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Hi there!

We’re planning a trip to Egypt from January 21 to 28, 2027.

J21 – Arrival in Cairo at 6 PM V22 – Visit the Pyramids S23 – Early flight to Aswan, visit Aswan D24 – Visit Aswan, depart mid-afternoon for Abu Simbel L25 – Morning visit to Abu Simbel, return to Aswan. Is it possible to go all the way to Luxor the same day? Private driver between Aswan and Luxor M26 – Visit Luxor M27 – Visit Luxor J28 – Early flight to Cairo, arrive around 9–10 AM, head back into the city to see 1 or 2 museums (probably just 1 due to time), then flight to Lyon at 7 PM

Does this itinerary seem realistic to you? Does it cover the highlights?

Thanks for your feedback! Best, Christophe

Preamble

I could have titled my travel journal like Carmen: "Some trips are born twice." Indeed, we had considered this destination back in February 2020. However, an honest tour operator advised us against traveling at that time due to the climate. So, we gave up and opted for Guatemala instead (see "On the Mayan Lands" on this site).

So, why this title? When I was in primary school, over 65 years ago, the illustrations in my history books (Machu Picchu) and geography books (Lake Titicaca) made me dream, and those images stayed in my mind. It took until 2026 to finally make this dream come true!

We prepared our trip with Tout Pérou, a French-speaking "agency." Everything was handled via email and WhatsApp exchanges with our contact: Laurent, who was both competent, friendly, and full of good advice. For 200 €, Tout Pérou provided us with drivers and guides whenever we wanted, helped us buy our domestic flights (cheaper when purchased in Peru), booked shuttles between airports and hotels, and got us a discount on the train ride to Aguas Calientes, as well as on the buses between Chivay and Puno and between Puno and Cusco. In short, Laurent took care of all the logistics and the Machu Picchu tickets. It was up to us to book our hotels. Tout Pérou provided a list, but we weren’t obliged to follow it. Another advantage of the package: we didn’t have to pay in advance; we paid the service providers directly day by day.

We didn’t meet Laurent in person because he was on vacation in Europe. Before his departure, he gave us a briefing, provided a summary table with the entire program, the service providers, their phone numbers, their fees, the schedules, and gave us plenty of advice (money, exchange, safety, etc.). After returning at the end of our stay, he kept checking in on us.

Lastly, we had also gathered information from Arnaud Lagadec, who runs a hotel in Cusco and offers tours of the region. He gave us a lot of useful information. Another contact: Thomas Montaigne, very friendly, who runs an agency in Arequipa (Agence Pérou Exclusif).

Day 1 – Paris to Lima

Foreword I’ll share our trip without any pretension—I don’t have the talent of some contributors on this forum—and I’ll illustrate it with a few photos (taken with an ordinary smartphone). My comments are personal and only reflect my own views. So, please be kind! Feel free to comment on my story as you like, but let’s avoid pointless debates.

Even though we live in the south of the Paris region, true to our habits when the flight is in the morning, we chose to spend the night before our departure in a hotel near CDG and parked our car in a parking lot in Garches. This way, we avoid the stress that often comes with traveling around Paris (accidents, roadworks, traffic jams, etc.).

Check-in and border control went smoothly on that Sunday morning. Our Air France flight was uneventful. In Lima, border control took a particularly long time, and for the first time, we didn’t get an entry visa stamped in our passports.

As planned, a driver took us to the Miraflores district, where our hotel was located. We were surprised by the numerous signs about possible tsunamis, having forgotten that Peru is prone to such events and regularly experiences earthquakes. We’d see the consequences of these during our journey.

Exhausted from the early wake-up, the 13-hour flight, and the 7-hour time difference, we had dinner at the hotel before a restful night.

Note that this day was Peru’s presidential election day. As a result, we weren’t served beer—the sale of alcohol was banned that Sunday.

After a pretty disastrous weather-wise trip to Gran Canaria, we’re hoping this time the sun will shine in Puglia. It’s not a sure thing, though—the weather’s been awful all over Europe in early May.

For those who’d like to (re)read the story without the digressions, it’s here.

