They do the same thing in Thailand with tigers. Drugged, obviously. Tigers! When you see the size of the paws on even the smallest ones...
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
hi
The law banning the breeding of lions in captivity still hasn’t passed.
Scams involving so-called lion research centers and all that nonsense continue.
The latest travel journal says, "I walked with lions at one of these fake centers,"
and it still breaks my heart!
Have a good day
hi
The law banning the breeding of lions in captivity still hasn’t passed.
Scams involving so-called lion research centers and all that nonsense continue.
The latest travel journal says, "I walked with lions at one of these fake centers,"
and it still breaks my heart!
Have a good day
If that was the only issue. I was really heartbroken in Vietnam seeing so many birds locked in cages. A creature that needs to fly, and for miles. Sheltered from neither loudspeakers nor road noise.
I also had the misfortune of visiting the Izmir zoo back in the 80s. It was more like a concentration camp.
Still in Thailand, you sometimes come across people who have huskies!
And they call *us* human beings.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
Are there centers that protect injured or orphaned lions? Kind of like how you can find "reserves" in Romania for bears that have been mistreated or injured cubs rescued from the wild..
Hi there,
first off, great to hear from you...
don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater—it’s tough... there’s “I want world peace,” “I wage war on the world,” and “I try to make the world have fewer wars.”
I’ll probably be long and maybe really "annoying," but I’ll try to explain.
“Most people listen to respond, not to understand.”
We can all agree that killing rhinos for their horns—supposedly magical (though, just to be clear, neither you nor I need those powers! I’m joking...)—is wrong.
You run a game reserve... not super wild, but still pretty rugged.
You’ve got 10,000 hectares to protect... with guards, fences, video surveillance, dehorning, or microchips in the horn keratin, etc.
It costs an arm and a leg... to protect, among other things, your 10 rhinos.
You’ve got an old rhino who won’t be around much longer.
Someone offers you $50,000—not for its horn, but for the trophy.
That’s enough to protect the others...
What do you do?
Not accepting is ethical and moral... but you don’t have the funds for protection, and the risk of rhinos being mutilated or killed is high.
If you accept, are you a bad person? Not exactly nice, but you’ll protect the other nine rhinos!
You’ll admit the question, framed like that, is pretty interesting, right?
Now, onto your question.
1. They have cheetahs born on-site 9 or 10 (or more) years ago. That’s good—it shows fundamental care from the start.
2. The youngest wasn’t born there but was rescued. Also good.
3. What do they do? They let visitors interact with the cheetahs (old and young). The base fee is affordable, but things get pricier.
4. How? Keeping cheetahs means making them run... so it’s a big operation. Petting the older cheetahs and the young one (rescued) isn’t ideal.
5. Cheetahs are nothing like lions. They’re “almost domesticated.” They don’t pose the same terrifying danger as lions. And they’re *really* endangered (unlike lions).
6. What do they do with the money? No pseudo-genetic research or nonsense. They organize life between breeders and cheetahs (with guard dogs). They study cheetah behavior outside their center... They don’t take naive tourists near lion enclosures claiming they’ll see them in their "natural habitat."
So...
To do all this, you need funds.
Donors, volunteers, and... people who pay to get close to cheetahs (and cheetahs aren’t lions—physiologically, territorially, etc.).
You’ll understand I get their approach, and when you can’t have thrushes, you eat blackbirds.
Besides, no association or group has ever warned about this... (even if, obviously, there are bad apples in the bunch).
So in my opinion, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Take care,
ndlelanhle
Stay well!
Wishing you a good night!
Hi Michel.
Not too long, not too boring either 😉
Factual as always—that’s what defines you and makes you a cornerstone of this part of the forum.
Your breakdown on the rhino reserve is unassailable. Selling the trophy is a crime in itself, but saving 9... 😮
That’s also why I shared your take on the cheetah park, which we visited back in 2016.
Thanks, by the way, for digging into the site—proof that if you write about something, you’ve researched it.
Even though a cheetah isn’t a lion (I’m no expert on endangered species conservation), what we saw there is exactly what you denounce: petting the animal, even feeding it, playing with the cubs...
Yet, by participating financially, we contribute to the species’ conservation through the nonprofit’s programs. And we get amazing memories as a bonus.
What I’m saying is that your warning should mainly make people aware that they need to study and inform themselves before acting (which I did for the cheetahs).
You can’t stop people from walking with lions if they really want to. You don’t have the power or the legitimacy to do that.
But among all the options, there must be providers who do things right—maybe you know some? Why not highlight them here?
Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater, as you so aptly put it.
Have a great day,
Bruno
P.S.: I can be long and boring too 😉
"Le véritable voyage de découverte ne consiste pas à chercher de nouveaux paysages, mais à avoir de nouveaux yeux."
Marcel Proust
Hey,
For lions, it’s impossible.
Let’s imagine:
You rescue an orphaned lion cub.
Probability = 1%
You bottle-feed it,
And
It becomes a lion with unmanageable danger.
So, it’s doomed to live in an enclosure.
You rescue one, you don’t rescue 50.
And you tell the truth.
The first problem is the lie.
Secondly,
Lions are bred in captivity.
It’s like an animal shelter breeding its dogs.
An association that wants to help lions—
They buy land,
Put up fences,
Or act as a buffer between locals and lions.
Tracking collars,
Dogs,
Kraals,
Education,
Local community profit-sharing.
Example:
Desert Lion Conservation in Namibia.
In your example
These are old cheetahs
They don’t restock
They don’t breed
They brought in a younger one from elsewhere
They don’t make up justifications
They fully participate in field actions with the local population
And they’re cheetahs
You put it all together
And you were in a context that’s currently quite ethical
You can’t criticize people’s ways of traveling or the activities they choose.
Oh yes, you can.
We’re on the same planet.
We’re not talking sea or mountains,
pool or no pool,
luxury hotel or backpacking.
We’re talking about an activity offered to tourists that has a huge impact.
Or else,
we wouldn’t be shocked if I bought a necklace made of pangolin scales (an orphan we tried to save, blah blah),
rhino horn,
lion bone powder,
ivory,
bear bile.
And I’m sticking to animals.
My concern
In all good faith
People do this activity
They’ll find it amazing
They’ll talk about it
Others will read it
And off we go again
If no one at some point says
Careful, it’s risky 😕
I’m not blaming those who did it in good faith
But those who know…
I went to a marine park a long time ago
Afterward, I learned it wasn’t great
I never went back
Who’s for bear tamers at old fairs?
Who’s for wild animals in circuses?
Who’s for marine parks?
There are actually several levels here…
Who’s for rhino horn or turtle soup?
We’re talking about this, right?
You can’t stop people from walking with lions if they want to..
True.
But this kind of informative post might mean there are only 2 customers instead of 10, so in the end, the place shuts down due to lack of profitability.
It’s not the same to walk with a lion thinking the animal is there because it was rescued and can’t live in the wild anymore, as it is to walk with a lion knowing the animal will eventually be killed by a "hunter" after being sedated first.
The providers do everything to make tourists believe they’re in the first scenario when they’re actually in the second.
