From Southern Shikoku, between land and sea, to the blue waters of Miyakojima and finally the Tokyo metropolis (2)

Translated into English.

Fairytitania Regular ·2026-01-16

This beach is gorgeous!😍

Juillet 2010 : La Dolce Vita / Costa Concordia Février 2018 : Perle des Caraïbes / Costa Pacifica

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-01-17

It’s considered one of Japan’s most beautiful beaches. Swimming there is really pleasant. That said, it’s not great for snorkeling.

https://voyageforum.com/forum/decouverte-japon-tokyo-archipel-ryukyu-okinawa-d9857265/ https://voyageforum.com/forum/escapade-japonaise-shikoku-kyushu-yakushima-tokyo-d9999494/ https://voyageforum.com/forum/kyushu-entre-fukuoka-nagasaki-automne-2024-japon-d10654938/

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-02-24

Day 15 - Miyako Blue and Culinary Delights

Heading to Ikema Island. We take roads completely unknown to us but that allow us to see the island's rural side. Crossing one of the three bridges connecting Miyako's main island to three smaller islands is always an incredible experience, especially with the mesmerizing blue of the sea. The best part of the bridge linking Miyako to Ikema Island is the small parking lot where you can stop to get a closer look at the sea. From there, there’s a great view of the bridge and, most of all, Ogami Island.

The sky is a bit overcast, so the scenery isn’t at its best this morning, but it’s still nice. Plus, there’s only one Japanese family around for now. The father is fishing near the bridge. A shy conversation starts up. He’s trying to catch octopus. The family (a couple with three kids, including a baby) is from Osaka. They’re traveling in a camper van. In the end, they leave without having caught anything.

We get back in the car and finish crossing the bridge to reach Ikema Island. We drive slowly to a café we’d spotted online during our last trip here (2023) but didn’t have time to try. Once parked in the large lot with no view of the place, we just follow the path marked by a wooden sign. From that point on, a tropical atmosphere takes over with exotic leaves, flowers, and flying insects.

A few steps later, we reach the café entrance. You have to order right away at the counter. Since it’s a café, there are daily specials available. The choices are limited. We place our order and then explore the place. What can I say? A café in a stunning natural setting with different cozy spaces. In short, a place where you just want to settle in.

The natural setting is a view of a beautiful beach with gradient blue waters, surrounded by rocks and tropical vegetation, where butterflies and other flying insects flutter about. The beach is accessible via a "wild" path on the side. It’s private to the restaurant, and swimming isn’t allowed, but you can take a stroll. The restrooms are at the back of a tropical area, outdoors but modern and clean.

The sun has come out, and we can now enjoy both the beach view and the sound of the waves under a beautiful blue sky. We settle into a lounge corner right by the sea. We dig into our dishes when they’re brought to us. I try an Okinawan dish, Taco Rice. It’s a very simple dish originally created for American military personnel but loved by both Americans and Okinawans. It consists of rice, tomatoes, lettuce, ground meat, and cheddar. My partner ordered a pizza. While pizzas are often good here, they’re usually small. The Taco Rice is delicious. We pair our dishes with a fizzy drink made from Shikwasa, an Okinawan citrus fruit similar to mandarins.

To finish, we end the meal with homemade ice cream, which is incredibly delicious. We tried sweet potato and black tea with figs, along with a sweet potato chip. We forgot the flavor of the last one because it wasn’t as tasty as the others. There were other tempting flavors like brown sugar and kiwi-banana.

All with extremely gentle and attentive service. In short, a place that could become a regular spot. Everything is great: the welcome, the setting, the food.

We get back in the car and head to Ikema Port. There’s absolutely no one around except the Japanese police officer I already mentioned in a previous post about Shikoku.

Under the scorching sun, we take a walk on a tiny green path, trying to find some shade.

Then we cross the road to reach the port and observe the beached or moored boats. A car passes by. The driver smiles at us and waves energetically with one hand.

Next, we head to the entrance of Ikema Island to go up to the roof of a restaurant/grocery store, where you can see the sea, Ikema Bridge, and Ogami Island. We’ve been there before, but it’s still nice. However, it’s crowded, and we have to wait to park.

From the observation deck, I notice there are quite a few algae on the beach. There weren’t any during our previous visits.

The view of the bridge overlooking this Miyako-blue sea is a simple but captivating sight—one you never get tired of.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-02-24

Day 15 continued Crossing the Ikema Bridge again, we spot people in the middle of the sea. It takes us a few seconds to realize that with the low tide, it’s possible to be right in the ocean. You can easily guess we want to see this up close. Unlike this morning, the small parking lot on the bridge is "full," and we have to wait for a spot to open up. It won’t be too long. Not only is the sky clear, but the sun also highlights the blue of the water and the visible sandbanks.

Remember where the Japanese man was fishing this morning? Well, you just have to step over a barrier to go down the "steps" and walk around the rock. Be careful, though—there’s still a current and broken coral, so watch out for bare feet.

The water is crystal clear. It’s pretty wild to walk like this in the middle of the sea. While it’s not as crowded as Kyoto, there are obviously a few people around, but it’s totally manageable. Maybe 15-30 people—we can count them. Even if we’d love to be alone to enjoy the view, it’s also nice to exchange smiles with other travelers.

The farther we walk toward the two sandbanks, the more we can see Ogami Island. We also discover small coves at low tide on the Miyakojima side.

Walking in the sand isn’t that easy because our feet sink in. We’d love to lie down in the water and just float, but the tide is slowly coming back in... After enjoying this moment, which made us feel like we were in French Polynesia on an atoll, we slowly head back to solid ground, walking along the rock again.

From the platform, we look out at the sea and its sandbanks, one of which is heart-shaped. A stunning marine spectacle.

We then head toward the Shimajiri mangrove. It’s a short walk on an elevated bridge, round-trip. The sea water mixes with underground spring water here—there are no rivers on Miyakojima. We didn’t think too much about it, but with the low tide, the mangrove is dry during our visit. There’s absolutely no one around. That said, the blazing sun beating down on us might make an air-conditioned coffee sound better.

We spot lots of little red crabs, but I can’t photograph them with my phone (useless). We hear lots of birds and a bit of wind rustling the leaves. We also see a colorful fruit that reminds us of a pineapple. After looking it up online, I think it was indeed one. If you’re interested, check out this article on pineapple farming in Japan: https://www.lemanger.fr/index.php/snack-pine-lananas-pour-les-nuls/.

The walk is short—only about a kilometer—but it’s still nice.

Next, we head to Shimajiri Port nearby. I want to check the boat schedule for Ogami Island. Well, spoiler alert—we won’t go. We drive through small streets that give us a peek into local homes. The port is small but charming. You can see Ogami Island clearly from here. Our arrival gets noticed. The person at the ticket booth is in the middle of a conversation with two others. The welcome is very local—first a bit of island nonchalance, then big smiles and a brochure. No need to book tickets in advance—everything’s done the same day.

We continue our day by heading to a beach we really like on Irabu Island to swim. The beach is large, the sand is fine, and there are even some waves today—just enough for a little thrill. We spot transparent crabs in the sand. The late-afternoon vibe is super peaceful. Just a few surfers left and the sound of the waves. A perfect moment to recharge.

After this relaxing break, we want to quickly check out a beach on Shimojima, not far from there by car, where we’d met some Japanese women during our first stay. Just after sunset, the sky turns purple. The scenery is beautiful.

For dinner, we go to the Chinese restaurant we discovered on our last visit. The waitress and the head chef don’t seem to be there anymore. We’re a little disappointed not to see them again—the interaction was really nice. Still, the food quality remains good. And tonight, it’s a feast! We ordered steamed fish with soy sauce and ginger after picking our fish fresh, like at a fishmonger’s. You can also choose between two sauces. The fish is served whole but already pre-cut, so no need to worry about bones. We loved it.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-07-19

Day 16 - Under the blue sky, the birth of a meeting

On this particularly sunny morning, we head toward the eastern cape, one of the island’s remote points. There isn’t much infrastructure in this part of Miyakojima, so we decide to eat early to have a relaxed rest of our day. I’d spotted a restaurant online that was on the way to our destination. We head there and discover a place that looks very new—it wasn’t here during our previous visits.

Inside, it’s a small but charming and very clean space. A bar with four stools and two tables seating four each. A Japanese woman welcomes us with a smile and invites us to sit down. While we look at the menu, we take in the room’s decor, which is filled with little objects scattered everywhere.

When the woman comes to take our order, we strike up a conversation by mentioning how much she loves cats. Indeed, cats are everywhere—in glasses, figurines, placemats, even in the restrooms. Just mentioning them brings a bright smile to her face and a happy look in her eyes.

Looking through the glass door, I spot a Japanese cyclist parking his bike. Our eyes meet. A few minutes later, he comes into the restaurant and sits at the bar in the middle. We smile and say hello. Our food arrives. My hungry companion ordered two dishes, and the full table catches the cyclist’s attention—he can’t help teasing us with a laugh. This starts a little conversation, and he moves closer, switching seats to sit nearer our table. He speaks English, but we don’t speak it well, so we mix Japanese and English. We learn he’s traveling around the island for two weeks by bike. He once took a year-long trip around the world with his mother before starting his professional life, spending six months of that journey in Europe. He even cycled through France. A cycling enthusiast, he’s ridden in the Alps. The Tour de France is his favorite race. He also visited Russia during his big trip and knows how to say *Je t’aime* in French. He thinks life is more pleasant in Japan, and his favorite spots are Miyakojima in summer and Hokkaido in winter.

Our dishes today are pork curry and fried chicken. We also try Orion, Okinawa’s local beer, but honestly, we didn’t like it—it was too light, almost bland.

The cyclist leaves before us. We say goodbye, and we finish our meal. We get back in the car, heading toward the eastern cape, but a sea viewpoint makes us stop. There’s also a shell museum nearby, but we skip it. Instead, we spot a tower in the distance and decide to find it by car. We navigate by sight—it’s not far. The area is very natural, with no real development. We drive through sugarcane fields, and suddenly, the hidden tower appears before us.

We climb it and enjoy the 360-degree view of the sea, the distant cape, and the sugarcane fields. A controlled burn is happening nearby. There’s a table at the top, so you could eat there if you wanted. We have the place to ourselves for a while until a taxi arrives with a woman who stays just long enough to take a few photos. Meanwhile, we soak in the rural view, appreciating the calm and the shade from the sun.

Back in the car, still heading toward the eastern cape, we make another stop for the funny "photo" sign set up by the police, as well as another sea viewpoint.

The sun is blazing down on us. Just as we’re about to leave, the cyclist from the restaurant arrives. He stops to chat again—he’s coming back from the cape we’re about to visit. One of his friends runs one of the food trucks selling ice cream. For a keepsake, we take a few photos together. Since I don’t have internet, I tell him I’ll send them later when I’m connected. One thing leads to another, and we suggest meeting up for a drink before we leave the island. With that plan in mind, we each go our separate ways.

Two minutes later, we finally park at the cape. There are a few food trucks selling snacks and drinks, and a few cars, but the parking lot isn’t full at all. That said, at this early afternoon hour, we’re melting in the heat—our sweaty bodies only find relief with the air conditioning. The cape is called Higashi-Hennazaki. It’s located at the very eastern tip of Miyakojima, a 2-kilometer promontory jutting into the sea. You can take a walk with stunning panoramic views of the ocean. You can see the waves from the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean crashing together. There’s a lighthouse you can visit, and depending on the season, the walk can be quite floral. The wind is strong in some spots.

The place is lovely, but this time, we wanted to take a long walk—except the sun is too intense. We’re burning up despite wearing our loose, flowing outfits with headscarves and sarongs to cover our legs. A pretty silver beetle lands on my companion and stays with him during the visit.

Our main goal for the day is snorkeling, so we get back in the car and head to Aragusu Beach, which is particularly famous for this activity. The approach to the beach is always stunning—the beach sits below a steep road, offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the ocean’s gradient blues. The "wow" effect is guaranteed every time. At the bottom, we notice the parking lots are fuller than usual compared to our previous visits. But luck is on our side—the small free parking lot, which only has a few spaces, still has one for us. Otherwise, the larger lot next to it is paid. While the beach itself hasn’t changed, the setup has. Remnants of pink and blue tables are surrounded by vegetation. There’s a small wooden snack bar selling alcoholic drinks, and you can also rent tents for shade.

It’s low tide, so the water is shallow for a long way, making it trickier to move around the coral. The water is still crystal clear. With the naked eye, you can spot tiny electric-blue fish. There are plenty of fish, but no Nemo for us today. We really enjoy observing the underwater life. My companion always stays in the water longer than I do, while I prefer lying on the sand, lulled by the wind, the sounds of swimmers and playing kids, watching the vegetation, and taking a little nap under the now more bearable sun.

As always, by mid-afternoon (around 4:30 PM), the beach has already emptied out—especially since this one doesn’t offer a sunset view, being on the east side. In fact, it even feels slightly cool when the sun is no longer shining on this side.

Today, we decided to visit just one beach but stay longer. That’s why the sunset accompanies us on the drive back.

For dinner, we choose an izakaya I found online that’s conveniently close to our place.

Parking in Japan, especially in cities, means finding the lot dedicated to each shop. It’s written in kanji, so you really have to look carefully. But this time, we can’t find it, so we park in a random lot and go to the restaurant to ask. A charming young woman explains how to get to their parking lot, which is farther away. Luckily, we already know the area a bit—this restaurant is near the popular local ramen spot, Ramentonta. When we mention it, she’s both surprised and impressed that we know the place. Thanks to that, we understand a little better where to go, even if it’s not entirely clear. It must not be straightforward because she gives us a special parking sheet with a hand-drawn map and a QR code to find it. We turn left a bit higher up the street, then continue down an unpaved, unlit alley. A large shared parking lot appears on the right. We park in one of the spots reserved for the izakaya, which we recognize by the signs with each shop’s name on the spaces. Without those, we never would’ve found it. We walk back to the restaurant in about five minutes. The temperature is perfect.