Saturday, May 16: This time we’re flying out of Charleroi (Brussels South): the ticket prices, flight times, and proximity all worked for us. The airport (Ryanair) was recently renovated... but it’s still not very well organized. There are hardly any seats in the boarding areas, and... the restrooms cost money!!! The flight goes smoothly, though, and we land in Bari a little late.

We quickly pick up our rental car, a very local-looking Pandina (even more so than the Fiat 500 in this region), and hit the Italian roads... and their unique driving quirks (like the fact that the countless road signs along the streets and in towns are purely decorative 😏, and that Italian cars don’t have turn signals 😮... except for rental cars).

About an hour later, we arrive at our first accommodation, right in the middle of the countryside near Monopoli. The owner isn’t there, but they’ve left us a ton of info via messages and even turned on the space heater, which is a nice touch. We explore the property:



And the next morning before breakfast, its immediate surroundings:





Sunday, May 17: After our "seaside" experience in Gran Canaria last weekend (packed with people and locals), we decide to start inland. After a hearty breakfast,



we head toward Alberobello, a super touristy village famous for its trulli—those stone houses with conical roofs. We easily find a free parking spot on a street near the Aia Piccola district, where some trulli are still lived in year-round.





We almost immediately come across the Trullo Sovrano (the only two-story one), which you can visit (but we skip it—it’s opening time, and there’s already a line).



From there, we head down toward the Basilica of Cosma e Damiano... but we don’t go in because there’s a mass.



Now we’re on the main Piazza del Popolo, which connects the two districts of Alberobello: Rione Aia Piccola and Rione Monti, the more touristy one.

Hi everyone,

This short stay in Doha is part of a longer trip. It lets us break up a flight to the Seychelles.

Friday, January 16, The Corniche

Despite the adventures we had the day before (read about it here), we just can’t get up later than 8 a.m. Our minds are a bit clearer and a bit more positive after some sleep.

View of the Corniche from the 12th floor.



Breakfast is sumptuous—it really lifts our spirits.

On this Friday morning, almost everything is closed, so we head out to explore the Corniche, which is just a few hundred meters from our hotel in Old Doha.

A marathon is happening today on the Corniche, so the road is closed and empty, making it easy to cross. The palm-shaped streetlights are gorgeous when they’re lit up at night.



A little reminder of Qatar’s once-thriving pearl trade.



A memory of a much more recent past.



The sun is shining, but it’s not very warm—just 19°C at the hottest part of the day. Tough luck, last week it was 24°C.

The walk along the crescent-shaped Corniche is pretty long. From the old town to the modern center, where massive Dubai-style towers rise, it’s a 6 km promenade along the waterfront.



Many dhows are docked, waiting for tourists to take a little cruise in the bay, but visitors are scarce.



The skyscrapers are so stunning, you can’t help but admire them.







to be continued...

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, I inherited my love of travel from my parents and some of my grandparents. A strong passion, but one that was unfortunately limited by our family’s modest resources. Back then, living in northern Alsace, a simple trip to the southern part of the region—with the Wine Route as our destination—felt like an extraordinary journey to a land of plenty for the little boy I was in the late 60s and early 70s. Everything seemed so huge when you were still just a kid. Back then, I was overwhelmed by countless sensations—I was already highly sensitive, with a keen mind and a nose and taste buds that were developing like a pro’s. Which, as I’d later realize, wasn’t always an advantage.



Those magical days always began with a gentle late-spring or midsummer morning. The interior of the white Peugeot 404, license plate 210 LZ 67, had already soaked up the sun before the engine purred to life, and the cabin gave off a scent I could still recognize today—a fragrance I found so pleasant. Back then, I had no idea it was just the smell of warm plastic from the car’s interior. Yes, the scents of the 404 on sunny days became my madeleine de Proust... What’s more, the whole family was unusually cheerful because those moments of relaxation and leisure were rare. Everyone worked, and no one had an easy job or was well paid. Without the *Trente Glorieuses*, these experiences might never have happened.



Once we crossed the canton’s borders, I felt like I was light-years away from my everyday surroundings, and every kilometer plunged me deeper into *terra incognita*. It was thrilling. Far from my so-called "medium-sized" town, wheat fields, cornfields, and cabbage patches stretched out, punctuated by tall poles connected by long wires and topped with vegetation—like giant clotheslines without laundry, where magical beanstalks might grow to touch the sky. Back then, I was still far from tasting their product, which was simply beer. At the time, there was still a significant local hop production. Fun fact: it wasn’t until 2002 that Anglo-Saxon scientists proved hops and cannabis belong to the same biological family.

