Pour les PEUPLES INIDENES, "Avatar" n'est pas une fiction
Des volontaires de l’ONG britannique de défense des droits des peuples indigènes Survival ont recueilli à travers le monde les témoignages de chasseurs-cueilleurs : tous se félicitent du succès planétaire du film de James Cameron, qui pourrait sensibiliser le grand public à leur détresse.
Au Sarawak (partie malaisienne de Bornéo), un Penan a ainsi raconté à Survival : «Nous ne pouvons vivre sans la forêt. Elle nous protège et nous la protégeons. Nous comprenons les plantes et les animaux parce que nous habitons ici depuis des temps immémoriaux. Les Na'vi d’Avatar se lamentent parce que leur forêt est détruite. Il en est de même pour nous. Les compagnies d'exploitation forestière abattent nos grands arbres, polluent nos rivières et font disparaître notre gibier». Les forêts de Malaisie et d’Indonésie sont rasées au profit de plantations de palmiers à huile, afin de produire des agro-carburants. Comme dans «Avatar», de nombreuses banques et entreprises occidentales investissent dans ces plantations.
«La terre et les Bushmen sont indissociables»
Au Bostwana, un Bochiman (ou «Bushmen») du désert du Kalahari, Jumanda Gakelebone, déclare : «Nous sommes les premiers habitants de l'Afrique australe. Nos droits à la terre sont bafoués et nous appelons le monde entier à l'aide. Avatar me rend heureux parce qu'il montre ce qu'est d'être Bushmen et ce que notre terre représente pour nous. La terre et les Bushmen sont indissociables». Les Bochimans se trouvent, eux, en conflit avec les mines de diamants.
Au Brésil, Davi Kopenawa, un Yanomami surnommé le «Dalaï Lama de l’Amazonie», explique : «Mon peuple a toujours vécu en paix avec la forêt. Nos ancêtres nous ont appris à comprendre notre terre et les animaux. Nous avons utilisé ce savoir avec précaution, parce que notre existence en dépend. Ma terre a été envahie par les orpailleurs. Il en est résulté la mort d'un cinquième de notre peuple, atteint de maladies que nous n'avions jamais connues auparavant».
Survival et de nombreuses associations dénoncent la participation de la société française GDF Suez à la construction du barrage de Jirau, sur la rivière Madeira dans l’Etat de Rondonia au Brésil. Cet ouvrage d’une capacité de 3 450 mégawatts menace la forêt amazonienne, la biodiversité, les riverains et surtout les Indiens isolés, dont le système immunitaire est vulnérable face à nos maladies bénignes.
«Garantir leurs droits territoriaux»
James Cameron s'est inspiré de la langue maorie de Nouvelle-Zélande pour inventer celle des Na'vi. Recevant le Golden Globe Awards le 17 janvier, il a rappelé le thème central de son film : «Tout est lié, les êtres humains les uns aux autres et chacun de nous, à la terre».
Directeur de Survival international, Stephen Corry précise que, «tels les Na'vi, les derniers peuples indigènes – de l’Amazonie à la Sibérie – sont en danger d’extinction, leurs terres sont spoliées par de puissants intérêts pour des raisons lucratives comme la colonisation ou l’exploitation forestière et minière. L’un des meilleurs moyens de protéger le ‘miracle’ du patrimoine naturel mondial est d'une simplicité étonnante : c'est de garantir les droits territoriaux des peuples indigènes».
Cédric Gouverneur 02/02/2010 15:13
"pendant un instant l'usage des yeux : la lecture du monde. italo Calvino "Paroles de voyageurs" si tu n'as pas étudié, voyage".
L’un des meilleurs moyens de protéger le ‘miracle’ du patrimoine naturel mondial est d'une simplicité étonnante : c'est de garantir les droits territoriaux des peuples indigènes».
Oups!... Houston? We have a problem :
Si l’on fait la somme des revendications territoriales des peuples indigènes (appelés ici Premières Nations) sous prétexte qu’elles sont d’occupations ancestrales et nécessaires au maintien de leurs cultures, on en arrive à… 1, 37 fois la superficie actuelle du Québec.
On n’est pas sorti du bois!