In front of the izakaya, we wait for the young woman. The place seems busy. She apologizes because only the terrace is available, but as good French people, we’re thrilled. In France, terraces have heaters in winter—here, they have a fan. We’re lucky to have the terrace all to ourselves for the whole evening.

Ordering is simple—there’s a photo album of each dish. We order several things, following the izakaya style, as well as a drink we think is a shikwasa (Okinawa lemon) soda sour. Everything was delicious and flavorful—here’s a non-exhaustive list of what we had: - A small salad with raw fish and smoked/grilled eggplant - Spicy chicken and vegetables, served in two rounds. When we ordered, the woman warned us it was *very* spicy. Wide-eyed, we confirmed anyway. Impressed that we managed to eat it all, she called the chef (her colleague) to come see us and tell her about it. - Crispy truffle potatoes - Fried octopus The sea really whets your appetite, and when the food is this good, you want to try everything! My companion, who was skeptical about izakayas until now, is officially converted!

This izakaya offers contemporary, no-frills cuisine in a great atmosphere. Even the restrooms are nice—accessible from the street, they run the length of the restaurant and have a warm, welcoming vibe with flowers, music, and a pleasant scent. A new entry in our Miyakojima travel journal!

Back at the house, I send the Japanese man we met the photos we took together, along with our address and departure date from the island, as agreed. End of the day.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-07-19

Day 17 - Dolce vita

Beach, beach, beach, day after day. It's the 5th day, and we still can't get enough because the sun combined with a slow pace makes for a perfect break in the middle of the trip. I know many of you readers aren’t into this beachy side, so just a little more patience—we’ll be in Tokyo in two days. Wearing flip-flops all day is a joy, and even Monsieur seems to be starting to appreciate it. Who would’ve thought! With our feet dressed like this, we get into our car parked right at the foot of the residence—so convenient! As usual, we drive toward a destination and make a stop to admire the view of Yonaha Bay. We’ve been here before at the start of the trip, but the sky was gray. Let’s see if the landscape is more charming under a blue sky. It’s much better. You can walk along the bay or even have a picnic if you don’t need a table. The sea water is a milky blue color. You can’t see through it.

We hit the road again toward one of my favorite islands for its rural and preserved vibe: Kurimajima. It has a rustic charm. To get there, you also have to cross a bridge by car—the same one you can see from Yonaha Beach (the first beach mentioned). Our goal is to visit a part of the island that’s a bit less crowded than on previous trips: the western side. We head to three beaches. The first is a sort of rocky cove with immaculate white sand. It’s high tide, and there’s a lot of wind, so the waves are really strong. They crash against the cliffs, creating water jets in some spots. The beach is stunning. It’s labeled a "wedding photo beach," which you can tell by the "wedding" sign posted there. There are only a few people—two men when we arrive and a couple when we leave. We stayed for a while, enjoying the wild landscape made up of cliffs, the sea, the waves, and the sound of them crashing, along with hummingbirds or butterflies flying around. We wanted to swim, but the current seemed strong, and the beach slopes down. We settled for contemplation, which was rewarded by the few seconds I spotted a baby turtle emerging from the water.

We continued to another beach not far away, also at high tide. There’s barely any beach, and what we saw from the car made us stop for a few minutes to check it out before moving on to a beach we’d visited during our first trip in 2019. We’d seen a gorgeous sunset there. (See https://forumvoyage.forumactif.com/t2646-carnet-de-voyage-automne-2019-japon-de-tokyo-a-okinawa) Like the first beach today, to get to the parking lot, you have to find the small paved road—narrow and not well-maintained—drive very slowly to avoid branches and leaves scratching the rental car, and park in a lot with a maximum of three spaces. The parking lot is completely surrounded by the island’s typical vegetation. A Japanese family—older parents with their son—is coming back from the beach. We exchange a few words. They tell us the sea is a beautiful blue. The jungle path leading to the beach takes about 5 minutes, and flip-flops aren’t the ideal shoes here, but if you walk slowly, there’s no danger. Walking through this tunnel of greenery transports you to another world when the light at the end leads you to a long, immaculate white-sand beach. This beach is mesmerizing. It feels lost at the end of the world. We didn’t think we’d be able to swim, but the call was too strong. We decided to brave the waves anyway. With our stuff in tow, we picked a spot with a bit of shade. Since Japanese people don’t swim much, the only couple who arrived a few minutes after us left after about 10 minutes. We had the beach almost all to ourselves. Later, I spotted a Japanese guy in a corner—unusually tanned! He even swam as we were leaving. At the far end of the beach, you can also see a Japanese couple taking wedding photos in their outfits. We stayed at the beach for a long time, enjoying the absolute calm in this completely preserved environment. The waves were strong but not dangerous if you didn’t go too far from the shore or get too close. We spotted turtles poking their heads out of the water twice more.

We left this enchanted beach with a bit of regret, but hunger—it’s already 3 PM—was calling. We headed to what you could call the "center": a few narrow streets and small, low houses. There are a few places to eat, but as I’ve mentioned before, finding food at this hour can be tricky. We did find a really nice little spot, though. It’s a wooden café that looks lovely from the outside. And even cuter inside. It’s tiny but cozy, with all that wood, the view of the greenery, and the care put into the decor. The restaurant is run by a laid-back Japanese guy with a rasta style, and reggae music is playing. While chatting with him, we learned he built this house himself. He’s been living here for 20 years and comes from Tokyo. He has no desire to go back. He spent some time in Africa doing humanitarian work and learned a few French words there. The kitchen is open, as is often the case in Japan. You can watch the chef cook. In cafés, it’s not uncommon to find Western dishes. We gave in to pasta and pizza. However, the portion sizes are Japanese—meaning small. We also enjoyed iced tea and a nice cold beer since the heat is still here today.

After this meal, we visited the Ryugu Observatory, just a minute away by car. We’ve been here before, but the view is still amazing. You can see the bridge connecting the island to Miyakojima, Yonaha Beach, and the endless sea. A few changes have been made to the observatory, with two sea-themed murals—one on each floor. The spiders, though, are still there.

To be honest, we thought we’d walk more, but the heat sapped our energy. So, we headed to the beach near the island’s port, just before the bridge. But there were too many people for our taste.

So, we went to a café on Irabu Island. It’s in a less touristy area that you have to search for, but it offers a nice space. Many customers are there for coworking. It’s located by a canal. We enjoyed some great fruit juices with different lemon flavors, as well as a matcha latte. And since we weren’t far, we went for our second swim of the day at the "wedding beach" we’ve mentioned several times.

To wrap up this intense day, a tasting of Miyakojima wagyu was a must, so we headed to a yakiniku restaurant. Strangely, we were seated in the same private room as during our first visit in 2019. We know the place, so no surprises—we ate well. We also had sushi made with wagyu, torched in front of us.

We feasted and headed back home.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-06

Day 18 - A day shaped by encounters

After a well-deserved lie-in, we kick off the day with our favorite burger. The Japanese truly have a knack for making classics their own—even years later, we still dream about the ones from Miyakojima.

Our mission today is to track down some mysterious mochi made with unsold vegetables by a local farmer. With only the farm’s name and a Japanese website to go on, the treasure hunt begins. After asking a farmer and exploring a small farm lost in the middle of the fields, we come up empty-handed.

Just as we’re about to leave, a Japanese woman who came to buy vegetables comes back specifically to see us. Sorry she couldn’t help us earlier, she went to ask at the nearby supermarket: our famous mochi are sold there. Thanks to her, we finally get our hands on them. Strawberry, sweet potato, kabocha squash, or kiwi—the hardest part is choosing.

The surprises don’t stop there. A retiree, intrigued by our basket, strikes up a spontaneous conversation. A friend of the producer, he enthusiastically seizes the opportunity to practice his English. This encounter, as unlikely as it is warm, once again confirms that the best travel memories often come from chance. We then head to Imgya Garden, one of the island’s most beautiful natural sites. From the heights, the view of the lagoon and the coral reef is stunning.

After the walk, it’s time for snorkeling among tropical fish, even if the dense coral makes access a bit of a workout. The only downside: despite its waterproof pouch, my phone takes in water. Underwater photos are over...

In the late afternoon, we’re supposed to meet N, the cyclist we met a few days earlier. With our phone out of service, we can’t let him know we’re running late. As we rush back in the pouring rain, a surprise awaits us: N will come pick us up directly at our apartment, unlike the original plan. He had contacted our hotel earlier to find us, but we’ll only discover this much later when the doorbell rings while we’re barely dressed after our shower. The initial restaurant being fully booked, our hosts take us to a... French place instead. The perfect opportunity to try European cuisine reimagined Japanese-style, shared izakaya-style. The ice is quickly broken. Despite the language barrier, English, a few Japanese words, gestures, and improvised translators are enough to spark an evening full of laughter. We exchange stories about our lives, cultures, and habits. N and his son Y make a particularly close-knit duo, while their friend M, a teacher in Miyakojima, tells us about life on the island, her daily routine with her students, and some local anecdotes. Between tastings of awamori, the hours fly by without us noticing. As often in Japan, it’s impossible to chip in for the bill—our hosts generously treat us.

The evening doesn’t end there, though. After N leaves, we continue the conversation with Y and M at a small izakaya where we’d already eaten a few days earlier. The topics become even more varied: Tokyo, Osaka, life in Miyakojima, sharks, sea snakes, tourists, local dialects, discussions about the manga from our childhood, and discovering habushu, Okinawa’s snake alcohol... So many subjects that let us see Japan through the eyes of those who live there.

We finally walk back to our apartment with M, feeling lighthearted. More than the landscapes or beaches, this day will stay with us for all these unexpected encounters that keep making Miyakojima so deeply endearing.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-06

Day 19 – Final Moments on Miyakojima

All good things must come to an end, and our stay in Miyakojima is already drawing to a close. For this last day, no packed schedule—just enjoying the island one last time, revisiting a few spots we loved, and savoring these final moments before heading to Tokyo.

The morning’s first mission: finding a repair shop for my phone, which suffered a water leak the day before despite its supposedly waterproof case. The verdict was clear—parts wouldn’t be available for days. We’ll try our luck in Tokyo. Luckily, we have a second phone to keep capturing the end of our trip.

As has often been the case since we arrived, the day begins with… a hearty meal. For days, the delicious smells wafting from a tiny restaurant near Bocca Burger had been calling to us. This time, we couldn’t resist.

The place is minuscule, almost like a mobile home, but from the moment we step inside, it’s clear this isn’t just another curry spot. Dozens of spice jars line the kitchen shelves. The owner explains that at breakfast, there’s only one menu: Okinawa pork curry or shrimp curry. We order both to compare.

Seated on the small terrace, cooled by a giant fan, we watch the plates arrive directly through a sliding window connecting the kitchen to the outdoors. A simple detail, but full of charm.

The meal is a true revelation. Nothing like the more classic Japanese curries. Here, the spices are plentiful but perfectly balanced. The small cubes of apple, raisins, pomegranate seeds, lemon, chili, and strands reminiscent of saffron create a surprisingly harmonious blend. The Okinawa pork is melt-in-your-mouth tender. One of the best curries we’ve ever tasted.

For dessert, another discovery: warabi mochi. This traditional treat, served with kinako and black syrup, has an incredibly soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Light, refreshing, and not too sweet—it’s a real favorite.

A spot we’d recommend without hesitation.

The rest of the morning is spent on a final stroll along Yonaha Maehama. We first look for some wilder access points, hidden behind the woods. The place is peaceful, but unfortunately, a few pieces of litter spoil the scenery. We eventually head back to the main access point, where the water still displays that unreal turquoise color Miyakojima is famous for.

A small curiosity: we finally spot a few Western tourists. Just a handful, but enough to make us think the island is slowly gaining recognition outside Asia.

In the early afternoon, we revisit a café we’d discovered on a previous trip but found closed the day before. The wait was well worth it. Facing the sea, lulled by soft bossa nova music, we enjoy a watermelon smoothie, hibiscus soda, and several artisanal ice creams—especially banana and sweet potato. Another excellent spot where the welcome is as warm as the drinks are refreshing.

We continue our walk to the small port of Hakuai Yuri. Quiet and windswept, it’s the perfect place to enjoy the peace. Locals say that on clear nights, you can even see the Milky Way here.

A little farther on, a sign pointing to a waterfall piques our curiosity. After a steep descent through dense vegetation, dodging several giant hermit crabs, we discover… a waterfall that isn’t really a waterfall. The walk is still pleasant, but the effort feels a bit disproportionate to the payoff.

On the way back, a stop at a konbini is a must for a quick snack of spicy fried chicken. One last indulgence before heading to Sunset Beach.

The sun begins its slow descent behind the Irabu Bridge. Despite a few particularly persistent insects, the view is stunning. A beautiful way to say goodbye to Miyakojima’s landscapes.

For our last dinner on the island, there’s no question—we have to return to Madame Sakaba. It’s our third visit, but this time we sit at the counter. The atmosphere is different, more intimate. The waitress and cook recognize us immediately and take the time to chat between orders. In just a few days, we almost feel like regulars.

Meanwhile, my partner strikes up a conversation with a Miyakojima local near the outdoor restrooms. He proudly tells him he’s already tried a French dish in sauce—probably beef bourguignon, based on his description.

