Okay, it wasn’t a total disaster either. Actually, I hesitated before starting this travel journal: is it even worth writing about a holiday that won’t leave an unforgettable memory?
In the end, I went for it (there aren’t many recent travel journals about this destination).
So, read on... or don’t .
Every time we’ve been to the Canary Islands, it’s been by default (basically: where can we go in winter or early spring when we only have a week—so not too far, not too much jet lag, but with decent weather?).
This time, we had two weeks, but the winter plan kept changing: first Thailand (dropped for personal reasons), then Martinique (dropped because of work leave dates that weren’t up to me), and finally, the Canary Islands.
We’ve already been to Tenerife (which we really liked) and Lanzarote (which we liked a little less).
This year, two options: Gran Canaria or one of the smaller islands west of Tenerife (La Palma, or even La Gomera or El Hierro).
We chose Gran Canaria... not sure it was the right call!
Whose fault is it?
Storm Thérèse’s!
Yes, Storm Thérèse followed us on arrival, and its effects lasted quite a while. We had to adapt, cancel visits, change activities...
But even without Thérèse...
Saturday 21/03
Departure from Orly at 6:10 AM with Transavia.
The plane took off on time and landed a little early, tossed around by strong winds before touching down.
It had just rained, but it was (almost) no longer raining.
We quickly picked up our luggage and then the car at the Cicar counter.
We got a Seat Arona instead of the Corsa we’d booked. Well, while the driving position didn’t feel great at first (I got used to it), the engine’s smoothness and power were much appreciated on the island’s winding and sometimes steep roads.
It was only 10 AM, and we couldn’t theoretically check into our accommodation until 3 PM (the owner promised to message me if it was ready earlier).
So, we headed to the (big) *Jardín Botánico Viera y Clavijo*, where we planned to spend a few hours.
We found a huge parking lot... empty.
The passenger in the car in front of us (yes, we weren’t the only ones at the closed gate—there was a car in front and one behind) went to ask for info: it was closed due to the storm 😕.
So, we calmly headed toward Puerto de las Nieves, on the northwest coast of the island.
The plan: go to a restaurant, visit the village, and do some shopping while waiting for early afternoon.
As soon as we got out of the car, it started raining... we took shelter under the awning of a shop, waiting for it to pass. But the rain turned into a downpour, and within minutes, awning or not, Gore-Tex or not, we were soaked!
Since we were already wet, we might as well go to the restaurant—they weren’t far! But here’s the thing: contrary to what Google Maps said, they all opened at 1 PM, not noon!
Back to the car, wading through 5 cm of water because all the village streets were flooded .
The rain let up, we did some shopping, went to eat, and I got a message from the owner saying the accommodation was ready 🙂.
So, off we went to La Suerte, a few kilometers north of Agaete.
The downside of the place, especially with luggage, is that you have to climb several flights of stairs via an outdoor staircase (after parking more or less far away on a steep street) to get there 😛).
Of course, on the way from the car to the apartment, it started pouring again—the bags got soaked!
Enough rain for today! We settled in quietly, and by late afternoon, we could (finally!) go admire the view from the terrace.
We all have two lives. And the second one kicks off the day you realize you only have one, with the determination to spend the time you have left on what truly adds sparkle to your life, Kevin! I like to elegantly introduce a trip with a philosophical quote. First, it gives you the illusion that I’m some kind of deep thinker, and second, it lets me fill up the first few lines of my blank page when I don’t know how to tell you I’m diving back into what really lights up my life: another adventure beyond the horizon! And nearly every other year, like a toxic relationship, my horizon tends to take shape in Uncle Sam’s backyard. And this, despite his cousin Donald calling the shots. Speaking of which, it was partly that impulsive guy who pushed us to be just as impulsive and snag our four flight tickets at a ridiculously low price—a direct result of foreign tourism taking a hit from BetaMax’s repeated antics... Four tickets? Who are the other lucky ones? In this case, our lucky ones are actually lucky ladies: My Flo, always up for exploring the world with me on foot, camelback, or scooter, is obviously in on the fun. The other two seats went to our daughters, Sasha and Luna, both thrilled to be part of this new American adventure...
But what’s the American West like in February?... A gamble. Let’s call it Russian roulette since we’re not landing during peak weather season. That’s why we encouraged our transportation and accommodation to get cozy and produce a little camper van, so we can stay ultra-flexible in the face of any weather tantrums. We’ll be roaming in Kara the van with the motto "Follow the sun!" Bad weather? We bolt. Snow? We speed up. Sunny? We act like it was the plan all along and soak it up.
"Okay, but why keep coming back to the same corner of the globe? After ten American adventures, you must be tired of seeing the same things, right?" But I’m not crazy, you know!... The American West is like making love to your gorgeous wife over and over, always enjoying it just as much. And contrary to what you might think, the American West isn’t just the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Las Vegas, and Bryce Canyon. Proof is, after ten trips to the U.S., my retinas are still untouched by three-quarters of the places I scribbled on a napkin for this adventure... Oh, and add to that my wife, who I’ve easily converted to my religion, and boom... relapse is even easier! Because yes, we’ve landed in Los Angeles after a sunny flight over Greenland, still under Danish flag for now. And we’re already heading east through the XXL traffic of L.A.’s eight-lane highways, eager to dive into our first discoveries. But first, night is taking over the sky, and second, we’ve been officially awake for 24 hours, so I suggest wrapping up this intro. I’ll tell you more tomorrow morning. Sound good?
Hey there, community! Back this weekend, below is my travel journal from my adventure in Indonesia. Enjoy the read!!!
Day 1 - August 10, 2025
New life downloading for three weeks! And for that, Flo and I launched a public tender... A public tender? What’s that got to do with a travel journal???... Well, when you think about it, few destinations tick all the boxes for an August adventure: Meaning, finding a place that’s exotic in the middle of August, not too expensive, not too packed with tourists, warm but not *too* warm, with postcard-perfect landscapes, dreamy beaches, tasty cuisine with a hint of exoticism, friendly and welcoming locals, where you’re free to sleep under the stars among the mosquitos, take transport surrounded by chickens, and even eat from a pig trough if you feel like it—well, turns out it’s not that easy to find! I’d even say, given how thick the list of requirements is, there’s a big risk the tender could be declared unsuccessful for failing to meet just one criterion. Let’s just say the candidates better submit a rock-solid proposal!
After reviewing all the responses and presentations from the candidates, the obvious choice for us is... Indonesia! Except that trying to explore a country as vast as Indonesia and its 17,504 islands in less than five years is a bit like reading the summary of a Proust novel without taking the time to savor each of its 950 pages! Don’t worry, I won’t name them all here. Besides, do they even all have names? No! Only 7,870 have been named—their parents clearly ran out of ideas for the rest. Anyway, our society, which worships the "work more to earn more" mantra, unfortunately limits our adventure time. So we’ll only get to see a small part of Indonesia, and we’ll have to make a tough choice to head for the best of the best in this archipelago of over seventeen thousand islands. Each one has its own selling points: Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java, the Celebes, Bali, Borneo, Papua, Timor, the Moluccas... So many names that smell of adventure... Another tender, another list of requirements, another review of proposals... Drumroll... Splash splash... And the lucky winner is... Ta-da... Java, Bali’s big sister, where I’ve already been eight years ago... Java the programming language. The Java of Broadway. We’re gonna *do* the Java. Java the coffee. And yes, Java is also an island!
This island, four times smaller than France, is home to 136 million people, making it the most populated island in the world! Fun fact: Indonesia, with its 260 million inhabitants, is just shy of the podium for the world’s most populated countries, after the winning trio of India, China, and the United States. And it’s on this island of Java that you’ll find Jakarta, the (soon-to-be-former) capital and main airport of the country, where we’ll soon land after our nineteen-hour flight! Yep, nineteen hours! I mean, Indonesia in general—and Java in particular—is a *tad* farther than going on vacation to Grandma Yoyo’s! Not sure where it is? Easy. Grab a map. Plant your finger on the big island at the bottom right—aka Australia for those who struggle with geography—move it up two centimeters, and bam, welcome to Indonesia!
Nice transition, right? Because "Welcome to Indonesia" is exactly what the friendly flight attendant just said to me as we got off the plane! That’s it, our chakras are open, we’ve arrived at our (air)port. Time for rest, pool, cocktails, and a beach with our toes spread out... Wait, if you bought that, you clearly don’t know us yet! Since we still have energy to burn and need to adjust to the flight and time difference, we tackle the long administrative formalities to enter Indonesia, just to earn the right to hop in a 45-minute Grab taxi to the train station. The train station? What train station?... What do you usually do at a train station? Take a train, of course! Off we go for a three-hour train ride to Bandung, where we’ll officially start our adventure tomorrow after our first Indonesian night...
Unfortunately, we were a bit slow off the mark, which meant we missed the 6:25 PM train by two minutes. Oh well, we’ll have to wait until 11 PM. We take the opportunity to stretch our legs in Jakarta, soak up the atmosphere, and enjoy the delicious smells wafting from the *warungs*—those little typical street restaurants. A quick stop at the National Monument, a detour to a night market to devour our first *kwetiaw goreng* and *teh manis* for 60,000 rupiahs (that’s 3 € for two), and just like that, our penalty is lifted, and we’re allowed to hit the road again. Off to Bandung, where we arrive at 2 AM for... a *very* short night...
From Southern Shikoku, between land and sea, to the blue waters of Miyakojima and finally Tokyo’s megacity
Hi everyone,
I have to admit, I really hesitated before deciding to write this travel journal... Writing one takes a lot of time and energy, and since this is my 4th trip, I wondered if it would even interest anyone other than myself (both for the discovery and the writing). But after a few people asked, "Are you going to write a journal?" and especially after rediscovering the joy of reading other travelers’ journals about Japan or elsewhere on this forum, I’ve decided to share my 4th installment in the Land of the Rising Sun here.
The itinerary:
27 full days, from late May to late June 2025, right in the middle of the rainy season, including:
-->13 days in Shikoku, from Kochi (Kochi Prefecture) to Matsuyama (Ehime Prefecture)
-->7 days in Miyakojima (Okinawa Prefecture)
-->7 days in Tokyo
The trip was decided on fairly last-minute again this year.
Since I regularly check flight prices to track fluctuations for this destination even without concrete plans, stumbling upon a slightly cheaper direct flight (900 €) than what I’d seen in previous months (around 1,200–1,400 € on average) for a Paris-Tokyo route with Japanese airline ANA was too tempting to resist the urge to return to this enchanting country. After much hesitation between exploring the San’in region (Matsue, Tottori, Yamaguchi) and Southern Shikoku, the decision was made—I took the plunge! The ticket is booked: Paris to Kochi with a layover in Tokyo, all with ANA, the airline I’d been dreaming of... for 1,120 € per person. Okay, it’s not cheap, but it’s better than in 2023.
Departure in 2 weeks! Now I just have to get everything ready!
Intense prep work over these next 2 weeks to:
finalize a more precise itinerary and reach an agreement—yep, because even though we both love Japan, our preferences differ slightly, and we have to choose between exploring new places or revisiting beloved spots...
decide how much time to spend in each area without rushing while still exploring
research places that might interest us and watch videos about Japan
book accommodations: yes, it’s possible to do this on the spot, but last year, we realized that last-minute options were pretty expensive, so we’re booking ahead—though we’ll keep a few options open in case better deals pop up later
reserve rental cars
order yen
check the weather regularly and wonder if choosing the *tsuyu* (rainy season) was really a good idea—are we going to be drenched the whole time???
"What hard work," you might say! Going to Japan for a month—what a tough life!
