did you notice any luggage storage at Fenghuang Gucheng train station?
There are lockers in most train stations, but I couldn’t say for sure if there are any at Fenghuanggucheng. Worst case, if there aren’t any, you can leave them with a shopkeeper for a few yuan.
I thought the international plan was enough with roaming
If your international plan includes China as a covered destination, that’s perfect. We didn’t have that with our plans, so we bought e-SIMs from Free with a one-month plan offering 35GB, including in China. It was less of a hassle, cheaper, and had more data than changing our plans and then canceling afterward.
For Furong, if you didn’t get the wow effect, your photos gave it to me.
And the more I read, the more I see that you’ve almost exactly mapped out the same route as mine.
Needless to say, like the others, I’m loving it!
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
Thanks for this feedback! 🙂
Oh, here it is at last—the park I’ve been looking forward to!
I found a hotel just steps from the east entrance... We’ll be there with our Chinese friends for 2 days 😇
Can’t wait!
For Furong, if you didn't get the wow effect, your photos gave it to me.
Honestly, while sorting through the photos to pick a few for this travel journal, I thought they weren’t bad after all! But at the time, it was below my expectations.
Needless to say, like the others, I’m loving it!
But I’m also really happy to share all this—I feel like I’m reliving my trip 😎
Day 23. Here come the "magnificent" moments at every turn 😉 I’m sharing all the details in case it helps anyone planning a future visit to Zhangjiajie National Park.
We woke up super early for once. At 7 AM, we were downstairs for breakfast (Chinese buffet, no tea...). By 7:30, we were heading to the park. We needed to get in before 8 AM.
There were quite a few people at the main entrance square, but not as many as I’d feared. Plus, there was no wait for the bus—Route A toward Tianzi Mountain. The buses kept coming one after another. Our driver’s name was Schumacher, apparently...😕 We arrived at the base of the Tianzi Mountain cable car—well, the *base*—since we still had at least 300 steps to climb to reach it. Exhausting this early in the morning! No wait for the cable car, and we had the whole cabin to ourselves. The ride was already stunning.
After getting off, we hopped on another bus. This time, our driver was Lewis Hamilton—seriously, they drive like maniacs in the mountains. We got off at the first stop. There were tiny, barely readable maps posted way too high to see properly. Then there were direction signs everywhere. The problem? The names didn’t match the paper map from our hotel *or* the ones on our own maps. I realized Maps.me was actually pretty helpful, even if not all the paths were on it.
We headed to the viewpoints: Tianzi Sightseeing Platform, Stone Peak Cluster, Yunqing Rock, Yubi Peak, Fairy Dispersing Flowers, Sandstone Peak Forest (Warrior Taming Horse). It was gorgeous, and there were hardly any people. Plus, the weather was perfect—sunny and mild at that altitude.
We decided to push on to Heavenly Platform—nothing but stairs. Brutal. I had to take a break every 20 steps on the way up. We’d already climbed over 1,000 steps since entering the park. This day was going to be *rough*.
We only saw four people on the way to and from Heavenly Platform. But on the way back, we noticed the crowds had arrived—so many people now.
We took another bus to the Daguantai intersection. There were multiple lines for the bus, and we tried to translate the signs, but both lines seemed to say roughly the same thing. I was tempted to take the right one, Line D, but the left one mentioned something like “fields in the sky,” which was near where we were headed. So, left line it was. Big mistake—our driver was *insane*, and I was terrified, as usual. I dropped a pin on Maps.me to track our final destination, but the driver zoomed right past it and headed straight to Yangjiajie. Oh well... we’d planned to go there later anyway, so we just switched up our itinerary. We grabbed lunch at a restaurant near the bus station—it was almost noon—and then set off toward *One Step to Heaven*. Maps.me said 1.2 km with over 100 meters of elevation gain *and* loss, but the signs said 3 km, then 6 km. The hotel’s map said 58 minutes. We were so confused, but we went for it. More *endless* stairs... Then we realized we’d burn two hours here when we had so much else to see. We turned back—wasted half an hour, but at least we didn’t see anything there. Oh well, back to the buses.
We tried translating the lines again and got in one, but when we arrived, the new signs didn’t make sense. We went all the way around to the other side, and this time, I circled outside to ask the bus attendant which line went to Daguantai intersection. He confirmed, so we queued up—10-minute wait. He put us on the right bus and told the driver our stop, but the driver dropped us off 400 meters too early. No one else got off, and no one got on. There was *nobody*. No shops, no restaurants.
We walked the last 400 meters along the road—super dangerous with buses whizzing by and not seeing us around the bends. It was deserted... We started down a series of stairs, already dreading the climb back. The map said 600 steps, but I didn’t see that until later! The path was overgrown—no maintenance, no foot traffic, just branches, leaves, and moss. It creeped me out a little. What if something went wrong? No one around to help.
We reached the first viewpoint, *One Dangerous Step*. Not bad—the view was nice but not completely open, maybe 120 degrees instead of 180. To get to the viewpoint, you had to walk on a metal grid. Below? A sheer drop. Not exactly reassuring, especially since the area looked abandoned! Maybe *that’s* the dangerous step 🙂
Next, we headed to *Grand Sightseeing Platform*. Nothing to see—the vegetation had grown in, blocking the view. We pushed on to *Rocky Natural Bridge*. Also a bust—nothing worth seeing. I started to understand why no one was here.
On the way, we heard rustling. I turned and saw a monkey screeching and lunging toward us. D. didn’t see it and thought it was a big cat—her life flashed before her eyes, convinced we were about to get eaten (hello, drama queens🙂). I’d seen the monkey, so I wasn’t *as* scared, but I grabbed D.’s arm and hissed, “Don’t look at it!” (You never challenge a monkey—it’ll win every time!). The monkey eventually left, but we grabbed long sticks for the rest of the hike and the way back.
And we were still the only two idiots walking around where there was *nothing* to see. After another letdown at Rocky Natural Bridge, we decided to skip *Emperor’s Throne* across the way. We turned back, passed the monkey again (who ignored us—thanks, sticks?), and climbed *hundreds* more stairs. When we finally emerged from the forest onto a paved road, we saw a bus depot. A bus pulled out, honked at us, and offered us a ride! Awesome! It stopped at the first station—the same deserted one from earlier. I asked if it was going to Yangjiajie. The driver must’ve understood I wanted to go there because that’s exactly where he took us! Best. Driver. Ever. He drove super carefully, and we had the whole bus to ourselves. So nice.
When we arrived at Yangjiajie, we asked which line to take for the bus to Tianqiao. No wait, and we ended up in the Yuanjiajie area (don’t confuse it with Yangjiajie!). This is the zone I *highly* recommend. It’s well-maintained, straightforward, with a series of breathtaking viewpoints and a path that doesn’t force you to backtrack—you just hop on a bus at the end. We hit every viewpoint, each more stunning than the last: Wuhu Peak, Sanguan Terrace, The Ape Man Looking at the Moon, Seeing Mountain Through the Door, The Greatest Natural Bridge (closed-off passage behind it), Natural Bridge Observing, Sandstone Forest, Magic Turtle Looking to Heaven, Avatar Hallelujah Mountain, Stone Peak Forest, Enchanting Terrace, and others unnamed on my map. Absolutely incredible. And *so* few people—sometimes no one else at all. Plus, that sunshine! What luck—what a perfect day!
The sun is now quite low, and there’s hardly anyone left. Then, we come across a woman playing the flute facing this extraordinary landscape. I can’t describe the scene or the emotions I felt, but it was incredible. Paradise in every way 🙂 Really wish I could insert the video of that magical moment. I’ve extracted a still to pay tribute to this woman.
Across from her, this is the view:
At the end of the path, we get on a bus heading to Bailong Elevator. No waiting—either for the bus or the elevator. I was expecting a more impressive experience with the elevator, but in the end, it wasn’t that amazing. At the bottom, we take a bus to East Gate, which brings us back to the starting point at 7:15 PM. What a long day! We climbed/down more than 3,000 steps, walked 19.9 km, and saw breathtaking landscapes. So happy to end this day at Yuanjiajie! Tomorrow, I’ll be sore, but it was totally worth it. This place is incredible.
To give you an idea, I’ve highlighted in pink the route we took today.
Gorgeous! That’s exactly the word that describes this place.
This park is on our to-do list, but we haven’t had time to look into it in detail yet.
Your journal really makes us want to explore this region of China.
Thanks Vilabel
"Voyager est un triple plaisir : l'attente, l'éblouissement et le souvenir." Ilka Chase
Hi there,
We're heading to Zhangjiajie in October.
From what I understand, you don’t recommend going to Emperor’s Throne? Is the path really that poorly maintained? The map says it’s 30 minutes from the bus.
And for One Step to Heaven, the map seems to show it takes 40 minutes to get there.
Your experience makes me worry we’ll struggle once we’re there...
This park is on our to-do list, but we haven’t had time to look into it in detail yet.
I hadn’t really taken the time to research it properly either, so I wasn’t sure what to expect—and that might be why I found the place absolutely incredible!
The monkey, the flutist, the breathtaking landscape—totally worth 2-3 hikes 😛
Stunning!
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
From what I understand, you’re advising against going to Emperor's Throne? Is the path really that poorly maintained?
Hi,
I’m not exactly advising against it, but I’m not encouraging it either. When I say we were alone, we were *really* alone—absolutely no one else in the area. The path isn’t in bad shape, but it’s just no longer maintained, and since there’s no foot traffic, it was covered in everything you’d find in a forest. Not impassable by any means, just not cleared of all the debris. Beyond the viewpoints, there’s nothing to see but forest. At the first viewpoint, which is easily accessible, the scenery is beautiful. But at the others, by late August, there was absolutely no view left because of the vegetation. Maybe after the leaves fall in autumn/winter, the views come back?
The map says 30 minutes from the bus.
Make sure to tell the bus driver you want to stop there, otherwise they probably won’t. Yes, the map says 30 minutes, but if you check on maps.me, it shows 2.5 hours. That seems exaggerated to me. I’d say plan for 1.5 hours round trip, or even longer if you’re like me and stop every 20 steps on the way up. I don’t know exactly how long it took us, but if I check the timestamps on my photos, we took some at the first viewpoint, and the next one was taken at Yuanjiajie 2.5 hours later.
And for One Step to Heaven, the map says it takes 40 minutes.
If you take the shortcut. That’s what we tried at first, but we quickly saw that the path (just a trodden trail in the dirt) wasn’t safe, so we turned back. Maybe it’ll be maintained by the time you go? So we took the paved path instead, which the map says is 58 minutes.
Your experience makes me worry we’ll struggle on-site...
No, it’ll be fine—everything’s well organized. You just need to know where you want to go, and I’d recommend showing the spot on the map to the people managing the bus access. That’ll keep you from ending up like we did, on the other side of the park when we only wanted to go to the next stop! 🙂
Download the map on maps.me or Organic Maps—it really helped us in the end!
You’re going to be amazed!
Day 24. Woke up as early as the day before to enter the park between 7 and 8 AM and take line B this time. It's Monday today, and I thought we'd see clearly fewer people than yesterday, but I actually feel like there are a few more. Still, no wait to take the bus to the foot of the Bailong elevator at the water winding four gates. This is where the Golden Whip Stream starts (or ends), a path along the river. You can see the peaks from below—it's just as impressive and so peaceful. We're alone on the path. We're taking it at a grandma/grandpa pace. I'm sick and really tired. The sky is perfectly blue, not a single cloud.
It's listed as a 2-hour-10-minute walk, and sure enough, two hours later, we reach the end.
Lots of people are coming in the opposite direction as we near the end of the trail. We take a short break, then hop on the bus at Large Oxygen Square toward Huangshi Village cableway to visit the Yellow Stone Village area. No wait for the bus or the cable car. The view from the cable car is stunning—we pass between the peaks, it's extraordinary. Once at the top, we settle into a restaurant and hang out until past noon.
