Kattegat isn’t just the name of the village in the TV series *Vikings*—it’s also the stretch of water separating Denmark from Sweden... the sea, basically! And further north, you’ve got Norway and its fjords! Originally, I’d planned to just do a loop around Kattegat, with the *Under* restaurant in Lindesnes as our anniversary treat... but along the way, we thought, why not "push" a little further north, keeping an eye on the budget since we’d chosen to travel by car in June 2025 through Scandinavia.

Why by car when most travelers opt for a camper van, while others prefer the comfort of cruises? Well, because we don’t own a camper van, renting one is pricey, and then you’ve got to add fuel costs (those things guzzle gas!), ferry fees, and other "tolls." All things considered, we went for mostly rentals—especially since there were four of us at the start of the trip. We spent the first week in Denmark with our daughter and son-in-law. Then they flew back to Belgium, and we continued our adventure as a couple. For accommodation, we mainly booked Airbnb apartments, which helped keep costs down and, most importantly, let us prepare our own meals (diet, diet!). In this travel journal, you’ll discover (or rediscover, for those who followed my older ones) our unbridled love for theme parks, museums, unique experiences, and—especially in Denmark—Legos! Unfortunately, we didn’t do any hikes this year because the unpredictable weather had made the trails slippery, and since I’d already taken three tumbles during the trip, I didn’t want to risk another! In the end, we traveled for 32 days, covered 6,200 km, and most importantly, discovered the charming country of Denmark, marveled at Norway’s breathtaking fjords—all without suffering the heatwave that hit France and Belgium that June! If you’ve got any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

During our first road trip across the United States, we covered 23,000 km and crossed 28 states in 53 days.

Originally, we had planned to drive Route 66 all the way to Oatman in Arizona and visit various national parks in the American West over a two-month period.

This itinerary was planned before our departure, and all the relevant information had been gathered to stick to the schedule.

Everything went so smoothly that we finished visiting the national parks well ahead of our planned return date.

It helped that having a bed, a portable toilet, and a cooler in our vehicle gave us some autonomy since we didn’t have to worry about accommodation.

So, we decided to extend our road trip to the cities of Nashville and Memphis in Tennessee.

We then headed to Louisiana to visit Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

We crossed Mississippi and Alabama before driving along Florida’s west coast all the way to Key West.

We returned via Florida’s east coast and then crossed the eastern U.S. states to get back to Quebec through the Jackman border crossing in Maine.

So, I invite you to keep reading this long recap, which will let you discover the different attractions we visited throughout this amazing journey.

Videos are included throughout the recap. Click on the image to start the video.

To jump to a specific post, here are the relevant links:

Route 66 - Illinois & Missouri Route 66 - St. Louis (Missouri) - Gateway Arch National Park Route 66 - Cuba (Missouri) - City Murals Route 66 - Springfield (Missouri) - Fantastic Caverns Route 66 - Kansas & Oklahoma Route 66 - Texas & Arizona Route 66 - Texas - The Stations of the Cross in Groom Route 66 - Texas - Panhandle - VW Slug Bug Ranch Texas - Palo Duro Canyon State Park - Juniper Trails Texas - Palo Duro Canyon State Park - The Lighthouse Trail Route 66 - Texas - Amarillo - Cadillac Ranch Route 66 - New Mexico - Santa Rosa Blue Hole New Mexico - Bandelier National Monument - Alcove House Trail via Main Loop Trail New Mexico - Bandelier National Monument - Tsankawi Ruins Trail New Mexico - White Rock Overlook Route 66 - New Mexico - Albuquerque - Old Town New Mexico - White Sands National Park New Mexico - White Sands National Park - Dune Life Nature Trail New Mexico - White Sands National Park - Playa Trail New Mexico - White Sands National Park - Interdune Boardwalk New Mexico - Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument New Mexico - Grants - Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano New Mexico - Gallup - Pyramide Rock Trail & Church Rock Trail Arizona - Holbrook - Painted Desert Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - Puerco Pueblo & Newspaper Rock Viewpoint Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - Blue Mesa Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - The Teepees, Agate Bridge & Jasper Forest Overlook Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - Crystal Forest Trail Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - Giant Logs Trail Arizona - Winslow - Two Guns Ghost Town Arizona - Cameron - Little Colorado River Gorge Overlooks Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Shoshone Point Trail Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Desert View Drive Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Rim Route (Orange) & Village Route (Blue) Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Hermit Route (Red Line) Route 66 - Arizona - Historic Town of Oatman Arizona - Bullhead City Community Park Nevada - Red Rock Canyon - Calico I & II & Sandstone Quarry Nevada - Red Rock Canyon - Willow Springs Nevada - Red Rock Canyon Lookouts Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - White Domes Trail Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Seven Wonders Trail, Pink Canyon, Fire Wave Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Rainbow Vista Trail Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Mouse's Tank Trail Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Rock Formations Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Scenic Routes Nevada - Cathedral Gorge State Park - Slot Canyons Nevada - Cathedral Gorge State Park - Eagle Point & Miller Point Utah - Bryce Canyon National Park - Mossy Cave & Tropic Ditch Waterfall Trail Utah - Bryce Canyon National Park - Scenic Drive Utah - Zion National Park - Pa'rus Trail Utah - Zion National Park - Sand Bench Trail Utah - Zion National Park - Emerald Pools Trail Utah - Zion National Park - West Rim Trail (Trail connecting to Angels Landing) Utah - Zion National Park - Riverside Walk Utah - Zion National Park - Court of The Patriarchs & Big Bend Utah - Zion National Park - Mount Carmel Highway Scenic Drive Utah - Kanab - Jackson Flat Reservoir Utah - Toadstools Trail in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Arizona - Page - Glen Canyon Dam Overlook Arizona - Page - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Arizona - Page - Horseshoe Bend Overlook Arizona - Page - Upper Antelope Canyon Arizona - Page - Navajo Canyon Boat Tour at Lake Powell Arizona - Page - Antelope Canyon X Arizona - Canyon de Chelly National Monument - Chelly Canyon Arizona - Canyon de Chelly National Monument - Canyon del Muerto Arizona - Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Utah - Mexican Hat Utah - Mexican Hat - Goosenecks State Park Utah - Mexican Hat - Valley of the Gods Utah - The Moki Dugway Scenic Backway Utah - Blanding - Natural Bridges National Monument Utah - Lake Powell - Hite Crossing Bridge Utah - Lake Powell - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area - Hite Overlook Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Chimney Rock Loop Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Hickman Bridge Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Grand Wash Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Sunset Point Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Goosenecks Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Viewpoints - Fruita Area Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Viewpoints - Scenic Drive Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Cassidy Arch Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - On the way to Capitol Gorge Trailhead Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Capitol Gorge Trailhead Utah - Monroe - Mystic Hot Springs Utah - Scenic Overlooks on UT-24, UT-119 & I-70 Utah - Arches National Park - Park Avenue Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Courthouse Towers Section's Viewpoints Utah - Arches National Park - Balanced Rock, Pothole Arch, Ham Rock & Garden of Eden Utah - Arches National Park - Double Arch Trail, Cove Arch, Cove of Caves & Panorama Point Utah - Arches National Park - Windows Loop & Turret Arch Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Delicate Arch Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Fiery Furnace Section - Viewpoints Utah - Arches National Park - Sand Dune Arch Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Skyline Arch Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Devils Garden Trail Utah - Dead Horse Point State Park - West Rim Trail Utah - Dead Horse Point State Park - East Rim Trail Utah - Moab - Utah State Route 279 (Potash Road) Utah - Moab - Shafer Trail - Potash Evaporation Ponds Utah - Moab - Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs Utah - Moab - Potash Road - Corona, Bowtie & Pinto Arches Trail Utah - Moab - Potash Road - Wall Street Climbing Area Utah - Moab - Kane Springs Road Utah - Moab - Kane Springs Road - Side By Side Adventure Utah - Moab - Kane Springs Road to Moab Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Mesa Arch Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Aztec Butte Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Whale Rock Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Upheaval Dome Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Grand View Point Overlook Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - White Rim Overlook Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Overlooks Utah - Moab - Wilson Arch Utah - Monticello - Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Road Side Ruin Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Cave Spring Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Pothole Point Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Big Spring Canyon Overlook Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Overlooks Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park - Mesa Top Ruins Road Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park - Chapin Mesa Road Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park - Mesa Top Loop Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park - Wetherill Mesa Road Colorado - Great Sand Dunes National Park Colorado - Mosca - Zapata Falls Colorado - Colorado Springs - Garden of the Gods Colorado - Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Colorado - Gunnison - Curecanti National Recreation Area Colorado - Gunnison - Blue Mesa Dam & Reservoir Colorado - Lake Pueblo State Park (Pueblo Reservoir) Kentucky - Mayfield, 5 months after an EF4 tornado Tennessee - Nashville - Downtown Walking Tour Tennessee - Graceland Mansion - Home of Elvis Presley Tennessee - Graceland - Lisa Marie & Hound Dog II Jets Tennessee - Graceland - Elvis Presley Automobile Museum & Exhibits Tennessee - Exploring Memphis Louisiana - Exploring Baton Rouge Louisiana - Exploring Lafayette Louisiana - Exploring Houma Louisiana - New Orleans - French Quarter Tour Louisiana - New Orleans - Garden District Tour Louisiana - New Orleans - Creole Queen Mississippi River Cruise Florida - Clearwater Beach Florida - Sanibel Island - Bowman's Beach Florida - Siesta Key Beach Florida - Captiva Island - Turner Beach Florida - Key Largo - Sunset Florida - Key West - Smathers Beach Florida - Miami Beach - Art Deco District Florida - Miami Beach South Carolina - Myrtle Beach Virginia - Virginia Beach Maine - Scarborough - Pine Point Beach

In 2015, for my 50th birthday, my daughter and I went to Kenya and Tanzania for a safari. Ten years later, for my 60th, a new African adventure: returning to Tanzania, this time to attempt the ascent of Mount Meru.

After watching documentaries and films about Everest climbers, I’ve always been drawn to the idea of experiencing something like that. I’m impressed by those who risk their lives just to chase their dreams and push their limits (my partner would say they’re crazy). I’ve never pretended I could climb the roof of the world. My sights were set on Kilimanjaro instead. But when my daughter planned our adventure, she lowered my ambitions by a few meters by choosing Meru—and I get it. We’re both very active, but we’re not seasoned athletes. And our mountains in Quebec, as beautiful as they are, don’t offer the chance to climb very high to test our endurance against the lack of oxygen.

So, to prepare physically, I worked my 60-year-old legs daily by walking and climbing small hills near home. As for altitude sickness, I’ll have to trust my system and my old lungs, but it still stresses me out. The departure is approaching, and there’s no turning back—I tell myself that at worst, I’ll have tried.

February 2nd, departure day. We leave Montreal on an Air France flight as scheduled. Luckily, because we were worried, our flight times were delayed, and our layover at CDG will be tight. After a 6.5-hour flight to Paris, no messing around—we have just enough time to sit for about thirty minutes before boarding another 8.5-hour flight to Zanzibar, still with Air France. In Zanzibar, we stay on the plane while pale-faced passengers disembark, replaced by sun-kissed travelers (it’s sunny and warm in Zanzibar). We then take a short flight to Kilimanjaro Airport, our final destination. Exhausted but happy to step off the big metal bird, a driver from the agency we chose (Soaring Flamingo) waits to take us to our hotel, the Tulia in Arusha. It’s 2 AM when we finally collapse onto the mattress. Tomorrow, we’ll spend the day recovering from the sleepless flight, relaxing by a murky pool in a beautiful flower-filled courtyard, surrounded by palm trees and the everyday sounds of Africa. At that moment, I feel privileged to share this experience with my daughter, and I think about the mountain that awaits us.