DeCléricy
J’en appelle à vous ô Muses
Où tant ma vie passe et s’use
Qu’encore et toujours j’aime
Mes soeurs Galère et Bohème
Sauf que là on ne parle pas du Quebec Houston...😇
Mais d'acculturation aujourd'hui et maintenant et sur l'ensemble de la planete , de peuples qui ne participent pas au dicta
general des financiers, industriels et politiques qui ont fait main basse sur le vivant ces dernière années et s'evertuent à uniformiser la planète en dépit des fondements des uns et des autres pour mieux la préssuriser... à court terme! ...😐
en France meme, nous avons des peuples en voie d extinction et d acculturation: emerillons (env 200?) wayampis, palikours vivent sur l otyapoque en guyanne: completement bourrés dés qu ils prerçoivent le RMI ou d autres allocs: ils traversent le fleuve et achetent de la cachaça au bresil.
la gendarmerie basee a camopi ou a st georges les regardent benoitement.
et à chaque election on a la photo d 'une wayampi seins nus qui va voter!pour faire folklore😠
on a la "chance" d avoir des peuples "archaiques" ou "premiers" ou ce qu on veut en France et on n est pas foutus de les proteger!
meme remarque sur la faune de guyanne, protégée mais dont les restos en face de la gendarmerie cuisinent les gibiers.
Non! mais c'est quoi cette idée selon laquelle la terre devrait éternellement appartenir à certains!!!
Que dirait-on en France si les descendants des Arvernes, des Eduens ou des Biturges réclamaient des territoires à vie
pour faire brûler le gui et jouer du carnuxs!!!😠
Les forêts de Malaisie et d’Indonésie sont rasées au profit de plantations de palmiers à huile, afin de produire des agro-carburants. Comme dans «Avatar», de nombreuses banques et entreprises occidentales investissent dans ces plantations.
Je vais assez souvent en Malaisie et Indonésie et il est vrai que désormais les palmiers à huile ont remplacé les forêts : en avion c'est stupéfiant. Bornéo n'est pas épargnée. Ce soir et demain, sur la 5 il y a une émission sur l'Indonésie qui traite du problème, de Sumatra, Java, Bali. L'ambition de l'Indonésie : être le 1er producteur mondial des palmiers à huile.
Pour "les amoureux" de cette partie du monde : y aller, y retourner au plus vite. 😉
... Le journaliste utilise d'emblée le mot "indigènes" or un indigène est celui qui est habite le pays où il est né , ainsi quand les touristes étrangers viennent nous voir, et qu'ils désirent par exemple 😊nous demander un renseignement, ils disent je vais aller demander à cet(te) indigène notre chemin ! ou cette indigène a une bonne tête !!!!
Aujourd'hui on dit (afin de ne pas tout mélanger) un(e) autoctone !
"pendant un instant l'usage des yeux : la lecture du monde. italo Calvino "Paroles de voyageurs" si tu n'as pas étudié, voyage".
Pour les peuples indigènes, Avatar n'est pas une fiction
Les forêts de Malaisie et d’Indonésie sont rasées au profit de plantations de palmiers à huile, afin de produire des agro-carburants. Comme dans «Avatar», de nombreuses banques et entreprises occidentales investissent dans ces plantations.
J'ai lu qu'Avatar avait été interdit en Chine. Le régime a fini par voir d'un très mauvais oeil les débats qu'a suscité le film, surtout sur internet. Dans un pays où "les cas de démolitions, de déménagements forcés sont monnaie courante, où les petites gens sont totalement impuissants face aux grands promoteurs", Avatar serait une sorte de reflet de la réalité sociale du pays, une illustration du combat contre l'expulsion brutale et contrainte. Le sujet a déchaîné les passions sur le net. Le film, qui faisait des records d'entrée, a été retiré des salles moins de trois semaines après sa sortie.
Mais la Chine n'est pas à un paradoxe près. Au même moment, dans le Hunan, dans le parc de Wulingyuan célèbre pour ses formations karstiques, on a décidé de débaptiser un des pics. Très officiellement, avec cérémonie et tout et tout. Le Nan Tian Yi Zhu, "pilier se dressant dans le ciel du sud" s'appelle désormais "Montagne Alleluiah Avatar". C'est sûr que c'est drôlement mieux... La raison ? James Cameron se serait inspiré des formations géologiques du parc pour créer les décors de son film. C'est plus que probable, je n'ai pas vu le film mais les extraits que l'on peut voir montrent un environnement qui rappelle fortement Wulingyuan - Zhangjiajie. Il s'agit bien évidemment d'une opération touristique. Qui risque d'ailleurs de fort bien marcher, les chinois sont assez friands de ce genre de choses.
je n'ai pas vu le film mais les extraits que l'on peut voir montrent un environnement qui rappelle fortement Wulingyuan - Zhangjiajie. Il s'agit bien évidemment d'une opération touristique. Qui risque d'ailleurs de fort bien marcher, les chinois sont assez friands de ce genre de choses.