Then we start the 3-hour loop shown on the hotel map. We pass all the viewpoints: Marshal Monkey Commanding Soldiers, Fairy Presenting Flowers... The view is magnificent everywhere, all the time. The path is well-maintained, but there are quite a few people, and it's very noisy because they're all shouting to hear the echo of their voices. Halfway through, we face the Yuanjiajie area we loved yesterday evening. Gorgeous.
We finish the loop with the last viewpoints: The Front Garden, Natural Murals, Five Fingers Peak, Wild Boar Rock... Truly stunning.
We take the cable car back down. We could've walked down, but we can feel our thighs and legs worked hard yesterday. Oh, and this morning, there was a path to go back up to Yuanjiajie from the middle of the Golden Whip Stream, but it's closed due to landslides. I spent two days saying, "This could collapse at any moment!" I think it would've been nice to take that path.
Anyway, we go back down by cable car with no wait, then take the bus to Large Oxygen Square and finish on foot toward the south entrance of the park, where we relax with a drink.
We leave the park at 3:15 PM. We walked 12.6 km today, filled our eyes and our legs too. But so far, so good. We take a bus to Wulingyuan right after leaving the park—8 yuan per person—and by 4 PM, we're back in town. We check the bus schedules to return to Zhangjiajie train station tomorrow: every 20 minutes starting at 6:50 AM until 6 PM.
A quick meal and off to bed.
I marked today's route in yellow.
To wrap up Zhangjiajie Park: I booked a 4-day combo ticket / 3 cable cars + 1 elevator, time slot 7-8 AM, 55 € per person. It's a bit cheaper than buying tickets for the cable cars or elevator separately. The entrance alone, valid for 4 days, costs 27 €. The elevator is about 8 €, and the cable cars are 8 or 9 €. Check the routes you want to take and see if the package is more interesting than buying three or four cable car/elevator tickets on-site. There was never a queue to buy them on-site when we were there.
Also good to know: hotels sell discounted tickets (I didn’t ask for the prices), but I think it's wise to plan ahead because if you buy at the last minute, there might not be spots left for the time slots you want.
Also, note that Wujiayu = Wulingyuan East Gate. It's not always easy to figure out...
I don’t recommend visiting the area near the Daguantai intersection. At the end of August, we couldn’t see anything after the first viewpoint, and nothing was maintained. But things change fast in China—maybe today everything is spotless with new viewpoints cleared?
Don’t skip Yuanjiajie and Yellow Stone Village—they’re gorgeous.
And be ready to go up and down *a lot* of steps. Otherwise, stick to the Golden Whip Stream—it's flat and easy, but the view from below is naturally less breathtaking.
There are still other areas to explore nearby: Tianmen Mountain, the Grand Canyon, the glass bridge... That’ll give us a reason to come back! Anyway, from what we saw over these two days, we LOVED it.
I’m still loving it so much! 🙂
I’m also really surprised by the weather. You were lucky because it’s not always nice in August.
This park is truly a pure wonder, and thanks for these great tips. I’ll note that there are fewer people on the Golden Whip Stream when starting at the Bailong Elevator than going the other way...
Good to remember, then...
We didn’t plan to visit the canyon, opting for Fenghuang instead. Maybe we were wrong?? 🤪
Day 25. We finally took a Didi to the train station—41 yuan, why not? At the station, we grabbed some cup noodles. The train arrived right on time, as usual, and by 11:47 AM, we were off on the last leg of this trip. My noodles were amazing, like freshly stir-fried ones. I really enjoyed them. There’s always hot water on the trains for tea or noodles—super handy.
At 2:08 PM, we arrived in Chongqing. We took the subway to Jiaochangkou station (5 yuan per person) and, following our host’s directions, headed up to drop off our stuff in our last room, on the 27th floor of a building. Too bad—no view from the room except the wall and the neighbors across the way.
It was scorching hot—43°C. We cooled off under the AC, then headed out to explore Jiefangbei and the surrounding area. It’s a very modern city, and this neighborhood is super touristy. Crowded, too. We tried a spicy ice cream—so unique and really good!
Then we made our way to Hongyadong. That’s where we started to see the quirks of this city. We thought we were at ground level since we’d been walking at that level since leaving our building, but when we got to Hongyadong, we were actually on the 9th floor—even though we’d just gone down a level! The view of the other bank was stunning.
We wandered around the area and stopped randomly for a drink. Turns out we were right above the waterfall in the cave.
The sun set, and by 7:30 PM, the neighborhood lit up. It was gorgeous. The skyline across the river was just as beautiful, with the towers and the bridge all illuminated. So, so pretty.
We stayed there for a while, soaking in the view, the music, and the peace. Below, it was packed with people. Then we headed down to join the crowd and admire the illuminated neighborhood from below before going back up to wander through the different levels and try some street food.
It was still really hot—36°C at 10 PM—and the atmosphere (crowds + noise) was exhausting. We took our time heading back. They’re forecasting 43°C until the end of the week.
Day 26. No pressure to wake up early again this morning—we don’t want to go back exhausted, and with the 43°C heat here, we don’t feel like spending the whole day outside either. Plus, I’m still sick. I’ve got crazy muscle aches all over my upper body, insane joint pain—I’m wondering what I’ve caught.
A little laundry hung out on the guesthouse rooftop terrace, and then we take the metro to Ciqikou Old Town, a neighborhood 14 metro stops west, which kinda reminds us of Hongyadong—several levels of small, charming shopping alleys, though a bit repetitive.
We take a little passage and discover three hidden little restaurants. One of them is a hotpot place—perfect, that’s exactly what we were looking for. It’s the local specialty and a must-try for any stay in Chongqing. The guy is super nice, too. He gives us all the tips we need to enjoy our hotpot properly: how long to cook each ingredient, dipping them in our bowl with sesame oil, garlic, cilantro, and green onions... We got two broths, one spicy and one mild. We loved it.
He offered us Pepsis to cool the burn, but honestly, it was fine. The broth is really flavorful, packed with stuff and lots of chili peppers, but ultimately, it’s powerful without being super spicy/hot. We stayed at the table for ages, until after 4 p.m. We were so comfy there, cool with the AC, with this super kind guy and such a typical dish. Amazing.
We kept wandering through a few more alleys, did some shopping, visited the little mah-jong museum—pretty disappointing for me, since I play mah-jong (and I’m not a fan of museums 🙂).
Then back to the room, grabbed our laundry—all warm—from the rooftop, which also has a nice view of the Yangtze River, Asia’s longest river, with the sky all pink for sunset. So beautiful.
And we go out to eat again (yes, again—I’m exhausted!). We take the metro to Grand Theater to see the lights on the other side of the river. As soon as we step out of the station—wow, stunning, incredible. We’ve got the bridge on the left, all lit up in red, boats on the river, Hongyadong all in yellow, and all the huge buildings with changing lights. Gorgeous view.
We go down to sit in the park, which is actually pretty quiet, especially compared to the other side of the river. We arrived at 10 p.m., and by 10:30 p.m., the lights on the bridge and most of the buildings turn off. We decide to head back, especially since the metro stops early here too and has a pretty surprising frequency for such a populated city—every 8 minutes. And sure enough, we caught the last metro at 11:02 p.m. Oh, and you can’t pay for metro tickets with Alipay or WeChat in Chongqing! Cash only, or you’d need to get a transport QR code on Alipay, but we didn’t manage to do that either. So we pay in cash. We’ve got the same issue in some shops and restaurants in the city. So, I’ll say it again—always handy to have a bit of cash on you in China.
Day 27. Another great night—it’s so quiet here, no noise at all, and the bedding is perfect. If we got up in the morning, we could enjoy the noodles the owner prepares on the rooftop terrace, but this complete silence, the comfort, plus the travel fatigue and the cold I’ve been dragging since Furong mean we don’t wake up before 10 a.m., sometimes even later. Last night, he gave us some mandarins and little fruit jellies. Such a nice guy.
It’s at least 12:30 p.m. when we head out to explore Shibati, right next to where we’re staying. It’s a traditional pedestrian neighborhood. This one isn’t on multiple levels, but there are quite a few stairs to follow the terrain. The area is also called 18 Steps, 18 Ladders, or 18 Stairs depending on the translation (200 steps, 400 meters long). We see shops we’ve already seen a hundred times—nothing essential in my opinion, though it’s pleasant.
We settle into a restaurant to eat Chongqing noodles. Well, once again, even though it’s one of the city’s culinary specialties, it’s not a must-try in my opinion. The noodles in Guilin were way better, for example.
We climb back up the steps and take the metro to Zengjiayan. I wanted to see the municipal council building, which looks a lot like the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
Such a beautiful building! It’s across from the Chongqing Museum or Three Gorges Museum. We decide to check it out, at least we’ll be cool inside because it’s brutal out there—43°C, feels like hell. The heat is exhausting. Reviews say the museum is fascinating and you learn a ton about the Chinese. If you like museums, go for it. Not my thing, though. Yeah, I’m not into anything today!
We take the metro two more stops to Liziba. We want to see the metro train passing through the building. Honestly, no interest at all. We filmed it like everyone else, but nope, no interest.
We leave after 5 minutes and head to our station, Jiaochangkou, then go straight to Jiefangbei. We browse the shops a bit, and since it’s 7 p.m., we head to the street food area, thinking we’ll go back earlier tonight. We try the grilled tofu skin “leaf” topped with whatever we want, spicy sauce, and a good dose of Sichuan pepper.
It’s so strong you can’t even taste the toppings. The Sichuan pepper creates little tingles in your mouth and on your lips. I read it’s equivalent to a 50-hertz vibration. For dessert, I try grilled durian. I like this fruit fresh or as ice cream, so I thought I’d try it a different way. For D., it’s a big no! For me, it’s okay—it’s just the fruit cooked... but I prefer it without any preparation. D. gets other kinds of tangyuan without soup, kind of like mochi.
After that, we wanted to walk on the bridge to see the Hongyadong lights from a great viewpoint and closer than yesterday. When we got to the bridge, we realized we could walk on the right side but not the left, where the lights are. And the way it’s set up, there’s no view from the right side. Oh well, we turn back and head home a little earlier, just before 10 p.m., after walking 14 km. It’s not much, but with the heat and being sick, it feels like I’ve done nearly double. By the way, there are lots of people sitting in the air-conditioned metro station corridors. Lots of card players today, too. I guess it’s the coolest place they can spend their day.
You share wonders with us every day—it’s such a beautiful travel journal.
Just out of curiosity, how come with all your trips you’ve barely posted any travel journals on VF?
Anyway, if you ever feel like doing it again, don’t hesitate! !
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
You share wonders with us every day—it’s such a beautiful travel journal.
Just out of curiosity, how come you hadn’t posted many journals on VF despite all your travels?
Anyway, if you ever feel like starting again, don’t hesitate!
I posted my first travel journal in January/February 2020 after a week in Malta, then another right after returning from Singapore in February/March 2020. After that, Covid put a stop to my trips for a while and led to the forum closing...
Honestly, it takes time—a lot of time. You have to recount your day every evening during the trip, try to rewrite it neatly on VF, pick out photos, deal with site bugs... I didn’t even bother editing the photos to save time—I just post them raw!
But for a month-long trip, yeah, it takes a *ton* of time. That said, it lets me keep a detailed record of certain trips, and for this one, I really wanted to preserve every single day so I’d never forget it!
Day 28. Last day in Chongqing and last day in China. Check-out at noon. We stayed in the room until the very end. When we step outside, it’s cool with a breeze—such a relief! It’s 33°C, but we really feel the freshness!
We head toward the street food district and settle into a food court. Then, we spend an hour in a nearby mall: one floor is dedicated to manga/anime/merch. I sit in a quiet spot while D. checks out all the shops.
Next, we continue to Luohan Temple. Entry is 20 yuan per person. The temple is beautiful and quite large.