What goes on behind the scenes is just unimaginable.
Édifices religieux : concours de photos amical d'août 2026
Rubrique Jeux Voyages
C'est le moment de poster vos meilleurs clichés !
Even though I’ve only read the first and last pages, I’m appalled by the level of human stupidity that can be reached in all areas of (our) society.
I’m a lover of wildlife (photo safaris), but I never would have imagined that this kind of "activity" could be proposed and done (in the end, I must be quite naive!!).
Maybe it was discussed in the other pages I didn’t read, but this is the "logical" continuation of "TIPI’s" life, that Namibian girl whose parents raised her to live among and in contact with wild animals. It was a huge success with TV reports and books... and it seems to have left indelible marks.
In the end, this is the same "taste" as visits to Maasai villages (villages often created for tourists).
By the way, many people consider this a safari activity...!!
But very few realize that all these young women they see dancing (smartphone in hand) in front of them have undergone between 6 and 8 years of... FGM (female genital mutilation), that abominable ritual linked to beliefs from another era.
In the same vein as walking with lions, we should refuse to visit these Maasai villages. The worst part is that some people even take their own daughters, the same age as the mutilated girls, to see this "show"...!!
I never would have imagined it, but maybe you can also pay to go hiking in the Afghan mountains, guided by a Taliban member who will teach you their customs???
(and thus fund their activities)...
Indeed (utopian dream, of course), if no one went walking with lions or visited Maasai villages, the activity would die out, and the instigators might start asking themselves some questions.
Thanks for bringing up and clearly explaining the issue in this post.
Hi there,
I don’t know anything about the Maasai.
On the other hand, in Southern Africa, check out Namibia—there are visits to “villages” of the San, Zulu, or others, especially in KZN or near Hazyview.
These are basically open-air museums, fully acknowledged as such.
People play a role, then go home in jeans.
Only the Japanese seem to think it’s real life.
As for the San:
Two versions.
The same one—okay.
And the San who are forced to dress up before going to milk the cows…
Hi there, if it were only in Africa. In France, the biggest animal-related scandals are actually caused by certain organizations or associations that claim to be "friends" of animals. 😏
Hello, as if it were only in Africa. In France, the biggest animal-related scandals are actually caused by certain organizations or so-called "animal-loving" associations
Like, for example, fans of bullfighting or those who practice fox hunting...!!
Hello, as if it were only in Africa. In France, the biggest animal-related scandals are actually caused by certain organizations or associations that claim to be "friends" of animals
Like, for example, fans of bullfighting, or those who practice hunting with hounds....!!
...
I don’t practice hunting with hounds, which really upsets me when I see a stag cornered by a pack of dogs in a video—I couldn’t watch it for long.
Regarding bullfights, which you clearly don’t know much about given the spelling without the S at the end, bullfights aren’t part of my two bullfighting traditions, but I deeply respect those who go because personally, I can’t bear to see a bull die. That said, everyone has their own culture, assuming we have one. Mine is deeply Latin—what about yours?
For someone who’s a stickler for spelling, you should know that in French, we write "taureau" and not "toro"! :(
Hello, for someone who doesn’t know that France has very specific regions, including in the South, you should know that we write "toro" for the Spanish fighting bull used in bullfights. And regarding the Camargue bull-running events, which I’m from, we write: "Taureau" (or "biou" in our local language) 🤠
For someone who’s a stickler for spelling, you should know that in French, it’s spelled "taureau" and not "toro"!🙁
You can be a stickler for spelling and still get thrown by grammar 😉
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
Hi there, personally spelling and I don’t mix—I left school at 12. But I’m really attached to my local and ancestral traditions, so I’d like to share a little about customs and the words we use.
Hoping there won’t be too many arguments in this travelers’ group, like what often happened in the other forum I left for that reason 😅
It’s hard to avoid these little arguments, especially since it’s less obvious in writing what someone really thinks, whereas it’s often clearer when you’re face-to-face.
Bullfighting was introduced to France during the time of Napoleon III because his wife, Eugénie de Montijo, was Spanish. Even if it’s a tradition, it’s not that old.
I always think that in the future, people looking back at some of our activities—like that one—will wonder if we weren’t quite evolved yet.
The cruelty of the Roman circus games, sure, but now...
Another topic: wouldn’t it be reasonable to ban boxing? And what about kangaroos?
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
It’s hard to avoid these little arguments, especially since it’s less obvious in writing what the other person is thinking, whereas it’s often clearer when you’re face-to-face.
Bullfighting was introduced to France during the time of Napoleon III because his wife, Eugénie de Montijo, was Spanish. While it’s a tradition, it’s not that old.
I always think that in the future, people looking back at some of our activities like this will wonder if we weren’t quite evolved yet.
The circus games and their cruelty, back in the Roman Empire—okay, but now...
Another topic: wouldn’t it be reasonable to ban boxing? And for kangaroos?
It’s part of our culture, and on the side of our Camarguais ancestors, even back in the 1200s–1400s, things were pretty wild. A guy who got gutted in the ring by a bull—on top of his imminent death, people would yell at him: "You should’ve stayed home, idiot!" 😂
Nowadays, the ambulance is always ready, and the doctor is in the stands too (I think we’re improving).
And regarding the Camargue Courses that I come from,
No way! That’s not possible! It’s just folklore...😏
Hundreds of ordinary people earn their living around the CC. The young *raseteurs* all have families to feed and risk their lives under the horns every day, for hundreds of years (and you’re calling it folklore?). You wanna act like you know the French language, but you don’t know jack about the regions 😄
Look at the title of this thread and what @jojoone1 said (that we’re not done yet)😏
And the one who wants to pet lions—what’s he done for himself, huh? 😄
I guess they’ve passed the age of petting cougars, and they’re not about to settle for lions either. 🙂
There are a few of us on this site who like to joke around, but honestly, we’re happy to see a new participant on the forum.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
I should say they’ve passed the age for cougar-cuddling, and they’re not about to settle for lions either. 🙂
There are a few of us on this site who like to joke around, but honestly, we’re happy to see a new participant join the forum.
A funny way to welcome me by calling me a cougar —I’m sure you don’t even know the real definition, which I absolutely am not, even if I’ve only ever been with younger guys in my love life .
To be honest, I’m here out of necessity—I’ve been "sidelined" or "put on the shelf" until the 31st on the other forum for dissent (or at least, that’s what the mod told me) .
Anyway, for a free spirit like me (a true child of the Camargue wind), giving a "blast"—as we say—or a verbal lashing when someone pokes me is a real pleasure. 😄
The puma (Puma concolor), also called mountain lion, cougar (Canada), couguar, or cougouar (French spellings), is a mammal carnivore belonging to the family of felids.
It’s a solitary animal that lives in the Americas. Hard to spot, it looks like a leopard without spots, which is why it’s sometimes mistakenly called a “panther.”
As for the other forum, you wouldn’t be happy there. It’s a bunch of old reactionaries who can’t stand anyone who thinks differently or has opinions that don’t match theirs. They’re so convinced they’re on the side of good that their only goal is to silence anyone who disagrees with them by any means necessary.