"Tourisme, Voyage d'agrément.A gâché la signification du voyage. Normalement des lieux d'accueil, organisation supprimant l'aventure. la vraie rencontre avec d'autres. S'il est une source de revenus, ceux-ci sont mal répartis, les habitants des lieux visités en profitent peu et leur culture est souvent réduite à un résidu de folklore". (lexique des S.sociales)
C'est donc un nouveau lieu de promenade ! Ici, nous sommes friands des nouveaux sites à découvrir ! alors à quand les nouvelles discussions ?
"pendant un instant l'usage des yeux : la lecture du monde. italo Calvino "Paroles de voyageurs" si tu n'as pas étudié, voyage".
C'est donc un nouveau lieu de promenade ! Ici, nous sommes friands des nouveaux sites à découvrir ! alors à quand les nouvelles discussions ?
Pas tout à fait. Le parc est inscrit au Patrimoine Mondial de l'Unesco depuis 1992. Il attire de nombreux chinois (et c'est peu de le dire) depuis longtemps. Les touristes occidentaux se font rares par contre. Il ne s'agit pas d'un parc dans le genre des jardins chinois, c'est un parc national. Très vaste. La plupart des visiteurs se déplacent en navettes, il s'agit très souvent de groupes chinois avec casquettes de même couleur, guide muni d'un porte-voix etc... Du sino-classique quoi ! Le film Balzac et la petite tailleuse chinoise a été tourné dans ce parc. C'est un lieu vraiment extraordinaire.
"Le parc est inscrit au Patrimoine Mondial de l'Unesco depuis 1992. Il attire de nombreux chinois (et c'est peu de le dire) depuis longtemps. Les touristes occidentaux se font rares par contre"
Pour quelles raisons ?
"pendant un instant l'usage des yeux : la lecture du monde. italo Calvino "Paroles de voyageurs" si tu n'as pas étudié, voyage".
Le tourisme occidental en Chine concerne toujours les mêmes provinces. Un petit tour dans la rubrique Asie du Nord-Est du forum suffit pour s'en rendre compte. Idem lorsque l'on feuillette les brochures proposant des circuits. La province du Hunan n'attire pas les occidentaux. Des minorités mais pas assez ? Pas pratique à insérer dans un circuit ? Une histoire trop lourde car berceau de la Révolution chinoise ? Je ne sais pas. Le Hunan recèle pourtant des merveilles : Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, Dehang etc... Une cuisine succulente. Attention, c'est l' une des cuisines les plus hot de Chine avec celle du Sichuan. Et des habitants chaleureux.
Pas sûr !! "La province du Hunan n'attire pas les occidentaux. Des minorités mais pas assez ? " 😕 😉 Les minorités pour certains c'est comme aller se promener dans nos zoos 😠 c'est affligeant voire pire.
"pendant un instant l'usage des yeux : la lecture du monde. italo Calvino "Paroles de voyageurs" si tu n'as pas étudié, voyage".
Je vous fais part d'un site (gratuit et participatif) que je viens de découvrir, et qui peut être d'une grande aide pour les amateurs d'art et voyageurs:…
Pour les intéressés, le site www.sleepinginairpor... définit trois catégories: pourri, potable et princier comme aéroport. Le meilleur? Le Changi de Singapour.…
Dans le canard enchaîné du 25 /05/2005 Projet Européen sur la biométrie, identification des personnes par leurs empreintes digitales, leurs iris ect... Le…
Je souhaiterais savoir s'il existe un site dédié au covoiturage pour les loisirs. Je m'explique. Les sites existants sont tous orientés vers des trajets aller…
Parmi les dernières innovations technologiques qui pourraient débarquer tôt ou tard dans le monde du tourisme, les Google Glass proposées par Google. Il s'agit…
Many of us have noticed that bugs have been making it difficult to navigate the forum lately.
I’ll let Kate and Ticapi explain the issue:
I went to your profile to check out the Thailand travel journal, and when I clicked on it, it brought me back here again. All week, I’ve been dealing with bugs like this—it’s really discouraging from continuing on VF.🙁
I had the same thing happen, and multiple times. For me, it was Montagnard’s latest journal that kept coming up no matter which discussion I clicked on.
