Nos cinq visions des USA (2)

This discussion is in French, the community’s main language.

Micmac2 Veteran ·2012-12-06

Bien le bonsoir, je ne sais si je me suis manifesté dans le carnet de votre voyage précédent (même si je suis certain de l'avoir lu).

Les photos sont toujours top, le ton adéquat. Bref. Keep on writing :-)

Au plaisir de se croiser un jour, peut être , )

@+

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-06

Lundi 13 aout

Il est 6h30 quand on se lève, on avait promis à Sophie un petit déjeuner pancake dans un resto américain. Il y en a un près du chalet, comme Laurence n’est pas trop friande, du moins ne sait rien avaler le matin, elle n’est pas de la partie.

Nous allons nous installer près de la fenêtre, cadre typique usa.

La serveuse propose un café et prend la commande, pour Kephren et moi se sera des œufs et du bacon et les filles les célèbres crêpes. On leur en propose 2 ou 3, la gourmandise parle elles en prennent 3 qu’elles n’arriveront pas à manger vu la taille.

De retour à la chambre, Laurence à terminé de clôturer les bagages, il ne reste plus qu’a charger la voiture et en route pour Monolake south tufa

Sur la route nous apercevons des rapaces, comme il est tôt il n’y a pas grand monde.

L’endroit est vraiment magique, lorsque nous marchons sur les bords du lac des millions de mouche s’envolent pour se reposer quasi tout de suite qui fait le bonheur des oiseaux.

Les innombrables Tufa qui marquent une époque plus ancienne que l’homme, dans un décor digne d’un bon film de science fiction et en arrière plan la Sierra Nevada.

Nous passons un bon moment, les appareils photos chauffent, vive le numérique, je pense au temps de l’argentique ou l’on devait penser à avoir suffisamment de pellicule et à la façon de faire la photo pour la réussir sans devoir en faire 20.

Nous partons au bon moment, car en arrivant sur le parking, un car de touristes asiatiques et je pense que vu le nombre et le bruit qu’ils auraient fait nous n’aurions pas pu profiter aussi bien du lieu.

Nous prenons l’US120 qui est pour moi une des plus belle route que je n’ai jamais utilisée.

Nous faisons un petit arrêt dans une boutique pour acheter des cartes postales. Il s’agit d’un petit bourg avec des chalets sur le flan de la montagne, l’endroit est vraiment joli, j’aimerais vraiment y passer quelques jours, ce n’est pas encore dans le parc des Yosemites, mais pas loin de l’entrée.

Pour ceux qui se demande comment sont acheminés les matériaux lorsque l’on construit une route, un pont ou toutes autres constructions en dur au milieu de nulle part, comme ici dans des endroits difficilement accessibles nous avons eu la réponse, l’hélicoptère, nous assistons au ballet incessant d’hélicoptères qui viennent porter des matériaux pour le chantier de rénovation de la route.

Comme nous possédons déjà notre Bautifull Pass que nous avions acheté en février, l’entrée au parc est plus rapide, nous pouvons passer sur la file de gauche et rentrer rapidement.

Notre première visite est le Tenaya Lake, je le recommande hardiment, en 2010 on avait juste fait une halte de 15 min, mais cette année on y consacre plus de temps. Nous empruntons le chemin qui fait le tour du lac par l’arrière, on s’était dit avant le départ qu’on se baignerait, mais on a préféré se balader et admirer ce très beau lac de montagne.

Nous apercevons notre premier mammifère, une biche, chez nous elle prendrait ses pattes à son cou pour fuir l’homme, ici elles ne craignent pas l’homme et si l’on reste silencieux il est possible de s’approcher vraiment très près de la bête.

Le seul hic, un orage au loin, on doit rester attentif pour ne pas se laisser surprendre et se retrouver trempé. C’est vrai, il fait chaud, 32°, bien plus que ce que l’on avait connu en 2010.

Par la suite nous reprenons la voiture, j’avais repéré les aires de pic-nic du parc, c’est plus agréable de se préparer un sandwich assit sur un banc avec une petite table. Merci Google, grâce à lui, j’avais repéré les lieux de nos visites, noté les coordonnées gps. En entrant ceux-ci mon ami Tom-tom me conduit à l’endroit précis que je désire.

Mais apparemment, nous ne sommes pas les seuls à avoir eu l’idée … Je ne parle pas des touristes, mais des guêpes, attirées par la nourriture, c’est surement pour ça qu’il y avait autant de place pour s’installer.

On est obligé de partir plus loin et c’est finalement sur un rocher surélevé d’un petit cours d’eau que l’on s’installe.

Pour les plus sceptiques, on me dira que l’eau et la chaleur attire les moustiques et que l'on ne sera pas plus tranquille, mais non, car le cours d’eau est à sec.

C’est vrai que les USA connaissent une période de chaleur et de sécheresse, j’en reparlerai plus tard.

Plus loin sur la route, nous visitons Tuolmne Grove Of Giant Sequoias, quand nous commençons la rando, le chemin descend, même fort et longtemps.

La plupart des visiteurs ont un beau sourire en empruntant le chemin dans le sens de l’aller, mais le retour leur tête en dit long. Plus on avance on voit l’évolution inversée de comment passer d’un visage resplendissant à un état crispé suite à un effort violent.

Avec Kephren on en rigole en pensant aussi à notre tête lors du retour et surtout aux trois filles qui nous accompagnent et qui n’arrêtent pas de papoter. On se demande si elles se rendent compte de ce qui les attend.

Le circuit nous déçoit, on préfère l’autre endroit à séquoia au sud du parc, Mariposa Groove.

Vient le moment tant redouté, la remontée, nous partons ensemble, chacun a notre rythme, mais rapidement on se sépare, Kephren passe devant, suivi de Mado, moi Laurence et Sophie. Mado à démarré trop vite, rapidement elle doit ralentir et même s’arrêter.

Je la rattrape et l’encourage un peu, mais elle préfère ne pas suivre mon pas.

Arrivé en haut, la glacière est d’un grand secours, pour nous fournir des boissons fraiches. Tout le monde fini par arriver et on apprend que Mado s’était assise sur le bord du chemin et un couple d’Américains se sont arrêtés pour s’inquiéter de son sort et lui on offert une bouteille d’eau.

La preuve part là qu’il ne faut pas s’inquiéter de rester bloqué quelque par aux States, les gens vous propose rapidement de l’aide, quelle belle mentalité. Nous allons ensuite à Bridaveil Fall, je sais, le mois d’aout n’est pas la meilleure saison pour les chutes d’eau, mais en 2010 elle était très belle et ne manquait pas d’eau.

On avait aimé pouvoir grimper le long de la cascade et on voulait recommencer. Cette année, le choc, rien, un robinet qui fuit, la sécheresse à eu raison d’elle.

Nous grimpons malgré tout, on n’a pas fait 9000km pour arriver devant et ne pas le faire. Arrivé à mi chemin, où il y a un petit bassin, nous nous arrêtons. Mais nous voyons qu’il y a des gens tout en haut, bien 40m plus haut.

Kephren et moi décidons d’y aller, je laisse mon reflex aux filles, car à par Mado qui veut essayer, Laurence et Sophie ne tentent pas le coup. On commence l’escalade, on arrive à un autre basin, il y a même un poisson, Mado veut se baigner et me dit qu’elle ne va pas plus haut.

Je continue avec Kephren, et l’effort en vaut la peine, un bassin assez grand, avec l’eau du haut de la cascade qui y tombe, pas une grosse quantité, mais suffisamment pour faire penser à une pub pour une marque de gel douche.

Il y a un couple avec ses deux enfants, il doivent être d’Amérique du sud ou peut ��tre d’origine indienne. Je me dis vu les endroits que nous avons du gravir, ce n’est pas très malin de venir avec des jeunes enfants. Le monsieur me demande de les faire en photos, c’est vrai qu’il n’y a pas grand monde pour demander de faire une photo de famille.

Comme je n’ai que mon gsm, je le mets en mode photo et il nous rend la pareille.

On ne peut malheureusement pas trainer, car les filles nous attendent en bas. On entreprend la descente, on doit se laisser glisser sur des roches, assurer nos prises pour ne pas tomber.

On entend derrière nous les gens faire la même chose, et soudain, on voit les deux enfants (environs 8 et 10 ans) nous dépasser en sautant de rocher en rocher, ils descendent comme on descendrait un escalier.

Je pense qu’ils doivent être d’origine indienne, car j’avais lu que pour la construction de building à NY les ouvriers d’origines indiennes étaient très efficaces, car ils ne souffrent pas du vertige. Dans les derniers mètres, mon acide Lactique se fait sentir dans mes muscles. Ce sera tout pour aujourd’hui des Yosemites.

Nous logeons à Oakhurst, ce n’est pas le plus efficace pour visiter le parc, car il y a 1h30 de route, mais c’est le seul endroit où j’ai trouvé une chambre pour 5 à un prix raisonnable, pour palier cet handicap, on y passe 2 nuits, ce qui nous donnera une journée entière pour visiter le parc. A ne pas faire si l’on ne reste qu’une nuit ou pour une première fois.

L’hôtel est très beau, nous avons une suite familiale avec deux chambres. Nos voisins de chambre sont de Français du sud, nous parlons un peu de nos régions d’origine et de notre voyage. Comme nous ils sont 5 et on besoin de deux chambres.

Une petite pause piscine avant de d’aller en ville. Nous cherchons un supermarché, pour acheter de l’eau et autres boisons. Sur le forum quelques forumeurs citaient un resto, le Sweetwater Steak House.

Et apparemment il est connu, car c’est le seul qui faut faire la file et attendre qu’une table se libère pour pouvoir manger.

Je dois dire que cela en vaut la peine, la nourriture est bonne, le seul bémol, la friteuse est en panne, donc nous ne pouvons avoir que des Maschpotatoes ou une pomme de terre au four.

Je recommande le Maschpotatoes, il est très bon. Le service est un peu lent

De retour à la chambre, on prépare nos affaires pour le lendemain, car c’est une journée rando. Il est 22h30 quand nous trouvons notre lit…..

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-06

Au plaisir de se croiser un jour, peut être , )

@+

Qui sait, on c'est peut être déjà croisé, la Belgique n'est pas bien grande...

Nous sommes de la région montoise.

Quoi que en 2010 on a rencontré Jean François des Alsaciens dans un trou perdu de l'Ouest Américain.

SA Saintvit Regular ·2012-12-07

Merci Patrick, je vois où c'est, juste à côté de Beatty ; je me suis replongée depuis tes photos dans mes guides "papier" et c'est en photo dans le GEO voyage de l'été dernier, mais je n'avais pas "percuté", la photo est très différente. selon le temps qu'on aura, on verra si on fait ce détour ; à te lire, on n'y reste pas longtemps en plein été !😕 j'avoue que ça me tente, surtout que je ne pense pas qu'on verra d'autre villes fantômes. et merci des conseils ! on remplira la glacière et le réservoir !

Anne

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-07

Mardi 14 aout

On se lève à 5h30, je vais avec Mado, Sophie et kephren prendre le petit déjeuner à L’hôtel.

Laurence qui ne mange que rarement le matin préfère rester dans la chambre pour préparer les affaires à emporter dans le sac au dos. En quittant la chambre et se rendant vers le resto nous croisons une biche, c’est peut être un signe car aujourd’hui nous faisons une journée rando dans les Yosemites et on ne sait pas sur quels animaux nous allons tomber.

Nous allons faire le panorama Trail, une rando très prisée et de difficulté moyenne. Comme nous avons malgré tout de la condition physique à divers niveau, on devrait pouvoir la réaliser sans gros problèmes.

Vu la distance qui nous sépare de la vallée nous avons réservé la navette de 10h, un départ vers 11h00 de Glacier Point, un trail de 6 – 7 h, c’est bon, nous avons 2h de marche avant le coucher de soleil. Une fois arrivé au Yosemite Lodge, nous allons chercher nos tickets pour le bus.

Nous avons 30 min d’attente avant le départ, Laurence va se chercher 2 fruits et un jus au magasin pour elle enfin déjeuner.

Comme c’est vraiment la seule vraie journée rando de notre séjour, nous avions décidé de ne pas prendre des chaussures de rando pour réduire le poids des valises. Je m’étais acheté des chaussures à Las Vegas, j’avais eu assez de difficulté à trouver ce qui me convenait et j’avais finalement trouvé sans grande conviction.

Les bus arrivent enfin, il y en deux on sait qu’il y a un direct et un qui fait des arrêts touristiques. Nous nous plaçons dans une file, une chance sur deux, le chauffeur descend et donne des explications pour la répartition des bus. Nous sommes avec des Français et comme eux nous ne comprenons pas toutes les explications du chauffeur.

Comme j’avais repéré des Américains qui allaient aussi à Glacier Point pour randonner, on reste dans la file comme eux. Les autres Français changent de bus, on doute de notre choix, mais tant pis il faut y aller.

En chemin, le bus ne s’est arrêté que 2 fois et encore la deuxième fois c’est juste ralentir, car il y avait un ours. Mais pas de notre coté du bus, le temps que l’on traduise et que l’on aille pour aller le voir, il était trop tard. Arrivé à Glacier, l’autre bus est déjà là, il vient d’arriver.

Je n’ai toujours pas compris la différence entre les deux bus, certainement aucune. A Glacier Point, nous passons par le magasin pour acheter de quoi manger la journée. Quelques photos de ce lieu magnifique et nous commençons la rando.

Le ciel est couvert et la température est d’environ 25°, pas de risque d’orage, mais de la pluie possible.

La première partie se passe bien, des vues à couper le souffle, quelques animaux se laissent photographier.

Nous mangeons sur un rocher qui donne une vue de l’illilouette Fall.

Un agréable moment, ensuite le chemin descend vers l’illilouette.

Et voila la pluie qui commence à tomber, pas une drache Belge, un petit crachin qui rend le sol glissant et nous mouille les vêtements. Mes chaussures me font des siennes, et je glisse sur une pierre. Ma cheville est douloureuse et quelques entailles sur le bas des mollets. Je nettoie la plaie avec un peu d’eau et on repart, ma cheville me fait un peu mal, mais pas d’avance il faut continuer. Je sens bien que mes chaussures ne soutiennent pas correctement mes chevilles.

Arrivé à l’illilouette la pluie est passée, des gens font même trempette dans le cours d’eau.

Après ce passage commence la montée jusque Nevada Fall.

Et sur cette partie la pluie aurait été agréable, je dois reconnaitre que la montée est assez dur, surtout avec une cheville douloureuse. Nous faisons une pause au milieu, on s’assied sur des rochers qui balisent le chemin.

Je sens que mes plaies chatouillent bizarrement, je regarde, j’étais envahi de grosses fourmis attirées par le sang séché. Quelle horreur je dois pratiquer un pas de danse et de cris vaudou pour me débarrasser de ces visiteurs. Plus question pour moi de m’assoir durant le reste du trail.

Le plus compliqué reste à venir, un peu avant le sommet, la pluie revient, mais plus le crachin, la vraie pluie. Elle nous accompagne lors de la dernière partie du trail.

Et comme c’est descendre le long des nevada fall qui est en fait des pierres taillées et horriblement glissantes. On passe plus de temps à regarder nos pieds que le spectacle offert par la nature. Il faut dire que la chute d’eau est d’une grande beauté, dommage la pluie qui rend le sol glissant et bouche l’horizon.

De plus je me retord la cheville, heureusement que je me suis pas étalé comme tantôt, car j’aurais pu chuter dans le vide de plusieurs mètres.

Lorsque nous arrivons à Emerald Pool la pluie nous a lâché, mais le sol est toujours aussi glissant.

Ce point d’eau d’une rare beauté nous fait oublier les douleurs aux jambes qui commencent à se faire sentir. On comprend bien le sens de tous les panneaux baignade interdite en voyant un peu plus loin la force de l’eau de Vernal Fal.

La roche taillée et les escaliers mouillés pour descendre le long de vernal fall finissent par achever les muscles des jambes.

Même Kephren qui joue au basket depuis ses 5 ans ne sent plus ses jambes. Plus personne de nous cinq parle, on marche, on marche, c’est tout ce qui reste à faire

.

Une fois en bas il y a un chemin qui conduit à la vallée, de nombreuses personnes viennent en sens inverse.

On voit bien qu’on y est presque, des gens avec des jeunes enfants, poussettes et même chaussés de sandalettes ne doivent pas venir de très loin. Mado qui fait de la natation, cinq entrainements semaine, termine portée par son frère.

Une dame devant nous qui est seule a l’air de peiner, on attrape vite l’esprit solidaire et malgré mon état d’épuisement je lui demande si tout va bien et si elle veux un coup de main.

Elle me dit que c’est bien gentil et que cela va aller.

La vue de Nature center avec son arrêt pour la navette est un grand soulagement. Le bus arrive rapidement.

Nous avons mis 7h10 pour faire la rando, malgré les conditions climatiques et les différents bobos le planning est respecté. Avec le recul, et ce malgré la difficulté, Laurence et moi avons aimé cette aventure. Une rando moyenne, je n’ose penser à celle qualifiée de difficile……

Le bus nous ramène en 30 min au Yosemite Lodge, je vais avec Kephren chercher des boisons fraiches et on rejoint les filles qui sont déjà à la voiture.

