C'est ici que j'explique tout.😉
http://changement.over-blog.com/article-dunhuang-ne-pas-payer-pour-mingsha-shan-c-est-gratuit-la-nature-oasis-dans-le-desert-c-est-la-promotion-du-lieu-qui-le-dit-58159719.html
Original post
Dunhuang: ne pas payer pour Mingsha Shan, c'est gratuit la nature! (Chine)
by Bazouchka
This discussion is in French, the community’s main language.
Oui, tes réflexions sont très pertinentes sur le "politiquement correct" ce qu'on peut dire ou ne pas dire... Moi, je suis journaliste, et ai été exaspérée en Chine où j'ai voyagé avec des amis et sans guide... Impossible de communiquer, l'impression comme tu dis "que tu n'es qu'on porte-monnaie"... Oui, je l'ai écrit - et sans complexes - n'en déplaise à certains qui ont trouvé des chinois extrêmement accueillants... Et moi réactionnaire... Tu peux lire :
http://www.grand-sud-mag.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=354&Itemid=28
Je crois rejoindre un peu ton opinion. Cordialement. DANY
DANY
Bonjour,
Bien d'accord avec vous pour constater que le prix des "dunes chantantes" de Dunhuang est excessif, et vous donne surtout le droit d'opter pour un chameau ou une voiture électrique, tous les deux payants; ce que font les groupes; à pied (je l'ai fait), ça dure quand même plus que 5 minutes pour atteindre le lac en forme de croissant, et rien ne vous empêche d'escalader à souhait (gratuitement) les spectaculaires dunes (je l'ai fait).
Si j'interviens dans cette discussion, c'est pour signaler que de nombreux endroits "naturels" sont payants dans le monde, et pas seulement en Chine...Certaines plages en Italie par exemple (vous allez me dire que c'est pour les infrastructures, mais une plage c'est naturel, pourquoi n'a-t-on pas le droit de se balader tout simplement les pieds dans l'eau), la réserve naturelle du Zwin (pour citer du belge) et j'ai un exemple récent, en Ardèche (nord), pour escalader le sommet culminant, le Gerbier de Jonc(1551m), il faut payer ! Donc, même en France.... (et je vous assure, pas moyen de contourner, c'est bien clôturé)
Ce n'est pas pour défendre le néo-capitalisme chinois, ni aucun capitalisme ou autre chose en isme; je voyage beaucoup et je constate que c'est une constante: quand on peut tirer des sous aux touristes, on ne manque pas l'occasion; et ce n'est pas particulièrement chinois !
Amicalement, Virginie
virginie
Salut !
Je ne sais pas si ton lien voulait me diriger vers les commentaires que tu as recu, mais je ne les ai pas trouve. Par contre ton site est bien fait, on voit qu'il y a de l'experience derriere. Concernant tes commentaires, je n'ai pas tout epluche, mais je n'ai rien vu de reactionnaire. Je vois ce qui peut gener et je ne partage pas toutes tes opinions, mais ce n'est pas "reactionnaire". C'est tres tendance de sortir ce genre de qualificatif et de l'employe a tour de bras, un peu comme fasciste. Moi aussi j'ai pu etre pas mal agace a certains moments, mais je pense avoir compris ce qui t'a excede. Comme je voyage moins organise que toi, je suis seul et j'essaye d'aller un peu partout : ca m'a permis d'avoir plus de contacts avec les chinois en dehors des relations marchandes. Du coup, malgre les critiques que je pourrais formuler, je dois dire que j'ai rencontre beaucoup de chinois sympas et qui n'hesitent pas a prendre sur leur temps personnel pour t'aider (plus que les europeens en moyenne). Par contre, il est vrai que des que tu rentres dans le circuit commercial du tourisme de masse, comme lorsque tu visites l'armee de terre cuite a Xian, la cite interdite, sa place et son quartier etc..., tu rencontres des comportements qui donnent envie de baffer. Le nombre de chinois n'aide pas a ce que les travailleurs soient tres disponibles, ca je l'accepte. Par contre, comme d'habitude, je deteste le fait d'etre considere comme un portefeuille avec deux jambes des que je suis oblige d'entrer en contact avec les commercants, vendeurs et autres, dans les zones touristiques : ca n'est pas typique de la Chine, mais c'est bien pousse ici. Du coup, ca peut donner envie de detester tout le monde, je comprends. Mais honnetement, s'eloigner des zones touristiques, passer une journee a rien faire si on peut se le permettre, ou juste a discuter avec des gens simples rencontres dans un hotel pas cher ou dans un boui boui, ca peut permettre de relativiser en s'eloignant des chacals et des je m'en foutistes. Sinon, j'ai un niveau d'exigence beaucoup plus bas en terme d'hygiene qui fait que j'ai moins pete les plombs la dessus (mais je les pete sur d'autres choses, a chacun ses points sensibles). Je t'invite quand meme a relativiser. Je pense qu'on ne peut pas s'attendre a trouver des standards europeens en Chine, et l'Europe il y a moins d'un siecle en arriere, ca devait etre similaire sur bien des points. Des gens qui jettent leurs cochonneries partout nous en avons encore, mais des annes de campagne de sensibilisation nous ont permis de comprendre que l'on ne pouvait plus faire comme nos ancetres, car ce que nous produisons aujourd'hui n'est plus biodegradable, et en plus nous sommes passes a une production de masse : c'est de cela que les chinois et d'autres populations devront prendre conscience progressivement (on est loin du compte, je sais).
Voila, en tout cas rien de reac dans tes propos, meme si on peut etre en desaccord sur certains points. Merci de ton commentaire et pour ton site.
Cordialement
Je ne sais pas si ton lien voulait me diriger vers les commentaires que tu as recu, mais je ne les ai pas trouve. Par contre ton site est bien fait, on voit qu'il y a de l'experience derriere. Concernant tes commentaires, je n'ai pas tout epluche, mais je n'ai rien vu de reactionnaire. Je vois ce qui peut gener et je ne partage pas toutes tes opinions, mais ce n'est pas "reactionnaire". C'est tres tendance de sortir ce genre de qualificatif et de l'employe a tour de bras, un peu comme fasciste. Moi aussi j'ai pu etre pas mal agace a certains moments, mais je pense avoir compris ce qui t'a excede. Comme je voyage moins organise que toi, je suis seul et j'essaye d'aller un peu partout : ca m'a permis d'avoir plus de contacts avec les chinois en dehors des relations marchandes. Du coup, malgre les critiques que je pourrais formuler, je dois dire que j'ai rencontre beaucoup de chinois sympas et qui n'hesitent pas a prendre sur leur temps personnel pour t'aider (plus que les europeens en moyenne). Par contre, il est vrai que des que tu rentres dans le circuit commercial du tourisme de masse, comme lorsque tu visites l'armee de terre cuite a Xian, la cite interdite, sa place et son quartier etc..., tu rencontres des comportements qui donnent envie de baffer. Le nombre de chinois n'aide pas a ce que les travailleurs soient tres disponibles, ca je l'accepte. Par contre, comme d'habitude, je deteste le fait d'etre considere comme un portefeuille avec deux jambes des que je suis oblige d'entrer en contact avec les commercants, vendeurs et autres, dans les zones touristiques : ca n'est pas typique de la Chine, mais c'est bien pousse ici. Du coup, ca peut donner envie de detester tout le monde, je comprends. Mais honnetement, s'eloigner des zones touristiques, passer une journee a rien faire si on peut se le permettre, ou juste a discuter avec des gens simples rencontres dans un hotel pas cher ou dans un boui boui, ca peut permettre de relativiser en s'eloignant des chacals et des je m'en foutistes. Sinon, j'ai un niveau d'exigence beaucoup plus bas en terme d'hygiene qui fait que j'ai moins pete les plombs la dessus (mais je les pete sur d'autres choses, a chacun ses points sensibles). Je t'invite quand meme a relativiser. Je pense qu'on ne peut pas s'attendre a trouver des standards europeens en Chine, et l'Europe il y a moins d'un siecle en arriere, ca devait etre similaire sur bien des points. Des gens qui jettent leurs cochonneries partout nous en avons encore, mais des annes de campagne de sensibilisation nous ont permis de comprendre que l'on ne pouvait plus faire comme nos ancetres, car ce que nous produisons aujourd'hui n'est plus biodegradable, et en plus nous sommes passes a une production de masse : c'est de cela que les chinois et d'autres populations devront prendre conscience progressivement (on est loin du compte, je sais).
Voila, en tout cas rien de reac dans tes propos, meme si on peut etre en desaccord sur certains points. Merci de ton commentaire et pour ton site.
Cordialement
Salut
Extrait de ma reponse a DANYANTO : " Par contre, comme d'habitude, je deteste le fait d'etre considere comme un portefeuille avec deux jambes des que je suis oblige d'entrer en contact avec les commercants, vendeurs et autres, dans les zones touristiques : ca n'est pas typique de la Chine, mais c'est bien pousse ici."
Donc je suis a la fois d'accord et pas d'accord. D'accord avec le fait que soutirer du pognon aux touristes est une constante, et dans certaines conditions je peux le comprendre, mais pas d'accord avec le fait que tout soit pareil. Je maintiens qu'en Chine c'est plus pousse qu'a d'autres endroits. C'est bien simple, en Chine, des qu'un truc peut se visiter ou avoir le moindre interet, une billeterie est installee : c'est systematique. Il faut dire que le neo consomateur chinois est assez docile. Quant a la France, evidemment qu'on pratique la pompe a fric, sinon on serait deja sorti du capitalisme : je n'ai aucun penchant chauvin, mais je suis oppose a la logique du tout se vaut. Si je dois argumenter plus, c'est tres simple : il y a de nombreux endroits du monde ou on ne demande pas de payer pour entrer dans un village, meme s'il est truffe de magasins de souvenirs, en Chine c'est courant.payer pour acceder a une zone geographique autour d'un lac, Lugu Hu, a cheval sur le Yunnan et le Sichuan (80 yuans) ; la c'est carrement une zone d'habitation avec plusieurs villages qui est devenue objet de racket.Tu veux escalader une montagne ? Pas de probleme, crache 200 yuans juste pour pouvoir y mettre les pieds (plusieurs monts chinois)Un tout petit temple sur ton chemin, meme si c'est dans une zone ou tu as deja paye l'entree, rajoute donc un peu de monnaie (rien n'est gratuit)Oh la belle reserve naturelle dans le nord du Sichuan : 220 yuans, c'est Jiuzhaigou. Mais c'est tellement grand qu'on te facture 90 yuans de plus pour pouvoir prendre les bus (faire circuler des bus en permanence dans une reserve naturelle, tres ecolo bien sur). Un peu plus loin tu as un autre site d'interet avec des bassins naturels colores (genre Pamukale en Turquie, il parait) : 200 yuans.Etc, etc...