To be continued...

Before I begin, I’d like to thank Michèle Buisson and her "Misha’s travel journals," which really helped me plan this trip. It’s tough to find information about this part of India, which is quite different from the "more traditional India." I’m so grateful to her for introducing me to a family who hosted me for 4 nights and 3 days. I can’t wait to return the favor and welcome you all to my place in early July!

Thursday, March 20th. The alarm goes off super early, but I’m already awake—I was too worried I’d sleep through it. I leave the house at 4:00 AM. The rain has stopped, and at this hour, there aren’t many trucks on the road. I arrive at Barcelona Airport easily by 6:20 AM, let the valet know I’m there, and he quickly picks up my car. This time, I’m flying with Etihad Airways again. I booked the ticket during my trip to Cambodia: Barcelona/Kolkata, Delhi/Barcelona for 567 €. At that price, I didn’t hesitate for long—I knew I had to take it. And I’m glad I did because, by the time I returned, the price had gone up to 700 €. I can already hear the reactions: "Wow, how’d you get a ticket for that price? What site did you use? You’re amazing, MarieJo!" One thing’s for sure—I’m really happy with this deal. The flights from Barcelona to Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi to Kolkata go smoothly, and we arrive on time at 2:55 AM. There aren’t many people at immigration, so I get through quickly. My luggage isn’t on the carousel yet. After collecting my bag, I check in for my next flight with IndiGo, a 5:40 AM flight to Guwahati, arriving at 7:00 AM. I’m starting to feel pretty tired, so I take a taxi from the airport to Gruham Sojourn Homestay. The house is upstairs, and the neighborhood seems quiet, with restaurants lining the street. The room won’t be ready until 10:00 AM, so I rest on the bench in the meantime. Once in the room, I take a shower—it really helps me feel refreshed. I need to exchange some euros, so I look up a nearby exchange bureau on Google and head out to find it. I locate it easily, and the staff are super friendly. I get a great rate (1 € = 90 INR). I wander around the neighborhood. The train station isn’t far, and small markets line the streets. I head back to my area, walking along the main avenue. About 500 meters from my street, I discover a museum. The visit is fascinating—I see the famous Majuli masks, among other things.



I’m not far from the Brahmaputra River, and the temptation to visit is too strong to resist. I’d hoped to find a promenade along the river, but that doesn’t exist here. I walk back calmly and notice several restaurants in my street. On the doorstep of my accommodation, I spot a pastry shop with cakes that look more like the ones we have in France than the typical ones here in India. A visit is a must, and I’m not disappointed!



Tonight, I’m dining at a restaurant in the street. The menu is a bit disappointing—burgers, pizzas, pasta—nothing very Indian. So, I’ll go with tomato pasta.

This one-month trip, from January 18 to February 17, 2026, allowed us to visit Mexico City and travel through the states of Puebla, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. We mainly used buses (ADO company) for medium and long distances and colectivos or taxis (or Uber) for shorter trips. Before leaving, I had contacted several people on the ground: Harry, a Vendéan settled in Oaxaca offering, among other things, discoveries of artisan villages or the Monte Albán site, and Oscar in Comitán de Domínguez. I’ll come back to our meeting with Oscar, who runs a local agency (CVL Travel Turismo Alternativo & Corre la voz) and owns a very pleasant hostel, a real highlight of our trip. Our journey took place in 8 stages on a loop starting from Mexico City. The connections between each were made by day or night buses depending on the trip duration. I had booked our seats in advance, either directly on the ADO company’s website or through booking platforms depending on the rates offered. Note that by planning ahead, I was able to benefit from very interesting "Early Booking" rates. There are several comfort classes. For all our trips, I had booked seats in Primera class buses, except for two in GL (Grand Luxe) class. The rates are very reasonable, and the buses turned out to be comfortable or even very comfortable (only the basic seat recline might surprise you).

Our itinerary and number of days per stage: Stage 1 – Mexico City: 4 days Stage 2 – Puebla: 2 days Stage 3 – Oaxaca: 4 days Stage 4 – San Agustinillo: 4 days Stage 5 – San Cristóbal de las Casas: 3 days Stage 6 – Comitán de Domínguez: 6 days Stage 7 – Palenque: 4 days Stage 8 – Mexico City: 2 days If I were to do it again, I’d remove one day from Palenque and add it either to Puebla or San Cristóbal to visit nearby sites or villages, or to San Agustinillo to enjoy one more day by the Pacific Ocean.

Stage 1: Mexico City (2,200 m / 9.2 million inhabitants) We arrived in the Mexican capital around 10:00 PM. The simplified customs process was very quick. After exchanging some money at the airport, we took a taxi to our youth hostel. We got around the capital on foot, of course, but also by metro. Signs are very rare, and we took the train in the wrong direction several times. After a few mistakes, we systematically asked on the platform if we were going the right way. The metro is very affordable. You need to get a rechargeable card (the Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada) and top it up as needed. This card (less than 1 €) isn’t personal, so there’s no need to get one per person.

Mexico City: Day 1.



Visits and walks of the day (note: many museums are closed on Mondays): The Zócalo or Constitution Square: it’s one of the most beautiful, largest (195m x 240m), and oldest squares in the world. This is where Cortés decided to build the center of the new Spanish city on the site of the former Tenochtitlan market. Stones from the pyramids were used to pave the esplanade and build the surrounding colonial churches and buildings. During our visit, the huge square was covered with (resin) cacti, the theme of the temporary exhibition at the time. Indeed, temporary events or exhibitions take place here throughout the year. It’s also the endpoint for many protest marches.











The cathedral: it’s sinking by one centimeter per year despite massive stabilization work (the collapse of many Mexican buildings—30 cm/year—is due to groundwater pumping). It was built starting in 1571 and completed in... 1813. The modest remains of the Templo Mayor (exterior view): they have high symbolic value, as this monument was the most important in the Mexica Empire.

We then walked through the streets of the historic center to the Santísima Church, unfortunately closed for renovation work. Next, we took the metro to visit one of Mexico’s most important pilgrimage sites: the Insigne y Nacional Basílicas de Santa María de Guadalupe, as well as the Capilla del Cerrito on the hill. The first, dating from the colonial era, is really leaning a lot.



The second, shaped like a rotunda, is very impressive from the inside.



In the basement, there’s a sacred tunic where, in 1531, an image of the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared. A real mystery for scientists, the garment has never deteriorated since that date. Slow-moving conveyor belts allow pilgrims to admire it, preventing crowds from gathering in front of the image for hours. Well thought out!

From the top of the Capilla del Cerrito, you get beautiful views of huge Mexico City.

I’m sharing our three-week trip to Japan from late October to mid-November 2025. There were four of us—my partner and a couple of friends. I’ve traveled often with my friend Christian (Bolivia, Argentina, Costa Rica, Namibia, Laos), but this time our partners joined us. The rough itinerary: Arrival in Tokyo. Visiting Shinjuku/Shibuya districts + day trip to Kamakura 5 days in the Japanese Alps, from Matsumoto to Kanazawa (via Kamikochi, Hirayu Onsen, and Takayama) 5 days in Kyoto Nara, Osaka, Koyasan Return to Tokyo (Asakusa district), with a day trip to Nikko We booked our flights well in advance (9 months ahead): the flight cost 1086 € per person. Compared to over 2000 € if we’d booked for the same dates just 3 months prior. For accommodations, we mostly used Booking.com. The onsen was booked via Japanican, and in Kyoto, we stayed in an Airbnb. We also made 5 train reservations a month in advance on Klook or directly on the train’s website.

Day 1: Departure from Brussels (October 24, 2025) Early morning takeoff at 6 AM to Munich (1.5-hour layover) with Lufthansa, then a 12-hour flight with ANA, arriving the next morning at 7 AM at Tokyo Haneda.

Day 2: Arrival in Tokyo Airport formalities were quick. The eSIM we bought before leaving activated as soon as we landed (10 GB plan with Saily—more than enough for our mobile internet needs, mainly Google Maps and Google Translate). We’d received 4 ICOCA cards from our neighbors, which we loaded with 15000 ¥ each. We took the Keihin train, then the Yamanote Line. It’s easy to navigate since everything is in English, and each station is announced on scrolling displays in English too.

We got off the Yamanote Line at the station just after Shinjuku because it’s easier to exit that massive station with our luggage. So we ended up in Shin-Okubo, right in the Korean district. A 10-minute walk took us to Villa Fontaine Hotel. A great hotel, well-located north of the Kabukichō district. The room even seemed bigger than we’d expected.

It was 15°C, but it rained—and kept raining on and off all day. Belgian weather, basically. We went for a walk in Shinjuku Gyoen Park. Not as pretty in the rain, but the big greenhouse was interesting.

Then our first ramen (hearty and for 1000 ¥—pretty much the price of all our ramen during the trip). We headed back to the hotel since check-in was after 3 PM. Shower and relax before going out for dinner. Dinner was barbecue at Shichirin Yakiniku Anan (1700 ¥ each—good and cheap). Ordering via tablet wasn’t easy, but luckily it was in English.

We ended the evening with a stroll through Kabukichō before a well-deserved sleep.

Hi everyone,

So glad this forum is back up! Here’s a recap of our three little weeks in the Azores in August 2024, camping on Terceira, Flores/Corvo, and São Miguel, with a special focus on the camping side—something I struggled to find info on before we left.

As others have mentioned, a trip to the Azores isn’t something you can improvise last-minute, especially in August. The rental car fleet is limited, so prices go up as availability drops, and vacation rentals/hotels are scarce. Plus, inter-island flights and ferries aren’t exactly frequent. I picked our destination in mid-April, and there were already few rental car options left (some local companies had nothing), and no accommodations on Flores for our dates—or only very expensive ones requiring multiple location changes. Since we love camping, we decided to bring our gear without really knowing what to expect.

Flight with TAP (426 €): Outbound: Lyon → Lisbon → Terceira Return: São Miguel → Lisbon (9-hour stopover for a quick visit) → Lyon

Inter-island flights with SATA: Terceira → Flores (via Horta): 87 € Flores → São Miguel: 90 €

I rented all three cars from the same local company, Ilha Grande—they weren’t picky about the car’s condition. For a Clio (or similar): Terceira (4 days): 461 € Flores (5 days): 623 € São Miguel (8 days): 730 €

Weather: The first two weeks were gorgeous—blue skies, no rain, and even hotter than we expected, around 30°C (temperatures barely dropped at night). The last week of August brought more fine rain (mostly at night) and temps between 20 and 25°C (a light jacket was nice in the mornings and evenings).

TERCEIRA: A great introduction! When I looked at what each island had to offer, Terceira wasn’t at the top of my list, but flying into Terceira cut costs and fit our schedule well, so we spent 4 days there. It turned out to be a lovely start.

For camping, we stayed at Salga Campismo in Porto Judeu, 20 minutes from the airport. We discovered that the island’s campsites were packed with locals—extended families or groups of friends having big, festive gatherings with barbecues and long tables. They spend their summers camping instead of at home, and some even commute to work from there. They had huge tents for sleeping, plus tarps for cooking and relaxing—way more gear than the tourists. Since the week of August 15th is peak vacation time (like in France), we struggled to find a spot, and the nights were pretty noisy. This was the only campsite of the trip with numbered pitches. It’s right by the ocean, next to natural pools. Facilities were decent, with hot showers and picnic tables. Lots of shaded spots. Cost: 4 € per small tent + 2 € per person. Electrical outlets were free (20 € deposit). During our explorations, we passed by Cinco Ribeiras campsite (west coast), which seemed similar.

