The reopening of the forum is great news—let's keep it going! I’m going to share a little story about this 12-day trip, which was my second-to-last journey and my most recent one in Africa for now.
I went to this country for one very specific reason: to see two endemic animal species. A little suspense… you’ll find out what they are soon if you don’t already know!
The country is poor, very poor even. And it hits you even harder when you arrive in the capital: a massive open-air construction site that gives an impression of prosperity. A lot of roads were built by the Chinese, but to be honest, they’re far from perfect… and I mean *far*!
When it comes to restaurants, it’s pretty much the same story. Most offer endless menus, but in reality, there aren’t many choices. Once, I was flat-out told: “No rice today!” Ordering a dish? It’s a real gamble! The food is *very* spicy—I’m warning you, it’s intense! There’s chili in almost everything, so it’s best to ask beforehand if you don’t want your mouth on fire. Actually, this was the first time I didn’t like the food in a country I visited. Had to happen eventually, right?
Their national dish? Injera. A large flatbread topped with sauces, vegetables, and meat. The taste is really unique—some love it, others… not so much.
We’re thrilled to officially announce the reopening of VoyageForum, now under the MyAtlas Group banner (click here to learn more about the acquisition of VoyageForum)! After four long years of closure, VoyageForum and its community are finally coming back to life! 🙂
Starting next week, we’ll begin sending out the newsletter announcing the forum’s reopening to all registered members, gradually over several weeks. This approach will give us enough time to train the new team while ensuring the new site server runs smoothly. So, please bear with us a few more weeks before the forum returns to its pre-2020 levels of traffic and participation.
We have plenty of ideas to not only grow VoyageForum further but also make it more financially stable. It’s important to note that the forum’s closure in 2020 was due to a lack of profitability following the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. We’re committed to doing everything we can to prevent this financial situation from happening again, while ensuring a good balance between user experience and displaying our partners’ offers on the site.
We’d also like to publicly thank François Boucher, the founder of VoyageForum, for not only creating VoyageForum in 2002 and managing it for so many years with his team, but also for recognizing the skills within MyAtlas Group to ensure a smooth transition and continued development of the site. François will continue to collaborate with us for at least a few more months, mainly handling the technical aspects (programming and server management) and training the new team. Thanks again, François, for everything! 🙂
We can’t wait to see VoyageForum come back to life, with thousands of travelers helping each other, sharing great tips, and celebrating their passion for travel! Dear VoyageForum members, it’s now your turn to breathe new life into the forum by coming back regularly to share your travel experiences. Welcome back to your travel forum, and we look forward to seeing you all in large numbers! 🙂
Salut
Nous sommes actuellement au Tadjikistan en camping car poids lourd 4x4.
Nous avons du mal à rejoindre le Pamir. Nous avons commencé par emprunter la route du sud qui longe la frontière afghane. Nous sommes arrivés le lendemain d'un énorme glissement de terrain côté afghan qui a rasé un village, et la route était innondée de notre côté à cause de la fonte des glaciers. Nous avons attendu et le lendemain la route a été emportée dans le fleuve 10 km plus loin donc obligés de faire demi-tour. Elle est fermée aux véhicules pour 15 jours minimum.
Nous avons ensuite tenté de couper par la piste khawaling/tavildara. Et contrairement à ce que tous les locaux peuvent dire, les derniers 30km ne passent pas en poids lourd 4x4, même en étant très énervé du volant, elle ne passe qu'en jeep ou autres land cruiser, impossible en poids lourd. On s'est donc retapés plus de 400km (20h) pour emprunter la route du Nord et rejoindre Tavildara par celle-ci.
Je viens donc cette fois-ci prudemment demander sur le forum si quelqu'un a déjà emprunté la route nord, plus particulièrement le col de Kaburabot entre Tavildara et Kalaikoum en poids lourd ou autre gros engin 4x4. Ou bien est-ce que quelqu'un y aurait vu passer des poids lourds locaux?
Merci d'avance, on attend des avis éclairés, on a perdu la confiance en la parole des locaux pour les infos "ça passe ça passe pas?".
tchotcho les voyageurs
Bonjour,
Nous sommes actuellement a Bishkek
Est ce que quelqu un a des news tres fraiches sur la passage de Chine vers Pakistan via Sost et la Karakoram Highway?!
Nous comptons y etre vers le 20-30 octobre et les travellers croises sont plutot pessimistes... merci beaucoup de votre aide
VoyageForum is celebrating its 1-year reopening anniversary with MyAtlas!