Alors non, tout n'est pas partout pareil, tout ne se vaut pas. Quant au fait d'escalader les dunes gratuitement, excusez moi, mais vous ne voudriez tout de meme pas qu'ils fassent payer pour monter dessus, encore heureux que c'est gratuit. C'est fou d'en arriver a considerer ce qui est normal comme une faveur : j'avoue que votre remarque me depasse completement.
Sinon, merci pour me preciser que c'est plus de 5mn a pied, mon ami japonais a du etre optimiste.
Bon voyage.
Extrait de ma reponse a DANYANTO : " Par contre, comme d'habitude, je deteste le fait d'etre considere comme un portefeuille avec deux jambes des que je suis oblige d'entrer en contact avec les commercants, vendeurs et autres, dans les zones touristiques : ca n'est pas typique de la Chine, mais c'est bien pousse ici."
Donc je suis a la fois d'accord et pas d'accord. D'accord avec le fait que soutirer du pognon aux touristes est une constante, et dans certaines conditions je peux le comprendre, mais pas d'accord avec le fait que tout soit pareil. Je maintiens qu'en Chine c'est plus pousse qu'a d'autres endroits. C'est bien simple, en Chine, des qu'un truc peut se visiter ou avoir le moindre interet, une billeterie est installee : c'est systematique. Il faut dire que le neo consomateur chinois est assez docile. Quant a la France, evidemment qu'on pratique la pompe a fric, sinon on serait deja sorti du capitalisme : je n'ai aucun penchant chauvin, mais je suis oppose a la logique du tout se vaut. Si je dois argumenter plus, c'est tres simple : il y a de nombreux endroits du monde ou on ne demande pas de payer pour entrer dans un village, meme s'il est truffe de magasins de souvenirs, en Chine c'est courant.payer pour acceder a une zone geographique autour d'un lac, Lugu Hu, a cheval sur le Yunnan et le Sichuan (80 yuans) ; la c'est carrement une zone d'habitation avec plusieurs villages qui est devenue objet de racket.Tu veux escalader une montagne ? Pas de probleme, crache 200 yuans juste pour pouvoir y mettre les pieds (plusieurs monts chinois)Un tout petit temple sur ton chemin, meme si c'est dans une zone ou tu as deja paye l'entree, rajoute donc un peu de monnaie (rien n'est gratuit)Oh la belle reserve naturelle dans le nord du Sichuan : 220 yuans, c'est Jiuzhaigou. Mais c'est tellement grand qu'on te facture 90 yuans de plus pour pouvoir prendre les bus (faire circuler des bus en permanence dans une reserve naturelle, tres ecolo bien sur). Un peu plus loin tu as un autre site d'interet avec des bassins naturels colores (genre Pamukale en Turquie, il parait) : 200 yuans.Etc, etc...
Alors non, tout n'est pas partout pareil, tout ne se vaut pas. Quant au fait d'escalader les dunes gratuitement, excusez moi, mais vous ne voudriez tout de meme pas qu'ils fassent payer pour monter dessus, encore heureux que c'est gratuit. C'est fou d'en arriver a considerer ce qui est normal comme une faveur : j'avoue que votre remarque me depasse completement.
Sinon, merci pour me preciser que c'est plus de 5mn a pied, mon ami japonais a du etre optimiste.
Bon voyage.
Bonjour !
Merci pour cet échange de vues très positif ! Effectivement, j'ai trouvé peut-être 2 fois en un mois (c'est tout !) des gens prêts à aider et c'était des jeunes femmes ! En fait j'ai surtout été choquée par l'attitude des hommes (jeunes et vieux) à se précipiter - par exemple - pour s'asseoir dans le métro en laissant une vieille ou une maman debout avec son enfant... Tu me dis qu'il fallait sortir des sentiers battus : malheureusement, comme je le dis dans mon reportage, on n'y est jamais arrivés... Peut-être à cause du manque d'habitude de voyager en Asie et de la barrière de la langue ? (Première et dernière fois !)... Ce fut néanmoins une expérience !
Mais notre amour va aux Amériques, du Nord avec les USA et le Canada et le Sud avec tous ces pays latinos (j'ai passé l'an dernier un mois inoubliable en Argentine : Ah ! la Cordillère des Andes !!!) et leurs peuples qui sont si gentils et ne savent plus que faire pour être agréables à l'étranger qui passe ! Je vais préparer un grand périple Pérou-Bolivie-Equateur... Amicalement
DANY
Bonjpur,
Ce qui me dépasse, moi, c'est votre énervement - à la limite de l'agressivité - sur les méthodes chinoises, énervement qui retombe sur moi ! Je n'ai pas nié la propension des Chinois à pomper le touriste, j'ai seulement suggéré que c'était universel... Vous avez parfaitement le droit d'avoir un autre avis que moi, et moi je garde (courtoisement) mes opinions.
Une petite remarque cependant: il est très désagréable de ne pas savoir avec qui on dialogue, de ne pas connaître votre parcours de voyageur par exemple. Mais vous n'êtes pas le seul cas de profil anonyme sur ce forum. Je le déplore. Mais par pitié, ne vous énervez pas une fois de plus ! Amicalement, Virginie
virginie
Salut !
Je comprends tout a fait que vous ayez eu du mal a sortir des sentiers battus, moi meme j'ai pas mal marche dedans : je ne fais pas la Chine a velo en etant heberge chez l'habitant, il y a bien plus routard que moi😄. J'essaye surtout d'avoir du contact direct et je discute pas mal avec les gens quand ils parlent anglais, francais plus rarement, et espagnol... jamais.
Bon voyage aux ameriques.
Je comprends tout a fait que vous ayez eu du mal a sortir des sentiers battus, moi meme j'ai pas mal marche dedans : je ne fais pas la Chine a velo en etant heberge chez l'habitant, il y a bien plus routard que moi😄. J'essaye surtout d'avoir du contact direct et je discute pas mal avec les gens quand ils parlent anglais, francais plus rarement, et espagnol... jamais.
Bon voyage aux ameriques.
Salut
Pour faire simple, je reconnais et assume que les tendances "tout se vaut", relativisme absolu, peu critiques etc... ca m'enerve. Votre message est de ce tonneau, comme vous le dites vous-memes : "j'ai seulement suggéré que c'était universel...". C'est bien la le cote agacant de la chose, vous repassez derriere moi pour relativiser ce qui est excessif en Chine, au nom d'une espece d'universalisme qui devrait tout niveler. Voous croyez vraiment rendre service aux gens en minimisant le cote pompe a fric pratique ici a grande echelle ? Personnellement je ne mens pas a moi-meme pour me dire que j'ai fait un super voyage avec que des bonnes experiences, ce qui me permet d'eviter de mentir aux autres. En plus, vous ne suggerez pas, vous demontrez, exemples a l'appui. Donc, vous ne faites pas les frais de mon enervement envers les "methodes chinoises", c'est bien le contenu de votre message qui est enervant. Et puis cote agression, relativisez, justement : je n'ai pas ete d'une violence insoutenable.🏴☠️
Quant a votre derniere remarque, je vais vous expliquer sans agressivite, mais sans complaisance, en quoi elle est extremement genante.
Votre tendance a vouloir des informations sur les internautes me rappelle la tendance tres actuelle a vouloir ficher tout le monde. Vous n'avez pas forcement a connaitre un quelconque parcours ou a avoir des informations sur moi si je n'en ai pas envie, et je suis heureux que le forum n'en demande pas, sinon je n'y participerais pas. De nombreuses personnes aiment internet parcequ'elles peuvent y participer et s'y exprimer de facon (relativement) anonyme : elles n'ont pas a y affronter la pression sociale, le regard des autres, elles peuvent dire ce qu'elles pensent vraiment sans avoir a craindre d'eventuelles retombees. Evidemment, je modere un peu cela, car avec de l'argent, des connaissances techniques ou le pouvoir etatique vous pouvez decouvrir qui dit quoi, et paradoxalement internet peut etre un formidable espace de flicage. D'ailleurs je trouve que beaucoup de gens y etalent des informations sur leur vie de facon inconsideree, mais c'est un autre sujet. Concernant ce forum, je trouve preferable que les lecteurs ne sachent rien. Ainsi ils jugent sur le contenu du message, et pas sur des aprioris lies a un parcours, une nationalite, ou je ne sais quelle etiquette.
Pour finir, j'aimerais preciser que beaucoup de chinois sont tres honnetes (y compris de nombreux commercants), contrairement a leur gouvernement et a leurs patrons. J'ai souvent verifie l'adage "Un bon commercant est un bon voleur", mais en Chine plusieurs commercants, en dehors des zones touristiques, ont ete tres honnetes avec moi, ce qui m'a surpris.
A+
Pour faire simple, je reconnais et assume que les tendances "tout se vaut", relativisme absolu, peu critiques etc... ca m'enerve. Votre message est de ce tonneau, comme vous le dites vous-memes : "j'ai seulement suggéré que c'était universel...". C'est bien la le cote agacant de la chose, vous repassez derriere moi pour relativiser ce qui est excessif en Chine, au nom d'une espece d'universalisme qui devrait tout niveler. Voous croyez vraiment rendre service aux gens en minimisant le cote pompe a fric pratique ici a grande echelle ? Personnellement je ne mens pas a moi-meme pour me dire que j'ai fait un super voyage avec que des bonnes experiences, ce qui me permet d'eviter de mentir aux autres. En plus, vous ne suggerez pas, vous demontrez, exemples a l'appui. Donc, vous ne faites pas les frais de mon enervement envers les "methodes chinoises", c'est bien le contenu de votre message qui est enervant. Et puis cote agression, relativisez, justement : je n'ai pas ete d'une violence insoutenable.🏴☠️
Quant a votre derniere remarque, je vais vous expliquer sans agressivite, mais sans complaisance, en quoi elle est extremement genante.