Camping gas: Always ask the campsite reception if any travelers left a gas canister before buying a new one! Before the trip, I emailed each island’s tourism office, and they gave me addresses for Campingaz bottles. On Terceira, No. 13 Rua João Vaz Corte Real in Angra do Heroísmo (an agricultural store in the industrial zone). CV300 cartridge: 10 €. Note: The tourism office gave me the name of the neighboring store, which didn’t carry that brand.

Fridge: No fridges at any campsite on any island. We had a foldable cooler and found bags of crushed ice in supermarkets’ fish sections.

Things to see: Key takeaway: Do the must-see spots early in your stay in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. We were lucky and saw all the viewpoints without clouds—apparently not always the case!

Our main visits/hikes on Terceira: Miradouro Serra do Cume (a must—*the* iconic Terceira photo)

Furnas do Enxofre (free): Few fumaroles, but a pretty 1 km walk through moss and endemic plants. Hike PRC01 TER – Misterios Negros (some acrobatic sections, but a very scenic path). Monte Brasil + Angra do Heroísmo: Lovely town. Hike PR02 TER – Baía da Agualva: Nice, but not much shade (along the coast). Quatro Ribeiras: Church and swimming in natural pools. Biscoitos natural pools: Too touristy (but still free).





FLORES: Our favorite! This was the island I *had* to visit, and we weren’t disappointed—no mass tourism, just stunning nature.

For camping, we chose Santa Cruz campsite. Unlike Terceira, it was only tourists here. Very little shade, but ocean views. Modern facilities with hot showers, clotheslines, and a charging station. A big area with picnic tables, each with a barbecue and sink, all sheltered. Right across from gorgeous natural pools. FREE (you can leave a tip for the caretaker).

For Campingaz, the campsite manager stores canisters and gear left by campers. Otherwise, you can find them at Movipesca.

During a hike, we passed by Fajã Grande campsite (campsites here double as picnic spots for everyone). It’s terraced, with no shade, but very clean facilities and a small bar/restaurant nearby. Natural pools across the street. When we stopped by midday, there were only a few tents. Fajã Grande felt even quieter than Santa Cruz, with just one supermarket.

We also picnicked at Ponta Delgada campsite in the north. Impeccable facilities, lots of picnic tables with barbecues. Empty when we were there. A bit out of the way.

Rental car or not on Flores? Given the high cost, I really debated whether we needed a car. In Santa Cruz, the port, airport, and supermarkets are walkable, and the most famous hikes are one-way, not loops. So I contacted a taxi (the tourism office emails a list of drivers—they don’t wait for customers; you have to call). Prices were around 20 € for Santa Cruz to Fajã Grande, for example. That means you could take several taxi trips before the rental car (over 100 €/day) pays off. But it does mean planning your route and schedule in advance, leaving little room for spontaneity. The taxi I contacted was already booked solid in July, so I decided to keep the car and adjust our hikes to make loops. (FYI, we’re in our 50s, two couples splitting costs—maybe a different calculation if we were 25!) No regrets—it gave us way more freedom.

Our main visits/hikes:

Hike (amazing): Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro (the iconic waterfalls) → Fajã Grande → Poço do Bacalhau (swim in the waterfall) → Aldeia da Cuada → Poço da Ribeira do Ferreiro. Hike PR04: Loop from Miradouro da Fajã de Lopo Vaz, then down to the beach via the trail. Return along the pebble beach before climbing back up. Worth it, but the descent and ascent are steep.

By car: Miradouro do Portal (great view of the coast to Fajã Grande) – Rocha dos Bordões (basalt columns) – Miradouro das Lagoas Rasa e Funda (a must) – Miradouro da Fajã do Conde.

Hike: Miradouro das Lagoas Funda e Comprida, Lagoa Negra, Seca e Branda, Lagoa Branca. A bit muddy and not as memorable as other hikes. The best part (a must) is the view from the starting miradouro.





By car: The north of the island.

CORVO: Stunning!!

No spots left on the ferry (12 seats), so we took a tourist zodiac (booked a few weeks ahead by email, but there were still spots the day of—several boats make the trip). On the way out, we cruised along Flores’ coast to see waterfalls and caves. On the return, they looked for dolphins (we saw some! 🙂 ). Boat price: 35 € per person. At Corvo, minibuses shuttle between the port and the top of the caldera (10 € round-trip per person). Lots of people just stop at the viewpoint when the shuttle arrives, so we weren’t too crowded on the caldera hike. But it’s too tight on time to walk back down to the port. If you really want to, I think you’d need to stay overnight. All boats spend the same amount of time on the island.



SÃO MIGUEL: Back to civilization—but not just that! São Miguel is way more touristy than the other islands (though still nothing compared to other destinations), but it’s worth it for all the natural sites.

For camping, to avoid long drives, we started at Sete Cidades campsite on the west side. A big, free, terraced campsite with some shade. We were there the last week of August, when crowds start thinning, so there was space—a mix of tourists and locals. A few picnic tables with barbecues. For facilities, one side for men, one for women, each with one toilet (cleaned regularly) and three outdoor cold showers (swimsuits recommended). You can charge your phone in the caretaker’s hut.

After exploring the west, we moved to Furnas for the rest of the trip. We arrived on a Friday night, and the campsite was packed with locals spending the weekend. It emptied out Sunday afternoon. A large, shady campsite with several bathroom blocks (hot showers). There’s a restaurant, but only two picnic tables. Cost: 3.5 € per small tent + 3.5 € per person.

Campingaz: We bought canisters at Decathlon in Ponta Delgada (next to Decathlon, there’s a big shopping center for groceries). Didn’t ask at Sete Cidades, but at Furnas, there was a closet full of gas bottles of all sizes left by campers.

Main visits/hikes: Sete Cidades and the surrounding lakes (lots of viewpoints and short hikes): Beautiful.



Swimming in the hot springs at Ponta da Ferraria (west side of the island).



Furnas: The lake, fumaroles, and parks (like Terra Nostra).



Lagoa do Fogo (gorgeous).



Gorreana tea factory (nice hike through the tea fields + guided tour), Ribeira Grande, Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Paz. The east coast and Ribeira dos Caldeirões park. Ponta Delgada.

Final thoughts: The Azores are a fantastic discovery for nature lovers—lakes, waterfalls, and tranquility. Almost all sites are accessible without hiking (though it’s a shame not to). The “miradouros” (viewpoints) have parking, often with toilets and picnic tables (always very clean), which helps protect nature. Camping is totally doable and really enjoyable! Our only disappointment: Not finding good fruits and veggies (except for São Miguel’s delicious but expensive pineapples).

If you have any questions, I’d be happy to help! Christine

Hello fellow travelers,

I spent 3 weeks in Cambodia this January, and I completely fell in love with this country—especially the Cambodian people. I took my time because it was possible, and it turned out to be a total success. Originally, this trip was planned for 2021 and 2022 with my husband, but COVID and an illness threw everything off. Now traveling solo, I went with Siem Reap à la Carte, a local agency. I can’t recommend Mélanie and Nathalie enough—they helped design the itinerary together with me, and the guides and drivers were top-notch. Since I was alone with them, the connection was incredible.

My itinerary: Phnom Penh (2 nights). I arrived at the airport at 1 PM, and everything went super smoothly—I had my E-visa and E-arrival. I had the afternoon free on arrival, a guide the next morning, and the afternoon free again. Battambang (2 nights) with a local guide for all the visits (temples, the bat flight, bamboo train, the surrounding countryside, markets, etc.). Siem Reap (6 nights). I chose to take the public boat across the Tonlé Sap—8 hours on the water, but it goes by quickly, and the scenery is stunning. Of course, in Siem Reap, it’s all about the Angkor temples—most people come for that—but Nathalie and Mélanie also arranged some unique experiences, like visiting a lacquer workshop (even though this wasn’t my first trip to Asia and I’d seen them before, this one was different). I even tried making incense sticks (I’m not very good at it), and we had lunch at a local’s home. There are, of course, the markets, and I also took a cooking class with a chef at his home, where we ate what we prepared. I also spent another day on a boat visiting a village on the Tonlé Sap. I used my free time for a massage, a stroll around town, and in the evenings, I’d head to Pub Street—guaranteed fun. I also visited the Thousand Lingas River. I won’t list all the temples I saw—you can make your own choices or follow recommendations. Either way, everything is breathtaking. Banlung and Ratanakiri, where I spent 4 nights. Because of that, I didn’t go to Mondulkiri. I loved it—jungle walks, visits to ethnic villages and cemeteries, and for those who want, there are plenty of waterfalls where you can swim. The most tourists I saw at once was 5 (a group of 4 and me a little farther away, so you can have peace and quiet). I also spent time at an elephant sanctuary. I was hesitant at first, but everything had been so perfect up to that point that I went, and I have no regrets. It was just me, the guide, and the rangers—lovely people—and the elephants were living their best lives. Next, I headed to Kratié for 2 nights: temples, the Irrawaddy dolphins, and a half-day on Koh Trong Island by bike, tasting their famous pomelos—a pure delight. No cars on the island, just calm and serenity. On my way to Kep, where I spent 4 nights, I stopped for a night in Kampong Cham, visiting temples, villages, and the bamboo bridge. With this kind of travel style, it’s easy to stop wherever you feel like it. So, I arrived in KEP to taste the famous Kep crabs—don’t miss them! The agency arranged a full-day motorbike tour (I wasn’t the one driving!), exploring the countryside and salt marshes. Of course, you should also visit Kampot, and if you love pepper, make sure to leave room in your luggage to bring some back. A full day of fishing by boat, with lunch on board (the fish we caught—though not by me, I’m terrible at that too). A kayak trip through the mangroves. In short, everything was perfect here too, and I took my time to enjoy the sunsets. Back to Phnom Penh for one last night before returning to France. A sunset cruise on the Mekong, and I visited some places I didn’t have time for when I arrived. This was my first solo trip—I usually travel with someone—but the organization was flawless, and the people were wonderful. I didn’t go to the islands near Sihanoukville, even though that was originally part of the plan. But I truly fell in love with this country. I’m considering Thailand next winter, but I’m also seriously thinking about returning to Siem Reap or even visiting those islands. If you’d like more details, I’m happy to help. Nathalie and Mélanie were incredibly patient with me—I’d been in touch with them since 2020, and in 2021, I had to cancel everything. They’re two French women who’ve lived there for a long time, know the country inside out, and—most importantly—have immense respect for the people they work with (guides, drivers). That’s a value that’s very important to me. Happy travels to all!

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!

Our (planned) itinerary in 7 stops: - Ubud (4 nights) - Sidemen (2 nights) - Gili Meno (3 nights) - Amed (2 nights) - Pemuteran (4 nights) - Munduk (2 nights) - Jatiluwih (2 nights)



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.

Our trip to Norway was two years ago already, but I thought it might still be of interest—and it’ll let me relive it a bit by proxy.

Before booking our flight tickets, we debated the route: should we prioritize the north with the Lofoten and Senja islands, or the south with its countless fjords? I was tempted to stay in the south—the country is so vast, and the drive north is long... but my husband really didn’t want to miss the Lofoten. In the end, we figured that since Norway is known for being expensive, we might only visit once (funny how we said the same thing before our first trip to the American West, and look how that turned out 😎), so we didn’t want to skip anything. That meant a 2–3 day drive up north. With 22 days on the ground, it was doable. Especially since, as usual, we skip big cities and gave Oslo a pass.