Despite this being my 4th trip, the excitement is just as intense as the first time.
The only small downside is that when we booked the flight, there weren’t many seats left, so we’re only sitting together on the international return flight. Plus, on the way there, we have middle seats.
Another lingering question: what French-language films will be available? According to the internet, the selection seems limited.
Oh well, these are just minor details—it’s already time to fly!
PS: I’ll be posting slowly and irregularly... so for those interested, be patient, and maybe set an alert...
Hello everyone!
This trip dates back to late 2021, but since Voyage Forum reopened for writing, I haven’t seen many travel journals about Tanzania, so I decided to repost this one, which I originally shared on another well-known travelers’ site—even though I prefer Voyage Forum’s user experience.
It’s also a chance for me to relive this exhilarating trip... So, if you’re up for it, let me take you on a classic adventure: Tarangire - Ngorongoro - Serengeti, plus a little bonus—the small Arusha Park.
First off, yes, as the title of this journal suggests, we were lucky enough to spot *tons* of lions. The power they exude is incredible, even if most of the time they just look like big cats napping or strolling around. But lock eyes with one, and you’ll be glad you’re in the jeep.
But let’s not forget the rest of the wildlife—and the landscapes, which are absolutely stunning, with those iconic tree silhouettes.
I remember before leaving, I was a little worried I wouldn’t feel that same sense of wonder I’d experienced two years earlier in Botswana (see my travel journal). That fear was unfounded—the magic worked its charm once again!
Note: Since we had limited time, we focused our trip entirely on safari, so this journal is 100% animals and landscapes—and 0% Maasai.
Next post: TARANGIRE
Our trip lasted a month, from March 10 to April 10, 2024, and was done aboard our Land Rover Defender 110. For those interested, our 4x4 is equipped with mountain-approved 3PMFSF all-terrain tires (non-studded), a removable electric winch that can be attached to either the front or rear of the vehicle, two sand recovery boards, and we bring two pairs of snow chains. We sleep in our Land Rover, which is equipped with a diesel-powered independent heater, a small fridge, and has a layout that allows the dinette to be converted into a bed.
Starting from the Paris region, we crossed Belgium and Germany, took the ferry from Travemünde in northern Germany to Helsinki, followed the Russian border up to northern Finland, then headed into Norway all the way to the North Cape before returning via Norway, taking the ferry from Larvik in Norway to Hirtshals in Denmark, then passing through Germany and Belgium on our way back to France.
Tonight, March 10, 2024, we’ll be sleeping at our daughter’s place in the North.
Tuesday, March 11, we’ll cross Belgium and then enter Germany, where we’ll camp in Bremen.
Wednesday, March 12, we’ll have a quick visit to Bremen in the morning. We had planned to visit Lübeck, but some electrical issues with the car delayed us, so we head straight to the German port of Travemünde, where we’re set to embark at 11:30 PM to cross the Baltic Sea and arrive in Helsinki after 31 hours of sailing (one-way cabin ticket cost: 850 €—quite expensive since we booked last minute).
On the ferry, there are mostly semi-trucks and only a few campervans and passenger cars. The boat is quiet, and the Baltic Sea is calm.
About two hours before arriving in Helsinki, we hear noise along the hull. Surprise—looking out the porthole, we realize we’re sailing on frozen sea ice!
Thursday, March 14, we arrive at the port of Helsinki at 9:30 AM. Disembarking takes a while. As soon as we’re out, we head straight to Rastila Camping (cost: 27 €), about ten kilometers east of Helsinki. Then we go to a Land Rover garage to fix our headlight switch, which stopped working (a real hassle in Finland since you have to drive with low beams on at all times).
After the repair, we visit the stunning Temppeliaukio Church, which is built underground.
On our way back to the campsite, we stop at the supermarket for supplies. Prices are similar to France, except for imported products.
No journal for the first two days.
Day 1 - CARCANS-ROYAN
Day 2 - ROYAN - ROCHEFORT
Tonight I'm in MARANS in the "dry marsh" according to the campsite manager—it’s the first time I’ve heard of a "dry marsh"?!
Photos from the first two days
My gear
The Landes region—nothing extraordinary, but the calm and serenity are nice.
Le Verdon
The wild coast
This marsh isn’t dry, though.
Today is the third day of my trip, and I’m writing to you from a campsite in Marans. I’ve set out to bike from Carcans Maubuisson back to Plaisir.
Why Carcans?
Because we spent a week there as a family—a great week that lets everyone reconnect for a long stretch.
Also, on Saturday, we all headed home—some by car, and me by bike. This journey is about 850 km via bike paths and small cycling roads. It’s not a sporting feat, just a nice long ride for fun.
As the old Chinese sage says, "The destination doesn’t matter—it’s the journey that counts." But he also told me, "Traveling is great, but what’s the point if you don’t share it?"
You see, this old sage has told me a lot of things—he often keeps me company when I’m biking. Of course, he doesn’t pedal, but we travel in harmony. Sure, he can be a bit annoying sometimes, but we still get along.
All this to say I’ve created a group to share my story.
I’d be happy to share this experience with you—it’s an adventure for me.
On Saturday, I wasn’t sure I’d even leave because I’d been dealing with sciatica for days. Luckily, Juliette, a friend of the old Chinese sage, recommended a lifesaving remedy:
Alternately stretching your legs with an elastic band under your foot. Obviously, a jam jar rubber band won’t cut it.
From Marans - The mosquitoes are attacking; time to head back to shelter.
The first two legs took me to Royan and then Rochefort.
The Sèvre Niortaise flows nearby, and I followed a canal from La Rochelle. You could say the area is as dry as the marsh, judging by the state of the crops.
As I mentioned, it’s the third day, and if Jesus rose again on this day, for me it was more like the crucifixion. The scorching heat—only bearable when you’re moving—combined with rough trail conditions, and the old Chinese sage says, "Terrible roads, slow speed, and watch your limbs."
I set out to do 60 km but ended up doing 80, and the last 20 were tough. I kept checking the GPS to see how much farther until the campsite.
Today: Rochefort to Marans, sticking to the coast until La Rochelle, then no notable towns after that—just a constant canal. But since the sky isn’t too low, it hasn’t gotten lost.
I’ve still got plenty of anecdotes to share, but it’s pitch black out, and the mosquitoes are still around. This morning, I counted ten in my tent, all full of my blood.
Yesterday, at the end of the leg to Rochefort, I was really looking forward to crossing the Charente using the transporter bridge, but a sneaky GPS conspiracy led me far from it. I ended up crossing the Charente on a completely ordinary bridge, watching the transporter bridge in the distance with disappointment.
End of the first episode. Until tomorrow, if you’d like!
The departure:
David was on time, as always, to drive us to the airport. At the check-in counter, I was told my passport was damaged and they needed to check if I could board the plane or not. Huge stress. We waited a good twenty minutes while a supervisor checked my passport and let me through. Meanwhile, we’d already come up with backup plans in case I had to stay in Brussels. Anyway, it all worked out in the end—we’ll see in Addis Ababa and Maun if they let me through. Needless to say, I’m really nervous.
The Ethiopian Airlines flight went smoothly. We met up with Jean-Mi and Nadette, our friends from Marseille, in a café at the airport in Ethiopia. We recounted our adventures over coffee. Oh boy, things were getting hectic at the boarding gates—we got in line, and after a long wait, a bus took us to a plane that, hopefully, was headed to Maun and not the Congo.
Four hours later, we arrived. After clearing immigration—phew, my passport was accepted—a rep from the agency picked us up in a taxi to our guesthouse for two days, Riverfront. The hotel was nice, with large rooms featuring mosquito nets, a small kitchenette, and a huge bathroom. There was also a balcony overlooking the river, where water had only arrived the day before. Massive electric fences separated the garden from the river—hard to tell if they were for animals or thieves, probably both, especially since rising water attracts hippos and crocs. We took a walk along the river, and the two French guys from the agency joined us, confirming they’d be back the next afternoon for a briefing. We ordered food to be delivered to the hotel—too lazy to take a taxi.
After a good night’s sleep, we were ready for the 4x4 briefing. We’d rented two Hilux trucks with rooftop tents for the two of us.
We spent nearly three hours going over mechanics, camping gear, setting up and taking down the tents, tire management for different terrains, water and fuel tanks—basically, we *think* we’re ready. Time to grab food and do some shopping. We already got lost in town—this bodes well for the rest of the trip.
We decided to eat at a sort of chicken fast-food place in Maun Mall, called Chicken Liken. What a mess. You order, but you have no idea how to get your food. The overwhelmed cashier checked our order four times, forgot Cochies’ dish, and the food was cold. Avoid this place. The supermarket was well-stocked, but with health restrictions, we had to rely on a lot of canned goods. This whole errand took up the entire day. Looks like we’ll be eating a lot of corned beef—should be interesting. After a good shower, Nadette took us to Boma, a really nice restaurant with a touristy but fun vibe. One more good night’s sleep, and the adventure begins!
A land of adventure, the central region of Newfoundland is a vast area of dense forests and rugged coastlines.
To the north, between April and June, icebergs from Greenland drift along the famous "Iceberg Alley."
Inland, forests, lakes, and rivers dominate—once precious resources for Indigenous peoples and European settlers.
To the east lies Terra-Nova National Park and its typical habitat, made up of islands, ponds, bogs, and forests.
Finally, the southern coast, dotted with spectacular fjords, is home to several isolated fishing villages as well as the Miawpukek First Nation of Conne River, the province’s only recognized reserve.
Alright, I'm diving into this Hawaiian travel journal!
I hope lots of you will follow along because the destination is absolutely charming. 🙂
Just a heads-up—I might take a while to finish it.
The trip took place from February 20th to March 3rd, 2025 (11 days total, with 9 days on-site).
It was a trip with my friend Christelle, with whom I’ve already traveled to Iceland and Morocco in recent years.
We’re totally on the same wavelength, with the same expectations and desires, which makes things a lot easier (and, as a bonus, it helps cut down the final bill).
Being the generous soul I am, I asked Christelle which country she wanted to visit.
Her answer: Asia, since I’ve never been, or Namibia...
Hawaii is basically the same thing, right?!!
All thanks to the search comparator—I stumbled upon round-trip tickets from Paris to Honolulu for 580 € per person during school holidays, with a layover in Canada (I don’t get to choose my vacation dates).
We jumped on it on August 28th (didn’t take much convincing).
For info, I always check flight tickets during the last week of August or the first half of September because there are always amazing deals.
Nine days on-site is short, so we had to make some tough choices for the islands we’d visit (I’m only listing the main ones):
- Oahu: the most urbanized but also home to Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, and some stunning beaches.
Kauai: the Garden Isle. It’s the island from *Jurassic Park*, with lush vegetation—so it’s pretty rainy.
Big Island: volcanoes, volcanoes, and more, but also things like night snorkeling with manta rays.
Maui: very touristy, with a magnificent volcano, the Road to Hana, and the ultimate spot for whale watching (and we were there right in the middle of whale season).
We limited ourselves to two islands to avoid rushing, and in the end, we picked Kauai (non-negotiable) and Oahu (which saved us an extra domestic flight and, since we were there in winter, let us experience the BIG WAVES on the North Shore).
We would’ve loved to visit Big Island, but we’d already seen volcanoes in Iceland, and the island is huge—we just didn’t have enough time.
Maui was recently hit by a major wildfire and is also the most expensive island (along with Kauai).
We were really hoping to see humpback whales (my favorite animal) on both Oahu and Kauai.
Hawaii is far, and it’s worth the effort. The journey went smoothly.
