A 4-month travel journal of a family with two kids aged 9 and 11 across the Americas, spring-summer 2025. US, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Brazil. link to our blog

More of a journal with descriptions, encounters, light reflections, and photos than a travel blog featuring photos of a young woman in shorts on a dune or by the side of a road, shot from behind with a hat and a mug.

We decided to leave.

To drop everything and try the adventure. The real deal? Not quite. We did some planning, skimmed through travel guides, and booked 4 nights.

But most importantly, we have a return flight.

The adventure has an end date. Like in any neat story, the parenthesis will close. The memory-making machine will run, feeding us for a while. For a long time, we hope. Helping us grow. But we know the machine will stop, leaving its faint scent lingering in our orderly lives, like a footprint in the sand.

Read more here: our blog

Hi, We visited Iguazu Falls on both the Brazilian and Argentine sides over a couple of days. I wrote a post to share our experience and give details about how we organized the trip. Hope it can help other travelers: https://worldseenbymathilde.blogspot.com/2024/09/chutes-diguacu-cotes-bresil-argentine.html

We loved both sides and really recommend crossing the border to experience both.

Hi there, I’m sharing my hiking itineraries on the sea-to-sea trails in Corsica. Perfect for those who want to discover Corsica on foot and are looking for multi-day hikes without major difficulties. That’s right—Corsica isn’t just about the GR 20! My travel journals are all written day by day.

🐻 Mare a Mare Sud + Mare è Monti Sud 👍🏼 TRAVEL JOURNAL A 175-kilometer route with 6,694 meters of elevation gain over 10 stages on the Mare a Mare Sud and Mare è Monti Sud trails in Corsica 🇨🇵 🐻 Mare a Mare Centre 👍🏼 TRAVEL JOURNAL A 106-kilometer route with 4,415 meters of elevation gain over 6 stages on the Mare a Mare Centre trails in Corsica 🇨🇵

🐻 Mare a Mare Nord 👍🏼 TRAVEL JOURNAL A 165-kilometer route with 7,004 meters of elevation gain over 7 stages on the Mare a Mare Nord trails in Corsica 🇨🇵

Hi there! I’m Simon, and for years I’ve been exploring some of Europe’s most beautiful and well-equipped bike paths. My passion for cycling led me to start a blog where I share my travel impressions, practical tips, and photos taken along the way. I ride both well-known routes like the Alpe-Adria, the Loire à Vélo, and the Rhein Route, as well as lesser-known but equally charming regions.



In my stories, I pay special attention to the quality of infrastructure, cyclist safety, and route accessibility—for young and old, experienced riders and beginners alike. I love discovering and sharing spots that are truly welcoming for cycle tourists: well-marked, with rest areas and easy train access.

On the blog, you’ll find ready-to-follow route suggestions, tips for preparing your bike trips, and plenty of inspiration for your next adventures. I travel with my panniers, a camera in the front bag, and always keep an eye out for what’s around me. Feel free to check out my blog, Cycling Thread—you might find some ideas for your next bike getaway! :-)

* * *

I hope this won’t just be a one-off post—I’ll try to share our bike trips with you here regularly. To start: our May trip on the Elberadweg, the queen of German bike paths, between the stunning city of Dresden and Magdeburg. I invite you to visit:

Elberadweg in Germany – From Dresden to Magdeburg

The Elbe bike path is about 1200 km long, following the river from its source in the Giant Mountains in the Czech Republic to its mouth in Cuxhaven, on the North Sea. The route crosses a variety of landscapes: mountain valleys, vineyards, open plains, and coastline. As is often the case in Germany, the signage is excellent and the route easy to follow.

But what surprised us was the number of cobblestone sections! Sure, the cobblestones are well-laid and fairly smooth—but they’re still cobblestones. And when they disappear, they’re often replaced by concrete slabs, typical of river dikes. That’s just part of the face of this 30-year-old "queen"—a heritage that’s hard to replace entirely with fresh asphalt.