Votre tendance a vouloir des informations sur les internautes me rappelle la tendance tres actuelle a vouloir ficher tout le monde. Vous n'avez pas forcement a connaitre un quelconque parcours ou a avoir des informations sur moi si je n'en ai pas envie, et je suis heureux que le forum n'en demande pas, sinon je n'y participerais pas. De nombreuses personnes aiment internet parcequ'elles peuvent y participer et s'y exprimer de facon (relativement) anonyme : elles n'ont pas a y affronter la pression sociale, le regard des autres, elles peuvent dire ce qu'elles pensent vraiment sans avoir a craindre d'eventuelles retombees. Evidemment, je modere un peu cela, car avec de l'argent, des connaissances techniques ou le pouvoir etatique vous pouvez decouvrir qui dit quoi, et paradoxalement internet peut etre un formidable espace de flicage. D'ailleurs je trouve que beaucoup de gens y etalent des informations sur leur vie de facon inconsideree, mais c'est un autre sujet. Concernant ce forum, je trouve preferable que les lecteurs ne sachent rien. Ainsi ils jugent sur le contenu du message, et pas sur des aprioris lies a un parcours, une nationalite, ou je ne sais quelle etiquette.
Pour finir, j'aimerais preciser que beaucoup de chinois sont tres honnetes (y compris de nombreux commercants), contrairement a leur gouvernement et a leurs patrons. J'ai souvent verifie l'adage "Un bon commercant est un bon voleur", mais en Chine plusieurs commercants, en dehors des zones touristiques, ont ete tres honnetes avec moi, ce qui m'a surpris.
A+
En fait, je pense qu'il ne faut pas t'énerver devant les gens qui te font la morale anonymement... Easy !
Moi, j'ai signalé au "modérateur" que j'en avais assez d'être agressée par certains internautes dont "Nemo"... Surtout que mon choix est justement de ne pas être anonyme...
Tu peux en faire autant pour la personne qui te prend la tête !!! Je te renouvelle mes compliments pour ta franchise ! Et merci de me souhaiter bon vent aux Amériques mais malheureusement, c'est pas encore... Amicalement. DANY
DANY
aggressé faut pas exagerer surtout en affirmant etre journaliste alors que tu nne l'es point
😏
Si je comprends bien, vous ne supportez pas la contradiction, on doit uniquement souscrire à ce que vous dites, ou se taire. Ce que je fais à partir de maintenant, je trouve ce dialogue lamentable. Virginie
virginie
Bonjour Nemo, j'ai lu les trois messages avant qu'ils ne soient supprimés par le modérateur, et je les ai trouvés pertinents. Ceci dit, j'arrête les frais et la polémique, je n'aime pas perdre mon temps avec des discussions qui tournent en rond. Amicalement, Virginie
virginie
Pour les Chinois du Mainland, tout ce qui peut rapporter est bon, et les touristes sont un morceau de choix.
Ils sont tellement nombreux que la devise " chacun pour soi" est appliquée ici à grande échelle.
Je vous invite à revoir l'émission " Sur le Yangzi" de Yung Chang 2007 (arte) et vous comprendrez le comportement très humain de certains chinois.
De toute façon où qu'on aille, les touristes sont supposés plein de pognons et que c'est tout à fait naturel de s'en servir, c'est tout à fait humain, n'est ce pas? on partage!
C'est marrant, mon prochain article est justement sur le sujet epineux de la morale.
Mais ca n'est pas tant ca qui m'a agace, c'est cette tendance a tout lisser, a tout uniformiser, a repasser derriere la moindre critique pour la rendre "acceptable" en la vidant de son contenu. J'ai des opinions tranchees, et je n'ai pas besoin qu'on vienne jouer les moderateurs (il y a ceux du forum qui tiennent ce role).
Quant a l'agacement, c'est vrai que des fois ca me dessert (mais ca j'en fais mon affaire), et des fois c'est utile (dans les negociations houleuses par exemple). On ne se refait pas tu sais : j'ai essaye d'etre quelqu'un d'autre. Ce fut un fiasco total : tu gardes ta nature profonde de toute facon, on ne t'apprecie pas plus pour autant (au contraire meme), etc... Je suis heureux de voir que tu apprecies la franchise, en general les gens detestent, quoi qu'ils en disent.
Bon vent donc, et garde ta liberte de parole. Amicalement.
Mais ca n'est pas tant ca qui m'a agace, c'est cette tendance a tout lisser, a tout uniformiser, a repasser derriere la moindre critique pour la rendre "acceptable" en la vidant de son contenu. J'ai des opinions tranchees, et je n'ai pas besoin qu'on vienne jouer les moderateurs (il y a ceux du forum qui tiennent ce role).
Quant a l'agacement, c'est vrai que des fois ca me dessert (mais ca j'en fais mon affaire), et des fois c'est utile (dans les negociations houleuses par exemple). On ne se refait pas tu sais : j'ai essaye d'etre quelqu'un d'autre. Ce fut un fiasco total : tu gardes ta nature profonde de toute facon, on ne t'apprecie pas plus pour autant (au contraire meme), etc... Je suis heureux de voir que tu apprecies la franchise, en general les gens detestent, quoi qu'ils en disent.
Bon vent donc, et garde ta liberte de parole. Amicalement.
"Si je comprends bien"
Justement, non.
Vous avez les opinions que vous voulez, et moi je garde le droit de m'enerver si j'en ai envie. 😉 Apres votre facon de relativiser mon article, je ne pouvais que recadrer, car vous denaturiez mon propos en l'aseptisant avec votre logique "c'est partout pareil" : pourquoi aurais-je du accepter, sans intervenir, votre version des faits sur le pompage intensif du gouvernement chinois, alors que je n'y souscris pas ? J'ai fait un (tres petit) tir de barrage, ce qui ne peut que me rendre service, d'autant plus que vous avez tenu a approfondir la question : les gens qui pensent comme vous n'interviendront peut-etre pas dans mes sujets. C'est du temps de gagne pour les deux parties : benefice mutuel. "on doit uniquement souscrire à ce que vous dites, ou se taire" Je pense que dans certains cas le dialogue n'est pas constructif, et donc non necessaire. Parfois, les opinions ne sont pas toujours conciliables. S'il y avait un enjeu ou un interet commun je pourrais faire un effort, mais sur un forum, franchement quel interet ? Il y a plein de gens ultra consensuels comme vous, vous ne peinerez pas a trouver des interlocuteurs, et moi je suis bien oblige de supporter assez de gens comme vous sans avoir a donner encore. La logique des gens passifs m'ecoeure, qu'y puis-je ?
Le pire c'est que je ne vous ai meme pas ouvertement critiquee malgre tout le mal que je pense des relativistes, baba cools, partisan du "je m'aplatis quand on m'arnaque et j'en redemande" etc... Vous voyez, ca aurait pu etre bien pire : vous ne seriez pas un peu susceptible ? Si je me moquais de vous, je vous dirais d'aller grimper sur une dune gratuite, puisque visiblement apres le pompage de 120 yuans a l'entree ca vous a ravi qu'on vous accorde autant de liberte.
Je vous dit ca a titre d'exemple, pour que vous relativisiez sur le cote agressif de mon premier message.
Vous avez les opinions que vous voulez, et moi je garde le droit de m'enerver si j'en ai envie. 😉 Apres votre facon de relativiser mon article, je ne pouvais que recadrer, car vous denaturiez mon propos en l'aseptisant avec votre logique "c'est partout pareil" : pourquoi aurais-je du accepter, sans intervenir, votre version des faits sur le pompage intensif du gouvernement chinois, alors que je n'y souscris pas ? J'ai fait un (tres petit) tir de barrage, ce qui ne peut que me rendre service, d'autant plus que vous avez tenu a approfondir la question : les gens qui pensent comme vous n'interviendront peut-etre pas dans mes sujets. C'est du temps de gagne pour les deux parties : benefice mutuel. "on doit uniquement souscrire à ce que vous dites, ou se taire" Je pense que dans certains cas le dialogue n'est pas constructif, et donc non necessaire. Parfois, les opinions ne sont pas toujours conciliables. S'il y avait un enjeu ou un interet commun je pourrais faire un effort, mais sur un forum, franchement quel interet ? Il y a plein de gens ultra consensuels comme vous, vous ne peinerez pas a trouver des interlocuteurs, et moi je suis bien oblige de supporter assez de gens comme vous sans avoir a donner encore. La logique des gens passifs m'ecoeure, qu'y puis-je ?
Le pire c'est que je ne vous ai meme pas ouvertement critiquee malgre tout le mal que je pense des relativistes, baba cools, partisan du "je m'aplatis quand on m'arnaque et j'en redemande" etc... Vous voyez, ca aurait pu etre bien pire : vous ne seriez pas un peu susceptible ? Si je me moquais de vous, je vous dirais d'aller grimper sur une dune gratuite, puisque visiblement apres le pompage de 120 yuans a l'entree ca vous a ravi qu'on vous accorde autant de liberte.
Je vous dit ca a titre d'exemple, pour que vous relativisiez sur le cote agressif de mon premier message.
Salut
Je ne dirais pas que je partage entierement ta facon de dire les choses, mais ca a le merite d'etre drole (en tout cas ton message m'a fait marrer) et de donner une reference docu (merci).
Mais je t'assure qu'il y a meme des commercants chinois qui te font payer le meme prix que tout le monde, et dans une proportion suffisament importante pour que je le souligne. J'ai meme des exemples ou les gens m'ont rappele a table, car j'avais droit a deux plats pour le prix que j'avais paye, et j'etais pret a partir. Ces gens ne parlaient mem pas l'anglais, il aurait ete facile pour eux de me laisser passer la porte.
Je vais eviter de me diluer sur la nature humaine, mais taper la ou il y a du pognon, surtout quand on est pauvre, je n'ai rien contre dans le principe, si c'est ce que tu veux dire.
A+
Je ne dirais pas que je partage entierement ta facon de dire les choses, mais ca a le merite d'etre drole (en tout cas ton message m'a fait marrer) et de donner une reference docu (merci).