I took a 40-minute bus ride and a 1h32 RER trip just to get to Roissy, then a 9h15 flight to Calgary, with a two-hour layover before a 6h45 flight to Honolulu.
11 hours of time difference, arriving at 10 PM local time.
And you know what? (spoiler alert) I’d do it a thousand times if I got the chance.
Nous voici donc partis avec Viengkam pour une marche facile, avec un petit sac à dos pour 2 nuits, sur une route en terre battue. Une fois dépassées les dernières habitations, nous nous enfonçons dans une jolie campagne, à notre gauche une colline boisée, à notre droite une petite rivière et, au-delà, des champs.
En chemin on s’arrête auprès d’une grotte, qui servait d’abri pendant la guerre. C’est l’occasion pour Viengkham de nous parler de ce que les laotiens appellent « la guerre oubliée ». Le Laos, qui abritait de nombreux communistes combattant aux côtés des Viet Cong, a lui aussi beaucoup souffert : une pluie de bombes s’est abattue sur son sol, mais de manière moins médiatisée que pour le Viet Nam. Une guerre civile a éclaté, opposant les communistes à la monarchie institutionnelle installée lors de l’indépendance, soutenue par les occidentaux. L’ethnie Hmong a majoritairement pris fait et cause pour la monarchie et les occidentaux. Ce sont les communistes qui l’ont emporté, causant l’exil de milliers de Hmong dont certains se sont réfugiés en Guyane française, où la communauté Hmong est très présente.
Au total, on compterait près de 500 000 morts, soit 15 à 20% de sa population d’alors aujourd’hui encore on continue à déminer des zones où les munitions enfouies constituent un grand danger pour la faune mais aussi les paysans, et particulièrement les enfants.
Le temps de parler de cette guerre, et nous voici quittant la forêt pour déboucher sur une vaste zone agricole. Ce sont des rizières, d’ailleurs « Ban Na », le village où nous allons, signifie « le village de la rizière ». En cette saison, c’est sec et jaune, mais que cela soit être beau au sortir de la saison des pluies !
Le paysage est néanmoins charmant ! Nous traversons les champs, croisons de nombreuses vaches et buffles. Une rivière chante et serpente aux pieds des collines.
Nous arrivons à Ban Na. La première maison est celle de Mama Kham, notre logeuse. Mama Kham est une femme de 70 ans, et c’est une entrepreneuse ! Elle tient de main de maître sa guesthouse, aidée de sa belle-fille. Son fils est le chef du village (élu, comme un maire) et son mari, autrefois lui aussi chef, est chaman, dans ce village dont les habitants sont animistes.
La « salle commune » est une terrasse couverte permettant de contempler le paysage, de lézarder dans des hamacs ou de papoter avec d’autres hôtes. La bière n’est pas très fraîche mais c’est normal car l’électricité publique ne vient pas jusqu’au village, chacun la produit à l’aide de petites turbines placées dans la rivière toutes les maisons ont au moins une de ces turbines, ce qui explique les fils partant de la rivière vers le village ! Une turbine permet d’éclairer, mais il en faut plusieurs pour d’autres équipements.
On se sent immédiatement bien ici. Après un petit tour dans le village, nous allons nous poser sur la terrasse: nous regardons le jour tomber et les vaches et les buffles quitter les champs pour se rapprocher des habitations.
Ce soir, la compagnie sera joyeuse. Parmi les hôtes que nous avons croisés, en majorité de jeunes européens (français, italiens, allemands) je ne résiste pas à l’envie de vous présenter Margot et Louis, un jeune couple extraordinaire. Après avoir mis de côté tout leur argent pendant 3 années, ils se sont lancés fin 2021 dans un voyage autour du monde en stop : la règle est qu’ils ne paient aucun trajet (et ils essaient au maximum de loger dans leur tente ou d’être hébergés). Ils ont un compte instagram qui, après s’être appelé « onemap2bags » s’appelle maintenant « Ziyouroam » (ne me demande pas ce que cela signifie), je vous conseille d’aller y faire un tour. Ce qui les intéresse ce sont les gens qu’ils rencontrent, par le biais de l’autostop (et du cargo-stop), et ils en font des portraits. Tout d’abord, je dois vous avouer qu’avec ma vie de quinqua bien établie j’ai jeté sur eux un petit regard condescendant, mais très vite j’ai changé d’avis : ce sont des optimistes et des humanistes, mais pas de doux rêveurs, ils sont acharnés, durs au mal, courageux, extrêmement bien organisés et entreprenants (pour obtenir un passage gratuit sur un cargo il faut mener une véritable campagne marketing), ils savent aller vers les autres et nouer le contact, ils ont appris à écouter leur intuition. Je les admire et les estime au plus haut point.
Là, pour le Laos, la maman de Louis était là avec eux, sac au dos. Depuis notre rencontre, ils ont d’abord changé de moyens de locomotion, en se mettant au vélo en vue de leur traversée de l’Amérique du Nord puisque le stop est interdit aux USA. Ensuite ils ont repris le stop au Mexique puis ont bouclé la boucle début 2025, en rentrant à Paris. Margot a donné le jour à un beau bébé conçu pendant leur voyage… et ils ont à nouveau largué les amarres, avec leur pitchoun, en mars 2026, pour la Chine (Chongqing, le Sichuan et le Guizhou), en privilégiant cette fois ci le train. Leur approche est toujours la même : être ouverts aux rencontres, sans jugement.
Hi everyone! I’m sharing a modest travel journal from my trip to China in August 2025.
There wasn’t much room for improvisation on this trip—everything was planned in advance. Since August is peak season, I decided to book train tickets early, and once that was set, I reserved all the accommodations too. I got everything on Trip.com.
I bought the flight tickets back in March from Hainan Airlines. They were super expensive, but with these travel dates, I couldn’t exactly dream of a bargain!
I picked up e-SIMs valid for a month from Free just before departure: 10 € for the e-SIM + 19.90 € for a one-month plan with 35 GB of data abroad.
No need for a VPN with these e-SIMs, but D. still got one—a multi-device plan for 5 € with a discount from Let’s VPN, valid for a month. It was for evenings at the hotel on Wi-Fi to avoid burning through the 35 GB with video.
I downloaded Alipay, WeChat, Amap (Baidu Maps), and Trip.com. We also have Google Translate and Maps.me—absolute must-haves.
We’re ready to go!
I’ve been waiting for this day for nearly 15 years!! I travel a lot, but this one—this is MY TRIP 🙂 It’s been postponed so many times: because I wanted to do it with the right person, because I have a Turkish stamp in my passport and heard they don’t issue visas with that, because of COVID... and then China introduced a 30-day visa exemption, and that was the green light! Ugh, they forced us to take our vacation in August this year—far from ideal—but no more delays. Saturday, August 2, 2025: it’s finally the big day!
Days 1 and 2: We got dropped off at Charles de Gaulle at 9:30 AM. I supposedly checked in online, but only for the first flight and without getting the boarding pass... Might as well scrap online check-in in that case. So, we spent over an hour in line at the counter to get them. We didn’t have any checked luggage—just our backpacks as carry-ons—so this was a step we’d never had to deal with before, but whatever, it’s done. No wait at passport control, 5 minutes through security, a quick walk around the terminal, 10 minutes in the boarding area, and it was already time to board. Departure around 12:45 PM, arrival in Chongqing at 4:50 AM.
We had a few hours of layover before our next flight. Went through immigration, connecting flight control, and security. Pro tip: check your next flight’s boarding gate right after immigration. We never saw it displayed again anywhere in the terminal.
The Free e-SIMs work—phew!
Took off at 9:30 AM, arrived in Guangzhou (Canton) at 11:20 AM in the rain. I love how Chongqing is translated as "Tchoung King" on the screens in the plane—very French!
During my first two trips to China, we paid for everything in cash, but this time, we’re going all-in on Alipay and WeChat. I still brought the leftover change from previous trips—it might come in handy. At the metro station, they showed us a QR code to buy tickets via WeChat. There were probably machines and even a ticket counter, but we didn’t see them, and buying via WeChat was pretty simple. 8 yuan to Changshu Lu, which is 22 stops. So far, so good.
Then, we had to find the hotel, which wasn’t on Google Maps, Maps.me, or Amap... Easy 😎! We found it without too much hassle, though. Dropped off our stuff and went out to eat. 55 yuan for two claypots with fish/eel, rice, cabbage, and purple eggplant. When we left, it was pouring. We grabbed our umbrellas and set off to explore the neighborhood: Enning Road (we’ll come back later to check out a specific spot), Shangxiajiu (the pedestrian shopping street), Baohua Road... The area is pretty diverse—one street to the next, it’s like stepping into a different world.
There weren’t many people around, probably because of the rain. We grabbed a quick street food dinner and went to bed—we were exhausted. We struggled to stay awake until 11 PM to adjust to the time change as quickly as possible. There’s a 6-hour time difference.
This trip was in 2023, but when I wanted to write my travel journal, VF was still closed to contributions. I ended up using another well-known site, but I don’t like its layout as much. Now that I’ve just finished my Japan travel journal and need to prepare the one for Oman (where we went at the beginning of 2026), I thought I’d squeeze in my Laos travel journal—a destination we absolutely loved.
Disclaimer 1: This is a written travel journal. There’ll be text! Too much, for some!
Disclaimer 2: This is an illustrated travel journal. There’ll be photos! Too many, for some!
I have to say, every time I try to discipline myself, to keep it shorter, to use fewer photos... I end up adding more. It feels like my dear Aunt Nicole, who exhausted us with her slide-show evenings in the 70s/80s, decided to get her revenge. The upside for you, readers, is that you can sneak away anytime without offending Aunt Nicole. I won’t even notice!
Anyway, since I like maps, here’s one to give you an idea of where I’m taking you. As you can see, we only saw a tiny part of Laos (the areas circled in red). We only had 3 weeks for ourselves (my husband is newly retired, while I still work), and we prefer taking our time over rushing around like crazy.
In broad strokes, it was very classic:
We first settled in Luang Prabang (8 days) because we wanted and needed to.
From there, we took three days to venture a little further north—not far in kilometers, but as we all know, distances aren’t just about km!
Then we flew south to Paksé, letting ourselves drift down to the 4000 Islands while stopping at the pre-Angkorian archaeological sites.
We finished with the Bolaven Plateau.
A few practical details: We arrived via Bangkok, then took a Bangkok-Luang Prabang flight, having collected our luggage in Bangkok to check it in again for Luang Prabang. No issues—the Bangkok airport, which many of you know, is very well organized.
We got our visas on arrival in Luang Prabang. It was quick, but we were on a small plane, and the big flights had arrived earlier, so we weren’t too many in line!
At the end of our trip, we didn’t leave from Paksé but from the nearby Thai airport, Ubon Ratchathani (a 2.5-hour drive from Paksé), to Bangkok and then Paris.
You’ll notice we skipped Vientiane to stay longer in Luang Prabang. That said, there’s now a high-speed train (TGV) between Vientiane and Luang Prabang—good to know—and soon the Chinese-built train will go all the way to Bangkok and even Kuala Lumpur!
With that introduction out of the way, let’s dive into the heart of the matter.
To be continued: Slowing down the pace... in Luang Prabang
After staying in Aruba in November 2023, we picked up our camper van, which we had left in a hotel parking lot in Miami, Florida.
This isn’t our first road trip across the United States. Since we’re retired, we took the opportunity to travel along the American West Coast, starting with the Everglades in Florida to visit a few parks where we could spot alligators.
We also made a few stops in Mississippi and Texas to explore the most important cities in those states.