Thanks for this amazing year—you’ve come back with unforgettable adventures shared on VoyageForum, swapped tips, and dreamed up future trips... So why not bring them to life in a new way?
En tant que fondateur de VoyageForum, c'est avec une immense joie que je vous fais part du communiqué de presse ci-dessous.
Amiens - 28 août 2024
MyAtlas Group poursuit ses acquisitions en rachetant le plus grand forum de voyage francophone, VoyageForum.com
MyAtlas Group, une startup amiénoise spécialisée dans les sites communautaires de voyage, annonce l'acquisition du site VoyageForum.com, un vaste forum avec une communauté de 1,3 million de membres, 550 000 discussions, 6,1 millions de messages et des guides voyage contenant 14 000 lieux à voir. Cette opération, réalisée grâce à une augmentation de capital et au soutien de Bpifrance et FranceActive, permet à MyAtlas Group de renforcer considérablement sa communauté de voyageurs, qui passe de 200 000 à plus de 1,5 million de membres francophones. La réouverture officielle du forum est prévue courant septembre 2024, après quatre ans de fermeture due aux impacts de la pandémie de covid-19.
Lancée en 2016, MyAtlas.com est une plateforme communautaire permettant de créer des carnets de voyage que les utilisateurs peuvent ensuite transformer en livres photo. En 2021, le site a été racheté par Hervé Degauchy, un utilisateur passionné et globe-trotter, afin de le sauver de la fermeture. Son ambition est de dynamiser le secteur du tourisme en donnant davantage de place aux voyageurs, transformant ces derniers en contributeurs actifs plutôt qu'en simples spectateurs.
Avec cette acquisition, MyAtlas Group vise à devenir le plus grand carrefour de services et de guides voyage communautaires, offrant une riche plateforme d'échanges et de partages pour les passionnés de voyages du monde francophone.
Cliquez ici pour lire l'acticle au sujet de l'acquisition de VoyageForum sur le site MyAtlas.com.
C'est une excellente nouvelle pour VoyageForum, car MyAtlas Group apporte non seulement des fonds qui permettront de rouvrir le forum d'ici quelques semaines, mais aussi une fantastique équipe de passionnés de voyages qui dispose déjà d'une solide expérience dans la gestion de sites communautaires sur les voyages. Honnêtement, nous n'aurions pu espérer mieux pour la continuité de VoyageForum! 🙂
C'est vraiment formidable de pouvoir vous annoncer que VoyageForum a réussi à survivre à sa longue fermeture et qu'il reprendra vie très bientôt. Il nous reste à changer le serveur du site et, si tout se passe bien, nous serons prêts à rouvrir le forum au cours du mois de septembre!
J'en profite pour remercier encore une fois tous ceux qui ont participé à la collecte de fonds de novembre 2020. Vous avez contribué de manière significative à la survie de VoyageForum, car les fonds amassés ont permis de couvrir une bonne partie des frais d'hébergement du site pendant sa longue fermeture. Merci encore! 🙂
Je tiens à remercier également du fond du coeur tous les membres qui ont participé aux discussions sur VoyageForum depuis tant d'années. Je repense aux superbes échanges que j'ai lus sur le forum, à tous ces magnifiques carnets de voyage postés sur le forum, à tous ces moments partagés virtuellement et parfois en personne lors des rencontres VoyageForum à travers le monde. Que de merveilleux souvenirs! Je remercie aussi infiniment tous les membres de l'ancienne équipe de VoyageForum; vous avez été absolument formidables et ce fut pour moi un immense plaisir et un honneur de travailler avec vous au quotidien pendant autant d'années. Merci infiniment, chers collègues! 🙂
De mon côté, je me suis engagé à accompagner et à former la nouvelle équipe pendant les prochains mois afin que la transition se fasse en douceur. Après cette période, je ne sais pas encore quels projets et aventures la vie me réservera.
Voilà donc, après 22 ans à créer, programmer, gérer et administrer VoyageForum, c'est avec une grande confiance et beaucoup d'enthousiasme que je passe le flambeau à l'équipe de MyAtlas Group et plus particulièrement à son propriétaire, Hervé Degauchy, ainsi qu'à sa femme, Domie. Un grand merci à tous les deux d'avoir autant à coeur la continuité de VoyageForum!
Dans quelques mois, cela fera déjà trois ans que nous avons annoncé la fermeture temporaire du forum aux nouveaux messages. Trois ans, ouf! Ce ne fut pas une période facile pour diverses raisons, mais, heureusement, nous avons pu maintenir VoyageForum en ligne en payant une bonne partie de son hébergement (serveurs et systèmes coûtant quelques milliers d'euros par mois) avec les 40 200 euros reçus en dons. Un grand merci encore une fois à tous ceux qui ont contribué à cette collecte de fonds de fonds destinée à sauver VoyageForum!