Mais je t'assure qu'il y a meme des commercants chinois qui te font payer le meme prix que tout le monde, et dans une proportion suffisament importante pour que je le souligne. J'ai meme des exemples ou les gens m'ont rappele a table, car j'avais droit a deux plats pour le prix que j'avais paye, et j'etais pret a partir. Ces gens ne parlaient mem pas l'anglais, il aurait ete facile pour eux de me laisser passer la porte.
Je vais eviter de me diluer sur la nature humaine, mais taper la ou il y a du pognon, surtout quand on est pauvre, je n'ai rien contre dans le principe, si c'est ce que tu veux dire.
A+
"on doit uniquement souscrire à ce que vous dites, ou se taire"
Je pense que dans certains cas le dialogue n'est pas constructif, et donc non necessaire. Parfois, les opinions ne sont pas toujours conciliables. S'il y avait un enjeu ou un interet commun je pourrais faire un effort, mais sur un forum, franchement quel interet ?
pkoi venir poster ton message si tu n'acceptes pas la contradiction? 😏
pkoi venir poster ton message si tu n'acceptes pas la contradiction? 😏
"Je pense que dans certains cas le dialogue n'est pas constructif, et donc non necessaire"
Tu as manque le "certains cas" dans la phrase. Qui plus est , je prefere la contradiction ouverte a celle en demi teinte, a condition que cela apporte quelquechose. Dans la cas de Vigounir, je pense que relativiser le cote pompage de fric du gouvernement chinois c'est ne pas rendre service aux voyageurs qui iront en Chine. J'ai rencontre sur ma route une professionnelle du voyage qui gerait un groupe, elle me disait qu'en Chine son budget site etait de 250 euros, pour environ un mois et quelques. On ne parle pas de broutilles la, et d'apres elle, surtout apres son circuit qui passait par l'Asie centrale, la Chine etait un pays particulier de ce point de vue.
Tu as manque le "certains cas" dans la phrase. Qui plus est , je prefere la contradiction ouverte a celle en demi teinte, a condition que cela apporte quelquechose. Dans la cas de Vigounir, je pense que relativiser le cote pompage de fric du gouvernement chinois c'est ne pas rendre service aux voyageurs qui iront en Chine. J'ai rencontre sur ma route une professionnelle du voyage qui gerait un groupe, elle me disait qu'en Chine son budget site etait de 250 euros, pour environ un mois et quelques. On ne parle pas de broutilles la, et d'apres elle, surtout apres son circuit qui passait par l'Asie centrale, la Chine etait un pays particulier de ce point de vue.
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Hi,
July 2026: I’m writing to you from Dali.
First, I got scammed on Booking—AI-retouched photos. No tourists at this hotel (Yishanju Designer Hotel), and the reality was horrible: dirty, with a disgusting breakfast. It’s better to use Trip.com here.
Next, the old town was an infernal cacophony, packed with tourists who shoved past without a care. Some vendors harassed you to buy things. All the stalls sold the same cheap plastic junk or other uninteresting stuff. The beautiful scenery was ruined by vendors lining 100% of the alleys. Impossible to walk, crushing heat, nothing good to eat except fresh fruit. Horrible experience.
Day 2: We went to Cangshan Mountain by cable car—the ride was short and nothing spectacular. We were at 2,600 m.
My plan was to see Erhai Lake. Unfortunately, I followed the advice of an AI chatbot: take the boat at Langkan Dock. The Didi dropped us off in the nearest area, which was full of charming little alleys but packed with Chinese tourists. The three-wheeled yellow cabs zoomed through the narrow streets, forcing you to hug the walls, on top of the scooters and other pedestrians to deal with. Crossing the neighborhood was hellish and suffocating. Once out, we hit the "corniche," which was also packed with Chinese tourists. The lake’s edge was all pebbles, and everyone was standing around taking photos. I was with my 5-year-old son. I would’ve liked to sit down and let him play with stones by the water, but it was clear we didn’t belong. They were even shoving each other for a shot! There were no boats in sight. In short, we’d had enough, and there was nothing interesting there either.
On the way back, we had to cross that maze again under the scorching sun. My son was braver than me—I even had a little dizzy spell from all the chaos. Add to that Dali’s altitude (2,200 m), so altitude insomnia, fatigue, and vulnerability during the day...
The restaurants weren’t inviting—the staff served sticky rice in a little bucket. The dishes were wrapped, and you had to figure it out yourself. After that, they ignored you completely, even if you were the only tourist.
On the 3rd day, it was time to leave for Shaxi. I hope to see beautiful villages. But honestly, I’m exhausted by this atmosphere where everything is complicated, communication is never smooth, noise is everywhere, and the behavior of some Chinese people is abusive...
Silver lining: not a drop of rain in 4 days and blue skies.
I couldn’t visit the villages in southern Yunnan because of rain and storms there... But I was expecting to see a few more tourists.
I couldn’t visit the villages in southern Yunnan because of rain and storms there... But I was expecting to see a few more tourists.
Hi, I’m planning a Paris–Hong Kong round trip with a return from Chongqing to Paris, spanning 28 days in November 2026.
The flight is with Air China, with a few hours’ layover in Beijing each time (I plan to stay inside the airport).
I’ve reread the conditions several times, but since I’m never entirely sure, I’d love your input.
Are we all clear that visa exemptions apply?
For arrival in Hong Kong, crossing the Hong Kong–China land border (via Shenzhen), and the return flight from Chongqing?
Thanks for your insights.
The flight is with Air China, with a few hours’ layover in Beijing each time (I plan to stay inside the airport).
I’ve reread the conditions several times, but since I’m never entirely sure, I’d love your input.
Are we all clear that visa exemptions apply?
For arrival in Hong Kong, crossing the Hong Kong–China land border (via Shenzhen), and the return flight from Chongqing?
Thanks for your insights.
Here are some tips from our 6-week trip (summer 2026) to China, Vietnam, and Cambodia. We traveled as a family of four with two kids aged 15 and 12.
I hope these notes help other travelers!
CHINA General You’ll need to download and set up a few apps: - Alipay and WeChat for payments (I didn’t withdraw a single bill the entire trip) - Didi for taxis - Amap = Chinese Maps (works great, especially for subways) - A translation app (we used Papago, but it sometimes gave weird results) - Google Lens for translating menus or signs—super handy. - HelloRide for bikes - Gemini and ChatGPT for everything: understanding daily life, enhancing visits, checking the weather, finding things. - HomeExchange if you want to lower travel costs (few listings in Asia except in big cities, often expats) - Trip.com is very useful, even essential, for trains, domestic flights, and hotels. Like Booking.com, the more you book with them, the more perks you get. So I’d even suggest checking flight tickets on this site, even if it’s a bit pricier. However, buying train tickets is complicated because (1) they only open 15 days in advance, and (2) they sell out fast. Trip.com just promises to buy them as soon as they’re available but doesn’t always succeed. It’s stressful and might force you to change your plans, especially if you’re aiming for a sleeper car and there are no seats left. Watch out for station names—many cities have multiple stations, including a high-speed rail one outside the city. For internet, we got the Asia plan from Holafly. It worked but seemed much slower than Chinese internet. I regretted not buying a Chinese SIM card because without internet in China, everything is VERY complicated (money, transport, etc.).
For the firewall, we used ExpressVPN, but it wasn’t always reliable. A bit disappointing. Ask ChatGPT for tips with screenshots to improve the settings.
Since we only had one SIM card with internet, we couldn’t rent shared bikes. If I were to do it again, I’d get a SIM for each person, even the kids, because distances in cities are huge. We walked *a lot*. Same goes for buses—it’s tricky with just one internet connection. Better to have a phone per person with internet. Book your visits as far in advance as possible—they often sell out. Watch out for power banks: if they don’t explicitly say "3C," they’ll confiscate it. Even if there’s a little airplane logo.
Shanghai In the evening, the streets leading to the Bund from the metro were so crowded that police were out in force blocking roads. Arrive early. We went around the north side.
Suzhou Be careful—there are two stations (common in China), and the high-speed rail one is 45–50 minutes from the old town. The Humble Administrator’s Garden was *packed*—we don’t recommend it. It turned into a marathon day from Shanghai (almost 4 hours from our hotel to the garden).
Beijing Forbidden City: Don’t go—I know it’s a shame, but it’s too crowded. I couldn’t buy tickets on the official site because of the kids’ passports. We ended up with a guided tour, the only way to get in (tickets sell out fast). The visit was disappointing—bad guide *and* massive crowds. You’ll queue a lot to enter and see certain areas. You’ll be checked often, so pack your bags carefully. Great Wall at Mutianyu: Crowded. Two hours by bus, and even though we arrived early, people were already leaving! I really think the best option is to leave your big bags in Beijing and stay overnight near the Wall. That way, you’ll have it to yourself a bit more. For transport: get off at Tiananmen Square metro and look for buses with official guides in bright yellow-green vests. No need to buy tickets online—they made me cancel mine to rebook on the spot. Buses leave when full. Note: the cable car and chairlift are separate—if you want to go up one side and down the other, you’ll need different tickets. The endless queue for the toboggan ride put us off. Quick tip: Incredible swimming spot in Beijing—on the north shore of Houhai Lake, you can swim by crossing the barrier. We did it twice with about ten other people. Bring a swimsuit!
Shapotou Desert Amazing, but it gets *very* hot in the afternoon. We had a tent (not an air-conditioned bungalow), which was unbearable during the day. We hung out in the restaurant. The paid activities are fun, except the camels—they look sad. The real highlight is the evening and sunset. The only downside: you can’t explore the desert alone or far—they don’t rent 4x4s, for example. We stayed at "The Desert Camping Hotel of the Proprietress of Shapotou." They were lovely.
Zhongwei Gaomiao Temple and its underground: Fun and short—you’ll see quirky Buddhist hell paintings.
Xi’an Terracotta Army: We took a Didi because for four people, a car was almost the same price as four shuttle tickets. It was packed—chaotic to see properly. We visited the halls in order: 3, 2, then 1—a good choice. Hua Shan Mountains: Left before sunrise to arrive when the ticket office opened (7 AM, I think). We were shocked to see so many people already coming down. 45 minutes by bus to the west cable car, then 15 minutes up. We did the west, south, east, central, then north peaks (in that order) before taking the other cable car down (you can buy the ticket at the top). A beautiful day. In the city, check out...