Nous quittons les Yosemites, la nuit tombe, de retour à l’hôtel, une douche et dodo.

Seul Sophie mange un sandwich, personne n’a envie de manger, on veut notre lit. Il est 22h00.

Franck43 Regular ·2012-12-07

Que de belles photos !!!! Tant me dure d'y être

JE Jerryjames ·2012-12-08

Comme d'hab, c'est toujours aussi agréable à lire ;) JJ.

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-11

Mercredi 15 aout

Ce matin ‘grasse-mat’ jusque 7h00.

Le traditionnel « refaire » les valises lors d’un changement d’hôtel, et on va prendre le petit déjeuner. Il y a pas mal de monde, toujours un beau buffet, d’autant que celui-ci est compris dans le prix de la chambre, ce qu’on n’avait pas prévu. Pour une fois que ce n’est pas un supplément à notre budget vacances, on ne va pas s’en plaindre.

Après un check-out, nous partons pour le quatrième aspect des USA, la côte Californienne et son ‘bling-bling’. Nous allons à Monterey et avant nous passons par Carmel.

D’autant plus que nous sommes en plein Perble Beach concours d’Elegance. En gros un festival de voitures anciennes et de luxes, des manifestations sont prévues pendant toute la semaine. Mais avant ça nous avons 280km.

Nous quittons une région montagneuse pour les plaines Californiennes. Ce qui est marquant, ce sont les traces de sécheresse, en 2010 les pâturages étaient bien verts, mais cette année tout est brûlé.

Les vaches doivent se contenter de quelques brins d’herbes séchées, je suppose qu’elles doivent avoir un complément alimentaire. Nous traversons des territoires voués à la culture, sur plusieurs km des arbres fruitiers ( des orangers, des figues, des pistaches ). Nous faisons un arrêt afin de faire une photo, le personnel utilise un quad pour se déplacer dans la culture.

J’ai même eu droit à un salut, je pense, vu son aspect, du propriétaire lors de son passage avec son immense pickup.

Plus loin nous nous arrêtons à une échoppe pour acheter des fruits, des cerises et des pistaches.

Nous arrivons à Carmel vers 13h15, cella commence fort, on croise déjà plusieurs voitures de luxe.

Pour stationner ce n’est pas facile, on trouve une place dans une rue en pente, non pas d’avant à l’arrière, mais de gauche à droite. Ce qui oblige les passagers à descendre de la voiture, car une fois stationné, la portière touche le sol. N’oublions pas que nous avons un Tahoë. Pour moi sortir on doit me tenir la portière.

Gros avantage, nous sommes près du resto que nous avions repéré sur le net, le Demetra Café. Nous y allons de suite, il s’agit d’une cuisine méditerranéenne. Le patron doit être turque et propose une carte avec des plats faisant penser à la Grèce, l’Italie et le sud de la France. Tout ce qui plaît aux Américains ! La nourriture est bonne.

A un certain moment, le patron prend une mandoline, un serveur un Jambé, et ils commencent à jouer de la musique orientale.

Les deux serveuses commencent à danser et viennent chercher les gens dans la salle. Mado ne s’est pas fait prier et comme elle a un bon sens du rythme et aime danser, elle fini seule avec la femme du patron sous les applaudissements de la salle.

Un grand moment de plaisir, à la fin elle a même été remerciée par les patrons pour sa collaboration. Il ne manquerait plus qu’un producteur hollywoodien la remarque…. Jusqu'à présent on attend toujours les offres…..

On se ballade, Sophie va connaitre une grande frustration, en arrivant elle avait vu des chaussures, geeeniales, trop cooool. Elle les voudrait, elle va dans le magasin et elle tombe de haut, 163$ plus taxes pour des chaussures et même pas en cuir, en toile.

Nous reprenons la voiture et nous allons sur la Scenic Drive , des maisons de rêves, une vue sur l’océan à couper le souffle.

Même les boites aux lettres sons stylisées en fonction de la maison.

On stationne pour aller un peu sur la plage, malgré la vague de chaleur l’eau est toujours aussi froide. Cela me fait rire quand je vois un film où l’on voit les gens nager dans le pacifique, j’en ai pratiquement jamais vu en vrais.

Nous allons maintenant à Carmel Mission, c’est assez joli, mais ce n’est pas ce que l’on préfère.

En cherchant à rentrer par la sortie, pour ne pas payer l’entrée au musée, on a failli se retrouver enfermé. Sophie et moi suivons un groupe qui est accompagné d’un guide, mais voila apparemment ce n’est pas pour une visite et la guide referme la porte à clé … il a fallu que l’on réagisse très vite pour sortir.

Il est temps pour nous d’aller à l’hôtel, on ne voudrait pas arriver trop tard, car avec le festival tout est complet. Nous avons réservé deux chambres. Une chambre pour deux et une chambre pour trois. Les jeunes vont dans leur chambre et nous aussi, nous avons un bad Queen, mais les voilà qu’ils rappliquent et nous disent que ce n’est pas leur chambre. On va voir et eux aussi ont un bad Queen, mais ils sont trois.

On se dit qu’il doit avoir une erreur à la réception et non, il n’y a pas d’erreur, c’est ce que nous avons réservé. En lisant les descriptions des chambres, sur notre confirmation de réservation il fait bien écrit deux chambres avec bad queen. Lorsque nous avions réservé, le site nous proposait un bad queen, nous on s’est dit que c’est pour la chambre de deux, mais non c’était pour les deux chambres. On est beau, finalement, la réceptionniste nous a proposé un lit d’appoint, il lui était impossible de nous trouver une autre chambre.

C’est bien la première fois que cela nous arrive, tient les conneries commenceraient enfin, il faut dire qu’on prend l’avion dans 4 jours et que rien ne nous était encore arrivé.

On est aussi obligé à rallonger nos shorts et tee shirt, car bien qu’il y ai un beau soleil, il ne fait plus que 17°. Nous allons à Old Fishermann.

Une partie du parking est réservée pour une expo de voiture, bien que la plupart sont bâchées les quelques voitures que nous voyons sont géniales.

Kephren et moi sommes en admiration.

Nous repérons le lieu d’embarquement pour demain aller voir les baleines et visitons quelques magasins de souvenir. Nous allons manger dans Downtown, on avait repéré un resto qui avait l’air sympa. Le Rosinés Restaurant, de nouveau un très bon choix, de la nourriture de qualité, une serveuse très, mais très agréable et des portions monstrueuses, même Kephren n’a pas su finir sa lasagne. On a droit à une salade ou minestrone offerte avec un plat. Lasagne pour les jeunes, pates à la saucisse pour moi et agneau purée pour Laurence. Bien que les desserts aient l’air très bon, il nous est impossible d’encore manger, ce serait du gaspillage.

Aujourd’hui que ce soit ce midi ou maintenant, nous avons vraiment bien mangé, celui qui dit qu’on mange mal au States, c’est qu’il ne connait que le fast food.

Nous faisons une petite balade dans la ville, Sophie est attendrie par une mendiante et son chien, elle lui donne quelques $, on l’a reconnait bien là.

Mais les ados ont une idée, sur fishermann ils ont vu un magasin de friandises et aimeraient compenser le manque de dessert au resto, d’autant que la marche fait digérer. On leur fait plaisir C’est vrai qu’ils ont l’air alléchant, on a même vu une sucette à 100$.

Ils se contentent de moins, un petit gâteau au chocolat pour Kephren, une sucette normale pour Mado et Sophie prend des pop corn caramélisés. Plus tard, lorsque nous serons en Belgique et lors d’une réunion de souvenirs, Kephren nous sortira que jamais il n’oubliera cet instant, on pensera à une visite ou autre, mais non, il nous dira le gâteau qu’il a mangé, il n’en a jamais mangé d’aussi bon. Revenons au présent.

De retour à l’hôtel, le lit d’appoint est bien là, nous pouvons dormir, il est déjà 23h00.

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-12

Jeudi 16 aout

Debout à 6h15, le petit déjeuner de l’hôtel est assez basique, il est 7h50 lorsque nous quittons l’hôtel. Ce matin, nous faisons une sortie en mer pour aller voir les baleines

On a décidé de partir tôt car on craint d’avoir difficile de trouver place pour se garer avec le Perble Beach. Mais nous trouvons facilement et c’est avec un peu d’avance que nous arrivons à Old Fishermann.

Lors de la réservation, on nous avait conseillé de s’habiller chaudement, ce n’est pas trop difficile, il ne fait même pas 14°.

A l’extérieur du cabanon, il y a un tableau indiquant les animaux aperçus lors des dernières sorties en mer. La veille ils ont vu une baleine bleue et des baleines à bosse, deux jours avant juste des dauphins et phoques. On espère que ce sera au moins des baleines.

Lorsque nous passons à l’accueil pour enregistrer nos tickets, on nous propose pour 20$ par personne un pass pour pouvoir accéder sur le haut du bateau. On trouve ça fort, car sur le site, rien ne parle de ce supplément possible. Nous le refusons et nous ne sommes pas les seuls.

Nous sommes les premiers, nous devons signer un registre maritime avant d’embarquer.

Les gens se précipitent pour les places extérieures et devant. Nous sommes un peu sur le coté.

Le bateau appareille à 9h00, le vent du pacifique nous glace les os. Quelques jours avant on avait 50°, ici on se les gèle, mais c’était prévu.

La femme du capitaine s’occupe des commentaires, mais elle a un accent et une tonalité de voix qui nous fait rire, nous ne sommes pas les seuls. Le pire c’est que voyant les gens rires, elle croit que l’on trouve son humour désopilant, et comme elle en rajoute, on doit rire encore plus. Je reste à l’extérieur avec mon appareil, malgré le froid, je ne veux pas les rater.

Apres 1h30, on a juste vu un éléphant de mer, pas brillant.

Puis soudain on voit une bosse à bâbord, mais juste quelques secondes. Le bateau ralenti et la dame annonce au micro que c’est une baleine.

Un peu après, madame baleine remonte, au micro on nous confirme que c’est une baleine à bosse. Elle nous fait un festival de plongeons. Elle est assez loin du bateau et à chaque fois que le bateau essaie de se rapprocher elle s’enfonce dans l’eau pour réapparaitre plus loin. Malgré la distance le moment est magique, personne ne parle dans le bateau et le seul bruit que l’on entend c’est le clic des appareils photos.

Il est déjà temps pour le bateau de rentrer, sur le chemin du retour, le bateau ralenti encore.

Et cette fois ce sont des dauphins et des phoques, un vrai banc, des dizaines de ces mammifères viennent nager avec le bateau, certains viennent jouer avec les remous du bateau.

Alors là le moment est féerique, les gens sont émerveillés, je n’ai jamais vu un spectacle comme çà, j’ai bien fait 200 photos.

On est entrain de vivre un des meilleurs moments de notre voyage, en 2010 c’était l’étoile filante au grand canyon et cette fois c’est ici en plein Pacifique.

Nous sommes de retour au port à 12h05, on se dépêche pour retourner à notre voiture, car nous avons payé le parking jusque 12h00.

Nous allons maintenant vers les aquariums, on trouve pour se garer, mais il faut alimenter le parcmètre et plus assez de quater. Je vais avec Mado à un supermarché voisin pour échanger des $ en quater. Mais avant d’aller visiter les aquariums, nous allons manger à un KFC. La pire expérience culinaire aux USA en 5 voyages, très gras et indigeste, plus jamais de KFC.

Le repas est assez rapide, ce n’est pas un fastfood pour rien. La visite des aquariums est mieux, comme nous avons déjà nos tickets achetés sur le net, on y rentre assez vite.

Le grand intérêt de ceux-ci ce sont les collections de méduses et d’hippocampes. En effet on peut y voir pas mal de variétés venant du monde entier et les explications sont assez claire.

Pour les amateurs de biosystème marin, il y a pas mal de salle didactique, mais les explications sont en Anglais et d’un vocabulaire assez scientifique. Difficile pour nous de comprendre tout.

Il est temps de quitter Monterey pour le dernier aspect de notre voyage, San Francisco.

Pour sortir de la ville ce n’est pas chose simple, il y a beaucoup de circulation et on met un temps fou. Nous passons par un walmart, pour acheter divers produits qu’on ne trouvent qu’aux USA et qui nous raccompagneront en Europe.

Plus nous nous approchons de SF, plus le ciel devient nuageux, nous prenons ça pour de la brume. Mais en fait, on ne le saura qu’a notre retour en Europe, c’était de la fumée des incendies de forêt.

Dans la banlieue de San Francisco, la circulation est bouchée, on finira par mettre deux fois plus de temps que prévu pour rejoindre notre hôtel. On aurait dû arriver à 19h00 et on arrive à 20h10.

Nous avons choisi le même hôtel que celui de 2010, on en était content. Nous avons deux chambres au troisième.

Vu l’heure tardive, nous sommes contraint de changer nos plans à nouveau. On devait aller à pied jusque Powell Street Station et aller manger au Loris.

Mais voila Laurence pense que l’on ferait mieux d’aller en voiture et moi je pense le contraire. Comme les jeunes préfèrent la voiture à marcher, je suis obligé de m’incliner. Pour y aller pas de problème, mais pour se garer, c’est autre chose.

Dans les rues n’y pensons pas, on essaie de trouver un parking, on fini par trouver. Mais voila le préposé nous dit qu’il doit garer la voiture lui-même et que le parking ferme à 23h00. Si on arrive après on ne pourra récupérer la voiture que le lendemain.

On est reparti à la recherche d’un autre parking, Laurence and Co ne disent rien mais pensent intimement que j’avais raison. On fini par trouver.

Nous devons acheter nos munipass, mais l’aubette est fermée. Nous demandons à une personne qui travaille pour le tram Cable, il nous dit que l’on peut en trouver au Wallgreen. Nous les trouvons enfin.

Nous allons au Loris qui est juste à coté, il y a la file, après 20 min nous avons une table

Nous avons de la chance, ils n’ont plus accepté que trois tables après nous.

Nous aimons bien la nourriture, mais on trouve que la déco est moins bien que celui près de Girardelli.

Pour rentrer à l’hôtel, ici je dois bien admettre que les autres avait raison cette fois, c’est mieux en voiture qu’a pied. Il est 23h00 quand nous allons nous coucher. Dur les vacances…..

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-17

Vendredi 17 aout

On se lève à 7h00, nous avons deux chambres dans deux ailes séparées.

Nos voisins de chambre sont rentrés de la nuit et on dû encore boire quelques bouteilles de bière, ils ont été assez bruyants. Hier nous avons vidé la voiture et rassemblé les valises dans les deux chambres. Vu l’heure tardive de la veille, il y a des sac un peu partout, on fait donc un peu de rangement.

Nous mangeons un bout et nous partons, vers 8h40 en voiture vers Lombart Street. Vu l’heure matinale la rue est assez calme, une ou deux voitures et un groupe de motards en Harley, on peut faire de belles photos du haut de la rue.

On descend la rue en voiture, c’est gai, surtout que comme il n’y a pas grand monde, on peut faire un ou deux arrêts.

Le seul regret, en 2010 c’était plus fleuri, surement les conséquences de la sécheresse.

Étape suivante le Golden Gate et Sausalito. Nous faisons un arrêt photo à Fort Point, toujours les mêmes nuages sur le pont.

Une petite ballade dans le magasin de souvenir.

Une dame fait déplacer une dame assise sur un muret avec son vélo pour elle faire une photo, je trouve ça d’un gout. Il lui suffisait de faire 1 m à droite ou a gauche.

Nous n’allons pas jusqu'à fort Point, on préfère continuer. Cette année on traverse le pont en voiture, la dernière fois c’était en vélo. Mais c’est toujours un instant magique.

Nous allons à Horseshoe Bay pour faire des photos du pont de l’autre coté, le ciel est un peu plus dégagé.

Nous trouvons ensuite les maisons flottantes, mais on est un peu déçu, les lieux sont fermés au public, je veux bien comprendre. Il est même assez difficile de se stationner, presque toutes les places sont réservées aux riverains.

On ne s’y attarde pas trop et reprenons la voiture pour retourner dans le centre. On se ballade en cherchant un endroit pour manger. On choisi un resto mexicain avec une terrasse qui a une vue sur la baie et San Francisco.

Ce n’est pas un de nos meilleurs choix, la nourriture est fort épicée ou citronnée. De plus assez chère, la serveuse nous a proposé en attendant des petit pains avec guacamole et autres spécialités Mexicaines. Nous n’avons pas tout mangé à cause des épices et rien que pour la guacamole on à payé 15$, les sodas 4$ et j’en passe. Heureusement que la vue est belle, c’est surement ce qui justifie les prix.

Nous repartons en voiture pour aller à Twin Peak. En repassant le Golden Gate, chose rare, il n’y a plus de nuage.

Kephren passe par le toit ouvrant pour faire une photo et on reprogramme le gps pour aller se placer au pied pour faire une photo sans les nuages.

Pour monter à Twin Peak, ça monte, on se croirait sur une route de montagne en pleine ville. Une fois en haut, nous sommes dans les nuages, de plus un vent qui nous oblige a lutter pour ne pas tomber, une horreur. Juste le temps de faire une ou deux photos et de passer aux toilettes.