Ces jours-ci, la situation financière de VoyageForum reste délicate, mais il y a de l'espoir à l'horizon...! 🙂
Depuis près d'un an, nous avons travaillé très dur à créer une nouvelle version du site qui contient plusieurs améliorations: une meilleure navigation sur les appareils mobiles, une version foncée du site pour réduire la fatigue oculaire (l'icône en haut à droite des pages permet de l'activer ou de la désactiver), une mise en page qui met davantage en avant les photos et les guides VF et surtout, comme amélioration majeure, un nouveau système de publicité basé sur un concept novateur et très performant. Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur notre nouveau système de publicité.
La mise en ligne de ce nouveau système de publicité est notre ultime tentative pour redresser les finances de VoyageForum. Si ce système est bien reçu par les annonceurs dans les mois à venir, nous pourrons réembaucher du personnel (programmeurs, modérateurs, etc.) et réouvrir le forum aux contributions des membres! 🙂
Nous explorons également des solutions plus ambitieuses pour améliorer la santé financière du site. Par exemple, en utilisant la technologie et le code derrière VoyageForum, nous pourrions créer différents forums sur d'autres thématiques que le voyage. Ces forums pourraient être regroupés en un seul méga site/forum (dont le voyage serait l'un des sujets traités) ou sur différents sites distincts. Nous envisageons aussi de transformer notre nouveau système de publicité en une régie publicitaire pour diffuser les annonces de nos annonceurs sur des sites partenaires qui ne seraient pas nécessairement en lien avec le voyage. L'objectif ici est avant tout de diversifier nos sources de revenus ainsi que les marchés cibles afin d'être plus résilients si le marché du voyage venait à être perturbé de nouveau. Cependant, toutes ces idées nécessitent que nous disposions d'abord d'une source de revenus fiable, d'où le développement et la mise en ligne de notre nouveau système de publicité.
Une autre solution pour donner une seconde vie au site serait de nous associer à une entreprise dans le domaine du voyage et/ou de l'internet qui souhaiterait investir dans VoyageForum ou même l'acquérir. Nous avons eu des discussions dans ce sens avec quelques partenaires potentiels ces dernières années, mais il n'y a pas eu d'aboutissement concret jusqu'à maintenant. Si vous œuvrez dans le domaine du voyage et/ou de l'internet et que vous seriez intéressé à investir dans nos projets, nous vous invitons à nous contacter via la page «Contacts».
Encore une fois, nous sommes profondément désolés pour cette longue fermeture du forum. Cette situation exceptionnelle était vraiment hors de notre contrôle. Nous espérons vivement que notre nouveau système de publicité permettra de redonner vie à VoyageForum. Nous vous donnerons des nouvelles dans quelques mois pour vous informer si le nouveau système de publicité génère suffisamment de revenus pour envisager la réouverture du forum aux contributions des membres.
Nous vous remercions encore une fois de votre compréhension. Gardons espoir que nous pourrons bientôt échanger à nouveau sur notre passion du voyage sur VoyageForum! Et soyez assurés que nous déployons tous nos efforts et ressources pour atteindre cet objectif.
En ce jour d'anniversaire des 18 ans de VoyageForum, c'est avec tristesse que nous vous annonçons la fermeture temporaire du forum aux nouveaux messages. Il est important toutefois de préciser que les 561 000 discussions du forum (dont 5 200 carnets de voyage), les 24 000 pages des Guides, le million de photos ainsi que tout autre contenu du site demeurent accessibles en "mode lecture" et qu'il n'est pas question pour le moment de mettre le site hors ligne ou de retirer du contenu.
VoyageForum est, comme vous vous en doutez, très affecté par la crise mondiale actuelle et, étant donné nos ressources très restreintes ces derniers mois, nous avons récemment atteint une limite en terme de quantité de travail (souvent du 7 jours sur 7) pouvant être effectué sans trop affecter notre santé ainsi que nos finances personnelles. Il faut préciser que la très petite équipe de VoyageForum est sans salaire faute de revenus suffisants depuis ce printemps. Dans de telles circonstances, la difficile décision de mettre le forum en pause s'est imposée d'elle-même.
Vous comprendrez sûrement qu'il nous est en ce moment impossible de donner une date approximative de la réouverture du forum, car elle dépend de beaucoup trop d'éléments externes que nous ne contrôlons pas, le plus important étant la reprise de l'industrie du voyage dans une certaine mesure.