Did you know that Austin is home to the world’s largest urban bat colony? It’s truly impressive to see thousands of them take flight at dusk.
I invite you to keep reading this travel journal and watch the videos that’ll give you a little more insight into these different destinations.
Videos are embedded throughout the summary. Just click on the image to start the video.
To jump to a specific post, here are the relevant links:
FLORIDA:
Big Cypress National Preserve - Ochopee
Captain Mitch's Everglades Airboat Tours
Marco Island
MISSISSIPPI:
Exploring Biloxi
TEXAS:
Downtown Houston
Corpus Christi
San Antonio Attractions
McNutt Sculpture Garden - San Antonio
Mission San José - San Antonio
Austin Attractions
The World’s Largest Urban Bat Colony - Austin
Downtown Fort Worth Attractions
Downtown Dallas
You’ll find a video of our trip on my YouTube channel there.
Now I’ll tell you about our 10-night trip in Tanzania, with 8 nights spent in two parks we didn’t know. Tanzania isn’t new to us—it was even our first African safari destination back in 2012.
https://www.youtube.com/@lolodetoul54
Since then, we’ve visited several East and Southern African countries: Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, some of them multiple times. We usually travel in September during the dry season. We tried March 2024 for nine nights in the Okavango and loved it, except everything was dry, which wasn’t normal for the rainy season.
So for this second March trip during the wet season, we really got what we asked for… rain.
But before that, we had to fight just to get to Tanzania.
Saturday, February 21, 2026:
It’s D-Day—the departure. What a hassle to organize flights to and within Tanzania! I’ll tell you all about it in another post:
https://voyageforum.com/forum/toutes-compagnies-aeriennes-tanzaniennes-interdites-d10758360/
On top of that, Rwandair canceled our outbound flight a month before departure. They offered to reschedule us 3-4 days later—ridiculous for a 10-night trip we’d already booked. We had to cancel our tickets and buy new ones with Kenya Airways. We’re still waiting for our refund from Rwandair!!!!!!!
So on Saturday, February 1st, our bags were packed. We headed to the Lorraine TGV station, about 30 km from home.
Direct train to Roissy—just 1h15. Quick and efficient.
All that was left was to wait for our overnight flight. We took off on time, just before 11 PM. Smooth flight, nothing unusual. Arrived in Nairobi around 9 AM. A few hours’ wait, then a flight to Dar es Salaam, landing at our first destination around 12:45 PM.
Our local contact, Anne from Asanterra agency, picked us up at the airport. It was hot and humid—it was raining.
Our first night was at the Alexander Hotel. That evening, we treated ourselves to fish and shellfish at the hotel restaurant:
Sunday, February 22, 2026:
A driver picked us up at dawn to take us to the domestic airport so we could finally head to our first destination: Ruaha National Park.
We flew with Auric.air for a 2-hour flight with two stops (Nyerere and Zkima airstrips).
I’m always amazed at how easily these Cessnas take off and land on dirt runways—especially when they’re wet:
Aerial view of Zkima airstrip, where we’d landed just minutes earlier:
Flyover of Iringa, a "big" city in the country near Ruaha National Park:
We’re getting close. The plane descends and flies over the Ruaha River, which gave the park its name:
We land for the third and final time that day, reaching our destination: Msembe airstrip, the gateway to Ruaha.
For our latest 3-week family trip (yes, the kids are growing up, and two of them are about to enter the working world), we’re heading to South America!
For our first time on this continent, I had planned a classic 3-week loop in Peru.
But since we won’t be returning to this part of the world anytime soon, I thought: why not follow in the footsteps of Franck, aka Bibouns51, who, in 18 days, didn’t just stick to Peru but also added two of the planet’s most stunning landscapes to his itinerary... the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia and its neighbor, the fabulous Atacama Desert in northern Chile !!
So, I set about the tricky task of limiting the regions we’d visit in Peru to those we considered must-sees, to avoid rushing too much. The visit schedules were optimized, including several comfortable overnight buses that have the huge advantage of letting us hop between regions.
So, we’re off on a somewhat adventurous trip with three domestic flights (two on the first day and one on the last), two overnight buses for quick hops, several car rentals, the services of a few drivers to make the trip more comfortable, and even a tour operator for crossing the Salar...
Our main concern is altitude sickness, and we’re bringing Diamox, aspirin, etc., just in case.
Our second worry before departure was not even getting off the ground... Yes, for once, we’re leaving from France—Marseille, to be exact. The week before our departure, with the surprise air traffic controllers’ strike, I remembered why we usually prefer to leave from abroad, like Turin or Barcelona... In the end, it wasn’t the air traffic controllers who made us nervous but the early July wildfires that paralyzed the airport a few days before our departure. Fortunately, the fires were quickly brought under control, and on the big day, everything was smooth sailing!
Detailed itinerary (which changed on Day 1 due to departure hiccups):
Day 0: Flight Marseille - Madrid - Lima
PERU
Theoretical and abandoned Day 1: Flight Lima - Cuzco and visit Cuzco (Puka Pukara, Tambomachay, Cristo Blanco Observatory, Sacsayhuaman sunset) - Night in Cuzco
Day 2: Taxi -> Chinchero - Moray - Maras Salt Mines - Ollantaytambo - Train to Aguas Calientes
Day 3: Machu Picchu - Return train to Ollantaytambo
Day 4: 2-day taxi -> Pisac - Tipon - Andahuaylillas - Huaro - Night in San Pedro
Day 5: Palcoyo - Checacupe - Vinicunca - Return and night in Cuzco
Day 6: Day in Cuzco (catch-up on Sacsayhuaman, San Blas district, Temple of the Sun) - Overnight bus to Arequipa
Day 7: Rental car -> On the road to Colca Canyon, night in Cabanaconde
Day 8: Descent to the bottom of Colca Canyon, night at Oasis Sangalle
Day 9: Ascent from the canyon - Maca - Chivay - Return and night in Arequipa
Day 10: Visit Arequipa (Santa Catalina Convent, La Recoleta Church and Monastery, La Compañía Church, Cathedral) - Overnight bus to Puno
Day 11: Lake Titicaca - Night in Puno
BOLIVIA
Day 12: Shared taxi -> Road to La Paz, visit downtown La Paz - Night 1 in La Paz
Day 13: Moon Valley and Las Animas Valley - Night 2 in La Paz
Day 14: Day in La Paz - Night 3 in La Paz
Day 15: Flight to Uyuni - Day 1 of Salar de Uyuni tour - Night at the edge of the Salar
Day 16: Crossing the Lipez region and lagoons - Night near Laguna Colorada
Day 17: Sol de Mañana
CHILE
Day 17 cont.: Pre-booked transfer to SPDA - 4x4 rental - Pukara de Quitor - Stargazing tour - Night 1 in SPDA
Day 18: Death Valley and Moon Valley - Night 2 in SPDA
Day 19: Miscanti and Miniques Lagoons, Salar de Aguas Calientes and its Piedra Roja, Tebenquiche Lagoon and Quebrada del Diablo - Night 3 in SPDA
Day 20: Rainbow Valley and swim in the Puritama River - Night 4 in SPDA
Day 21: Tebenquiche Lagoon - Bus to Calama - Flight to Santiago
Day 22: Return Santiago - Madrid - Marseille
Day 0 - 11/07: Destination Lima
Our first flight from Marseille went smoothly to our Iberia layover in Madrid.
In Madrid, just after getting off the plane around 8 PM, and as we were walking through the terminal, we got a rude awakening!!
We saw the word "Cancelled" next to our flight number on the display boards. Thinking it must be a glitch, we checked another screen, but the system was stubborn, and the same dreaded word appeared !
So, we headed to the Iberia counter, where an agent confirmed that our Friday evening flight was canceled and rescheduled for the next morning. The reason? A breakdown and no replacement plane, even though we were in Madrid, Iberia’s home base!
To make matters worse, I remembered our super-tight schedule, planned to the minute, with no buffer day in Lima. Since I’m a bit phobic of megacities and hadn’t found anything appealing in the Peruvian capital in our guidebooks, we’d planned to leave Lima as soon as possible for Cusco, the heart of the Sacred Valley, to spend our first day there.
Bad idea, because we already knew the 4-hour buffer wouldn’t be enough, and we’d miss the domestic flight, which was, of course, non-refundable and non-changeable. So, we had to call LATAM from Madrid to find another flight for Saturday evening and negotiate a rate to recover some of our initial outlay.
After an hour on the phone with customer service, several endless holds, and three failed attempts to dictate our credit card number over the phone to a Spaniard speaking English with a thick accent, we finally managed to confirm the transaction, securing our new flight tickets for a moderate extra cost of just 150 € total.
At first, we were pretty bummed about losing a day and incurring extra fees to reschedule the domestic flight, but then, when we learned from an Iberia customer service rep that we’d receive the max compensation of 600 € per traveler, we even ended up grinning... because 3000 € in refunds for only losing the first day in Cusco? We’d sign up for that 10 times over!!
Iberia then took care of us, putting us up in a hotel where we had dinner before a short 5-hour night and an early morning departure. I took the opportunity to improvise a quick day of sightseeing in Lima, focusing on the Barranco and Miraflores districts.
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I inherited my love of travel from my parents and some of my grandparents. A strong passion, but one that was unfortunately limited by our family’s modest resources. Back then, living in northern Alsace, a simple trip to the southern part of the region—with the Wine Route as our destination—felt like an extraordinary journey to a land of plenty for the little boy I was in the late 60s and early 70s.
Everything seemed so huge when you were still just a kid.
Back then, I was overwhelmed by countless sensations—I was already highly sensitive, with a keen mind and a nose and taste buds that were developing like a pro’s. Which, as I’d later realize, wasn’t always an advantage.
Those magical days always began with a gentle late-spring or midsummer morning. The interior of the white Peugeot 404, license plate 210 LZ 67, had already soaked up the sun before the engine purred to life, and the cabin gave off a scent I could still recognize today—a fragrance I found so pleasant. Back then, I had no idea it was just the smell of warm plastic from the car’s interior.
Yes, the scents of the 404 on sunny days became my madeleine de Proust...
What’s more, the whole family was unusually cheerful because those moments of relaxation and leisure were rare. Everyone worked, and no one had an easy job or was well paid. Without the *Trente Glorieuses*, these experiences might never have happened.
Once we crossed the canton’s borders, I felt like I was light-years away from my everyday surroundings, and every kilometer plunged me deeper into *terra incognita*. It was thrilling. Far from my so-called "medium-sized" town, wheat fields, cornfields, and cabbage patches stretched out, punctuated by tall poles connected by long wires and topped with vegetation—like giant clotheslines without laundry, where magical beanstalks might grow to touch the sky. Back then, I was still far from tasting their product, which was simply beer. At the time, there was still a significant local hop production. Fun fact: it wasn’t until 2002 that Anglo-Saxon scientists proved hops and cannabis belong to the same biological family.
After the fields, the landscape took another step up as it rolled past the little boy’s eyes, often glued to the windows. First came modest hills, then a succession of rolling slopes that soon formed an unbroken chain. Their 700 meters in altitude felt like Himalayan peaks to me—impressive, inert giants, a whole new world. Gazing at them, an intense emotion welled up somewhere between my stomach and lungs, nearly taking my breath away. What mysteries, what treasures did these heights hold?
And then there were the cherries on top—the crowning touch that made the scene even more magical: proud, majestic castles perched on the summits like impassive sentinels. Monuments from the past, yet firmly rooted in the present on their rocky spurs.
The little boy’s eyes sparkled—he’d been given a castle for Christmas, complete with battlements, towers, a drawbridge, and fully armed knights. He’d watched and lived *Ivanhoe* on the only French TV channel that existed back then.