After the fields, the landscape took another step up as it rolled past the little boy’s eyes, often glued to the windows. First came modest hills, then a succession of rolling slopes that soon formed an unbroken chain. Their 700 meters in altitude felt like Himalayan peaks to me—impressive, inert giants, a whole new world. Gazing at them, an intense emotion welled up somewhere between my stomach and lungs, nearly taking my breath away. What mysteries, what treasures did these heights hold? And then there were the cherries on top—the crowning touch that made the scene even more magical: proud, majestic castles perched on the summits like impassive sentinels. Monuments from the past, yet firmly rooted in the present on their rocky spurs. The little boy’s eyes sparkled—he’d been given a castle for Christmas, complete with battlements, towers, a drawbridge, and fully armed knights. He’d watched and lived *Ivanhoe* on the only French TV channel that existed back then.

Only once did my paternal grandfather join us on one of these trips. A tall, intelligent man with a face that could shift from stern to mischievous, clearly full of humor and charisma. Sadly, his relationship with alcohol had taken a toll on his life and, by extension, those of his loved ones. He had a strong personality—if his boss crossed the line, he wouldn’t hesitate to punch him, which meant he went through a lot of different jobs. Back then, you could quit one job and easily find another. It was quite something to see him in his final stages, hallucinating pink elephants and even drinking perfume when he had nothing else left. The last time I saw him, he’d slipped away from the doctors and nurses while hospitalized in pretty bad shape—at least, I assume his liver was the issue. We were sitting down for a family lunch when the door burst open, and there he stood in his pajamas, eyes twinkling with mischief, clearly pleased with the dramatic entrance. That theatrical moment didn’t spare us from burying him a few months later at the age of 71. One day, my mother told me the family doctor had quietly remarked that it was a shame—with his robust constitution, he could’ve lived to be a hundred. Yes, the family doctor—this was the man who’d come treat you any day, at almost any hour, just for a phone call. It really existed, it’s not a myth!

That day, his wife—my paternal grandmother—was also along for the ride. Everyone agreed that Jeannette was a good woman. She worked as a waitress at *Le Tigre*, the biggest brasserie in town, right in the center. Most customers preferred to be served by her, including local dignitaries and even the mayor. As a kid, I didn’t find her very fun, open, or warm—she seemed a bit stern. Back then, women in their fifties already had the face and build of grandmothers. Same went for men, don’t get me wrong. I had no idea about the struggles she faced because of her husband. I didn’t know that 30 years earlier, she’d had to flee Alsace while pregnant, under threat from Nazi fighter-bombers. I didn’t know she’d had several miscarriages, and that my father—her only surviving child, born prematurely in March 1940 at the other end of France—weighed less than a kilo at birth and was so tiny he could fit in a shoebox. Hard to imagine he’d grow into a strapping man nearly 1.80 meters tall, tipping the scales at 100 kilos. When you come back from summer camp in early August and ask why she didn’t pick you up with your parents, and they gently tell you she’s "in heaven," you don’t realize she passed away at 54 after suffering greatly from stomach cancer that had spread.

Back to that family outing, that enchanted parenthesis. I even remembered where we’d had lunch when I passed through Dambach-la-Ville decades later. One of those charming, flower-filled towns Alsace produces in abundance—and preserves so well. This one sits high on a hill, and I was a bit stunned on the parking lot because the view stretched far, revealing the Alsace plain below—its fields, villages, hills, and forests. The world seemed so vast and enticing that day, even though I was only glimpsing a tiny fraction of it.



The region was already very touristy, but I wouldn’t notice the downsides until much later. That Sunday noon, I discovered a large restaurant filled with diners. I can still see the enormous piece of meat they served me, decorated with a little wooden skewer topped with a flag. I kept that one for a long time. Those were the golden days of rich, flowing, thick sauces—so flavorful—and the era of the world’s best fries, made on the spot with the best potatoes. To top it off, I was *exceptionally* allowed a small bottle of apple juice, Orangina, or—even better if possible—Sinalco. Yes, Sinalco—like Orangina, but better. A brand that must’ve disappeared in the 70s, but why, and what a shame! Since then, Orangina’s little bubbles have taken the brand to the other side of the planet—it’s now Japanese.