It dates back to 1064 but was rebuilt in 1947. There are 524 statues inside. It’s so peaceful—such a great break in this super noisy city. It’s also known as Arhat Temple.
After that, we take the metro two stops to Linjiangmen to see Kuixinglou Square. On one side of the square, you’re at street level; on the other, you’re on the 22nd floor. It’s fun, but it only takes 5 minutes. And since we don’t have much else to do...
One side:
The other side:
A young woman approaches us and offers big Chongqing magnets in exchange for filling out a survey about our trip.
To wrap up, we take the metro to Guanyinqiao district. No real interest—it’s packed with people on a "small" square with a giant red chili to remind everyone that Chongqing food is spicy. There’s some street food further on, but way too crowded and loud.
We turn back and return to our street food district near Jiefangbei. It’s 8 PM, and we settle into a food court for the last time. This one’s quiet—it’s nice to be here. Then, around 9:30 PM, we head back to the 27th floor of our guesthouse where we left our bags. We take the metro to the airport—6 yuan per person, 45 minutes. Our flight is at 2:30 AM, and like in Paris, you have to go to the check-in counter to get your boarding pass—you can’t get it online. Almost all the shops in our terminal are closed. Only a café-restaurant and a mini shop are open. The flight goes smoothly, and we arrive in Paris at dawn.
I’m coming home with a respiratory virus that I still haven’t fully shaken a month after returning, but I’m so happy about this trip! It was absolutely amazing—even better than I expected! I loved it; it’s the best trip I’ve ever taken, and that’s saying something after Laos, which I thought was unbeatable.
Budget-wise, a few days after returning, we noticed Free refunded us 19.34 € each—we’ll never know why, but it basically gave us two free 35 GB plans! For the rest, if you’re planning a trip to China, here’s an idea for two people over 4 weeks: we spent 430 € on accommodation, 226 € on TGV trains (Trip takes a 2 to 5 € commission per ticket), and about 700 € on the ground. We linked our Boursobank and Fortuneo cards to Alipay and WeChat without any issues.
And finally, for the attentive reader(s), my old sandals held up until the very end! Haha 😉
Once again: thank you for this really interesting travel journal. I loved your way of telling the story. If I ever go back to China, I’ll definitely refer to your journal..
Thank you so much for this beautiful travel journal, Vilabel, and for sharing all this information.
I came back with a respiratory virus that I still haven’t completely shaken off a month after returning,
I hope you're feeling better. The heat and dust probably explain that.
I’m so happy to be back from this trip! It was absolutely magnificent, even beyond my expectations!! I loved it—it’s the most beautiful trip I’ve ever taken, and that’s saying something, considering how high the bar was set by Laos, which I thought was unbeatable.
That’s so great to hear because a lot of people have pretty negative preconceptions about this destination.
We’ve taken two trips to this country. Even though they were about twenty years ago and China wasn’t as developed back then, we still have wonderful memories—both of the people and their way of life, as well as the incredible landscapes. We were in the Xinjiang and Tibet provinces (both extraordinary), not to mention Xi’an and Beijing, plus part of Sichuan, which I’d love to explore further, as well as Guangxi, Canton, and Hainan Island.
This year’s trip, which we leave for in four weeks, will start in Xi’an, and then we’ll see part of Gansu from Dunhuang to Zhangye, with—hopefully—a little detour into the Badan Jaran Desert. After that, we’ll meet up with some Chinese friends in Zhangjiajie for a few days before finishing this amazing journey in Yunnan.
There’s not much room for improvisation, as you pointed out. No more than 30 days to travel without a visa. My husband has a Pakistani stamp in his passport... So it’s not easy to put together a coherent 30-day itinerary without rushing, especially when so many places are calling our name... 😇
And you were lucky with the weather. It’s true that it rains less often in August than further south in Southeast Asia.
And... I love your photos! 🙂
Thanks so much! 🙂
You’re gonna have an amazing trip—are you planning to write a travel journal when you get back? I need to start prepping for my next trip to China 😉
Avant-propos: Pour ceux qui n’ont pas suivi sur voyageforum mon récit sur mon voyage au Gansu l’année dernière et ma préparation de voyage depuis 3 mois, je me…
Je publie mon premier carnet de voyage sur voyageforum, et j'ai choisi la Chine. Je m'essaie à cette épreuve sans aucune expérience de l'écriture. Je possède…
Voila, on y est.Dimanche départ pour la Chine.25 jours de voyage, de Pekin à Shanghai en passant par Datong, Pingyao, Xi'an, Guilin, Hangzhou, les HuangShan et…
Recit par Christophe et Sophie de 6 semaines en Chine apres un passage en Mongolie: (pour la gallerie photo www.lespiedssurterre... Dimanche 21 Aout: Good…
Morceaux de Chine, un bout de Sichuan et du Guizhou. 1. Guizhou Préambule Dans ce carnet je ne vais pas raconter jour par jour les évènements mais décrire lieu…
Si je ferme les yeux et pense au sultanat d’Oman, je sens d’abord un léger parfum d’encens, la chaleur d'un rayon de soleil sur ma peau, avant de sentir le sable couler dans ma main… J’ai sur la langue le goût et le moelleux d’une datte, véritable bonbon, puis celui du café avec une pointe de cardamome et d’eau de rose.... J’entends le vent du désert siffler à mes oreilles, au loin l’appel d’un muezzin, puis le murmure de l’eau. J’ouvre les yeux, je vois des sourires, des signes de bienvenue, je vois une mer turquoise, des roches allant de l’ocre au pourpre, des wadis profonds d’où jaillissent des torrents, des dunes oranges, des plages de sable blanc où de petits crabes filent à toute allure. Je vois des oasis incroyables qui surgissent entre les montagnes arides. Je vois des villages abandonnés que l’on rêverait pleins de vie, des forteresses imposantes dominant des vallées, et des souks animés où la proposition est délicate et la négociation une politesse mutuelle…
Tout cela, et bien plus encore.
C’est ce que j’ai essayé de traduire dans mon carnet de voyage dessiné, que je complèterai çà et là de photos.
Ce carnet, je l’ai dessiné « à froid », après mon retour (en fait je l’ai réalisé cet été alors que notre voyage date de cet hiver). Il est d’un format assez spécial je l’avais acheté au japon, sans trop savoir ce que j’allais en faire. Et bien il a trouvé son usage ! Voici ci-dessous une photo de ce carnet, en mode accordéon : là, il n’est que partiellement ouvert, car tout déplié cela fait 5 mètres de long !
Pour les amateurs de dessin : Le format en accordéon est à la fois une contrainte (chaque feuillet fait un format 9 cm X 27 cm), et une liberté (on peut faire une fresque). Le papier est aussi un peu spécial : il n’offre pas une grande finesse de trait, mais il prend bien l’encre (feutre liner). En revanche, tout doit être fait presque d’un jet (avec une esquisse très légère au crayon) car il se gomme très mal. Il boit trop l’eau pour colorer au feutre ou à l’aquarelle (ou alors sans utiliser la détrempe), en revanche il porte bien le pastel à l’huile et son utilisation au pinceau avec de l’essence. Tirant sur le jaune, il m’a permis de créer des contrastes y compris avec le pastel blanc.
A droite, le "marqueur" de l'accueil, ces dattes qu'on vous offre partout en signe d'hospitalité. A gauche, un hommage à ces sublimes portes usées par les temps, qu'on admire un peu partout dans les quartiers anciens, y compris ceux qui sont abandonnés.
Oman est un des grands producteurs de résine d'encens. Les brûleurs d'encens sont partout, du plus simple en terre au plus précieux en argent ciselé...
L'hospitalité vous conduira à accepter aussi souvent un petit café, un "omani café", très léger, parfumé subtilement avec de la cardamome, pourquoi pas un peu de safran, et éventuellement un peu d'eau de rose.
J'ai ici représenté un homme dans l'habit commun usuel de tous les omanais : la dishdasha, majoritairement blanche (en semaine, en journée, la couleur est davantage pour le soir ou le vendredi et le samedi). Même si l'on voit des hommes habillés à l'occidentale, ils sont très peu nombreux. La dishdasha blanche est vraiment l'habit commun partagé par tous les hommes. La dishdasha, qui n'a pas de capuche, se distingue par un petit pompon accroché au col, la furakha, qu'on imbibe de parfum. Et croyez moi, les omanais en abusent! "ça sent le pompon" est une expression qui est maintenant passée dans notre langage commun, à mon mari et moi.
Autre incontournable de la tenue masculine, la kuma, ce petit couvre-chef rond, la plupart du temps blanc rehaussé de motifs aux couleurs vives. Le keffieh est aussi porté (mais sans le cordon appelé agal dans les pays arabes), et il est plutôt arboré par ceux dont les racines sont dans le désert, de ce que j'en ai compris.
Et les femmes, me direz vous? Voilées, pour certaines en noir intégral (mais pas la burka, plutôt le chador + Abaya), du fait de l'influence de l'Arabie et des émirats arabes unis, alors que le vêtement traditionnel était auparavant plutôt une superposition de robes très colorées. La plupart des femmes que nous avons vues portaient plutôt une tenue neutre, un voile uni sur les cheveux, mais le visage découvert. Nous avons vu aussi beaucoup de saris et de voiles colorés, il ne faut pas oublier que 40% de la population est constituée d'immigrants indiens, népalais, bengalais, qui travaillent beaucoup dans le tourisme, l'hôtellerie et la restauration, les services, mais aussi tous les travaux ouvriers.
Je précise qu'en tant que touriste il n'y a aucune pression pour porter un voile, jamais de regards désapprobateurs d'aucune sorte. Bien sûr, on gardera pour la terrasse de l'hôtel les mini shorts, les décolletés plongeants, les épaules et ventres dénudés, mais j'ai envie de dire que c'est pareil pour les hommes et les femmes et que le soleil étant vif c'est aussi meilleur pour la peau.
Voici pour cette introduction ! Au prochain post, je vous parlerai de mon itinéraire et on pourra se lancer!
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!!!
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.
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
Let’s start with the shotengai...
Our first "wow" moment came as we stepped out of the subway in Asakusa, the Tokyo neighborhood where we’d booked our hotel for our first five nights. Exhausted after our long flight, we finally arrived and took an exit that led straight into a shotengai—one of those covered shopping streets that pop up in city centers and flourished between the 1950s and 1980s.
It was an instant aesthetic shock, like a close encounter of the third kind between the modern city, a typical Asian market with its street stalls, the vintage vibe of the arcade, the sheer abundance of goods, and the bustling crowd—a mix of tourists, pilgrims (thanks to nearby Senso-ji Temple), and locals (it’s a very working-class area).
In the end, it set the tone for a feeling we’d experience throughout the trip. Wherever we went, shotengai turned out to be fantastic spots for finding little restaurants, shops, or even fresh produce. Some are like real mazes, like in Kyoto, where we spent ages trying to relocate a restaurant we’d loved ;-)
In Kanazawa, the Omicho Market:
And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
This trip was in 2023, but when I wanted to write my travel journal, VF was still closed to contributions...
So, now that I've just finished my Japan travel journal here, I figured it was high time to honor this destination we came back from so enchanted.
Disclaimer 1: This is a written travel journal. There’ll be text! Too much, for some!
Disclaimer 2: This is an illustrated travel journal. There’ll be photos! Too many, for some!
I have to say, every time I try to discipline myself, to keep it shorter, to include fewer photos... I end up adding more. It feels like my dear Aunt Nicole, who exhausted us with her slide-show evenings in the 70s/80s, decided to take her revenge. The upside for you, readers, is that you can slip away anytime without offending Aunt Nicole. I won’t even notice!
Anyway, since I love maps, here’s one to give you an idea of where I’m taking you. As you can see, we only saw a tiny part of Laos (the areas circled in red); we only had 3 weeks for ourselves (my husband’s newly retired, I still work), and we prefer taking our time over rushing around like crazy.
In broad strokes, it was very classic:
First, we “settled in” at Luang Prabang (8 days), because we wanted and needed to.