Only once did my paternal grandfather join us on one of these trips. A tall, intelligent man with a face that could shift from stern to mischievous, clearly full of humor and charisma. Sadly, his relationship with alcohol had taken a toll on his life and, by extension, those of his loved ones. He had a strong personality—if his boss crossed the line, he wouldn’t hesitate to punch him, which meant he went through a lot of different jobs. Back then, you could quit one job and easily find another. It was quite something to see him in his final stages, hallucinating pink elephants and even drinking perfume when he had nothing else left. The last time I saw him, he’d slipped away from the doctors and nurses while hospitalized in pretty bad shape—at least, I assume his liver was the issue. We were sitting down for a family lunch when the door burst open, and there he stood in his pajamas, eyes twinkling with mischief, clearly pleased with the dramatic entrance. That theatrical moment didn’t spare us from burying him a few months later at the age of 71. One day, my mother told me the family doctor had quietly remarked that it was a shame—with his robust constitution, he could’ve lived to be a hundred. Yes, the family doctor—this was the man who’d come treat you any day, at almost any hour, just for a phone call. It really existed, it’s not a myth!
That day, his wife—my paternal grandmother—was also along for the ride. Everyone agreed that Jeannette was a good woman. She worked as a waitress at *Le Tigre*, the biggest brasserie in town, right in the center. Most customers preferred to be served by her, including local dignitaries and even the mayor. As a kid, I didn’t find her very fun, open, or warm—she seemed a bit stern. Back then, women in their fifties already had the face and build of grandmothers. Same went for men, don’t get me wrong. I had no idea about the struggles she faced because of her husband. I didn’t know that 30 years earlier, she’d had to flee Alsace while pregnant, under threat from Nazi fighter-bombers. I didn’t know she’d had several miscarriages, and that my father—her only surviving child, born prematurely in March 1940 at the other end of France—weighed less than a kilo at birth and was so tiny he could fit in a shoebox. Hard to imagine he’d grow into a strapping man nearly 1.80 meters tall, tipping the scales at 100 kilos.
When you come back from summer camp in early August and ask why she didn’t pick you up with your parents, and they gently tell you she’s "in heaven," you don’t realize she passed away at 54 after suffering greatly from stomach cancer that had spread.
Back to that family outing, that enchanted parenthesis. I even remembered where we’d had lunch when I passed through Dambach-la-Ville decades later. One of those charming, flower-filled towns Alsace produces in abundance—and preserves so well. This one sits high on a hill, and I was a bit stunned on the parking lot because the view stretched far, revealing the Alsace plain below—its fields, villages, hills, and forests. The world seemed so vast and enticing that day, even though I was only glimpsing a tiny fraction of it.
The region was already very touristy, but I wouldn’t notice the downsides until much later. That Sunday noon, I discovered a large restaurant filled with diners. I can still see the enormous piece of meat they served me, decorated with a little wooden skewer topped with a flag. I kept that one for a long time. Those were the golden days of rich, flowing, thick sauces—so flavorful—and the era of the world’s best fries, made on the spot with the best potatoes. To top it off, I was *exceptionally* allowed a small bottle of apple juice, Orangina, or—even better if possible—Sinalco. Yes, Sinalco—like Orangina, but better. A brand that must’ve disappeared in the 70s, but why, and what a shame! Since then, Orangina’s little bubbles have taken the brand to the other side of the planet—it’s now Japanese.
Year after year, I’d eagerly await that ecstatic moment when the most beautiful castle in Alsace, the Haut-Koenigsbourg, appeared in my field of vision. The perfect model, the archetype that blended into the landscape at the height of a child’s dreams.
The trip home always felt like a reality check—less jarring than an alarm clock, but more diffuse and melancholic. From then on, there was only one wish: *When do we leave again?*
Ours was supposed to happen in 2020. Everything was ready: the itinerary, the flight tickets, hotel reservations and Machu Picchu, the rental car, dreams of high altitudes and wide-open spaces. And then the world stopped.
Like so many other plans, our trip to Peru was put on hold. Disappointment was followed by a more concrete reality: paperwork, endless back-and-forth, and battles to recover some of the costs we’d already paid.
The years went by. Life moved on, with its shifting priorities and unexpected twists. Rescheduling this trip wasn’t possible until 2025.
The itinerary stayed mostly true to what we’d imagined five years earlier. One major difference, though—in 2020, we’d planned to rent a car and explore the roads completely independently. Most importantly, we hadn’t included the three-day Ausangate trek, due to lack of time.
For 2025, our plans evolved. 4x4 rental prices had skyrocketed, and when we looked at our schedule more closely, we realized quite a few days didn’t actually need a vehicle. So we made a different choice and opted for private drivers instead. A decision we never regretted. Always punctual, thoughtful, and available... they were so much more than just drivers.
All our reservations were made in January, except for the trek, which we booked in February.
Finding reliable drivers on our own was tough, so we asked Laurent from Tout Pérou to handle it for us. Going through Tout Pérou also gave us a discount on the train ride to Aguas Calientes, so Laurent booked those tickets too. He also bought our Machu Picchu entrance tickets at the same price we would’ve paid on the official website. When comparing domestic flight prices, we found it was cheaper to book from Peru, so Laurent took care of those as well.
This time, nothing was going to stop us. Peru was waiting. And we were ready. 🙂
" We’re ALL different, and so are our expectations when it comes to travel or leisure ".
There are—without a doubt—as many ways to experience a trip as there are travelers!!
For the two of us, it’s only our love of wild nature that guides us to East Africa.
The stated goal of this trip was purely wildlife-focused, and NOT about discovering the country or its people.
...
Hello everyone,
Previously, I shared the account of a trip/safari in southern Tanzania in June 2024, in the Mikumi and Selous reserves.
This time, still in southern Tanzania, I invite you to join us in Ruaha National Park. (Then, depending on the number of images allowed in my quota, at the end of my story, we’ll return to Selous for the second part of the same trip.)
- This trip/safari took place in November 2022.
- Our flight started in Marseille, heading to Addis Ababa, then Dar es Salaam (via Ethiopian Airlines). In Dar, we spent one night at a hotel near the airfield.
-1- During the layover in Addis Ababa. The Airbus A-350 in the early morning mist.
Reminder: Click on each image to enlarge it, if needed.
.
From Dar es Salaam, if you want to go by road to Ruaha, it’ll take a very long and tiring day. 🤪
On previous trips, we’ve always taken a bush plane for this route.
In this case, it took just over an hour and a half, with two short intermediate stops to drop off passengers at other bush airstrips.
Since I’m also passionate about aviation, I love these flights where you can admire the landscapes from low altitude while sitting right behind the pilot 🙂.
-2- These routes mainly use Cessna 208 Caravans.
At the Msembe airstrip, we’re greeted around 1:30 PM by a guide and a driver from our chosen lodge. They brought a picnic basket, which we enjoy at a nearby picnic area. We’re by the Ruaha River, completely dry—it’s scorching hot.
-3- The first mammals we encounter are a pair of female impalas, accompanied by a young male.
Reminder: Click on the image to view it in larger size. 😉
-4- To save the hippopotamus populations from certain death, rangers had to dig holes in the sand with bulldozers. Fortunately, water is present beneath the sand layer.
-5- This crocodile doesn’t seem to have been accepted as a swimming neighbor by the hippos...
We’ll explore along the river for 2-3 hours before crossing it at a ford toward the southern part of the reserve.
-6- The typical landscape of Ruaha, with its many baobabs.
-7- My buddy the R.L.B. is also here to welcome me.... 🙂 🙂
-8- As well as this little bee-eater... 😎
-9- ...which reminds us of the origin of its name...!
-10- Above a rare waterhole, a fish eagle keeps watch for fish...
...
*** Please wait until the end of the story for any questions or to share your own experiences in Ruaha. (Or via PM.)
Thanks in advance for keeping this account smooth and enjoyable. 😉
...
*** I’m not an ornithologist, but birds are an important and unavoidable part of safari discoveries. You’ll find quite a few in the images of my story. 😎
January 2026
Here we go again for new adventures and the pleasure of sharing them with you here! First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who helped me with the preparations, even with some last-minute improvisations just days before departure. Thanks to Montagnard74, Jojoone1, Songsam, Attila, Dennis2, NadegerFERM, and the authors whose travel journals about Laos inspired me (Montagnard74, Muriel18, Mavietongs...).
In this story, written by Richard and illustrated by me, we’ll tell you about the journey of four friends: Catherine, Richard, Nathalie, and Bruno. A reinvented but overall successful trip, filled with discoveries and surprises, the scents of spices and frangipani flowers, (too) spicy food, sunsets, and... one big mess.
We’re back from our September 2025 road trip, this time to explore Arizona and New Mexico, and it’s time for me to start my travel journal—especially since everything’s already booked for another trip in September 2026 (to California), and I need to get started on the planning.
I was a little worried this new visit to Uncle Sam’s country might not be as "wow" as the others, but we still discovered some incredible places.
For those who don’t know us, we’re a couple in our seventies who speak very little English, but that didn’t stop us from fully enjoying our stay.
For this 6th road trip in the U.S., we spent 21 nights there, drove 4,160 km by car, and walked nearly 160 km in a loop starting from Phoenix.
We’d been to Arizona before (but not this side) and never to New Mexico. This whole road trip was a huge discovery for us.
In the prices mentioned (some in euros, others in dollars), bank fees and exchange charges are included.
The flights, car rental, and parking were all paid for in December 2024 when we booked.
We’d downloaded the MPC (Mobile Passport Control) app, but there wasn’t a dedicated line at Phoenix Airport. Still, we got through quickly with friendly, smiling agents.
I don’t drive at all (I hate it), so the stops were chosen based on activities but also, for some, to limit daily mileage for the sole driver. The kilometers listed in the itinerary are the daily distances.
We traveled from September 9th to 22nd, unfortunately once again without our dear friends Mimi and Maumau.
The itinerary
Day 1: Flight Marseille-Paris-Phoenix, then Gold Canyon (133 km)
Day 2: Tucson (271 km) Lost Dutchman State Park
Day 3: Tucson (155 km)
Day 4: Tucson (34 km)
Day 5: Bisbee (182 km)
Day 6: Lordsburg (345 km)
Day 7: Las Cruces (253 km)
Day 8: Alamogordo (162 km)
Day 9: Roswell (264 km)
Day 10: Tucumcari (369 km)
Day 11: Las Vegas (281 km) – the one in New Mexico
Day 12: Taos (213 km)
Day 13: Santa Fe (224 km)
Day 14: Albuquerque (123 km)
Day 15: Gallup (246 km)
Day 16: Holbrook (224 km)
Day 17: Flagstaff (179 km)
Day 18: Sedona (118 km)
Day 19: Sedona (48 km)
Day 20: Sedona (41 km)
Day 21: Phoenix (256 km)
Day 22: Phoenix Airport (35 km)
📊 **Budget**: A little over 7,500 € for both of us, all included. The exchange rate was in our favor (1.17 dollars to 1 €).
📊 **Flights**: Marseille-Paris Charles de Gaulle-Phoenix: 1,787 € for two, with one checked bag each (Air France)
📊 **ESTA**: $42
📊 **America the Beautiful Pass**: $80
📊 **Parking**: 134 € (super eco at Marseille)
📊 **Car rental (Hertz)**: 865 €. Since there were no SUVs left in the reserved category (Nissan Rogue), we got an upgrade (4x4 Ford Explorer). We booked through Air France (15% discount). We’d originally reserved it in December for 1,140 €, but since prices dropped in March, we canceled and rebooked for 865 €. Hertz offers a free Hertz Gold Plus Rewards program, which gives you priority counter service when picking up the car.