Nous annoncerons la réouverture du forum dans notre lettre d'information. Nous vous recommandons donc de vous assurer d'y être inscrit(e) à la page «Mon compte > Mes options» de votre compte de membre.
Nous sommes sincèrement désolés des inconvénients occasionnés par cette fermeture temporaire. Soyez assurés que nous ferons tout ce qui est en notre pouvoir pour non seulement maintenir le site en ligne (notre principal objectif jusqu'à la reprise de l'industrie du voyage), mais aussi pour rouvrir dès que possible le forum à la participation des membres. Souhaitons que cette pause sera de courte durée et que nous pourrons dans un avenir rapproché recommencer à échanger sur notre passion des voyages sur VoyageForum! 🙂
Nous vous remercions grandement de votre compréhension et collaboration dans cette situation difficile et unique.
So happy the forum reopened last October!!!
I’ve started reading again (posts, travel journals) and chiming in on a few discussions. Now I’m stepping it up by writing a new travel journal—I’ve already posted a few between 2018 and 2020.
My latest trip was to Italy from August 27 to September 26, 2024.
As the title says, it was a wander through Tuscany in parts of the region that aren’t the most visited.
No Firenze-Siena-Pisa trilogy, no San Gimignano; there’ll be a quick detour into Siena, but I’ll skip the best-known sights. That choice, plus traveling in September, should help dodge overtourism. It worked out—crowds were light, sometimes very light, the whole way.
Here’s the practical rundown:
- a long trip outside peak season (ah, retirees!)
- solo camping (caravan)
- a mix of activities (hiking, mountain biking, sightseeing) in places that aren’t always packed with tourists. Still, I don’t feel like I ended up in some hidden-away spots.
Not sure if this will draw any readers.
DAY 1: Tuesday, August 27, 2024
The heat was intense on the drive in across the plain; two big storms—more rain and hail than lightning and thunder—threw the weather off, the first near Imola, the second on the four-lane road up the Savio valley. I left the Cesena-Roma four-lane at the Verghereto exit and climbed up to Balze (1,100 meters). The campsite is even higher (1,200 meters), in the forest near the source of the Tevere (Tiber).
Staying up here will cut down on driving for the first part of the trip: a route through the Appennino (Apennines) on the border between Toscana and Emilia-Romagna.
The temperature was surprisingly mild for the altitude, the air thick with moisture by late afternoon.
I drove back down from the campsite to Balze (2 km on the road) to grab groceries (it’s doable) and scout tomorrow’s hike.
.
The endpoint of the planned hike is just a few meters from this sign (the trail crosses this road about 3 km from Balze). I realized Balze and the source of the Tevere (Tiber) are actually in Emilia-Romagna, not Toscana. I always thought the Tevere (Tiber), which flows toward Roma (Tyrrhenian side), started in Toscana!
I’ll come back to this quirk in Day 3’s write-up.
Hello,
I’m taking advantage of the forum reopening to ask this question:
For her 70th birthday, my mom will receive—as a gift—a trip to South Africa at the end of May 2025.
We’ll arrive and depart (13 nights later) from JNB on Air France AF990/AF995. We’ll obviously rent a car for certain parts of the trip.
I’ve been to the Cape Town area and as far as Agulhas twice, but she’s never been to South Africa before. She might enjoy a day or two of safari, but it’s not a priority for her. I’m well aware that trying to pack in too much is risky, which is why I’m looking for your advice on itineraries, safety, and health (status of the Marburg virus).
So far, which combinations of these visits (in no particular order) would be doable and most enjoyable for her at a reasonable pace:
1-day excursion to Pilanesberg Park (+ Hartbeespoort on the way back if possible), self-drive or with a tour guide?
2 nights around the Panorama Route self-driving
Garden Route from/to George/PLZ for 5 nights (what are the must-sees for a first-timer with so little time?)
Wine region for 2 nights (is it worth doing both the Stellenbosch bus tour and the Franschhoek Wine Tram the next day, or vice versa)—she loves good wine!
Cape Town for 2 nights (is it worth stopping at the Cape of Good Hope if—only if—you’ve maybe already been to Agulhas?).