From there, we took three days to venture a little further north—not far in kilometers, but as we know, distances aren’t just about km!
Then we flew south to Paksé, letting ourselves drift down to the 4,000 Islands while stopping by the pre-Angkorian archaeological sites.
We wrapped up with the Bolaven Plateau.
A few practical notes: We arrived via Bangkok, then took a Bangkok-Luang Prabang flight, having picked up our luggage in Bangkok to check it in for Luang Prabang. No issues—the Bangkok airport, which many of you know, is very well organized.
We got our visas on arrival in Luang Prabang. Quick, but to be fair, we were on a “small” plane, and the big flights had arrived earlier, so we weren’t too crowded in line!
At the end of our trip, we didn’t fly out of Paksé but from the nearby airport in Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani (a 2.5-hour drive from Paksé), then Bangkok and Paris.
You’ll notice we skipped Vientiane to stay longer in Luang Prabang. That said, there’s now a high-speed train between Vientiane and Luang Prabang—good to know—and soon the (Chinese) train will go all the way to Bangkok and even Kuala Lumpur!
With that intro out of the way, let’s dive into the heart of the matter.
To be continued: Slowing down the pace... in Luang Prabang
Bonjour tout le monde, nous voici rentrés d'un RT USA organisé par nos soins du 31/07/2026 au 26/08/2026.
La destination : Le Sud-Ouest USA avec le Texas, l'Arizona et le Nouveau-Mexique. 7000 kilomètres effectués à la louche.
L'Auto : Une Chevrolet Equinoxe pour deux en passant par BSP Auto et Avis. Et dedans 2 valises, un sac de voyage, deux valises cabines, la glacière de chez Walmart, le matos photos et les bouteilles d'eau (pack de 40).
Le trajet : Dallas DFW, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Alpine, El Paso, Tucson, Sedona, Albuquerque, Amarillo et Dallas pour finir avec départ sur DFW.
Les voyageurs : Deux séniors bien avancés dans l'âge (73 et 75) mais toujours en activité (pas épuisante physiquement) (pour rester vivants et financer les voyages), autonomes physiquement à 100%, intellectuellement beaucoup moins, passionnés des USA, pays où tout est possible, plus marcheurs que randonneurs, plutôt hôtels à partir de 3 étoiles que motels de bord de route, plutôt restos Italiens que nourriture US, adeptes des arrêts fréquents pour les photos, plutôt musées que rien, Plutôt sieste que marches forcées. Pas trop râleurs, juste ce qu'il faut pour rester français au pays du grand Satan qu'ils disent.
Pas trés doués pour les langues, Anglais des rues (mais bien pratique), Espagnol nul pour moi hormis : " Hola ! Una Cerveza por Favor ! " Cela fait court. Madame comprend tout mais refuse de parler.
Le coût du RT : Environ 12 000 euros avec les vols AF, Auto, Essence, cadeaux, visites et tutti quanti. Bien maitrisé puisque 13500 euros prévus au départ.
Le bilan positif : Un régal avec les longues routes à perte de vue. Des Musées à découvrir. Le constat de la présence Hispanique et de son Histoire importante dans ce secteur de l'Amérique. Des locaux adorables. Des touristes plus ou moins sympas. Un accent Texan abominable et difficile à comprendre. Des stations Gas qui sont de véritables magasins avec nourriture préparée et autre alcools vendus en Arizona et Nouveau-Mexique et des employés au top ! Toujours prêts à rigoler !
Le bilan négatif : La chaleur tout au long du séjour...43° sur Dallas en fin de séjour. Impossible de sortir dans les rues. Beaucoup de "Homeless" dans les rues de l'Hyper Centre de Dallas. Les breakfasts Hôtel toujours les mêmes. On s'y fait.
Donc, positif certes mais le concept commence à fatiguer. Il se pourrait que le modèle RT autonome soit repensé pour le prochain. SI celui qui est en haut nous prête vie.
Pour la suite, attendons les premières photos triées et passées à la moulinette.
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.
Le dernier carnet sur le Turkménistan date de 2019. Voici donc un court retour sur ce vaste pays désertique qui se visite un peu plus facilement qu'auparavant.
C'est mon premier carnet. Si vous avez des questions, n'hésitez pas. Le pays s'ouvre lentement mais il est possible de visiter des sites où vous serez tout seul. En 5 jours, j'ai vu 2 hongkongais, quelques allemands et un chilien au cratère, 10 chinois dans un bazar de la capitale, et c'est tout !
Il est possible de visiter le Turkménistan depuis l'Ouzbékistan. Le plus simple et le plus économique est de se rendre en taxi jusqu'à la frontière depuis Boukhara. Le trajet prend un peu plus d'une heure.
Le passage de la frontière est assez long puisque de nombreux Turkmènes ramènent des objets achetés en Ouzbékistan afin de pouvoir les revendre au Turkménistan. Par exemple des couches, des produits pour bébés ou des produits de beauté.
Il m'a fallu plus de 2h30 pour franchir la frontière. Il est obligatoire pour visiter le Turkménistan d'avoir un guide et de passer par une agence de voyage. Les agences britanniques proposent souvent des séjours de trois, cinq ou sept jours à plus de 1 500 ou 2 000 euros.
Mais si votre budget est plus limité, il vous suffit de contacter quelques agences turkmènes directement par mail qui vous feront une proposition entre 700 et 1 300 euros pour trois à sept jours. J'ai pris un séjour de 5 jours de Turkmenabat dans le Nord-Est du pays jusqu'à Dashoguz dans le Nord. L'objectif est de visiter les principaux sites classés à l'Unesco, dont Merv, et les sites archéologiques comme Nisa ou Gonur Tepe.
Votre guide sera également le chauffeur. Il viendra vous chercher à la frontière. Les formalités sont très longues car les douaniers doivent multiplier les tampons et l'obtention du visa que vous avez préalablement demandé à votre agence de voyage nécessite plusieurs contrôles. Mais le passage se fait relativement aisément même si chaque étape est assez longue.
Une fois de l'autre côté, première surprise, l'autoroute est très récente jusqu'à Turkmenabat. Une très longue file de camions s'étend sur plusieurs kilomètres du côté turkmène afin de pouvoir passer la frontière et aller en Ouzbékistan. En effet, selon mon guide, les camions turkmènes transportent du gaz, du coton (pas à cette saison puisque la récolte a lieu en septembre), mais ont surtout un réservoir plein car le prix du carburant est beaucoup moins cher au Turkménistan. Un plein pour une voiture vaut à peu près 3 euros, ce qui est défiant toute concurrence.
Depuis le poste frontière de Farap, l'objectif est d'atteindre la ville de Mary qui abrite dans sa banlieue, à une trentaine de kilomètres, le site classé à l'UNESCO de Merv. Cette cité est connue comme étant une fondation d'Alexandre le Grand au IVe siècle avant Jésus-Christ sous le nom d'Alexandrie de Margiane. Plusieurs forteresses sont visibles.
Après plus de trois heures de route, nous déjeunons dans un restaurant turc qui s'appelle Aladdin. Plusieurs citations du président sont visibles sur l'autoroute, mais la route est de qualité et on avance aisément. Ce sera de loin la meilleure route du pays. ça se gâtera largement par la suite.
Les ronds-points sont particulièrement intéressants puisqu'on y retrouve des emblèmes de la culture turkmène, soit le chien, soit un tapis, soit le cheval Ahal Teke soit des symboles musulmans, même si la présence d'artefacts islamiques est assez réduite.
Preamble:
Africa was calling to me, so a year ago, with our usual travel companions, we decided to return to the continent we love so much.
Where to go?
Uganda quickly caught our attention—wildlife we’re used to seeing, plus gorillas and the shoebill we missed in Zambia.
We got in touch with Paul, who’s been mentioned several times on the forum back in September, booked our flight tickets, secured the gorilla permits, and by early October, the most important things were done.
We still had plenty of time to hold our "prep meetings" for the final itinerary.
Three days before departure, I sprained my ankle (my weak spot, as you’ll recall from our Colombia trip).
I wasn’t in great spirits, but after a year of waiting, nothing was going to stop me.
We’d see how it goes!
Off we went for our new adventures
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...
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.
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 you're looking for great tips and offbeat spots, if you love exploring uncharted parts of a country, if the exotic is your adrenaline, then move along!
Our 15 days in early May in this part of Turkey (a country I first discovered during a city trip to Istanbul in 2017) will only tread well-worn paths and revisit popular routes. Simply because I kept hoping until the very end that our flight to Jordan wouldn’t be canceled. Events in the Gulf proved me wrong, so we left with:
Zero preparation.
Not a single hotel booked (well, except the first one), no visits planned, just a flight ticket bought three weeks earlier. No guidebook, no app—just the desire to explore southern Turkey and Cappadocia, whose images and the chance to stretch our legs had caught my eye.
Oh, wait—I did bring along a new guide: Gemini! Yes, my friends, generative AI was my chief advisor throughout the trip for sites to visit, accommodations, routes, and even restaurants! An experiment I wanted to try to form my own opinion on using this new technology. And what better way to test it than a Turkish getaway?
The verdict? You’ll have to wait for the trip recap to find out!
The main idea of the trip is also relaxation.
So, the plan is Antalya for a few days, the Turkish Riviera for a few more, Cappadocia as the highlight, and a return via Antalya to wrap up the trip. And it was all planned by AI!
So, if you're ready, fasten your seatbelts—cabin crew, doors to automatic and cross check—boarding for Turkey now!
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
Il arrive souvent qu'on nous demande quoi visiter en Belgique .
Et les réponses ramènent le plus souvent à Bruges , Gand, Anvers et Bruxelles , avec raison , ces villes valant la peine d'être visitées 😉 .
Toutefois, la Belgique, bien que petite , ne se limite pas à ces 4 villes .
J'habite l'une d'entre elles ( Bruxelles) , passe avec plaisir du temps dans les trois autres , mais j'ai envie d'aborder d'autres coins moins connus , qui pourront compléter le séjour de ceux qui ont envie d'en voir un peu plus , ou de voir autre chose .
C'est qu'entre deux voyages , j'aime bien visiter l'un ou l'autre coin du pays où j'habite .
D'où l'idée d'un carnet de balades .
La plupart des endroits dont je vais parler peuvent être visités en faisant l'aller-retour le même jour , au départ de Bruxelles , que ce soit en transports en commun ou en voiture .
Dans l'ordre chronologique des sujets abordés :
- Le barrage de la Gileppe ( province de Liège) -message 2 , page 1
- Le domaine de La Hulpe ( Brabant wallon ) - message 3 , page 1
- Malines ( province d'Anvers ) message 4 , page 1
- La côte - message 5 , page 1
- Le Westhoek , au départ de La Panne - message 6 , page 1
- Le Zwin, au départ de Knokke - message 7 , page 1
- Lier ( entre Malines et Anvers ) - message 8 , page 1
- Mons (Hainaut) - message 9 , page 1
- La région de Florenville . - message 12 , page 1
- Les Cantons de l'Est - message 13 , page 1
- Dinant - message 18 , page 1
- Le jardin japonais d'Hasselt - message 24 , page 2
- Louvain message 29 , page 2
- Louvain-la-neuve - message 32 , page 2
- Ostende - message 42 (page 3) et message 166 (page 9)
- Les floralies de Grand-Bigard . - message 43 , page 3
- Le bois de Halle -message 44 , page 3
- Les pralines - message 54 , page 3
- Charleroi - message 68 , page 4
- Namur - message 92 , page 5
- Le Bois du Cazier ( Marcinelle) - message 95 , page 5
- Les couques et les gozettes - message 96 , page 5
- Liège - message 99 , page 5
- Tournai - message 115 , page 6 .
- Audenarde ( Oudenaarde ) - message 121, page 7
- Jardin botanique de Meise - message 124, page 7 .
- Tongres ( Tongeren ) - message 125 , page 7 .