Chengdu Panda Research Center: Like Hua Shan, plan to arrive when the ticket office opens. Already *tons* of people, and it moves fast to see the big pandas before their nap. Have them drop you at the west entrance (not south), or you’ll have to walk uphill. Leshan Giant Buddha: Interesting. The trip is a bit long (metro, then train, then city bus, then shuttle on-site). We didn’t take the boat option but walked. In the end, you only spend a few minutes at the Buddha’s feet, but it’s a nice day out. Hotel tip: Panda Enjoy Home Hotel Apartments (Chengdu East Railway Station Dongda Road Branch). The view is insane, and the neighborhood is super convenient and nice. 646 CNY for 2 nights. Swimming: The municipal pool is an interesting experience, but don’t expect to swim—no one does. Everyone just splashes around where they can stand. The hours are a bit odd, with a break in the late afternoon.
Kunming The bike path along Dian Lake is pretty and often well-protected from cars. But like everywhere in China, it’s *packed*. Not much to say about visits—the flower market is a wholesale market, not very interesting. The ethnic minorities museum closed right in front of us. All the big malls are good for shopping.
Dali We thought we could bike around the lake in two days. Wrong on two counts: First, the lake’s edge is blocked to traffic and reserved for bikes (or tourist mini-buses). So you’re stuck on the main road, which never gives you a view of the lake, with all the trucks and cars. Doing 120 km like that wouldn’t make sense, in our opinion. The rice fields around are nice but not as impressive as elsewhere, so Dali isn’t worth it for that. The old town, all restored, is pretty but *packed*—thousands of people, especially in the evening.
Hekou (Vietnam border) Comfortable train from Kunming. In the parking lot, a bus (not well-marked, but Didi is an option) takes you to the border in 15–20 minutes. Short wait at both border posts. Fun to see the two lampposts near the border line: the Chinese one is new, modern, with a surveillance camera (of course), while the Vietnamese one is old and a bit rusty.
VIETNAM General: - You’ll need the Grab app for taxis - Very disappointed with 12Go—it doesn’t show all buses, never connects you with the company, and refuses refunds. Try booking directly with companies like FUTA Bus instead. - Credit cards are often accepted (supermarkets and modern stores), otherwise, you’ll need cash
Lao Cai 2 km between the border and the train station. The sleeper bus to Hanoi with Sao Viet is well-organized—it works.
Hanoi Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes early (10:30 AM, I think). Women’s Museum: Very good, not too long Temple of Literature: Beautiful, fairly quick This is where you should buy souvenirs, clothes, and knockoffs—the prices are reasonable, and the sellers are nicer than elsewhere. We recommend Cho Dong Xuan.
Tu Long Bay We did 2 days, 1 night (so really 24 hours on the boat) with Parfum d’Automne (French-speaking agency), which put us on a Cycad Cruise boat. Cost: 300 € per person—expensive, but it was amazing, super luxurious, and the buffet meals were delicious. We don’t regret the splurge. The only downside: no swimming in the bay (but there’s a pool on the boat). To swim, you’d need a 3-day, 2-night trip to an area not protected by the maritime park.
Phong Nha If you didn’t do the northern mountains due to time or weather (like us), Phong Nha is a great stop for a motorbike ride. It’s beautiful, especially the mountains west of the city toward the caves. There are two (small) swimming spots at the Botanic Garden—a pleasant 45-minute walk without stops. Hotel tip: Sunbeam Village (very friendly, pool, breakfast by the river, motorbike rentals)
Da Nang Hotel tip: Meridians by Hsuite—you’ll have the beach almost to yourself. You’ll still need to walk 15–20 minutes to the hyper-touristy area if you want to rent surfboards (150–200k VND per hour). The beach is beautiful, and the water is 30°C—great for a break on a long trip, especially since all transport goes through Da Nang.
Hoi An 45 minutes from Da Nang, so it’s easy to visit in a day, especially since the city isn’t that big and it’s *very* hot. Cooking class: MS Hanh cooking class—great (the market tour is a bit useless). We don’t recommend the "basket boat" tour—it’s a bit sad on a big brown pond with elderly guides.
Ho Chi Minh City Ben Thanh Market is a nightmare: starting prices are exorbitant, and the vendors are aggressive. Don’t go. The War Remnants Museum can be really tough for kids.
Can Tho Avoid this city. We made the mistake of going to see the floating market—don’t.
Chau Doc No Grab in the city, but regular taxis. One day is enough if you go early to the forest and the mountain in the late afternoon. 250k VND per person for the forest and its canals (45 minutes by motorbike) The sunset at Victoria Nui Sam can be magnificent if the clouds cooperate. Cheap and good restaurant: Quan Nem Nuong Sau Hiep Hotel tip: Homestay Khoa (2,250,000 VND for 3 nights)—adorable hostess, full of tips, clean rooms.
The speedboat to Cambodia is more comfortable than a bus. Book with Hangchau a few days in advance—payment in cash on the day (1,640,000 đ).
CAMBODIA General: - Issues with the "Bakong Tourists" app—we had to go to a big bank to load money onto it. We barely used it afterward.
Phnom Penh For us, a day and a half is enough if you want to spend more time elsewhere. Markets close early (around 6 PM) and are less interesting than in Hanoi, for example. The Royal Palace has a break from 11 AM to 2 PM, but there aren’t many people in the afternoon.
Siem Reap Trip with Capitol company—the bus is basic but cheap. Departs at 10:15 AM, 7-hour ride. Angkor entrance fee: 62 USD per person for a 3-day pass. Tickets are picked up at Angkor Enterprise. Renting two 125cc motorbikes: 10 USD each, plus 7 USD for gas. By bike, it took me 25 minutes to reach Angkor Wat’s pools. A basic city bike rental was 1 USD per hour. Short circuit by motorbike (in reverse): 7 hours with stops everywhere. Grand tour by tuk-tuk: Only 5 temples, 4.5 hours. If you want to see lots of monkeys, they’re grouped west of Bayon. For the temples, we asked Gemini (AI) at each stop to point out details that might interest kids (who can get bored with the repetition). It gave fun facts and things to look for—great for the little ones. Hotel tip: The Five Senses, run by a Frenchman, Bruno, who knows Cambodia inside out and organizes tours. Restaurant tip: Wild (only spring rolls, but *so* many varieties—delicious and cheap) Watch out: 1 hour to the airport, 50 km from the city. Show tip: The Phare Circus
CHINA General You’ll need to download and set up a few apps: - Alipay and WeChat for payments (I didn’t withdraw a single bill the entire trip) - Didi for taxis - Amap = Chinese Maps (works great, especially for subways) - A translation app (we used Papago, but it sometimes gave weird results) - Google Lens for translating menus or signs—super handy. - HelloRide for bikes - Gemini and ChatGPT for everything: understanding daily life, enhancing visits, checking the weather, finding things. - HomeExchange if you want to lower travel costs (few listings in Asia except in big cities, often expats) - Trip.com is very useful, even essential, for trains, domestic flights, and hotels. Like Booking.com, the more you book with them, the more perks you get. So I’d even suggest checking flight tickets on this site, even if it’s a bit pricier. However, buying train tickets is complicated because (1) they only open 15 days in advance, and (2) they sell out fast. Trip.com just promises to buy them as soon as they’re available but doesn’t always succeed. It’s stressful and might force you to change your plans, especially if you’re aiming for a sleeper car and there are no seats left. Watch out for station names—many cities have multiple stations, including a high-speed rail one outside the city. For internet, we got the Asia plan from Holafly. It worked but seemed much slower than Chinese internet. I regretted not buying a Chinese SIM card because without internet in China, everything is VERY complicated (money, transport, etc.).
For the firewall, we used ExpressVPN, but it wasn’t always reliable. A bit disappointing. Ask ChatGPT for tips with screenshots to improve the settings.
Since we only had one SIM card with internet, we couldn’t rent shared bikes. If I were to do it again, I’d get a SIM for each person, even the kids, because distances in cities are huge. We walked *a lot*. Same goes for buses—it’s tricky with just one internet connection. Better to have a phone per person with internet. Book your visits as far in advance as possible—they often sell out. Watch out for power banks: if they don’t explicitly say "3C," they’ll confiscate it. Even if there’s a little airplane logo.
Shanghai In the evening, the streets leading to the Bund from the metro were so crowded that police were out in force blocking roads. Arrive early. We went around the north side.
Suzhou Be careful—there are two stations (common in China), and the high-speed rail one is 45–50 minutes from the old town. The Humble Administrator’s Garden was *packed*—we don’t recommend it. It turned into a marathon day from Shanghai (almost 4 hours from our hotel to the garden).
Beijing Forbidden City: Don’t go—I know it’s a shame, but it’s too crowded. I couldn’t buy tickets on the official site because of the kids’ passports. We ended up with a guided tour, the only way to get in (tickets sell out fast). The visit was disappointing—bad guide *and* massive crowds. You’ll queue a lot to enter and see certain areas. You’ll be checked often, so pack your bags carefully. Great Wall at Mutianyu: Crowded. Two hours by bus, and even though we arrived early, people were already leaving! I really think the best option is to leave your big bags in Beijing and stay overnight near the Wall. That way, you’ll have it to yourself a bit more. For transport: get off at Tiananmen Square metro and look for buses with official guides in bright yellow-green vests. No need to buy tickets online—they made me cancel mine to rebook on the spot. Buses leave when full. Note: the cable car and chairlift are separate—if you want to go up one side and down the other, you’ll need different tickets. The endless queue for the toboggan ride put us off. Quick tip: Incredible swimming spot in Beijing—on the north shore of Houhai Lake, you can swim by crossing the barrier. We did it twice with about ten other people. Bring a swimsuit!
Shapotou Desert Amazing, but it gets *very* hot in the afternoon. We had a tent (not an air-conditioned bungalow), which was unbearable during the day. We hung out in the restaurant. The paid activities are fun, except the camels—they look sad. The real highlight is the evening and sunset. The only downside: you can’t explore the desert alone or far—they don’t rent 4x4s, for example. We stayed at "The Desert Camping Hotel of the Proprietress of Shapotou." They were lovely.