This would give a final itinerary like this:
Day 1: Morning arrival in JNB—rest day/to be defined
Day 2: Guided game drive excursion to Pilanesberg Park
Day 3: Flight JNB–Port Elizabeth, pick up rental car, drive to Tsitsikamma
Day 4–6: Garden Route: activities to be defined
Day 7: Transfer to Franschhoek: Wine Tram in the afternoon
Day 8: Taxi to Stellenbosch for the Vine Hopper bus tour
Day 9–11: Transfer to Cape Town: activities to be defined
Day 12: Flight from Cape Town to Hoedspruit or Nelspruit
Day 13: Visit the Panorama Route
Day 14: Flight from Hoedspruit or Nelspruit to JNB, then evening flight back to France
Given the time spent on the Garden Route, what are the must-sees? Same question for the Panorama Route?
In general, she prefers beautiful walks with incredible landscapes/views and cultural visits over big cats, but it would be a shame not to see some local wildlife like meerkats, whales (I doubt it in May), or penguins during her stay!
There you go—feel free to critique (not too harshly, though😛)/advise/improve.
Thanks in advance! 🙂
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
Hello!
I’m a former VF lover (and, incidentally, an explorer of my Atlas 😊) and I’m genuinely thrilled the forum is reopening, but I have two little questions.
Over the past four years, I’ve put together a few travel journals that I’d love to share, but there are two things that bother me:
- How can I edit my post after a few hours? (Because sometimes I need to correct mistakes even two days later.)
- At the end of VF’s previous run, there were a few members who were really unpleasant and enjoyed derailing certain discussions. As a result, I know several people who stopped coming to VF because of that.
So, for MY travel journals, I’d really like to keep the vibe positive and kind. Is there any way to set something up so the person who starts a discussion can block them?
Hi there,
I’m so excited to reopen the Asia/Indonesia forum! We’ve got a trip planned for spring, and we’re planning to spend a few days on Java before wrapping up in Bali.
For Java: Yogyakarta / Bromo / Ijen
For Bali: Ubud / Amed
See you all on the forum soon!
Hi there,
I’m planning a road trip in the American West in July 2025 with West Forever, which was highly recommended to me.
Has anyone done this route recently and could tell me a bit more about:
- the stages (easy or not/the stops)
- hotels
- restaurants to recommend
- things to prepare for
- must-see spots
This will be my first time in the U.S. and my first group road trip, so I have tons of questions, and your advice would be invaluable.
Thanks in advance!
I’m leaving in February and want to explore the West Coast via Route 200 from Puerto Vallarta to Puerto Escondido.
- For transport, I don’t want to rent a car. I’d like to travel the coast using *colectivos* from village to village over a few weeks. Are they available everywhere along the coast? Is this doable, or is it unrealistic? If not, is it possible to do it by bus? Do they stop everywhere?
- Do you have any places, accommodations, beaches, attractions, or great tips of any kind to recommend along this route?
- Regarding safety, do you have any concerns about certain areas? Guerrero and Michoacán don’t exactly have a great reputation, and neither does Acapulco… Should I be worried?
This journal recounts a trip to Rajasthan that’s already over a year old and that I’ve only now found the chance to write about. The summer of 2024 marked my return to India—my tenth trip—after six long years away since my last solo wanderings in Tamil Nadu in 2018 (the journal of which is published on this site). That absence was partly (but not only) due to the long COVID and post-COVID period, which saw a complete halt and then a major slowdown in global tourism. To top it off, Voyage Forum announced its closure in an end-of-the-world atmosphere. A sad time for our favorite social activity…
A few weeks after returning from Rajasthan, I tried to motivate myself to start writing a journal to publish on a forum claiming to be VF’s successor, which I’d eventually signed up for out of desperation. But I kept hesitating and putting the project off because, for one, I no longer have the time I used to. For another, the vibe wasn’t really taking off on that forum—it was overrun with ads and not very active, contrary to what its host’s name suggested. Despite its good intentions and commendable role as a stopgap, it also turned out to be very impractical to use, especially when you don’t have much time like me. I’ll admit I’d occasionally check back on VF to see if anything was happening. But all the discussions remained frozen in time, stuck in that fateful year, 2020. Then, rumors swirled online about shady reasons behind its closure, leaving little room for hope.
And then, one fine morning, I got a message at work from Marien informing me that VF had reopened. What a huge surprise! Even though the forum’s “end” had played out in a somewhat apocalyptic atmosphere, the memories of passionate and heated discussions, the frank debates, and the useful exchanges that made this site a traveler’s goldmine and a unique hub of conviviality all came rushing back to me like a breath of fresh air. I finally saw a sign and tried to motivate myself to find the time to publish the journal of this tenth trip to India and fifth to Rajasthan. But in the end, I got bogged down in professional and family obligations and never managed to find the time to get started. That’s now fixed, though, because I had two reasons for wanting to do it: I find that looking back on a trip to tell others about it is a highly beneficial introspective exercise. Also, I thought this journal could be useful to other travelers on a few points.