Petite anecdote, ce sont des toilettes autonettoyantes, comme on trouve dans la plus part des grandes villes. Pendant que je m’y trouvais, les cloisons bougeaient avec le vent.

Je me suis imaginé dans les WC qui se retournaient avec le vent, cela m’a fait rire tout seul, les gens qui attendaient dehors, on du se demander pourquoi je riais seul en sortant des toilettes, ils m’ont regardé bizarrement.

Nous retournons à l’hôtel, pour y laisser la voiture et poursuivre la visite à pied et transport en commun. Le ciel est couvert, mais il ne fait pas froid, nous allons à pied jusque Alamo Square.

Les demoiselles sont toujours aussi belles à photographier et ont toujours beaucoup de succès.

On remarque que certaines maisons ont été repeintes, non pas que nous avons une mémoire d’éléphant, mais en 2010 Laurence était tombée amoureuse d’une maison mauve et cette année elle est d’une autre couleur.

Laurence l’aime moins, heureusement que je ne lui ai pas acheté……

Nous allons en bus vers Haigt Ashbury. On trouve un magasin de cd, dvd et vinyle, grossière erreur, on l’a dévalisé, les jeunes ont trouvé des séries tv pas encore sorties en Europe, Laurence et moi avons aussi trouvé de quoi faire notre bonheur.

Ce n’est pas volumineux à mettre dans les valises, mais assez lourd. Le quartier est assez spécial, la population est assez particulière, j’y ai même visité un magasin de l’étrange.

Nous arrivons au Buena vista park, qui est le plus vieux parc de la ville, le quartier est assez pentu et le parc pas très accueillant, on préfère le contourner.

Nous allons vers castro,

Kephren et moi commençons à délirer sur ce qui nous attend dans le plus célèbre quartier Gay du monde. Nous n’avons rien contre les gays, nous en connaissons même et ils sont souvent très corrects et serviables. De plus l’homme politique le plus important de ma ville et notre premier ministre en est un. Mais que voulez vous deux mecs qui partent dans un délire…..

Laurence nous fait la morale et nous dit de ne pas nous faire remarquer. Nous voila dans Castro au niveau de la 14ème. Il y a des barrières sur le trottoir pour signaler des travaux, sur ceux-ci est écrit, certainement le nom du service qui les utilise, et ici je le donne en bref. « Anuzis » est écrit dessus, impossible de ne pas se mettre à rire.

Bon on se reprend, nous arrivons au niveau de Market Street.

Il y a une terrasse et je vois un homme qui à du oublier son pantalon, sa chemise lui faisait une sorte de jupette. Je ne le montre pas aux autres, je ne tiens pas à ce que l’on attrape un fou rire ici.

Plus loin, une pâtisserie, avec des gâteaux en forme de pénis, on visite un magasin de souvenirs et autres, il y a une collection de chapeaux avec un écriteau qui interdit de faire des photos.

Kephren essaie malgré tout un chapeau en forme de cygne. Mais le meilleur va seulement arriver.

En marchant dans Castro, un individu qui vient vers nous attire mon attention. Son costume est assez particulier, surtout en ville.

Je pense que l’on a tous le même costume avec soi, même en voyage. Un truc se balance juste sous la ceinture, il est nu, non il porte un habit, un élastique autour du pénis et parfaitement épilé. Impossible de garder son sérieux.

Il a résolu le problème que l’on connait tous lorsque l’on voyage en avion, je cite les 23kg de valises. Unique, seule une ville comme SF pour nous montrer çà.

On voulait manger dans le quartier, mais on a changé d’avis, on continue et on verra plus loin. Nous passons dans la 18ème rue pour y voir la maison bleue, celle de Maxime Leforestier.

On aperçoit l’arrière de la mission Dolores, mais on décide d’aller sur Market Place, en 2010 on avait trouvé un petit bistro où l’on avait bien mangé. On y retourne et nous ne sommes pas déçus, simple, mais bon.

On termine la journée en faisant un petit tour dans le quartier, on y trouve un Disney Store. Nous reprenons le bus pour rentrer à l’hôtel, on range encore un peu les valises.

Nous sommes un peu déçu de l’hôtel, surtout la propreté, un exemple, dans la salle de bain de notre chambre, il y a une trace de chaussure de travail.

On sent la fatigue d’un pareil voyage, il est 22h15 et on ne tient plus, on va se coucher.

Max68 Globetrotter ·2012-12-17

Hello Patrick,

Que de souvenirs avec San Francisco. 🙂😎 En plus on a fait pratiquement votre tour mais en commençant par Mission.🙂 En montant de Haight vers Bueno Vista Park vous avez emprunté Masonic Avenue ?, il y a de très belles maisons victorienne à droite 😉

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-18

Non nous avons pris le bus jusqu'au Golden Gate Park.

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-18

Samedi 18 aout

On se réveille à 6h30, cela commence à devenir dur, la fatigue s’installe. Nous allons visiter Alcatraz ce matin et comme nous avons réservé pour un départ à 9h30.

Nous quittons l’hôtel vers 8h10, en chemin, j’étais un peu devant, derrière moi Sophie et Mado et un peu derrière Laurence et Kephren.

J’aperçois un gars qui vient vers nous, un look bizarre, une coiffure, un peu comme un Bobtail, les cheveux devant les yeux et dans sa main une espèce de casserole, genre chaudron en cuivre.

Mon regard est attiré par cet objet étrange et une fois qu’il arrive à mon hauteur, il me regarde et en signe de bonjour il me fait un doigt d’honneur. Les deux filles derrière moi son pliées en deux, je me dis qu’il a dû remarquer que je l’observais. En passant près des filles il ne réagi pas, arrivé à Laurence rien non plus et à Kephren qui ne l’avait même pas remarqué un beau doigt d’honneur. Depuis on délire entre nous et on se dit des fois salut de la même façon.

On croise vraiment des gens bizarres à San Francisco.

Nous marchons jusque Market Street pour prendre le tramway ligne F, c’est un direct jusque le pier 33.

Ce moyen de transport est aussi original que les trams câbles, car ce sont souvent de vieux trams.

Il y a déjà du monde pour embarquer dans le bateau, comme nous avons nos tickets imprimés via internet, nous embarquons assez vite et 15 min après le bateau appareille.

La mer est calme, peu de remous et après 15 min de traversée nous débarquons sur le rocher.

Il fait moins froid qu’en 2010, nous allons directement vers l’entrée de la prison pour prendre les audio guides.

Les anciennes douches sont en travaux, nous ne passerons donc pas comme en 2010 par les douches. Nous commençons la visite, l’intérêt d’avoir un audio guide, on peut visiter à son rythme.

Cette fois par contre la cours est ouverte, on peut y aller, j’aime bien cet endroit, le seul endroit où, une fois que l’on purge une peine, nous lie encore avec le monde du dehors.

Le terrain de baseball, improvisé, les jeux inventés par les détenus pour tuer le temps. On apprend même que certain se mette au tricot, je m’imagine des gros durs qui font du tricot. C’est comme les daltons dans un Lucky Luke, je ne me souviens plus du titre, mais je sais qu’ils se sont mis au tricot dans le but de s’évader.

La visite finie on se retrouve dans le réfectoire et comme d’habitude je suis le dernier à rejoindre ma famille.

Il y a une exposition de photos avec la visite d’anciens détenus pour terminer la visite.

Nous allons par le magasin, c’est ça aussi l’Amérique, après chaque visite on trouve un magasin et impossible d’y échapper. Mais ici, il a un monsieur qui dédicace un livre, je le reconnais, j’ai vu sa photo un peu avant, c’est un ancien détenu. On lui achète son livre et on le fait dédicacer, il se prête volontier au jeu des photos.

C’est à ce moment que l’on regrette de ne pas mieux métriser l’Anglais, j’aurais vraiment aimé pouvoir parler de son vécu avec lui.

Nous prenons le bateau de midi pour quitter l’île, comme il est l’heure de manger, nous allons vers fisherman.

Nous mangeons sur une terrasse, nous sommes bien installés sous le soleil de Californie dans une des plus belles villes du monde, un bon cocktail avant le repas que demander de plus. Moi je sais, pouvoir prolonger les vacances ….

Nous faisons un peu de shopping avant de prendre le bus pour aller à télégraphe hills. Une astuce pour ne pas tout monter, la ligne 39 nous y conduit.

La vue sur SF est toujours aussi belle.

Apres quelques photos et une courte pause pour profiter de l’instant présent, nous descendons Filber Street, c’est plus facile dans ce sens que de les monter comme en 2010.

Comme le reste, moins de fleurs, surement dû à la sécheresse, cette année il fait bon, pas besoin de pull comme la dernière fois.

Nous arrivons sur la Levis Plazza, j’en profite pour aller faire un petit tour dans le magasin Levis, je pense même que c’est d’ici que la success story Levis à commencé.

On peut y voir une des premières machines à tisser la célèbre toile.

Ainsi qu’une exposition de vieux jeans du début de l’histoire de la marque.

Nous nous baladons ensuite dans Financial district, on passe devant la coit tower et devant le musée de la wells Fargo, mais comme il est plus de 17h00, il est fermé.

Nous prenons le câble sur la California street, jusqu’au terminus.

A l’origine, on avait prévu de decendre la Van Ness Avenue jusqu'à Girardellli, mais étant donnéû que ce midi nous avons profité de la vie en mangeant sur Fisherman.

Nous prenons le bus. On se ballade de nouveau jusque Fisherman et comme Laurence adore le Bubba Gump, on y retourne. Dire qu’elle n’a jamais vu le film.

Il est bourré, on doit attendre 20 min pour avoir une table, mais nous avons une vue sur la baie. La serveuse est très gentille, elle nous propose même un quizz sur le film. Une belle soirée, dommage que c’est la dernière.

Pour finir on fait plaisir à Mado et on achète une glace Ben & Jerry, depuis le temps qu’elle en voullait une aux States.

Le problème, il fait plus froid, et on grelotte en la mangeant.

Nous rentrons en bus à l’hôtel et nous terminons de ranger les valises. On se couche 16h30 après s’être levé, à 23h00.

LE Leonorah ·2012-12-18

Ben ça alors ! Je connais l'homme de l'avant dernière photo ! Le monde est vraiment tout petit !

Sinon, toujours des belles photos, j'aime beaucoup votre façon de raconter, ça a l'air cool de passer des vacances avec vous !

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-18

Ils étaient un groupe de biker, je trouvais que sont look donnait vraiment bien dans le cadre du resto.

Pong Globetrotter ·2012-12-18

Géniale la photo de vous 2 avec les cocktails, au soleil ! 😎 Tout de suite avec un beau soleil, ça donne bien ! 🙂 Ahhh, c'est bon ce p'tit air de vacances...

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-19

Franchement, j'aimerai être là en ce moment......

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-19

Dimanche 19 aout

Et oui le jour qu’on ne voulait pas voir venir, le jour du retour. Mais la nuit a été horrible, il y a eu un boucan monstre à l’extérieur de l’hôtel. Les voisins on fait la bringue et apparemment ils sont plusieurs chambres.

Nous avons mal dormi, nous allons réveiller les enfants, je remarque que sur les trois quart des portes il y a l’affichette disant à la femme d’ouvrage de ne pas déranger et des bouteilles un peu partout devant les chambres. Les enfants pour eu cela a été bien pire, ils ont eu droit à la musique jusque 4h du mat et ce malgré les rouspétances de Kephren.

Je suis scandalisé et dégouté du service de cet hôtel. Alors me vient une idée, il est 7h30 et je commence à chanter, genre ténor, je dis bien genre, car pour trouver quelqu’un qui chante plus faux que moi, il faut chercher.

Et de plus en plus fort du haut du troisième étage, jusqu'à ce que la dame de la réception sorte et me rouspète dessus. En bas il y a des Français qui comme nous n’ont pas bien dormi, on voit ça à leur tête.

Je me tais et nous terminons de nous apprêter pour le départ, nous allons chercher notre petit déjeuner, j’aurais bien aimé que la réceptionniste me fasse une remarque, même si je ne parle pas bien Anglais, elle m’aurait entendu et ne m’aurait plus jamais oublié.

Elle ne m’a rien dit, mais par contre, la plupart des panneaux ne pas déranger sont enlevés et les quelques têtes que l’on voit ne sont pas belles à voir. Et oui il sera écrit que nous ne serons pas les seuls à avoir mal dormi….

Nous quittons l’hôtel vers 9h00, comme notre vol est à 14h55, nous avons encore un peu de temps avant d’aller à l’aéroport. Nous voulons aller à Point Lobos et sur Ocean Beach, une fois sur place, il n’y a personne, juste de la brume et du vent. On se les gèle.

Il n’y a pas de phoques, rien, juste sur un rocher en contre bas, une femme qui fait un shooting Photo nue, on est tous enveloppés dans des pulls et elle est à P…. Mais voila elle est grosse, on dirait qu’elle fait des photos pour des cartes postales humoristiques. Disons que nous avons vu notre phoque échoué sur la plage.

Bon nous allons plus loin, on cherche à voir des surfeurs, on en trouve, mais les vagues ne sont pas exceptionnelles, On regarde un peu de la voiture, car il fait trop froid pour aller dehors.

De plus on est épuisé de la nuit précédente, on décide d’aller à l’aéroport, comme nous avons le temps, je programme le gps pour éviter les autoroutes. Nous contournons alors San Francisco par le sud, on doit tourner à gauche, a droite, etc.….

Nous passons m��me par une zone de cimetières, il y en a pour tous les goûts, l’Américain, Catholique, Orthodoxe, Japonais, Italien et bien d’autres encore. Nous sommes près de San Bruno State Park.

Nous ne sommes pas loin de chez Alamo et je commence à flipper, car on doit être près de l’aéroport et on ne voit pas d’avions. La vue du panneau de signalisation typique des aéroports nous rassure.

Nous rendons la voiture chez Alamo, nous allons au comptoir d’enregistrement, il n’est pas encore ouvert. On attend, on aimerait être dans les premiers, car comme c’est un A380 qui fait SF à Francfort, il va y avoir beaucoup de monde.

Nous nous mettons dans la file pour l’enregistrement, pour pouvoir limiter le poids des valises à 23kg, nous avons mis les livres et objets lourd dans les sacs cabines.

Mais horreur, le préposé pèse les valises cabines et vérifie les tailles. Rien que celui de Sophie pèse 15kg au lieu de 8. On n’a pas le choix, il faut y aller, au moment de peser le sac de Sophie il lui demande si dedans il y a PC, appareil photo, livre, elle dit oui, il accepte en disant de le signaler en embarquant.

Nos sacs pesaient tous plus de 8kg et on avait tous des pc et livres. Kephren a même réussi à cacher son sac au dos, il ne l’a pas remarqué, il faut dire qu’avec son 1,90m il a de la place dans son dos.

Bon nous passons la sécurité, on va vers le terminal et là on cherche un endroit pour manger. Il n’y a rien grand chose et ce qu’il y a est cher. Il ne nous reste plus beaucoup de $ on doit restreindre le repas de midi.

Un A380 cela impose, nous avons nos places choisies, c'est-à-dire coté couloir chacun.

Le vol est assez confortable, on tue le temps comme on peut, il faut dire que rester 11h45 en vol c’est long.

Pendant le vol, je vois le personnel de bord passer avec une trousse de secours, surement un passager qui se sent mal. Je ferme un peu les yeux il reste 9h de vol, on a le temps de voir venir. Puis je vois 1h20. Je n’en reviens pas, je n’ai dormi que quelques minutes et on a fait un bon de 7h00 dans le temps.

Je me dis que le système s’est peut être planté. Je vois que l’on change de trajectoire, cela devient de plus en plus étrange. Je me dis qu’on doit atterrir en urgence, la voila notre tuile.

Je fais le rapprochement avec le matériel médical que j’ai vu passer, un malade que l’on doit débarquer à Montréal. Étant donné que nous sommes avec Lufthansa, le personnel parle Allemand et Anglais.

Laurence demande à l’hôtesse si quelqu’un parle Français pour nous donner une explication, elle a simplement dit non et elle est partie sans poser de question. A coté de moi ce sont deux femmes Russe, elles sont encore plus perdues que nous.

Bon on est en approche de Montréal, on verra bien, sauf que j’ai un doute affreux, et si c’était le pilote. Je garde ça pour moi et je n’en mène pas large, l’atterrissage se passe bien et grâce aux cameras extérieures on peut suivre l’atterrissage. Le service médical est déjà sur la piste et nous attend.

Ce n’était pas le pilote mais un passager, le personnel médical monte à bord, le passager qui se trouve un peu plus loin de nous est évacué. Mais voila après un atterrissage, il faut refaire le plein et attendre un créneau horaire pour décoller. Ce qui nous a fait perdre 2h30.

Pour les correspondances à Francfort, c’est raté, on verra sur place.

La suite du vol se passe bien, on arrive à Francfort et c’est là qu’on remarque que la rigueur Allemande est payante, tous les passagers sont prix en charge et on nous a déjà trouvé un autre vol. Le nôtre pour Bruxelles a peu de passager, on pourrait avoir 3 sièges chacun.