Year after year, I’d eagerly await that ecstatic moment when the most beautiful castle in Alsace, the Haut-Koenigsbourg, appeared in my field of vision. The perfect model, the archetype that blended into the landscape at the height of a child’s dreams. The trip home always felt like a reality check—less jarring than an alarm clock, but more diffuse and melancholic. From then on, there was only one wish: *When do we leave again?*

Some trips are born twice.

Ours was supposed to happen in 2020. Everything was ready: the itinerary, the flight tickets, hotel reservations and Machu Picchu, the rental car, dreams of high altitudes and wide-open spaces. And then the world stopped.

Like so many other plans, our trip to Peru was put on hold. Disappointment was followed by a more concrete reality: paperwork, endless back-and-forth, and battles to recover some of the costs we’d already paid.

The years went by. Life moved on, with its shifting priorities and unexpected twists. Rescheduling this trip wasn’t possible until 2025.

The itinerary stayed mostly true to what we’d imagined five years earlier. One major difference, though—in 2020, we’d planned to rent a car and explore the roads completely independently. Most importantly, we hadn’t included the three-day Ausangate trek, due to lack of time.

For 2025, our plans evolved. 4x4 rental prices had skyrocketed, and when we looked at our schedule more closely, we realized quite a few days didn’t actually need a vehicle. So we made a different choice and opted for private drivers instead. A decision we never regretted. Always punctual, thoughtful, and available... they were so much more than just drivers.

All our reservations were made in January, except for the trek, which we booked in February.

Finding reliable drivers on our own was tough, so we asked Laurent from Tout Pérou to handle it for us. Going through Tout Pérou also gave us a discount on the train ride to Aguas Calientes, so Laurent booked those tickets too. He also bought our Machu Picchu entrance tickets at the same price we would’ve paid on the official website. When comparing domestic flight prices, we found it was cheaper to book from Peru, so Laurent took care of those as well.

This time, nothing was going to stop us. Peru was waiting. And we were ready. 🙂

Hi there. I'm shocked by the price of the Upper Antelope Canyon tour—$175 for less than an hour… You might say, "if you can’t afford it…" But the real question is whether it’s really worth it, because $350 for two makes me feel like I’m getting ripped off. For those who’ve done both Lower and Upper, can you tell me if the price difference is really justified? Thanks

Hello everyone, I’m looking for a cruise line that stops in BARCEELONA and can go to the BARCELONA Aquarium to buy a magnet. I bought one for my 9-year-old grandson, but unfortunately, his dad dropped it, and the boy is sad because it was his grandfather’s. So if someone could buy another one, it’s around 4 €, and I’ll cover the shipping costs. I’ve attached a photo of the model. Thank you so much! Best regards, Patrick

Hello Hello, We’re two couples of friends heading to this amazing country and need your help to validate our itinerary. First, I’ll share the overall plan for our trip. I can go into more detail for each day if everything looks good to you. Thanks Thanks

30/10 Arrival at HND 31/10 Tokyo: Chiyoda, Yurakucho & Shinjuku 01/11 Asakusa, Ueno, Akihabara & TeamLab Planets 02/11 Day trip to Mount Fuji (Kawaguchiko) 03/11 Yanaka, Ueno, Shibuya & Izakaya 04/11 Ghibli Museum & Kichijoji 05/11 Shopping and Odaiba at sunset 06/11 Departure for Kyoto & first discoveries 07/11 Arashiyama, bamboo grove & zen temples 08/11 Fushimi Inari, Gion 09/11 Kyoto → Himeji → Hiroshima 10/11 Hiroshima (morning) → Osaka (afternoon) 11 & 12/11 Exploring Osaka and return to France 🙂

Hi there, I’m about to take my nephews to Morocco for a week to celebrate their 18th birthdays during the first week of September. I’ve already planned most of it, but I’d love any advice or tips on my itinerary! Thanks in advance to anyone who replies :)

Day 1: Agadir → Essaouira Morning: Crocoparc/cable car/kasbah (I’d considered Paradise Valley, but it seems less great now? Dirty, drought, etc.?) Depart for Essaouira, lunch in Taghazout around 1 PM. Mid-afternoon to evening in Essaouira, overnight there. Visit the medina, walk along the ramparts and fishing port. Sunset from the Skala du Port or the beach. Dinner at one of the seafood restaurants near the port.