- Château de Beersel ( Brabant flamand) - message 126, page 7 .
- Bruxelles confinée ( messages 150 et 154 , page 8 )
- L'hôpital Notre Dame à la Rose , à Lessines ( messages 161 et 162 , page 9 ) .
- Westende ( message 167, page 9)
je complète cette liste au fur et à mesure de l'avancement du carnet ...
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 a year at most in Thailand, and I’m no great expert.
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 deliver a puzzle, mainly for those who want to get an idea of the country here and for those who feel nostalgic about 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 guardians 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 yard. Be careful at night, and be careful when they’re in packs.
It sometimes crosses our minds that Thailand isn’t all that 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? 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 full of holes for years.
You’ll often see dogs sleeping on the roadside, sometimes right on the road. When you approach, they move aside nonchalantly—or not at all. It’s less funny when they suddenly appear from thick vegetation, reminding 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. When you see a small pack roaming freely in the countryside, you think twice about running into them at the edge of a field.
A darker side of this is that euthanasia isn’t often practiced. Twice, we saw dogs at death’s door in temples, enduring terrible suffering with no one to help. The image (and the smell) of one of them, agonizing and exuding 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 animal, well-fed, quickly became a happy and 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 there 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 just for fun—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.
This trip had been on my mind for about fifteen years.
But the discomfort of overnight stays, the difficulty of communication, and the prices of the few car rental options kept making me postpone the project.
And then, everything suddenly fell into place—I told myself, it’s time!
The preparations took longer than usual; the destination is still far from mainstream.
A bit of Kazakhstan?
Not in the end.
The south or not the south?
Yes, in the end.
Pre-book or go with the flow?
Only two stops were a leap into the unknown.
To help me find the ideal route, I made great use of this forum (thanks to everyone for patiently answering my questions!), pored over travel journals and blogs (Christian, Jeff), zoomed in on Google Maps and Yandex, and bought the guide published by OunTravela about this destination (the guide has been updated since).
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You’ve got your passport, international driver’s license, bank cards, and euros?
Off we go to Lyon—just one night left before our early morning flight.
Tomorrow night, we’ll be sleeping in Bishkek!
(Steak for my partner’s mischievous nephews...)
You’ll find here a post with some practical information.
And here, the version of the travel journal without comments.
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As a supplement, the route track.
Not necessarily ultra-accurate since Google has serious gaps for this destination...
January 2026
Here we go again for new adventures and the pleasure of sharing them with you here! First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who helped me with the preparations, even with some last-minute improvisations just days before departure. Thanks to Montagnard74, Jojoone1, Songsam, Attila, Dennis2, NadegerFERM, and the authors whose travel journals about Laos inspired me (Montagnard74, Muriel18, Mavietongs...).
In this story, written by Richard and illustrated by me, we’ll tell you about the journey of four friends: Catherine, Richard, Nathalie, and Bruno. A reinvented but overall successful trip, filled with discoveries and surprises, the scents of spices and frangipani flowers, (too) spicy food, sunsets, and... one big mess.
I’d been wanting to discover Sulawesi for years. But then life happened—COVID, the cost of flight tickets, you name it. Long story short, years went by, but we finally set off as a family for a three-week trip in southern Sulawesi: Rammang Rammang, Rantepao, Sengkang, Bira, and Selayar.
I like to spend a good amount of time in the places I visit, giving myself the chance to really get to know the area and meet locals. So no island-hopping this time—just the south. But when I say "just," it’s not restrictive at all, given how rich this island is in landscapes, little encounters, and magical moments.
Wednesday 07/08 - Thursday 07/09:
We left Montpellier for what was supposed to be five flights, though we only took four to start, landing in Jakarta.
We picked up our luggage there to catch a flight to Makassar the next day. That’s the only way we could get an affordable ticket (702 €).
I won’t bore you with the flight details—there’s not much to say. We arrived at 7 PM and considered heading straight to Makassar that evening. But we opted for a recovery night before taking off again. Good thing we did, because my son’s suitcase was missing...
First contact with the locals was a bit stressful—a trip without your luggage isn’t exactly fun. But right away, a woman reassured us: the suitcase was just enjoying some extra time in Singapore. Maybe it was doing some last-minute shopping. Anyway, nothing serious—it was supposed to arrive at 9 AM the next day. That gave us some breathing room since our flight wasn’t until noon.
So off we went to our hotel (Days Hotel & Suites) near the airport. It was cheap (40 € for three rooms—my kids are older and need their space), but it wasn’t worth much more. The place had definitely seen better days. But no big deal—we were only there for the night, and... we got to watch France beat Morocco in the World Cup live at 3 AM. That’s what really mattered!
Friday 07/10: In search of the lost suitcase
First challenge of the morning: finding our missing suitcase. They sent us to the airport basement, to the staff entrance. We were greeted with smiles, and an airport employee led me through the underground corridors back to the baggage claim. Right on time at 9 AM, the suitcase arrived, just like they’d promised. We were finally complete!
Off we went to change terminals, grab a well-deserved meal, and board our fifth flight to Makassar.
Little side note: I struggled for a while trying to book domestic flights directly on the airlines’ websites with no luck. Without meaning to advertise (though I guess I am a little), I realized it’d be easier to use sites like tiket.com or Traveloka. That turned out to be a great choice—I even ended up booking hotels through them later in the trip.
12:40 PM: We were on our way to Makassar. First good news: we were the only tourists. Well, the only European tourists on the flight, anyway.
No, you’re not dreaming—the bag is full of... potato chip packets.
To each their own souvenirs, I guess...
When we arrived in Makassar, a driver was waiting to take us straight to Rammang Rammang: 250,000 IDR (12 €) to our guesthouse (Rammang Rammang House). Forget about meeting people on the bus—we were headed straight to the first stop of our trip, and it was already stunning.
My kids’ guesthouse:
Ours:
View of the little lake:
But not everything is straightforward around here.
I wanted to get a local SIM card for internet and calls. I found them expensive at Jakarta’s airport (20 € for 20 GB), so I decided to wait. Well, no luck in Rammang Rammang either. You can’t just buy one from the local shop—you need a Telkomsat store (they have the best coverage). So we’d have to wait for Rantepao to get Wi-Fi... When I say "local shop," I mean the little shack around the corner. No big deal—we’d find one easily in Rantepao for 5 € and 25 GB. So there we were, offline, just the four of us enjoying the amazing view.
Saturday 07/11: Rammang Rammang
We woke up early to the sound of wedding music blasting through the village (everyone’s invited!). Off we went to explore the area.
A little walking, a little boat ride (shared with a French tourist and a Polish one—yes, there *are* tourists here, just not many; 750,000 IDR for up to 8 people) through a lovely canal, and we discovered the karst site. It was peaceful and beautiful.
The river:
The karst site:
I hesitated about writing this travel journal...
This summer, we only did the classics (the 3 northern parks and Zanzibar) and let a local agency take care of everything from start to finish.
No craziness, no risks, no sleeping under the stars, no self-drive, no venturing off the beaten path, no incidents, and not even any delays in the pre-planned itinerary...
But don’t think we were disappointed!
The whole family (there were 6 of us) came back with smiles and memories of great moments spent together.
So, if you're looking for a "classic" way to discover Tanzania, this is the place to be.
Our 2-week itinerary:
- Arusha (1 night upon arrival)
- Tarangire (1 night)
- Ngorongoro (2 nights in Karatu then Irmisigiyo)
- Serengeti (3 nights in Robanda, Togoro Plains, and Seronera)
- Zanzibar Stone Town (1 night)
- Zanzibar Matemwe (3 nights)
- Zanzibar Jambiani (3 nights)
Okay, Palermo—we know it. We go there to marvel at the architectural wonders born from the Arab-Norman-Byzantine-Gothic mix. And rightly so. We also go to treat our taste buds to all kinds of delights, both savory and sweet. Again, rightly so. We go to succumb to the charms of Palermo’s women, their sun-kissed skin glowing with golden highlights. Still, rightly so. And all while fantasizing about a mafia we’ll never actually see. Anyway.
But you’ll also find street art everywhere, even in the historic center. Sometimes, you just need to step a few meters away from the main tourist highways like Cassaro, Via Maqueda, or the main arteries of the Ballarò, Capo, or Vucciria markets to stumble upon some amazing murals. Duck into one or two slightly grimy alleys, weaving past trash and crumbling walls, and you’ll find real gems.
For example, just 50 meters south of the main artery of the Mercato del Capo, there’s a great spot with dozens of murals in a tiny neighborhood of run-down mini-houses. You’ll find plenty more south of the Mercato di Ballarò, in the Albergheria (the grittier side, not the one near Cassaro). There’s some in Ballarò itself too, but it’s hard to spot when the market’s in full swing with stalls everywhere. La Kalsa isn’t left out either, nor is Vucciria—just step away from the restaurant-packed streets.
Here are a few examples that really caught my eye.
(In the heart of Albergheria, on a street every visitor walks down—lovely message from an unidentified artist)
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.
From Southern Shikoku, between land and sea, to the blue waters of Miyakojima and finally Tokyo’s megacity
Hi everyone,
I have to admit, I really hesitated before deciding to write this travel journal... Writing one takes a lot of time and energy, and since this is my 4th trip, I wondered if it would actually interest anyone other than myself (both for the discovery and the writing). But after a few "Are you going to write a journal?" requests and especially the renewed pleasure from reading other travelers’ travel journals about Japan or elsewhere on this forum or elsewhere, I’ve decided to share this 4th installment in the Land of the Rising Sun here.
The itinerary:
27 full days, from late May to late June 2025, right in the middle of the rainy season, including:
-->13 days in Shikoku, from Kochi (Kochi Prefecture) to Matsuyama (Ehime Prefecture)
-->7 days in Miyakojima (Okinawa Prefecture)
-->7 days in Tokyo
The trip was decided on fairly last-minute this year, as usual.
I regularly check flight prices to track fluctuations for this destination, even without concrete plans. Finding a slightly cheaper direct flight (900 €) than what I’d seen in previous months (around 1,200–1,400 € on average) for a Paris-Tokyo route with Japanese airline ANA was too tempting to resist the urge to return to this enchanting country. After long hesitations between exploring the San’in region (Matsue, Tottori, Yamaguchi) and southern Shikoku, the decision was made—I took the plunge! The tickets are booked: Paris to Kochi with a layover in Tokyo, all with ANA, the airline I’d been dreaming of... for 1,120 € per person. Okay, it’s not cheap, but it’s still better than in 2023.
We leave in 2 weeks!! Now it’s just a matter of getting everything ready!
Intense work ahead in these 2 weeks to:
finalize a more precise itinerary and reach an agreement—yep, because even though we both love Japan, our preferences differ slightly, and we have to choose between exploring new places or taking time to revisit beloved spots...
decide how much time to spend in each selected area without rushing while still exploring
research places that might interest us and watch videos about Japan
book accommodations: yes, it’s possible to do this on the spot as we go, but last year, we noticed that last-minute options were pretty expensive, so we’re booking ahead—even if it means keeping a few options open while we decide or see if better deals pop up later
reserve rental cars
order yen
check the weather regularly and wonder if choosing the *tsuyu* (rainy season) was really a good idea—and whether we’ll be stuck in non-stop rain???
What a tough job, right? Traveling to Japan for a month—such a hard life!
Despite this being my 4th trip, the excitement is just as intense as the first time.
The only small downside is that when we booked the flight tickets, there were only a few seats left, so we’re only sitting together on the international return flight. Plus, on the outbound flight, we’ve got the middle seats.
Another lingering question: what French-language films will be available? According to the internet, the selection seems limited.
Oh well, these are just minor details—it’s almost time to fly!
PS: I’ll be posting slowly and irregularly... so for those interested, be patient or maybe set an alert...
Before Our Departure
Preparing for this trip started 9 months before our departure in June. For those planning a similar itinerary, it’s important to book accommodations well in advance, especially in the Okavango and Savuti campsites—otherwise, you might not find any availability.