Along the way, don’t miss the many cultural highlights. Dresden impresses with its restored old town, the Frauenkirche, and the Brühl Terraces along the Elbe—it’s one of Germany’s most elegant cities. In Meissen, you can visit the famous porcelain factory and its Gothic cathedral. Wittenberg is a must-stop to follow in Martin Luther’s footsteps, with its castle church and Reformation Museum. And to finish, in Dessau-Roßlau, besides the Bauhaus, don’t miss the stunning Dessau-Wörlitz landscape gardens—one of the oldest English-style parks in Europe.

A few photos to give you a feel for the route and inspire you to check out our blog! :-)











Happy cycling!

Simon

An interesting destination to discover for the end-of-year holidays, the Baltics. We visited Riga in Latvia (5 nights) and Tallinn in Estonia (4 nights) over 9 days in December 2024.

We loved Riga—the calm of its old town, its atmosphere, its architecture, and all the things to explore. Its little Christmas market is really nice. A great discovery.

Tallinn is a beautiful city, both modern on one side and with its medieval old town rich in history on the other. A bit livelier and more touristy than Riga, Tallinn is a city worth discovering by the Baltic Sea.

These two countries aren’t necessarily "cheap" compared to France. At this time of year, expect gray skies, short days, cold weather, and snow.

Our day-by-day travel journal is available here.

Hi, The travel forum site is finally back up. We missed it! I’m sharing a link to my travel journal from June 2022—a road trip from San Francisco to the big national parks in the central U.S., then back to San Francisco. It might help you plan your own trip. Here’s the link: https://diasporus33.wixsite.com/usa2022

Cheers to everyone, and thanks for your comments

Hello,

Just a little update on November 1st, 2024!

Back in 2003, we traveled through Norway all the way to the Lofoten Islands, and four years later in 2007, we set off again to explore Finland and Norway in Lapland.

In 2018, we revisited Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

I hope you get the chance to discover these wonderful Nordic countries one day. Feel free to ask me any questions.

Happy reading,

Vivien

In June 2025, I walked across the Larzac, following the footsteps of the decade-long struggle that pitted a handful of farmers and citizens from all walks of life against the army and the government from 1971 to 1981.

Six days of trekking along the GR71D through a landscape shaped by agropastoral traditions, Caussenard farms, and Templar and Hospitaller fortresses, visiting iconic sites and meeting the historical figures of the struggle. I also met those who keep this plateau alive today. Full story:

https://uneaventureparjour.fr/2025/05/07/le-tour-du-larzac/

Hi everyone, I’d like to share my travel blog about France, destinations around the world, and especially Corsica: Top-vacances.com

If you’ve got any topic ideas to suggest, I’m all ears.

Here are some tips to help you make the most of your trip to Dubai and the United Arab Emirates without falling into tourist traps.

Just to clarify, my blog is strictly personal and not monetized in any way.

https://travels-of-a-life.com/visiter-dubai-emirats-arabes-unis/

Hi everyone, after a 4-day, 3-night trek in the Bukit Lawang jungle in search of orangutans, I wrote an article to explain how those few days unfolded, what we saw, how we experienced it, and everything you need to know before embarking on this adventure. Here’s the link if you need more info: https://worldseenbymathilde.blogspot.com/2024/10/bukit-lawang-4eme-stop-2-semaines.html

Hi there, For anyone interested in dog sledding towards Tromsø, we spent a day on a private tour with a local musher. It was a really small operation—just him and his dogs :) Here’s the link to my post about the day we loved: https://hellolemonde.fr/chien-de-traineau-ethique-tromso/

Hi everyone, after a trip to Sumatra and having struggled myself to find some information, I wrote a post about Pulau Weh: How to get there from Bukit Lawang? What to do on Pulau Weh? Where to stay on Pulau Weh? Where to see the stunning marine life? You can find all the info here: https://worldseenbymathilde.blogspot.com/2024/11/pulau-weh-5eme-stop-2-semaines-sumatra.html Happy travels to those heading there next! :)

Hey fellow travelers! For those of you drawn to Mexico, I put together this little site to share our 49-day trip in January 2026. (Give it a few seconds to fully load—you’ll see there are tons of photos, tips, and more!) Happy travels! https://noemarphil6.wixsite.com/voyagesdenoemarphil

Hello fellow travelers! I'm passionate about road trips and city breaks, always ready to explore a new destination, whether it's through vast landscapes or the heart of historic cities.