Day 2: Essaouira → Marrakech → Agafay Desert Morning: 🔹 Early departure from Essaouira to Marrakech (~2.5 hours). Afternoon: Explore Marrakech: 🔹 Jemaa el-Fna Square 🔹 Majorelle Garden Late afternoon: 🔹 At 3 PM, depart for the Agafay Desert (~1 hour) for a camel ride + quad excursion. Evening: 🔹 Dinner and overnight in the desert.

Day 3: Agafay → Marrakech → Ouzoud Morning: 🔹 Return to Marrakech from Agafay at 11 AM. Late morning & early afternoon: Last spots in Marrakech: 🔹 Bahia Palace 🔹 Ben Youssef Madrasa Mid/late afternoon: 🔹 Depart for Ouzoud (~2.5 hours). Evening: 🔹 Overnight in Ouzoud. Day 4: Ouzoud → Marrakech Morning: 🔹 Visit Ouzoud Waterfalls. Early afternoon: 🔹 Return to Marrakech (~2.5 hours). Late afternoon/evening: 🔹 Free time in Marrakech to wander the souks and experience Jemaa el-Fna Square at night with its evening atmosphere. Evening: 🔹 Overnight in Marrakech. Day 5: Marrakech → Aït Ben Haddou → Ouarzazate Early morning: 🔹 Depart for Aït Ben Haddou via the Tizi n'Tichka Pass (~3 hours 45 minutes). Midday: 🔹 Visit the Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou. Afternoon: 🔹 Drive to Ouarzazate (~30 minutes), visit the Taourirt Kasbah. Evening: 🔹 Overnight in Ouarzazate. Day 6: Ouarzazate → Agadir Very early departure in the morning. Morning: Visit Agadir’s souk. Afternoon: 🔹 Relax at the hotel pool, jet ski, and overnight stay. Day 7: Agadir Morning off. 🔹 Beach and pool time. Return flight.

Thanks so much!

Hi everyone! I need to spend a short night near the airport to catch a 6:00 AM flight on June 18th. Do you have any suggestions for me? I'm looking for a simple but clean hotel! With a reasonable price, of course, 🙂 and especially a transfer option from Saint-Exupéry train station the night before and to the airport the next morning. Thanks in advance for your tips and experiences.

Hi there, I’m right in the middle of planning a trip to the American West—23 days from 07/30 to 08/23. Departure from Orly to Los Angeles with a layover in San Francisco, and return from Los Angeles to Orly. Day 1: Orly - San Francisco (1 night) Day 2 & 3: Los Angeles (2 nights) Day 4, 5 & 6: San Francisco (3 nights) Day 7: Lake Tahoe (1 night) Day 8 & 9: Portland (2 nights) Day 10, 11 & 12: Seattle (3 nights) Day 13 & 14: Yellowstone (2 nights) Day 15 & 16: Salt Lake City (2 nights) Day 17 & 18: Las Vegas (2 nights) Day 19 & 20: Grand Canyon (2 nights) Day 21 & 22: Los Angeles (2 nights) Day 23: Return flight (1 night in the air)

The flight’s already booked: 2250 € for 3 people. Car’s reserved—just finalized the last booking today: a Rav4 for 23 days from Sixt in Santa Monica, 715 € (all insurance included). Hotels are booked with free cancellation since I keep finding better options, and the itinerary isn’t 100% set yet.