📊 **Accommodation**: 2,400 €
We stayed in hotels and motels of varying standards (from 60 to 203 € per night, depending on the city), all booked through Booking.com or Hotels.com. Out of 21 nights, only two didn’t include breakfast in the price.
Booking.com sometimes offers slightly cheaper rates if you book by phone using the mobile app, and our Genius 3 status on the site also got us some preferential rates.
📊 **Supplementary insurance**: AVA 200 € for medical care if needed
📊 **Cash**: $2,078. We left with 1,000 € exchanged before departure and made two withdrawals of $500.
This cash covered:
- Evening restaurants and tips
- Midday picnics
- Gas: $298 for 4,160 km
- Museum and private park entries (per person):
- Lost Dutchman: $10
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: $28
- Bird Cage Theater: $16
- Tombstone Shootout: $8
- New Mexico Farm & Ranch Museum: $12
- Roswell International UFO Museum: $5
- Billy the Kid Museum: $7
- Rancho de Taos: $22
- West Fork Oak Creek Trail entry: $15
We got a few discounts thanks to our senior age (+65).
- Souvenirs and little treats
Like on our previous road trips, we didn’t rent a GPS. We got around using offline GPS apps Here WeGo and Organic Maps, with maps of the states we visited downloaded before we left (on our phones).
❤️❤️❤️ **Highlights** (there are so many!)
📍 Goldfield Ghost Town (even if it’s a reconstruction)
📍 The standing army of Saguaro cacti at Saguaro National Park West
📍 Diving into the cowboy universe of Tombstone
📍 The welcome from Rick and Henry at our guesthouse in Bisbee (Garden at Mile High Ranch)
📍 The tangled rocks of Chiricahua National Monument
📍 The flavored pistachios from Dwayne’s Fresh Jerky and Mac Ginnis Pistachioland
📍 Restaurants: La Posta (Las Cruces), Diner 66 (Albuquerque), and the Haunted Hamburger (Jerome)
📍 The old plazas of New Mexico
📍 The solitude and beauty of the white dunes at White Sands National Park
📍 Stepping back in time at the Billy the Kid Museum (Fort Stanton)
📍 Sections of historic Route 66 and the old motels of Tucumcari, especially at night when all the neon lights are on
📍 Taos Pueblo and diving into Native American culture
📍 After the Rio Grande Bridge, the descent via NM 567 to the very bottom of the Rio Grande Gorge, then the road along the riverbanks to Taos
📍 The tranquility of the Chimayo Sanctuary
📍 Discovering the ingenious native dwellings at Bandelier National Monument and Walnut Canyon National Park
📍 The small towns along the Turquoise Trail
📍 The red rocks of Red Rock Park and the Painted Desert
📍 The extraordinary colors of the petrified trees at Petrified Forest National Park
📍 Sedona, its red rocks, and the reward of the viewpoints at the end of hikes (Devil’s Bridge, The Subway, and West Fork Oak Creek)
📍 The immersion in Mexico when visiting Tlaquepaque
📍 The almost-ghost town of Jerome and its terraced streets
📍 The incredible kindness of Americans, always ready to help and up for a chat ❤️
☹️☹️☹️ **Flops** (there are very few)
📍 Several museums and churches being closed, so we couldn’t visit them
📍 Some museums and visitor centers opening late (10 AM) and closing early (4 PM)
📍 A 64 € phone roaming charge because we got near the Mexican border and picked up their cell tower
📍 The outrageous price ($5.99) for a gallon of gas at the Shell near Phoenix Airport
I hope this helps! Anyway, thanks for reading my long post. Don’t hesitate to reach out, even via PM, if you see I haven’t replied and you’d like more details.
Have a great evening, everyone! 🙂
Yesterday, I checked the Thailand forum to see if there were any questions to answer, but not much was happening—it was pretty quiet. Then I scrolled through the Southeast Asia section and realized that, even though Burma (Myanmar) was included, there weren’t many posts about it... I’ve only been there once, back in 1987, so it’s hard to create a photo thread about multiple trips like I sometimes do for Thailand. Still, that one trip was packed with unusual adventures, so I thought I’d share a few stories from it.
Since I didn’t take any notes at the time, this is all from memory—it’s not an exhaustive travel journal and isn’t meant to help plan a future trip to Myanmar.
Don’t expect photos; there won’t be any. I have some, but they’re slides that would need scanning and editing one by one to fix the wear and tear of time—way too much work.
The Context.
Back then (reminder: 1987), I was volunteering in Paris at the counter of a travel agency on Rue des Écoles. The agency was part of a well-known organization based in Mulhouse that mostly offered scheduled flights to Asia, charter flights to the Mediterranean, and flights to Mali with their own plane. They also had a few rare "roots"-style trips to certain destinations—trips where you didn’t bring your tennis racket but were ready to soak in everything, even if it meant tough conditions.
I’d already been to Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines in Asia. The director knew this, so he asked me to accompany a group to Burma. At the time, tours to Burma were already being sold by competitors, but they all had to go through the state-run agency, Touristburma (buses and hotels for tourists, and they only showed you what they wanted you to see—kind of like traveling in North Korea today). The service was only payable in dollars at the official exchange rate (which was six times worse than the black market rate, mind you...), and since it went through the state agency, all the money ended up with the junta.
My job was to do everything *without* going through Touristburma, which was completely illegal there. Nothing would be booked in advance. Back then, the Burmese visa was only valid for 8 days/7 nights, and since clients were paying for the experience, the itinerary was planned ahead. I’d have to find transport and a guide on the black market as soon as I arrived.
The clients weren’t misled—they knew from the start that the trip would be off the books, that officially we’d be a small group of friends (not an agency), unlike the truth (Touristburma wasn’t mandatory for individual travelers), and that it would be challenging. They also knew their trip would cost 3-4 times less while giving them a much better experience of Burma. As for pretending to be a group of friends, there were only six of us, so it worked out.
To cover all expenses (accommodation, transport, excursions), the agency gave me a sufficient budget. They also gave me the *same* budget a second time, which was strictly for bribing officials who might cause trouble, for backshish (tips), and, if needed, to "help" me get out of prison.
Before I left, I was thoroughly briefed by another guy who’d led the previous trip (he’d dealt with all the initial challenges). He explained everything I needed to know, what to watch out for, and advised me on what to bring as "gifts" (samples of well-known perfumes, specific cigarette and whisky brands, etc.). For the perfume samples, I rallied my family, friends, and even stores. For the rest, I’d pick things up at the duty-free shops in Don Muang (Bangkok’s only airport at the time)—I had the budget for it.
Highway 1 runs along the Pacific coast of California from Leggett in the north to Dana Point in the south. It's the longest state route in California, stretching 1,050 km.
It's famous for its breathtaking ocean views. That’s actually why it’s become such a popular route for road trips, with tons of attractions and points of interest all along the way.
After crossing the U.S. interior on our way out (see Road Trip USA 2023 - Part 1), we’re starting our return trip along this route from Leggett.
Videos are embedded throughout the summary. Please click on the image to start the video.
To jump to a specific post, here are the appropriate links:
CALIFORNIA:
Scenic Overlooks on Route 1 Between Leggett and Fort Bragg
The Pudding Creek Trestle Bridge in Fort Bragg
Glass Beach - Fort Bragg
Jenner Lookout Point - Highway 1
Goat Rock Beach - Sonoma Coast State Park - Jenner
Point Reyes National Seashore - White House Pool Trail
Point Reyes National Seashore - Limantour Beach
Point Reyes National Seashore - Point Reyes Shipwreck
Point Reyes National Seashore - Kehoe Beach Trail
Point Reyes National Seashore - McClures Beach Trail
Point Reyes National Seashore - Cypress Tree Tunnel
Point Reyes National Seashore - Point Reyes Beach North
Point Reyes National Seashore - Elephant Seals on Drakes Beach
Point Reyes National Seashore - Point Reyes Beach South
Point Reyes National Seashore – Elephant Seals Overlooks
Point Reyes National Seashore - Chimney Rock Trail
Point Reyes National Seashore - Point Reyes Lighthouse Trail
Point Reyes National Seashore – Tule Elk Observation
Point Bonita Lighthouse Trail - Sausalito
Hawk Hill - Sausalito
Battery Spencer Trail - Sausalito
Rodeo Beach - Sausalito
Point Cavallo - Golden Gate View - Sausalito
Exploring Downtown Sausalito
Visiting Sausalito’s Houseboats
Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge Viewpoints - San Francisco
Cruise to Alcatraz Island - San Francisco
Visiting Alcatraz Island - San Francisco
Civic Center - Downtown San Francisco
Market Street & Yerba Buena Gardens - Downtown San Francisco
Union Square & Financial District - Downtown San Francisco
Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39 & Embarcadero - San Francisco
Sea Lion Observation - Pier 39 - San Francisco
Lombard Street & Cable Car - Russian Hill - San Francisco
Macondray Lane Historic District - Russian Hill - San Francisco
Grace Cathedral & Huntington Park - Nob Hill - San Francisco
Telegraph Hill - San Francisco
Chinatown - San Francisco
Alamo Square & Painted Ladies - Western Addition - San Francisco
Palace of Fine Arts - Marina District - San Francisco
Presidio of San Francisco
California Coastal Trail - Lincoln Park - San Francisco
California Palace of the Legion of Honor - Lincoln Park - San Francisco
Sutro Baths - Lincoln Park - San Francisco
Queen Wilhelmina Garden - Golden Gate Park - San Francisco
Bison Paddock - Golden Gate Park - San Francisco
Portals of the Past - Golden Gate Park - San Francisco
Strawberry Hill - Golden Gate Park – San Francisco
Prayerbook Cross & Robin Williams Meadow - Golden Gate Park - San Francisco
Hidden Garden Steps & 16th Avenue Tiled Steps - San Francisco
Grandview Park - San Francisco
Hike - Twin Peaks Three Summits - San Francisco
Longboarding Down Twin Peaks Blvd in San Francisco
Haight-Ashbury - San Francisco
Corona Heights Park - San Francisco
Mission Dolores - San Francisco
Mural Frescoes (Part 1) - Mission District - San Francisco
Mural Frescoes (Part 2) - Mission District - San Francisco
Devil's Slide Bunker - Pacifica
Mavericks Beach - Half Moon Bay
Martins Beach - Half Moon Bay
Pigeon Point Lighthouse State Historic Park - Pescadero
What to See in Santa Cruz
Visiting Capitola
What to See in Monterey
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Lovers Point Park - Pacific Grove
Castle Rock, Hurricane Point & Little Sur River Viewpoints
Pfeiffer Falls Trail
Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Vista Point & McWay Falls
Highway 1 - Big Sur Viewpoints
Salmon Creek Falls
San Carpoforo Creek Trail
Elephant Seal Vista Point - San Simeon
San Simeon Pier
Moonstone Beach Boardwalk
Shipwreck - Estero Bluffs State Park
Surfing Competition in Morro Bay
Port San Luis Pier - San Luis Obispo
Pismo Beach
Monarch Butterfly Grove - Pismo State Beach
Nojoqui Falls Park - Solvang
Arroyo Hondo Vista Point
Solvang, a Charming Danish Town in California
Chumash Painted Cave - Santa Barbara
Goleta San Marcos Rd & Cachuma Lake Vista Points - Santa Barbara
Old Santa Barbara Mission
Walking Tour of Santa Barbara’s Historic Downtown
West Beach - Santa Barbara
What to See in Ventura
Paradise Falls - Wildwood Regional Park - Thousand Oaks
Sandy Dune & El Matador State Beach - Malibu
Point Dume Nature Reserve - Malibu
Malibu Pier
Road Trip in the Malibu Mountains
Los Liones Trail - Santa Monica
Santa Monica Pier
Rodeo Drive - Beverly Hills
Greystone Mansion - Beverly Hills
Hollywood Walk of Fame - Los Angeles
Griffith Observatory - Los Angeles
Hollywood Forever Cemetery - Los Angeles
What to See in Venice Beach
Venice Beach Skatepark
ShoreLine Aquatic Park - Long Beach
Alamitos Beach - Long Beach
Naples Island - Long Beach
Crescent Bay Point Park & Helser Park Kiosk - Laguna Beach
Shell Beach at Twin Points - Laguna Beach
Prairie Dogs at Agra Vista Point
Top Gun House & Oceanside Pier
Annie's Canyon Trail - Solana Beach (Via North Rios Trailhead Loop)
Old Town San Diego
La Jolla Coastal Trail - San Diego
Balboa Park - San Diego
Pacific Beach - San Diego
Mission Beach - San Diego
Ocean Beach Tide Pools - San Diego
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park - San Diego
Tuna Harbor Park - San Diego
Seaport Village & Embarcadero Marina Park - San Diego
Gaslamp Quarter - Downtown San Diego
Coronado Island - San Diego
Dead Dolly Lane - Alpine
Galleta Meadows Metal Sculptures - Borrego Springs
What to See in Palm Springs
Robolights - Palm Springs
Andreas Canyon Trail - Indian Canyons - Palm Springs
Palm Canyon Trail - Indian Canyons - Palm Springs
West Fork Falls Trail - Indian Canyons - Palm Springs
Tahquitz Canyon Loop Trail - Indian Canyons - Palm Springs
Desert Christ Park - Yucca Valley
Pioneertown
Salvation Mountain - Niland
Slab City - Niland
That was about all the Spanish I could speak before we left... Luckily, Tom, 15 and in high school, gets by just fine! And Caroline did a year of Duolingo before we took off...