They don’t even realize they’re worse than the forums they criticize. If you’re not woke or *islamo-leftist*, if you’re not pro-Covid vaccine or anti-Trump, you’ll be pretty unwelcome there.
They’re about a century behind—they probably think they’re fighting the Third Reich.
Not just anyone can run a forum. If it’s just going to be worse than what you left behind, it’s not worth it to me.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
You’re just one word swap away from the forum’s name.
Check out the thread "I refuse to go: French travelers more reluctant to visit the U.S. with Trump’s return" in the USA section under the Americas. Apart from one or two who express themselves in a calm and reasonable way, I reckon everyone else has lost the plot.
They’re doing even worse what they used to criticize others for elsewhere.
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
The puma (Puma concolor), also called mountain lion, cougar (Canada), couguar or cougouar (French spellings), is a mammal carnivore belonging to the family of felids.
It’s a solitary animal that lives in the Americas. Hard to spot, it looks like a leopard without spots, which is why, colloquially, it’s sometimes also called a "panther."
As for the other forum, you wouldn’t be happy there. It’s a bunch of old reactionaries who can’t stand anyone who stands out or has different opinions. They’re so sure they’re on the side of good that their only goal is to silence anyone who disagrees with them by any means necessary.
They don’t even realize they’re worse than the forums they criticize. If you’re not woke or "islamo-leftist," if you’re not pro-COVID vaccine or anti-Trump, you’ll be persona non grata there.
They’re about a century behind—they probably think they’re fighting the Third Reich.
Not just anyone can run a forum. If it’s just to do worse than what you left behind, it’s not worth it to me.
I’ve been on the other forum for over 10 years, where I’ve had to change my username about 40 times and even use Anonymox to hide my IP because they’ll go that far to hunt you down 😏. Their only hobby is tearing down novice travelers and clicking the report button. The only issue is the automation—3 reports = an investigation and a timeout in the broom closet 😏. Of course, I’ll be back on the 31st, with a more polished vocabulary to bypass their filters and counter those snitches who make me sick just imagining their hideous grins when they hit that button. I won’t say more because they’re here too, lurking under different usernames 😏
My bad, I misread that. The forum I’m talking about is 3 or 4 years old. Is yours the one from Routard?
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
My mistake, I misinterpreted. The forum I’m talking about is 3 or 4 years old. Is yours the one from Le Routard?
Yes. Hostilities kicked off in 2015 when I had the misfortune of sharing my trips off the beaten path in northern Colombia and in war zones that are still active to this day. Dangerous areas that I’ve mastered without any issues after 16 stays of 40–45 days each.
They called me a liar, so I ended up posting my real identity on the forum (and they immediately dug into my Facebook 😏—some who didn’t even have an account created one on the social network just to snoop 🤪). Explaining that I was going to the Colombian guerrilla zone—the same one as the narcos—for something other than the conflict that’s been going on for over 60 years was a real battle. Why? Because these so-called "travelers" on electric scooters 😏 have a totally off-base definition of off-the-beaten-path travel (they actually just go where everyone else goes) 😄
Oh yeah, that’s not wrong. Those so-called backpackers on electric scooters, haha 🙂
Here we’re careful because some real tall tales have already shown up
« Tout le monde s'interroge sur comment laisser une meilleure planète à nos enfants, mais on devrait plutôt penser à laisser de meilleurs enfants pour notre planète. » Clint Eastwood
I had done a little digging back then on those 4 or 5 pillars of this forum who are here 24/7. Mostly former teachers (probably missing being in charge) 😏
Back then, I did a little digging on those 4 or 5 pillars of this forum who are here 24/7. Mostly former teachers (probably missing the chance to boss people around)
There was even a couple using two different computers to target the more vulnerable users. One day, the woman messed up by using the other computer to comment (and she got busted in front of everyone) 😂
This morning, at an exhibition of Jean-Michel Folon’s works. This watercolor is titled « The Silence ». 🙂
@Manondugard
Of course I’ll be back on the 31st
Can’t wait for September!
After the cougar, here comes the broomstick 😏
I must say, some people here are really going out of their way to scare off newcomers.
So, it makes me want to stay (2 forums to read—given the level, it’s done in 5 minutes) 😂
Bonjour à tous.
je prépare mon voyage et d'après tous les post lus, ce pays est incroyable.
Evidemment j'ai une tonne de questions à vous poser.
voici l'itinéraire possible - Vientiane - Vang Vien - Phonsavan - Sam Neua - Nong Khiaw + villages - Phongsali - Luanh Namtha et région - Udomxai - Huay Xai - Luang Prabang et retour sur Vientiane
qu'en pensez-vous ?
nous allons privilégié les transports locaux, est-il possible d'effectuer cette boucle ?
Nous aimerions également faire du kayak mais je ne sais pas si la saison s'y prête et quel est le meilleur endroit pour le faire.
Concernant le trekking - j'ai lu de Phongsali était le spot le plus authentique pour visiter les villages et la faune ? - connaissez-vous une agence sérieuse et une guesthouse qui pratiquent des prix raisonnables ?
cela vaut-il le coup de prendre un bateau lent pour un trajet sur le Mékong et si oui quel trajet ?
Concernant les hébergements, est il préférable de passer par booking et Agoda ou chercher en arrivant ?
est ce que les moustiques sont voraces au Laos et faut-il un traitement contre le paludisme ?
quel est le budget moyen par jour environ (hébergement - nourriture- visite)
est-ce une bonne option de louer des scooters pour visiter les villes et si oui lesquelles ?
d'après ce que je lis, il est préférable d'avoir des espèces sur soi - euros ou dollars ? ce n'est pas trop dangereux de se promener avec autant de billets ?
j'ai encore des tas de questions . Merci à ceux qui peuvent m'aider et preneuse de tout conseils, infos etc...
encore merci
Hello everyone on this forum!
I know in advance that what I'm about to say here won't please everyone, but honesty is a virtue, isn't it?
Here's the thing: for many years now, I've noticed a habit in French-speaking posts of using abbreviations left and right, as if to show that we're "in the know." Let me explain with a few examples:
- - In discussions about Peru, I see "Aguas" for "Aguas Calientes." And if it's Mexico, well, it'll be "Aguas" for "Aguascalientes"!
- - For Guatemala, "travelers" will say "Guaté." Come on, saying "Guatemalas" would maybe be the undeniable sign that you know nothing about the country???
- - Back from Indonesia, many will talk about how familiar they've become with the country's language: "bahasa." Of course, everyone will know what you're talking about, but it still gets on my nerves because the language (one of the many languages) of Indonesia is "bahasa Indonesia." "Bahasa" actually means "language," and you'll find this word of Indian origin ‘Bhāṣā’ (it's Sanskrit originally) outside Indonesia too: in Thailand, for example, any language will be "phasa" as in "phasa thai" (official Thai), "phasa isan" (what's spoken in northeastern Thailand), "phasa angkrit" = English, etc.
Am I an incorrigible nitpicker? Maybe. But I'd also find it ridiculous if a foreigner came and told me they visited "Monte" during their trip to France, when it was actually Monte Carlo.