BOLIVIA: THE COUNTRY ON THE BRINK (What's Really Happening)
A dramatic saga is unfolding before our eyes in the Andes. Between suffocating blockades, clashes, an international airlift, and historic political decisions, Bolivia has just experienced 48 hours of rare intensity.
Here’s the full breakdown (economic, social, and political) of the last 48 hours:
For travelers and tourists: the article also includes an important note about the upcoming publication (starting tomorrow) of the precise status of roadblocks, route by route.
I’ll post the full update here on Voyage Forum!
Don’t miss this in-depth analysis. History is being written before our eyes! https://www.petitherge.com/bolivie-paralysie-et-ultimatum
I just discovered a great show on Arte.
It's called "7 en route": seven young European journalists travel around Europe in a fully converted bus, making reports on every city they visit. It's amazing! 🙂
Yesterday, for example, they were in Rome, Italy, and the reports included things like the world's smallest restaurant—a super romantic spot for two. There was also a report on the king of paparazzi in Italy.
They have to pick topics that let us discover the little quirks of each country. And at the end of each episode, we get to see the finished report.
It's such a great show, mixing journalism, travel, and discovery—basically, a must-watch!
It airs in the evening starting at 6:50 PM (I think), and it started this past Monday, July 14th.
If you watch it, let me know—we can chat about it!
I left my heart’s country eight days ago and returned to my adopted one—or was it the other way around? Scotland-Morvan, Morvan-Scotland, I’m not quite sure anymore.
After a quarter without dragging my slippers around here, even though I’d loudly declared I had no interest left in this site, here I am again!
My imagination never stays fallow for long. Just enough time for my inner land to rest. It gets overgrown with fresh nettles, the kind you can pick without getting stung. Then, it’s time to till the fragrant earth and let the story grow.
I hesitated over where to set this story.
Maybe the Highlands, maybe the Hebrides, maybe the Orkney Islands, maybe the Shetland Islands. All of Scotland is myth—easy to embroider.
But in the end, no. I’d almost be too afraid to bare my soul.
The story will take place at home. Simple, practical.
1)
This morning, I was up well before dawn, feeling a bit grumpy, but nothing a bowl of coffee won’t fix. I love my bowl, and no one dares take it. It’s porcelain, edged with intertwined blue flowers. On the bottom, it says "Revol." The factory has existed long before the Revolution. It was my great-grandmother’s bowl. She drank roasted barley from it during the war, then her Leroux chicory.
Last year, a little guy dropped it. My bowl broke into three pieces. A black anger vibrated deep inside me. The little boy was so upset, on the verge of tears. How could I scold him!
I picked up the three pieces and took Little Boy in my arms. His hair smelled of the light, sweet sweat of toddlers. A gentle hug that healed—his budding sorrow and my anger—everything vanished, and time carried on.
Today, my bowl is even prettier. Man fixed it using the traditional kintsugi technique, except he didn’t use gold powder or lacquer but superglue, and he delicately painted the cracks with woad blue. And my bowl is even more beautiful now.
I’m lingering, I can tell—it’s just that a story wraps itself in life, and life can’t be told in the snap of a finger. Life is long. Like in architecture, you start with a rough sketch, called a "sous-cul" (the initial pencil drawing), then you make a tracing, which is the work itself, the one you later carefully roll up in a wooden tube.
Life is like that: you erase, you start over, you use the nub of the pencil until it’s tiny, but you keep going—dreaming, loving.
"Living is a full-time occupation, a unique adventure. Always a surprise and a wonder, which sometimes turns into astonishment. And, from time to time, happiness."*
Alright, enough digressing—this introduction is definitely too long.
Tomorrow, I’ll get to the heart of the matter.
(I hate that expression; it feels like I’m cutting into someone’s skin.)
I’m Yann, a 28-year-old TikToker who loves traveling!
Since I’ve been to several destinations, I’d love to get a flag from each one as a sort of trophy. But from what I’ve seen online, a lot of sites sell them with what looks like really poor quality...
So I’m reaching out to you all to share a site you usually use—help me start my collection! :)
hi there
I’d love to get some opinions—I’ve never used Airbnb before.
They’re offering a key handover via lockbox.
Any tips or advice?
Is it reliable?