Introduction
After visiting Zambia three years ago and Namibia and western Botswana a year and a half ago, this year we chose Zimbabwe (Hwange NP) and the northern half of Botswana.
Our flight from Paris was to Victoria Falls with Ethiopian Airlines, with a layover in Addis Ababa. We rented a 4x4 from Bushlore in Kasane, complete with two rooftop tents since there are four of us on this adventure. Bushlore picked us up from our guesthouse to collect our 4x4 and, most importantly, gave us a rundown of the vehicle and its equipment. Pay close attention to what they tell you—it could be crucial if something goes wrong, as it did for us during the trip.
Our Itinerary
We arrived on June 12th at noon. At Victoria Falls Airport, we got our double-entry visa right away—I’d already pre-booked it online on the site https://www.evisa.gov.zw/.
Since our vehicle was in Botswana, we had to cross the border from Victoria Falls into Botswana for the first time.
The next morning, Bushlore picked us up from our guesthouse to collect our 4x4. After completing the formalities, we headed toward Zimbabwe and the town of Victoria Falls.
We woke up early the next morning to be at Victoria Falls at sunrise. The scenery was stunning, but since it was the start of the dry season, the Zambezi was still high, so the falls had a strong flow. This made it hard to fully appreciate their beauty.
In the early afternoon, we left for Hwange NP, where we stayed for 4 days. Two days at Gwango campsite near Dete, followed by two days at Robins Camp. We expected to see more animals at Robins, but that wasn’t the case. In Hwange, we didn’t spot any predators, but we did see plenty of mammals (buffalo, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and antelopes).
After a few days in Zimbabwe, we crossed back into Botswana at Pandamatenga. We stopped at Nata Lodge for a good night’s rest—driving on the dirt roads is exhausting.
We left Nata and headed toward Nxai Pan. The road was sandy but manageable. We made a small detour to admire some beautiful baobabs at "Baines Baobabs." Then we continued to our campsite, Nxai Pan South Camp. Keep in mind that many campsites in Botswana aren’t fenced (except for the shower/toilet areas), so animals can roam freely within the camp. Take precautions, especially after dark.
After our stop in Nxai Pan, we headed to Maun. We decided to break our journey in Maun before heading to Moremi and the Okavango Delta for three reasons: first, we needed to stock up on supplies and fuel for the next 5 days; second, our fridge had broken (luckily, Bushlore has a branch in Maun); and third, the drive from Nxai to our camp in Xakanaxa in the delta would’ve taken too long. I always avoid driving after dark.
We arrived at our Xakanaxa camp on June 21st in the early afternoon. Not wanting to waste time, we booked a boat ride on the Okavango Delta, leaving at 4:00 PM for a 2-hour sunset cruise. For those interested, to the right of the Xakanaxa X1 site, there’s a sign for boat rides. The organizer is very professional and offers prices that are nothing like those of the lodges.
It was a beautiful ride through the delta with a stunning sunset. Being on a boat is much more relaxing than driving on the dirt roads. That didn’t stop us from doing self-drive safaris the next morning and late afternoon, though.
Then came the time to leave the delta and head toward Savuti, a much drier region. And that’s when the toughest part of our trip began. First, we decided to go up via Khwai. The rainy season was over, but the area was still marshy. We had to cross a few small water patches, testing the depth to make sure we could get through. Luckily, a sign on the road pointed us toward a drier route. We reached Khwai without any issues, but then we made a major mistake. Instead of taking the main track toward Mababe Gate to reach Savuti Camp, we took a straight path north and then a right turn to get to our camp. Bad call—we got stuck in the sand, with one rear wheel buried halfway and a front wheel off the ground. We were genuinely scared we wouldn’t get out, especially since we were on a deserted track, 20 kilometers from our destination, with night falling in two hours. This is where paying attention to the vehicle instructions really paid off—we had to use the jack to get out of the mess. The result: we arrived at Savuti campsite just before dark (Distance: 146.3 km, Duration: 9 hours, 56 minutes, and 3 seconds, Average speed: 14.7 km/h, tracked with Osmand). At reception, the staff couldn’t understand how we’d gotten there—we hadn’t passed through any of Savuti’s reserve entry gates.
The next morning, no one felt like driving, so we did a game drive with a guide. I don’t know if it was some kind of reward, but the outing was amazing. We saw three lions and, best of all, a pack of African wild dogs that we had time to admire and photograph. The next day, we did a short self-drive and found one of the lions from the day before drinking at a waterhole. That was the end of our Savuti adventure.
Now we’re heading to Kasane. We returned our vehicle and settled in for our last two nights there. The next morning, since we no longer had a car, we decided to do one last early-morning game drive in Chobe NP. It turned out great—we followed two brother lions and saw plenty of other mammals. The only downside of Chobe is the number of tourists, which was a change from the other parks we’d visited. That said, we’re tourists too, so...
In the evening, we took one last boat ride on the Chobe River to end on a high note with a beautiful sunset.
After a good night’s sleep and plenty of wonderful memories, landscapes, animals, and emotions, it was time to leave. We left early in the morning with the same taxi company as before to cross the border into Zimbabwe one last time and head to the airport, where we took off to return to France.
We all have two lives. And the second one kicks off the day you realize you only have one, with the determination to spend the time you have left on what truly adds sparkle to your life, Kevin! I like to elegantly introduce a trip with a philosophical quote. First, it gives you the illusion that I’m some kind of deep thinker, and second, it lets me fill up the first few lines of my blank page when I don’t know how to tell you I’m diving back into what really lights up my life: another adventure beyond the horizon! And nearly every other year, like a toxic relationship, my horizon tends to take shape in Uncle Sam’s backyard. And this, despite his cousin Donald calling the shots. Speaking of which, it was partly that impulsive guy who pushed us to be just as impulsive and snag our four flight tickets at a ridiculously low price—a direct result of foreign tourism taking a hit from BetaMax’s repeated antics... Four tickets? Who are the other lucky ones? In this case, our lucky ones are actually lucky ladies: My Flo, always up for exploring the world with me on foot, camelback, or scooter, is obviously in on the fun. The other two seats went to our daughters, Sasha and Luna, both thrilled to be part of this new American adventure...
But what’s the American West like in February?... A gamble. Let’s call it Russian roulette since we’re not landing during peak weather season. That’s why we encouraged our transportation and accommodation to get cozy and produce a little camper van, so we can stay ultra-flexible in the face of any weather tantrums. We’ll be roaming in Kara the van with the motto "Follow the sun!" Bad weather? We bolt. Snow? We speed up. Sunny? We act like it was the plan all along and soak it up.
"Okay, but why keep coming back to the same corner of the globe? After ten American adventures, you must be tired of seeing the same things, right?" But I’m not crazy, you know!... The American West is like making love to your gorgeous wife over and over, always enjoying it just as much. And contrary to what you might think, the American West isn’t just the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Las Vegas, and Bryce Canyon. Proof is, after ten trips to the U.S., my retinas are still untouched by three-quarters of the places I scribbled on a napkin for this adventure... Oh, and add to that my wife, who I’ve easily converted to my religion, and boom... relapse is even easier! Because yes, we’ve landed in Los Angeles after a sunny flight over Greenland, still under Danish flag for now. And we’re already heading east through the XXL traffic of L.A.’s eight-lane highways, eager to dive into our first discoveries. But first, night is taking over the sky, and second, we’ve been officially awake for 24 hours, so I suggest wrapping up this intro. I’ll tell you more tomorrow morning. Sound good?
This travel journal aims to help future travelers (well, I hope so!), since there’s so little information available about this remote archipelago. Big thanks to Lolodesiles and Ayis for answering my questions while I planned this trip!
Context
This is our fourth trip to Indonesia as a couple—after Java-Bali in 2011, Flores-Komodo in 2013, and Sulawesi in 2016—each time for three weeks. It’s also our tenth trip to Southeast Asia overall.
We’re traveling like we have in previous years: with a rough itinerary that often changes based on who we meet, tips from other travelers, how tired we are, or what we’re feeling in the moment. In the Moluccas, it’ll change constantly, mostly depending on transportation.
Our only accommodation booking: the first few nights in Ambon when we arrive.
Planned route (to be refined on the spot): Ambon - Banda Islands - Lease Islands - Ternate - Tidore - Halmahera (between Sofifi and Tobelo) - Morotai and the neighboring unnamed archipelago.
Flights: Lyon-Paris-Singapore on Air France (428 € round-trip), with good meals, champagne, and wine (we like our little comforts when going on vacation 😏). Then Singapore-Jakarta-Ambon on Air Asia and Garuda.
Return flight: Ternate-Jakarta-Singapore on Lion Air, with a 3-day stopover in Singapore before heading home.
Episode 1: Ambon to Banda
Our guesthouse, booked two days before departure, is 45 minutes from Ambon Airport, near Natsepa Beach (northeast of Leihitu). It’s a pretty average beach—quiet on weekdays but packed on Sundays (we saw the difference). It’s lined with warungs.
This rainy day helps us readjust to the atmosphere of this country we love so much.
Our “Solim Guesthouse” is a lovely house with a living/dining room and garden, costing 15 € per night for two, including a hearty breakfast.
Dinner is at Gaba Gaba, a great restaurant just a short walk away, right by the water, recommended by our host. Fun fact: it’s in the Lonely Planet, and it might be the only LP-listed spot in the Moluccas that actually matches the description (the others either don’t exist or have nothing to do with what’s advertised 😠).
For the next two days, the super-friendly owner lends us his scooter. We set off to explore the coastal villages in northern Leihitu (the western part of Ambon Island, which has a weird shape).
Laundry and trucks washed in the same stream.
Liang Beach, described as the island’s most beautiful, is almost gone (climate change or something else?), but the colors are magical.
We continue 25 km toward a snorkeling spot our host recommended, taking a gorgeous, deserted little road through tiny villages in clove plantations (oh, those unforgettable scents!), stunning coves, and dense forest.
We’re greeted dozens of times with “Hello Mister”—a daily routine in the Moluccas. Every time we stop, we pose for photos to be saved on locals’ smartphones. They don’t see tourists often.
We ask for directions to the snorkeling spot (not easy—we only know basic Indonesian like *Selamat pagi*, *siang*, *sore*, and other polite phrases). Not many people know where it is (especially since we never know which village we’re in), but we eventually reach a small village that seems to be the right place. 🙂
We ask a local to take us there by boat (it’s not reachable by land).
The spot is at most 100 meters long, but the coral is in good condition (apparently not dynamited by fishermen, unlike in other parts of this beautiful country where fishing methods are destructive and nature pays the price 😠). The fish are plentiful and diverse. It’s a great start before heading to Banda. We’re happy to have the place to ourselves… though we don’t yet realize we won’t see a single tourist for the rest of the trip!
After two days of rest, we head to Tulehu Port in the morning, aiming for the Banda Islands. We know the journey is often tricky: the Pelni ferry runs twice a month but doesn’t match our dates, the 10-seat Suzi Air plane is always full (you can’t book—you have to show up on Mondays and Fridays), and it’s often canceled due to weather. So we opt for the Tuesday speedboat (which also gets canceled if there are waves or wind), with the next one on Saturday.
We’re used to Indonesian ports—crowded, rusty boats, no English speakers—but we still feel lost. When I ask about the speedboat to Bandaneira, people gesture wildly, someone takes me to the “harbor office,” then tells me there’s no boat, others try to sell me tickets, and some just say, “No boat.”
Luckily, an English-speaking local approaches us and confirms the speedboat is broken. The next one will be Saturday *if* it’s fixed—otherwise, even later. 🤪 😠
We’re crushed. We came here for the Banda Islands… 🙁
We decide waiting five days for a maybe-boat isn’t an option, so we decide to head straight to North Moluccas, which was planned for later. We’re so disappointed we don’t even want to stay in the area. The Lease Islands don’t appeal to us despite what we’ve read, and Seram would deserve its own trip with its remote mountain tribes.