Zhongwei Gaomiao Temple and its underground: Fun and short—you’ll see quirky Buddhist hell paintings.
Xi’an Terracotta Army: We took a Didi because for four people, a car was almost the same price as four shuttle tickets. It was packed—chaotic to see properly. We visited the halls in order: 3, 2, then 1—a good choice. Hua Shan Mountains: Left before sunrise to arrive when the ticket office opened (7 AM, I think). We were shocked to see so many people already coming down. 45 minutes by bus to the west cable car, then 15 minutes up. We did the west, south, east, central, then north peaks (in that order) before taking the other cable car down (you can buy the ticket at the top). A beautiful day. In the city, check out...
Chengdu Panda Research Center: Like Hua Shan, plan to arrive when the ticket office opens. Already *tons* of people, and it moves fast to see the big pandas before their nap. Have them drop you at the west entrance (not south), or you’ll have to walk uphill. Leshan Giant Buddha: Interesting. The trip is a bit long (metro, then train, then city bus, then shuttle on-site). We didn’t take the boat option but walked. In the end, you only spend a few minutes at the Buddha’s feet, but it’s a nice day out. Hotel tip: Panda Enjoy Home Hotel Apartments (Chengdu East Railway Station Dongda Road Branch). The view is insane, and the neighborhood is super convenient and nice. 646 CNY for 2 nights. Swimming: The municipal pool is an interesting experience, but don’t expect to swim—no one does. Everyone just splashes around where they can stand. The hours are a bit odd, with a break in the late afternoon.
Kunming The bike path along Dian Lake is pretty and often well-protected from cars. But like everywhere in China, it’s *packed*. Not much to say about visits—the flower market is a wholesale market, not very interesting. The ethnic minorities museum closed right in front of us. All the big malls are good for shopping.
Dali We thought we could bike around the lake in two days. Wrong on two counts: First, the lake’s edge is blocked to traffic and reserved for bikes (or tourist mini-buses). So you’re stuck on the main road, which never gives you a view of the lake, with all the trucks and cars. Doing 120 km like that wouldn’t make sense, in our opinion. The rice fields around are nice but not as impressive as elsewhere, so Dali isn’t worth it for that. The old town, all restored, is pretty but *packed*—thousands of people, especially in the evening.
Hekou (Vietnam border) Comfortable train from Kunming. In the parking lot, a bus (not well-marked, but Didi is an option) takes you to the border in 15–20 minutes. Short wait at both border posts. Fun to see the two lampposts near the border line: the Chinese one is new, modern, with a surveillance camera (of course), while the Vietnamese one is old and a bit rusty.
VIETNAM General: - You’ll need the Grab app for taxis - Very disappointed with 12Go—it doesn’t show all buses, never connects you with the company, and refuses refunds. Try booking directly with companies like FUTA Bus instead. - Credit cards are often accepted (supermarkets and modern stores), otherwise, you’ll need cash
Lao Cai 2 km between the border and the train station. The sleeper bus to Hanoi with Sao Viet is well-organized—it works.
Hanoi Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes early (10:30 AM, I think). Women’s Museum: Very good, not too long Temple of Literature: Beautiful, fairly quick This is where you should buy souvenirs, clothes, and knockoffs—the prices are reasonable, and the sellers are nicer than elsewhere. We recommend Cho Dong Xuan.
Tu Long Bay We did 2 days, 1 night (so really 24 hours on the boat) with Parfum d’Automne (French-speaking agency), which put us on a Cycad Cruise boat. Cost: 300 € per person—expensive, but it was amazing, super luxurious, and the buffet meals were delicious. We don’t regret the splurge. The only downside: no swimming in the bay (but there’s a pool on the boat). To swim, you’d need a 3-day, 2-night trip to an area not protected by the maritime park.
Phong Nha If you didn’t do the northern mountains due to time or weather (like us), Phong Nha is a great stop for a motorbike ride. It’s beautiful, especially the mountains west of the city toward the caves. There are two (small) swimming spots at the Botanic Garden—a pleasant 45-minute walk without stops. Hotel tip: Sunbeam Village (very friendly, pool, breakfast by the river, motorbike rentals)
Da Nang Hotel tip: Meridians by Hsuite—you’ll have the beach almost to yourself. You’ll still need to walk 15–20 minutes to the hyper-touristy area if you want to rent surfboards (150–200k VND per hour). The beach is beautiful, and the water is 30°C—great for a break on a long trip, especially since all transport goes through Da Nang.
Hoi An 45 minutes from Da Nang, so it’s easy to visit in a day, especially since the city isn’t that big and it’s *very* hot. Cooking class: MS Hanh cooking class—great (the market tour is a bit useless). We don’t recommend the "basket boat" tour—it’s a bit sad on a big brown pond with elderly guides.
Ho Chi Minh City Ben Thanh Market is a nightmare: starting prices are exorbitant, and the vendors are aggressive. Don’t go. The War Remnants Museum can be really tough for kids.
Can Tho Avoid this city. We made the mistake of going to see the floating market—don’t.
Chau Doc No Grab in the city, but regular taxis. One day is enough if you go early to the forest and the mountain in the late afternoon. 250k VND per person for the forest and its canals (45 minutes by motorbike) The sunset at Victoria Nui Sam can be magnificent if the clouds cooperate. Cheap and good restaurant: Quan Nem Nuong Sau Hiep Hotel tip: Homestay Khoa (2,250,000 VND for 3 nights)—adorable hostess, full of tips, clean rooms.
The speedboat to Cambodia is more comfortable than a bus. Book with Hangchau a few days in advance—payment in cash on the day (1,640,000 đ).
CAMBODIA General: - Issues with the "Bakong Tourists" app—we had to go to a big bank to load money onto it. We barely used it afterward.
Phnom Penh For us, a day and a half is enough if you want to spend more time elsewhere. Markets close early (around 6 PM) and are less interesting than in Hanoi, for example. The Royal Palace has a break from 11 AM to 2 PM, but there aren’t many people in the afternoon.
Siem Reap Trip with Capitol company—the bus is basic but cheap. Departs at 10:15 AM, 7-hour ride. Angkor entrance fee: 62 USD per person for a 3-day pass. Tickets are picked up at Angkor Enterprise. Renting two 125cc motorbikes: 10 USD each, plus 7 USD for gas. By bike, it took me 25 minutes to reach Angkor Wat’s pools. A basic city bike rental was 1 USD per hour. Short circuit by motorbike (in reverse): 7 hours with stops everywhere. Grand tour by tuk-tuk: Only 5 temples, 4.5 hours. If you want to see lots of monkeys, they’re grouped west of Bayon. For the temples, we asked Gemini (AI) at each stop to point out details that might interest kids (who can get bored with the repetition). It gave fun facts and things to look for—great for the little ones. Hotel tip: The Five Senses, run by a Frenchman, Bruno, who knows Cambodia inside out and organizes tours. Restaurant tip: Wild (only spring rolls, but *so* many varieties—delicious and cheap) Watch out: 1 hour to the airport, 50 km from the city. Show tip: The Phare Circus
Hi everyone,
To simplify logistics, I'm considering renting a car for 5/6 days in the Japanese Alps before heading to Kyoto solo.
Is driving difficult or even risky in this region?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tara
Hi there,
We’re arriving as a group of three in Tokyo on Saturday, October 17th, then heading straight to Kyoto by direct train. On Sunday and Monday, we’ll explore Kyoto, and in the evening, we’ll take a train to Osaka to spend the night. On Tuesday, we’ll pick up a rental car at Itami Airport for a 6-day/5-night road trip around Shikoku: - 2 nights in the Iya Valley - Thursday morning, we’ll head to Matsuyama for 2 nights. - Saturday, we’ll visit Mima (town, a few temples + overnight stay) and return on Sunday to drop off the car in Osaka. We’ll leave very early on Monday the 26th by plane for Aomori in northern Honshu, where we’ll pick up another rental car at the airport for a 5-day/4-night trip: - Day 1: Tsugaru Peninsula (Takayam Inari, Cape Tappi, Kanita); overnight in Kanita - Day 2: Ferry transfer to the Mutsu Peninsula (cliffs, Lake Usori); overnight in Shimofuro - Day 3: Head to the Hakkoda Mountains and onsens galore; overnight TBD - Day 4: Return the car in Aomori by noon and explore the city before taking the train to Tokyo in the evening We’ll spend Friday night in Tokyo, wander around on Saturday, and head home on Sunday.
Thoughts on the road feasibility of this trip? We’ll be there right in the middle of Koyo season, so it’ll be busy... I know it’s a lot of driving, but there are two of us who can take turns. We’re not afraid of driving, even in the mountains and on the left side! Just wondering, are we going to be rushing, or is this manageable? AI says it’s all good, but it’s not the one driving... Any tips for booking accommodations in the Iya Valley? Not many places have email addresses or websites (I know Booking.com exists, but not all listings are on there... and given the season, I think it’s better to book ahead!). Same question applies for northern Honshu. For the rental car, I’m thinking of going with Alamo since at least it’s in French and straightforward, but are there any direct rental companies with user-friendly websites (Toyota Rentacar, ugh... 🏴☠️)? Another question: With so many trains, is it even necessary to book them in advance? Can we just go to the ticket counter and grab seats on the spot? For paying for the rental car, do we need a credit or debit card?
Thanks for your help!
We’re arriving as a group of three in Tokyo on Saturday, October 17th, then heading straight to Kyoto by direct train. On Sunday and Monday, we’ll explore Kyoto, and in the evening, we’ll take a train to Osaka to spend the night. On Tuesday, we’ll pick up a rental car at Itami Airport for a 6-day/5-night road trip around Shikoku: - 2 nights in the Iya Valley - Thursday morning, we’ll head to Matsuyama for 2 nights. - Saturday, we’ll visit Mima (town, a few temples + overnight stay) and return on Sunday to drop off the car in Osaka. We’ll leave very early on Monday the 26th by plane for Aomori in northern Honshu, where we’ll pick up another rental car at the airport for a 5-day/4-night trip: - Day 1: Tsugaru Peninsula (Takayam Inari, Cape Tappi, Kanita); overnight in Kanita - Day 2: Ferry transfer to the Mutsu Peninsula (cliffs, Lake Usori); overnight in Shimofuro - Day 3: Head to the Hakkoda Mountains and onsens galore; overnight TBD - Day 4: Return the car in Aomori by noon and explore the city before taking the train to Tokyo in the evening We’ll spend Friday night in Tokyo, wander around on Saturday, and head home on Sunday.