Le vol ne dure que 50 min. Nous voilà de retour en Belgique.

Franck43 Regular ·2012-12-19

Toujours de belles photos et un super recit. Merci

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-19

Merci 🙂

Karibou77 Veteran ·2012-12-19

Zut c'est fini ! 🙁 Merci pour ce carnet 🙂

SA Saintvit Regular ·2012-12-19

Merci pour ce récit Patrick une chose est sûre, on a hâte d'y être, et je vais envisager des galères quand même dans mon planning sûrement serré... Bravo pour le récit du vol, moi qui ai très peur en avion, le malaise du pilote, voilà tout à fait le genre de chose qui me viendrait à l'esprit... même si j'ai connu un vol avec un passager qui faisait un malaise grave, mais au dessus de l'atlantique, le vol a dû se terminer. Bravo pour cet humour, j'en souris encore et merci pour ces photos, bref, un régal... déjà fini ? Anne

Wallis06 Veteran ·2012-12-20

Bonjour,

Moi aussi comme Karibou, j'ai pensé "zut, c'est fini !". C'était un carnet magnifique et bravo d'être arrivé au bout car ça représente beaucoup d'heures devant son écran, pour écrire tout ça. Donc, un grand merci, j'espère juste que l'hôtel que j'ai réservé cet été à San Francisco n'est pas le même que le votre !

Kornet Regular ·2012-12-20

Enorme bravo pour ce récit!

J'ai avalé chaque ligne et adoré chaque photo. Etant en pleine préparation, j'ai noté plein de petit conseil, détail qui nous serviront surement. Surtout que nous faisons le même trajet que vous ou presque (car nous commençons par l'ouest, pour finir à NY)

A bientôt! 😉

NO Noelf6c Regular ·2012-12-20

Bonjour et bravo!!!!!!

C'était un super carnet pour un superbe voyage 🙂

Lol64 Veteran ·2012-12-20

Voilà quelques semaines que je voyage avec vous et votre famille ... incognito 😉 ! De l'intérêt, bien évidemment, du plaisir anticipé (nous partirons en juillet 2013), des rires, de l'émotion, du rêve devant de superbes images, voilà, en partie, ce que vous avez su faire naître dans notre famille avec qui j'ai partagé votre récit si spontané et naturel. Nous guettions vos posts avec impatience et crainte (qu'il n'y en ai plus) comme une série TV à succès !! Je me doute qu'il est bien difficile de mener un tel carnet à terme (beaucoup s'arrêtent après quelques essais) Alors merci à vous pour ce partage ! Et bonnes fêtes de fin d'année à vous et aux vôtres !

Laure

Furies Regular ·2012-12-20

Bonjour à toute la famille 😉. Un grand merci pour ce merveilleux récit. Vivement votre prochain voyage. Vous raconté d'une façon si naturel et plaisante. 😏 À vous lire très prochainement 😏

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-20

merci a tous, je ne pensais pas avoir autant de fan......😉😉

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-20

Bonjour Karine, j'avoue que ton dernier compte rendu sur NY je ne l'ai pas encore lu, mais les deux précédents oui, surtout lorsque je cherchais des infos sur Savannah et Charleston.

Mais Laurence à lu ton compte rendu sur la grosse pomme et elle a bien aimé.

Si j'ai le temps et le courage, j'en ferai un sur notre séjours en Floride en février 2012.

Karibou77 Veteran ·2012-12-20

Bonsoir Patrick !

C'est vrai que les carnets sont appréciables à lire mais qu'est-ce que c'est long à écrire.... Il m'a fallu un mois pour finir New York ! 😮 Celui ci était particulièrement sympa du fait de la variété des lieux visités, bravo pour ce récit et tout le temps passé à le créer 🙂

Un carnet sur la Floride en Février serait très utile à notre ami Le Tigre ! 😛 😉

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-20

Le galères sont les joies des voyages.

Je n'ai pas particulièrement peur des avions, mais depuis 2009, aucun voyages avec vol ne c'est bien déroulé. En 2009 notre train n'est pas partis de Bruxelles pour Paris, car un membre du personnel etait absent, on a raté notre vol et on a du Bxl vers Amsterdam, puis Detroit et enfin Orlando

En 2010, on raté notre correspondance à Chicago, et au retour notre avion s’élance sur la piste pour enfin ne pas décoller suite à un voyant qui restait allumé.

En 2011 notre avion n'a pas redécollé de Marrakech, on a du finir le voyage en car, a cause dune fuite de carburant.

En février 2012, une gréve d'air France quelques jours avant a fait que notre vol a été modifié en dernière minute pour charger plus de passagers dans un plus gros avion. suivi d'un début de gastro de Laurence en plein vol.

Alors pour cette fois on s'attendait au pire..

Karibou77 Veteran ·2012-12-20

Ah oui en effet vous enchaînez 😮

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-20

Merci, l'hotel c'est le Days Inn sur Groove Street.

Mais pas de panique je ne ferai pas de récital en 2013....

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-20

merci et bon voyage en 2013.

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-20

Merci

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-20

Voilà quelques semaines que je voyage avec vous et votre famille ... incognito 😉

Je comprends mieux d’où venait mon supplément Bagage cabine....😉

et bonne fin d'année aussi à toute votre famille.

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-20

Merci et c'est un plaisir d'écrire mes voyage, c'est une façons de le revivre et de laisser une trace que je pourrai relire plus tard afin de ne pas les oublier.

Pat124 Veteran ·2012-12-20

je trie en premier les photos, ensuite j’écris le compte rendu et quant j'ai écris les trois quart, Laurence fait une correction et je commence à le publier. Mais cela me prend pas mal de temps, mais c'est agréable a faire.

Franck43 Regular ·2012-12-22

C'est un plaisir de vous lire !!!!

Bipmoustique ·2012-12-23

super sympa , merci . vincent 🙂

Max68 Globetrotter ·2012-12-23

Hello Patrick et Laurence

Merci et c'est un plaisir d'écrire mes voyage, c'est une façons de le revivre et de laisser une trace que je pourrai relire plus tard afin de ne pas les oublier.

c'est tout a fait ça 😉🙂

Merci pour ce chouette carnet 🙂🙂🙂

Joyeuses fêtes et à bientôt

JF

GoToTrudeau Veteran ·2012-12-24

...Bravo pour le récit du vol, moi qui ai très peur en avion, le malaise du pilote, voilà tout à fait le genre de chose qui me viendrait à l'esprit...

On s'en fou royallement que le pilote soit malade, vous savez... Premièrement, le premier officier peut piloter l'avion à destination même s'il est seul au commande... Il a 100% des compétences du pilote, si ce n'est que de l'expérience en moins. Deuxièmement, sur des vols ( très) longs courriers comme le SFO-FRA dont il est question ici, il y a une équipe de relève parce que le vol est trop long pour que la même équipe pilote jusqu'à destination... Alors si tu calcules, tu as deux pilotes, deux premier officier et au moins un mécanicien de bord qui peuvent piloter en toute sécurité. Alors, la prochaine fois, ne vous énervez pas les amis!!!

Leeloo75 Veteran ·2012-12-24

cinq personnels navigants ça fait longtemps que ce plus le cas si cela l'a été un jour.

Au mieux vous aurez : un pilote, un copilote et un mécanicien😉

MA Manza Veteran ·2012-12-24

si je ne m abuse le PNT mécanicien n existe plus à bord...

GoToTrudeau Veteran ·2012-12-24

Bah, il est vrai que sauf exception, le mécanicien de bord n'existe plus... Je voulais juste abuser un peu! Il y a tellement de facteur qui fait varier le nombre de PNT à bord... Ce qui est sûr, c'est que dans ce cas il y avait au minimum deux pilotes et deux premiers officiers. N'oublions pas aussi qu'il y a régulièrement du PNT qui retourne à la maison comme passager à bord des appareils alors je rajouterai deux ou trois personnes aptes à piloter dans un a380 comme celui-là...

Évidemment, sur le vol BRU-EWR, il n'y avait qu'un équipage et ça reste très sécuritaire!

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Bibouns51 9 hours ago · Muriel18

Off on an adventure in Uzbekistan!

April 5 - Day 1

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!!!

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Solene40 yesterday · Bibouns51

In the land... of Senegambia

Hey fellow travelers!

So, a new year has begun. It’s time to reconnect with the VF buddies and wish you all my best for 2026—a year I hope is obviously full of travel, since, as I just made up: "If travel’s good, everything’s good" 😄.

To celebrate, I’m inviting you into my new "travel journal," the one from our latest trip in November 2025, a little two-week adventure.

This time, we headed to The Gambia, a tiny country tucked right in the middle of Senegal, before making our way to Casamance.

The Gambia is English-speaking, Senegal is French-speaking, but the locals? They couldn’t care less—because in this part of the world, they mostly speak Wolof, Fula, Jola, or Mandinka. Hence the title: Senegambia 😉.

As usual, I’m sharing the live updates I sent to friends and family—super casual, of course.

I know this isn’t the kind of destination that draws crowds, but if you love adventure, laughter, and emotion, it might just be your thing 😊.

Hugs 😘

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Attila yesterday

Northern Chile, Andean impressions.

Alright, this year, we're heading back to South America!

The initial plan was to retrace the route we imagined in the summer of 2020: a trip to northern Argentina starting from Córdoba.

Unfortunately, the flight to Córdoba no longer exists, and airfares to Javier Milei’s country are both outrageously priced and involve multiple layovers.

So, I tweaked Google Flights every which way and finally found a flight within my budget—departing from Clermont-Ferrand!

Not to Argentina, though...

Our transatlantic flight will cross the snow-capped Andes, landing in Santiago, Chile, with a return from Lima!

In between, two domestic flights and a big road trip loop starting from the coastal city of Arica to explore the treasures of northern Chile.

Our mode of transport: a pseudo 4x4 that won’t take us through sand dunes or devilish tracks but will let us tackle the entire secondary network, including unpaved main roads, while still being insured.

Is the suitcase packed with all-season clothes?

Are the driver’s license and passport ready?

Bank cards and a few euros too?

Off we go for just over 3 weeks of southern wanderings!

--/--

To keep all my esteemed readers on track, here are a few maps outlining the Arica-Arica loop!

1- From Arica to San Pedro de Atacama via Pica and the Salar de Huasco

2- Around San Pedro

3- From San Pedro to Cariquima

4- From Cariquima to Putre

5 - From Putre to Arica

Gas stations in this part of Chile are located in Arica, Iquique, Pozo Almonte, Pica, Calama, and San Pedro de Atacama.

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Vilabel yesterday

Travel Journal - 28 Days in China in August 2026

Hi everyone,

I’m sharing a little recap of this new 4-week trip to China—nothing fancy, just my experience.

We’re taking advantage of the extended visa exemption to return to China for the 4th time. I loved last summer’s trip so much that I’m a bit worried about being disappointed this year. Plus, I’ve had a few hiccups before this departure: my WeChat account got blocked, and I couldn’t recover it (luckily, Alipay still works fine); I couldn’t verify my 12306 account for weeks; Trip.com failed to book our second train; and I’ve got an injury that’ll slow me down during the trip... Ugh, I hate starting a trip with these kinds of issues. Then, oh surprise! Just before leaving, my 12306 account got verified! Super easy to use from that point on—I could book a few train tickets without fees.

We’re sticking with Free’s e-SIMs, which work great in China.

August 2–3

Anyway, on the morning of August 2nd, we took the RER to CDG. As usual, we couldn’t check in online. It’s always a bit frustrating, especially since we didn’t have any checked luggage. We flew with Air China. We arrived at the check-in counter at 9:50 AM, 2 hours and 40 minutes before the flight. The line for our check-in stretched 300 meters across the airport in both directions. What a joke!! We spent 1 hour and 45 minutes in that line just to reach the counter and get our boarding passes. By then, it was 11:35 AM, and boarding had already started at 11:20 AM. The screens showed a 25-minute walk to our gate—on the other side of the airport, of course—plus we had to go through passport control and security... Long story short, the plane didn’t leave without us 🙂 We boarded among the last passengers, and we took off at 12:30 PM. We’d flown Air China four times before, but this time, it felt *really* low-cost. The check-in chaos, the cramped seats (12 seats per row), no music by artists known outside China, mediocre food, and a boarding area at Beijing Airport with only 10 seats—worthy of Ryanair or EasyJet. And yet, the price was sky-high. Again, D.’s vacation requests were denied outside of July and August, so we’re traveling from August 2nd to 30th. We couldn’t have picked a worse time for inflated prices, and with the situation in Iran, we got hit with a 390 € fuel surcharge. I’ve never paid so much for flights—I felt like I’d bought business class, but nope, far from it!!

We landed in Beijing around 4:15 AM. It was 28°C with thick fog. We drove and drove and drove for 20 minutes, as usual in Beijing. Then we went through a first check, a second check, a third check, and waited for our connecting flight at 6:40 AM. A small Airbus A320, but way more space than in the Boeing 777 from the first flight. We landed in Kunming, Yunnan, around 10:15 AM in the rain.

We headed to the subway. You can’t pay at the machines with Alipay here either, so we set up the transport QR code directly in Alipay to scan at the subway gates. The process is a bit long the first time if you haven’t entered your info before, but once it’s done, it’s *so* much easier! We took Line 6 to the terminus for 6 yuan each.

We’d booked a hotel nearby, on the 16th floor. It’s actually studios on different floors of a huge residential building. The view’s pretty nice from here. We settled in quickly—back to those wooden beds, or rather, mattresses as hard as wood, which we *hadn’t* missed... Then we went out for our first bowl of noodles of the trip and wandered through the shopping streets of the old town.

It was crowded, and the weather was cool—around 19–20°C. We tried a local specialty: milk skin, thick, dried, then grilled with rose jam. Yeah... we won’t be having that again. The taste and texture of the milk skin... no thanks.

We saw a lot of wild mushroom hotpot too. It’s on our list for later. We also passed through the Jinma and Biji gates, where I played with reflections in puddles. I *love* doing that 🙂

At the end of the day, we headed to a temple advertised as open 24/7 on Amap. Of course, when we got there, it was closed. We’ll go back tomorrow. That was the first of many disappointments with Amap this trip—I hadn’t had that issue on previous visits.

We were exhausted after that sleepless flight. Night was falling, and we decided to grab a quick bite without much appetite. We shared a delicious vegetable fried rice for 12 yuan—we even left half of it. The portions are *huge*.

After a couple of small purchases, we headed back at 9 PM, wiped out, after walking 17 km between the airports and these first steps in Kunming. I expected to see quite a few Western travelers here, but we didn’t spot a single one. Instead, we met lots of curious Chinese people, many of them super friendly and helpful—almost *too* eager, like when they’d run to serve us as fast as possible. It’s a bit much, but it’s great to be back!

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Ptitortue yesterday · Montagnard74

A week on foot on Maio, the wild island!

I hope this travel journal might interest some people, but since we were completely self-sufficient (tent, sleeping bag, pot, cooking over a wood fire…) almost every day, I don’t have many hotel addresses or great restaurant tips to share! Sorry!

We used the Maio map at 1:50,000 scale. It’s part of the Boa Vista/Sal/Maio map. Bought on Amazon, but currently unavailable as of the latest news.

The people of Maio are extremely welcoming and warm, and we were always more than well received in the villages where we pitched our tent!

We’re usually big hikers, but since Maio is a beach island (gorgeous ones, at that!), we alternated a few hours of walking in the morning with some relaxation in the afternoon: beach, reading, fishing, resting…

1 euro = 110 escudos

Day 1 (Friday) Transfers by plane: Fogo-Praia-Maio We opted for the plane to save some time on transfers, as the boat connections between Fogo and Praia take a while, and those between Praia and Maio are almost nonexistent.

You should budget around 40-50 euros per flight per person.

There are 2 flights per week between Praia and Maio—on Tuesdays and Fridays when we were there (January 2016), but currently on Mondays and Fridays.

Tickets were booked directly and without issue on the TACV website: https://flytacv.com/?lang=en

A bit of a delay leaving Praia, but we arrived on Maio without any problems around 4 PM.

We took an *aluguer* (shared transport, 200 escudos per person) to the center of Vila do Maio, but it’s totally doable on foot with a backpack.

Since it was already a bit late, for this first night, we dropped our bags at Big Game Maio. A standard European-style hotel run by a very nice Italian family. It’s a bit pricey for us (5500 escudos for 2 people with breakfast), but after our 2 weeks in a tent on Fogo, we were happy to find a little comfort. And the breakfast is ultra-generous, with fresh products (cured ham, fruit, cheese, bread) and top quality. The hotel restaurant offers dishes that are a clever mix of Italian and Cape Verdean cuisine. Excellent!

Little tip: We didn’t try it, but Big Game Maio offers big-game fishing trips, diving, and quad rentals.

The hotel is 2 minutes from Vila’s beautiful beach, and we went for a dip at sunset and took a stroll around town. They’re redeveloping the waterfront with pretty sidewalks and light stone walls.