Practical details: - Flight tickets: 1195 € for 4 with Air France (Paris–Oslo outbound, Tromsø–Bergen–Paris return) - Car rental: 2020 € for 21 days (including the outrageous drop-off fee between Oslo and Tromsø—about 1000 €) - Tolls and ferries: 250 € for the portion billed directly by the rental company. Some ferries required advance booking and payment at the time of reservation—I’ll note their prices as I go through the story. - Hotels: 4135 €, averaging 188 € per night. We blew past our usual budgets from trips to the U.S., but oh well... - Food: 1570 €, averaging 71 € per day for 4 in a country where everything’s expensive... How’d we manage? We rarely ate out, mostly grocery shopped, and even packed half a suitcase with non-perishables: pasta, rice, a few cans, and even some cured sausage! We also stayed 3 nights at Clarion Collection hotels, where an evening buffet was included in the room rate.

Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...

This trip was in 2023, but when I wanted to write my travel journal, VF was still closed to contributions... So, now that I've just finished my Japan travel journal here, I figured it was high time to honor this destination we came back from so enchanted. Disclaimer 1: This is a written travel journal. There’ll be text! Too much, for some! Disclaimer 2: This is an illustrated travel journal. There’ll be photos! Too many, for some!

I have to say, every time I try to discipline myself, to keep it shorter, to include fewer photos... I end up adding more. It feels like my dear Aunt Nicole, who exhausted us with her slide-show evenings in the 70s/80s, decided to take her revenge. The upside for you, readers, is that you can slip away anytime without offending Aunt Nicole. I won’t even notice!

Anyway, since I love maps, here’s one to give you an idea of where I’m taking you. As you can see, we only saw a tiny part of Laos (the areas circled in red); we only had 3 weeks for ourselves (my husband’s newly retired, I still work), and we prefer taking our time over rushing around like crazy.



In broad strokes, it was very classic:

First, we “settled in” at Luang Prabang (8 days), because we wanted and needed to. From there, we took three days to venture a little further north—not far in kilometers, but as we know, distances aren’t just about km! Then we flew south to Paksé, letting ourselves drift down to the 4,000 Islands while stopping by the pre-Angkorian archaeological sites. We wrapped up with the Bolaven Plateau.

A few practical notes: We arrived via Bangkok, then took a Bangkok-Luang Prabang flight, having picked up our luggage in Bangkok to check it in for Luang Prabang. No issues—the Bangkok airport, which many of you know, is very well organized. We got our visas on arrival in Luang Prabang. Quick, but to be fair, we were on a “small” plane, and the big flights had arrived earlier, so we weren’t too crowded in line! At the end of our trip, we didn’t fly out of Paksé but from the nearby airport in Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani (a 2.5-hour drive from Paksé), then Bangkok and Paris. You’ll notice we skipped Vientiane to stay longer in Luang Prabang. That said, there’s now a high-speed train between Vientiane and Luang Prabang—good to know—and soon the (Chinese) train will go all the way to Bangkok and even Kuala Lumpur!

With that intro out of the way, let’s dive into the heart of the matter. To be continued: Slowing down the pace... in Luang Prabang

Hi everyone.

I wanted to share a little feedback from our trip to Guatemala—we got back a month ago, and I really appreciated the well-commented posts here that helped us out. So, in turn, I wanted to share our own little recap.

We’ve traveled quite a bit together (we’re 38 and 42), and Guatemala had been on our radar for a while. But with so much info out there, it was hard to sort through it all—especially since we only had 3 weeks on the ground and didn’t want to waste time.

Here’s the itinerary we followed: Antigua, the Pacific coast, Lake Atitlán, a private coffee and bird reserve, Chichicastenango, Sayaxché, El Remate, Río Dulce, and Lake Izabal.

We rented a 4x4, which was essential given the state of some roads.

Our highlights: * **Pacific coast**: So authentic and preserved. We met sea turtles, cooked and baked coconut bread with a women’s community—such a meaningful exchange—and kayaked through a pristine mangrove full of birds. * **Lake Atitlán**: Even though we were worried it might feel too touristy, a private tour let us discover local crafts, hidden workshops (weaving, pottery), and the stunning views from the boat. * **Sayaxché**: The starting point for the Aguateca and Dos Pilas sites—one of our favorite outings. The site is breathtaking: walking through the canyon and jungle-covered ruins with almost no one around. We stayed in a little bungalow on an island, totally off the grid. * **In Petén**, we met an Itza Maya tribe—an unforgettable day sharing a meal and plant-based healing rituals. Wow. This tribe resisted the conquistadors and still lives traditionally. We also took a tour on Lake Petén and swam at hidden little beaches. Tikal was nice, but we preferred Yaxhá. * **Río Dulce**: A day at a private cocoa plantation—an adventure in a buggy with the owner himself. We harvested cocoa and ate the chocolate paste afterward, then swam in a waterfall on the property. Since it’s private, there was no one else around. A real privilege. * **Boat tour on the Río Dulce**: For us, the highlight. We visited a school where they’re committed to giving kids a solid education while blending Maya rituals. * **Lake Izabal**: A peaceful end to the trip in a magical setting. We visited Quiriguá.

We went through an organizer who knows the country really well. We weren’t initially planning on that, but thanks to her, we had experiences we never would’ve found on our own. On top of that, we actually paid less for the trip overall because of her local rates. I’m not getting anything out of this—I just think it could help other travelers. Her business is Secretplaceincostarica (she also does Costa Rica, which we’re now eager to explore).

On the ground, we felt completely safe. The people are lovely, the roads can be a little chaotic at times, but we loved every minute of it.

Happy travels to all! Marie

Hi everyone, I’m taking advantage of the forum’s long-awaited reopening to dive back into my memories and start my first travel journal, destination Uganda!

Why Uganda?

Choosing this destination was almost by chance. I’d already traveled to East Africa two years earlier, to Kenya, and loved the experience. Of course, I wanted to return to the region and see that abundant wildlife I’d enjoyed so much. But Uganda wasn’t really on my radar... While looking for a destination for a two-week trip in May 2023, I came across cheap flights (~400 €) with Kenya Airways to Entebbe. Why not, I thought? I started looking into the country.

How did the trip go?

Most travelers whose posts I read had organized their trip with an agency and/or rented a vehicle, with or without a driver. That’s not at all how I like to explore a country... and besides, I don’t have a license ! Digging a little deeper, I saw that it seemed possible to reach the main sights using local transport, as long as I was ready to put up with the discomfort of the journeys. Challenge accepted! On the other hand, the budget accommodations near the parks that I’d managed to find in Kenya seemed much less common here. The trip was shaping up to be expensive, especially since the highlight—gorilla trekking—requires a permit costing several hundred dollars. Yikes, sticking to a reasonable budget was going to be tricky... In the end, I found a solution. Almost all lodges offer the option to pitch a tent on their grounds for a modest price (between $10 and $20 per night). That would let me enjoy the safaris while keeping this trip "relatively" affordable.

My itinerary

After studying the Lonely Planet East Africa guide, various travel journals and blogs, and the excellent site Safari Bookings, I finally settled on an itinerary (not counting the travel days):

Entebbe – 1 day Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – 1 day Murchison Falls National Park – 2 days Crater Lakes – 1 day Queen Elizabeth National Park – 2 days Bwindi – 3 days Lake Bunyonyi – 1 day Kampala – 1 day

See you soon for the first stop in Entebbe!

Hello everyone,

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.

Here’s my account of our trip to Thailand with my partner from November 22 to December 5, 2025. First off, I’d like to wish all Voyageforum.com users a very happy 2026, full of happiness and amazing discoveries on your travels! It’s thanks to the tips I gathered on this site that I planned the trip. We traveled with Malaysia Airlines (the flight price was great, but no movies in French, not even subtitled) because we wanted to explore Kuala Lumpur and visit southern Thailand. Our departure from Roissy was delayed because the plane had to go through the robotic de-icing trucks—pretty impressive! After a 12-hour flight, we arrived at the beautiful Kuala Lumpur airport around 7 AM.



Don’t forget to fill out the immigration form requested by Malaysia 3 days before arrival. We left without any issues and took the Klia Ekspress train to KL Sentral station (30 minutes, 10 €). We’d booked accommodation in a tower near the station and had to communicate with the landlord to get the keys. But while we thought there’d be Wi-Fi at the station, there wasn’t—we asked the tourism office, and they said there wasn’t any. We didn’t want to buy a local SIM card since we were leaving the next day. Eventually, we went to a Starbucks to get online, but just as we decided to head to our place, a torrential downpour hit, and we couldn’t find a sidewalk to reach our destination. We went back to the station, took the elevated metro, and finally made it to our landlord and the room on the 45th floor.

Back on the forum, I’m starting to write up two 3-week trips to Kenya in August 2021 and 2023. In 2021, Quynh and I traveled with Régis (Rjulie95 on VF). Our son joined us in Baringo for the second half of the trip. In 2023, we went with two friends who’d been dreaming of seeing wild animals ever since we got back from Kenya. We didn’t need much convincing to go with them!

The two itineraries are almost identical (well, when you love something...) but we did make a few tweaks.

- The first part of the trip was with a local driver/guide, Félix, who was recommended by Sylvie56. Sylvie and her husband Ben are Kenya enthusiasts—they’ve been there countless times, always with Félix... and for good reason! He’s fantastic!

- The second part was with Melting Pot Safari, an agency that adapted to our photography needs. Tony Crocetta, the co-founder (along with his Kenyan friend Simon Chebon), is a wildlife photographer himself.

Here are the itineraries for both trips, including accommodations:

In 2021: Day 0: Paris / Nairobi - 67 Airport Hotel Day 1: Nairobi / Amboseli - Simba Cottage Day 2: Amboseli - Simba Cottage Day 3: Amboseli / Aberdares - Fishing Lodge Day 4: Aberdares - Fishing Lodge Day 5: Aberdares - Fishing Lodge Day 6: Aberdares / Samburu - Riverside Camp Day 7: Samburu - Riverside Camp Day 8: Samburu - Riverside Camp Day 9: Samburu / Nakuru - Merica Hotel Day 10: Nakuru / Baringo - Tumbili Cliff Lodge Day 11: Baringo - Tumbili Cliff Lodge Day 12: Baringo - Tumbili Cliff Lodge Day 13: Baringo / Maasai Mara – Meltingpot Bush Camp Day 14 to 18: Maasai Mara – Meltingpot Bush Camp Day 19: Maasai Mara / Nairobi – Roussel Guest House Day 20: Nairobi / Paris

In 2023: Day 0: Lyon / Paris / Nairobi - 67 Airport Hotel Day 1: Nairobi / Meru - Ikweta Camp Day 2: Meru - Ikweta Camp Day 3: Meru - Ikweta Camp Day 4: Meru / Samburu - Riverside Camp Day 5: Samburu – Riverside Camp Day 6: Samburu / Buffalo Springs – Samburu Simba Day 7: Buffalo Springs / Ol Pejeta – Sweetwater Camp Day 8: Ol Pejeta / Amboseli - Simba Cottage Day 9: Amboseli - Simba Cottage Day 10: Amboseli - Simba Cottage Day 11: Amboseli / Nakuru – Lake Nakuru Lodge Day 12: Nakuru / Baringo - Tumbili Cliff Lodge Day 13: Baringo - Tumbili Cliff Lodge Day 14: Baringo - Tumbili Cliff Lodge Day 15: Baringo / Maasai Mara – Meltingpot Bush Camp Day 16 to 20: Maasai Mara – Meltingpot Bush Camp Day 21: Maasai Mara / Nairobi / Paris

Here’s an itinerary—it’s not exactly what we did, but a combination of both.