Best,
Hi there, I’m Laura, and I’m looking for a few people to answer some questions so I can understand your travel wishes and challenges. It won’t take long—I can chat here, by email, or by phone. Don’t worry, I’m not selling anything! 😊
On this forum, we talk a lot about trekking in the Himalayas, but I’d love to share another side of Nepal: its spiritual, cultural, and religious atmosphere, especially in Kathmandu.
Nepal, much like Tibet and Bhutan, is deeply connected to the Himalayas—the ultimate sacred mountain range. This small country exudes a calming vibe, shaped by a strong spiritual dimension. What I loved most was the unique sensory experience you get there. Walking around temples and tantric monasteries, a distinct scent fills the air—aromatic plants used for ritual fumigation. Locals mainly burn Himalayan juniper, cedar, sandalwood, and other local essences. This fragrant smoke is a way to purify the space and reach the deities, and you’re constantly enveloped in these aromas.
Another striking aspect is the sound. As soon as you step outside, you hear bells ringing in front of temples. People ring them three times before praying to announce their presence to the deities. Nepal is also the birthplace of singing bowls and sound meditation practices. In Kathmandu, you can easily find meditation sessions or "sound baths."
The spiritual dimension is everywhere: a Hindu sadhu practicing asceticism, a lama in deep red robes with his mala, turning a prayer wheel while murmuring "Om mani padme hum." Newar Buddhism, Tantrism, and Hinduism coexist harmoniously in daily life.
For those who love exploring a destination through its culture and spirituality, Nepal is an unforgettable place. What was your spiritual experience in Nepal like?
Hi,
I’m landing in Quebec and then heading to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. I’d like to rent a pick-up. My question is: does this vehicle come with a cover and is it secure enough to store luggage in? I’ve heard two conflicting opinions. Thanks
I just installed the Maps.Me app on my phone. I only recently found out about this app. I’m traveling in 2 weeks and a few days, and I’m a bit stuck on how to use it.
I’m from the Montreal (Quebec) area, and I’d love to know if there’s a kind soul out there who could help me get started and use the app at least minimally.
If there are private lessons available, I’d be interested in those too.
Like many others, I’m overjoyed to hear that VoyageForum is reopening! I’ve been waiting hopefully for this, and it’s wonderful that it’s finally happening!
I just couldn’t bring myself to actively participate in other French-language travel forums—their format and way of doing things never appealed to me as much. I really hope that VF’s structure, categories, and interface won’t change too much despite the handover, because I’m very attached to them. Through thick and thin, the site has held strong—it’s amazing!
In a previous message, François mentioned that there were positions to fill ahead of the reopening, including moderators...
I’ve been eagerly waiting for this and hoping to send in my CV.
Now, after reading the latest message, it seems like the team is already fully formed. But are there still a few spots left to fill?
I’ve been a VF member for 20 years (since 2004). I’d love to contribute to this wonderful adventure as a moderator if VF would trust me with the role. If the team is open to reviewing it, I’m ready to send my CV. Could you let me know the next steps?
I’m planning a 3-week trip to Japan in May with Voyage Privé. The package includes a 5 GB eSIM, but my phone isn’t new enough to support it. VP told me I could buy a SIM card when I arrive at the airport.
Sure enough, I’ve seen online that this is possible with different providers.
I only need it for checking routes, looking up addresses, train schedules, etc.—basically using Google Maps, TripAdvisor, and similar apps. No heavy downloads or major internet use. All hotels should provide free Wi-Fi for that, right?
Has anyone got any tips for me on this? What have you tried, and how much did it cost?
Thanks for your help!
I’d like to know if you can buy reef-safe sunscreen sprays at 7-Eleven. If so, how much do they cost? We’re traveling with backpacks, so we’ll either buy 100ml here or in Thailand.
I wanted to share a really unpleasant experience from our last trip booked with Promoséjours and organized by FTI.
We booked an 8-day/7-night stay in Egypt, from June 8 to 15.
The flight initially scheduled was changed a week before departure to take off at 10 PM from Paris CDG.
In the end, it took off with a 1-hour delay and included an unmentioned stopover in Marsa Alam.
We landed in Hurghada at 4 AM and arrived at the hotel at 6 AM.
So, we spent our first night on the plane.
For the return trip, surprise—the flight was moved up. We left the hotel at 10:30 PM on Friday the 14th to take off at 2 AM and land at 7 AM at Paris CDG.
So, we spent our last night on the plane too.