Vila beach

Sunset behind Santiago

Day 2 (Saturday): rest day + fishing After 2 weeks of hiking and since Vila is such a peaceful place where it’s nice to take your time, we decided to spend an extra day there. We took the path heading south along the coast to reach Ponta Preta beach in 20 minutes. The path isn’t very pretty because there’s quite a bit of construction going on, which prevents you from really walking along the shore. Lots of real estate agencies, especially Italian ones, have taken over the land. But Ponta Preta beach is a stunning black-sand beach where we had the whole place to ourselves. We decided to go fishing from the rocks.

At 1 PM, the sun was blazing, so we headed back to Vila and dried the fish for the following days.

At 6 PM, we went fishing again, but this time at night from the rocks at the end of Vila beach.

8:30 PM: back to shower and eat at the restaurant.

The rocks and sea at Ponta Preta

Day 3 (Sunday): from Vila do Maio to Calheta de Baixo, via Monte Batalha (path 101) Hiking time: 5h Since there aren’t many “summits” on Maio, we decided to head to Calheta de Baixo but via Monte Batalha. We left at 8:20 AM and somehow made it to Monte Batalha by 11 AM (2h40 of hiking). But the path is really hard to find in the middle of the dry grass and acacia trees. We kind of cut through randomly, aiming for the summit. Even though it’s not very high (around 300 m), the view is amazing—you can see all of Maio at 360°!

Short 30-minute break. The descent through the “forest” of acacias is even worse for finding your way. We oriented ourselves a bit by the sun to find the road connecting Vila to Calheta. We arrived around 1:30 PM at Calheta de Baixo. A very pretty little seaside village with colorful houses. An idyllic beach, a newly renovated square, and super-friendly people. We pitched our tent facing the sea on the terrace of an abandoned house (after asking the locals for permission).

We cooked some of the dried fish we’d caught the day before, along with fresh beans we’d brought from Fogo (and were still carrying!).

At the summit of Monte Batalha

Calheta

Calheta de Baixo

Day 4 (Monday): From Calheta de Baixo to Morrinho on foot. Hiking time: 3h. Then hitching a bus to Cascabulho, and a car to Pedro Vaz. We left around 9:30 AM heading north (path 201), following the coastline where the beaches just keep coming—each one wilder and more beautiful than the last: Praia de Soca, Calheta Braca, Ponta de Pau Seco, Calhetina. We reached the dunes of Baia de Santana. There’s no real path, so you have to follow the coast, then go around the dunes, and when you spot the 3 coconut trees, head east toward them to find the track leading to Morrinho. Again, we discovered a village with a Wild West vibe, with colorful houses lined up on either side of a paved road. Just enough time to accept a drink offered by a local before jumping onto the passing school bus that took us to Cascabulho. There, we waited for a ride. A political delegation of 10 cars drove right past us without stopping. Luckily, one of the cars had a flat tire and came by 30 minutes later—and that one, thankfully, gave us a lift! They were heading to the inauguration of a water pump in Pedro Vaz. So that’s where we stopped too. After getting permission from the school principal, we pitched our tent in front of the village school… and became the attraction for all the kids who kept us company until nightfall! A woman gave us 2 jugs of water, but with all that company, it was tough to take a peaceful shower!!

Dinner: pasta with beans.

We were woken up by rain during the night and had to rush to bring all our stuff inside the tent!

The beaches just keep coming...

The dunes

The 3 coconut trees, a landmark to find the track

Day 5 (Tuesday): Rest day and fishing at Boca da Ribeira beach We packed up at 8 AM because the kids had school. We filled the 2 water jugs that the woman lent us and headed down to camp at Boca da Ribeira beach, which is a bit further east of Pedro Vaz. It took less than an hour to get there. This time, we really were alone in the world! We pitched the tent and spent the day fishing, reading, playing, and swimming regularly because the sun was beating down hard!!! We caught a nice fish that we grilled over the fire in the evening. With the crabs and shellfish we gathered, we made a seafood rice! Yum! What a feast!

That night, once the tent was zipped up, we felt something like rain on the tent fabric. I decided to go out and gather our things, and then—shock!!! It wasn’t raindrops we were feeling and hearing, but bugs attracted by the light!! Not just a few bugs—a huge swarm of them!!! Thousands of bugs covering the whole tent, the ropes, slipping into the seams and hems! Everywhere! The blue tent had turned green!!! After that, it was a real struggle to get back inside without letting any in! A real challenge, and there were always 3 or 4 that managed to sneak in anyway. Total war!!!

Boca da Ribeira beach

Day 6 (Wednesday): From Boca da Ribeira to Ribeira Dom João. Hiking time: 3h30 We woke up leisurely and waited for the sun to dry our things, damp from the dew. A man passed by, and we gave him the water jugs we’d borrowed, which saved us a trip back to Pedro Vaz to return them to the woman.

We left around 10 AM. We followed the sea to Alcatraz, then headed toward Pilão Cão. The path runs alongside the small hills on our right, and we passed above Lagoa Cimidor. The terrain is arid, and the path is hard to find among the many goat tracks.

After 3h30 of hiking, we reached Ribeira Dom João with 2 young people we’d met along the way.

Since it was a public holiday in Cape Verde, the kids didn’t have school, and with the principal’s permission, we pitched our tent in the kindergarten. She even kindly opened the school toilets for us. The neighbor gave us the water we needed to wash up and cook. We cooked beef steaks on charcoal. A nice change from fish!! Charcoal is a widespread artisanal product on the island. People almost never cook directly over wood but always with these big chunks of charcoal.

The hills on our right

Ribeira Dom João

Day 7 (Thursday): From Ribeira Dom João to Vila do Maio. Hiking time: 3h30 We woke up at 6:30 AM to clear out of the school by 8 AM. The neighbor made us coffee to save time. It took us 2 hours to reach Barreiro, another Wild West-style town! Since we didn’t want to walk on the road, we took the old track and reached Vila do Maio in 1h30.

Last night before taking the plane back to Praia the next day.

Barreiro

The old track

The church in Vila do Maio

That’s where this trip ends!

Maio is truly a magical island! A remote, isolated place with incredible, wild beaches and villages with a Wild West feel—colorful houses on either side of well-paved, well-maintained, and decorated streets. And the locals are so warm and welcoming.

Even for hikers like us, it was a great discovery, and we were able to alternate hiking and relaxation with great pleasure! Too bad the area around Vila do Maio is being overrun by real estate construction—ongoing, unfinished, abandoned…

Safe travels to all!

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Montagnard74 yesterday · Ptitortue

CAPE VERDE 2025: 3 weeks, 4 islands.

And we still haven’t seen everything! Before setting off for new horizons at the end of this year, it’s time for me to share my trip to Cape Verde this summer 2025.

I particularly love these spontaneous trips, and our stay in Cape Verde is one of those because it was only at the beginning of April that we decided on this getaway, which had been catching our eye for a while, given our love for the mountains.

As always—well, when it’s open—I turned to VF, and I want to immediately thank Marie, aka ptitortue, who helped me a lot in planning this trip through her travel journals and our exchanges!

Because Cape Verde is both small and vast! We decided not to rush from one airport to another, to enjoy the places and the people, but also to relax, since the work backlog from being stuck in May (see my previous travel journal 😅) had to be caught up on in June.

So, 4 islands will be our winners from 06/28 to 07/19:

Santiago first for logistical reasons, as round-trip flights from the capital Praia were the cheapest (650 €/person from Lyon via Lisbon with TAP, still!)

São Vicente, because it’s the gateway to the next one but ultimately more than that...

Santo Antão, pretty much the main goal of the trip since Marie (and the photos) had really sold it to me.

And finally, Sal Island, for some rest—a non-negotiable condition for my other half—and we’ll see that I should’ve listened to Marie...

That said, what a chatterbox I am—buckle up, flight attendants at the doors, off we go on new beautiful escapes! (Thanks to Sophie for the easy loan)

Last note for my eager fan club 😏: yes, there will be alcohol—how could there not be in the land of grogue!

It starts here:

https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10790234;a=10790234

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Patbill yesterday

A Slightly Less Touristy Japan

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

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Bibouns51 yesterday

Off to explore Egypt!

February 9 - Day 1

"So, my little wanderers, back at the decks? What’s this mystery destination you’ve got in store for us at the start of the year?"

Yes, the schoolyard bell’s ringing again! We’re hitting the road... or rather, the skies! At first glance, our destination might surprise more than a few. First off, simply because I was here exactly twenty years ago, and I don’t usually like retracing my own footsteps. Secondly, because the name of this place screams mass tourism—basically the opposite of what Flo and I look for.

Despite that, in this land of backsheesh, I’d promised myself I’d come back one day to experience it my way. And since Flo told me, during our wanderer chats, that this destination straddling Africa and the Middle East was in her top 2 travel dreams, the stars aligned for this roots-style trip to quickly make it onto our pharaonic festivities program! Unless you’re totally clueless in general knowledge, you’ve probably guessed by now—we’re off to Egypt! Of course, a few classics will be on our itinerary, but above all, we want to soak up a culture that can’t be appreciated in four-star resorts or on a Nile cruise boat. And let’s be clear, these next two weeks won’t be a walk in the park—neither for our two daughters who are joining us, nor for our bodies!

And that’s clear from the get-go: after our first flight, eight hours of trying (and failing) to sleep on Milan airport’s metal seats, our second flight, landing, passport stamps, our Uber ride, and our first Cairo kilometers, we finally drop our exhaustion at the little guesthouse we booked in Giza. Doesn’t all that energy deserve a little reward?

Oh, absolutely! And here it is: a full-on slap in the face for everyone! But just look at this view from our hotel terrace? For 20 € a night for four, even with this incredible view, I figured the room must be pretty shabby, right? Nope... Is the staff rude, then? Nope... Okay, so what’s the catch? You’re gonna tell me breakfast is included too? Well, yes! Honestly, this Egypt trip is off to a great start.

And the rest of the afternoon, spent rubbing shoulders with locals, only confirmed this vibe. After digesting our pyramid view, we dove into the hustle and bustle of our neighborhood with the goal of exchanging money, eating at street stalls, and testing the hospitality of the locals. Ten out of ten!

Eight little sun breads with baba ganoush and falafel? 80 pounds, or 1.5 €. A dozen Middle Eastern pastries? Same! 80 pounds! Two hawawshis, those little pita breads stuffed with meat and spices? 10 pounds each, or about twenty cents! Not to mention all those smiles and free "welcomes" left and right!!!

What a welcome! We end this first day with a sunset over the three sisters of Giza—where we’ll obviously be gawking tomorrow...

https://voyageforum.com/images/posts/small/1789072399-cCyLDYuFwPLAZTY.jpg

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Mitch341 2 days ago

The 2026 Southwest USA Road Trip

Hi everyone, we're back from a DIY USA road trip we organized from July 31, 2026, to August 26, 2026.

The destination: The Southwest USA, including Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Roughly 7,000 kilometers covered.

The car: A Chevrolet Equinox for two, rented through BSP Auto and Avis. Inside, we had 2 suitcases, a travel bag, two carry-on bags, a Walmart cooler, photo gear, and water bottles (a 40-pack).

The route: Dallas DFW, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Alpine, El Paso, Tucson, Sedona, Albuquerque, Amarillo, and back to Dallas to finish with a departure from DFW.

The travelers: Two seniors well advanced in years (73 and 75) but still active (nothing too physically demanding—to stay alive and fund our trips), fully independent physically, though a bit less so mentally. Big USA fans, a country where anything is possible. More walkers than hikers, preferring 3-star hotels over roadside motels, Italian restaurants over US food, frequent stops for photos, museums over nothing, naps over forced marches. Not too whiny, just enough to stay French in the land of the "great Satan," as they say. Not great with languages—street English (but handy), and my Spanish is non-existent except for: "Hola! Una cerveza por favor!" That’s about it. My wife understands everything but refuses to speak.

The cost of the road trip: Around 12,000 €, including AF flights, the car, gas, gifts, visits, and everything else. Well managed, since we’d budgeted 13,500 € initially.

The positive side: A delight, with those endless open roads. Museums to discover. The realization of the Hispanic presence and its important history in this part of America. Lovely locals. Tourists who were more or less friendly. A terrible Texan accent that was hard to understand. Gas stations that were like real stores, with prepared food, alcohol sold in Arizona and New Mexico, and employees who were always up for a laugh!

The negative side: The heat throughout the trip... 43°C in Dallas at the end. Impossible to walk the streets. Lots of homeless people in downtown Dallas. Hotel breakfasts that were always the same. You get used to it.

So, it was positive overall, but the concept is starting to wear us out. We might rethink the DIY road trip model for next time. If the man upstairs grants us more time.

Next up, we’ll wait for the first batch of sorted photos to go through the wringer.

See you soon.

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Bibouns51 3 days ago · Rouquine38

Off on an adventure in Namibia!

April 11 – Day 1

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...

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Bibouns51 3 days ago

Off on an adventure in Réunion!

Week 1 - July 2026

Traveling with just one spare pair of underwear, considering a hot shower a miracle, never staying in the same place too long by sleeping wherever night catches us, taking whatever local, improbable, and rickety transport we can find—this is the DNA of us wanderers. Except this time, the script for our movie is going to be a whole different genre. On paper, the destination doesn’t exactly scream epic adventure: Réunion! And what’s more... we won’t be two, or four, or even ten. We’ll be a solid thirty. All from the same family. Yes, thirty. At this point, it’s not just a trip—it’s a summer camp on the move! Why inflict this on such a peaceful island? Because my brother decided to get married there with his lovely bride. A great idea, you might say... especially when it involves relocating the equivalent of a small Ardennes village 10,000 kilometers from home for three weeks! So who’s stepping up to be the guide and wave the little flag?

So, for an exceptional trip, exceptional stories! Don’t worry, the debates at the supermarket over whether to choose plain chips or roast chicken chips, the beach picnics washed down with ti’ punch, and other rougail sausages to digest by the pool will only make it into the family archives. Here, I’ll stick to the tales of our beautiful escapes, the ones where we explore the wild corners of this little volcanic rock planted in the middle of the Indian Ocean. So where exactly are we headed?

For the first week—the subject of this first installment—we’re taking it easy. We’ll start by rediscovering the coastline, from the Souffleur in Saint-Leu to the Hermitage lagoon, before a little trip to the Cirque de Cilaos and its legendary road with 400 turns, just to get our legs warmed up.

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Bibouns51 3 days ago

Off to explore Lithuania!

December 13 - Day 1

"How about a Christmas market this year, huh? A little romantic weekend getaway... - Yes! That’d be cool! Strasbourg? Colmar? - Feels a bit déjà vu, doesn’t it? Plus, slim chance of snow there... And I’d love something a bit more exotic with a touch of originality..."

"Okay, Google, give me the list of the five most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe. - In fifth place, the Christmas market in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. - Save your breath! Lithuania, here we come!"

We wanted cold, and cold is exactly what we got the moment we set foot in this new, unknown land. As for landscapes, forests and lakes stretch as far as the eye can see across this vast plain, its vegetation scorched by the frost of a winter that’s clearly already well underway here.

Lakes, in fact, set the scene for our first visit to Trakai Castle, whose brick-red towers and walls rise proudly against the azure sky of our first day. Lakes, because this castle was built on an island and is only accessible on foot via a series of walkways spanning half-frozen lake offshoots. I couldn’t have picked a better spot to build my castle! Translation: We’re totally sold! Proof is we spend two hours hiking around the area, alternating between forests, reeds, and cozy houses tastefully decorated for Christmas.

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Holigirl 4 days ago

South Africa in safari mode: February/March 2026

Hi everyone,

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.

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Jojoone1 4 days ago

All Over Thailand

You can post your personal photos in the following thread: https://voyageforum.com/forum/quelque-part-en-thailande-d10655574/

This travel journal is therefore intended solely for my photos, to present a consistent style. All the shots were taken with a simple Samsung Galaxy smartphone and with whatever was at hand.

All stays combined, I’ve spent the equivalent of three years at most in Thailand, and I’m not a big expert on the country. However, after many trips, lots of reading on VoyageForum and other sites, and conversations with many locals as well as expats, my view of the country is becoming clearer, though it’s constantly evolving. You never stop discovering and learning.

I guess I wanted to piece together a puzzle, mainly for those who want to get an idea of the country here and for those who miss it. I don’t know if this minimalist sharing will interest anyone, but it’ll do me good to put it together. After so many months without traveling and then these other long months with VF closed, there’s plenty of material available.

There’ll be a mix of places, periods, and subjects, but it might well be intentional.

I suspect many Thais have dogs because they make excellent guards for the home. Nothing better to deter burglars or to signal the presence of a snake. You’ll often see Thais tapping the top of their dog’s head, but don’t be fooled: it’s a sign of affection from them. Judging by the dogs’ reactions, they’re used to it.

Thailand is one of the countries on the planet where rabies is still present, so keep that in mind. It’s not just bites that can be dangerous, so don’t let just any dog lick you. Especially on a wound, of course. Even though dogs often fear humans—this dangerous and unpredictable predator—we still need to stay cautious. Be careful when walking into alleys because the dog will defend its master’s big property, be careful at night, and be careful when they’re in packs. It sometimes crosses our minds that Thailand isn’t really made for walking around, and dogs are one of the reasons. That said, it’s not uncommon to see them chasing bikes or scooters. Cars, though, are much rarer—they’re too big.