A final evening, simple and uneventful, but just like our stay: warm, delicious, and filled with spontaneous encounters.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-07

Day 20 - Flying to Tokyo It’s time to leave. We have a meet-up at 10 AM at the rental agency. I thought I could get there without GPS—anyway, the spot wasn’t saved—but it turns out my sense of direction failed us. As a result, we’re running late. With Japanese punctuality and thinking there were probably other customers, plus our inability to let them know, we worried the team might leave without us. We finally find the agency, but no one’s outside. We knock, the door’s unlocked, but no one’s inside. We call out several times, still nothing. After long minutes, the manager arrives very calmly. Relieved to see her, she’s not stressed at all—probably the Okinawan calm.

We settle the rental payment: 24,500 yen for 7 nights, which comes to 22 € per day at the exchange rate at the time. That’s really cheap.

The manager then drives us to the airport. The plane takes off at 11:50 AM, and we’re flying with ANA. We were allowed two checked bags of 23 kg each. I only had one bag, but it weighed 26 kg. Rules are rules, so they gave me a paper bag to take out 3 kg from my suitcase. A few hours later, we land at 2:30 PM at Tokyo Haneda.

Getting around Tokyo with big suitcases in the heat is a workout, especially since I broke the extendable handle for pulling my suitcase! Tokyo has some uphill spots you discover when leaving the subway to reach your hotel. By "workout," I also mean dealing with crowds again—after three weeks with few people, the transition is a bit overwhelming.

We booked our stay in Akasaka again—not because we’re particularly interested in the neighborhood, but to be close to a sushi restaurant my travel buddy loves. The area is also central, making it easy to reach different parts of this big city.

In the end, even though we landed in the early afternoon, we don’t arrive at our hotel until late afternoon, so there’s no time to sightsee. We just head to a phone repair shop, which, much to my disappointment, sends me to another shop near Shimbashi, a different neighborhood.

Tonight, we settle for eating at a nearby restaurant—a yakitori place (grilled skewers). The welcome is shy, the service is slow, but the food is pretty good and generous. Run by a couple, the woman handling service is busy but takes the time to run to the door to say goodbye.

We end the evening quietly at the hotel, preparing for tomorrow’s adventures.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-07

Day 21 - Sushi, wanderings, and Tokyo Tower

One of the pleasures of starting the day is opening the curtains to discover the environment surrounding our hotel room. Today, it’s a bright sun illuminating the tall Tokyo buildings in the neighborhood, with a small green park at their feet.

The day’s plan revolves around fixing my phone. The repair shop from yesterday pointed us to a store in Shimbashi, so we decide to take a stroll through the area before walking there. But first, Mr. is eager to return to a sushi restaurant that’s part of a chain—meaning there are several locations in the capital, but they’re all well-made. For those who haven’t read the previous travel journals, we learned about this place from a chance encounter with people from Osaka during our trip two years ago. This will be our brunch. The long-awaited return to Sushi no Midori!

When we arrive, we notice the queue management system has changed. Now, you have to take a ticket with a number. It’s early, so there aren’t many numbers ahead of ours. Our turn comes, and we’re seated at the bar. It’s a different vibe from the dining room. In a sushi restaurant, eating at the bar feels much more immersive, even though here, the chefs are elevated above the customers, and we don’t see all the food prep in detail. For this meal, I try the tuna chirashi with their delicious chawanmushi—a savory egg custard with a light, eggy flavor, topped here with a small shrimp and a mushroom. I really love theirs because it’s rich and subtle while still being comforting. The chirashi is a bowl of rice topped with different types of raw tuna (lean and fatty) prepared in various ways. I really enjoyed the "whipped" tuna—it was very flavorful.

As for my partner, their excitement about returning here leads to ordering several dishes. The only issue is that the service is so efficient and quick that the dishes pile up on the small bar space. It gets to the point where it makes our Japanese neighbor and the chef serving us (there are several) smile. The chef even pats his stomach—I imagine to say "eat well!"

Well-fed, we start our walk toward a famous shrine in Akasaka, just a few minutes away on foot. We stroll through the sunlit buildings, some reflecting off others. Combined with the shrine and the many umbrellas being used as parasols, it feels like a welcome to modern Japan—a blend of tradition and modernity.

From the southern entrance of the shrine, under a large torii, we take the escalator up the hill to enjoy the view of the neighborhood. A sense of harmony emerges.

The shrine grounds aren’t particularly remarkable. You’ll find symbols of monkeys, as they’re considered divine messengers and guardians of the mountain—this shrine is linked to Mount Hiei near Kyoto. A ceremony is being prepared.

At the Yasaka Shrine within the grounds, worshippers quietly line up to pray for a happy marriage, a smooth birth, or to bless their children, while crows caw in the background.

We end the visit by exiting on the west side, descending a narrow, charming alley of torii gates surrounded by greenery. It feels like a misty, exotic oasis.

With the heat bearing down on us, we decide to take the subway to Shimbashi.

The repair shop is in the New Shinbashi Building, a shopping center at the subway station. It’s a multi-story building filled with shops, bars, and restaurants, with a retro vibe. Some stores seem to have been there for ages. The building buzzes with as much life as the streets outside. What’s nice about retro places is that you can catch glimpses of life from the past, and there’s something reassuring about seeing things that stand the test of time. The store we’re looking for is on an upper floor. We take one of the elevators, but as usual, it doesn’t go to the exact floor we want. We have to stop at a lower floor but can’t find the next elevator, so we opt for the escalators—only to find that’s complicated too. That said, it gives us the chance to be invited into a massage parlor that seems to offer more than just massages. We decline and try to navigate this modern labyrinth. Eventually, somehow, we find a staircase and make it to the right floor, which is mostly empty, with a few scattered shops here and there in the hallways. We’re greeted by a young man who’s anything but welcoming. His voice is barely audible, and the exchange is as brief as can be. Still, I hand over my phone, and we’re told to come back in three hours to see if it’s fixable.

On our way down, before heading back outside, we stop at a fresh fruit juice shop we’d spotted earlier. It’s so hot that we’re craving cold drinks, so we each have two juices. We try kiwi, watermelon, and Japanese plum. So refreshing! You have to drink them standing at the tiny counter in the shop, making sure not to block the aisle.

Since we have to come back in three hours, we decide to walk to Tokyo Tower. We cross through Shimbashi and reach Shiba Park, stopping at a konbini to buy cold water—the heat is making us thirsty. Shiba Park isn’t extraordinary, except for the great view of Tokyo Tower. It’s also a local hangout spot—residents relax with family or friends, have picnics, or take photos of the tower.

There are several spiritual sites in the park that we don’t visit, except for what’s visible while walking around. There’s the Tosho-gu Shrine and Zojo-ji Temple.

At the temple, there are over 400 small statues of Jizo, a bodhisattva who protects travelers, women, and children. He safeguards the souls of unborn children and those who died too young. Some of these statues are dressed in knitted clothes by grieving parents.

We then head back toward Shimbashi, stopping occasionally at konbinis to connect to the internet. We’re supposed to meet a French couple we met during our second trip, when we were in the wilds of northern Tohoku. They’re traveling in Japan around the same time as us for their honeymoon. Internet access is necessary for the logistics of this meet-up—where and when. Back at the phone repair shop, the lack of acknowledgment from the person who helped us three hours earlier is a bit shocking (not really, given their lack of engagement, but it’s not the usual Japanese service). He sees us but doesn’t assist us, leaving his colleague to handle us. In the end, nothing could be done, so we have to pay 3800 yen even though I’m not sure he spent more than five minutes on the phone. I’m disappointed and worried because the phone is new, and I wonder if it’ll still be fixable when I get back to France. The answer will be yes, and even the repair shop in France didn’t believe it—apparently, seawater usually doesn’t forgive. We leave the building again. The square is crowded. I get the impression there’s a political rally.

We decide to walk back to the hotel, which lets us cross another part of the city. This area is mostly made up of very tall buildings. Though it’s nice, the urban walk, the crowds, and the heat are tiring us out—especially since we’re walking briskly. We have a meet-up at 9 PM in Shibuya and want to drop off our things at the hotel first.

Back at the hotel, we freshen up, and then tonight’s meet-up gets canceled. She’s feeling sick and tired. They’re taking an early flight tomorrow. We still chat a bit on the phone, quickly catching up on our respective trips. We don’t feel like going far, so we decide to try a Vietnamese restaurant (we’re craving a change from Japanese food), but we have to hurry because it’s already 8 PM, and things get tricky at this hour. The Vietnamese place closes at 10 PM. The restaurant is in Roppongi, which we reach on foot.

A little night view of Tokyo Tower as we arrive at Roppongi Hills.

We arrive at 8:40 PM, but they refuse to let us in because the kitchen closes at 8:30 PM—no negotiation possible. The other restaurants in the mall are also closing. The surrounding area is full of party bars, which aren’t really our scene. We try several restaurants, but they all turn us away unless we’re just there to drink. We eventually give up and head back to the hotel, stopping at a konbini for fried chicken and cherry tomatoes. We eat in the room. End of this first day in Tokyo.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-09

Day 22 - A Tokyo stroll

Today we’re off to wander through a neighborhood we haven’t explored yet. Kagurazaka is known for being a "French" district. We get off at the subway station with the same name as the neighborhood.

After heading in the wrong direction at first, we start our aimless meander. We just want to "soak in" the vibe. We begin in very quiet streets. A few nice restaurants seem to hide behind wooden sliding doors, and there’s a bakery with a more French feel than usual that seems to have a loyal clientele. Then we take the main street of the neighborhood, Kagurazaki Hill, heading down toward the Iidabashi subway station. The street gets livelier as we go.

And it’s true—we really felt a French vibe with all these shops; for a moment, we could’ve imagined ourselves shopping like Parisians (though it’s still different). At lunchtime, go figure our logic, we ended up in a Chinese restaurant where we particularly enjoyed the goji berry-infused alcohol.

In the neighborhood, we loved watching family life at the little Shirogane Park, where parents chat together while the kids run and jump in the sandbox, for example. We visited the Akagi Shrine, which has the unique feature of having been renovated in 2010 by Kengo Kuma. The shrine is made of wood and glass—modern, bright, and warm. The little café next door is pretty busy.

We also passed by the more traditional Zenkoku Temple. The alleys are lined with low-rise buildings or pretty houses. The neighborhood is residential but lively.

Every now and then, a terrace pops up, like this one with the pastry shop "Bon Rivière."

The heat was making us thirsty, so we couldn’t resist the pleasure of a nice cold fruit juice from Hapimaru Fruits. The strawberry juice was an absolute delight!! The green melon juice was good, but it would’ve been even better if it had been colder.

Famous French brands like Paul and Picard are around. There’s quite a crowd at Paul.... And to think that in France, this chain serves frozen food.....

A warm scent fills the air. What’s that smoking machine in the distance that’s perfuming the street? It’s a machine for roasting tea. And when you get closer, the taste of roasted tea (hojicha) is unmistakable.

The side streets perpendicular to the main avenue are almost deserted. We pop into a shop selling pretty floral pots, among other things.

Finally, we reach the bottom of the street that leads us to the Japanese Canal Saint-Martin—the Canal Café. A few steps down, and you’re by the canal with a long terrace. It’s pretty unexpected for Japan and very picturesque.

Continuing straight ahead, we move into a different neighborhood. An arcade catches our eye. RAMIA is written in big letters. We discover a completely retro but peaceful shopping center with several terraces.

We decide to leave the semi-covered alley to enter a building. A magnificent glass roof with a green and blue stained-glass window at the back decorates the structure.

The center is connected to the station. We love wandering through supermarkets, and here we find shikwasa juice—the Okinawan lemon.

Further on, a kitschy alley unfolds with restaurants serving Chinese, Thai, or Italian cuisine, with old-school decor but still pretty authentic—you really feel like you’re in each of those countries in their respective restaurants. And as a bonus, there’s a fortune-teller. You can get your palm read. We leave the RAMIA shopping center right next to the modern Iidabashi station.

We’re above the bridge, which gives us a high view of the canal below. Then we continue our wanderings in a straight line, but this time in the neighboring Chiyoda district. It’s bigger, the streets are wider, the buildings are more modern and taller, and the atmosphere is less bustling—there are fewer people.

We pass by the gigantic first torii of the Yasuni Shrine but don’t visit it. We reach Kitanomaru Park by going through the Tayasu-mon gate. In front of a building, there’s a small crowd—fans of a singer. We spot a homeless person collecting coins from drink vending machines when there are any.

We enjoyed the park quietly before leaving the neighborhood. We had planned to stop by Ginza Six to have some really good matcha ice cream with a pastry cone, but a problem with the subway changed our plans. Instead, we went to a Thai restaurant we’d enjoyed on a previous trip. A good Thai curry—spicy, fresh, and creamy—is always a safe bet.

From the restaurant terrace, we head to the subway station near the sea. A huge Norwegian cruise ship, I think, is docked in the distance.

We head back to the hotel quietly.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-09

Day 23 - West of Tokyo This 3rd installment in Tokyo has no tourist pretensions other than to "capture" the city's vibe by wandering through different neighborhoods. So today, we opted for a stroll in Kichijōji, a supposedly popular district west of Tokyo, in the suburbs. The sun and its scorching heat are still in full force... From Akasaka, which is central, we reach Kichijōji Station in about 30 minutes. The station is large, with multiple exits and lots of passersby. The crowd moves at a brisk pace, creating a certain liveliness that can sometimes be a bit challenging when your eyes need to find a landmark to figure out where to go, but at the same time, you don’t want to disrupt the flow of people who know exactly where they’re headed. In the end, we go where we can and find ourselves in the station’s basement (or at least, I think it’s the basement), which is packed with all sorts of shops where our eyes land...