Because, “do we really need yet another journal about Rajasthan?” you might rightly ask! Especially in a time when so many journals about the “Land of Kings” have been published since VF’s return, not to mention the countless stories you can already find online about this region, one of India’s most touristy. And I’d add, why go back to Rajasthan for a fifth time, where I’ve already dragged my feet more than enough—through its forts, deserts, temples, cities, villages, bumpy roads, train stations, tasty street food stalls, cheap guesthouses, and more? Where some might see just another overhyped tourist destination full of the same old *Arabian Nights* clichés, worn to a thread, that I mentioned earlier, when there’s so much else to see in India?
Well, first because it’s a magnificent country I never tire of, where I started an academic study and made so many connections. It’s also packed with places where you won’t find a single tourist (right, Marie-Jo?), even in the heart of well-trodden paths and classic itineraries. And most importantly, as I said earlier, things have changed in recent years. First, after six years without traveling far, the urge to go back to India was getting stronger. But this time, no more solo trips (often) or duo adventures (sometimes)—now it’s a team of four that has to come along! And even if you can argue with that, what better place than Rajasthan to introduce India to people who’ve never seen it? To kids you want to amaze?
Plus, traveling with your new little family to your favorite country isn’t the same as going solo in often spartan conditions that only affect you. It’s a different challenge, but ultimately probably much harder. So, is it really reasonable to take two kids to India, including a two-year-old baby? That’s one of the main goals of this journal (but not the only one)—to try to answer that question.
As you can tell, it’s not so much the destination but the slightly unusual setup of this trip that, in my opinion, will make this journal interesting. Despite my experience and expertise (yes, I dare say it) in India, there were plenty of questions before we finalized the plan and said, “Alright, let’s go!” The questions were flying for us parents. Is it wise to travel to India with a two-year-old? What would we do (it happened) if the kids got very sick? Would they be able to handle a road trip on Rajasthan’s bumpy, dusty roads using public transport? Could they handle the shock of such a different world—the dirt, poverty, pollution, noise (…and the smell, as they say), the spicy food, monkeys, mosquitoes, snakes, tigers, leopards, and so on? In short, all the clichés that I usually joke about suddenly became potential realities. Another concern: as a mixed Franco-African family (not me, but my partner and her oldest), wouldn’t we risk not always being well received, given what you sometimes hear about that in India? How would Indians react to seeing a mixed-race family, the ultimate taboo in a country of purity and social segregation, which would undoubtedly raise many questions for them? Of course, not everything went as expected… Because, as you know, with India—and what makes it charming for some—there are always complications: sometimes where you don’t expect them… and sometimes where you do. I’ll go into detail about that in the journal to come (not right away) and in the final review (even later). These experiences could be useful to travelers who find themselves in similar situations and have the same questions we did before embarking on such a journey. And maybe it’ll spark the curiosity of those who aren’t concerned and will read yet another Rajasthan journal, but with its own unique twists.
Despite my unchanged constraints, which mean I have little time to write this, I don’t want to rush the story, so I’ll take my time. There will probably be lulls. I hope that won’t stop people from coming to react, debate, share their impressions, or ask for information.
Today I ended up being denied boarding at CDG. I booked the trip through a physical travel agency with no assistance for the visa application. I applied in plenty of time and got the approval. Except I put the 9th (the day I left France) as the date instead of the 10th, which is the arrival date in India. That’s what caused the denial. I’m guessing I don’t have any recourse? Thanks for your replies.
The National Tourism Service SERNATUR published a small graphic summary of the current situation in the tourism sector for each region of the country on August 14th.
It shows the percentage of operational tourist attractions, accommodations, airports, and bus stations across Chile’s sixteen regions.
I’m almost done planning our September road trip. After our 3-night visit to Sequoia, we’ll have a stopover night in Coalinga (to break up the drive). We’ll be staying two nights in Monterey and would like to stop along the way to visit one side of Pinnacles National Park. We’re torn between the West entrance and the East entrance, and we’d like to do a short hike of no more than 2 hours since we don’t want to arrive too late in Monterey.
This park is split into two distinct zones with no connection between them, and the mileage from Coalinga to Monterey is pretty much the same for both. Which area do you recommend visiting—east or west? And which route is the most scenic?