I read a lot in English and don't think I've encountered such a habit among English speakers.
Who’d like to share their best and worst travel memories in a few lines?
For me, it’s watching the TAJ MAHAL at sunrise and getting chased by dogs at the top of a mountain pass in GREECE on the way back from ISTANBUL.
THANKS GUYS
This is my 15,000th post, and it's a message I would have preferred never to write.
Patrick—Yangguizi—won’t be returning from his trek in Uganda. His health betrayed him in the mountains.
Like many of you, I laughed until I couldn’t anymore at his travel stories. I met him in Shanghai, then in Istanbul... We scoured restaurants—he was an incredible expert on world cuisines. We relived Korea, China. Always brilliant, so sharp, so funny, so down-to-earth. Being even a little bit his friend was something to be proud of. I think I envied him.
Patrick is still out there, of course...
He found his happiness running across the world. He’s on his path. He never doubted that "the traveler doesn’t even know if he’ll return one day."
Not sure this would’ve suited him, but his departure devastates me.
Alright,
Farewell, you foreign devil. Safe travels.
hello to all travelers with their eyes wide open to the desert...
I’ve always wondered what I was "doing" on this earth. And why my father, who died a few months after I was born—a former youngest French resistance fighter—joined the First Saharan Motorized Company in Atar and spent the rest of his life repairing army engines in Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali (which didn’t exist under that name back then), Morocco, and finally Algeria, where my mother was born and raised. (Believe me, it’s not "cool" being the child of a soldier in a country occupied by France, and even less so the child of a "pied-noir.")
Of course, I never got an answer: the dead don’t talk, and the army doesn’t either.
But here’s the thing—I had photos...
So naturally, one day I hit the road. I wanted to see, to understand.
It’s thanks to VF that I was able to do a little research on crossing the Morocco-Mauritania border, and I’m grateful to its members, just as I’m grateful to all those who welcomed me on the road for 14 years.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been wondering if I should talk about this or not...
It turns out the Mauritanians changed my life by asking for my help... And that started as early as February 2012... (Did I owe them something? No answer to that question.)
Ah, the irony—they saw me coming. But when you’re handed sick children and begged to do something, what would you have done? I’d worked in a hospital, so I knew a bit about the rules to follow. I didn’t hesitate.
And well, over all these years, I met doctors, surgeons, and together we organized care, evacuations of children, training for surgeons—even trying to stop children from having to travel outside their country. It was never easy. I’d like to thank those who supported us, as well as *La Chaîne de l’Espoir*, *La Fondation Face au Monde*, and everyone who built bridges between our two countries.
Unfortunately, despite the constant efforts of Mauritanian doctors and surgeons, some children couldn’t be helped in time. Today, I want to talk about four siblings—orphans of their mother—suffering from congenital glaucoma causing irreversible blindness. Their case was entrusted to me in 2020, just weeks before the big lockdown. We couldn’t do anything for them then, but when their father asked me for a gift, I rushed to my computer and wrote a story.
Through a tale, the children take a great journey, explore their country, and fulfill a dream. I never thought this book would be published—it was, in 2023.
This book pays tribute to Mauritania. It’s a message for those who know nothing about the hardships of life there, carrying both the harshness and beauty of an immense desert where you can travel by 4x4, bike, on foot, or by camel in complete safety. It bears witness to the kindness of Mauritanians toward travelers.
As a woman traveling alone in my vehicle—a now-rusted old Mercedes that no longer runs—I had the most beautiful encounters of my life there (I’ve seen other parts of the world...). The blind children of Choum, Atar, Nouadhibou, and Nouakchott will forever be in my heart.
Volunteer readers transcribed the book into a free audio version for the visually impaired. It’s available in sound libraries in France, the *Fondation Valentin Haüy*, and the Swiss Romande library.
I made my last trip to Mauritania in my old 4x4 to distribute the book everywhere, especially to its heroes and the school for the visually impaired in Nouakchott.
After that, I thought it was time to close the chapter because I no longer have the means or the strength to travel.
My publishers chose this title for it: *The Blue Eyes of the Desert*.
This publication helped a mission of Swiss volunteer ophthalmologists come to operate on glaucomas in Mauritania. I’m thrilled because they come back every year!
This adventure is ending, yes—everything must come to an end—but ultimately, it was born here, on the VF site!! So yes, I had to say it: THANK YOU!!!!!
Hi everyone,
I’m Loulou, a French expat who’s been living in Southeast Asia for about fifteen years, currently in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A passionate walker at heart, I’ve trekked in Nepal (Thorung La, Mardi Himal), India, Vietnam, and I’m still planning new hikes (Char Dham, Langtang, Annapurna).
I’ve just published my first travel journal, recounting three months of walking and encounters across India. A portion of the sales goes to an educational center I support in Kep, for children whose parents work in the salt marshes.
I’m also working on a second book about Nepal with a musician friend, focusing on the Mardi Himal trek—two independent perspectives on the same journey.
Happy to swap stories with you about the Himalayas, India, Southeast Asia, or just the urge to hit the road and walk far from home.
Safe travels,
Loulou
Hi! It was totally by chance that I stumbled upon VoyageForum (an ad online and a story lol), and I’ve been reading some really old posts from 2011 about Thai massage schools—discussions on how to get by, accommodation, prices, etc. It reminded me of my own experience: I kept things simple by staying with a local family during my entire trip. I only shared all the expenses with them, which, I’ll admit, was super cheap… and I often traveled with them, which naturally opened a lot of doors for me. To start, at the school in Salaya, my Thai friend immediately connected me with Teacher Phong (the school’s mentor and teacher of teachers, a former monk). I was supposed to join a group session with other foreigners, but for some reason I don’t know, I got two days of private lessons for free with this expert… incredible! And on top of that, he loved France! It was an amazing experience. I "discovered" massage by chance—the Thai family just told me: "Try it, you’ll see!" (I’d had a pretty intense massage in the capital before 😅… but the next day, I felt unbelievably great!))
Every morning, I’d take a taxi (chosen by the Thai family at prices that beat all the competition) to this school—I’ve forgotten the name of the little village now… right in the heart of the countryside. Then, in the evenings, I’d keep practicing massage on all the family members… and they’d teach me Thai at the same time!))
Since then, I’ve practiced a bit, with lots of positive feedback. Following Teacher Phong’s advice—he thought my pressure was deep, firm, and precise—he strongly encouraged me to take this seriously.
I love Thailand so much. It’s a whole different way of living… and it’s a real blessing, even if I couldn’t live there full-time. Anyway, that was an unforgettable memory, and sometimes the Thai family and I still say hi—from 2011, 2013… right up to today!
"It seems to me that poverty would be less painful in the sun" wrote Aznavour...
Not sure...😕 Who can prove that people in hot countries are happier than others?
What do you think?
Is it better to live in Montpellier than in Lille?
Are the Pygmies happier than the Inuit?
Are Canadians less happy than the people of Louisiana?
Are there more French expats in hot countries?
And your travels? Do you choose your destinations based on the climate?