Huge disappointment—we’d been dreaming of Banda for months, with its incredible drop-offs like Bunaken, its islands covered in nutmeg trees, etc. I’d read that Banda is in the world’s top 5, alongside Bunaken (amazing—we went in 2016), Komodo (incredible—we went in 2013), Sipadan, and another spot I’ve forgotten.
We take a taxi back to Ambon (45 minutes) to a travel agency to buy plane tickets to Ternate. There’s a daily ATR72 flight at noon—perfect timing.
Ambon is the capital of South Moluccas (or Central, depending on who you ask!) with 300,000 people. The city doesn’t seem unpleasant, but we don’t stop.
On the plane, there are only about ten passengers for 72 seats. The flight attendants are stunning, as always with Wings Air—clearly, they’re hired for their looks. 😊
Stopover in Bacan—a runway in the middle of coconut trees serving a tiny town—then we fly over countless volcanoes, the last one towering over Ternate.
Bonjour,
De retour sur le forum - et première rédaction d'un espèce de carnet de retour de notre 4ème voyage en Indo.
Contexte : une trentaine de jours, en scooter et en duo, sur Florès (et une petite incursion dans l'archipel de Solor, plus précisément à Lembata (chut, faut pas trop en parler !!!), qui donne envie d'en faire beaucoup plus là bas malgré les infrastructures sporadiques), en partie dans des destinations déjà bien connues du forum (la classique Ruteng / Bajawa / Riung / Moni voir baie de Maumere) ... et qui ne parlera pas du PN de Komodo ou de Wae Rebo, puisque nous n'y sommes pas allés 🏴☠️.
Texte en anglais (issu d'une autre plateforme). Sans nul doute, des traducteurs intelligents ou pas marcheront à merveille en cas d'anglophobie 🤪.
Disponible à toute fin utile pour des détails ou infos.
Equippement : Yam' Nmax 155 ; 2x saccoches cavalières (25L) + sac de selle (30L) + saccoche tunnel (15L pour le matos photo) ; casques et vêtements d'enduro amenés depuis la France.
Itinéraire : boucle depuis Labuan bajo jusqu'à Pulau Lembata ; juillet-août 2026
Road conditions graded from A (excellent) to D (very bad, at least for a Scooter… a CRF/KLX or even honda ADV would do better on that)
D1 : Labuan Bajo – Reok via Ranggoe, Rego & Tagol (130km ; 5hrs). Section LBajo – Rego (90 km ; B) is quite good tarmac, despite a lot of elevation with many small valleys and passes. Rego – Tagol (10km ; D) is a stone road (not gravel), some ascents & very poor condition ; necessary to lower tyre pressure. Tagol – Reok port (22km, quality depends considerably from D to B). Reok port – Towncenter : B. Night @Iffah Homestay (100k for fan room, mandi attached, no breakfast), simple but clean. Notes : path to danau Sano Limbung was closed ; access to Tiwu Pai & Wae Kuli (waterfalls) not permitted in july 2026.
D2 : Reok – Riung via Pota (105km ; 3h-3h30). The road is very narrow in some part, thanks to the uncut bushes (lowering visibility hence extra caution as animals/people can suddenly appear in a turn…) but generally good condition except many eroded sections and some unpaved ones. Grade C/B. 2 nights @Mentos (285k for AC room)
D3 : Boat tour in Riung (booked directly with a captain, 800k for two for private boat incl. lunch and NP fees) + sunset from Watu Mitong Riung (should not be missed).
D4 : Riung – Muku Saki via Mbay (around 100km ; 3h30). Quality varies from A in the vicinity of Mbay to eroded sections (C) in secluded places. Night @Sao Paolo Homestay (250k for fan room with mandi, maybe overpriced but nice house and great food). Note : if you happen to pass by Mbay on Saturday, the market is well worth a stop (cheapest Ikat on the trip : you’ll be asked normal prices providing you’re OK in Bahasa…)
D5 : Muku Saki – Tanjung Kajuwulu (near Ndete) (90km, 3h). Many patholes, eroded (C). Night at Déjà Vu Homestay (220k for a matress on the floor & outside mandi/toilets ; I woud define this as a tourist trap – the quote we had for food was double priced too…)
D6 : Tanjung Kajuwulu – Waiterang (east of Maumere, 55km , 1h30). Pathholes till maumere, then All good (TransFlores), C/A. Night at Sunset Cottage (new concrete room, very serene place ; 270k for AC with bathroom ; much prefered Sunset over Lena House (more customers, more built up).
D7 : Waiterang – Larantuka via Boru and Eputobi (TransFlores ; grade A ; 115km / 2h40). Particularly liked the drink stalls (marked as Rest Area Eputobi) and the out of order aquatic park just before Larantuka (obyej wisata waiplatin). Night @ Dewy Onong Homestay, which is not advertising itself as Larantuka Beach Homestay as some contributor signals here and on goole maps review. Best breakfast of the trip (Cumi Cumi !!!) ; 275k for AC room with bathroom.
D8 : Local Boat (Kapal Kayu) from the main port to Lembata (Lewoleba). Departure 8am ; price 60k/head + 50k for the bike. Stop enroute on Adonara (where we did not stop due to fights between communities). Night @Elmany Homestay (275k for AC room with bathroom, fan room with shared bathroom also available). Whole afternoon at Pantai Hadakewa, fantastic place (good snorkeling, great views of Ile Api aka Gn Lewotolo). Road condition : A (did not expect the TransLembata to be that good…).
D9 : Loop around Ile Api (50km, 2hrs), anticlockwise. Stops enroute at Situs Tulang Paus (whale squeletton), pantai Jotona, pantai Wena (we expected to snorkel from there, but wind was very strong that day), situs Watu Nale, Selat Sonia. The western coast is far less interesting. Road conditions : bad (C) on the eastern side (up to Riangbeda), good (B/A) afterwards. Night @Elmany Homestay.
D10 : Lewoleba – Lamalera via the western and south coast (70km, 2h30). Good road (B) for roughly the first 55km (up to Tapobali), then eroded track for the last 15km (in some parts steep and dangerous) up to Lamalera (D/C). Notes : 1/ Kuma resort denied us the entry for some drink ; 2/Pantai Waijarang « complex » is abandonned but closed with fences ; you can still sneak in ; 3/ some reports advise to skip Bukit Cinta (foreigner entry fee) for Bukit Doa Watomiten (stations of the cross) ; well Bukit Cinta has also been abandonned (well spent money…sic) but remains opened with structures falling (quickly) appart. Night @Lamalera Inn (200k per head including meals ; very basic fan room + attached mandi). Planned 2 nights, spent only one, as it’s the only tenant I had difficulties with (only interested in money, initially stated crazy prices, starts loud music at 6am … and drinking moke at 8am…)
D11 : Trip to Wulandoni for the Barter Market (Saturday only). Bad road (C) along the coast. Had to report at the Kantor upon arrival, which quite surprisingly asked 100k per person (foreigner) to go inside the (outside) market. Other « local » tourists (a group from Jakarta) were not asked to pay. Well, since a market is a public space and not a zoo, we refused payment and enjoyed the activity from the kopi stall next to it. Returned then to Lamalera for the catches of the day, then to Lewoleba via the mountain road (45km, 2 hours). First 10km to Puor is in very bad condition and uphill (D/C). The remaining is on a newly constructed road (A). Note : Air Panas Sabutobo is abandonned and falling apart (again…) but there are still some water pipes along the river that you can enjoy (depending how lucky you are, just with the forest sounds as companion). Night @Elmany Homestay
D12 : Chill day alond the northern coast (Batu Payung, Pantai Hadakewa with lot of snorkeling, drove till Wailolong and backtracked to Pantai Lewolein for more snorkeling (nice canyons there !) and another fantastic sunset over Ile Api (see GMaps pictures)). Night @Elmany Homestay
D13 : Monday weekly market at Pada, southwest of Lewoleba. Renowned but honnestly dont plan any itinerary specifically for it, just an ordinary Kampung weekly market. Returned to Larantuka and Flores with the 12pm local boat (the same boat that leaves from Larantuka at 8am). Same prices as the first leg. Night @ Dewy Onong Homestay
D14 : Larantuka – Waiterang along the northern coast (100km, 3h) via Pantai Kawaliwu, Tewuk Lewokluok (trail is easy to find, very nice snorkelling in a lagoon), Pantai Lato (to my opinion the most beautiful beach on Flores and you’ll be the only visitor, as opposed to Pantai Koka) and Pantai Hia, until rejoining the TransFlores near Nebe. Grade C on the costal eroded road / track. 3 nights @Lena Guesthouse (booked ahead as it fills up quickly, but we prefered its neighbour Sunset Beach Guesthouse)
D15 : Snorkeling trip organised by Lena Guesthouse (200k per head excluding NP fees and lunch)). The drop-off near Pulau Babi is a very nice spot.
D16 : scooter day trip around the Egon Range (too lazy to hike it…), through nice Sikka villages (route : Watublapi, Umauta, Bola, pantai Doreng, Nakatoli, foot of Gn Egon, Air panas Blidit). The track from Natakoli to the foot of Gn Egon is very steep, damaged and wet (with moss) ; I would recommend not to attempt that in case of bad weather.
D17 : Waiterang – Moni (130km, 3h30, transflores grade A/B) via Pantai Koka (refused to pay the mafia entry fee…) and Jopu (some rumah Adat Lio). Stopped at Museum Bikon Blewut, south of Maumere. Very nice artefacts (especially wooden statues from Papuan, great ikat collection) although very disorganized and sadly non-visited (hence masterpieces fall into oblivion). 2 Nights @Liahz Lodge (150k for fan room, basic bathroom… but right next to Air Panas Liasembe (free, no closing time) !!!).
D18 : Sunrise from Kelimutu with a nice weather (stayed until 8.30am). I don’t know if the sunrise is really worth it (lot of people ascending and watching the sunrise – a lot but nothing compared to e.g. Gn Bromo), nearly everyone going down around 7am, then there is virtually nobody. Trip (20km one way, good road B) to Kampung Adat Nggela (Lio). Although the village is habited and mostly out of the beaten path, I have mixed fillings due to the fact that most ladies (some are pushy) try to sell you (bad) pieces of ikat.
D19 : Moni – Ende via Detusoko paddy fields, Kampung Adat Saga (Lio) and Puncak Ndona ; 75km 2h30. We really liked Saga (nice setting on the mountain, friendly villagers, no selling, mix between traditional and more modern houses in that lively village). Sunset from Bukit Raja, on the peninsula with a 360 view on Gn Iya, Gn Meja Kota Ende and the mountains behind. Note : at the end of the road (search for Gunung Meja Tourist Info Center), there is a (sand) track leading to the path. 1/ only intend the track if you have off road driving experience ; 2/ dont trust the walking time stated by Maps.me. Took us 45mins on a steady pace to reach the summit. Night @Hoja Homestay, 300k for a comfortable AC room with bathroom.
D20 : Ende – Bajawa, via Air Panas Mengeruda ; grade A, 120km, 3 hours. Note : don’t plan to short in Mengeruda (Soa), very easy to spend a half day there, especially if playing with local kids. Stay @Cinnamon GH, 250k for double with fan and hot shower (cheaper options with shared hot shower availlable).
D21 : First day in Bajawa : Watu Nari Wowo (Avatar Hill, sic…), Kampung Adat Ngada Tololela & Gurusina (very very friendly people, complementary views of Gn Inerie & Wolo Deru). Sunset from Puncak Manulalu (well… Heaven’s door Bar & Restaurant)
D22 : Second day in Bajawa : Kampung Adat Ngio (hardly visited, best view on Gn Inerie), Air Panas Malanage, Kampung Adat Bena (the most visited Ngada village (after Bela ?) in the area, we went there at the end of the afternoon to avoid tours, early morning would be fine too), and Gunung Wolobobo for a terrific sunset
D23 : returned to Gunung Wolobobo for sunrise with Gn Ebulobo in the distance (search for a track on the eastern slope, near the communication antenna). You can circuit the rim to the usual viewpoint (westside, sunset spot), the path is easy to find. Then took again the road to Aimere, visiting Kampung Adat Belaraghi enroute (the setting is maybe less rewarding than all the previous villages). 56km ; 1h30. The road to Belaraghi is fine, except the final part.