Anyway, after 55 days in the American West three years ago, it’s Mexico’s turn for this second long adventure.
A quick intro to the crew:
- Oscar, 10, a sporty and lively little boy who loves swimming and basketball,
- Tom, 15, a high schooler, sporty and tall, who loves swimming and American football,
- Caroline, 47, a PE teacher, sporty , loves hiking and snorkeling,
- and me, Sylvain, 50, a science teacher, sporty, loves traveling and always has a possible next trip in mind
We mostly travel by swapping our house to discover beautiful France and the world: 135 swaps over the last 13 years.....
Our itinerary is pretty classic since it’s our first time in the Yucatán, and we’ll make a little 10-day detour to Belize...
This journal recounts a trip to Rajasthan that’s already over a year old and that I’ve only now found the chance to write about. The summer of 2024 marked my return to India—my tenth trip—after six long years away since my last solo wanderings in Tamil Nadu in 2018 (the journal of which is published on this site). That absence was partly (but not only) due to the long COVID and post-COVID period, which saw a complete halt and then a major slowdown in global tourism. To top it off, Voyage Forum announced its closure in an end-of-the-world atmosphere. A sad time for our favorite social activity…
A few weeks after returning from Rajasthan, I tried to motivate myself to start writing a journal to publish on a forum claiming to be VF’s successor, which I’d eventually signed up for out of desperation. But I kept hesitating and putting the project off because, for one, I no longer have the time I used to. For another, the vibe wasn’t really taking off on that forum—it was overrun with ads and not very active, contrary to what its host’s name suggested. Despite its good intentions and commendable role as a stopgap, it also turned out to be very impractical to use, especially when you don’t have much time like me. I’ll admit I’d occasionally check back on VF to see if anything was happening. But all the discussions remained frozen in time, stuck in that fateful year, 2020. Then, rumors swirled online about shady reasons behind its closure, leaving little room for hope.
And then, one fine morning, I got a message at work from Marien informing me that VF had reopened. What a huge surprise! Even though the forum’s “end” had played out in a somewhat apocalyptic atmosphere, the memories of passionate and heated discussions, the frank debates, and the useful exchanges that made this site a traveler’s goldmine and a unique hub of conviviality all came rushing back to me like a breath of fresh air. I finally saw a sign and tried to motivate myself to find the time to publish the journal of this tenth trip to India and fifth to Rajasthan. But in the end, I got bogged down in professional and family obligations and never managed to find the time to get started. That’s now fixed, though, because I had two reasons for wanting to do it: I find that looking back on a trip to tell others about it is a highly beneficial introspective exercise. Also, I thought this journal could be useful to other travelers on a few points.
Because, “do we really need yet another journal about Rajasthan?” you might rightly ask! Especially in a time when so many journals about the “Land of Kings” have been published since VF’s return, not to mention the countless stories you can already find online about this region, one of India’s most touristy. And I’d add, why go back to Rajasthan for a fifth time, where I’ve already dragged my feet more than enough—through its forts, deserts, temples, cities, villages, bumpy roads, train stations, tasty street food stalls, cheap guesthouses, and more? Where some might see just another overhyped tourist destination full of the same old *Arabian Nights* clichés, worn to a thread, that I mentioned earlier, when there’s so much else to see in India?
Well, first because it’s a magnificent country I never tire of, where I started an academic study and made so many connections. It’s also packed with places where you won’t find a single tourist (right, Marie-Jo?), even in the heart of well-trodden paths and classic itineraries. And most importantly, as I said earlier, things have changed in recent years. First, after six years without traveling far, the urge to go back to India was getting stronger. But this time, no more solo trips (often) or duo adventures (sometimes)—now it’s a team of four that has to come along! And even if you can argue with that, what better place than Rajasthan to introduce India to people who’ve never seen it? To kids you want to amaze?
Plus, traveling with your new little family to your favorite country isn’t the same as going solo in often spartan conditions that only affect you. It’s a different challenge, but ultimately probably much harder. So, is it really reasonable to take two kids to India, including a two-year-old baby? That’s one of the main goals of this journal (but not the only one)—to try to answer that question.
As you can tell, it’s not so much the destination but the slightly unusual setup of this trip that, in my opinion, will make this journal interesting. Despite my experience and expertise (yes, I dare say it) in India, there were plenty of questions before we finalized the plan and said, “Alright, let’s go!” The questions were flying for us parents. Is it wise to travel to India with a two-year-old? What would we do (it happened) if the kids got very sick? Would they be able to handle a road trip on Rajasthan’s bumpy, dusty roads using public transport? Could they handle the shock of such a different world—the dirt, poverty, pollution, noise (…and the smell, as they say), the spicy food, monkeys, mosquitoes, snakes, tigers, leopards, and so on? In short, all the clichés that I usually joke about suddenly became potential realities. Another concern: as a mixed Franco-African family (not me, but my partner and her oldest), wouldn’t we risk not always being well received, given what you sometimes hear about that in India? How would Indians react to seeing a mixed-race family, the ultimate taboo in a country of purity and social segregation, which would undoubtedly raise many questions for them? Of course, not everything went as expected… Because, as you know, with India—and what makes it charming for some—there are always complications: sometimes where you don’t expect them… and sometimes where you do. I’ll go into detail about that in the journal to come (not right away) and in the final review (even later). These experiences could be useful to travelers who find themselves in similar situations and have the same questions we did before embarking on such a journey. And maybe it’ll spark the curiosity of those who aren’t concerned and will read yet another Rajasthan journal, but with its own unique twists.
Despite my unchanged constraints, which mean I have little time to write this, I don’t want to rush the story, so I’ll take my time. There will probably be lulls. I hope that won’t stop people from coming to react, debate, share their impressions, or ask for information.
We’ve read it all about Bali: mass tourism, non-stop parties, ferry disasters, the kingdom of “Instagrammers,” pollution, “Bali belly”... But luckily, this island isn’t just about Kuta’s beaches and the Lempuyang Temple.
Sure, it’s not as exotic or off-the-beaten-path as other Indonesian islands (the Moluccas, Timor, Flores...), but we spent 3 weeks there and loved it!
We booked our accommodations in advance, and for the rest (drivers, activities...), we took it day by day with help from the homestays (making sure to contact them a few days ahead via WhatsApp).
In the end, it’s an “easy” destination, very affordable, and one that’s managed to keep a certain authenticity.
February 9th is a pivotal day during my trip to Thailand. Up until this date, my focus had been on cities, temples, and other urban landmarks. Starting February 10th, I’ll finally leave the city behind for the outskirts—one town, one life, farther from tourism, more real, more authentic... Then comes the bucolic surroundings of Chiang Mai, nature, the countryside, the mountains.
This morning, I head to visit the ethnographic museum. I’d been told about another one, but it’s permanently closed. I wonder if it’s the same one that might have changed its name and location.
I thoroughly enjoy visiting this museum. At first, I’m a bit annoyed because the place is packed with noisy school groups blocking the display cases without even showing the slightest interest. But soon, their chaperones manage to lead them into another room, giving me some peace. They maintain this distance throughout the tour, allowing me to explore the museum in complete tranquility. I really appreciate their tact.
I’m amazed by the absolutely stunning fabric displays and the countless everyday objects, especially the very old pottery. There’s so much beautiful basketry and intricately carved wood. The statues are also incredible... After seeing all of them, I no longer feel like buying any from the shops.
On my way back, not far from my hotel, I discover a rather unique place that only serves one drink, which they’ve made their specialty: egg coffee! A pretty surprising novelty. I have to try it.
At the bottom of the cup, they pour a layer of milk, topped with a layer of liquid coffee, followed by a layer of egg yolk, and finally a top layer that turns out to be a mix of coffee and cocoa powder.
It’s a cold drink that, in the end, doesn’t have much flavor, and the price is pretty steep for such a small cup. You’re paying for the exclusivity!
Later in the day, I venture once again into small alleys, something I love doing when exploring a new city—no specific goal, just wandering east of the city, outside the walls.
I encounter very few tourists there and discover unsuspected little shops overflowing with lovely items, much cheaper than what you find in the heart of the tourist district.
Then I wander through the floors of Warorot Market.
I discover another kind of temple there: the temple of good deals. I love finding clothes that are really original for locals, not the flood of shirts and pants that tourists love but no Thai would ever buy, which invade the shops in the "Historic Square."
I stop in my tracks in front of a stall with beautiful shirts featuring stunning geometric patterns in elegant color combinations and very short sleeves.
Hmm, these would be perfect for showing off my biceps, one of which is adorned with the magnificent Ganesh tattoo I got last year in Bali. "When you’ve got nice things, you’ve got to show them off!" he said. 😜🙏💪
I pick out two for 380 baht and negotiate them down to 300. But the seller won’t go any lower. I understand I’ve reached the limit of her commercial possibilities.
Just as I’m leaving the shop, happy with my purchase, my ever-helpful inner voice, Petite Voix, suggests:
- You didn’t try them on because you were too lazy to take off the one you’re wearing and also because of the sweat, but you could just put one on over the one you’re wearing. It’s light enough that it won’t bother you.
I go back to the two sellers, who burst out laughing when I ask to try them on.
- Oh no, it’s way too small for you! It’s a women’s shirt!
- But they don’t look particularly feminine in style! And I chose XXL...
I put the shirt on, and of course, it won’t close. Then I notice the buttons are on the wrong side. That’s why the sleeves seemed so short!!!