Do you rejoice when a bit of sunshine appears?
Hi everyone, just this once I’m not posting for a travel story, but to share a thought for Venezuela.
If you didn’t know—since it’s not making headlines—the country was hit by two 7.5-magnitude earthquakes last week. Over 2,200 people have died, more than 50,000 are missing, and some coastal towns have been completely destroyed.
Maybe when the scale of the humanitarian crisis becomes clear, our media will cover it a bit more... especially since earthquakes with this many casualties usually make the front page, but there’s been nothing in France.
So here’s a thought for this country, which, whatever you think of its politics, is a true jewel of South America, both for its landscapes and its people.
hi there
I’d like to invite you to discover my coastal province in central Vietnam: Quang Ngai.
This year, my province has really improved its infrastructure—mountains, countryside, and sea are all authentic here.
No harassers or thieves, and no Russians either.
A local lunch costs around 1 €.
A *** hotel room is about 25 €, and you can find hotels right on My Khe Beach.
We have a specialty: *banh xeo*—10 crepes for just 1.5 €.
You can rent motorbikes to explore the province and maybe visit the many ethnic minorities.
I live here—I’m not selling anything, but I can help if needed (my father-in-law is a traditional Vietnamese doctor and he’s very skilled).
Hi everyone! 😉
I’m Typhaine, 35 years old. Five years ago, I left France for a solo round-the-world trip—no planes, just a van, hitchhiking, cycling, and even a canoe in the Amazon! Today, I work as a naturalist guide in Argentine Patagonia.
Wherever I go, my compass stays the same: observing and photographing wildlife, which I deeply admire and respect.
My project: I’d love to share this experience through a sustainable, authentic, and immersive nature tourism initiative. But to build something meaningful, I need to understand how other nature enthusiasts experience their own adventures.
If you:
Are over 20 years old
Have a true passion for Nature
Have already taken at least one trip lasting more than 3 nights (in your country or abroad) in your life
Promise: I’m not selling anything, this isn’t marketing. Your answers are 100% anonymous and will only help me shape this wild project.
A huge thank you to everyone for your help and kindness! Looking forward to chatting in this thread 😛
(Dear admins, this is purely a collaborative effort for my project study, with no commercial purpose. Thank you so much for your support!)
Photo: Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), female on the left and her cub on the right. Photo taken by me in Alaska, Denali National Park.
It’s something we often notice in this forum—and many others—this behavioral shift.
A long-time member, or even a new one, asks a question.
They get one or more answers, some brief, some detailed, and then... nothing???
Not even a simple thank you!!!
From what I’ve gathered, if the answers don’t align with what they wanted to hear, it seems natural for the asker to just disappear!! 😕
Unless—(and I fear this is the case)—basic politeness is no longer part of our society????
I spent 3 weeks in Bali last summer (+ 3 nights on Gili Meno and a day trip to Kawah Ijen in Java). So I wanted to see what ChatGPT could suggest for comparison...
Here’s the prompt I gave:
"You’re a local expert guide for Bali.
- Plan a 20-day itinerary for Bali with a side trip to Gili Meno and a day trip to Kawah Ijen in Java without staying overnight.
- I’m traveling with my wife, and I love visiting historical sites, hiking, relaxing at the beach, snorkeling, and exploring rice terraces...
- For the duration of the stay, I don’t want more than 8 places to sleep, and I’d like to stay at least 2 days at each stop to avoid unpacking too often. Except for the last night, where I’m okay with just one night near the airport.
- I prefer neighborhoods that are walkable and try to avoid typical tourist traps, though I don’t want to miss the must-see spots. So suggest a mix of iconic sites and hidden gems.
- Recommend hotels or guesthouses with a budget of 50 to 100 € per night, including breakfast. Make suggestions in areas popular with travelers, specifying the vibe (I prefer quiet), and consider safety and proximity to attractions.
- For lunch and dinner, suggest two to three restaurants that are well-rated by customers.
- Give me a day-by-day program with details on travel times, visiting times for each point of interest, and recommendations for transportation (taxi, train, bike, etc.).
Estimate the total cost of the trip, including accommodations, food, transportation, and activities, and suggest two tips for saving money in each category.
- Don’t make anything up—be realistic about travel times, take into account the opening dates and hours of sites, and give me the entry fees for places to visit.
- Ask me all the questions until you’re 95% sure you understand what’s being asked. Don’t generate your response until you’ve understood."
The AI asked for a few clarifications:
"Great request—I can build you a really optimized and enjoyable itinerary, but to be 95% sure I hit the mark, I need a few key clarifications (this will really influence the pace, areas, and accommodations)."
In the end, it proposed a program very close to what we actually did.
I’ll skip its accommodation and restaurant suggestions...
Its proposal:
"Ubud (4 nights) => we did 5 nights
Sidemen (2 nights)
Amed (3 nights) => we’d planned 2 nights
Gili Meno (3 nights) => we did Gili between Sidemen and Amed
Munduk (3 nights) => we did 2 nights before Pemuteran
Pemuteran (3 nights) with Ijen => we did 4 nights
Sanur (2 nights + 1 last night) => we chose Jatiluwih instead of Sanur
It suggested "activities" (and accommodations too):
IN UBUD:
- Walk around central Ubud (1–2h)
- Campuhan Ridge Walk
- Tegalalang Rice Terrace
- Tirta Empul
- Gunung Kawi
- Massage / market / slow café
IN SIDEMEN:
- Rice terrace hike (2–3h)
- Cooking class
IN AMED:
- Snorkeling
- Japanese Shipwreck
- Beach + relaxation
- Volcano sunset
ON GILI:
- Snorkeling at Gili Meno Turtle Point, Nest Underwater Statues
IN MUNDUK:
- Jungle & waterfall hike - Munduk Waterfall + Melanting Waterfall
- Loop: 3–4h (perfect for your level)
- Ulun Danu Bratan Temple
- Twin Lakes
IN PEMUTERAN
- Snorkeling: Menjangan Island
For Kawah Ijen, it detailed the day well:
👍 from Pemuteran = best possible option
12 PM: leave hotel (we left at 10 PM)
1 PM: ferry
3 PM: arrival in Java + transfer
11 PM: start ascent
2 AM–6 AM: volcano
Return to Bali around 11 AM–12 PM (we got back at 4 PM)
👍 still very intense, but doable with an agency
💰 ~80–120 €/person all-inclusive
IN SANUR:
- Relaxation
- Quiet beach
- Proximity to airport (30 min)"
I’ve kept the habit of blowing my nose in the sink and then washing my hands—a custom I picked up in India. Sometimes, non-travelers are shocked when they catch me in the act... 🤪
Also, when I run out of toilet paper, it doesn’t bother me—unless I’ve got company over... 🤪
Just got back from walking a friend’s dog (while they’re on vacation), wearing a djellaba and Tibetan boots... 😏😏😏 Oh, for sure, if I’d run into locals, I probably would’ve shocked them? 😏
Anyway, as long as I’m not spitting on the floor at a restaurant or squatting on the side of a highway with a water bottle in hand...