It seems Thais prefer to give their dogs freedom by not locking them behind gates. Though sometimes the gate is closed, the little side door is wide open. Oh, and sometimes there’s no gate in front of the property, or it’s been broken for years.

You’ll often see dogs sleeping on the side of the road, sometimes right on the road. When you arrive, they move aside nonchalantly—or not at all. It’s less funny when they suddenly appear from thick vegetation, which reminds visitors not to drive too fast. As a result, you’ll notice that dogs with injuries or missing legs aren’t that rare.

Since they believe in reincarnation and respect for all forms of life, they don’t chase dog packs away too much, and they don’t sterilize them enough. Seeing a small pack roaming freely in the countryside, you might think it’s best not to cross paths with them at the edge of a field. A darker side of this is that euthanasia isn’t often practiced. Twice, we saw dogs at temples on the brink of death, enduring terrible suffering. No one did anything about it. The image (and the smell) of one of them, dying and emitting the stench of death, still comes back to me sometimes.

Some of you may have seen the YouTube vlog of a French woman living in Phuket who was given a little pig by her Thai friends. The well-fed animal quickly became a happy, enormous beast with its own garden. Yet, it didn’t take long for it to fall seriously ill and become incurable. In her video, the French woman described how difficult it was to find a vet willing to perform euthanasia.

You’ll often see bowls by the side of the road. Thais leave food and water in them for stray cats and dogs. Overall, they have a big heart for animals.

If you ever pop into a shopping mall, you might see people pushing their small dogs in strollers. It’s not a gimmick—it’s just that these strollers are provided for customers to put their pets in, otherwise you can’t bring them inside. It looks a bit odd when you expect to see a baby.

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Pagaljavab 6 days ago

16 days with family in La Gomera (Canary Islands)

Preamble: Why La Gomera?

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!

And we start the trip with music!

We start the trip with music!

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Fabhyène 6 days ago · Kate

Oman, at the edge of the sands and the horizon

If I close my eyes and think of the Sultanate of Oman, I first smell a light scent of incense, feel the warmth of a sunbeam on my skin, before sand slips through my fingers. I taste the sweetness of a date, a real candy, then the flavor of coffee with a hint of cardamom and rosewater... I hear the desert wind whistling in my ears, the distant call of a muezzin, then the murmur of water. I open my eyes to see smiles, welcoming gestures, a turquoise sea, rocks ranging from ochre to purple, deep wadis where torrents burst forth, orange dunes, white sandy beaches where tiny crabs scurry at full speed. I see incredible oases emerging between arid mountains. I see abandoned villages that I’d dream were full of life, imposing fortresses overlooking valleys, and lively souks where offers are delicate and negotiation is a mutual courtesy.

All that, and so much more.

This is what I tried to capture in my illustrated travel journal, which I’ll fill in here and there with photos. I drew this journal “cold,” after my return (actually, I made it this summer, while our trip was last winter). It’s a pretty special format—I bought it in Japan without really knowing what I’d do with it. Well, it found its purpose! Below is a photo of this accordion-style journal: here, it’s only partially open, because when fully unfolded, it’s 5 meters long!

For drawing enthusiasts: The accordion format is both a constraint (each sheet is 9 cm x 27 cm) and a freedom (you can create a fresco). The paper is also a bit special: it doesn’t allow for fine lines, but it takes ink well (liner pen). However, everything has to be done almost in one go (with a very light pencil sketch) because it erases poorly. It absorbs too much water for coloring with markers or watercolors (unless you avoid soaking it), but it works well with oil pastels and their use with a brush and solvent. Since it’s yellowish, it allowed me to create contrasts even with white pastel.

On the right, the "welcome marker"—those dates offered everywhere as a sign of hospitality. On the left, a tribute to those stunning doors worn by time, admired all over the old quarters, including the abandoned ones.

Oman is one of the world’s largest producers of frankincense resin. Incense burners are everywhere, from the simplest clay ones to the most precious handcrafted silver ones...

Hospitality will often lead you to accept a small coffee, an "Omani coffee," very light, subtly flavored with cardamom, maybe a touch of saffron, and occasionally rosewater. Here, I’ve depicted a man in the common everyday attire of Omanis: the dishdasha, mostly white (during the week and daytime; colors are more common in the evening or on Fridays and Saturdays). While you’ll see some men dressed in Western clothes, they’re very few. The white dishdasha is truly the shared attire of all men. The dishdasha, which has no hood, is distinguished by a small pom-pom attached to the collar, the furakha, which is soaked in perfume. And believe me, Omanis go overboard with it! "It smells like the pom-pom" is an expression that’s now part of our shared language, my husband and I. Another must of men’s attire is the kuma, a small round head covering, usually white with brightly colored patterns. The keffiyeh is also worn (but without the cord called an agal in Arab countries), and it’s mostly worn by those with roots in the desert, from what I understood. And what about the women, you might ask? Some are veiled, some in full black (but not a burka—more like a chador + abaya), due to the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whereas the traditional outfit used to be a layering of very colorful dresses. Most of the women we saw wore neutral clothing, a plain veil over their hair, but with their faces uncovered. We also saw many saris and colorful veils—don’t forget that 40% of the population consists of Indian, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi immigrants, who work a lot in tourism, hospitality, restaurants, services, and construction. Just to clarify, as a tourist, there’s no pressure to wear a veil, and never any disapproving looks. Of course, you’ll save the mini shorts, plunging necklines, bare shoulders, and midriffs for the hotel terrace—but I’d say that’s the same for men and women, and with the sun being strong, it’s better for your skin too. Here’s the introduction! In the next post, I’ll tell you about my itinerary, and we can dive in!

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Patbill 6 days ago

Grand tour of Argentina March 2025

My buddy Christian and I (Patrick) are off for 28 days in Argentina in March. We’ve already shared several trips as a duo (Bolivia Peru, Namibia, Laos, Costa Rica). Since we’re starting from the idea that at our age (65) we won’t be coming back here—there are just too many other corners of the world to discover—we did the "grand tour" of Argentina, with 6 domestic flights to make the most of our 28 days. Here are our stops: 1) Departure from Brussels to Buenos Aires via Madrid 2) Arrival and first contact with Buenos Aires 3) Early morning flight to Ushuaia. Boat trip on the Beagle Channel 4) Ushuaia: hikes in Tierra del Fuego National Park 5) Ushuaia: last hike and flight to El Calafate 6) El Calafate to El Chaltén by bus. First hike 7) El Chaltén: hike 8) El Chaltén: hike 9) El Chaltén: hike and bus back to El Calafate 10) El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier 11) Flight to Bariloche. Car rental and surrounding areas 12) Seven Lakes Region 13) Nahuel Huapi National Park region 14) Flight to Salta. Car rental 15) To Tilcara 16) To Humahuaca 17) To Purmamarca 18) To Jujuy via the salt flats 19) To Cafayate 20) Around Cafayate 21) To Cachi 22) Back to Salta 23) Flight to Iguazu 24) Waterfalls on the Argentine side 25) Waterfalls on the Brazilian side and flight to Buenos Aires 26) Buenos Aires 27) Return flight 28) Morning arrival Happy reading!..

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Volcoch 6 days ago

Three national parks in Zambia and Victoria Falls

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.

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VP44 last week

A Few Days in Turkmenistan from Uzbekistan

The latest travel journal about Turkmenistan dates back to 2019. Here’s a quick update on this vast desert country, which is now a bit easier to visit than before.

This is my first travel journal. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. The country is slowly opening up, but it’s still possible to visit sites where you’ll be completely alone. In five days, I saw two Hongkongers, a few Germans, and a Chilean at the crater, ten Chinese people in a capital bazaar, and that’s it!

It’s possible to visit Turkmenistan from Uzbekistan. The easiest and most economical way is to take a taxi to the border from Bukhara. The trip takes a little over an hour.

Crossing the border takes quite a while because many Turkmen bring back items bought in Uzbekistan to resell in Turkmenistan. For example, diapers, baby products, or beauty products. It took me over 2.5 hours to cross the border. To visit Turkmenistan, it’s mandatory to have a guide and go through a travel agency. British agencies often offer three-, five-, or seven-day trips for over 1,500 or 2,000 €. But if your budget is more limited, you can contact a few Turkmen agencies directly by email, and they’ll make you an offer between 700 and 1,300 € for three to seven days. I took a five-day trip from Turkmenabat in the northeast of the country to Dashoguz in the north. The goal was to visit the main UNESCO-listed sites, including Merv, and archaeological sites like Nisa or Gonur Tepe.

Your guide will also be your driver. They’ll pick you up at the border. The formalities are very long because customs officers have to stamp multiple documents, and obtaining the visa you previously requested from your travel agency requires several checks. But the process goes relatively smoothly, even if each step takes a while.

Once on the other side, the first surprise is the brand-new highway all the way to Turkmenabat. A very long line of trucks stretches for several kilometers on the Turkmen side to cross the border into Uzbekistan. According to my guide, Turkmen trucks transport gas and cotton (though not this season, since the harvest is in September), but they mainly fill up their tanks because fuel is much cheaper in Turkmenistan. A full tank for a car costs about 3 €, which is unbeatable.

From the Farap border post, the goal is to reach the city of Mary, which is home to the UNESCO-listed site of Merv in its suburbs, about thirty kilometers away. This city is known as a foundation by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC under the name Alexandria of Margiana. Several fortresses are visible.

After more than three hours on the road, we have lunch at a Turkish restaurant called Aladdin. Several quotes from the president are visible along the highway, but the road is in good condition, and we move along easily. This will be by far the best road in the country—things will get much worse later.

Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.

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Sinforosa last week · Pedri

Back in Tunisia (live account)

Hi there,

On this forum, I shared my first trip to Tunisia from mid-February to early March (https://voyageforum.com/forum/impressions-tunisiennes-en-direct-d11460662/), a stay I enjoyed so much that six weeks later, I’m back in Tunisia for a full 15 days (I return on April 27).

This time, I landed in Monastir on a direct flight from Nice, again with Tunisair. We left about ten minutes late, and the flight lasted around 1 hour 30 minutes. A meal was served on board (cucumber salad with Edam-like cheese, carrots, and two small portions of dishes I couldn’t identify—semolina with peppers, olives, and parsley, two small rolls, a square of processed cheese, and a chocolate cake). It’s worth noting because it’s not common on flights this short.

In February, France and Tunisia were in the same time zone, but now Tunisia is one hour behind. This time difference and the flight duration work perfectly for a short 15-day trip since it takes me a few days to adjust to jet lag.

Luckily, I’d asked my hotel about the taxi fare from the airport because the drivers (there were several around me) didn’t hesitate to quote outrageous prices. The actual fare is 20 dinars, but one asked for 120 dinars. I refused, and another offered 60 dinars. I replied, "That’s too expensive—I’ll take the metro!" (Having tried the Tunis metro, I had no desire to repeat the experience in Monastir with a suitcase!). I started walking toward the metro, and one of the drivers caught up with me, saying, "20 dinars is fine!" I’ll skip the details, but the negotiation took a little while. When I arrived at the hotel, I told the receptionist someone had asked for 120 dinars. He put his hands to his head and said, "They’re awful!" He remembered our phone call two days earlier when I’d booked (he’s the one who told me I could take the metro).

The Mezri Hotel isn’t expensive. I got a sea-view room for 75 dinars (22 €). (I’d booked a balcony room for 90 dinars but wouldn’t have had time to enjoy it.) It’s well-located but noisy because there’s no double glazing. The receptionist is a very kind older gentleman. He called a friend whose wife is from Tozeur to find out if I should take a bus or a *louage* tomorrow and what time.

I arrived at the hotel around 7:00 PM and had time to stroll along the corniche to the ribat. Despite some run-down buildings, the seaside seemed livelier and cheerier than Sousse’s.

Monastir is the hometown of former president Bourguiba. I passed his mausoleum by taxi. There are Tunisian flags along the avenue by the sea because every year on April 6—the anniversary of Habib Bourguiba’s death—the president of the Republic visits the Bourguiba Mausoleum in Monastir to pay respects.

The taxi driver mentioned other Tunisian presidents. He complained about rising prices and insecurity, blaming President Kaïs Saïed (I’d already heard that security was better under Ben Ali).

At the end of my stay, I’ll take time to explore Monastir, but tomorrow morning, I’m off to Tozeur—a long bus ride awaits me.

TO BE CONTINUED....

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Aleph240758 2 weeks ago · Adermex

A month in Cambodia in November 2024

Here we go!!! I left home at 4 AM on October 31st and headed to Barcelona. Driving through Barcelona on the ring road stresses me out a bit, but at 6 AM the traffic is smooth, and I arrive at the airport without any issues. I call the valet, who quickly comes to pick up my car. He takes photos of it from all angles before letting me go.

Baggage check-in hasn’t started yet, and there are already several of us waiting.

Once free, everything happens very quickly. The flight to Abu Dhabi is on time and goes smoothly. I’ve never had any problems with this airline, which I’ve been using for several years.

The flight to Bangkok arrives at 7 AM as scheduled. This is my first time in Thailand and Bangkok. I’m used to traveling in India, and I notice that everything here is well organized—the customs process is quick, and the luggage is already on the carousel.

I booked a taxi on Booking. All I have to do is find the right exit and door based on the agency’s instructions. A large sign with the names of people who booked is posted on a wall. A hostess greets me and calls the taxi, which arrives 5 minutes later. I booked one night at the Lost Inn BKK hotel in the Phra Nakhon district, and we arrive at 9 AM. The welcome isn’t warm, and I have to wait until noon, sitting on a chair, before I can check into my room. I’m exhausted, and sleeping sitting up isn’t ideal. Noon finally arrives—the room is small but clean, which is fine for one night. I quickly take a shower to wake up because I plan to spend the afternoon visiting the Grand Palace. First, I need to exchange some money, and the banks are all close together on the same street, which is very convenient. When I enter one, a hostess gives me a ticket and invites me to sit down. There are about twenty counters, and I wait quietly until my number is called. The exchange is quick, so I can head out to find the Royal Palace. It’s actually very easy, and the walk is pleasant.

Entry to the Royal Palace (500 baht).

It’s magnificent and grand, and there are quite a few of us visiting. The sky is gray, it’s very humid, and a shower interrupts the visit. It’s a vast complex of temples and palaces. The buildings are colorful and sparkling, with a great sense of serenity (without the tourists, of course). I quietly enjoy the place and try to take photos without tourists, which isn’t easy.

Very close to the Grand Palace is Wat Pho, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the capital.

It’s very famous for its 46-meter-long reclining Buddha statue.

Walking around the temple, you can see different representations of Buddha, all covered in gold leaf.

Inside the temple, on one side, monks recite their prayers, while the other side is reserved for tourists who come to meditate in silence.

Before returning to the hotel, I have dinner at an Indian restaurant. I go to bed early because tomorrow’s wake-up call will be very early again.

Saturday, November 2nd Wake-up at 4 AM, departure from the hotel at 4:30 AM. The taxi I booked via Booking is waiting for me and takes me to the airport. The trip is fairly quick—he takes small roads, and at this hour, there’s no traffic.

The flight to Phnom Penh is on time. Before boarding, I realize I left my fleece jacket on the carousel, but it’s too late to go back for it.

The flight goes well, and customs is quick.

At the exit, I take a tuk-tuk to Julieka’s GH near the museum. The welcome is friendly. I won’t be able to check into my room until noon, so I take the opportunity to exchange some euros on the market street. The street is lined with restaurants, and I’ll have my first meal there.

The museum is right across the street, so I don’t waste any time visiting it.

The representations of Hindu deities are very different from those in India, and I don’t recognize them. Many beautiful Buddhas are on display.

The museum is very pleasant, and there aren’t too many people, which is a plus.

At the exit, I return to the GH, settle into my room—which is decent and clean.

The Royal Palace is 1 km away. I walk along a garden, and at the end of the street is the Tonlé Sap, but I turn right. I arrive at a large esplanade and see the buildings with tiered roofs and glazed tiles. The entrance to the palace is a little further away.

At the entrance, I notice there isn’t the same crowd as at the one in BKK.

Khmer architecture is magnificent. The complex consists of gardens, palaces, pagodas with golden roofs, and slender spires.

The Silver Pagoda houses the small Emerald Buddha, which is actually made of jade. The silver flooring is covered with carpets. Photos are not allowed.

The walls surrounding the pagoda are covered with frescoes depicting scenes from the Ramayana.

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Benja1246 2 weeks ago

Mexico Trip Report – July 2026

My partner and I traveled from Sunday, July 5, 2026, to Wednesday, July 22, 2026. We spent a long time debating whether to rent a car or use public transportation. In the end, after reading so many posts about travelers getting scammed by police or rental companies—even those recommended by blogs and reviews—we decided to stick with public transport. It worked out really well. Sure, we had a little less freedom to go where we wanted, but it was way less stressful for us.

Sunday, July 5:

Arrived at Cancun Airport. Withdrew cash from the ATM in the terminal just before exiting. The ADO bus counter (they pronounce it "A-Jee-O") is right behind you when you're facing the ATM. Bus to downtown Cancun cost 145 pesos per person. Stayed at "Rose 5," booked on Booking. The studio was super clean and perfect for one night. The owner’s instructions for accessing the place were very precise, with photos included. Check-in was self-service with a code. The ADO bus terminal isn’t far, and there are shops and restaurants nearby. We really appreciated that the AC was already on when we arrived. By the way, I’d recommend always booking places with AC—it’s *really* hot in Mexico.