I appreciate how every square meter is optimized and how the various products—whether they interest me or not—are displayed. There’s a certain aesthetic in the colors and the harmonious order. No doubt, marketing works even on minds that aren’t particularly shopping-oriented!

But it’s also interesting to observe the products sold, which reflect Japanese fashion, like these summer socks.

We managed to navigate this maze without spending a single yen and made it to the dreaded underground food market in the station. A paradise for the eyes, nose, and taste buds. Many stalls offer various Japanese culinary specialties, but not only that.

At many stalls, you can taste the food, making the choice even harder because everything is absolutely delicious (at least what we were able to nibble on). All these colorful, ultra-fresh foods really whet our appetite. We hadn’t planned anything, but it led us to decide to grab some takeout. We then headed to Inokashira Park, about a 5-minute walk away. It’s Sunday, a day for walks for both Japanese locals and tourists. The streets and the park are quite busy. All the spots with even a little shade are taken. We had to walk deeper into the park to find a bench by the lake near a small playground for kids. We had lunch with the food we bought—fish salad, ginger chicken with eggplant, and some Chinese steamed buns.

We enjoyed our meal while watching the activity in the park. Near our bench, an artist had set up to offer portrait drawings. Families with kids or couples stopped to capture the moment. A mixed couple sat on the bench to our left. The woman lay down with her head on her partner’s lap, each reading a book. A Korean family, seemingly on vacation, took a break with their baby in a stroller; the perfect opportunity to enjoy a burger and take some photos. Japanese grandmas and grandpas, alone or with friends, passed by chatting and laughing or admiring the surrounding nature.

After this meal break, we continued our walk in the park, which is quite large. You can rent a pedal boat on the lake, pray at a shrine, or visit the zoo, among other things. Everyone can find something to enjoy. The walk is pleasant.

We also wanted to throw away our trash. Naively, we hoped that in such a park there would be "Gomibako" (trash cans), but no—absolutely none! Not in the restrooms, not at the stall selling salty or sweet snacks, which just directed us back to where we bought the products. So we returned to the underground food market, but there too, it was impossible to find a trash can, even when asking the vendors, who didn’t even understand the question! I’m not talking about the meaning of the question but the very idea of looking for a trash can. Their surprised faces were priceless—you’d think we were filming a hidden-camera prank. We resumed our walk, this time in the adjacent shopping streets. The neighborhood is full of various shops. We took Sunroad shotengai. It was packed with people, but we managed to move further along.

A search for a specific product led us to BIC CAMERA, an electronics store where we spent quite some time. The store is huge, and we had to make ourselves understood to the staff. Even inside the store, you can find drink vending machines and a few tables to sit down. We then continued our leisurely stroll through the streets. You really have to go beyond the first few streets to find quieter but equally charming streets, as well as temples and shrines.

We took a break in a slightly retro shopping center to enjoy a fruit juice.

By the time we left, night had fallen, and the atmosphere was different with the various lights.

Ichiban Japan actually talks about the nightlife in this neighborhood. Here’s the link for those interested: https://ichiban-japan.com/errance-nocturne-a-kichijoji/?srsltid=AfmBOoo0Eyx3hxA19eTK2QRZvBjlc8NAUxnXcyUOjrXd4co0CBSTrBcM

It was time for us to move on. We returned to the station and made some purchases for later, including a Miyazaki mango that’s worth its weight in gold. We tasted it later, and I have to admit, the flavor is incredible! I don’t usually like this fruit, but one like this, I’d gladly eat more. First, the texture is soft and dense, with an exotic coconut taste and a slightly tangy touch. Mango lovers, don’t hesitate! 13 € (at the 2026 exchange rate of 1 € = 160 yen) is expensive, but once in a lifetime, for an unforgettable memory, it’s worth more than thousands of clothes or shoes in your closet. What do you think? Give it a try—this fruit is amazing. The one on the right, the most expensive, wasn’t tested.

We took the subway to Shinjuku to see the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building towers. There’s a free sound and light show (Tokyo Night & Light) every evening. We expected a crowd, but to our surprise, there were only about 15-20 people at most. Some were sitting, others lying on the small patches of grass. We arrived a little early, just enough time to settle in comfortably. Then the show started—30 minutes of music and images projected onto the towers on different themes. It’s worth coming for; it’s really well done.

The show is always accessible and changes depending on the day. For more info, check here: https://tokyoprojectionmappingproject.jp/en/

And that’s how another day in Tokyo comes to an end.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-16

Day 23 – A little trip to southern Tokyo, in Togoshiginza

The day starts quietly with brunch at our sushi "canteen," which we’ve mentioned before. But today, we’re sitting in the restaurant section.

Mr. went all out again! Since the service is super fast, our little table—Japanese-sized, of course—quickly fills up. The waitress even laughs, moving the sauces aside and setting up a second table next to ours so we have a bit more space.

For a change, I try some white fish sushi seasoned with lemon. A combo I’m discovering and really enjoying.

Off to Togoshiginza

After that, we head to Togoshiginza with the idea of exploring a lesser-known part of Tokyo, just wandering wherever we feel like.

During our last trip, we’d already done this kind of stroll, and it ended up being one of my best Tokyo memories. So today, we’re doing it again!

Getting around in Japan is usually pretty easy... except when the subway suddenly turns into a train without warning!

We’re standing in the carriage, calmly watching the scenery go by. As we move along, the surroundings become less urban. I check the stations: everything’s fine.

Then, all of a sudden, I notice we’re passing the station that was supposed to be next... without stopping.

Hmm... weird.

I look at the signs again and realize: the subway has turned into a train and won’t stop at the scheduled station!

So we get off at the next stop, which is pretty far from our destination. We have to cross over to the opposite platform to head back the other way.

We wait about twenty minutes because, apparently, we’re now in the "outer" suburbs. We take the train back in the other direction, get off, and finally find the subway again—which, this time, stays a subway and doesn’t turn into a train!

We eventually arrive at our stop, A-04 Togoshi on the A line, the Toei Asakusa line.

All that for a little relaxed stroll in Tokyo!

Togoshi Street, everyday Tokyo

Togoshi Street is just a few steps from the subway exit. It’s easy to spot thanks to its pole-shaped gates marking the street name.

Togoshi Street is said to be one of Tokyo’s longest *shōtengai*, with about 1.3 kilometers of shops. This shopping arcade developed after the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, which hit central Tokyo hard.

Merchants from Tokyo—and even from around Yokohama—reportedly settled here, taking advantage of the neighborhood’s growth and the opening of Togoshi-Ginza Station on the Ikegami Line.

Even though the area obviously doesn’t have the luxury of Ginza, it does share a connection with it. Stones and bricks from the earthquake’s destruction were apparently reused in the neighborhood. That’s partly what gave it the name Togoshi-Ginza.

But here, there’s nothing fancy or sophisticated.

And that’s exactly what we like.

You’ll mostly find everyday shops—places where locals have their routines. The vibe is relaxed, simple, and authentic. Not really hipster, just a neighborhood where people live.

It’s a Monday afternoon, and for now, it’s not crowded. On weekends, the atmosphere must be way livelier.

There are all kinds of shops: florists, butchers, supermarkets, restaurants, secondhand clothing stores, laundromats...

And above all, you see all those little everyday scenes I love observing in Japan: bikes parked on the street, laundry drying on balconies, grandpas and grandmas doing their shopping, shopkeepers who smile but aren’t pushy...

In short, ordinary life. And it’s this ordinary life that draws us in so much.

Not to mention the famous vending machines, often customized and seemingly a key part of the Japanese landscape. Around a tiny alley, we even discover a small shrine tucked between buildings. One of those spots that could easily go unnoticed if you don’t take the time to look around.

And here’s Gin-Chan, the neighborhood mascot! Togoshi Ginjiro, affectionately called Gi-Chan, was created to help the area compete with big shopping malls. You’ll spot him in several places along the street.

And apparently, if you rub the colored ball he’s holding, your wish will come true. Depending on the color, it’ll bring health, success, or even love.

The neighborhood also has several little shops where you can grab a quick snack or just pick up something for dinner.

As the afternoon goes on, the atmosphere starts to shift.

By the end of the day, especially around Togoshi-Ginza Station, the street comes alive with locals finishing their workday, I imagine.

Their comings and goings are punctuated by the barrier lifting when trains stop running. A tiny slice of everyday life, but one that suddenly gives the street so much energy.

Togoshiginza at nightfall

Then night falls. And the neighborhood changes again. The shop lights make the streets especially nice to photograph. As just a tourist photographer with no gear suited for night shots, I’m not sure my pictures do the atmosphere justice.

But in person, it’s really pretty. We take a little break at a café for yuzu and brown sugar ice cream before continuing our walk. Then we decide to visit the Togoshi Hachiman-gu shrine, even though it’s already dark.

Maybe it’s even better this way. The lights give the shrine a completely different atmosphere, and we’re lucky enough to see a small group of boys practicing taiko drums inside. A lovely, totally unexpected moment—just like the kind that happens when you wander without a set plan.

A nighttime stroll in the park

We keep walking toward Togoshi Koen park. On the way, we pass a soccer field where kids are still training. Another simple scene from the neighborhood. The park itself is peaceful.

It has a pond, a small waterfall, and some bamboo. It’s a nice little neighborhood park, part of which is lit up at night. The walk stays pleasant even after dark. And Tokyo still has a few surprises in store for us. Like this fresh orange juice vending machine that squeezes the oranges right in front of you.

Even the *koban*—those little neighborhood police boxes—look pretty under the night lights.

Everything’s an excuse to stop, look, take pictures, and pause for a few minutes.

A simple day, but exactly how we like them

Given the time, we eventually decide to head back. There’s still plenty to discover in Togoshiginza, but we’ve already enjoyed this walk a lot. We return to our hotel’s neighborhood, Akasaka, and end the day at a Vietnamese restaurant.

A pretty simple day overall: brunch, a subway mix-up, a long shopping street, a few shrines, a park, kids training, locals coming home from work, and lights slowly turning on. But that’s exactly what we came for.

After the big neighborhoods and must-see spots in Tokyo, Togoshiginza let us see another side of the city: the kind of area you don’t necessarily visit to "sightsee," but just to watch Tokyo live. And in the end, those unplanned days—just wandering around an ordinary neighborhood—often become some of the best travel memories.

BL Bluequark Veteran ·2026-08-18

Good evening,

These Tokyo walks are really great! Thanks.

Bluequark

Carnets : Namibie, Laos-Perhentias-BKK, Ouest US, Lanzarote, New-York, Berlin, Cuba, Bardenas Reales, AFS -Lesotho-Swaziland, Japon et le dernier né Colombie: https://voyageforum.com/discussion/ete-2017-trois-semaines-en-colmobie-en-famille-d10108246/

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-19

Good evening,

These Tokyo walks are really nice! Thanks.

Hello,

Thanks for following along!

Exploring these less touristy neighborhoods is really enjoyable. Tokyo has so many different vibes—it's great.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-19

Day 24 - From Gardens in Old Tokyo to a Garden in Modern Tokyo

Let’s start by fueling up for another day of wandering. To switch things up from konbini and fried chicken, we opted for breakfast in our hotel’s neighborhood (Akasaka, just to remind you) with a menu that was half New Zealand, half Japanese. The result? A lamb and onion sandwich with a matcha latte topped with its decorative milk heart. It was pretty good, though not exceptional. Rare in Japan, the café had a covered terrace facing the street—but not right on the sidewalk—so it was a nice way to kick off the day.

Despite the heat, a gray sky followed us. We took the subway to Bunkyo. I *think* we got off at Waseda station, but I’m not entirely sure. Either way, it’s a student-heavy area thanks to Waseda University being right nearby. You can tell without even seeing the campus—just look at all the young students filling the streets. On the way to the first garden, we passed a wildly unique and quirky building: Waseda El Dorado, designed by Japan’s Gaudí, Von Jour Caux. It’s a residential building and the only one in this style, totally unlike typical Japanese architecture.

The garden is tucked away in a quiet neighborhood near the Kanda River. It’s called Higo Hosokawa Teien. We entered through its south gate. Since 1961, the garden has belonged to Bunkyo Ward, but historically, it was the secondary residence garden of the Hosokawa feudal lord family, who ruled part of what’s now Kumamoto Prefecture. It was founded during the Edo period (17th century). The garden follows classic Japanese garden design: a pond, a bridge, stepping stones, waterfalls, and various paths to explore, including some leading up a hill for a higher vantage point. As expected, there were barely any visitors when we stopped by—just four Japanese people. The zen vibes were in full effect in this stunningly beautiful garden.

Among those four Japanese visitors, we spotted a young couple in traditional attire taking their wedding photos. We didn’t photograph them head-on to let them enjoy their moment.

On the other hand, we *did* want to highlight the unsung heroes who keep these places so beautifully zen with their daily work: the gardeners. There were three of them tending to the garden while we were there. One agreed to be photographed after first thinking we wanted him to take *our* picture—then, once he realized we wanted *him* in the shot, he seemed puzzled about why we’d want that.

We wandered and soaked in the scenery, sometimes taking the winding paths through the garden, other times sitting on one of the scattered benches to enjoy the different views of this lush, relaxing green oasis.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-23

Day 24 - From Garden to Garden

We exit through the same entrance, the south gate of the garden. We follow the Kanda River as we head toward another garden right next door. However, the entrance is on another street behind and well above our current spot.