Thoughts on the road feasibility of this trip? We’ll be there right in the middle of Koyo season, so it’ll be busy... I know it’s a lot of driving, but there are two of us who can take turns. We’re not afraid of driving, even in the mountains and on the left side! Just wondering, are we going to be rushing, or is this manageable? AI says it’s all good, but it’s not the one driving... Any tips for booking accommodations in the Iya Valley? Not many places have email addresses or websites (I know Booking.com exists, but not all listings are on there... and given the season, I think it’s better to book ahead!). Same question applies for northern Honshu. For the rental car, I’m thinking of going with Alamo since at least it’s in French and straightforward, but are there any direct rental companies with user-friendly websites (Toyota Rentacar, ugh... 🏴☠️)? Another question: With so many trains, is it even necessary to book them in advance? Can we just go to the ticket counter and grab seats on the spot? For paying for the rental car, do we need a credit or debit card?
Thanks for your help!
I saw there are several "authentic" villages about 90/100 km from Beijing.
Including: Lingshui, Liuliqu, Sangyu, Miaoying, and Cuandixia.
Has anyone visited any of them? I was thinking of choosing Cuandixia—what do you think?
Thanks in advance.
Hi everyone!
It seems there’s a flea market in Tianjin that’s way more interesting than the one in Beijing. I’ve been searching online but can’t find the right one… The one I’m looking for is called gu wan shi chang (my PC won’t display the Chinese characters…). Does anyone have the address and has anyone been there before? The one in Beijing has lost a lot of its charm over the past 10 years, so I wanted to find another. Thanks!
Hi there,
I’m staying in Atami for 2 nights in October. I was thinking of exploring the area and trying to see Mount Fuji.
I was planning to go to Shizuoka. And also enjoy the onsen (hot springs).
Don’t hesitate to share any tips or recommendations—I’d love to hear them!
Thanks in advance.
I’m staying in Atami for 2 nights in October. I was thinking of exploring the area and trying to see Mount Fuji.
I was planning to go to Shizuoka. And also enjoy the onsen (hot springs).
Don’t hesitate to share any tips or recommendations—I’d love to hear them!
Thanks in advance.
Hi there,
Can anyone recommend a way to transfer from Narita Airport to Haneda Airport? Is the bus the simplest option? Thanks!
Hi,
My departure is coming up soon—two months backpacking in Taiwan, so much to discover! I’d love to hear about your travel experiences.
My main interests are meeting people, understanding how things work, hiking, and nature in general. I’ve also done a lot of reading about Taiwan’s complex situation. I do stone sculpture. I also want to visit Orchid Island for its history. Marie
My main interests are meeting people, understanding how things work, hiking, and nature in general. I’ve also done a lot of reading about Taiwan’s complex situation. I do stone sculpture. I also want to visit Orchid Island for its history. Marie
Hello,
I’m looking for advice from seasoned travelers about a roughly one-month trip to Japan. From late October to late November 2026.
We often travel in Southeast Asia but have never been to Japan. Based on what I’ve read, I’d love to hear your thoughts on:
- Is traveling day-to-day, without booking hotels or trains in advance, possible in Japan? (I’ve read many travel journals and blogs that say everything was booked way in advance… but that’s not how we usually travel.)
- Will the Japan Rail Pass be worth it for us? (According to an old simulator, I’m looking at around 400 € for trains compared to 570 € for the JRP.)
Here’s our rough itinerary (which may change):
- Arrival Osaka: 3 nights with Nara - Hiroshima and Miyajima Island: 3 nights - Kurashiki or Naoshima: 2 nights - Himeji: 1 night - Kyoto: 4 nights - Kanazawa: 2 nights - Takayama and Shirakawa-go: 3 nights - Around Mount Fuji: 3 nights - Tokyo with Nikko: 6 nights (no theme parks) Departure from Tokyo
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)
I’m looking for advice from seasoned travelers about a roughly one-month trip to Japan. From late October to late November 2026.
We often travel in Southeast Asia but have never been to Japan. Based on what I’ve read, I’d love to hear your thoughts on:
- Is traveling day-to-day, without booking hotels or trains in advance, possible in Japan? (I’ve read many travel journals and blogs that say everything was booked way in advance… but that’s not how we usually travel.)
- Will the Japan Rail Pass be worth it for us? (According to an old simulator, I’m looking at around 400 € for trains compared to 570 € for the JRP.)
Here’s our rough itinerary (which may change):
- Arrival Osaka: 3 nights with Nara - Hiroshima and Miyajima Island: 3 nights - Kurashiki or Naoshima: 2 nights - Himeji: 1 night - Kyoto: 4 nights - Kanazawa: 2 nights - Takayama and Shirakawa-go: 3 nights - Around Mount Fuji: 3 nights - Tokyo with Nikko: 6 nights (no theme parks) Departure from Tokyo
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)
Hi there,
What do you think of this itinerary for a first 15-day trip to China?
Day 1 to 4: Beijing
Day 5 to 6: Datong - Yungang
Day 6 to 7: Pingyao
Day 8 to 10: Xi'an
Day 11 to 15: Shanghai
Itinerary:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HXdGotaSPgQThoi19?g_st=iw
Day 1 to 4: Beijing
Day 5 to 6: Datong - Yungang
Day 6 to 7: Pingyao
Day 8 to 10: Xi'an
Day 11 to 15: Shanghai
Itinerary:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HXdGotaSPgQThoi19?g_st=iw
hi
I booked my trip from May 5 to 26, 2027. I’m starting to plan my itinerary and look for hotels (I know it’s early!). While I’ve found some in Seoul and Busan, I’m noticing that elsewhere—like Yeosu—most hotels aren’t available (on Booking.com, for example, almost all are unavailable). AI tells me not to worry because hotels in South Korea only open bookings 6 months in advance, so it’s normal to see most of them unavailable on booking sites.
Could you confirm this for me and, of course, reassure me (!)? Thanks so much. philippe
I booked my trip from May 5 to 26, 2027. I’m starting to plan my itinerary and look for hotels (I know it’s early!). While I’ve found some in Seoul and Busan, I’m noticing that elsewhere—like Yeosu—most hotels aren’t available (on Booking.com, for example, almost all are unavailable). AI tells me not to worry because hotels in South Korea only open bookings 6 months in advance, so it’s normal to see most of them unavailable on booking sites.
Could you confirm this for me and, of course, reassure me (!)? Thanks so much. philippe
We’re back from a one-month trip to China and wanted to share our itinerary. Hopefully, this can give future travelers some ideas for exploring this beautiful country.
Beijing → Temple of Heaven / Forbidden City Jinshanling → Great Wall Zhangjiajie → Tianmen Mountain and Heaven’s Gate Wulingyuan → Avatar Mountains / sandstone pillars Fenghuang → riverside houses Ping’an → terraced rice fields Tiantouzhai → village / rice terraces Yangshuo → Li River / karst mountains Shanghai → skyline with the Oriental Pearl Tower
Our travel journal is available on our travel journal, written day by day. You’ll find lots of photos and some travel tips there.
Beijing → Temple of Heaven / Forbidden City Jinshanling → Great Wall Zhangjiajie → Tianmen Mountain and Heaven’s Gate Wulingyuan → Avatar Mountains / sandstone pillars Fenghuang → riverside houses Ping’an → terraced rice fields Tiantouzhai → village / rice terraces Yangshuo → Li River / karst mountains Shanghai → skyline with the Oriental Pearl Tower
Our travel journal is available on our travel journal, written day by day. You’ll find lots of photos and some travel tips there.
Hi there,
I’m starting to look at neighborhoods in Seoul, and I’m leaning toward staying in a hotel in Insa-Dong—I’ve spotted one really close to Unhyeongung. Is this a good area—nice and convenient for exploring the city?
Otherwise, I’ve also found another hotel in Yongsan-Gu, right near the station of the same name. Is that station useful for getting around Seoul?
Since I’ll be in South Korea for nearly two months, I plan to spend at least a week in Seoul to recover from jet lag (it takes me a while to adjust...). So, I’d love a neighborhood that’s pleasant and a hotel not too far from a subway station.
Thanks in advance!
I’m starting to look at neighborhoods in Seoul, and I’m leaning toward staying in a hotel in Insa-Dong—I’ve spotted one really close to Unhyeongung. Is this a good area—nice and convenient for exploring the city?
Otherwise, I’ve also found another hotel in Yongsan-Gu, right near the station of the same name. Is that station useful for getting around Seoul?
Since I’ll be in South Korea for nearly two months, I plan to spend at least a week in Seoul to recover from jet lag (it takes me a while to adjust...). So, I’d love a neighborhood that’s pleasant and a hotel not too far from a subway station.
Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
I’d like to do this cycling route over 2 or 3 days. I’m struggling to figure out and find a (good) bike rental that lets me start in Onomichi and drop off in Imabari. Can anyone help with great tips for rentals and accommodations along the route? How do I get back to Onomichi afterward?
Hey everyone,
Next year, we’re celebrating 20 years of marriage (and travel 🙂), and we’re looking for something new, pretty legendary, and something the teens will enjoy too.
The family council has settled on Japan for now. And it’d have to be a summer trip—no choice there.
The catch: I keep reading that August isn’t the right season for southern Japan. It’s hot, humid, and there’s a risk of typhoons… Okay, but what does that *actually* mean in practice? Are there any travelers who’ve been there during this time? Is it *that* unbearable? We’re pretty familiar with Southeast Asia—last year, we dealt with scorching heat in Vietnam and insane humidity, plus a typhoon we experienced from a distance, and visiting Angkor in the blazing sun. Is it worse than that?
Thanks for your feedback 😉
Next year, we’re celebrating 20 years of marriage (and travel 🙂), and we’re looking for something new, pretty legendary, and something the teens will enjoy too.
The family council has settled on Japan for now. And it’d have to be a summer trip—no choice there.