Ready to join us on safari to see some wild animals?

Here’s a little story about my first trip to Japan with my partner. We went for our first visit from October 29 to November 13, 2024.

I had planned this entire trip back in November 2020, but given the health situation at the time, I had to cancel...

Here’s the classic route we took:

We booked everything ourselves and got a regional pass for the area from Kyoto to Hiroshima. The hotels were reserved 3 months in advance on Book... and Agod... (1030 € for 2 people for 13 nights = 80 €/night). For the flight, we chose a Qatar Airways flight with a layover to break up the long journey (950 € per person). We also got a pass on the same site (Japan-Experience) to take the train connecting Narita Airport to Shibuya Station (the N'EX Narita Express). Since the airport is 75 km from central Tokyo, we opted for this mode of transport, even though there are cheaper alternatives. After reading various posts on VoyageForum, I understood how important it was to have a Welcome Suica card to pay for public transport (subway, tram, bus, boat throughout the country), and we were able to buy one at Narita Airport. It turned out to be super useful! After a long but smooth journey, we found ourselves at Narita Airport in the evening. Even though we had a pass for the Narita Express, we had to go to a counter to make a reservation for the train (mandatory). Then, once we arrived at Shibuya Station, we took the subway for 2 stops and finally reached our hotel, exhausted (Hotel Asia Center of Japan – 270 € for 3 nights with breakfast included).

Fellow travelers,

Don’t they say "never two without three"? It seems so. Here I am again on the forum to share—and let’s be honest, indulge a bit of selfish pleasure—by recounting the story of this third installment in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Where? It’s all in the title. On the island of Kyushu in southern Japan, more precisely in the northwest between Fukuoka and Nagasaki. I hope to take you along with me for 19 nights and 18 full days this autumn of 2024. On the itinerary: gastronomy, crafts, festivals, waterfalls, encounters, and leisurely strolls in all simplicity.

A last-minute flight booked just 7 days before departure, and the route evolved regularly based on whims and accommodation availability, eventually settling on this:

- 5 nights in Fukuoka: Fukuoka city, Ukiha, Itoshima, Dazaifu, Yanagawa - 4 nights in Hasami, Nagasaki Prefecture: Okawachiyama, Arita, Takeo, Kashima, Yobuko, Karatsu, Kabeshima - 6 nights in Nagasaki: Ureshino, Higashi-Sonogi, Nagasaki city, Unzen, Sotome - 4 nights in Fukuoka: Karatsu, Fukuoka city

Most of the trip was done by car for practical reasons—easier access to certain places and freedom of movement—but also for the sheer joy of it. Despite slow traffic at times, driving in rural Japan is a delight.

If the program interests you, see you soon for the start of the journey.

Five years of an unintended break... The closure of VF, COVID... What a joy to rediscover the pleasure of sharing!

I’ve stayed true to my habits: the following account is a collection of practical tips rather than a travel journal...

Madagascar is as big as France and Belgium combined. In three weeks, choices have to be made! It was the Great Tsingy that inspired our trip. We decided to focus on the southwest and the RN7. We skipped the Deep South and the North. Oh well...

OUR ITINERARY IN 3 WEEKS:

Fri 6 June – Direct AF flight to Tana – Flight arrives at 10:30 PM – Tana Sat – Antsirabe Sun – Miandrivazo Mon – Drive to the Masiakampy pier – Descent of the Tsiribihina River by pirogue - Bivouac Tue – Descent of the Tsiribihina River by pirogue - Bivouac Wed – Descent of the Tsiribihina River by pirogue – Bekopaka Thu – Pirogue on the Manambolo River and Small Tsingy of Bemaraha – Bekopaka Fri – Great Tsingy of Bemaraha – Bekopaka Sat – Avenue of the Baobabs – Morondava Sun – Belo sur Mer Mon – Free day – Belo sur Mer Tue – Manja Wed – Andavadoaka Thu – Free day – Andavadoaka Fri – Salary Lagoon – Mangily Sat – Ranohira Sun – Isalo National Park - Ranohira Mon – Anja Reserve - Ambalavao - Fianarantsoa Tue – FCE train canceled – Visit to a Tanala village - Manakara Wed – Pirogue on the Pangalanes Canal – Ranomafana Thu – Ranomafana NP – Ranomafana Fri – Ambositra – Antsirabe Sat 28 June – AF flight to Paris – Flight departs at 11:55 PM

TRIP ORGANIZATION: I prepared my trip using the usual guides (LP and Rough Guide), the internet, and the Freytag & Berndt map (1:1,000,000). I’m old-school—I still love visualizing my route on a paper map, even though in Madagascar, it’s misleading because some National Roads are only national in name!...

The agency: Since we couldn’t deal directly with a driver-guide (we lacked reliable info to take the plunge), we went through an agency to organize the logistics of our trip. We didn’t feel like using bush taxis (not enough time) or driving a 4x4 ourselves (neither the skills nor the boldness). The French agency connected us with a local agency, to whom I sent my detailed itinerary by email. A few exchanges via email and WhatsApp calls allowed us to finalize everything quickly after some adjustments. As you’ve gathered... we multiplied the commissions, which inflated the budget. That said, in the end, we were thrilled with our decision and our choice. Our trip was booked by the end of 2024, and reservations were made immediately. No bad surprises: the bookings in the planned hotels were honored, often with one of the best rooms. On our last day in Tana, before departure, we were lucky enough to meet the director I’d been communicating with, who helped build and validate our circuit. A very warm debriefing.

The driver-guide: The agency assigned us Faly, 33, a driver-guide for over 10 years. He stayed with us from start to finish: he picked us up at the airport on arrival and dropped us off 23 days later. A very experienced driver (which is important here), an open and cultured guide, reliable, punctual, and a great companion. And a provider of good advice throughout the trip. We made the most of the long stretches on dirt roads or highways to listen to him talk about daily life, rituals, wildlife, and flora... No time wasted! With a great playlist in the background, we combined business with pleasure! Faly’s accommodation and meals were included (quite often, hotels offer free lodging and meals to driver-guides who bring clients), as was the fuel. That didn’t stop us from inviting Faly to share a beer or our evening meal sometimes. He didn’t always accept, wanting to let us "enjoy our romantic evenings," as he put it. Present without being intrusive! Faly is fully capable of organizing a tailor-made trip directly. I recommend him without any hesitation—we were delighted with his service. I’ll gladly share his contact details via PM to anyone who asks.

Local guides: It’s the national guide’s prerogative to choose the local guides (mandatory in the parks). Thanks to his experience, Faly always booked us amazing, competent, and interesting local guides.

Hotels: I told the agency I wanted charming, comfortable accommodations, without falling into flashy luxury. We loved all the hotels (except the Hôtel Kanto in Manja). The rooms, mostly bungalows, were always spacious and clean. Unfortunately, I can’t give the prices—I didn’t get the details. Breakfast is always included, usually fresh and hearty. Very often, a small bottle of water is provided in the room.

Tana Hôtel Les 3 Métis Power cuts are common (!) in Tana. Bring a headlamp.

Antsirabe Ecolodge – Les chambres du voyageur Maybe our favorite! A few bungalows, beautifully arranged in a splendid tropical garden. The dog Kodak welcomes us warmly.

Miandrivazo Hôtel Princesse Tsiribihina Magnificent view of the valley.

Bekopaka Hôtel Orchidée du Bemaraha 2 (yes, 2) beautiful pools, a large open common room.

Morondava Hôtel Baobab Café Brand new or at least, according to Faly, just renovated. Very comfortable but without much charm (international style).

Belo sur Mer Ecolodge du Menabe The bungalows, all made of wood, bamboo, and thatch, are set on the beach. Very spacious and fully equipped! Large open-air restaurant by the sea. No hot water from the tap—it’s available in plastic bottles heated by the sun in front of each bungalow. Actually, we never used it... Another very, very beautiful spot.

Manja Hôtel Kanto The only hotel on this leg of the journey, so no choice. The owner knows it and, as a result, doesn’t bother. It’s a real dive! Tiny, dark room, a sordid bathroom with only a trickle of water—we skipped the shower! Clean sheets, though. Obviously, no Wi-Fi. The only place where I didn’t leave a tip. We were well warned about the discomfort of this stop, both by the agency and Faly. We weren’t surprised, and it even became a running joke during the trip. On the other hand, we found a nice little market in town.

Andavadoaka Manga Lodge What bliss! Especially after the horrible Hôtel Kanto. A paradise-like spot, overlooking three beautiful deserted white-sand beaches. Meals are served on the terrace facing the sea. Stunning sunset. We loved spending a day lounging here! We were the only guests and were pampered.

Mangily (Ifaty) Mangily is the "suburb" of Ifaty. Hôtel Vovo Telo A large beachfront bungalow complex. More touristy but pleasant—we spent a lovely evening there with our feet in the sand.

Ranohira Le Relais de la Reine A splendid resort built by a Frenchman, at the foot of the rocks, very well integrated into the environment. Beautiful marked trail starting from the garden.

Fianarantsoa Villa Sylvestre Contrary to what its name suggests, it’s a hotel right in the city center. Quite decent, though.

Manakara Parthenay Club Pretty bungalows in a large garden by the sea, but swimming isn’t safe—the water is too dangerous and rough.

Ranomafana Hôtel Thermal Very spacious rooms.

Meals: Not all our meals were included. It’s really not expensive. 1 meat or fish dish: around 35,000 Ar 1 full menu (starter, main, dessert): around 70,000 Ar 1 large THB beer (65 cl): between 8,000 and 12,000 Ar 1 piña colada: 15,000 Ar 1 flavored rum: 6,000 Ar (sometimes free) 1 glass of baobab juice (!): 5,000 Ar

We always ate very well. Rice is everywhere, served in large quantities. Zebu meat is quite good if not overcooked. Personally, I prefer fish, and I feasted: grouper, captain, crab, small lobsters...

We happily discovered baobab juice (especially in Belo, on the west coast). And of course, flavored rums!

We bought 2 packs of 6 bottles of mineral water at Carrefour (!) (about 5,000 Ar per large bottle) at the start of our trip. That was enough, especially since we often got water in the bungalows.

We had a few picnics included in our trip. Instead of picking up the hotel’s lunchbox, Faly prepared delicious, fresh, and varied picnics for us: tuna pasta salad, fried rice with eggs, grilled vegetables, and avocado...

An exceptional address not to miss: Mad Zébu – Belo sur Tsiribihina A highly reputed restaurant, a favorite of LP and Rough Guide, and rightly so! Gourmet cuisine, refined and elegant. Barely more expensive than elsewhere, and it’s worth it. We stopped there on our way up to Bekopaka and the Tsingy NP. Fully booked! So Faly reserved for our return, three days later. We’re still thanking him! What a treat!

THE BUDGET: Ariary exchange rate: 5,000 Ar = 1 €

Pre-trip expenses: Direct Air France flights: 930 € per person round trip Cost of the circuit with the agency: 2,880 € per person

The visa: Issued on arrival, very quickly. 35 € per person for a stay under 30 days. Super simple. Super fast.