As we walk along a small "park," a local hangout (jogging, homeless people, kids playing), we notice a steep path that’ll probably take us to the street we’re looking for. We climb up. Success! Then, a few hundred meters later, we find ourselves in front of what seems to be the entrance to the Chizanso Hotel. It’s a large, rather old luxury hotel right in the heart of Tokyo. This used to be the residence of Aritomo Yamagata, a former samurai and military leader who became a key figure in power during the Meiji era (1868–1912). He bought this land in 1878 to establish his private residence in the capital. A huge garden enthusiast, he personally helped design the Chinzan-so as it can still be admired today. And it turns out this garden is open to the public for free. The hotel is grand, with lots of staff. The staff cater to their luxury clientele—and even to those who aren’t, like us that day. They open doors for us, rush to meet our needs. We were planning to have a cocktail at the bar, but it only opens in the evening. They suggest we sit in the lounge/restaurant facing the garden. We give in. They even pull out chairs for us to sit.

It’s hot today, and I want to freshen up in the restroom before ordering. When I ask where it is, a woman accompanies me. She recognized my French accent and, as it turns out, she speaks French. When I return to the table, the young woman has become our dedicated waitress. Explaining that we’d initially wanted a cocktail, she offers to have the bartender make us one. I’ve forgotten the name, but it referenced fireflies at night in the garden. We order that. The cocktails arrive with three little treats: candied cherry tomatoes, candied yuzu, and green olives. The candied yuzu was divine.

We have fun people-watching around us. The clientele is clearly upscale, judging by their outfits, posture, and mannerisms. The women were especially elegant. We chatted with our dedicated waitress in French. She went to Paris, Bordeaux, and Dijon 20 years ago for 15 days. She keeps up her French by speaking with the few clients who come here. She explains that the garden is free except after 6 PM. Plus, every hour or so, mist appears over the pond, giving the garden a mystical vibe. We enjoyed our pleasant cocktail. When our glasses were cleared, they asked for our room number to charge us... We appreciated the staff treating us like any other guests, despite our casual, non-chic outfits (and definitely not underdressed). Afterward, we took the chance to explore the hotel, which is huge. To our surprise, you can wander around freely even if you’re not a guest. And let me tell you, it’s worth the detour—the hotel is old, with an equally old-fashioned style, but it’s absolutely stunning inside. The furniture, art objects displayed here and there, even the restrooms are gorgeous. The hallways with their lounges, the carpets on the floor, and that view of the garden and its pagoda... A simple immersion in beauty.

We then went to visit the garden, which had very few visitors—just four other people besides us.

We stayed for a while, soaking in the place before leaving. The staff rushed to open the automatic doors for us as we went.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-23

Day 24 continued

The hotel is right across from St. Mary's Cathedral in Tokyo, designed by Kenzō Tange—the same Kenzō Tange behind the city hall...

This very modern, even futuristic Catholic building dates back to 1964, as it was destroyed in 1945. However, the original structure was built in 1899 in a more traditional Gothic style. We wanted to visit the interior, but unfortunately, we arrived just as the staff was stepping out to close the cathedral. And in Japan, time is time—no chance of getting in, even for five minutes. We settled for admiring this surprising architectural work from the outside. It stands 39 meters tall, with a 60-meter bell tower and a length of 55 meters. A mix of gray tones in concrete and steel.

The street just behind features a few religious mosaics.

After this surprising blend of spiritual and contemporary architecture, we found ourselves transported to another place, another neighborhood—just as astonishing. Welcome to Azabudai Hills! Right at the subway exit, Azabudai Hills makes its ambitions clear: immaculate white, soaring ceilings, and staff everywhere. The luxury starts before you even set foot in the district. I knew this place was all about opulence. A dedicated article in the specialized *Japan Magazine* about this eco-urban village, inaugurated in November 2023, described it well. But seeing the photos of the buildings—all curves and ultra-modern design—piqued my curiosity enough to bring us here today. That said, reading about it and experiencing it are two very different things. Azabudai Hills is a city within a city, a labyrinth of steel and gentle curves. Our eyes and senses struggled to make sense of it. We moved from one building to another but would’ve been lost trying to retrace our steps. Navigating it is an adventure in itself.

We entered the sprawling commercial zone wherever we could. The massive corridors allowed for easy movement despite the crowd, their hurried steps reflecting the neighborhood’s buzzing energy. From clothing stores to gourmet boutiques, no matter what you choose, a heavier wallet is a must here. A little hungry and armed with konbini snacks, we searched for a place to eat but got lost in the maze. We didn’t spot any accessible indoor seating, so we had to resort to something not exactly typical in Japan... I could almost read the judgment in the eyes of passing locals as we grabbed a quick bite sitting on something in the street. Our setting? A street lined with contemporary, greenery-covered buildings. The gardens seemed to flow along with the street—surprising and beautiful at the same time. Still, we ate quickly, feeling out of place eating on the street. It’s not the norm in Japan, or at least not in well-defined areas where it’s allowed.

Back to our chic stroll through the shopping gallery.

This boutique’s decor is original—I’ll let the picture speak for itself.

Since we love viewpoints, we set off in search of the panoramic view from Mori Tower. Labyrinthine, you said? That’s an understatement. Finding the observatory felt like a scavenger hunt. The signs were subtle, and the elevators were scattered across different buildings. Thankfully, the reviews we read beforehand saved us from going in circles. But first, check out this architectural staircase space where escalators flow. All volume and curves.

At the top of these escalators on the first floor, you have to go to the end of a hallway leading to more elevators. Hidden on the right, a transparent panel with white lettering finally points to the panoramic view. Hallelujah! A quick, silent ride took us up to the 33rd floor. However, we didn’t realize access to the space was reserved only for those who ordered something at the bar up there. After all that effort, we weren’t about to leave, so we gave in. That said, don’t expect a proper cocktail bar—it’s more like a snack bar on a TGV train, with basic drinks and overpriced snacks that aren’t terrible but aren’t great either. As for the panoramic view, it didn’t offer an unobstructed cityscape like the one at Tokyo City Hall but a nice view of Tokyo Tower. And since it was evening, the tower was lit up in its signature red, as I’ve mentioned before in this travel journal.

After grabbing a drink, you can sit on the large staircase facing the huge windows, letting Tokyo’s urban lights shine through.

I mentioned the upscale boutiques—one in particular blew me away. What’s so special about it? Elegant, colorful, and delicate floral bouquets that supposedly last up to one or two years without watering. I’ll share a few of these stunning arrangements. Unsurprisingly, the price matches the vibrancy of the flowers. Way more than I imagined, but let’s keep in mind the artistry behind it.

There’s also a popular burger chain here—SHOGUN BURGERS. We had dinner there. It was good, but nothing compared to Bocca Burgers in Miyakojima. Still, it was nice to experience those little practical touches the Japanese excel at, like the paper wrap to keep your burger from falling apart while eating.

Finally, we ended with a nighttime view of the urban garden, Tokyo Tower, and the glowing storefronts—Hermès among them. Honestly, the design is impressive. It’s a pleasant place to walk around, full of life. A brand had organized a sneaker-testing run, joggers were returning from their workout, and another group was doing yoga under the giant rose-shaped archway. The result is sculptural. You can really feel the blend of functions—residential, commercial, and green spaces.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-23

Day 25 - Strolling and souvenir shopping

This day will be mainly dedicated to shopping for our return to France. We start the day leisurely at the KITTE shopping center, right across from Tokyo Station. Our goal is to visit the Intermediatheque, a free museum. Without any particular expectations, it surprises us with its diverse exhibits. It covers disciplines like anatomy, modern art, archaeology, and engineering. There are plenty of interesting curiosities: gramophones, very old photos of Japanese people who were quite short, medicinal Chinese herbs and plants, dinosaur skeletons, stuffed animals, etc.—all in a spacious area where you can wander freely, just making sure to carry your backpack in front so you don’t knock anything over.

The place also offers a beautiful view of Tokyo Station, which is always stunning.

For lunch, we end up at a Chinese restaurant on the top floor by default. The service is quick and efficient, and to our surprise, the food is really good. Cold noodles with peanuts, spicy noodles.

A quick stop on the terrace, which also offers a view of Tokyo Station, its tracks, and the surrounding buildings.

We take a little stroll through the shopping gallery. I was tempted by some socks with a typical Japanese style, but they stayed in the shop. There were so many choices that it would’ve taken too long to decide. The floral displays in the flower shops are eye-catching.

Of course, we admired the beautiful modern architecture of the shopping center before heading to the main goal of the day.

On the way, we passed through the Tokyo International Forum, a venue for performances and conferences, among other things. The architecture there is also magnificent.

We wanted to buy some typical souvenirs from the regions we visited, especially food items. Since we didn’t have much time to shop during our trip, Tokyo has these incredibly convenient stores called "Antenna shops." We went to the Antenna shop for the Shikoku region and the one for Okinawa. We also discovered products we hadn’t seen during our road trip, like yuzu chili paste, which is amazing in broth or as a condiment with meat and fish. By the time we left, we were more loaded down than we’d imagined, and carrying the rather heavy bags was tough given all the walking required in Tokyo’s public transport. To make things easier, we decided to hail a taxi—the space, air conditioning, and quiet were a welcome relief, and we couldn’t help but think about the hassle we would’ve faced without it. In the evening, we kept it simple and went back to the yakitori place near our hotel. This time, we sat at the bar. It’s always nice to watch the cooking. The owner is a quiet, reserved person, but by the end, we still managed to chat a bit with him and his wife. They gave us a little gift—some scented towels—and of course, walked us to the door. When you go back to the same place a few times, it’s easier to create connections, even if they’re just small ones.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-23

Day 27 - Return to France (There's still one more post, the conclusion is right after)

The next morning, it was time to leave. The handle of my suitcase was broken, and yesterday’s taxi experience convinced us to take a taxi to the airport this morning—no reservation, just a 10-minute wait at 6:45 AM. It was convenient and really comfortable.

At the airport, the Japanese service was on full display. There was a woman holding a sign right at the foot of an escalator to indicate you needed to go upstairs for departures, even though a fixed sign right next to it said the same thing. Just in case you couldn’t read, who knows.

With the broken suitcase handle, we couldn’t use the "automatic" baggage drop-off. We had to go to the staffed counters, which seemed complicated after being redirected multiple times, but we eventually made it to the departure area. Final purchases at the airport with the remaining balance on our ICOCA card (prepaid card) for one last taste of Japanese gastronomy. Then, the return to France began in the departure lounge, where European cultural behaviors—louder, more rushed, speaking French—reminded us that this Japanese journey had come to an end. A few more interactions with the Japanese flight attendants on the plane kept a little sweetness going until the very end.

BL Bluequark Veteran ·2026-08-23

Thanks again for this travel journal—I found it really interesting and full of charm.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-23

CONCLUSION: Japan remains incredible! (in my eyes, of course)

- 4th trip and still not tired of this country (luckily or unluckily, I’m not quite sure)

- The island of Shikoku is a wonder for its nature, cities, mountains, coasts, gastronomy, and tranquility.

What I saw and visited during this second trip to Shikoku was different from what I had seen before, in the prefectures of Kagawa and Tokushima (see the travel journalhere).

I thought I’d like Ehime Prefecture less than the rest, but it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise, with the lovely city of Matsuyama, charming and lively villages, and the rugged coastline.

- My highlights in Shikoku: I loved everything, so I won’t list it all. Here are just the 5 things that come to mind:

Nakatsu Gorge, in Kochi Prefecture The beauty of the rivers, especially the Shimanto River, stunningly framed by the surrounding plains and mountains, Ehime’s coastline, particularly the village of Sotodomari Ishigaki no Sato and Cape Koumo, Matsuyama Castle at night And the city of Kochi for its retro and peaceful vibe.

I’ll add a sixth, off the list: Japanese cuisine, always as tempting, delicious, and varied as ever.

And one last thing—so obvious to me that I almost forgot—but the Japanese people for their savoir-vivre and kindness, which lead to wonderful encounters every trip! Without them, our travels wouldn’t be nearly as memorable!

Does this make you want to discover Shikoku someday? What did you enjoy from this travel journal or other readings/experiences?

- If I were to do it again, still in Shikoku:

If I had to change something while keeping the same duration (13 days) and route, I wouldn’t necessarily go to Tobe (not essential) or Aki, and I’d stay longer around Kochi for logistical reasons.

If I changed the itinerary without extending the trip but prioritized a slower, more immersive experience, I’d probably spend all 13 days in either Kochi or Ehime Prefecture—they’re both so vast, and there are so many things I’d have loved to do but didn’t have time for, like visiting Kasturahama Beach in Kochi, the Tosa Washi Paper Museum in Ino near Kochi, whale and dolphin watching on a boat tour in Tosa Bay, Cape Muroto, the retro town of Susaki, the yuzu fields in Umaji, visiting a pearl farm and buying some, snorkeling on Kashima Island, or exploring one of the Kutsuna Islands... the list goes on!

-Miyakojima, now that we’ve been there three times, I think it’s clear we love it. Such beautiful, uncrowded beaches, snorkeling, endless foodie spots, and pure relaxation—what more could you ask for?

-And Tokyo, our third visit with new discoveries. This city is captivating and full of possibilities. I’ll admit, though, it took me a while to adjust to the "crowds" after three weeks in the quiet landscapes of Shikoku and Miyakojima. It was quite an energy shock! If I were to do it again and the itinerary allowed, I’d recommend splitting it into two 3-4 day stays rather than one 7-8 day stretch.

- Budget breakdown: Reminder: rainy season (tsuyu) in June 2025, with an exchange rate of 1 euro = 160 yen

Total accommodation = 1939 € for 27 nights Type of accommodation: mostly business hotels, 1 house, 1 slightly upscale hotel, 1 resort-style hotel/apartment Average of 70 € per night for 2. However, accommodation in Shikoku and Miyakojima was more like 45 to 60 € per night for 2. We paid around 115 € per night in Tokyo, but you can find cheaper options. Plus, we chose a slightly larger room in a central neighborhood.