They put the shirts back on the rack and refund me without any fuss, commenting amid total hilarity:
- Well, thank goodness you tried it on just as you were leaving the shop!
Since I don’t want to walk too much before tomorrow’s first Big Outing with the driver, I end my stroll with a visit to two very pretty temples recommended by Joël.
I’d rather not post more temple photos. But these ones smell like village and countryside...
I’ve never seen anything like Wat Ket Karam, so extravagant...
And I end my day with two other lesser-known temples: Wat Noung Kham, simple and finally free of gold and glitter,
and Wat Dap Phai, where an intimate ceremony is taking place at the end of the day.
After Southern Tanzania, I’m sharing a travel story about the Cantal region with you...
...
For us, at the start of 2025, Le CANTAL was a true “Terra Incognita”!!
After seeing some tempting TV reports, we decided to fill this gap—especially in terms of landscapes. On the same trip, we’ll also head to the Arcachon Basin, the International Seaplane Gathering in Biscarrosse, and my native Landes region...
So, on May 20th, we left Marseille in the rain and thunder, heading toward Nîmes, Saint-Hippolyte, Mont Aigoual, Florac, and stopping in Marvejols to give my arthritic back a break for the night.
The next morning, we decided to revisit the Parc aux Loups du Gévaudan (Europe’s largest wolf park).
As someone used to photo safaris in the wilds of East Africa, I’m not a fan of zoos at all—but I *do* have a deep admiration for wolves!!
Since it’s pretty unlikely I’ll ever see one in the wild, I’ll settle for this Parc aux Loups in Marvejols.
This will be our third visit to this incredible gathering of these fascinating canines.
In January 2023, we started our second road trip across the United States. We stayed from January to mid-March, which gave us plenty of time to visit several cities, attractions, and parks in multiple states.
This travel journal will be split into two parts due to the considerable number of places we visited.
This first journal covers the following states: Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California, and takes you through the outbound leg of our road trip.
The second journal will showcase the attractions we visited on the return trip, which mainly follows the famous Highway 1 along the Pacific coast.
So, I invite you to keep reading this first journal, which serves as a long recap to help you discover the various attractions we explored throughout this road trip.
Videos are included throughout the recap. Please click on the image to start the video.
Here are the links to jump to a specific post:
OHIO:
WinterLand - Christmas Lights at Cleveland Public Square
Lake View Cemetery - Cleveland - Part 1
Lake View Cemetery - Cleveland - Part 2
Stroll through Columbus
Upper Falls to Lower Falls via Buckeye Trail - Hocking Hills State Park – Logan
Cedar Falls & Whispering Falls Hiking Trail - Hocking Hills State Park – Logan
Ash Cave Hiking Trail - Hocking Hills State Park – Logan
Exploring Cincinnati
INDIANA:
Visiting Indianapolis
MISSOURI:
Exploring St. Louis
OKLAHOMA:
Catoosa Blue Whale
Discovering Tulsa
Exploring Oklahoma City
Ancestral Sites Trail - Pecos National Historical Park
Discovering Santa Fe
The Santuario de Chimayó
Stroll through Los Cerrillos
Walk through the village of Madrid
San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church & The Bottle House - Golden
Albuquerque Murals
66 Diner - Albuquerque
Stroll through Old Town (Albuquerque)
Rinconada Canyon Trail - Petroglyph National Monument
Mesa Point Trail - Boca Negra Canyon - Petroglyph National Monument
Macaw Trail - Boca Negra Canyon - Petroglyph National Monument
Cliff Base Trail - Boca Negra Canyon - Petroglyph National Monument
Piedras Marcadas Canyon - Petroglyph National Monument
Sandstone Bluffs & Ventana Natural Arch - El Malpais National Monument
ARIZONA:
Stewart's Petrified Wood Shop – Holbrook
Stroll through Holbrook
Discovering Joseph City
Exploring Winslow
Grand Falls (The "Chocolate Falls") – Leupp
Island Trail - Walnut Canyon National Monument
Rim Trail - Walnut Canyon National Monument
Wukoki Pueblo Trail – Wupatki National Monument
Wupatki Pueblo Trail – Wupatki National Monument
Doney Mountain Trail – Wupatki National Monument
Citadel & Nalakihu Pueblos Trail – Wupatki National Monument
Lomaki & Box Canyon Pueblos Trail – Wupatki National Monument
Discovering Flagstaff
On the way to Sedona
Slide Rock State Park – Sedona
Midgley Bridge Trail – Wilson Canyon – Sedona
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village Walking Tour - Sedona
Chapel of the Holy Cross - Sedona
Hiking at Cathedral Rock - Sedona
Hiking the Bell Rock Trail - Sedona
Hiking the Airport Loop Trail - Sedona
Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park - Sedona
Hiking the Boynton Canyon Vortex Trail - Sedona
Hiking the Devil's Bridge Trail - Sedona
Hiking the Birthing Cave Trail - Sedona
Bell Rock Inn - Sedona
On the roads of Sedona - Part 1
On the roads of Sedona - Part 2
Keyhole Sink Hiking Trail - Kaibab National Forest
Discovering Williams
Exploring Ash Fork
Discovering Kingman
Ramada by Wyndham Kingman
Davis Camp Park - Bullhead City
Discovering Yucca
Lake Havasu Boardwalk Tour
A duck catches a lobster – Lake Havasu Boardwalk
CALIFORNIA:
Exploring Needles
Discovering Goffs
Discovering Amboy
Visiting the famous Bagdad Cafe - Newberry Springs
Exploring Barstow
Vehicles from Hell (Mad Max Cars) - Barstow
Peggy Sue's 50's Diner - Yermo
Liberty Sculpture Park - Yermo
Lake Dolores Water Park - Newberry Springs
ZZYZX Road - Mojave National Preserve
Alien Fresh Jerky - Baker
Kelso Dunes Trail - Mojave National Preserve
Hole-in-the-Wall Rings Trail - Mojave National Preserve
Visiting Mitchell Caverns - Mojave National Preserve
Dante's View - Death Valley National Park
Zabriskie Point - Death Valley National Park
Golden Canyon - Death Valley National Park
Artists Drive & Artists Palette - Death Valley National Park
Devil's Golf Course - Death Valley National Park
Natural Bridge Trail - Death Valley National Park
Badwater Basin - Death Valley National Park
Harmony Borax Works - Death Valley National Park
Devil's Cornfield - Death Valley National Park
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes - Death Valley National Park
Mosaic Canyon Trail - Death Valley National Park
On the road - Death Valley National Park
NEVADA:
Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health - Las Vegas
Exploring Downtown Las Vegas
SlotZilla Zipline - Fremont Street Experience – Downtown Las Vegas
Viva Vision Light Show 1 - Fremont Street Experience - Downtown Las Vegas
Viva Vision Light Show 2 - Fremont Street Experience - Downtown Las Vegas
Viva Vision Light Show 3 - Fremont Street Experience - Downtown Las Vegas
Viva Vision Light Show 4 - Fremont Street Experience - Downtown Las Vegas
Free Live Music – Fremont Street Experience - Downtown Las Vegas
Chucky – Fremont Street Experience - Downtown Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip - Part 1
Las Vegas Strip - Part 2
Las Vegas Strip - Part 3
Las Vegas Strip - Part 4
Las Vegas Strip - Part 5
Tom Devlin's Monster Museum - Boulder City
Hoover Dam
Lake Mead - Lakeview Overlook - Boulder City
Nelson Ghost Town - Searchlight
CALIFORNIA:
Scenic Route through Joshua Tree National Park via the North Entrance
Hidden Valley Trail - Joshua Tree National Park
Barker Dam Trail - Joshua Tree National Park
Cap Rock Trail - Joshua Tree National Park
Keys View Trail - Joshua Tree National Park
Hall of Horrors Trail - Joshua Tree National Park
Skull Rock Trail - Joshua Tree National Park
Arch Rock Trail - Joshua Tree National Park
Cholla Cactus Garden Trail - Joshua Tree National Park
Lone Pine - Owens Valley
Miss Alabama & Shark Fin - Alabama Hills - Owens Valley
Lone Ranger Canyon - Alabama Hills - Owens Valley
Mobius Arch Loop Trail (Heart Arch & Lathe Arch) - Alabama Hills - Owens Valley
Eye of the Alabama Hills Arch - Alabama Hills - Owens Valley
Boot & Cyclops Arches - Alabama Hills - Owens Valley
One Mile Arch, Bowling Ball and Pins & Gunga Din Area - Alabama Hills - Owens Valley
Whitney Portal Arch Trailhead - Alabama Hills - Owens Valley
Fish Rocks & Trona Pinnacles - Mojave Desert
Red Cliffs Trail - Red Rock Canyon State Park
Hagen Canyon Nature Trail - Red Rock Canyon State Park
Tour of Historic Downtown Tehachapi
View of the Tehachapi Loop – Monolith
César E. Chávez National Monument – Keene
Discovering Bakersfield
Kern County Museum – Bakersfield
Bravo Farms, Tree House & Petting Zoo - Traver
Walking Tour of Kingsburg
Exploring Fresno
Simonian Farms & Soul Consoling Japanese Internment Tower - Fresno
Duncan Ceramic Products (iLoveToCreate) - Fresno
Walking Tour of Modesto
Wat Dhammararam Buddhist Temple - Stockton
Walking Tour of Stockton
Discovering Stockton
University of the Pacific - Stockton
Visiting Lodi
Sutter's Fort State Historic Park - Sacramento
California State Capitol - Sacramento
Walking Tour - Sacramento
Walking Tour - Winters
Walking Tour - Napa
The Chandelier Tree In Drive-Thru Tree Park - Leggett
One Log House - Garberville
Grandfather Tree - Piercy
The Living Chimney Tree - Avenue of the Giants
Stephens Grove Loop Trail - Avenue of the Giants
Gould Grove Nature Loop Trail - Avenue of the Giants
Fleishmann Grove Trail - Avenue of the Giants
Mahan Plaque Trail - Avenue of the Giants
Founders Grove Nature Loop Trail - Avenue of the Giants
Eternal Tree House & Immortal Tree - Avenue of the Giants
Drury-Chaney Loop Trail - Avenue of the Giants
Walking Tour - Redcrest
Hello everyone!
This trip dates back to late 2021, but since Voyage Forum reopened for writing, I haven’t seen many travel journals about Tanzania, so I decided to repost this one, which I originally shared on another well-known travelers’ site—even though I prefer Voyage Forum’s user experience.
It’s also a chance for me to relive this exhilarating trip... So, if you’re up for it, let me take you on a classic adventure: Tarangire - Ngorongoro - Serengeti, plus a little bonus—the small Arusha Park.
First off, yes, as the title of this journal suggests, we were lucky enough to spot *tons* of lions. The power they exude is incredible, even if most of the time they just look like big cats napping or strolling around. But lock eyes with one, and you’ll be glad you’re in the jeep.
My gear
This trip was in 2023, but when I wanted to write my travel journal, VF was still closed to contributions. I ended up using another well-known site, but I don’t like its layout as much. Now that I’ve just finished my Japan travel journal and need to prepare the one for Oman (where we went at the beginning of 2026), I thought I’d squeeze in my Laos travel journal—a destination we absolutely loved.
Direct train to Roissy—just 1h15. Quick and efficient.
All that was left was to wait for our overnight flight. We took off on time, just before 11 PM. Smooth flight, nothing unusual. Arrived in Nairobi around 9 AM. A few hours’ wait, then a flight to Dar es Salaam, landing at our first destination around 12:45 PM.
Our local contact, Anne from Asanterra agency, picked us up at the airport. It was hot and humid—it was raining.