On-site expenses: As soon as we arrived at the airport (it was nearly midnight), Faly advised us to exchange our euros for all our needs. There are few opportunities on our route to find an ATM or an open bank with a good rate. To be more comfortable, he took us to a small office under military protection just outside the airport. I exchanged 1,200 € (I had asked the agency for advice on the amount to bring) at a rate of 4,750 Ar and became a millionaire. Faly recounted all the stacks. That covered all our expenses (meals, drinks, tips) without ever feeling deprived. Personal purchases were made at the end of the trip. Convenient—it served as an adjustment variable. We spent our last million (200 €) on marquetry and vanilla. Tip: We asked for 200,000 Ar in 5,000 Ar bills for tips. That wasn’t too much—I even ran short of small bills in the last two days.

Tips: Madagascar is a poor country where every service deserves a small reward. While not mandatory, it’s customary. But no one ever demanded or expected it openly. On the contrary, I sometimes had to remind a porter to give them my small bill. We never carried our luggage—porters were always present when the car arrived or waiting at our door to watch for our departure. I gave each of them 5,000 Ar. In restaurants, I rounded up to the nearest ten and left the change. Local guides also expect a tip: I gave around 20,000 Ar per day for the two of us. Finally, the national guide also expects a gratuity. I had read online to budget 5 € per day per person. I added more since we were so happy with his services. The tip was given at the end of the trip, in euros, outside the budget.

Total budget all included (excluding personal purchases): 8,690 € Clearly, Madagascar is a country where life isn’t expensive, but travel costs add up quickly due to the need to rent a 4x4 with a driver.

HIGHLIGHTS:

· The dirt roads Yes, I’m listing them among the highlights! We loved those long hours spent driving at 20 km/h on rocky, muddy, white, red, or gray sand tracks... surrounded by tropical vegetation, palm trees, pandanus, mango trees... The experiences were sometimes thrilling: crossing a river on a ferry (just planks of wood fixed on two motorized pirogues side by side) or crossing a river without a ferry, with just a kid running ahead of the 4x4 to show the way; soft sand where the 4x4 easily gets stuck... The tracks are quite narrow, and crossing paths with a bush taxi, a zebu cart, or a herd of goats is always epic. So many beautiful images, so many beautiful photos! Much more beautiful than on asphalt. So yes, we loved those long stretches on dirt roads. For us, it was clearly part of the journey. Faly was particularly careful, and the 4x4 was comfortable. No injuries, no fatigue, even after 7 or 8 hours on rough tracks. The national roads (including the famous RN7) are badly damaged by cyclones, huge trucks, and lack of maintenance. Potholes have turned into ostrich nests, and we didn’t drive much faster than on the dirt roads.

· The landscapes, villages, encounters... We crossed a variety of stunning landscapes: mountains with slopes covered in terraced crops, rice fields from apple green to emerald green, sugarcane fields, then tropical forests, baobab forests (they deserve a special paragraph below), traveler’s tree forests. And then coastlines with white sand dunes against a backdrop of blue hues!... Magical! We also passed through many villages with houses whose architecture varied by region. The Betsileo houses display beautiful decorative brick reliefs. On the west coast, the houses are more precarious, made of bamboo with palm-thatched roofs. In the Highlands region, we found solid houses with pastel plaster. Each region has its own landscape, crops, habitat, and clothing. Zebu carts are often the only means of transport in remote villages. We saw them very frequently. Again, the cart’s decoration depends on the region. And then, we met many villagers coming out of the bush and walking to the next market, carrying their crops on their heads or shoulders. More beautiful photos!

· The descent of the Tsiribihina River We boarded around 9 AM in a long pirogue with Gana, the local guide, and two pirogue men. So, five of us. The pirogue is long but narrow, about 65 cm wide. We sat one behind the other at the front on seats padded with what would become our mattresses during the bivouacs. We only took the bare essentials for two nights. A little goodbye to Faly, whom we’d see again in three days! Don’t forget us! The river is silty—meaning orange, opaque but clean. We glided along silently. Gana showed us the trees, birds, crocodiles (we saw five—apparently, we were lucky). The pirogue men rowed to get us as close as possible to these crocs sunbathing on the roots of big trees. Yeah, right!... as soon as we got too close, *splash*, they disappeared into the water. We marveled at the mini rice fields lining the river. Every tiny plot, no matter how small, is cultivated. Above them, banana fields. And on the water, a whole life of fishermen and villagers living with and from the river. Gana warned us we’d eat on the pirogue because the journey was long. So, I expected chips... But no—fried rice and zebu steak, cooked right in the pirogue!! Incredible! In the middle of the afternoon, we reached a small beach where we disembarked. Gana led us about a hundred meters to a sublime waterfall. We were alone there. We had time to swim. We’d brought our swimsuits and a towel (bought at the Carrefour in Antsirabe on Faly’s wise advice!). This swim in this paradise-like spot remains one of our best memories. We found our pirogue again and set off until our first bivouac. We’d sailed for 7 hours today. The tents were set up on a wide beach, without a single tree. A moment of solitude... Uh, where can we go to the bathroom?... Especially since it was a full moon, so we felt like we were in the spotlight. Anyway... we did as everyone else—walked away, dug a hole, and the others turned their backs. A hearty meal on the beach before a comfortable and silent night. The next day, same program, with slightly different landscapes. The gorges widened, the trees were different. But still many colorful birds. Again, we ate on the pirogue: grilled chicken and vegetables. 9 hours of sailing. A similar bivouac. This time, we got it. On the third day, we finished the descent with 5 hours of sailing. So, 7 hours, 9 hours, 5 hours... doing nothing. It might sound boring... but it wasn’t. Like the dirt roads, these were contemplative moments. It glides, it’s calm, relaxing, and there’s a lot of life on this river, animal and human. Contemplation. Suspended time. On arrival, we disembarked at a sort of joyful, bustling river port. Of course, Faly was already there to pick us up.

· The Tsingy de Bemaraha NP (Small and Great) I have vertigo. During my research, several agencies advised me against visiting the Great Tsingy. "Stick to the Small ones," they said. Grrr, no, not what I wanted—we’ve dreamed of this for years! The agency we chose also warned me but didn’t discourage me. So we started with the Small Tsingy, quite close to Bekopaka, guided by Alisha. This forest of sharp limestone rocks is impressive. No vertigo issues here. The day was completed with a short pirogue ride on the Manambolo River and a visit to two caves with pretty formations. The next day, Faly and Alisha drove us to the Great Tsingy (a good hour on a terrible track). Arriving at the park entrance, Alisha equipped us with harnesses, carabiners, and gave us some safety instructions. Faly was also equipped. Wait? He’s coming with us? I quickly understood he was there for me—if I got stuck, he could go back with me, and Philippe could continue with Alisha. A wise precaution that delighted and reassured me. In the end, it was unnecessary since the famous bridge crossing was fully secured by the harness and carabiners. 18 meters on planks, one by one, it didn’t sway too much—I walked looking straight ahead, not a glance down. I even managed to smile in the middle of the crossing—I have a photo to prove it! I was overjoyed! The circuit in the Great Tsingy is a loop, so we didn’t have to cross the bridge again. We climbed to viewpoints offering breathtaking panoramic views. It’s extraordinary, unique, incredible. All this to say that if you have vertigo, don’t hesitate! It’s doable! It’s completely safe and really worth pushing your limits a bit! For those who’ve done treetop adventure courses, it’s similar. Also, no need to be a great athlete—just a bit of agility to climb a few ladders and high steps. Don’t censor yourself! I even had a small regret—the loop was a bit short (about 2 hours). I would’ve liked to continue or even redo it, with less apprehension. Tip: Do the Small Tsingy before the Great ones, or not at all. And if you can only do one, do the Great ones without hesitation.

· Canoeing in the Belo mangrove The Belo sur Mer ecolodge lends small individual canoes for free to go to the mangrove. We left at high tide, paddled for about twenty minutes to reach a fairly sparse forest where we could easily venture in. Very shallow water, crystal clear—we could see the roots of all these trees, schools of tiny fish... It was quite surprising. Until then, I only knew impenetrable, tangled mangroves. Here, nothing like that—we walked through an aquatic forest. We loved this adventure so much we left a bit late. The tide had gone out, and we had to carry our canoes for the last few meters... Of course, the staff came to help (probably laughing silently!). The lodge owners gave all the necessary explanations and lent a waterproof bag for the phone (because yes, it’s worth taking photos!). A very useful precaution—the canoes are small, low in the water, and paddling quickly soaks you. Again, this isn’t just for Tony Estanguet! It didn’t cause us any problems, not even sore muscles the next day. A great experience. It’ll take about 2 hours.

· Isalo NP Big surprise when we saw this huge rocky massif appear on the RN7! A massif of colored sandstone, carved with crevasses giving it a ruined look. Le Relais de la Reine is a little gem cleverly nestled in the heart of these rocks. A small marked trail starts from the garden. We picked up the description at reception and set off. Without a guide, alone following the markers, it took us 2 hours to complete this magnificent little trail, giving us a first glimpse of the massif before the hike the next day. And we enjoyed being completely alone for this walk. It’s free, easy, and well-signposted. Don’t miss it. In the evening, Faly took us to the so-called Isalo Window site—a hole in a wall through which we could see the sunset. We met all the tourists in the area here. We weren’t blown away by the show... The next day, we left early to reach the start of the hike. We met Zozoly at the guides’ office in the small town of Ranohira. During this hike, we climbed through the rocks to a viewpoint offering stunning 360° views of the massif. Then we reached a site called the "natural pool," breathtakingly beautiful, especially since we were alone again. A sort of oasis, a cascading waterfall, palm trees and tree ferns, fine sand, all nestled at the bottom of a small canyon. Paradise-like. We resisted swimming, but it was really tempting. A long walk on the plateaus then led us to a well-equipped picnic site where a local team prepared grills. Concrete tables were tiered in a spacious, shady clearing where a whole family of ring-tailed lemurs frolicked. They knew the tourists’ habits and tried to snatch food. Playful and not very shy, they amused us with their antics! We had to resist not luring them with a piece of banana!! Thousands of photos!! After the meal, we set off again with Zozoly for another landscape. This time, we were by a small river at the bottom of a canyon with high walls covered in vegetation. The trail was narrow and slippery, on a ledge of the wall. We progressed carefully. No danger, though. We first reached the Blue Pool, which only turns blue in photos (surprise!), then the Black Pool fed by a shower of waterfalls. Two magnificent spots that showed us a completely different aspect of the massif.

· Anja Reserve This ficus forest is home to many groups of lemurs. Used to humans, whom they don’t fear, they move around us, ignoring us completely. It’s almost annoying... The best place on our trip to see lemurs.

· The FCE train To the great regret of Manakara’s inhabitants, the FCE train hasn’t reached here for over a year and a half. As a result, there are far fewer tourists—the train was part of the experience. We drove there and didn’t regret coming to this port on the east coast.

· Visit to a Tanala village This visit wasn’t part of our program—it was added by the agency to compensate for the train not running. Which was the case. Not big fans of this kind of visit, where we feel like we’re at a zoo, voyeuristic, lacking authenticity, we followed the local guide with some skepticism and exchanged dubious looks. And yet... the guide’s explanations about village life and the warm, smiling welcome from the villagers charmed us and dispelled all our concerns. We learned a lot, met smiling families, and were able to enter these beautiful bamboo houses. A very pleasant surprise, rich in lessons.