After sending a complaint letter to Promoséjours / FTI, they replied that the first and last days can be dedicated to transport (which I already knew) and that no matter how many nights you book, you’re not guaranteed to spend them in the hotel—it could just as well be on the plane.
I’m really questioning this.
Isn’t there a law that protects customers in cases like this?
Because when I do the math, the first and part of the second day were spent on transport, same for the second-to-last and last day. And I paid for 7 nights for a stay that only lasted 5.
Anyway, I just want to say thanks to them—thanks to their two sleepless nights in transit, I’m coming back even more exhausted from a trip that was supposed to be restful!
I also want to warn anyone booking through this agency about visas for Egypt.
At booking, they told me the visa was included in the price, then they sent me an email saying I’d have to pay for it on-site at 25 €.
Once there, we were directed to a special line for FTI customers, and guess what? They charged us 30 €!
Basically, they’re great at making sure you *enjoy* your vacation—mostly by enjoying your wallet!
If anyone has dealt with this kind of situation and won their case, I’m all ears.
Hi there!
I’m heading to Thailand for two months.
So I thought I’d get a Thai SIM card to use Google Maps for getting around cities, mostly.
Here’s my question: will this SIM affect my apps? Or will they work the same as with my Orange SIM?
Is there any setup I need to do, or can I just pop in the Thai SIM?
I’d also like to switch back to my Orange SIM now and then while I’m in Thailand—on the same phone. Will I need to reset the phone, or will it reconnect without any issues?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Best,
Huiclos
Hi, I’d like to know where we can buy beer or wine in Chefchaouen and around Merzouga. We’ll be doing a circuit and staying at the Parador Hotel in Chefchaouen and in a bivouac in Merzouga.
Thanks for any info you can share!
Hello everyone,
I’m reaching out to all travelers and globe-trotters on this forum. I’m a teacher in Creuse working in a ULIS program (which welcomes children aged 6 to 12 with disabilities into a mainstream school). This year, I’m launching a school journal project that will involve the kids in many different topics. A big part of this journal will focus on opening up to the world, embracing differences, travel, global cultures, and more.
I’m putting out a call to invite as many of you as possible to send us a postcard (from France or anywhere in the world)! The goal is to help us "travel" and discover new places, countries, and horizons in a way that’s much more fun and exciting than a geography textbook. One section of our journal could be called "We received a letter from ," where we’d research the location and share what we learn with our readers—a really enriching activity for the classroom.
The project starts in September 2025 but doesn’t have a strict end date, since this journal and world-discovery initiative will span several school years (the kids stay in the ULIS program for multiple years). Postcards can be sent anytime—throughout the year, across seasons, even during holidays! The kids will find them when they return.
I hope this idea appeals to as many of you as possible, and that you’ll spread the word to your fellow travelers. Help us dream and explore!
For those who’d like to write to us in a language other than French, no problem—quite the opposite!
Thank you in advance for your participation! Below is our address. If you’d like us to write back, feel free to leave your address on a corner of the postcard! 😊
ULIS program students
Bonnat Elementary School
12 rue Georges Sand
23220 BONNAT
Thank you, and I hope to hear from you soon! 😊
Julien
🙂
Hi there! I have to leave Ivato/Antananarivo on December 16th. I have a lot of ariary that I’d like to exchange for euros since I might not be coming back to Madagascar (after this 21st trip). I think the exchange office at Ivato also buys ariary back. If any of you have seen the rate for this buyback in advance, thanks a million!
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for a website that would let me plot my travel route in advance so I can print it out. The idea is to create a map with a little “me” on a bike that my parents can move along as I progress, since I’m planning to cycle all the way to Nepal.
If any of you have done something similar or know of a good tool, I’d love to hear your tips!
Thanks in advance! 😊
I'm looking to buy an ultra-lightweight 50/55L travel backpack with a suitcase or front opening.
Does anyone have any brand and/or model recommendations?
Thanks,
Emma
Hello. We’re a retired couple heading to Sri Lanka from January to March. After the November floods, I’d like to know if we can offer hands-on help to the locals, maybe pack some clothes or other items people might need in our luggage, and who we could give them to. Thanks for any info from those on the ground.
Be careful when sailing between Somalia and northern Madagascar.
It appears to be Somali pirates who have widened their search in the Mozambique Channel, far from their usual attack zone, since, to my knowledge, there are no Malagasy pirates.