After taking a little trip around the world, I came back a few months ago with an idea in mind.
I mostly do diving, and I love observing animals in their natural habitat without disturbing them.
During the trip, I realized it was quite complicated to know where and when to see certain species.
For example:
where to dive with sharks or manta rays
where you might get a chance to swim with whales
I even discovered thresher sharks during my trip… I didn’t even know this species existed before, even though they’re incredible to see.
We spent a ton of time searching for info all over the place, especially on social media, without ever getting a clear picture.
So I started putting all this together on my own, in the form of a map, to make it easier to visualize where to go depending on the seasons.
I recently put a first version online (it’s called Fauneya).
There are probably mistakes, inconsistencies, or things to improve, and that’s partly why I’m posting here.
I’d really love to know how you all go about planning this kind of trip.
As part of my Master’s thesis, I’m currently conducting a public survey on a topic that concerns all of us when planning a trip: artificial intelligence and the role of human contact in travel planning.
These days, we’re using more and more digital tools to find ideas, compare options, and book trips... but is the role of human advisors still essential? At what moments? And for what types of trips?
The survey is anonymous and takes about 7 minutes.
It’s aimed at anyone who travels (or has traveled) for leisure, whether you plan everything yourself or go through an agency.
While browsing the forum to gather info for my upcoming trip to Thailand, I often see the terms "traveler," "great traveler," and also "tourist"—so what’s the nuance for you?
I've traveled quite a bit in Vietnam over the past few years—from the southern delta to bustling cities and even some small islands—but what really sticks with me is the north, the high mountains.
Up there, there's something different—maybe slower, more raw. The morning markets with ethnic groups, women in traditional clothes, the colors...
The stilt houses, kids following you and laughing for no reason, the terraced rice fields—it almost feels unreal at times, so vast and quiet, yet so human and simple.
You often hear that Sapa has become too touristy, and that's partly true, especially in the center. But as soon as you move a little farther away, everything changes quickly. The landscapes open up, encounters feel more natural, and you rediscover something truly authentic.
I think it's that contrast that struck me—the difference between what you imagine before going and what you actually discover when you take the time.
And you—what memory do you hold onto from Vietnam? A particular place that touched you more than others?
Hello,
We’re finalizing the plans for our upcoming trip to China in May 2025. The second-to-last stop will be in Zhangjiajie, where we’ve planned to stay for 2 full days before heading to Shanghai.
We’re traveling solo using local transport and have arranged to stay in the city of Zhangjiajie.
We’ve seen that there’s a lot to see:
Tianmen Mountain, the Grand Canyon and the glass bridge, Zhangjiajie National Park, and that the sites are quite far apart with fairly expensive entry fees.
We’re thinking of dedicating one day to the national park and the Grand Canyon (glass bridge) and one day to Tianmen Mountain.
But we’re not sure if this plan is realistic—any thoughts would be much appreciated!
I should be serving a warming drink to the participants in the discussion about gardens and parks that provide us with beautiful photos, I could mention the delicious buttery scent wafting from bakeries in the thread about returning to France, but my heart, its powerful pulse that nourishes my entire being, is elsewhere.
Dasht-e Lut, Yazd, Esfahan, Bam, Kerman, Qeshm, Hormuz—a melody, a prayer at the heart of desire.
A dream, an unattainable fantasy? No. Not anymore.
A very serious Italian travel agency is organizing this trip for 6 people this winter. I’m signed up, I’m going, I’m living. Maybe.
"But you’re completely crazy!!!!"
I know... I know that every civilization, every society has a vital need to create scapegoats to define and justify itself, pathetically. And Iran is one of them, top of the list. I laugh or sigh, and it doesn’t bother me.
But that unchanging red, deep red and garnet, so beautiful in itself, in all the Western chancelleries repeats, whispers, shouts: don’t go, don’t go, don’t go, you’re putting yourself in danger and we can’t do anything for you. You’ll be turned into mere bargaining chips, into arguments for endless negotiations. Fear must be instilled, its power absolutely preserved, no concessions made to the enemy. The information (how many French hostages, real or fake, compared to the number of travelers?) is always lacking.
Traveling becomes a merciless confrontation between desire, the vital pulse, and anxiety, its ghosts.
Hi everyone, here’s our itinerary. Arriving on the evening of December 13th. Departing on January 7th.
Thanks in advance for your tips and valuable feedback.
Manila – 1 night
Coron – 4 nights
Coron to El Nido cruise – 2 nights
El Nido – 4 nights
Port Barton – 5 nights
Flight from Puerto Princesa to Vigan
Vigan – 2 nights
Sagada – 2 nights
Banaue – 2 nights
Bagabag – 1 night
Manila – 1 night
I’ve only booked the flight to Manila and the Manila/Coron flight so far. Is it possible to book boat trips, accommodations, and the Puerto Princesa flight last-minute?
Really disappointed with Costa Rica! Pura vida? The scam of the century!
(Costa Rica pure emptiness).
The country where animals are free and people are in cages.
3 weeks in December in this country and never again. Imagine the trailer of a movie that seems interesting, and when you go see it, you realize it’s a flop and the best moments were in the trailer.
Well, that’s exactly how we felt with Costa Rica pure emptiness.
My wife and I have traveled quite a bit and didn’t expect to be so wrong about a place.
On the main routes, we visited:
San José
Alajuela
Limón, Cahuita, Puerto Viejo, Manzanillo (Caribbean side)
Jaco, Quepos, Manuel Antonio (Pacific side)
And a few short stops in intermediate towns.
Our dissatisfaction grew gradually like this:
When we arrived at the hotel, the taxi dropped us off on a small street in front of a white metal gate with ground-floor windows barred. We looked at it skeptically, but the sign matched.
He approached the gate, rang the bell, the buzzer sounded, and the door opened slightly. The hotel wasn’t bad for the price, a 10-minute walk from downtown, but with a "Fleury-Mérogis" vibe guaranteed.
So far, so good.
After showering and regaining our bearings, we headed downtown.
What started to unsettle us on the way was seeing houses with bars on the ground-floor windows and even on the second floor.
At first, we thought the hotel’s neighborhood wasn’t great.
Downtown San José:
It’s a generic city, not very exotic, with a pedestrian street and a small mercado where you can eat local food without frills. Very few tourists—if any—which let you blend in with the locals. We had lunch and struggled to make ourselves understood because, aside from one or two shops, English wasn’t spoken.
On the way back to the hotel, we took a different route, and while chatting and strolling, my wife pointed out a beautiful two-story white house completely barricaded like Fort Knox.
From that moment, we started noticing the facades of houses and buildings, and wow, it was creepy—most looked like prisons, some even with barbed wire.
Though put off, we told ourselves it was probably a big-city thing and the rest of the country couldn’t be like this.
So far, so good.
We relaxed at the hotel and had a drink at the bar. Night falls early, around 5:30 PM. By 7:30 PM, we headed back downtown for dinner. A bit unsettling for a capital—downtown was almost deserted, and aside from fast-food chains, very few restaurants were open, with hardly anyone on the streets.
Bars with security guards out front.