I’ve spotted two short hikes:
- East: Moses Spring to Rim Trail Loop
- West: Balconies Cliffs Cave Loop
Has anyone been there, or do you have another hike to suggest?
Thanks in advance, and have a great afternoon!
Marcalamar 🙂
This catchy and somewhat mysterious title comes from several questions I’ve been asking myself.
VF has been back open for a reasonable number of weeks and months now.
The number of visitors overall matches past averages, but the number of members online in the last 24 hours seems relatively lower than what we used to see.
Yet, to my surprise, I’m seeing fewer travel journals, way fewer messages, and way fewer questions.
I don’t see many new registered users online, and I notice a number of members who are logged in but either aren’t participating or have stopped participating.
Something’s not adding up for me because, in my opinion, VF is still appealing, and I don’t see which other sites could really compete.
Was there a real break between pre- and post-Covid?
Does it just take more time for some people to discover the site or learn that it’s active again?
Do people now prefer quick consumption on sites like FB or others I’m not familiar with?
Where have the site’s old-timers gone, and what are they doing with their time now?
What’s really going on here?
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.
Oh, the good news—the site is back up after such a long closure. I think many of us were really missing it, though some have moved on to other forums like Routard.
Hopefully, activity will pick up little by little. Travel habits have probably changed post-Covid, and some regulars won’t be coming back for all sorts of reasons.
But for the rest of us, the forum is here for travel journals and pre-trip questions. Anyway…
Back to the main point: my last trip to Madagascar was a while ago now—about a year—on the High Plateaus during the austral winter. It was really chilly, and to be honest, my feelings were mixed between the joy of returning to Madagascar and the sadness of seeing the state of the country. The infrastructure is crumbling, and the population is sinking into poverty at unprecedented levels. The country’s closure likely had immeasurable consequences, compounded by destructive cyclones. Even secondary cities have seen large numbers of rural people arriving in search of work, while some rural areas barely allow survival. I’ve never felt such despair over the situation in 20 years.
From Tana to Fianar, it was nothing but heartbreaking observations. Probably made worse by the drizzle and cold typical of that season in the region.
In a few weeks, I’m planning to return to the High Plateaus and also Sainte Marie. On that note, a few questions: has anyone stayed at Samaria Cosy Lodge, and what did you think of it?
On Île aux Nattes, which hotel would you recommend for a few peaceful days, ideally on the coast best suited for snorkeling?
hi, I'm looking for info on possible transport to Ilam and then Phidim from KTM, as well as details about this trek. I found the PDF but no feedback from those who’ve tried it... have a great day, Aichatou
Many of us have returned to big trips after making only very small ones—or none at all. For a little anecdote, my dentist told me that due to the lack of travel, a lot of clients treated themselves to implants they would’ve otherwise skipped.
The joy of traveling again probably gave some vacationers smiles they hadn’t dared to show before!
Here, you can share what’s on your mind: Have these new, real trips disappointed you, rejuvenated you, or just relieved a long frustration?
For my part, not being so young anymore, there was definitely relief but no explosion of joy.
I just had the feeling of picking up the thread of life after a foggy pause, with the bitter taste that 2 or 3 years of my life had been partly stolen from me.
En tant que fondateur de VoyageForum, je vous annonce avec inquiétude que VoyageForum est maintenant en réel danger de disparaître. Mais, il y a encore de l'espoir à l'horizon, car nous faisons aujourd'hui appel à l'ensemble des utilisateurs de VoyageForum pour participer à une collecte de fonds qui permettra, nous l'espérons, de couvrir les dépenses essentielles de l'hébergement du site pour une année. Notre plus grand souhait est que VoyageForum existe encore lorsque les voyages reprendront pleinement.
»» Cliquez ici pour participer à la collecte de fonds «Sauvons VoyageForum!».
Avec la crise mondiale actuelle, les revenus publicitaires ne cessent de chuter (particulièrement dans le domaine du voyage) et nous sommes maintenant arrivés au point où les dépenses mensuelles nécessaires pour laisser le site en ligne dépassent beaucoup trop les revenus mensuels générés par la publicité. L'équipe doit donc fournir la différence avec des économies personnelles, ce qui ne pourra bien sûr durer bien longtemps.
VoyageForum, étant un site gigantesque en terme de contenu et visité par plus d'un million de visiteurs en temps normal, coûte plus de 2 000 € par mois à héberger et, ce, sans y inclure les salaires de l'équipe (l'équipe est sans salaire depuis le printemps). Ce montant mensuel pour héberger le site comprend:
Serveur principal puissant + administration du serveur faite par la compagnie d'hébergement (à noter que nous avons retiré un second serveur ces derniers mois afin de réduire au maximum les frais d'hébergement).