Monday, July 6:

Bought a SIM card with data from a TELCEL store. My partner, who’s on Free Mobile, was able to use her regular plan. Just so you know, I found the network pretty unstable. As soon as we left the cities, neither of us—me with TELCEL or her with Free—had any signal. Another thing to watch out for: roaming charges. I had to turn my SIM back on for less than 30 seconds to get a bank SMS code, and my phone apparently connected to the internet—resulting in an 8-euro roaming fee. Left on an ADO bus to Chiquila for 278 pesos per person. During our trip, ADO buses were always on time, comfortable, and clean. The AC is *cranked* though, so bring something to cover up with—it gets cold. Some routes were fully booked even in the low season, so try to reserve 1 or 2 days in advance either via the app (when it works) or at the counter. When we arrived at the ADO terminal in Chiquila, the ferry company counters were right next to it. Ferries leave every 30 minutes, alternating between companies, so no need to book ahead. Just take whichever one is leaving next (330 pesos per person). When we got to Holbox (pronounced "Hol-bosh"), we’d booked a place via Booking called "Casa de Nana." It was a huge studio with a fridge, cooking plate, and utensils. The best part? The *location*. It was 100 meters from the beach and 200 meters from a Chedraui supermarket. They provided bath towels and beach towels, and the AC worked perfectly. There’s a key box so you can leave your keys inside when you go out. The only downside was that no one was there to let us in when we arrived, so we had to wait a while. The Wi-Fi was good, which was lucky because during our 4-day stay in Holbox, the phone network *never* worked. According to locals, that’s pretty common in Holbox, along with water outages. Luckily, I’d had the good idea to download an offline map, which helped us find our way back to the place more easily. You can walk there from the dock.

The restaurant next to our place (La Barracuda) was great if you like seafood—I’d recommend their octopus dishes.

Tuesday, July 7:

We did a kayak tour in Holbox’s mangroves at 6 AM. We were looking for a sunrise kayak tour with a French-speaking guide. That’s exactly what we got with "Kayaking Holbox," where Diego, the owner, speaks English and French. He was joined by Gustavo, another guide. We’d booked for a group tour, but we were the only ones. Diego still went ahead with it instead of canceling due to lack of participants, so we got a private tour at the group rate—really professional of him. They showed us this amazing ecosystem for over 3 hours. We saw all kinds of birds: pink flamingos, pelicans, egrets, frigatebirds... rays, a horseshoe crab, and a little crocodile that was *so* well hidden. Diego and Gustavo have a real eye for spotting animals—I could’ve passed by the crocodile 100 times and never seen it, it blended in so well. Their explanations about the flora and fauna were super interesting. We also got a little break where we tasted mangoes and bananas that taste *nothing* like the ones in France. A real treat—those little Mexican yellow mangoes! I’d definitely recommend Diego and his agency for a French-language kayak tour (1000 pesos per person). In the evening, we walked to Punta Coco to see the bioluminescence. No need for a guided tour—if you really don’t want to walk, you can take a taxi. At Punta Coco, you have to pass the beach bar/restaurant and then go left into a kind of inlet that forms a lagoon. You have to wiggle your feet or move your hands in the water to create movement, which makes the light appear. Just don’t expect the kind of photos you’ve seen online—they’re all edited! It’s fun to see, but you won’t be dazzled by the light...

Wednesday, July 8:

Whale shark tour with "My Holbox Tours." Why recommend this agency over others for swimming with whale sharks? Simply because Valérie surrounds herself with top professionals to make your experience unforgettable. We were with Captain Fernando, who does everything to position the boat perfectly and make your swim easier. In the water, we were with Humberto, who also goes above and beyond to make sure you have an incredible time. He doesn’t just "supervise" like some guides from other companies who leave you on your own. No, Humberto reads the whale shark’s trajectory and guides you—all you have to do is follow him. He really puts in the effort, even holding your hand to guide you through this quick but intense encounter. Humberto also films the moment and will offer to show you the videos and sell them to you. His footage is really high quality. Fernando and Humberto also prepared food for us. Special mention for their guacamole! Valérie is there to make sure everything goes smoothly on the boat and to answer your questions in French, English, or Spanish about these animals. If you choose My Holbox Tours, you can be sure you’ll get a top-notch experience. About the tour itself: before you go, you should know that the sharks can be *really* far away. The day we went, it took 3.5 hours by boat to reach them. The boats are small, and let me tell you—on the way there, when we weren’t going with the waves, it was *rough*. Out of 9 passengers, 4 got seasick. But once you’re face-to-face with the shark, you forget all about that. Even if swimming with a whale shark isn’t exactly a walk in the park—they swim pretty fast, so you need some endurance to keep up. You’ll usually get 2 turns. Our first swim lasted a little over 4 minutes, and the second about 2 minutes because the shark was moving fast and we were still tired from the first swim. It might seem short, but when you’re swimming, it feels *long*. Either way, it’s an experience you *have* to do—but choose your company wisely. On the way back, there’s a stop at Cabo Catoche. Honestly, the snorkeling is pretty disappointing if you’ve done it elsewhere in the world. But the lunch stop at Cabo Catoche is really nice for relaxing (white sand and hammocks).

Thursday, July 9:

Short morning walk to Punta Mosquito at 6 AM. Really nice. Ferry to Chiquila (330 pesos per person) + ADO bus to Valladolid (300 pesos per person).

In Valladolid, we booked "Casa Lucia" via Booking. The hotel is gorgeous, with a colonial style, and very close to the ADO bus terminal and downtown. It’s super quiet and clean. There’s a shared kitchen you can use with a fridge, microwave, and water dispenser, plus a big table by the pool and a nice indoor terrace. Breakfast was simple but included. The only small downsides were the tiny room and bathroom, no mirror in the room, and a noisy fan.

Friday, July 10:

Not far from the ADO bus terminal is the colectivo station for Chichen Itza. They offer a round-trip to Chichen Itza with an option to stop at Ik Kil cenote on the way back and then drop you off in Valladolid for 370 pesos per person (Ik Kil entrance included). For the Chichen Itza visit, we’d booked a tour with a guide often mentioned in groups—his name is Juan Pat. He’s a Maya who lives near the site and speaks excellent French. He reserves spots in advance for you and queues up to be the first on-site. It cost 500 pesos per person + entrance fees. His tour lasts 2 hours and focuses mainly on the main pyramid and the ball court. He’s passionate and fascinating, even if some of his claims, as a Maya, might be a little biased. I think it’s *really* important to have a guide—otherwise, you’ll miss so much. You can contact Juan Pat on WhatsApp at +52 985 121 2381. Afterward, we went to Ik Kil cenote (showers and life jackets mandatory, lockers available). It’s *very* crowded, but still really beautiful with its lush vegetation.

Saturday, July 11:

Since we didn’t have a car but still wanted to visit other cenotes that seemed hard to reach by public transport, we decided to book a taxi for the day. We agreed on 1200 pesos to take us to 3 different cenotes and wait for us at each one. (To find taxis, just look where they park near the ADO bus station.) He picked us up at Zaci cenote, which we’d walked to. We got there at opening time and were the first ones there—had the place to ourselves for a while! 150 pesos per person. A pretty cenote in the city center with lush vegetation. It’s a bit like Ik Kil but without the deep cylindrical effect.

Cenote Xcanahaltun: the most beautiful cenote we visited. Entry 250 pesos per person. It’s a closed cenote with a hole that lets light in—a cave-like setting. You can kayak inside. There are little fish at the edge that nibble dead skin off your feet. Since it’s closed, the water is *freezing*!

Cenote Palomitas: entry 250 pesos per person. Another stunning closed cenote, even more enclosed than Xcanahaltun. The hole in the ceiling is smaller, so it was pretty dark when we arrived—kind of an eerie vibe. But when the staff turned on the lights, it looked like a "Gothic cathedral" full of bright stalactites.

Cenote Sac Aua: entry 290 pesos per person. The ticket includes a guided cave tour (tip-based). This cenote is really unique with its central island and way less crowded than Suytun. Just so you know, the water is *really* cold in cenotes. In these three, in July, we had the place to ourselves for a while and never saw more than 2 families at once—so peaceful!

Sunday, July 12:

ADO bus to Bacalar (536 pesos per person). In Bacalar, we stayed via Airbnb with a host named Luli, who offers several rooms with shared bathroom and kitchen.

The room is nicely decorated in a pleasant setting. It’s ideally located near the lagoon and downtown. The shared kitchen is handy. The mosquito net over the bed is useful because there are *a lot* of mosquitoes in Bacalar. Luli provides a water jug, which is really nice. The only big downside is the lack of water pressure in the shower—we had to rinse off by filling a bucket. Also, there’s no real door separating the room from the bathroom. We never met Luli in person, but she was very responsive via messages. The terrace in the middle of the vegetation is lovely. From the ADO terminal to the place, we took a taxi for 40 pesos. Since this driver was honest about the price (we’d checked beforehand), we decided to use him every time we needed a taxi in Bacalar. Here’s his WhatsApp: +52 983 184 3585.

Monday, July 13:

We did a boat tour on the lagoon with "Bacalar Francophone Activities." Since we were just the two of us, it cost 3500 pesos. If we’d managed to be 4 people, it would’ve been 1000 pesos per person. We had a private 4-hour tour on the lagoon with Steeve and his very comfortable boat. He’s from Quebec, so his French is perfect. During those 4 hours, Steeve showed us the lagoon’s iconic spots *and* places other boats don’t go. He told us about the lagoon’s history and gave great tips on where to go and where to eat. As a little bonus, he gave us a video taken with his drone during our swimming break.

Tuesday, July 14:

We went to Los Rapidos by taxi (400 pesos round trip) and entry was 225 pesos per person. It’s *very* touristy but really beautiful. You can eat there (expensive), relax, and go down the "rapids" as many times as you want. It’s worth it if you spend a few hours there. You can’t bring in food or drinks—you leave them at the entrance and pick them up on the way out.

Wednesday, July 15:

On Wednesdays, navigation is banned on Bacalar Lagoon, so we’d planned another excursion. Visit to Calakmul from Bacalar with ABCtours (WhatsApp +52 983 319 8359). This agency organized a trip from Bacalar to Calakmul with a French-speaking guide. Communication beforehand via WhatsApp was smooth. Mr. Checo, the driver, and Fernando, the guide (who spoke great French), picked us up on the day. Mr. Checo drove very carefully on the long road and always made sure we were comfortable. Fernando is passionate about flora and fauna—he’s a biologist with a degree in ornithology, so he knows *everything* about animals. The slightest sound or song, and he knows what it is. He’s got an eye for spotting them, from the biggest to the smallest. During the trip, we stopped at km 27 for a short forest walk, then went to see the two main pyramids on the site. On the way back, we stopped at the bat cave for the magical spectacle of millions of bats flying out at dusk. In the end, we saw or glimpsed (some briefly) spider monkeys, howler monkeys, a toucan, 2 tapirs, turkeys, 2 deer, and lots of birds. If, like us, you’re more into flora and fauna than archaeology, I’d *highly* recommend this agency and tour with Fernando. It’s not cheap, but the road between Bacalar and the site is *long* (3.5 hours). Price: 3900 pesos per person for 2 (3500 for 3, 3200 for 4).

Thursday, July 16:

ADO bus to Playa del Carmen (614 pesos per person). In Playa del Carmen, we stayed in an Airbnb. The building is on the town hall square, next to the casino. The best thing about this place is the *location*—super close to Fifth Avenue (La Quinta). The kitchen is pretty basic, but the fridge works well. There are supermarkets nearby. The rooftop pool is really nice. The two big downsides, though, are the soundproofing (you can *hear* the neighbor’s alarm and all the events on the square) and the *total* lack of water pressure in the shower. We had to fill a trash can with water to pour over ourselves. When we told the owner, he said it wasn’t normal and someone would come fix it, but we never heard back. Based on previous reviews, this seems to be a known issue that never gets resolved. Playa del Carmen is *very* touristy on Fifth Avenue, but in a fun, musical vibe—we never felt unsafe. There are *tons* of little souvenir shops for tourists on this street. There’s a beautiful monumental sculpture on the beach (the two figures meeting in the air), next to which you can see the Voladores show (men climbing a pole, tying themselves with ropes, and descending headfirst while "flying" around the pole). The show is tip-based and happens several times a day. In our opinion, Calle 38 is prettier than Fifth Avenue—it’s lush, green, and quieter, with the sea at the end. Great for an early evening stroll. We had really good meals at great prices at "El Tio Noy" tacos, just a few meters from Fifth Avenue in a side street. For souvenirs, we’d recommend going to Walmart instead of Fifth Avenue—you’ll find skulls, tequila, mezcal, keychains, mugs, glasses... at good, fixed prices.

Friday, July 17:

We did the excursion to Isla Contoy. Isla Contoy is an uninhabited, highly protected island. Only 200 people are allowed to land per day on a rotating basis, so only a few companies have permission to dock there. Most agencies subcontract the day to a third-party company. We booked through VRM (Viviendo Riviera Maya), but it was Ocean Tours Mexico that handled the tour. Contoy is a little paradise. We were accompanied by multilingual guides, including French speakers, throughout the day. Steffy gave us info about the island during a short walk on the marked trails, and Leño Tlatemoa kept the mood up on the boat rides with music and dancing. Isla Contoy is *truly* stunning, and the lunch was delicious: grilled fish and chicken, guacamole and tortilla chips, rice, fruit, drinks (everything is brought and taken back by the guides). The snorkeling part was pretty disappointing if you’ve done it in Cozumel, though. The stop at Isla Mujeres isn’t very interesting either—it’s too short to explore, and the island is *extremely* touristy. Still, the excursion was very well organized, and we had a great day (2970 pesos per person).

Saturday, July 18:

We wanted to go snorkeling in Cozumel but thought the prices from French-speaking agencies were too high. Plus, for snorkeling, we figured we didn’t *need* a French-speaking guide. So we found a much cheaper solution by taking the ferry from Playa del Carmen ourselves and choosing an agency in Playa. The round-trip ferry cost 663.50 pesos per person. Then we took a taxi to the snorkeling boat (100 pesos). The agency we chose is called Mystic Snorkel—they don’t have a physical office. The tour cost 1400 pesos per person. It was a small boat, but that day we were the only ones, so we got a private tour at the group rate. We stopped at 4 different sites, all very different and beautiful. We saw all kinds of fish, corals, a nurse shark, and turtles. El Cielo, with its huge starfish, is *exceptional*. If you’re going snorkeling in the Yucatan Peninsula, this is *the* tour to do—the other sites are pretty "poor" in comparison.

Sunday, July 19:

Morning dive with Triton Diving. I chose the Cozumel dive option. Great experience. Booking via WhatsApp was easy. On the day of the dive, Selene, who speaks French, was our guide. She’s *very* attentive to the group’s safety. The briefings are clear and precise. In Cozumel, we did 2 very different sites: the first was a drift dive with lots of life—beautiful corals and fish. The second was a wreck, the C53, a 56-meter boat you can enter. Not much marine life, but a beautiful wreck intentionally sunk for divers—still in great condition. An unforgettable moment. Selene even took videos during the dive, which the club sends you for free afterward. I’d *highly* recommend this club.

Just so you know, in Playa del Carmen, the beaches were full of sargassum during our stay, despite barriers and daily cleanup. Locals told us the problem is getting worse and the sargassum is arriving earlier in the season. Tourism has taken a *big* hit this summer, and they’re wondering if tourism can even survive the sargassum season anymore. A lot of tourists are heading to the islands—Isla Mujeres and Cozumel—to enjoy the beaches, as the west side of those islands is sargassum-free.

Monday, July 20:

Colectivo to Puerto Morelos. First, a colectivo toward Cancun that drops you off between Puerto Morelos town and Puerto Morelos beach (40 pesos per person), then another from that junction to the beach (10 pesos per person). In Puerto Morelos, we’d booked a room via Airbnb at "Piedra del Caribe." *Best* place we stayed in Mexico. It’s an aparthotel. Our room was ready before check-in, so they let us in early. The place matched the description—spacious, with a comfortable king-size bed. The shower had *great* pressure, which isn’t a given in Mexico. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. They let us use the pool, restrooms, and rooftop shower after check-out while we waited for our ride to Cancun Airport. They even kept our luggage. I *highly* recommend this place. In Puerto Morelos, there was *way* less sargassum than in Playa del Carmen—it was actually swimmable. We did the snorkeling tour with the fishermen’s cooperative for 450 pesos per person for 2 hours. The reef is close to the beach (you’re not allowed to swim there), so the boat ride is short. It’s not as pretty as Cozumel, but it’s nice and affordable. On Puerto Morelos’s page, you can also access a small, not-very-well-preserved reef. There’s also a cenote in the sea where fresh water mixes with saltwater—the water is murky there. We had a great dinner and excellent cocktails at "La Choza del Puerto."