Flights: 1465 € per person for international and domestic flights—4 flights total with Japan’s national airline, ANA, tickets purchased 2 weeks before departure.

Paris - Tokyo - Kochi Matsuyama - Naha - Miyakojima Miyakojima - Tokyo Tokyo - Paris

Car rental:

Total budget: 750 € for 19 days, averaging 39.50 € per day

In Shikoku: Via the Tocoo website, 600 € for 12 full days, or 50 € per day. That’s a bit more than the usual rate of around 40 € per day based on my past experiences. The extra cost came from picking up the car in Kochi (Kochi Prefecture) and dropping it off in Matsuyama (Ehime Prefecture). Returning it to the same location is cheaper.

In Miyakojima: 150 € for 7 days, or 22 € per day

And here I am, finally at the end of this 4th travel journal, albeit with some delays in writing and getting lost in the details. But I’d like to thank the readers who reached out and the silent ones who read part or all of it, hoping you traveled with us through Japan, enjoyed the new and revisited spots from previous journals, and maybe even felt inspired to visit this corner of the world.

BL Bluequark Veteran ·2026-08-23

And thanks also for this info!

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-23

Thanks again for this travel journal—I found it really interesting and full of charm.

Thanks so much for keeping up with my irregular posts! And thank you for the comment on the journal. Beyond the selfish pleasure of sharing my Japan trip, I hope to modestly help others discover the other wonders Japan has to offer beyond the usual classics, which are also great.

NA Nathalie971 Regular ·2026-08-23

And thanks for this info too!

Just for reference, of course—everyone travels with different needs and interests.

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Holigirl 9 hours ago · Voyajou

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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Bibouns51 9 hours ago · Djalma

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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Benja1246 9 hours ago

Retour de voyage au Mexique juillet 2026

Voyage réalisé avec ma compagne du dimanche 5 juillet 2026 au mercredi 22 juillet 2026. Nous avons longtemps hésité avant de décider si nous louions une voiture ou si nous nous déplacerions en transport en commun. Finalement, au vu du nombre de posts que j’ai pu lire de voyageurs s’étant fait arnaquer par la police ou par les loueurs, et même ceux recommandés par tous les blogs ou commentaires, nous avons décidé de nous déplacer en transport en commun. Cela se fait très bien. Effectivement on est un peu moins libre d’aller ou on veut mais c’était pour nous beaucoup moins de stress.

Dimanche 5 juillet :

Arrivée à l’aéroport de Cancun. Retrait d’argent au distributeur dans le terminal juste avant la sortie. Le comptoir des bus ADO (qu’ils prononcent « A-Ji-O ») est situé dans votre dos quand vous êtes face au distributeur. Bus vers le centre de Cancun 145 pesos par personnes. Logement « Rose 5 » réservé sur Booking. Studio très propre parfait pour une nuit. Les indications du proprio pour accéder au logement étaient très précises avec photos à l'appui. L'arrivée est autonome et se fait par code. Le terminal de bus Ado est située pas très loin ainsi que des commerces et restaurants. Nous avons beaucoup apprécié que la clim ait été mise avant notre arrivée. D’ailleurs je vous invite à prendre des logements avec systématiquement la clim car il fait très chaud au Mexique.

Lundi 6 juillet :

Achat d’une carte sim dans une boutique TELCEL avec de la DATA. Ma compagne qui est sur Free a pu utiliser son forfait classique. Pour information j’ai trouvé le réseau très instable. Dès que l’on sortait des villes cela ne captait jamais que soit moi avec TELCEL ou ma compagne avec Free. Autre point de vigilance, attention au hors forfait. J’ai dû remettre ma carte sim quelques secondes (moins de 30 secondes pour recevoir un code sms pour ma banque) et mon téléphone s’est visiblement connecté à internet. 8 euros de hors forfait. Départ en bus ADO vers Chiquila pour 278 pesos par personne. Durant notre voyage, les bus ADO ont toujours été à l’heure, confortables et propres. Par contre la clim y est poussée à fond donc prévoyez de quoi vous couvrir car il y fait froid. Certains trajets étaient complets alors que nous étions en saison basse donc prévoyez de les réserver 1 ou 2 jours avant directement sur l’appli (quand elle fonctionne) sinon au comptoir de la compagnie. Arrivés au terminal ADO à Chiquila, les comptoirs des compagnies de ferries sont juste à côté. Il y a des départs toutes les 30 minutes en alternance, donc pas besoin de réserver à l’avance. Il vous suffit de prendre la compagnie qui a le prochain départ (330 pesos par personnes). Arrivés à Holbox (à prononcer « Holboch »), nous avions réservé un logement via booking à la « casa de nana ». Le logement était un très grand studio avec frigo, plaque pour cuisiner et ustensiles. Le gros plus de ce logement est L'emplacement. Il est situé à 100 mètres de la plage et 200 mètres d’un supermarché Chedraoui. Ils fournissent des serviettes de bain et des serviettes de plage. La climatisation fonctionnait parfaitement. Il y a une boîte à clé pour pouvoir les laisser dedans quand on sort. Par contre personne n’était là à notre arrivée pour nous ouvrir la chambre, nous avons dû attendre un moment. Le wi-fi était bon et heureusement car durant les 4 jours de notre séjour à Holbox, le réseau de téléphone n’a jamais fonctionné. Au dire des locaux cela est assez fréquent à Holbox, comme les coupures d’eau. Heureusement j’avais eu la bonne idée de télécharger une carte sur maps pour qu’elle soit disponible hors connexion, ce qui nous a permis de retrouver plus facilement notre logement. Le logement est accessible à pied depuis l’embarcadère.

Le restaurant à côté de notre logement (La Barracuda) est très bon si vous aimez les fruits de mer et je vous conseille leurs différentes recettes de poulpes.

Mardi 7 juillet :

Nous avons fait une sortie kayak dans la mangrove de Holbox le matin à 6h. Nous cherchions une sortie kayak au lever du soleil dans la mangrove avec un guide francophone. C’est le cas dans l’agence « kayaking Holbox » où Diego, le boss parle anglais et français. Il était accompagné de Gustavo, un collègue guide . Nous avions réservé pour une sortie collective mais nous n’étions que 2. Diego a quand même maintenu la sortie là ou d’autres l'auraient annulée faute de participants. Nous avons donc eu droit à une sortie privée au tarif groupe ce qui est très professionnel de sa part.. Ils nous ont fait découvrir cet écosystème merveilleux pendant plus de 3h. Nous avons vu toutes sortes d'oiseaux : flamands roses, pélicans, aigrettes, frégates....Des raies , une limule et un petit crocodile vraiment bien caché. Diego et Gustavo ont vraiment l’œil pour voir les animaux. J'aurais pu passer 100 fois devant le crocodile et je ne l'aurais jamais vu tellement il se fondait dans le paysage. Ses explications sur la faune et la flore étaient très intéressantes. Nous avons eu aussi droit à une petite pause où nous avons dégusté des mangues et bananes qui n’ont vraiment pas le même goût qu’en France . Un régal les petites mangues jaunes mexicaines. Je recommande Diego et son agence pour une sortie kayak en français (tarif 1000 pesos par personne). Le soir, nous sommes allés à pied à Punta Coco pour voir la bioluminescence. Pas besoin d’excursion guidée pour cela. Si vous ne voulez vraiment pas marcher vous pouvez prendre un taxi. A Punta Coco il vous faut passer le bar restaurant sur la plage et ensuite aller vers la gauche dans un espèce de bras de mer qui forme un lac. Il faut remuer les pieds ou mettre les mains dans l’eau et l’agiter, c’est le mouvement qui fait produire la lumière. Attention ne vous attendez pas aux photos que vous avez pu voir et qui sont toutes retouchées ! C’est sympa à voir mais vous ne serez pas éblouis par la lumière...

Mercredi 8 juillet :

Sortie requin baleine avec « My Holbox tours ». Pourquoi vous conseiller cette agence plutôt qu’une autre parmi les différentes offres pour nager avec les requins baleines ? Tout simplement parce que Valérie sait s'entourer de très bons professionnels pour rendre votre expérience exceptionnelle. Nous étions avec le capitaine Fernando qui fait tout pour placer son bateau à la perfection et faciliter votre immersion. Dans l’eau nous étions accompagnés de Humberto qui fait lui aussi tout son possible et se démène pour que vous passiez un moment incroyable. Il ne se contente pas de vous "surveiller" pour que tout se passe bien comme le font certains guides d’autres compagnies en vous abandonnant. Non, Humberto lit la trajectoire du requin baleine et vous guide. Vous n’avez plus qu’à le suivre. Il ne ménage pas ses efforts en vous tenant la main pour vous guider dans cette rencontre rapide mais intense . Humberto filme aussi ce moment. Il vous proposera de visionner les vidéos et vous proposera de les lui acheter. Ses vidéos sont de très bonne qualité. Fernando et Humberto nous ont aussi préparé à manger. Mention spéciale pour leur guacamole . Valérie est là pour que tout se passe bien sur le bateau et répondre à vos questions en français, anglais ou espagnol sur cet animal. Si vous choisissez My Holbox Tours , vous serez sûrs d’avoir une prestation de grande qualité. Concernant la sortie en elle même, avant de s’y lancer il faut savoir que les requins peuvent être très loin. Le jour de notre sortie nous avons fait 3h30 de bateau avant de les atteindre. Les bateaux utilisés sont des petits bateaux et autant vous dire qu’à l’aller, quand on n’était pas dans le bon sens par rapport aux vagues, ça tape dur ! Sur les 9 passagers 4 ont vomi. Par contre une fois face au requin vous oubliez tout ça. Même si nager avec le requin baleine n’est pas une promenade de santé. Ils nagent assez rapidement donc il faut de l’endurance pour les suivre. Vous aurez normalement droit à 2 passages. Notre premier passage a duré un peu plus de 4 minutes et le deuxième 2 minutes environ car il allait assez vite et nous étions encore fatigués de notre premier passage. Cela peut sembler court mais quand on palme c’est très long. En tout cas c’est vraiment une expérience à faire mais choisissez bien la compagnie avec qui vous le faites. Au retour il y a un arrêt à Cabo Catoche. Franchement le snorkeling est assez décevant si vous avez déjà fait du snorkeling ailleurs dans le monde. Par contre le stop repas au Cabo Catoche est très sympa pour se reposer (sable blanc et hamacs).

Jeudi 9 juillet :

Petite balade à pied en direction de Punta Mosquito à 6h du matin. Très sympa. Ferry en direction de Chiquila (330 pesos par personne) + bus Ado en direction de Valladolid (300 pesos par personne).

A Valladolid, réservation via Booking à l’hôtel « Casa Lucia ». L’hôtel est très beau, dans un style colonial , il est très proche du terminal des bus ADO et du centre. Il est très calme et propre. Il y a une cuisine commune que l’on peut utiliser avec frigo, micro ondes et une fontaine à eau, avec une grande tablée devant la piscine, et un espace terrasse intérieure sympa. Le petit déjeuner, très simple, était inclus. Les seuls petits bémols étaient la taille de la chambre et de la salle de bain qui étaient assez petites, l'absence de miroir dans la chambre, et le ventilateur qui faisait du bruit.

Vendredi 10 juillet :

Pas très loin du terminal de bus Ado se trouve la station de colectivos pour Chichen Itza . Il propose une offre aller-retour Chichen Itza avec possibilité au retour de vous déposer au cénote Ik Kil et ensuite de vous ramener à Valladolid pour 370 pesos par personne (entrée Ik kil comprise) Pour la visite de Chichen Itza nous avions réservé une visite avec un guide souvent cité sur les groupes qui s’appelle Juan Pat. C’est un maya qui vit pas très loin du site et qui parle un excellent français. Il prend les places à l’avance pour vous et fait la queue pour être le premier sur le site. Cela nous a coûté 500 pesos par personne + les entrées. Sa visite dure 2 heures et est consacrée essentiellement à la pyramide principale et au terrain du jeu de balle. Il est passionné et passionnant même s’il semblerait qu’en tant que Maya, certaines de ses affirmations seraient un peu partisanes. Il me semble vraiment important de prendre un guide sinon vous allez vraiment passer à côté du site. Vous pouvez contacter Juan Pat par whatsapp au +52 985 121 2381 Nous sommes ensuite allés au cénote Ik Kil (douche et gilets obligatoires, casiers à disposition) Effectivement il est très fréquenté, mais il est quand même très très joli avec sa végétation luxuriante.

Samedi 11 juillet :

Comme nous n’avions pas de voiture mais que nous voulions néanmoins visiter d’autres cénotes où il semblait compliqué de se rendre en transport en commun, nous avons fait le choix de réserver un taxi pour la journée. Nous nous sommes donc mis d’accord pour 1200 pesos pour nous amener à 3 cénotes différents et nous attendre à chaque fois: Xcanahaltun, Palomitas, Sac-Aua. (Pour trouver les taxis c’est simple : ils stationnent à l’arrivée de la gare des bus ADO.) Il nous a rejoint au cénote Zaci que nous avions rejoint à pied. Nous y sommes allés à l’ouverture, nous étions les premiers et seuls un moment ! 150 pesos par personne. Joli cénote en centre ville avec une belle végétation luxuriante. Il ressemble un peu à Ik Kil mais avec moins cet effet cylindre profond impressionnant.