I created the blog Road and City Trip to share my discoveries (Italy, United States, Canada, New Zealand, etc.), my favorite spots (and sometimes my mishaps!), all with my personal touch and no filter. With friends or family, every trip is a new adventure I love to recount.

Always up for exchanging great tips, itineraries, and practical advice—so don’t hesitate to reach out! !

Our trip to Puglia left a bitter taste—between the trash, privatized beaches, and relentless heat.

But on our way home, a short stop in Tuscany reconciled us with Italy.

This new summer, we’ve decided to add this beautiful region to our itinerary!

As usual for relatively nearby destinations, we’ll be driving via the Col de la Lombarde on the way there and Mont Cenis Pass on the way back.

A chance to kill two birds with one stone: one trip, multiple landscapes crossed.

For our Tuscan stay, we’ve chosen a house tucked away in the Chianti vineyards.

Peace and quiet, barely disturbed by the occasional wild boar or deer!

You’ve probably gathered that we won’t be sightseeing fanatics, even if classics like Siena, Florence, San Gimignano, Pisa, and the Abbey of Saint Michael of the Cluse are on the agenda.

You can find the details of our journey beyond the Alps here.

Happy reading!

And if you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate!

Among the road trips through breathtaking landscapes you can take in Southeast Asia—Thailand, for example, and especially Vietnam, where it’s possible to complete three legendary circuits in completely different environments—I highly recommend the Mekong Delta off the tourist trail!

This route is easy to follow, and travelers can use the travel journal and interactive map that MyAtlas, now a Voyage Forum partner, kindly published. For those who want more details, the full day-by-day account of the route, including mileage, is now available on the BOD bookstore. This practical little guide to a lived adventure zooms in on a region that’s still relatively unknown and packed with extra insights from someone who’s spent over twelve years in Southeast Asia.

Among the many road trips you can take by motorbike in Vietnam through breathtaking landscapes and making unforgettable encounters, these three circuits on legendary routes and trails are entirely doable—but best done in the dry season to avoid tropical downpours and flooded or muddy road sections.

These circuits are "classics," and you can also add "The Mekong Delta," which is easy to explore off the beaten path since it’s mostly on paved, flat, and sometimes straight roads. For those who’ve completed one of these circuits, we’d love to hear about your experience! !

Hi everyone!

I wanted to share my experience from a trip to Amsterdam. Spring is coming, and it’s one of my favorite destinations for this season, especially with the Keukenhof in bloom.

There are so many museums to visit and places to see, like Dam Square, the Royal Palace, Museum Square, the Red Light District... Some spots, like the Anne Frank House, require reservations. You can also take walks along the canals or even go on canal cruises.

For museums, I really enjoyed the Rijksmuseum for works by Rembrandt and Vermeer, as well as the Van Gogh Museum (combo tickets are available).



For more nature-focused outings, there’s Vondelpark, Keukenhof Park, and the windmills at Zaanse Schans... You can find all my photos and details about my trip budget on my travel journal for Amsterdam.

Summer 2020, Transavia cancels at the end of June the flights they put on sale at the beginning of the same month... Not enough customers!

Too bad, it was a unique opportunity to discover Iceland without its overwhelming number of tourists.

Summer 2021, the entry conditions for the island keep changing.

Summer 2022, the Icelandair ticket is booked, the Duster 4x4 is rented, accommodations are reserved—it’s finally our turn to discover this northern gem!