I won’t say we felt unsafe that night, but once it got dark, we realized the bars on the windows weren’t for nothing. First day in, and our impression was already mixed.
The next day, we explored the city and surroundings, and our feelings didn’t change.
So far, so good.
Off to Cahuita by bus—4 hours of travel.
The landscapes are very green but quickly become monotonous. The road runs alongside the forest and passes through a few towns and villages, and even in the countryside, there were just as many prison-like houses.
The bus dropped us off at Cahuita’s terminal station—only four of us got off. It’s a village, or rather, a small town. Cahuita is basically one straight road and a perpendicular one, and honestly, doubt started to creep in.
A few restaurants that add 13% tax and 10% service charge—so 23% extra. We dropped our stuff at the hotel and went to explore. In 20 minutes, we’d seen it all. We had lunch and planned to check out the famous park.
Entry is by donation—well, the "entry" is a joke. There’s a path along the forest by the sea, and that’s it.
Nothing’s going right anymore.
We thought it was a total scam, but since we hadn’t gone far, we decided to come back the next day to explore further.
We returned to the hotel, relaxed, and around 8:00 PM, we went out for dinner. Only two restaurants were open, and the streets were deserted.
Creepy!
The next day, we explored the so-called park more thoroughly and really got it.
A path along the forest by the sea—2 hours there and 2 hours back, where you see animals that feel like showing their faces.
A total joke—"all that for this?"
The beach was full of wood debris and coconut husks. We wondered if the photos online were edited because the sea, very rough, wasn’t the azure blue we’d seen in pictures.
But calling this a park is a joke—it’s like a new concept.
When we thought about the reviews online, we started to suspect that professionals with interests in the country were monitoring and countering any negative feedback that could harm their business.
Too bad we didn’t check the negative reviews beforehand—we did while we were there, and it helped. We wondered if we’d become too demanding after all our travels, but no—when something’s bad, it’s bad.
Manuel Antonio’s park is even more ridiculous—there’s a short path along the sea for about 500 meters, and then nothing. You have to climb through mud and hack your way through the forest. We ended up barefoot because the mud was up to our calves. All that to see a raccoon and a few parrots flying overhead.
We didn’t expect Noah’s Ark, but we’ve seen more animals in Bali, Mexico, and Thailand while visiting temples or just walking around than in these so-called parks!
Puerto Viejo, not far from Cahuita and supposedly livelier—well, it couldn’t be worse!
According to Lonely Planet, it had a Caribbean vibe and wild nights, but maybe that was a long time ago. The good reggae music playing everywhere isn’t enough.
In the evening, Puerto Viejo was a bit livelier than Cahuita, but that’s not saying much. Very few tourists—if any—no night market, just two or three shops open selling $20 T-shirts. Same vibe as San José.
No big deal—we enjoyed the beach and the sun, which was reliable.
Our itinerary was supposed to include Tortuguero Park, but after talking to other travelers who’d just been, we changed our minds, knowing we’d be visiting Manuel Antonio Park on the Pacific side.
To get back to the Pacific side, you have to take the bus and go through San José again—5 hours this time—then switch bus terminals and another 4.5 hours to Quepos.
A stopover town to get to Manuel Antonio’s beach and park!
A town just like the others we’d seen—deserted as soon as the sun sets, and not exactly bustling during the day either. (Where are all the tourists?)
Still as many bars on the windows and that feeling of being in the wrong place.
7 km later: Manuel Antonio beach and park.
The beach is very beautiful and quite large, but don’t expect turquoise blue water—the waves stir up the sand, giving the water a brownish color.
Along the beach, shops and restaurants for about 300 meters, and then nothing. At night, after sunset, the town shuts down too.
Manuel Antonio Park is highly praised for its wildlife, so we were eager to see it. When you express dissatisfaction with Cahuita or Manzanillo parks, the response is always, "But you should’ve gone to Monteverde or Manuel Antonio!" No matter what you do or say, they’ll tell you, "You should’ve gone there or here."
Back to our famous park—entry was about $16, and contrary to what we’d heard, it wasn’t crowded!
Guides at the entrance with spotting scopes offered their services for about $30.
The park: a mix of boardwalk and dirt paths through the forest, sometimes running alongside beautiful coves and beaches.
As soon as we entered, a crowd was taking photos of a deer eating leaves.
A little further on, a guide with a group of five stopped. The guide raised his arm and set up his spotting scope! He showed them, about 100 meters away, a hummingbird perched on a branch. Some, looking through the scope, exclaimed, "Oh my God! Amazing! Incredible!"
For a moment, we thought they’d discovered a unicorn or were in Jurassic Park and had just crossed paths with a T-Rex!
The concept is comical—looking at a bird or another animal through a spotting scope because it’s too far away. Isn’t that what TV is for?
For our part, we saw monkeys, ants, an armadillo, an iguana, and the backside of a sloth climbing a tree. Amazing, incredible!
We stayed a few days in Manuel Antonio to enjoy the beach, changing hotels often because prices varied wildly from one day to the next for shameful services. On top of that, they’d quote a price in dollars and convert it at their discretion—thieves!
Alajuela, a city near the airport, has a two-story mall and a local market downtown! No interest except its proximity to the airport.
What we liked:
The climate and, in hindsight, San José—the most authentic city we visited.
What we didn’t like, in addition to what we’ve already mentioned:
Costa Ricans aren’t very friendly or communicative. English is barely spoken, not even by doctors at Quepos Hospital, where my wife ended up with food poisoning (thanks, Google Translate). The widespread obesity among Costa Ricans, who eat like Americans. The insecurity. The eco-hipsters who leave their $150 lodges in minivans with guides to visit parks and other sites, then return to barricade themselves in their fortresses at nightfall (oh my God, amazing, incredible). The blue signs at the entrance of towns that accept this payment method: "We accept American Express." Parking lots that become paid just because a guy is watching your car. Prices displayed in dollars. The cost of living (hotels, restaurants, taxes). Landscapes that are too green and not flowery enough. Beaches—nothing exceptional. Pollution in cities where big American trucks rule. Sewage dumped directly into the sea. Aside from the jungle, there’s nothing to visit—no ruins, monuments, or anything worth seeing.
In short, my wife and I think the hype about this supposedly eco-friendly country is overrated. It’s just the trendy destination of the moment. There are much better, cheaper, and more authentic places.
In hindsight, we keep the good memories and our beautiful photos, but if we had to do it over...
Before signing off, a little message to those who don’t like hearing opinions different from theirs:
Well, some things aren’t up for debate. And to those who’d have us believe that in 3 weeks, we don’t have the right to criticize a country or express our feelings—how can you praise it in so little time? What a scam. Costa Rica is a money pit. Pura vida? Pure cosmic emptiness.
If you like spending your evenings barricaded in your cozy hotel after dark, this country is for you.
For everyone else: run!
Hello,
Since the war between Russia and Ukraine, nothing is simple anymore for traveling to Belarus due to sanctions.
No more direct flights from the EU to Minsk.
Driving is a huge hassle, especially crossing through Poland at the only open border in Brest—you can wait 2, 3, or even 4 days just to get through by car.