Cénote Xcanahaltun : le plus beau cénote parmi ceux visités. Entrée 250 pesos par personne. Il s’agit d’un cénote fermé avec un trou qui laisse passer la lumière. Un décor de grotte. Kayak possible dans le cénote. Il y a plein de petits poissons au bord qui mangent les peau mortes de vos pieds. Etant fermé, l’eau est... très fraîche !

Cénote Palomitas : entrée 250 pesos par personne. Très beau cénote fermé, encore plus fermé que Xcanahaltun. Le trou au plafond est encore plus petit, donc très sombre quand nous sommes arrivés, ambiance un peu impressionnante. Extraordinaire lorsque le personnel allume les lumières, le cénote rappelle une « cathédrale gothique » pleine de stalactites très clairs.

Cénote Sac Aua : entrée 290 pesos par personne. L’entrée inclut la visite d’une grotte avec un guide local (paiement au pourboire). Ce cénote est très original avec son île centrale, et beaucoup moins couru que Suytun. Pour info l’eau est vraiment très froide dans les cénotes. Dans ces trois cénotes, en juillet, nous étions seuls un moment et pas vu plus de 2 familles en même temps, vraiment très agréable !

Dimanche 12 juillet :

Bus Ado vers Bacalar (536 pesos par personnes). A Bacalar, nous avons logé via AirBnb chez une hôte qui s’appelle Luli et qui propose plusieurs chambres avec salle de bain et cuisine partagée.

La chambre est joliment décorée dans un endroit agréable. Elle est idéalement située à proximité de la lagune et du centre ville. La cuisine partagée est pratique. La moustiquaire est utile au dessus du lit car il y a beaucoup de moustiques à Bacalar. Luli met à disposition un bidon d'eau ce qui est très appréciable. Seul gros point noir, c’est l’absence de pression à la douche, obligés de se rincer en remplissant un seau d'eau. Par ailleurs il n'y a pas de "réelle" porte qui sépare la chambre de la salle de bain. Nous n'avons jamais vu Luli mais elle était très présente par message. La terrasse au milieu de la végétation est agréable. Du terminal ADO au logement nous avons pris un taxi pour 40 pesos. Comme ce taxi avait été honnête sur le prix (nous nous étions renseignés auparavant) nous avons décidé de l’utiliser à chaque fois que nous avions besoin d’un taxi à Bacalar. Voici son Whatapp : +52 983 184 3585

Lundi 13 juillet :

Nous avons fait une sortie bateau sur la lagune avec « Bacalar Francophone activités ». Nous n’étions que tous les 2 donc cela nous a coûté 3500 pesos. Si nous avions réussi à être 4 cela nous aurait coûté 1000 pesos par personne. Nous avons fait un tour privé de 4h sur la lagune avec Steeve et son bateau très confortable. Il est québecois donc parle un français parfait. Pendant ces 4 heures, Steeve nous a fait découvrir les différents lieux emblématiques de la lagune mais aussi des lieux où les autres bateaux ne vont pas. Il nous a raconté l'histoire de la Lagune. Il est aussi de bon conseil pour les lieux où aller et les restos où manger. En petit bonus une vidéo prise avec son drone lors de notre pause baignade.

Mardi 14 juillet :

Nous sommes allés à Los Rapidos en taxi (400 pesos aller retour) et entrée à 225 pesos par personnes. C’est très touristique mais c’est vraiment très beau. On peut y manger (cher), se reposer, faire autant de fois que l’on veut la descente des « rapides ». C’est intéressant si on y passe plusieurs heures. On ne peut pas y faire entrer nourriture et boissons, que l’on dépose à l’entrée et reprend à la sortie.

Mercredi 15 juillet :

Les mercredis, la navigation est interdite sur la lagune de Bacalar, nous avions donc prévu une autre excursion. Visite de Calakmul au départ de bacalar avec l’agence ABCtours ( Whatsapp +52 983 319 8359) Cette agence nous a organisé une excursion au départ de Bacalar et à destination de Calakmul avec un guide francophone. La communication avec l'agence a été très fluide en amont par whatsapp. Mr Checo le chauffeur et Fernando le guide qui parlait un très bon français sont venus nous chercher le jour dit. Mr Checo a conduit très prudemment sur cette longue route. Il s’est toujours assuré de notre confort. Fernando est passionné de faune et de flore. Il est biologiste, diplômé en ornithologie donc il est incollable sur les animaux. Le moindre bruit ou chant et il sait de quoi il s’agit . Il a l’oeil pour les repérer, des plus grands au plus petit . Lors du trajet nous nous sommes arrêtés au km 27 pour une petite balade en forêt, puis nous sommes ensuite allés voir les 2 principales pyramides du site . Au retour nous nous sommes arrêtés à la grotte aux chauves souris pour ce spectacle magique de plusieurs millions de chauves souris qui en sortent chaque jour à la tombée de la nuit . Au final nous avons vu ou aperçu furtivement pour certains, dans la foret, au bord de la route ou sur le site, des singes araignées, des singes hurleurs, un toucan , 2 tapirs , des dindons , 2 cervidés, des oiseaux . Si comme nous vous êtes très branchés faune et flore plus que archéologie je vous recommande cette agence et excursion avec Fernando. Le prix n’est effectivement pas donné, mais la route est très longue entre Bacalar et le site (3h30). Prix : 3900 pesos par personne pour 2 (3500 si 3 et 3200 si 4)

jeudi 16 juillet :

Trajet en bus ADO vers Playa Del Carmen (614 pesos par personnes) A playa Del Carmen, nous avons logé dans un logement loué sur Airbnb. L’immeuble est situé sur la place de la mairie, à côté du casino. Le gros plus de ce logement est qu’il est très bien situé, pas très loin de la quinta. Cuisine plus que sommaire mais un frigo qui marche bien. Des supermarchés sont disponibles à proximité. La piscine sur le toit terrasse de l'immeuble est très sympa. Par contre les 2 gros points négatifs sont l'insonorisation (on entend carrément le réveil du voisin, et toutes les animations sur la place) et l'absence totale de pression à la douche. Nous étions obligés de remplir une poubelle d’eau pour nous la verser dessus. Quand nous l'avons indiqué au propriétaire il nous a dit que cela n'était pas normal et que quelqu'un passerait régler le problème mais nous n'avons jamais eu de nouvelles. Au vu des précédents commentaires, le problème semble connu mais non réglé. Playa del Carmen est très touristique côté quinta avenida, mais dans une ambiance musicale et bon enfant ; nous ne nous sommes jamais sentis en insécurité. Énormément de petites boutiques de souvenirs pour touristes sur cette avenue. Jolie sculpture monumentale sur la plage (les deux personnages qui se rejoignent dans les airs), à coté de laquelle on peut voir le spectacle des Voladores (des hommes qui montent sur un mat, s’y accrochent les pieds par une corde, puis en descendent en tournant, en « volant » autour du mât, tête en bas. Spectacle au chapeau plusieurs fois par jour. Plus jolie que la quinta avenida à notre goût : la calle 38, végétalisée, luxuriante et plus calme que la quinta avenida, à découvrir en début de soirée, avec la mer au bout. Repas très bons et prix très raisonnables au tacos « El Tio Noy », à quelques mètres de la quinta avenida, dans une rue perpendiculaire. Pour vos souvenirs, nous vous conseillons d’aller au Walmart plutôt que sur la quinta, où vous trouverez à bons prix et fixes des têtes de mort, de la tequila, du mezcal, des portes clés, des mugs, des verres...

Vendredi 17 juillet :

Nous avons fait l’excursion vers Isla Contoy. Isla Contoy est une île non habitée très protégée. Seules 200 personnes peuvent y accoster par jour par roulement. Seules quelques compagnies ont donc le droit d’y accoster. La plupart des agences délèguent donc la journée à une agence tierce. Nous avons donc réservé via l’agence VRM (Viviendo Riviera Maya) mais ce n’est pas cette agence qui assure la prestation mais Ocean Tours Mexico. L'île préservée de Contoy est un petit paradis . Nous avons été accompagnés par des guides multilingues et notamment francophones tout au long de la journée. Steffy nous a donné des renseignements sur l'île de Contoy lors d’une petite balade sur les chemins balisés de l’ile et Leño Tlatemoa a mis l'ambiance sur les trajets en bateau avec sa musique et ses danses . L'île de Contoy est vraiment magnifique et le repas du midi était succulent : poisson et poulet grillés, guacamole et totopos, riz, fruits, boissons (tout est apporté et repris par l’équipe des guides) La partie snorkeling est par contre assez décevante si vous en avez déjà fait à Cozumel par exemple. Le stop sur Isla Mujeres n’a pas trop d'intérêt non plus car trop court pour explorer l'île et c’est une île excessivement touristique. L'excursion a en tout cas était très bien organisée par cette agence et nous avons passés une très bonne journée (prix 2970 pesos par personne)

Samedi 18 juillet :

Nous voulions faire du snorkeling à Cozumel mais nous trouvions que les prix des agences francophonesvétait très chers. Par ailleurs, pour faire du snorkeling nous nous sommes dit qu’il n’y avait pas de nécessitévd’avoir des guides francophones. Nous avons donc trouvé une solution bien moins chère en prenant nous même le ferry à Playa Del Carmen etven choisissant une agence de Playa Del Carmen. Le ferry aller-retour nous a coûté 663,50 pesos parvpersonne. Nous avons ensuite pris un taxi pour rejoindre le bateau de snorkeling (100 pesos). L’agence quevnous avons choisi s’appelle Mystic Snorkel. Ils n’ont pas de locaux. La sortie nous a coûté 1400 pesos parvpersonne. Il s’agit d’un petit bateau mais ce jour là nous étions les seuls donc nous avons eu une sortie privéevau prix d’une sortie collective. Nous nous sommes arrêtés sur 4 sites différents. Ils étaient tous très différents les uns des autres et très jolis. Nous avons vu toutes sortes de poissons, de coraux, un requin nourrice et desvtortues. Le site El cielo avec ses énormes étoiles de mer est exceptionnel. Si vous devez faire du snorkelingvdans le péninsule du Yucatan c’est vraiment la sortie à faire car les autres sites sont assez « pauvres ».

Dimanche 19 juillet :

Matinée plongée avec Triton Diving. J’ai choisi l’option plongée sur Cozumel. Très bonne expérience. Réservation par whatsapp facile. Le jour des plongées c’est Selene, francophone, qui nous encadrait. Selenevest très attentive à la sécurité de son groupe . Les briefings sont clairs et précis. Sur Cozumel nous avons faitv2 sites très différents : le premier en plongée dérivante avec beaucoup de vie. De beaux coraux et poissons. Le deuxième était une épave, le C53, un bateau de 56 mètres dans lequel on peut pénétrer. Peu de vie, maisvune belle épave coulée exprès pour les plongeurs donc en très bon état. Un moment inoubliable. Selene avmême pris des vidéos durant la plongée, que le club transmet par la suite gratuitement. Je recommande cevclub.

Pour information à Playa Del Carmen les plages étaient remplies de sargasses pendant notre séjour, malgrévla présence de barrières et malgré le ramassage quotidien. Il semblerait que le problème soit inextricable etvque les sargasses arrivent de plus en plus tôt dans la saison. Des locaux nous ont dit que le tourisme en avaitvpris un sacré coup cet été et qu’ils se demandaient si le tourisme pourrait exister encore longtemps sur lavpériode des sargasses. Beaucoup de touristes traversent donc vers les îles pour aller profiter des plages d’Isla Mujeres et Cozumel, juste en face, dont ce côté (ouest) est épargné.

Lundi 20 juillet :

Trajet en colectivos pour Puerto Morelos. Un premier colectivo en direction de Cancun qui vous arrête entre Puerto Morelos village et Puerto Morelos plage (40 pesos par personne) et un autre de cet embranchement au bord de la route à Puerto Morelos plage (10 pesos par personne) A puerto Morelos, nous avions réservé via Airbnb une chambre dans l’établissement Piedra Del Caraïbe. Meilleur logement de nos vacances au Mexique. Il s’agit d’un appart hôtel. L'appart étant prêt avant l’heure du check in, on nous a autorisé à y entrer. Le logement était fidèle à la description, grand, spacieux, avec un lit King size confortable. La douche avait beaucoup de pression ce qui n’est pas une évidence au Mexique. Le personnel était très gentil et accueillant. Il nous ont permis de profiter de la piscine, des toilettes et de la douche sur le roof top, après le check out, et dans l'attente de l’heure de notre départ vers l'aéroport de Cancun pour notre vol retour. Ils ont même gardé nos bagages. Je recommande fortement cet établissement. A Puerto Morelos, il y avait beaucoup moins de sargasses qu’à Playa Del Carmen. Cela était un peu plus baignable. Nous avons fait la sortie snorkeling avec la coopérative des pécheurs pour 450 pesos par personnes durant 2 heures. Le récif est à proximité de la plage (il est interdit d’y aller à la nage) donc il y a très peu de temps de bateau. Ce n’est pas aussi joli qu’à Cozumel mais c’est sympathique et pas très cher. Sur la page de Puerto Morelos vous pouvez aussi accéder à un petit récif pas en très bon état. Il y a aussi un cénote dans la mer où l’eau douce se mélange avec l’eau salée. L’eau est trouble à cet endroit-là. Très bon dîner et excellents cocktails à « la choza del puerto ».

Mardi 21 juillet :

Flâneries dans puerto morelos (allez voir l’église et lisez bien tout ce qui est écrit, c’est divertissant!!), farniente à la piscine de l’hôtel et départ vers l’aéroport de Cancun en taxi (400 pesos) réservé par Indrive, pour rentrer en France.