In 3 weeks, we’ll have to make choices.

Our itinerary will skip the Westfjords.

We’ll start our Icelandic adventure in Snæfellsnes and finish at the Golden Circle.

In between, there’ll be roads, tracks, glaciers, volcanoes, fjords, wind, cold, rain, snow, fog, and a touch of sunshine...

A few hikes, a hot spring, and plenty of wonder, especially on the backroads where travelers often find themselves alone against the elements.

Bundle up in your down jacket, grab your scarf and hat to warmly discover the full detailed story of this trip...

Happy reading!

And if you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate!

It’d been 30 years since I last set foot in the United States, and I hadn’t really felt the urge to return.

Reading Marati’s trip report sparked a bit of nostalgia for this destination that my partner had never experienced.

So, we chose the American West as the goal for our spring getaway.

With only 15 days, we couldn’t be too ambitious...

I cut Los Angeles from the itinerary—it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me—and San Francisco, which is tricky to reach from the East this time of year.

We’ll land in Las Vegas, which will also be our return point, and do a classic loop covering the highlights of Utah and Arizona.

The plan includes plenty of hikes but also lots of miles behind the wheel to admire the natural wonders of the West.

You can find the details of our transatlantic wanderings here.

Happy reading!

And if you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to share!

Hi everyone,

I’ve just returned from a trip through the national parks of southern Ethiopia, and I wanted to share an encounter that will stay with me forever: that of the Ethiopian Wolf.

Spotting this canid—the rarest in the world—on the barren Sanetti plateaus at over 13,000 feet is a breathtaking experience (literally, given the oxygen levels!). Beyond the luck of photographing it in its fiery red coat, it was the mystical atmosphere of these highlands—the "Roof of Africa"—that left its mark on me.

I’ve posted a detailed account with my photo series on my travel journal for anyone planning a trip to the Bale region or simply curious about this magnificent and endangered species.

You can find the full report here: 👉 https://www.toucan-photo.com/fr/le-loup-ethiopie-le-loup-sur-le-toit-de-lafrique/

Don’t hesitate to ask if you have questions about accessing the park or spotting local wildlife—I’d be happy to chat! !

Hello,

Well, this trip to Tanzania in the southern parks—Ruaha and Nyerere (formerly Selous)—finally happened in late February to early March.

It was a bit more complicated to organize than usual, with a few hiccups. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere (link), the ban on booking domestic flights in Tanzania through a French agency made things a little tricky.

However, my friend Vincent Beccaro from Objectif Nature found a solution by having a local ground operator step in—one I’d recommend if you run into similar issues.

With flight tickets secured through Kenya Airways (after Rwandair canceled our outbound flight), we easily made it to Dar es Salaam on February 22. Side note: my dealings with Rwandair to get a refund for the flights they canceled are still ongoing. This airline is dragging its feet, constantly pushing back the refund date every time I check in (which is about once a week). I won’t back down.

Back to our 10-night trip: we spent our first night in Dar es Salaam before heading to Ruaha with Auric Air.

We stayed in some incredible lodges—4 nights at Ikuka Safari Camp in Ruaha, then 4 nights at Laba Siwada in Nyerere, before returning to Dar es Salaam.

Before I share a full recap with photos, I’ve just finished editing a video I’d like to show you.

You’ll see beautiful lodges, rainy safaris, and some amazing wildlife encounters, like wild dogs and bat-eared foxes.

Sorting and identifying all the animals (especially the birds) from the thousands of photos I took will take a bit of time. Bear with me!

Watch the video here

In June 2022, we covered 5,600 km. The major stops: San Francisco, Yosemite Park, Death Valley Park, Las Vegas, Zion Park, Bryce Canyon Park, Monument Valley Park, Grand Canyon Park, then the Pacific coast and back to San Francisco.

Photos of breathtaking landscapes.