Not sure if this is the right section, but just wanted to warn future travelers...
Where’s Cape Vidal?
It’s in iSimangaliso, an independent park in KZN Wildlife, stunning and just a stone’s throw from St Lucia (KwaZulu-Natal, Maputaland).
It’s the beach spot at the end of the Eastern Shores road. You can swim, fish... but watch out for waves, currents, and sharks...
There’s a really nice game drive where you can get out of your car at certain points, especially at Cape Vidal.
That’s where the camp with bungalows and campsites is.
The vervets and samango monkeys (endemic to the area, and the males are pretty big) can be a bit of a nuisance if you’re trying to braai...
They’re super persistent and not shy at all—don’t let them intimidate you, and stay alert because their speed at snatching food is impressive.
Anyway...
I’m reporting two recent attacks by these hyenas... who were *not* in a playful mood...
The first one happened at night—a hyena tried to bite a camper’s nose off in their tent... and succeeded.
The other night, a camper returning to their tent in the early hours was violently attacked by two hyenas... and they had a close call!
So, if you’re camping there, be careful...
Measures are being taken, but for now, it’s a bit risky.
A white rental Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 carrying foreign tourists was attacked at the entrance of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park in the village of Bekopaka, western Madagascar, yesterday. So far, there’s been no response from the central government to curb these repeated armed attacks—usually between Malagasy people, but this time targeting foreign tourists.
After an engine failure in mid-2016 on a long-haul flight from BRISBANE to LYON, I developed a persistent aviophobia that I’m struggling to shake off. It’s becoming more and more of a hindrance.
Up until now, I’ve been using an avoidance strategy (for example, avoiding destinations that would require any other mode of transport than a car or train), but lately, it’s become really limiting.
I’m looking for a therapist—either in-person or via video call—who could help me get past this hurdle.
First and foremost, I hope this topic won’t just focus on my region—the South of France—and that those of you who enjoy exchanging ideas will share what makes your own regions special.
Personally, I’ve often wanted to push back when people call us vulgar (though I’ll admit I sometimes play it up). At heart, we pure-blooded Southerners just have our own way of expressing ourselves, which differs from other regions. We also get heated in conversations pretty easily (some researchers say it’s the influence of the sun and climate in general).
What some perceive as vulgar, we don’t see that way at all.
Do you want a uniform world with no differences? If so, how do you handle traveling to places with cultures completely different from your own?
In the travel community, the word "authenticity" comes up a lot, and it often takes priority in people’s searches.
In my specific case, speaking a purely regional language without having gone to school for it doesn’t help with understanding on this forum. That’s what creates what you call controversies—and what I call passionate exchanges.
It left me speechless and ended the conversation because, for him, that’s just how he sees things, and he refuses to debate it, sticking to his position. I’ll quote him, hoping he won’t hold it against me:
"For me, things like bullfighting, boxing, football, and MMA are just tangible proof that human evolution is still at a primitive stage."
For him, our Latin-origin bullfights are barbaric customs. For us *taurins*, we need to see men face wild beasts (bulls and *toros*) at the risk of their lives every day. Does that make us barbarians?
We’ve always had this need to confront death—it’s in our genes.
Take the example he gave about football: fans of the sport would be considered mentally underdeveloped. But what about a kid who’s passionate about the game and has that drive to be a winner, just like a boxer or athletes in other violent sports?
As a traveler myself, passionate about old stones and beautiful historic buildings, I’ve visited Rome but couldn’t fully appreciate it. Religion is everywhere, and I felt like I had a lead weight on my head realizing that millions of people worldwide have believed in a god for millennia.
I’ve also judged believers for basing their faith on archaic texts that don’t prove a god (or gods) ever existed—I still think that, but I’m open to being proven wrong so I can say, "You’ve convinced me I was mistaken."
- If everyone clings to their own ideas and positions, no discussion is possible, and that’s a shame.
I’ll take away two things from my forum interactions: some accuse me of being omnipresent when I just love exchanging ideas. My way of speaking is misunderstood (regional differences), even if I’ll admit I sometimes turn up the heat—or rather, the *aïoli* —which for me is just lively debates 🔥 (a regional specialty).
And my "mocking" side, which I really need to work on.
This topic isn’t just about me—I hope other forum members will share their own regional "specialties" . For example, in Alsace, some older folks switch to their local language when they don’t want outsiders to understand, and I still don’t know if it’s German or something else.