· The Pangalanes Canal Arriving in Manakara, we crossed a bridge overlooking the Pangalanes Canal. A cry of surprise: the water is turquoise! We took a short pirogue ride with a team of three pirogue men and Joël, a local guide who explained the drama caused by the train’s halt. We stopped in a fishing village where Joël bought fish for the barbecue. We ended up on a beach where the team prepared the meal while we went to watch the fishermen return on the nearby beach. We admired the fishermen’s dexterity in untangling their nets, sorting their fish, cleaning their gear. On our return, we found a small table set up on the beach, in the shade of palm trees and casuarinas. Lobsters, captain fish, grilled vegetables, sautéed potatoes. A real feast (included in the trip cost).

· Ranomafana NP A 4-5 hour hike (some climbing) in a dense secondary forest to look for lemurs. As usual, we were accompanied by a local guide who, while waiting to find our furry friends, gave us lots of info on the vegetation, birds, and Tanala ethnic rituals. In the forest, we met 4 or 5 trackers, armed with radios to alert guides of their findings. In the end, we saw several lemurs of different types. Quite far, quite high... A nice complement to our lemur encounters in Isalo. Here, it rains 200 days a year. We started the hike in thick fog, but the forest’s density protected us from the humidity. Be careful—it can be a bit frustrating to see the lemurs so far away, so high. Nothing like the Anja Reserve or Isalo NP. Here, what’s fun is the hunt.

· The baobabs We were captivated by these kings of the forest, noble, imposing, majestic. We spotted them from very far away, towering over the rest of the vegetation. Alone, in small groups, or in forests, our trip allowed us to see hundreds of them! Mainly on the west coast. All different—bald, hairy, shaggy, short and stout, tall and thin, like Laurel and Hardy. Philippe took to naming them. Respectfully!

OUR FAVORITES: · The variety of landscapes. · The Tsingy NP.

OUR DISAPPOINTMENTS: · The Avenue of the Baobabs, very overrated and the only place where we saw crowds. We saw many other "forests" of baobabs that were much more impressive. · It’s hard to approach the population calmly as swarms of children run up as soon as we arrive, asking for sweets. Without any aggression, their smiles and laughter quickly made us forget this small inconvenience. We never gave out candy, clothes, or money. We left pens at a school and clothes with Faly.

IF WE WERE TO DO IT AGAIN: · Same period, same duration, same pace, same itinerary, but if we were to do it again today, I’d go through Faly directly! · Maybe we should’ve stayed in Ambalavao instead of Fianarantsoa. · Plan a longer loop in the Great Tsingy—it felt a bit too short.

MISCELLANEOUS: The welcome: ‘Samala Vazaha,’ there are many, many kids, sometimes overwhelming, never aggressive. We were impressed by the villagers’ smiles and good humor, towards us or even among themselves—laughter was everywhere. Safety: No problems. Out of (excessive?) caution, we spread all our money across several bags that we padlocked whenever we left the hotel. Bribes: We were stopped several times on the road by police or gendarmes. They checked our papers, sometimes our passports. Faly was perfectly in order. No discussion, no bribes, a cordial greeting from the officers. However, several times we found ourselves at small "tolls" on the tracks for villagers who had leveled the road or filled a hole, or for the young guy who ran through the river to show the way... Faly complied without discussion: every service deserves a small bill. Language: French is still widely spoken. Credit card: Unused. Cash: You need it! The climate at this time: Ideal—blue skies, sunshine, and mild temperatures (20-25°C) throughout our trip. Temperatures started to drop by our departure—winter was setting in. Clothing: T-shirt or polo and a vest sometimes in the evening, sandals on our feet, hiking shoes for all the hikes. Tip: We left a bag in the car (completely safe) with things we didn’t need daily and dirty laundry. The two bags to take out at each stop were much lighter. Before leaving, we left several polos and T-shirts with Faly, which, once washed, will make a few people happy. Tourist crowds at this time: Low—we were sometimes the only guests at the hotel. Faly explained that at the Isalo picnic site, in high season, you have to queue for a table, whereas we had our pick. Photos: Lots! Too many! That’s the problem with digital—we take so many! Health issues: Nothing serious, just the usual mild traveler’s diarrhea. Mosquitoes: They’re voracious. We took anti-malaria treatment. I’m still not sure if it was the right thing to do... I’m always very skeptical about such precautions. Internet: Free Wi-Fi at the lodges’ reception (except at Hôtel Kanto!), sometimes (rarely) in the bungalows. Phone: We didn’t try to get a local SIM card—the evening Wi-Fi was enough for us to make calls and send messages via WhatsApp. Make sure to turn off mobile data and switch to airplane mode (I activated it a bit late—received calls, spam ones at that, were charged...). Electricity: French plugs. Personal purchases: Beautiful wooden objects (sculptures and marquetry) or zebu horn items in Ambositra. 1 kg of vanilla (400,000 Ar – 80 € per kg) in Tana.

IN CONCLUSION: A trip of contemplation. A pause for admiration, as our local guide in Isalo NP said. Nothing else to do but walk, look, and enjoy. Here, there are no old stones, no museums—it’s a trip where nature reigns supreme. And what nature!

Hello fellow travelers!

I’m adding my small contribution to the reopening celebration by posting this travel journal from India, made in January 2024. We’re 4 friends (2 couples), and we did a 3-week loop in Rajasthan, stopping by Delhi and Agra (which, as everyone knows, aren’t in Rajasthan 😛). Delhi - Agra - Jaipur - Bundi - Udaipur - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer - Delhi

We rented a car with a driver from Agra to Jaisalmer, 550 € for 14 days. https://chauffeurpriveeninde.com/fr/

We took the train from Delhi to Agra and the plane (Spicejet) from Jaisalmer to Delhi.

Most of the accommodations were booked on Booking before we left.

I’m sharing this story written by Richard and illustrated by me. We dedicate it to Nathalie and Bruno, our amazing travel companions.

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.

Hello everyone,

I’d like to invite you on a new adventure in Kenya.

Back in 2010, my husband Ben and I fell in love with Kenya, and we’ve been traveling there regularly ever since. This 2025 safari marked the first weeks of an important milestone in my life: retirement.

Of course, Felix—our guide and friend for all these years, whom some of you may even know from this forum—joined us again.

We chose an itinerary that takes us through the parks and reserves we particularly love in Kenya: Tsavo East (3 nights), Tsavo West (2 nights), a transition day in Embu, Samburu (5 nights), Meru NP (4 nights), Nanuyki to visit the Mount Kenya Animal Orphanage (https://mountkenyawildlifeconservancy.org/) (1 night), and Aberdare NP (2 nights).

This safari wasn’t our most prolific in terms of wildlife sightings and photos (all taken by Ben), but I still think it’s worth sharing our experiences and impressions of the places we visited. Maybe other travelers will find useful information here to help them fulfill their dream of a Kenyan safari one day...

Living in Brittany, we left from Nantes on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, on the 6 AM Air France flight to CDG, then took the direct flight to Nairobi at 10:50 AM. No issues this time on either flight (unlike in October 2023...).

We arrived in Nairobi at 9:20 PM local time (there’s a two-hour time difference with France at this time of year). Going through passport control and collecting our luggage went smoothly. The hotel shuttle (https://67airporthotel.co.ke/) was waiting for us. We shared it with a friendly Swiss couple who were there to climb Mount Kenya. We arrived at the hotel around midnight. The 67 Airport Hotel is 10-15 minutes from Jomo Kenyatta Airport and offers great value for money. Plus, it’s close to the Mombasa road, which is handy when heading that way the next morning.

On Thursday, January 9, we had breakfast at the hotel restaurant at 6:30 AM, and as planned, Felix arrived around 7 AM. We got to check out his brand-new 4x4 Nissan—we’d be the first to test it! 🙂



We set off for Voi, making our usual stop in Mtito Andei. Traffic was heavy on the Mombasa road, with lots of trucks.

We arrived at the entrance of Tsavo East around 1 PM and made it to Sentrim Camp (https://www.sentrim-hotels.com/sentrim-tsavo.html) just in time for lunch.



We found Tsavo East unusually green—there had been heavy rains in December, which isn’t typical. As a result, the animals were scattered and harder to spot. The watering hole visible from the camp’s dining area was completely deserted, whereas it’s usually bustling with herds of elephants and other mammals.

Our tent, No. 9, for 3 nights.



This camp is well-located inside the park. It’s simple but comfortable enough for our tastes, the staff is super friendly (as is often the case in Kenya), and the buffet-style meals are varied and good. Tsavo is the main destination for tourists staying on the coast who come for a night or two on safari. In January, some days at the camp are very quiet, while some evenings, the restaurant is packed with groups (lots of Italians, in particular).

Tsavo is, of course, famous for its elephants. This time, we didn’t see many large herds, but we did have some great encounters with solitary males.









Around this small watering hole, we saw a gathering of African open-billed storks—we’d never seen so many before!

Another trip planned during Covid. Actually, for 2020, I had three trips booked, with tickets purchased and everything. This one to Uzbekistan was planned for April 2020. We postponed it to April 2021, but it was canceled again, and we couldn’t reschedule for April 2022 because our friends who were coming with us were busy. So, we chose summer, knowing the temperatures would likely be very high.

We left as a group of five: a couple we usually travel with and one of their friends, whom I knew. She was traveling alone and had dreamed of this trip but didn’t want to go by herself.

For organization, we went through an agency to handle the train tickets and our trip to the Aral Sea. It’s not my usual style, but back in 2020, we were already in touch with them, and they were very understanding during the two cancellations. It wasn’t easy, given the economic crisis Covid caused, especially in Uzbekistan.

Again, I’m writing this travel journal from memory since I didn’t take any notes. (It’s good to give your brain a workout now and then!)

Day 1: Off to Tashkent

We flew in the afternoon to Istanbul, had a 2-hour-15-minute layover in Turkey, and then took an overnight flight to arrive early in the morning in Tashkent. Problem (again): just before taking off from Saint-Exupéry, the plane had an issue with the landing gear. We waited two hours, and after a few hammer and wrench adjustments, we finally took off. Of course, by the time we arrived in Istanbul, it was a mad dash through the airport to catch our connecting flight. We landed at 7:30 AM in Tashkent, and of the five suitcases in our little group, two were missing (one of ours and the solo traveler’s). Big problem because we were leaving at 2:30 PM by train for the Aral Sea, and we wouldn’t be near an airport again for three days. Plus, at the small airport in the Uzbek capital, no one spoke English (or French, or the Ardèche dialect). Fortunately, we had booked a guide for a quick morning tour of the capital. We had seven hours to kill, and it seemed smart to do it this way (and yes, sometimes we do think ahead). With him speaking English and, more importantly, Uzbek, the delivery of our suitcases was arranged.

So, we set off to explore the capital. It’s very Soviet in design—wide avenues and ugly buildings.

We visited the Khasti Imam historical complex (first name to pronounce at your own risk—there will be plenty more during the trip). Lots of "oohs" and "aahs" about how beautiful it was, but in the end, compared to what we saw later, it was really just small potatoes.

We checked out Chorsu Bazaar, the city’s large covered market. The guide was friendly and gave us plenty of tips for the rest of the trip. He suggested a restaurant, which we accepted, so we could get familiar with local customs. The good thing was, it didn’t seem like a tourist trap.

Next, we headed to the train station because our train was at 2:30 PM. The guide left us, and then another problem arose. While going through security, one of the staff made it clear that our train was canceled and our ticket needed to be changed to the train leaving around 8:20 PM. Heatwave moment (it was 38°C). Our issue was that we were supposed to arrive in Nukus (our destination) at 6:00 AM and take a minibus for a round trip to Moynaq and the Aral Sea (four hours each way). The plan was to spend 2-3 hours there and return, so a 10-11-hour timeline. Leaving at 6:00 AM made it doable, but with the train now leaving at 8:20 PM, we’d arrive in Nukus at noon, which messed up the rest of the plan.