Honestly, taking the train in Sri Lanka is no walk in the park. Between tickets disappearing in minutes, platforms that aren’t always very clear, and that infamous “full” sign displayed weeks in advance, you quickly feel like you’re playing the lottery. There’s even a real black market for tickets on the island: some seats are resold at higher prices through middlemen or agencies, which makes things even trickier. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who sells tickets. But we learned the hard way that this isn’t the safest way to get them, and we had to find another solution at the last minute.

We definitely went through a bit of an obstacle course to manage the booking. But once on the train, riding through the tea plantations between Kandy and Ella, we understood why everyone raves about it. Tea plantations, misty mountains, little bridges, and breathtaking valleys. To make the most of the scenery on the Kandy → Ella route, it’s best to sit on the right side of the train (and on the left if you’re going Ella → Kandy). As for the class, 2nd class reserved is, in our opinion, the best compromise: authentic vibe, open windows and doors, but with a guaranteed seat. Remember to pack enough water, snacks, and toilet paper for this 7-hour journey that somehow flies by.

I’ve gone into more detail about all this in the article for those who’d rather plan a bit better than we did. https://aventures-sans-mesaventure.com/prendre-le-train-au-sri-lanka-guide-complet/ Happy travels! :)

Hi there, I often travel solo, and like many women, I get asked the same questions over and over: “Aren’t you scared?” “Do you feel safe?” “Do you really dare to go that far alone?” Recently, during a trip along the Kenyan coast, I had an experience that made me think differently about solo female travel. At Wasini Kenya, on paper, everything seemed simple: a boat ride, then some snorkeling. But on the boat, the sea was rough. It was rocking hard. And then that familiar little inner voice came back—the one that doubts, that overthinks, that wants to stay in control. Traveling solo is often like that too: being responsible for yourself, your decisions, and your limits. Then, once underwater, everything changed. The noise disappeared. There was nothing left to prove, nothing to control. Just breathing, trusting your body, and letting yourself be carried. That moment reminded me that solo female travel isn’t just about destinations or external safety. It’s also an inner journey: learning to listen to yourself, to recognize your fears, and sometimes to overcome them without forcing it. I took the time to share this experience in more detail here, for anyone it might help or reassure: 👉 https://noirenvoyage.com/wasini-kenya-apprendre-a-faire-confiance-sous-leau/ And I’d love to hear your thoughts: 👉 For those of you who travel solo, has travel ever taught you something about yourself? 👉 And for those who are still hesitant: what’s holding you back the most right now? Looking forward to chatting! 🌊

Hi there! 😊 We just got back from two weeks in Madagascar, and before we left, we had *so* many practical questions. Between the sometimes contradictory info online and the lack of recent updates on certain topics, it wasn’t always easy to know what to expect for a first trip there.

So, after returning, I put together an article with all the info I wish I’d had before heading to Madagascar—just concrete tips based on our experience there.

I cover: • Visa and arrival at Antananarivo airport • Currency exchange, withdrawals, and payments on the ground • Transportation and real travel times • Health and trip prep • SIM cards, budget, and general organization • Mistakes and little hassles you can easily avoid on your first trip

The goal was to create a practical, honest guide to help people planning their trip and avoid a few unpleasant surprises once they’re there! 😊

If this can help some of you: https://aventures-sans-mesaventure.com/preparatif-pour-un-voyage-a-madagascar/

Happy travels! !

Hi there, Bali was a huge crush for me: the kindness of the local people, the culture, the rice terraces, the volcanoes, the beaches... Everything comes together for a dream trip. Even the crowded sites and the crowds don’t take away from its charm. A few tips: - visit the very famous sites as early as possible - don’t book everything in advance so you can adapt your itinerary based on your mood - enjoy Bali and the islands south of Bali—don’t waste one or two travel days heading to the Gili Islands, there’s already so much to discover

I wrote a post with my 16-day itinerary, detailing visits and activities day by day: https://worldseenbymathilde.blogspot.com/2023/05/itineraire-de-16-jours-pour-decouvrir.html

And if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate! :)