Tuesday, July 21:

Wandered around Puerto Morelos (check out the church and read everything—it’s entertaining!), relaxed by the hotel pool, and left for Cancun Airport by taxi (400 pesos) booked via InDrive to head back to France.

Our highlights: - Holbox - The whale shark tour - The cenotes - The local flora and fauna (so present!) - Isla Contoy - Cabo Catoche (except for the snorkeling)

What we liked least: - The bioluminescence (barely visible despite good conditions) - The food—we found it not very diverse in taquerias - The constant tipping - The lack of water pressure in showers (fixed, wall-mounted, no hose or showerhead)

Don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions while it’s still fresh in our minds.

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Mathilde1967 2 weeks ago · Almakaja81

One-month road trip in Namibia

Here we go—finally, the big day has arrived! A trip the whole family (my two kids, my husband, and me) had been looking forward to for so long. To keep it short, we left from Nice, arrived in Namibia on June 25, 2025, and left again on the 21st—four weeks later. We used an agency for all the camping reservations, activities, and the car rental. At least that side of things was taken care of. Michaël was our contact throughout the planning and the trip itself.

We spent our first night at Londiningi BB. A bit out of the city center but very quiet. The rooms were spacious and clean, and we could eat on-site that evening. Perfect for recovering from the flight.

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Jojoone1 2 weeks ago

Four-Week Journey Through Southern Thailand and Angkor

This travel journal is our second on VoyageForum, following last year’s where we recounted our four weeks in Vietnam. The goal remains the same: since some members on this site share tips, experiences, and great deals that help us prepare for our trips, we do the same after returning—both to give back a little and in the hope that our experiences might be useful to others in some way.

Our route was as follows: Bangkok, Siem Reap, Krabi, Suratthani, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Chumphon, Bang Saphan, Prachuab Khiri Khan, Sam Roi Yod, Hua Hin, Phetchaburi, Bangkok.

Beyond rediscovering Bangkok, our objectives were the long-held dream of seeing Angkor and exploring southern Thailand, much of which isn’t overly touristy.

A quick big thank-you to Barbot, who took the time to answer several of our questions.

12/07/2013

The cheapest flight we found earlier this year was a Paris-Bangkok route with a layover in Moscow for 1440 €, total for two people. So, this time we tried Aeroflot. Airbus A318 for the first leg, A330 for the second. Nothing particularly annoying to report—the passengers were very calm, the cabin temperature was comfortable, and we had enough legroom. That said, the quality of the meal trays was pretty mediocre, and the flight attendants weren’t exactly comedians.

We’d like to remind everyone that it’s best to exchange as little money as possible at the airport upon arrival, since the rate is about 5% worse than at city banks.

Of course, we made sure to take the airport exit where you can catch official taxis to avoid getting scammed. So, we queued up, a little lady gave us the ticket, and off we went with the driver. Generally, this system works well because these drivers are registered, know their duties, and the risks they face if they break the rules. Except that day, right off the bat, we got the scammer of the day. His first move was to snatch the ticket from my wife’s hands—the one you’re supposed to keep in case of a complaint. My husband saw it, but after a full day of travel, we were a bit out of it, and honestly, there was no reason to be suspicious. But once we started driving, the guy refused to turn on the meter. We insisted more and more firmly, but nothing. So, I used the famous method of opening the door and starting to step out of the car. At 40 km/h, that scares the driver more than the passenger. He finally turned on the meter, but that didn’t calm him down—quite the opposite. For the next half-hour, he ruined the ride by demanding extra fees here and there. Having dealt with several scam attempts last year in Vietnam, this wasn’t exactly new, and we were proud of ourselves for staying pretty zen. Still, this guy was a little scary—he was completely wired and aggressive. Honestly, it was hard not to think he was on something. He’d be perfect for a *Scarface* remake. When we finally arrived at the hotel, he followed us to the entrance. We paid the two tolls (25 and 45 baht), gave him the usual 100 baht extra for the ride, and stayed polite but firm. So, meter: 245 baht + 100 baht + 25 and 45 baht for tolls—we paid the exact amount, no way we were tipping this guy. He left furious, but he was already like that before picking us up... Anyway, avoid Mr. Chartree Chidchen, number 089 826 7308, car E2663!

We were so relieved to finally settle in at Feung Nakorn Balcony hotel in the temple district. 42 € per night, great reception, all the staff is friendly. The AC works fine, the bed seemed hard at first but turned out to be comfortable. The hotel is quiet, away from the nightlife, but at this time of year, many places are less crowded than in high season. Even with a nice fish pond and outdoor breakfast area, it’s a decent hotel, though we felt we could’ve found something better.

After a night on the plane, the first afternoon is always a bit of a slog. We napped for a few hours, and when we woke up—guess what—we were starving. We visited a temple across from the hotel (nothing special) and then decided to take the Chao Phraya Express, the river shuttle that serves many piers along the river. It was a really enjoyable experience. The steel gangway wobbles when you board and disembark, the boat sits low in the water, and sometimes you get splashed. During peak times, you’re packed in like sardines, but most of all, there’s that exotic urban landscape passing by, especially the temple rooftops.

At that exact moment, the boat was packed. We didn’t see a ticket booth at the pier, and we tried in vain to pay the few baht for the ride. The cashier on the boat was too busy, and another employee we called didn’t have time to help us. Oh well, we weren’t going to force the issue. Still, this mode of transport is super practical for avoiding traffic, and at the piers, the lines with station names are clearly marked, with colors matching the flags on the boats. Combined with a map like the *Routard* guide, it’s easy to navigate.

We easily made it to the restaurant *Harmonique*, located near one of these piers. It’s a unanimous favorite on this forum, and let us tell you—it’s well-deserved. What a wonderful experience that evening! We only saw the outdoor gazebo because there was no way we were dining inside. It’s not flashy, so those looking for a luxurious setting should look elsewhere.

That night, the staff was a bit slow, and we had to track them down several times to move things along. But oh, my friends—what a feast on the plate! Start with the appetizer platter for two at 250 baht, featuring four specialties, each more tempting than the last, followed by their famous crab curry for 200 baht. There’s *so much* crab in there! The dish is so delicious and rich that when you finish, you feel—how to put it—like it was almost *too* good, to the point where you’re almost put off eating for days. And also, oh yes, we *will* be back. Their satay chicken is just as amazing, and it would be a crime not to mention their generous dessert with ice cream, warm banana, and chocolate, plus their *excellent* almond milkshake.

Later, we took a taxi to Kao San Road, mainly to book a Ko Tao-Chumphon trip for 600 baht per person at the Lomprayah counter. In hindsight, we should’ve booked all three of our trips there right away.

Kao San Road is *ultra*-touristy—better for younger crowds, but it’s still worth seeing. There’s rock ‘n’ roll, hippies, and crowds everywhere.

We walked back to the hotel, and when we got a little lost near a canal, a really nice older Thai man spontaneously appeared out of the night to kindly point us in the right direction.

Finally, a real long night of sleep ahead—we cranked up the AC. Sweet, the vacation has begun!

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Bascolanda64 2 weeks ago · Revencor

Sri Lanka Trip Report – December 2024

Hi there, I just got back from a trip to Sri Lanka from December 18th to January 1st with 2 adults and 2 kids (12 years old). If it helps, here’s my itinerary.

We left on December 18th from Madrid with Qatar Airways. No complaints. I booked my tickets back in March for 800 € per person. (I flew from Madrid because I live near the Spanish border and was too worried about strikes in France.) We arrived on December 19th at 4 PM (local time). Before leaving France, I’d booked a taxi through MyTransfer for 59 € to Sigiriya. A van was waiting for us at the airport exit. A never-ending 3-hour drive to Sigiriya. We stayed at Samana Guesthouse—very simple, clean, with a pool and an excellent Sri Lankan breakfast. Shower and straight to bed.

Friday, December 20th: Beautiful weather, but very humid and hot. We visited Lion Rock (36 € for adults) and then Pidurangala. I loved both sites—they’re a must-do in my opinion. Spent the late afternoon by the pool.

Saturday, December 21st: Another gorgeous day. The guesthouse manager offered us a free 2-hour tuk-tuk tour. We first visited a lake, rice fields, the temple, and the Sigiriya market, plus the usual tourist trap—the botanical garden (no pressure to buy anything at the end). Then we took a tuk-tuk to Dambulla Temple, the Golden Buddha, and the wholesale market.

Sunday, December 22nd: Still beautiful weather. I’d booked a taxi for 8 AM. We did all the long trips by taxi to save time. I’d ask for prices from 2 or 3 WhatsApp taxi agencies 2 days or the day before—super responsive, always got replies within 5 minutes. We headed to Ella (4-hour drive) for 22,000 LKR. Arrived in the afternoon at Rest Full Homestay—a small, family-run guesthouse. Clean, cozy, and an amazing Sri Lankan breakfast. In the afternoon, we went to Nine Arches Bridge. It was a Sunday, a Sri Lankan holiday, so it was *packed*—mostly locals and very few white tourists! Even though it was crowded, it was cool because it was all Sri Lankans. We waited an hour for the train. It’s worth seeing, but honestly, I didn’t think it was that amazing. Then we headed to the station to check if we needed to book tickets for the train to Haputale—turns out, no.

Monday, December 23rd: Beautiful weather. We hiked Ella Rock—a gorgeous trek. The final stretch is steep but shaded, so it wasn’t as tough as I’d read. The whole hike is stunning from start to finish. We saw the train pass twice (one blue, one red) and lots of women picking tea. After that, we did Little Adam’s Peak. It’s not hard, but it was *packed* with tourists—meh. Luckily, at the top, you can walk a bit farther (down one side and back up) to get some space to yourself. What I *didn’t* like was the commercial vibe at the big café/restaurant with a pool at the entrance of Little Adam’s Peak. Loud music, all that money being made right next to little souvenir stands run by Sri Lankans or tea-picking women. Felt off. Ended the day buying souvenirs at one of the few shops we found during the trip.

Tuesday, December 24th: Beautiful weather. Took the train to Haputale. We got to the station 30 minutes before the 9:30 AM train. We could’ve taken 2nd or 3rd class—I went with 2nd (160 LKR per person). It was crowded, but we managed to get seats—first 2, then 3. Only a 1-hour ride, but I *loved* it—windows and doors open the whole time. Arrived in Haputale around 11 AM, and the mist was already rolling in. We walked to our guesthouse, The Mist Holiday Bungalow. Simple but clean, with a great view of the tea plantations. The owner’s wife is Vietnamese and used to work for French tour operators, so her French is still pretty good—helpful for us since our English is terrible. They booked us a tuk-tuk for 4:45 AM the next day (2,000 LKR) to Lipton’s Seat. Spent the afternoon wandering around Haputale. Not much charm, but there’s a nice fruit and veggie market and a short walk through the tea plantations.

Wednesday, December 25th: Beautiful weather. The tuk-tuk was on time to take us to Lipton’s Seat. We were the first ones there—the sky was just starting to turn pink. In the end, only about ten of us watched the sunrise. The guesthouse had packed us breakfast, and we walked back down (half on the road, half through the plantations). Didn’t see any tea picking since it was Christmas, but the walk was still incredible. We took detours through villages full of kids. After that, we visited the tea factory. The tour was really interesting, and we took the bus back down to Haputale. Such a great moment—whole families were heading to mass, dressed up and made up. All so beautiful.

At noon, we left for Udawalawe National Park. Taxi for 14,000 LKR. Stayed at River Inn Safari Cottage. *Warning*: It’s the same place as Eagle Safari Cottage. I don’t recommend it. We’d always stayed with families before, but here it was just staff—totally different vibe. The pool was nice but not very clean (water was murky). The bungalow was big and fine, but it was brand new—so new the asphalt floor wasn’t fully dry. It’s in the middle of nowhere, so we had to eat on-site. Couldn’t leave a review on Booking because they never confirmed we’d stayed, and they canceled our reservation the next day.

Thursday, December 26th: Beautiful weather. I’d booked a safari through the hotel for 5:30–10 AM for 54 USD. Honestly, yes, there are a lot of jeeps, but it was great. The kids loved it—we saw everything there was to see. Left by taxi at 11:30 AM for Welligama (12,000 LKR). We didn’t stay in Welligama city but at Coconut Beach, between Welligama and Midigama. *Total crush* on the guesthouse: Sky Mountain Café with View. Such a lovely family. The mom makes amazing meals at reasonable prices. The view from the hill over the sea is unreal. Spent the afternoon walking along the beach.

Friday, December 27th: Beautiful weather. My kids are surfers. Unfortunately, there weren’t any boards their size to rent at Coconut, so we took a tuk-tuk to Welligama Bay (1,000 LKR). They surfed from 8 AM to 5 PM—rental was 5,000 LKR for the day. Meanwhile, we walked the beach and swam. Water was 29°C.

Saturday, December 28th: Beautiful weather, rain from 4 PM until midnight. Same surf day. They were so well-behaved the whole trip, so this was their reward.

Sunday, December 29th: Beautiful weather. Beach day at Coconut. *Warning*: It’s a reef break. For surfers, there are three spots (Coconut Left, Middle, and Right). The boys bodysurfed (with fins) all morning, and at 1 PM, we took the bus to Hikkaduwa. Stayed at Hotel Universal Beach. Nothing special—right on the water, but the rooms were dark even though they were clean. The manager was super nice, but the rest was meh, and breakfast was mediocre compared to what we’d had before (2 eggs and 3 slices of toast). Plus, it was late—8 AM. First impression of Hikkaduwa wasn’t great—way too many Russians for our taste.

Monday, December 30th: Beautiful weather. Spent the whole day exploring. Turtle Beach, then the other side of the beach (toward Galle) near the fishing port. The beach there is much wider, with scattered hotels and super quiet. It’s beautiful—I should’ve booked somewhere in that area. Ended up having a great day away from the crowds.

Tuesday, December 31st: Overcast, then beautiful, rain at 4 PM. Had to end the year (and the trip) with some surf. Rented boards for the kids (3,000 LKR per board for the day). Bad luck—the waves were on a reef break but small. Not great for them, but no big deal. They still got out of the water by 2 PM. Walked the beach (which is gorgeous), had a juice, and went for a swim. Then back to surfing in the rain at 4 PM.

Wednesday, January 1st: Left by taxi at 5 AM (18,000 LKR). Flight at 10 AM. Arrived in Madrid at 8 PM.

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Larri 2 weeks ago · Ticapi

Peru: A Childhood Dream Finally Fulfilled

Preamble

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.

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GeorgesOZ 2 weeks ago · Djalma

Langtang – Trekking in the Rain

We did the Langtang trek (hike) from September 10th to 17th, with the first and last days being the trip from Kathmandu and back—so 6 days of actual walking. It’s a fairly well-known trek but certainly not as famous or crowded as those in the Annapurna or Everest regions, which is why we chose it.

In theory, it’s mandatory to have a guide for this trek. In reality, it seems there are ways to bypass the regulations: we met at least two people hiking without a guide—a South Korean, a New Zealander, and possibly also a couple of English women and an American couple, though we’re not sure if they had a guide.

The agency we booked with had told us it was an affordable trek for relatively older people in good shape—which is our case (I’m 72 myself). I have to say upfront that we found it quite challenging, maybe because we didn’t have good weather—it was the end of the monsoon season. To be clear, no matter your fitness level, I’d say doing this trek in the middle of the monsoon season would be suicidal.

Day 1 – Journey from Kathmandu to Syapru Besi

On Monday, September 8th, there had been violent protests in Kathmandu against the government, which had, among other things, blocked access to social media and been accused of nepotism and corruption. There were 19 deaths. The situation was very tense on the day of our departure, Wednesday the 10th. The agency warned us that public transport was very unreliable. So, we decided to take a jeep, at an additional cost of $100 ($160 minus what was already budgeted for the bus).

We left a little before 7 a.m. and it took us a good hour just to reach the outskirts of Kathmandu. Along the way, we saw several houses and vehicles set on fire by protesters.

The road to Syapru Besi is only 120 km, but it’s frankly awful. It’s always narrow, winds through endless mountains, and the shoulders range from bad to confusing to nonexistent. Several sections are just dirt tracks. We didn’t regret opting for the jeep, as we could stop several times at our convenience—if only to let Y (my Thai partner) throw up everything she had. She’d taken her usual motion sickness medication, but the constant turns, accelerations, and braking eventually made her terribly carsick.

In Nuwakot, we stopped for breakfast at a nice little restaurant, Jimbu. It was around 8:30 a.m., and we’d barely covered 60 km. The restaurant has a lovely garden overlooking the Trishuli Ganga, the river flowing down from Syapru Besi. First photo: the river in the bottom right corner, mist and clouds over the mountain on the other side.

An hour later, my second photo: the hills along the Trishuli Ganga. You can see the different crops—lush green rice paddies in the lower right and corn, already yellowed and likely harvested, in the foreground on the left. And of course, the mist and clouds through which you can glimpse the mountain on the other side of the river.

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Viovio2 2 weeks ago · Jeeaan

15-day itinerary in southern Morocco

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.

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FamilleUS 3 weeks ago

Tanzania Classics (Safari & Zanzibar)

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)

Hakuna matata!

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Fabhyène 3 weeks ago

3 weeks in Laos, stress-free

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

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Nos cinq visions des USA

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