The least painful driving option is to come via Lithuania and cross at the only open border, with a minimum wait time of 8 hours, sometimes up to 20 hours or more!!
Controls are very strict and annoying on both the Lithuanian and Belarusian sides. Avoid bringing alcohol, food, or cigarettes—everything will end up in the trash, especially when leaving Belarus for Vilnius, where the Lithuanians are tough, even with EU citizens.
The joy I once knew when visiting my wife in Minsk is sadly over—it’s now a real ordeal.
The fastest solution is to fly. My wife travels to France by taking a bus to Kaunas in Lithuania, where you can catch a flight (though not daily) to Paris Beauvais or Charleroi in Belgium with Ryanair, for example.
For the return trip, it’s the same: a flight to Kaunas and then a direct bus from the airport to Minsk.
The bus crossing is quicker than driving—the 250 km journey, including border checks, takes about 6 to 8 hours for buses leaving Lithuania around midnight, but controls are still strict at the border.
The biggest challenge is finding flight schedules that align with the bus routes between the two countries, given the unpredictable border crossing times.
Now, my wife travels via Charleroi in Belgium (near Brussels), and you can take a train to Paris. Alternatively, you can fly into Beauvais and take a bus to Paris (Porte Maillot).
For those driving, note that EU insurance and assistance policies no longer work in Belarus or Russia. You’ll need to get local insurance, usually limited to third-party liability (I don’t think full coverage exists?), as well as mandatory medical insurance. This is available at the border.
You now have to pay highway tolls—no more BELTOLL boxes. Instead, you pay a flat fee for the duration of your stay. Stop at the first gas station after crossing from Lithuania to fill up on fuel and cigarettes.
From what I know, Lithuania bans carrying more than 60 € in cash, but there’s no limit for USD (though it’s capped at $10,000??).
With a Visa card, you can now withdraw 1,000 rubles per week (about 270 €)—two months ago, it was only 500 rubles!!
For now, you can still pay by card in shops and gas stations.
However, major retailers like KORONA (which may be Russian-owned??) no longer accept foreign Visa cards.
Unfortunately, the additional sanctions announced by the U.S. on August 5, 2025, against Russia—and possibly Belarus—aren’t promising for the future.
After 20 years of visiting Belarus, I’m truly saddened to see the joy of living in this country with my wonderful wife turn into such a bleak situation, all because of human folly.
Hi everyone!
I’m putting together our travel itinerary for Veneto at the end of April. And the more I look and research potential sites to visit, the more I find!
We’ll only be there for a week—my family and I—including 3 days in Venice. So we have to make some choices...
I plan to rent a car when we arrive in Venice and head straight to Bergamo, which would be our first stop. We’d leave the car at the airport when we return to Venice so we can explore the city at our leisure.
What do you think:
1 night in Bergamo (a 2h15 drive from Venice airport),
1 night in Garda,
1 night in Verona,
1 in Padua, and
3 in Venice—would that be doable?
Thanks in advance for your tips and experiences! :)
Now that the curtain has fallen on the past year, it’s time to see what’s happening around here.
It seems pretty quiet, but I’ll read more in detail later.
First, I need to tell you all an anecdote.
My eldest little girl, in her third year of law school, was really scared she wouldn’t pass the year.
I told her:
“Trust yourself, you’ve worked so hard, and worst case, if you fail, you’ll just redo the year.”
“But I don’t think I’ll make it—they changed the rules, and if I mess up even one unit, I have to start all over.”
I knew her grades weren’t exactly stellar, and with what I was about to say, I wasn’t taking much of a risk.
“Here’s the deal, sweetheart: if you pass, I promise I’ll take you to India, just the two of us.”
I have to admit, India is a country I’ve talked about so much to all my grandchildren that in their minds, it’s become a magical, mythical place (hmm).
July had barely begun when my phone rang, her name flashing on the screen.
“Mamido, I did it!”
My promise came rushing back—oh no, oh no, oh no!
“Congratulations, sweetheart!”
A little shyly, she said:
“Is the India trip still on?”
And me, replying:
“Of course it is!”
And that’s that—a promise is a promise, or you risk losing that precious trust that keeps hearts warm and at peace.
We’re leaving in February. Only 8 days—yikes, the carbon footprint!
But we can’t miss her tutorials, or she’ll be kicked out.
Personally, that works just fine for me.
Going to India has become a challenge for me. It’s far, it’s exhausting, I sweat, I hate mosquitoes, the spices bother my mouth when I used to love them. There’s noise all the time—at night, the dogs bark nonstop, and we almost get run over. I’ll get lost in the streets because my sense of direction has vanished. I don’t like rice anymore. All that chaos and those cultural differences that once enchanted me now just overwhelm me.
But I promised.
The upside—and it’s a big one—Raman, the same driver I’ve had forever, will be at the airport with a sign with our names. We’ll stop at the same little shop for chai (or tea, plain and simple) with that aroma that intoxicates me, halfway through the trip.
It’ll be a tiny trip—staying with friends, I’ll show her a few places I love: Chidambaram, Mamallapuram, and the clinic where I worked. Then we’ll head back.
My little girl will go home to her parents.
As for me, I’ll leave right away for our Scottish island with Homme for our chilly winter.
How can you love a country so much you want to live there, then suddenly reject it, no longer able to appreciate what once made it special?
That’s the mystery of love, I guess.
I’ve visited the U.S. four times myself, including two long road trips. The last one was just this past August...
I won’t be going back. I already felt guilty last August, but recent policies have finally convinced me: the humiliation of Zelensky, authoritarian excesses, Gestapo-like methods for detaining people of foreign origin, the murder of innocent people (a mother shot dead), corruption, insane "tariffs," skyrocketing healthcare costs for Americans, the abduction of foreign figures to secure oil, the requirement to disclose social media accounts, and now... threats and blackmail to forcibly take Greenland—a region that belongs to Denmark and thus the European Union!
The reality is that simply posting this could get me denied entry to the U.S.!
In this context, I just can’t keep spending money there. I loved my trips, but there are so many other countries with stunning landscapes to explore.
So I get why you’d want to travel there. I did, and I loved it. But once a country no longer respects any of the values that made us love it, why go?
How can we even consider traveling to a country that threatens to take one of our territories by force?
Hello everyone,
Controversial topic? Not necessarily—maybe just a reflection on a world to come.
I spent the last 15 days of August on a cruise in Greenland, from Kangerlussuaq to Tasiilaq.
I was utterly amazed by this unique world of rock and ice, the little houses in every color, a simple life that’s also complicated by isolation and climate, among other things...
I carry in my heart the kindness of the people I met, the raw and gentle majesty of the icebergs, the colors of the sky...
So, I can’t even imagine a massive presence of raw material prospectors, heavy machinery requiring roads to be built—if that’s even possible—changing their way of life... putting sled dogs out to pasture!
Do fast food and Greenland’s northern lights really mix?
I wouldn’t trade my memories for an ESTA!
All opinions are respectable, which is why this isn’t a controversy—but I’m sorry, I have a soft spot for *my* Greenland.
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