D24 : Aimere – Ruteng (105km, 3h30). Nice detour by the paddy fields of Wodo (southwest of Golo Loni) of Sunset from Golo Curu (nice encounters with locals). Night @Tange GH, 130k for room with outside (private) bathroom, no breakfast.
D25 : Surroundings of Ruteng (paddy fields north and east of ruteng ; Maps.me has funny tracks starting from Kenda), and the rather pleasant city itself (pasar, churches, lapangan). We finally skipped Liang Bua.
D26 : Ruteng - Labuan Bajo (130km, 3h30). No visits of the waterfalls close to the TransFlores (entry fee (with bule prices) + mandatory guide etc…). Sunset from Bukit Hercadi with very few locals (Bukit Sylvia & Bukit Amelia, just south, were packed). 2 nights @Wellamas Homestay, away from the harbour and its advantages/disadvantages. 230k for comfortable AC room with hot shower.
D27 : New road to Golo Mori Convention Center (another big money well spent…), with nice views on the strait separating Flores from Pulau Rinca. Some empty beaches (e.g. Pantai Pasir Pajang ; we were there on a weekday perhaps frequented by people from LBajo only). 30km (40 mins) one way, perhaps the fastest road of Flores…
D28 : Morning on the peninsula north of Labuan Bajo before taking a flight to Jakarta in the afternoon. On Google maps, the asphalt road only goes to Teras Langit ; it now (august 2026) continues to Puncak Basok and is still in progress towards the eastern part of the peninsula. On the way back, two other nice Bukit where you can enjoy nice views on the bay (and the resorts…) : Bukit Lontar & Bukit Beta. Note : we only found one public (and nice and quiet) beach in the area ; tagged as Sunset Point Beach on Gmaps. All the rest was closed by fences ; they are privately owned (although the Indonesian consitution grants the coastline as public space).
We're a family of five: one dad, one mom, and three kids aged 10, 15, and 18.
Before diving into each stop in more detail, here are a few general thoughts:
We wanted to sample a bit of everything Japan has to offer in terms of landscapes, accommodation, and transport. We were after walks, temples, restaurants, shopping, and some downtime—but no "all-inclusive experiences" or museums for this first visit.
Three medium-sized (60x42x25) canvas suitcases, plus a duffel bag and a few small backpacks. 23 kg in the hold on the way out, 60 kg on the way back. 36 kg of shopping, without even trying. I think this is the maximum suitcase size if you don’t want to stress on the Shinkansen: they fit easily in the overhead racks.
Round-trip with Cathay Pacific, layover in Hong Kong: no need to collect luggage in Hong Kong—we checked it in at departure and picked it up in Tokyo, and the same on the way back (checked in Osaka, picked up at our final destination). This let us explore Hong Kong without worrying about our bags. Food and entertainment were pretty good—meals included a little Häagen-Dazs on each flight, and the entertainment had way more Asian cinema than you’d find on a Western airline, which was a nice way to see how much weight Western culture carries in Asia.
The original plan was to fly directly from Ishigaki to Hong Kong, but due to Typhoon Dolphin, we had to cancel the Ishigaki leg. Cathay didn’t bat an eye about swapping the Ishigaki-HK flight for an Osaka-HK one, even though it was twice as long.
We were a bit too attached to the idea of ending the trip with some beach time and replaced Ishigaki with Shirahama. It was a mistake—we should’ve visited Hiroshima or spent a little more time in Tokyo instead.
Last February, I made a trip using "public transport" from France to southern Senegal via Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, and Mauritania.
It’s a journey of about 5,000 km, where I took trains (as far as Marrakech), ferries (to cross Gibraltar and then to reach Casamance from Dakar), and mostly buses on the long desert straightaways. I hadn’t planned any stops in advance or booked any hotels, except for the very first train to Spain, which left plenty of room for the unexpected.
Why travel by land and sea? In recent years, flight-free travel has been gaining popularity. On social media, posts explaining how to cross Europe by train as quickly as possible go viral. Traveling without flying—and making sure people know about it—has become a great way to earn a badge of eco-responsibility: an essential totem for anyone wanting to prove both their dedication to the ecological cause and the wisdom of slow travel.
I haven’t flown in years, and this journey to West Africa could easily be filed under "responsible travel." But it wouldn’t be honest to say that: in reality, it wasn’t really my aversion to flying that motivated this long trek. I see overland travel primarily as a way to experience the world’s geography at a grounded, earthly pace—the pace of the locals. Besides, I’ll be flying back, which disqualifies any claim to being a model of sustainability.
So no eco-badge, and no adventurer’s badge either: you won’t find any heroic tales of camel rides in lost lands or mineral train wagons in this account (popular with influencers, the Mauritania iron ore train now attracts tourists from all over the world, turning "the experience" into something you "have to do at least once in your life"). This five-part story, written on the road, has no other ambition than to recount a journey through places and people, and to share the thoughts they inspire in me. As simply and, I hope, as humbly as possible.
I’m posting the episodes here, which you can also find on my blog (with more photos) at the following links:
Episode 1: Spain, from Avignon to Algeciras
Episode 2: Morocco, from Tangier to Tarfaya
Episode 3: Western Sahara, from Tarfaya to Guerguerat
Episode 4: Mauritania, from Guerguerat to Nouakchott
Episode 5: Senegal, from Rosso to Saloulou
To help those who might want to make the same trip, I’ve also put together a summary of the route with recommendations—you can read it at the end of the story and on the blog:
From France to Senegal Without Flying: Route and Itinerary Recommendations
Hello and welcome aboard this new travel journal!
We’re heading off to Ireland together—a country I’ve wanted to explore for a very long time.
The moment has finally arrived.
We’ll be traveling as a family—my wife, my husband, and our 7-year-old daughter.
Here’s our itinerary:
24/07: Flight from Marseille to Dublin, overnight in Dublin
25/07: Dublin, overnight in Dublin
26/07: Dublin, overnight in Dublin
27/07: Pick up rental car, drive to Dingle, overnight near Tralee on the peninsula
28/07: Visit the Ring of Kerry
29/07: Adare, Bunratty Castle, Galway, overnight in Outheragh, near Galway
30/07: Cliffs of Moher, overnight in Outheragh
31/07: Connemara, overnight in Outheragh
01/08: Drive to Sligo via Westport and Downpatrick Head, overnight in Sligo
02/08: Slieve League, Silver Strand Beach, Glencolmcille, overnight in Sligo
03/08: Drive to Derry via Glenveagh National Park, overnight in Derry
04/08: Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Portrush, Derry, overnight in Derry
05/08: Drive to Belfast, visit Belfast, overnight in Lisburn (Belfast suburbs)
06/08: Game of Thrones filming locations: Dark Hedges, Carrick-a-Rede, Ballintoy, etc., overnight in Lisburn
07/08: Drive to the Wicklow Mountains, visit Wicklow Mountains National Park, overnight in Blessington
08/08: Drive back to Dublin and return to Marseille.
Cost breakdown:
Flights:
Outbound flights with KLM via Amsterdam for 3: 175 € + 40,000 Flying Blue miles (so essentially a free ticket)
Return flight with Aer Lingus for 3: 489 €
Rental car:
10 days booked with Enterprise via Carigami: 443 € including zero-excess insurance.
Accommodation:
Dublin: 3 nights at Maldron Hotel New Cross: 394 €
Tralee: 2 nights in a caravan (Ocean Trail Oasis): 292 €
Outheragh: 3 nights Airbnb, family room with private bathroom: 430 €
Sligo: 2 nights at Clayton Hotel: 456 €
Derry: 2 nights at Belfray Inn: 255 €
Lisburn: 2 nights at Temple Golf Club: 232 €
Blessington: 1 night at Baltyboys Lodges B&B: 158 €
That brings our total to 3,325 € for three.
On the ground, visits, fuel, and food cost around 2,500 €.
So this was quite an expensive trip.
A few price examples:
1 liter of unleaded fuel: 1.89 €
3-day pass in Dublin: 18 €
1 scoop of ice cream: 5 to 6.5 €
Castle visit: 15 € per person
A coffee: 3-4 €
A glass of wine at a restaurant: 8-10 €
A half-pint of Guinness: 7-12 €
Now, here’s the day-by-day account of our adventure in Ireland:
A droite, le "marqueur" de l'accueil, ces dattes qu'on vous offre partout en signe d'hospitalité. A gauche, un hommage à ces sublimes portes usées par les temps, qu'on admire un peu partout dans les quartiers anciens, y compris ceux qui sont abandonnés.
L'hospitalité vous conduira à accepter aussi souvent un petit café, un "omani café", très léger, parfumé subtilement avec de la cardamome, pourquoi pas un peu de safran, et éventuellement un peu d'eau de rose.
J'ai ici représenté un homme dans l'habit commun usuel de tous les omanais : la dishdasha, majoritairement blanche (en semaine, en journée, la couleur est davantage pour le soir ou le vendredi et le samedi). Même si l'on voit des hommes habillés à l'occidentale, ils sont très peu nombreux. La dishdasha blanche est vraiment l'habit commun partagé par tous les hommes. La dishdasha, qui n'a pas de capuche, se distingue par un petit pompon accroché au col, la furakha, qu'on imbibe de parfum. Et croyez moi, les omanais en abusent! "ça sent le pompon" est une expression qui est maintenant passée dans notre langage commun, à mon mari et moi.
Autre incontournable de la tenue masculine, la kuma, ce petit couvre-chef rond, la plupart du temps blanc rehaussé de motifs aux couleurs vives. Le keffieh est aussi porté (mais sans le cordon appelé agal dans les pays arabes), et il est plutôt arboré par ceux dont les racines sont dans le désert, de ce que j'en ai compris.
Et les femmes, me direz vous? Voilées, pour certaines en noir intégral (mais pas la burka, plutôt le chador + Abaya), du fait de l'influence de l'Arabie et des émirats arabes unis, alors que le vêtement traditionnel était auparavant plutôt une superposition de robes très colorées. La plupart des femmes que nous avons vues portaient plutôt une tenue neutre, un voile uni sur les cheveux, mais le visage découvert. Nous avons vu aussi beaucoup de saris et de voiles colorés, il ne faut pas oublier que 40% de la population est constituée d'immigrants indiens, népalais, bengalais, qui travaillent beaucoup dans le tourisme, l'hôtellerie et la restauration, les services, mais aussi tous les travaux ouvriers.
Je précise qu'en tant que touriste il n'y a aucune pression pour porter un voile, jamais de regards désapprobateurs d'aucune sorte. Bien sûr, on gardera pour la terrasse de l'hôtel les mini shorts, les décolletés plongeants, les épaules et ventres dénudés, mais j'ai envie de dire que c'est pareil pour les hommes et les femmes et que le soleil étant vif c'est aussi meilleur pour la peau.
Voici pour cette introduction ! Au prochain post, je vous parlerai de mon itinéraire et on pourra se lancer!
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
Les ronds-points sont particulièrement intéressants puisqu'on y retrouve des emblèmes de la culture turkmène, soit le chien, soit un tapis, soit le cheval Ahal Teke soit des symboles musulmans, même si la présence d'artefacts islamiques est assez réduite.
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.
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.
A little sneak peek?
The karst site:
(In the heart of Albergheria, on a street every visitor walks down—lovely message from an unidentified artist)
Laundry and trucks washed in the same stream.
We’re greeted dozens of times with “Hello Mister”—a daily routine in the Moluccas. Every time we stop, we pose for photos to be saved on locals’ smartphones. They don’t see tourists often.