The catch: I keep reading that August isn’t the right season for southern Japan. It’s hot, humid, and there’s a risk of typhoons… Okay, but what does that *actually* mean in practice? Are there any travelers who’ve been there during this time? Is it *that* unbearable? We’re pretty familiar with Southeast Asia—last year, we dealt with scorching heat in Vietnam and insane humidity, plus a typhoon we experienced from a distance, and visiting Angkor in the blazing sun. Is it worse than that?
Thanks for your feedback 😉
hi there
I’m back with my detailed itinerary for 20 days in South Korea—it’s my first trip to the country. Our idea is to experience a more rural and cultural Korea. Here’s the rough plan: Seoul for 4 nights at the start and 1 night at the end, Gurye for 4 nights, Suncheon for 4 nights, Namhae for 4 nights, and Gyeongju for 2 nights. The goal is to pick a base and explore the surrounding areas. What do you think of this itinerary? Anything you’d change? thanks
philippe
I’m back with my detailed itinerary for 20 days in South Korea—it’s my first trip to the country. Our idea is to experience a more rural and cultural Korea. Here’s the rough plan: Seoul for 4 nights at the start and 1 night at the end, Gurye for 4 nights, Suncheon for 4 nights, Namhae for 4 nights, and Gyeongju for 2 nights. The goal is to pick a base and explore the surrounding areas. What do you think of this itinerary? Anything you’d change? thanks
philippe
hi everyone, we're heading out for a 12-day trek in the Japanese Alps. We're bringing freeze-dried meals like we always do. We just found out that importing meat is banned, even freeze-dried. Is that true? We already bought them. They're commercially made freeze-dried meals. Online, it's not specified that they have to be "commercially made" because you can make your own freeze-dried food. And since we've heard they're really strict in Japan, can anyone confirm this for us? thanks
Hi there,
I haven’t found what I’m looking for despite my searches!
For a 15-day trip next spring, I’d like to buy a card (preferably an eSIM, but a physical SIM is fine too) that also lets me make calls in the country (to contact a hotel, a tourist spot, etc.).
You can easily find options just for data, but I haven’t come across any that include calls, texts, or even MMS. Could you recommend something?
Thanks in advance
I haven’t found what I’m looking for despite my searches!
For a 15-day trip next spring, I’d like to buy a card (preferably an eSIM, but a physical SIM is fine too) that also lets me make calls in the country (to contact a hotel, a tourist spot, etc.).
You can easily find options just for data, but I haven’t come across any that include calls, texts, or even MMS. Could you recommend something?
Thanks in advance
hi there
I’m planning a trip in September—here’s my rough itinerary. What do you think? Is it easy to rent a car to get around between my stops? Thanks so much!
Philippe StopNightsFull daysSeoul44Gurye (Jirisan)43Suncheon43Namhae43Gyeongju21Seoul1—
Philippe StopNightsFull daysSeoul44Gurye (Jirisan)43Suncheon43Namhae43Gyeongju21Seoul1—
Hi,
Great article that really captures what makes South Korea so appealing!
South Korea: Between Hallyu and the search for authenticity, the French are falling for the destination
Great article that really captures what makes South Korea so appealing!
South Korea: Between Hallyu and the search for authenticity, the French are falling for the destination
Hello,
We’re planning a 17-day trip to South Korea in October 2026 with my husband and our daughters, who’ll be 9 years old.
I’d love to get your thoughts on our draft itinerary.
First, some key details:
1/ Jeju Island is a must for us. I’ve personally dreamed of going there for years after reading a novel about it. 2/ Our girls are used to road-trip style travel since they were born, so this kind of trip won’t be an issue for them. 3/ We plan to travel by train, except on Jeju where we’ll rent a car (we already have an international driver’s permit).
Itinerary:
Seoul: 1 arrival day at 10 AM + 4 full days Gyeongju: 2 days Busan: 3 days Jeju: 4 days Seoul: 2 days
Thanks for your feedback! Have a great day,
Sabrina
We’re planning a 17-day trip to South Korea in October 2026 with my husband and our daughters, who’ll be 9 years old.
I’d love to get your thoughts on our draft itinerary.
First, some key details:
1/ Jeju Island is a must for us. I’ve personally dreamed of going there for years after reading a novel about it. 2/ Our girls are used to road-trip style travel since they were born, so this kind of trip won’t be an issue for them. 3/ We plan to travel by train, except on Jeju where we’ll rent a car (we already have an international driver’s permit).
Itinerary:
Seoul: 1 arrival day at 10 AM + 4 full days Gyeongju: 2 days Busan: 3 days Jeju: 4 days Seoul: 2 days
Thanks for your feedback! Have a great day,
Sabrina
Hi there,
My girlfriend (23) and I (24) are heading to Japan for the first time from October 20th to November 6th. Here’s our itinerary:
6 nights in Tokyo 1 night in Hakone (ryokan already booked) 4 nights in Kyoto (hotel already booked) 2 nights in Osaka 4 nights back in Tokyo I’d like to book hotels for Tokyo (both stays) and Osaka, but I’ve gotten so many different recommendations.
I’ve read that Shinjuku is the place to be for its huge hub, accessibility, and things to do, but I’ve also heard about Shibuya, Asakusa, and Ueno. I’ve looked at hotels, and first off, I’m surprised by the prices compared to what I’ve seen on forums (I guess inflation’s hit here too… and maybe I’m late to the booking game?). I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the options.
For our first stay in Tokyo, I’d prefer a hotel (not a residence or Airbnb) since we’ll be arriving at night, and it’s our first time in Japan. It’d be great to have a place with a reception, staff who speak at least a little English, and can give us some guidance. For the second stay, we could consider other options if it’s better. Budget-wise, we can go up to 150–180 € per night, but if we can save some money to spend elsewhere, that’d be amazing!
I’m open to all recommendations, hotel suggestions, or any other tips for Tokyo (first stay), Osaka, and Tokyo (second stay).
Thanks so much!
6 nights in Tokyo 1 night in Hakone (ryokan already booked) 4 nights in Kyoto (hotel already booked) 2 nights in Osaka 4 nights back in Tokyo I’d like to book hotels for Tokyo (both stays) and Osaka, but I’ve gotten so many different recommendations.
I’ve read that Shinjuku is the place to be for its huge hub, accessibility, and things to do, but I’ve also heard about Shibuya, Asakusa, and Ueno. I’ve looked at hotels, and first off, I’m surprised by the prices compared to what I’ve seen on forums (I guess inflation’s hit here too… and maybe I’m late to the booking game?). I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the options.
For our first stay in Tokyo, I’d prefer a hotel (not a residence or Airbnb) since we’ll be arriving at night, and it’s our first time in Japan. It’d be great to have a place with a reception, staff who speak at least a little English, and can give us some guidance. For the second stay, we could consider other options if it’s better. Budget-wise, we can go up to 150–180 € per night, but if we can save some money to spend elsewhere, that’d be amazing!
I’m open to all recommendations, hotel suggestions, or any other tips for Tokyo (first stay), Osaka, and Tokyo (second stay).
Thanks so much!
Hi there.
I’m traveling solo to China in October '26, heading to these spots:
Guilin - Yangshuo - Chengdu – Leshan – Chongqing – Zhangjiajie - Furong – Shanghai
Any guides you’d recommend?
Tons of "agencies" (gowithguide, Hellechinaguide, etc.) offer guides. Can I reach out to them? I also speak English.
Any other tips for me?
Thanks! !
Guilin - Yangshuo - Chengdu – Leshan – Chongqing – Zhangjiajie - Furong – Shanghai
Any guides you’d recommend?
Tons of "agencies" (gowithguide, Hellechinaguide, etc.) offer guides. Can I reach out to them? I also speak English.
Any other tips for me?
Thanks! !
Hi there,
I’m getting ready for a classic tourist trip to China in May 2026.
The "Terres Lointaines" itinerary looks good to me, and the price is interesting.
Has anyone traveled with them before? Any feedback?
Is there a better option?
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences on this!
Michel
hi, does anyone have suggestions or contacts for a private local driver without going through a big travel agency for a multi-day trip in Yunnan?
thanks for any info
thanks for any info
Hi there,
I just booked my hotel in Seoul—it’ll be near Unhyeongung, on Samil-Daero 30-Gil—and I’m wondering if there’s public transport from the airport to this address (bus or subway)? If not, what’s the taxi fare? I read it’s around 50 or 60 €.
I just booked my hotel in Seoul—it’ll be near Unhyeongung, on Samil-Daero 30-Gil—and I’m wondering if there’s public transport from the airport to this address (bus or subway)? If not, what’s the taxi fare? I read it’s around 50 or 60 €.
I’m traveling to Japan with a young adult with autism (ASD) from July 28 to August 8, following a pretty classic route: Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Tokyo. I’m looking for a schedule of the most spectacular fireworks displays during that time. So far, the dates for the major *hanabi* events aren’t available online yet. If anyone has them, I’d really appreciate it if you could share!
Hi there,
We’ll be doing a self-drive trip using public transport in May 2026.
On Day 6, we’ll arrive in Hakone by train from Tokyo in late morning. We’ll spend the night in Hakone before heading to Kyoto.
The main goal of this stop is clearly the view (no hiking) of Mount Fuji, not so much exploring Hakone, where the sights seem limited. I’ve read on the forum that the view is great from Gotemba, but it also takes a good hour by bus to get there. And, apart from that view, there’s nothing else to see in Gotemba!
So, I’m not sure what to choose. Any thoughts? Or alternatives to suggest? Maybe some spots in Hakone or Gotemba for a great view?
Thanks in advance.
We’ll be doing a self-drive trip using public transport in May 2026.
On Day 6, we’ll arrive in Hakone by train from Tokyo in late morning. We’ll spend the night in Hakone before heading to Kyoto.
The main goal of this stop is clearly the view (no hiking) of Mount Fuji, not so much exploring Hakone, where the sights seem limited. I’ve read on the forum that the view is great from Gotemba, but it also takes a good hour by bus to get there. And, apart from that view, there’s nothing else to see in Gotemba!
So, I’m not sure what to choose. Any thoughts? Or alternatives to suggest? Maybe some spots in Hakone or Gotemba for a great view?
Thanks in advance.