I was fuming at the agency (I really don’t like using agencies), so I called the local contact, who quickly sent our guide back (because trying to communicate, change tickets, and get information was tough).

I asked the manager to find us flight tickets to make up for the delay, but nothing—zilch—was possible. We were stuck! My buddy and I were determined to get to Moynaq, but the women in the group were less motivated.

No choice but to board the train for an overnight journey. We had a cabin for two (and our friend had one to herself). Big scare at first—no AC, and it felt like 150°. They told us it would work once the train started moving, which it did. A frugal meal in the dining car (spaghetti with meat—the only dish on offer) and we had a good night’s sleep.

The +: Finally, we’re here! The -: A lot of hassles to start the trip

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...

I’ll repost here the comments I gave in reply to Camidav – see their post https://voyageforum.com/forum/partir-10-jours-bresil-en-autonomie-d10702249/. As we’ve said several times, 10 days is short for Brazil! But it’s still enough for a “little introduction.” My very recent experience (April 2025) with a 2½-week itinerary might give you some ideas. To start, here’s the route: - - Saturday, March 29: departure from Lisbon and arrival in São Paulo with LATAM - - 2 nights in São Paulo - - Monday, March 31: bus from São Paulo to Paraty - - Monday 31, Tuesday 1st, and Wednesday, April 2: 3 nights in Paraty - - Thursday, April 3: bus from Paraty to Angra dos Reis, then ferry > Ilha Grande - - Thursday 3, Friday 4, and Saturday, April 5: 3 nights in Abraão, on Ilha Grande - - Sunday, April 6: speedboat > Conceição de Jacareí, then bus > Rio de Janeiro - - Sunday 6, Monday 7, Tuesday 8, and Wednesday, April 9: 4 nights in Rio - - Thursday, April 10: flight with LATAM from Rio to Foz do Iguaçu - - Thursday, April 10: one night in Foz do Iguaçu - - Friday, April 11: visit to Iguaçu Falls on the Brazilian side, then crossing the border to Puerto Iguazu - - Friday 11 and Saturday, April 12: 2 nights in Puerto Iguazu - - Saturday, April 12: visit to the falls on the Argentine side - - Sunday, April 13: return to Brazil, LATAM flight > São Paulo - - Sunday 13 and Monday, April 14: 2 nights in São Paulo - - Tuesday, April 15: flight from São Paulo > Lisbon with LATAM, arriving Wednesday the 16th. So, it’s clear I’m writing this now from Puerto Iguazu (Argentina), and the end of the trip is near: back to São Paulo and then the flight to Lisbon. I’ll of course share more about all this in the following messages.

Hello everyone!

We're off! After exploring the north, the four friends have now discovered the south. We’re excited to share this new travel journal, dedicated to our little group and our strong friendship, written by Richard and illustrated with Kate’s photos. I’ll chime in from time to time with practical tips.

First of all, a big thank you to everyone on VoyageForum who helped us plan this trip. It would’ve been quite different if we’d just relied on guidebooks.

The itinerary lasted just over 3 weeks: Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry, Thanjavur, the Chettinad region, Madurai, Munnar, Munroe Island, Cochin, and Chennai. We traveled by train, taxi, and private car with a driver, took a domestic flight, and stayed in guesthouses, Airbnb apartments, and hotels. For each of us, including flights, the total budget barely reached 2000 €, and we didn’t hold back—knowing we avoid resorts and love street food and small Indian restaurants.

Hey there, forum friends 😉

Some of you have mentioned missing the activity on this Indian "page," so let’s try to liven things up a bit—with joy and good vibes (mandatory with me 😜). Plus, it’ll make Jojoone happy 😊.

As big lovers of India—we’ve been six times—my co-traveler husband and I decided to explore Rajasthan this time around. The reason we waited so long to come here? We were dreading the tourist crowds in this state. But thanks to the timing (late March to early April 2024, which is starting to get pretty hot) and Aleph’s great tips, we were *very* far from mass tourism.

We spent three weeks getting around on our own for transport: mostly taxis and trains.

And I’ll admit, we had a rather "Arabian Nights" experience, far from the "real" India (Marien, if you’re reading this 😉). So this travel journal makes no claims other than to share what we saw, experienced, and felt—with all our ignorance about this country (which I’m fully aware of).

But fair warning: I go overboard with emojis, and this journal is super casual because it’s the one I share, almost in "live" mode, with our loved ones.

So, if you’re here, consider yourself almost part of the family 😄.

See you soon and....

Alright, this year, we're heading back to South America!

The initial plan was to retrace the route we imagined in the summer of 2020: a trip to northern Argentina starting from Córdoba.

Unfortunately, the flight to Córdoba no longer exists, and airfares to Javier Milei’s country are both outrageously priced and involve multiple layovers.

So, I tweaked Google Flights every which way and finally found a flight within my budget—departing from Clermont-Ferrand!

Not to Argentina, though...

Our transatlantic flight will cross the snow-capped Andes, landing in Santiago, Chile, with a return from Lima!

In between, two domestic flights and a big road trip loop starting from the coastal city of Arica to explore the treasures of northern Chile.

Our mode of transport: a pseudo 4x4 that won’t take us through sand dunes or devilish tracks but will let us tackle the entire secondary network, including unpaved main roads, while still being insured.

Is the suitcase packed with all-season clothes?

Are the driver’s license and passport ready?

Bank cards and a few euros too?

Off we go for just over 3 weeks of southern wanderings!



--/--

To keep all my esteemed readers on track, here are a few maps outlining the Arica-Arica loop!

1- From Arica to San Pedro de Atacama via Pica and the Salar de Huasco

2- Around San Pedro



3- From San Pedro to Cariquima



4- From Cariquima to Putre



5 - From Putre to Arica



Gas stations in this part of Chile are located in Arica, Iquique, Pozo Almonte, Pica, Calama, and San Pedro de Atacama.

This adventure began during Covid... Yep, Covid turned a lot of things upside down, but most of all, it kept us cooped up for a few months and stopped us from traveling for a while—even longer for a die-hard fan of the American West like me.

While borders were closed, I started imagining what an ideal itinerary might look like—one that would string together all the Southwest must-sees in just two weeks, during the best time of year: September and October. When the U.S. announced in September 2021 that borders would reopen in the coming weeks, I regained hope and began scouting flight tickets for a departure in September 2022.

But here’s the thing: tackling solo hikes, each one tougher than the last, right in the heart of the Wilderness, could be a risky—even reckless—endeavor for a father of three. After a quick chat with some virtual friends who are just as passionate about the Southwest as I am, with good physical condition and nearly the same list of must-visit spots, Franck and his brother Sullivan were in! 🙂

In November, we snagged flight tickets from Nice to San Francisco for the modest sum of 400 €, and a few days later, I booked a Toyota Tacoma pickup for 840 € !

It’s not cheap for just 15 days, and a pickup isn’t exactly ideal for luggage, but the prices for full-size 4x4s have become totally outrageous! Due to border closures, rental companies had to offload a lot of these big 4x4s, which tourists love. Then, supply and demand did the rest !

Franck and I spent the winter and spring trying to cram the equivalent of three weeks of hikes into two. But even with physical limits, we had to stay reasonable! Three to four months before departure, we entered the lotteries for different must-see spots: The Subway, Coyote Buttes North (home to the famous Wave), and Coyote Buttes South (CBS).

The Wave is the holy grail for any Southwest enthusiast. Since 2015, we’ve tried our luck with the online and on-site lotteries about ten times, but the spots are unfortunately limited: just 20 per day. A glimmer of hope, though—since early 2022, that number has increased to 64 people allowed per day, with 48 spots awarded via the online lottery.

After all three of us tried our luck for The Wave, on June 1st at exactly 5 PM, I got an email that started with, "Congratulations! You were successful in the Coyote Buttes North (The Wave) September 2022 Permit Lottery at Coyote Buttes North (The Wave)...". At 5:01 PM, I called Franck, whose dream it’s been for over 20 years—ever since the first photos were published in a travel magazine! He didn’t believe me when I told him, and I had to forward the email for him to finally accept the unbelievable: we were going to The Wave and all the incredible spots scattered across the protected area of Coyote Buttes North.

I’ve already been to Coyote Buttes South twice, but there are areas I couldn’t explore in the middle of summer because they were too remote. So, I had no trouble letting my buddies convince me to go back for a third time. Plus, given how hard it is to access, we had no trouble securing a permit online as long as we logged in at exactly 8 PM on the dot!

For The Subway, all three of us struck out. No big deal—we won at CBN and CBS!

Among the sites to visit, there are two that I’m particularly attached to because I know my chances of wanting to see them again are slim. The first is Angel Arch, one of the most legendary arches in the Southwest, due to its remoteness from any trace of civilization. To get there, the recommended hike is Upper Salt Creek, and you’re looking at a 50 km round-trip in an area with no water (in September) and populated by bears.

The second site is the Hopi Salt Trail, in Navajo land, which, after a very tough hike, lets you marvel at the turquoise-blue waters of the Little Colorado before it meets the Colorado River. The Hopi Salt Trail is, like The Wave, the holy grail for any Southwest enthusiast, and the windows of opportunity to see the water in that magical color are very short each year. For this, you have to monitor the Little Colorado’s gauges downstream from Cameron: if the level stays at its lowest for 10 consecutive days—meaning no rain—you can hope for turquoise water. The ideal period rarely exceeds 30 days a year, and it’s usually in June that all the stars align.

But unfortunately, one month before departure, while the flow rate at Cameron looked promising, several storms in September dashed our hopes of doing the Hopi Salt Trail, even at the end of the road trip.

We still had two consolation prizes, though:

After a last-minute cancellation, while keeping an eye out for available spots for The Subway, it turned out that three spots opened up exactly on the day we’d planned to go—so we rushed to grab them!! Regarding the 4x4 rental, the prices for full-size models dropped by several hundred dollars, and we ended up finding a Chevrolet Tahoe for less than $1000. A steal and a serious boost in comfort, so we could store all our gear and food without worry!

Here’s the initial plan in a perfect world: D1 The White Domes - Camping D2 Sunrise at The White Domes - The Subway D3 Coyote Buttes North D4 Coyote Buttes South - White Pocket D5 Wahweap Hoodoos - Sidestep Canyon - Colourful Canyon - White Rocks - Sunset at Yellow Rock D6 Broken Bow Arch - Reflection Canyon D7 Coyote Gulch D8 The Volcano (or The Oasis - Zebra Slot Canyon if the weather’s good) - North Caineville Mesa D9 The Needles: Squaw Canyon - Lost Canyon combo - Druid Arch - Chesler Park D10 Upper Salt Creek Day 1 - Camping D11 Upper Salt Creek Day 2 D12 Hopi-Navajo Territory: Ha Ho No Geh Canyon, Coal Mine Canyon, Bends of the Little Colorado D13 Grand Canyon: South Kaibab Trail and Bright Angel Trail D14 Upper East Zion: East Temple Loop, Jughandle Arch, Center of the Universe, and Checkerboard Mesa Summit And several backup options in case of bad weather, including Spencer Trail, West Cove, and Buffington Pockets.

Enough talking—time for action!

Hi everyone!

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

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

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

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

The main idea of the trip is also relaxation.

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

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

A little sneak peek?