Nos coups de coeurs : - Holbox - la sortie requin baleine - les cénotes - la flore et la faune locale très présente - Isla contoy - Cabo catoche hormis le snorkeling

Ce qui nous a le moins plu : - la bioluminescence (très peu visible malgré de bonnes conditions) - la nourriture que nous avons trouvé peu diversifiée dans les taquerias - les pourboires constants - le manque de pression dans les douches (fixes au mur, sans flexible et pommeau)

N’hésitez pas si vous avez des questions tant que c’est encore frais dans nos têtes.

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Bibouns51 9 hours ago

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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Vilabel yesterday · Dennis2

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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Fabhyène yesterday · Muriel18

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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Mitch341 yesterday · Dennis2

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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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 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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Jojoone1 2 days ago · Songsam

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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Bibouns51 3 days ago

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 · Lapagaille

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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Mathilde1967 3 days 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 5 days 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 5 days 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 5 days 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 5 days 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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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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Viovio2 6 days 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 last week

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 last week

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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Osemise last week

Immersive photo journey at the Bai People's Torch Festival in Dali

It’s an ancient city that breathes, a living spring. Here, no kitschy signs like “I miss you in Fengyu,” nor mass-produced fake antiques. The century-old houses still bear the marks of wind and rain; in the morning, you hear roosters crowing, and at dusk, smoke gently rises from the kitchens. This city doesn’t try to please anyone—like the spring water flowing through it, it simply keeps living at its own pace.

Located in Eryuan County, in the Dali Prefecture of Yunnan, the ancient town of Fengyu is a nationally designated historical and cultural city. It’s nicknamed the “land of scholars and ink”—during the Qing Dynasty, the Fengxiang Academy produced four *jinshi* and eleven *juren* in the imperial examinations. The Bai families made studying and farming a true legacy. Even on market days, you’ll find stalls of calligraphy and paintings, while lintels and screen walls are covered with family mottos.

Fengyu was also an important stop on the ancient Tea Horse Road. It preserves the second-largest Bai architectural complex in China, just after Xizhou. The famous traveler Xu Xiake spent seven days here and compared it to the “peach blossom paradise.”

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Fabhyène 2 weeks ago

Draw Me Your Japan...

Hi there!

I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.

Let’s start with the shotengai...

Our first "wow" moment came as we stepped out of the subway in Asakusa, the Tokyo neighborhood where we’d booked our hotel for our first five nights. Exhausted after our long flight, we finally arrived and took an exit that led straight into a shotengai—one of those covered shopping streets that pop up in city centers and flourished between the 1950s and 1980s.

It was an instant aesthetic shock, like a close encounter of the third kind between the modern city, a typical Asian market with its street stalls, the vintage vibe of the arcade, the sheer abundance of goods, and the bustling crowd—a mix of tourists, pilgrims (thanks to nearby Senso-ji Temple), and locals (it’s a very working-class area). In the end, it set the tone for a feeling we’d experience throughout the trip. Wherever we went, shotengai turned out to be fantastic spots for finding little restaurants, shops, or even fresh produce. Some are like real mazes, like in Kyoto, where we spent ages trying to relocate a restaurant we’d loved ;-)

In Kanazawa, the Omicho Market:

And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:

To be continued...

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VP44 2 weeks ago · Zigomar67

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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Ellobo 2 weeks ago · Jlponty

The Pearl of Africa - July-August 2026

Preamble: Africa was calling to me, so a year ago, with our usual travel companions, we decided to return to the continent we love so much. Where to go? Uganda quickly caught our attention—wildlife we’re used to seeing, plus gorillas and the shoebill we missed in Zambia. We got in touch with Paul, who’s been mentioned several times on the forum back in September, booked our flight tickets, secured the gorilla permits, and by early October, the most important things were done. We still had plenty of time to hold our "prep meetings" for the final itinerary.

Three days before departure, I sprained my ankle (my weak spot, as you’ll recall from our Colombia trip). I wasn’t in great spirits, but after a year of waiting, nothing was going to stop me. We’d see how it goes! Off we went for our new adventures

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Montagnard74 2 weeks ago · Solene40

Turkey 2026: Riviera, Antalya, and Cappadocia

Hi everyone!

If you're looking for great tips and offbeat spots, if you love exploring uncharted parts of a country, if the exotic is your adrenaline, then move along!

Our 15 days in early May in this part of Turkey (a country I first discovered during a city trip to Istanbul in 2017) will only tread well-worn paths and revisit popular routes. Simply because I kept hoping until the very end that our flight to Jordan wouldn’t be canceled. Events in the Gulf proved me wrong, so we left with: Zero preparation. Not a single hotel booked (well, except the first one), no visits planned, just a flight ticket bought three weeks earlier. No guidebook, no app—just the desire to explore southern Turkey and Cappadocia, whose images and the chance to stretch our legs had caught my eye.

Oh, wait—I did bring along a new guide: Gemini! Yes, my friends, generative AI was my chief advisor throughout the trip for sites to visit, accommodations, routes, and even restaurants! An experiment I wanted to try to form my own opinion on using this new technology. And what better way to test it than a Turkish getaway?

The verdict? You’ll have to wait for the trip recap to find out!

The main idea of the trip is also relaxation.

So, the plan is Antalya for a few days, the Turkish Riviera for a few more, Cappadocia as the highlight, and a return via Antalya to wrap up the trip. And it was all planned by AI!

So, if you're ready, fasten your seatbelts—cabin crew, doors to automatic and cross check—boarding for Turkey now!

A little sneak peek?

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Moushika 2 weeks ago · Fanindia

Here and there... my walks in the land of pralines, couques, and gosettes..

Hello,

It often happens that we're asked what to visit in Belgium. And the answers usually point to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, and Brussels—and rightly so, as these cities are well worth visiting ;). However, Belgium, though small, isn’t just limited to these four cities.

I live in one of them (Brussels), enjoy spending time in the other three, but I’d like to highlight some lesser-known spots that could add to the trip for those who want to see a bit more or something different. Between trips, I like exploring one or two corners of the country where I live.

Hence the idea for a travel journal of walks.

Most of the places I’ll talk about can be visited as a day trip from Brussels, whether by public transport or car.

In chronological order of the topics covered:

- The Gileppe Dam (Liège province) - message 2, page 1 - The Domaine de La Hulpe (Walloon Brabant) - message 3, page 1 - Mechelen (Antwerp province) - message 4, page 1 - The coast - message 5, page 1 - The Westhoek, from De Panne - message 6, page 1 - The Zwin, from Knokke - message 7, page 1 - Lier (between Mechelen and Antwerp) - message 8, page 1 - Mons (Hainaut) - message 9, page 1 - The Florenville region - message 12, page 1 - The East Cantons - message 13, page 1 - Dinant - message 18, page 1 - The Japanese garden in Hasselt - message 24, page 2 - Leuven - message 29, page 2 - Louvain-la-Neuve - message 32, page 2 - Ostend - message 42 (page 3) and message 166 (page 9) - The floralies of Groot-Bijgaarden - message 43, page 3 - Halle Forest - message 44, page 3 - Pralines - message 54, page 3 - Charleroi - message 68, page 4 - Namur - message 92, page 5 - Le Bois du Cazier (Marcinelle) - message 95, page 5 - Couques and gosettes - message 96, page 5 - Liège - message 99, page 5 - Tournai - message 115, page 6 - Oudenaarde - message 121, page 7 - Meise Botanical Garden - message 124, page 7 - Tongeren - message 125, page 7 - Beersel Castle (Flemish Brabant) - message 126, page 7 - Brussels in lockdown (messages 150 and 154, page 8) - Notre-Dame à la Rose Hospital in Lessines (messages 161 and 162, page 9) - Westende (message 167, page 9) I’ll keep updating this list as the journal progresses...

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Attila 2 weeks ago · Bluequark

Breathtaking Kyrgyzstan!

This trip had been on my mind for about fifteen years.

But the discomfort of overnight stays, the difficulty of communication, and the prices of the few car rental options kept making me postpone the project.

And then, everything suddenly fell into place—I told myself, it’s time!

The preparations took longer than usual; the destination is still far from mainstream.

A bit of Kazakhstan? Not in the end.

The south or not the south? Yes, in the end.

Pre-book or go with the flow? Only two stops were a leap into the unknown.

To help me find the ideal route, I made great use of this forum (thanks to everyone for patiently answering my questions!), pored over travel journals and blogs (Christian, Jeff), zoomed in on Google Maps and Yandex, and bought the guide published by OunTravela about this destination (the guide has been updated since).

---/---

You’ve got your passport, international driver’s license, bank cards, and euros?

Off we go to Lyon—just one night left before our early morning flight.

Tomorrow night, we’ll be sleeping in Bishkek! (Steak for my partner’s mischievous nephews...)

You’ll find here a post with some practical information.

And here, the version of the travel journal without comments.

---/---

As a supplement, the route track. Not necessarily ultra-accurate since Google has serious gaps for this destination...

From Bishkek to Karakol:

From Karakol to Kochkor:

From Kochkor to Baetov:

From Baetov to Kara-Köl:

From Kara-Köl to Bishkek:

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Kate 2 weeks ago

Trip to Thailand and Laos

Hello! 🙂

January 2026 Here we go again for new adventures and the pleasure of sharing them with you here! First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who helped me with the preparations, even with some last-minute improvisations just days before departure. Thanks to Montagnard74, Jojoone1, Songsam, Attila, Dennis2, NadegerFERM, and the authors whose travel journals about Laos inspired me (Montagnard74, Muriel18, Mavietongs...).

In this story, written by Richard and illustrated by me, we’ll tell you about the journey of four friends: Catherine, Richard, Nathalie, and Bruno. A reinvented but overall successful trip, filled with discoveries and surprises, the scents of spices and frangipani flowers, (too) spicy food, sunsets, and... one big mess.

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Judau 3 weeks ago

A little piece of Sulawesi with the family: Rantepao and Selayar

I’d been wanting to discover Sulawesi for years. But then life happened—COVID, the cost of flight tickets, you name it. Long story short, years went by, but we finally set off as a family for a three-week trip in southern Sulawesi: Rammang Rammang, Rantepao, Sengkang, Bira, and Selayar. I like to spend a good amount of time in the places I visit, giving myself the chance to really get to know the area and meet locals. So no island-hopping this time—just the south. But when I say "just," it’s not restrictive at all, given how rich this island is in landscapes, little encounters, and magical moments.

Wednesday 07/08 - Thursday 07/09: We left Montpellier for what was supposed to be five flights, though we only took four to start, landing in Jakarta. We picked up our luggage there to catch a flight to Makassar the next day. That’s the only way we could get an affordable ticket (702 €). I won’t bore you with the flight details—there’s not much to say. We arrived at 7 PM and considered heading straight to Makassar that evening. But we opted for a recovery night before taking off again. Good thing we did, because my son’s suitcase was missing... First contact with the locals was a bit stressful—a trip without your luggage isn’t exactly fun. But right away, a woman reassured us: the suitcase was just enjoying some extra time in Singapore. Maybe it was doing some last-minute shopping. Anyway, nothing serious—it was supposed to arrive at 9 AM the next day. That gave us some breathing room since our flight wasn’t until noon. So off we went to our hotel (Days Hotel & Suites) near the airport. It was cheap (40 € for three rooms—my kids are older and need their space), but it wasn’t worth much more. The place had definitely seen better days. But no big deal—we were only there for the night, and... we got to watch France beat Morocco in the World Cup live at 3 AM. That’s what really mattered!

Friday 07/10: In search of the lost suitcase First challenge of the morning: finding our missing suitcase. They sent us to the airport basement, to the staff entrance. We were greeted with smiles, and an airport employee led me through the underground corridors back to the baggage claim. Right on time at 9 AM, the suitcase arrived, just like they’d promised. We were finally complete! Off we went to change terminals, grab a well-deserved meal, and board our fifth flight to Makassar. Little side note: I struggled for a while trying to book domestic flights directly on the airlines’ websites with no luck. Without meaning to advertise (though I guess I am a little), I realized it’d be easier to use sites like tiket.com or Traveloka. That turned out to be a great choice—I even ended up booking hotels through them later in the trip. 12:40 PM: We were on our way to Makassar. First good news: we were the only tourists. Well, the only European tourists on the flight, anyway. No, you’re not dreaming—the bag is full of... potato chip packets. To each their own souvenirs, I guess...

When we arrived in Makassar, a driver was waiting to take us straight to Rammang Rammang: 250,000 IDR (12 €) to our guesthouse (Rammang Rammang House). Forget about meeting people on the bus—we were headed straight to the first stop of our trip, and it was already stunning.

My kids’ guesthouse:

Ours:

View of the little lake:

But not everything is straightforward around here. I wanted to get a local SIM card for internet and calls. I found them expensive at Jakarta’s airport (20 € for 20 GB), so I decided to wait. Well, no luck in Rammang Rammang either. You can’t just buy one from the local shop—you need a Telkomsat store (they have the best coverage). So we’d have to wait for Rantepao to get Wi-Fi... When I say "local shop," I mean the little shack around the corner. No big deal—we’d find one easily in Rantepao for 5 € and 25 GB. So there we were, offline, just the four of us enjoying the amazing view.

Saturday 07/11: Rammang Rammang We woke up early to the sound of wedding music blasting through the village (everyone’s invited!). Off we went to explore the area. A little walking, a little boat ride (shared with a French tourist and a Polish one—yes, there *are* tourists here, just not many; 750,000 IDR for up to 8 people) through a lovely canal, and we discovered the karst site. It was peaceful and beautiful. The river:

The karst site:

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From Southern Shikoku, between land and sea, to the blue waters of Miyakojima and finally the Tokyo metropolis

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