Serveur de sauvegarde (tout le site, incluant les 6,1 millions de messages publics, le 1,3 million de profils des membres, des millions de messages privés, le million de photos des utilisateurs, etc., est recopié de manière sécurisée sur un autre serveur distant afin d'avoir une copie complète et à jour de tout le site en cas de problème majeur avec le serveur principal).
Système CDN et système de sécurité.
Location de bases de données pour la sécurité du site et autres fonctions.
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Services de comptabilité et autres services professionnels.
Autres frais (accès à des API, mises à jour ponctuelles des serveurs, achats/remplacements d'équipement, etc.).
Notre premier objectif est donc d'amasser 25 000 € afin de couvrir les frais d'hébergement du site pendant une année. Si la collecte dépasse cet objectif, nous pourrons même considérer engager de nouveau du personnel afin de rouvrir le forum aux nouveaux messages plus rapidement.
Vous pouvez participer à la collecte de fonds en cliquant sur le lien suivant:
»» Collecte de fonds «Sauvons VoyageForum!».
Toutes les cartes bancaires/crédit sont acceptées ainsi que le paiement rapide par Apple Pay et Google Pay. Vous pouvez aussi choisir entre un don unique ou un don mensuel.
VoyageForum, c'est:
Une communauté de 1,3 million de membres; la plus grande et la plus active communauté de voyageurs francophones au monde.
Un immense forum contenant 6,1 millions de messages répartis dans 561 000 discussions portant sur toutes les destinations du monde.
5 200 carnets de voyage dont une grande majorité de très haute qualité.
Des Guides voyage contenant 24 000 pages et 13 000 lieux à voir.
Un héritage important à préserver (18 ans de discussions sur les voyages) pour l'ensemble de la francophonie.
Au nom de l'équipe, nous vous remercions infiniment d'avance de votre contribution au sauvetage de VoyageForum et nous vous assurons que chaque euro/dollar collecté sera utilisé avec grand soin pour maintenir VoyageForum en ligne jusqu'à la reprise de l'industrie du voyage.
Voici encore une fois le lien pour contribuer à la collecte:
Our flights are booked, and we’ll arrive in Thailand at the beginning of January.
Originally, we were supposed to spend 14 days there. But after booking the flights and seeing the prices, we’ll now be there for 20 days instead.
Our initial plan was:
2 days in Bangkok
1 day in Ayutthaya
4 days in Chiang Mai
6 days around Krabi
So we have 7 more days to fill. What do you recommend?
An extra day in Bangkok?
Adding more days in the north? If so, where?
Exploring another region, like Kanchanaburi or Cheow Lan Lake?
Traveling north in stages instead of taking the overnight train?
A few extra details about us:
For us, vacation isn’t about relaxation—we love walking, exploring, and packed days don’t bother us. Hiking for hours and doing active things is what makes us happy. That said, we also enjoy visiting villages and towns if they’re worth the detour. In Thailand, we’d like to visit temples too. We’re early risers, so our days tend to be long. 🙂 In short, we like to keep things moving during our trips. 😉
Unfortunately, seeing terraced rice fields isn’t possible in January. I read there are rice fields around Sukhothai. Are they green in January?
In the north, do you recommend Doi Inthanon, Huai Nam Dang, or Doi Chiang Dao National Parks? Which one is the most beautiful and best for January?
Un regard différent sur l’Issan, entre passé, présent et futur.
Une balade qui, sur de superbes images nous entraîne :
Dans ses traditions, sa cuisine et ses coutumes.
Chez les fabricants de gongs en passant par le tissage de la soie et de son renouveau, tourné vers l’avenir,
De la culture du riz, son organisation solidaire et, à l’ouverture sur l’avenir de la multiculture.
Pour conclure, une magnifique cérémonie et,
Les mots de la fin qui donnent le titre du post.
De quoi donner un autre regard sur ce peuple longtemps sous-estimé.
Bon visionnage !
🙂
J'ai besoin de vos conseils afin de finaliser mon voyage en Thaïlande de cet été.
C’est soit passer 7jours (Khoh phangan, koh samui) et 2 jours d’excursion à Kanchanaburi (erawan, Hindat..et éléphant.. ) avec Safarine ou alors 9 jours (Khoh phangan, koh samui).
Je me demande si ça vaut le coup de faire Erawan falls avec des enfants apparemment il y a beaucoup de monde et si il ne vaut pas mieux passer plus de temps sur les iles?