My buddy Christian and I (Patrick) are off for 28 days in Argentina in March. We’ve already shared several trips as a duo (Bolivia Peru, Namibia, Laos, Costa Rica). Since we’re starting from the idea that at our age (65) we won’t be coming back here—there are just too many other corners of the world to discover—we did the "grand tour" of Argentina, with 6 domestic flights to make the most of our 28 days. Here are our stops: 1) Departure from Brussels to Buenos Aires via Madrid 2) Arrival and first contact with Buenos Aires 3) Early morning flight to Ushuaia. Boat trip on the Beagle Channel 4) Ushuaia: hikes in Tierra del Fuego National Park 5) Ushuaia: last hike and flight to El Calafate 6) El Calafate to El Chaltén by bus. First hike 7) El Chaltén: hike 8) El Chaltén: hike 9) El Chaltén: hike and bus back to El Calafate 10) El Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier 11) Flight to Bariloche. Car rental and surrounding areas 12) Seven Lakes Region 13) Nahuel Huapi National Park region 14) Flight to Salta. Car rental 15) To Tilcara 16) To Humahuaca 17) To Purmamarca 18) To Jujuy via the salt flats 19) To Cafayate 20) Around Cafayate 21) To Cachi 22) Back to Salta 23) Flight to Iguazu 24) Waterfalls on the Argentine side 25) Waterfalls on the Brazilian side and flight to Buenos Aires 26) Buenos Aires 27) Return flight 28) Morning arrival Happy reading!..

After our first trip discovering the American West with our teens, Cécile asked me to go back for a romantic getaway to this wonderful destination. Whatever my wife wants, so here we are on a plane in September 2022, heading to San Francisco. Since we’d already visited the main parks two years earlier, this time we took the scenic route:



We arrived late in the evening, spent a short night at the hotel, and picked up our rental car to hit Highway 1 and the Pacific coast. The sky was gray, foggy, and a bit disappointing for now.



As Brittany lovers, we know coastal weather can change quickly... but no! Bixby Bridge was just a quick view from the car, and it was only 11°C outside.



We had a quick picnic on the spot, quickly bothered by the local wildlife.



And then—miracle! This charming animal made the wind shift and brought us sunshine. So this coast is absolutely worth the trip—it’s just stunning.



Only the sound of the wind and the seals’ calls disturbed the tranquility of the moment.





But even the best things come to an end, and we turned inland toward the sequoias. We drove through a long plain with fruit trees, vineyards, and endless straight roads.





First night at the hotel, tired but happy! !

I saw this photo online and it doesn’t say exactly where this unnamed structure is... I’d really appreciate an answer to my question. Thanks so much in advance! Simon

Hi everyone, So great to be back on this forum😉

I just lightened my wallet by 3000 € for 3 tickets: Paris > Tokyo > Osaka > Paris (well, not just mine—I’m exaggerating, there are two of us). For my daughter’s 10th birthday, we’re heading to Japan—it’s her "decade gift," though I thought she’d pick London🏴‍☠️. But I’ve been dreaming of going back to Japan since my 2013 trip, so I’ll admit this trip is (a lot) for me too. We’re traveling during school holidays, so the ticket prices are unfortunately sky-high. Maybe I could’ve gotten a better deal if I’d waited, but who knows... oh well, it’s done now. We leave at the end of October, so we still have a few months to prepare. That said, I’d rather start early to make sure we don’t miss anything (like the Ghibli Museum—I couldn’t go last time, and anyway, I’ll have to wait until September to book). Last time, there were three adults, so it was pretty straightforward. Eleven years later, well, now it’s two adults with a 10-year-old😛.

So I’m wondering how many days to spend in Tokyo. My daughter idealizes the city (that’s why she wants to go to Japan), and she’s really drawn to Japanese culture and food. Actually, what first got her interested in Japan were all the *kawaii* character products... Tokyo is such a fascinating city, but it can also be exhausting—especially for a kid, and I’m not sure what to expect. Beyond Tokyo, honestly, I’m not entirely sure. I was thinking of Hakone and maybe stopping by Fujikyu Highlands. Then heading down to Osaka for a few days in Kyoto before flying home (our return flight is from Osaka). We only have 11 days there (not counting the arrival day, and since our flight leaves at 11:30 PM on departure day, we’ll have the whole day), so it’s not a ton of time. I already spent a week in Kyoto on my last trip (huge crush on it), and I’d love to have two months there, but... well, you know how it is.

For example: 5 days in Tokyo 2 days in Hakone 4 days in Osaka/Kyoto

What do you think? If you’ve done this trip with kids, do you have any tips for family-friendly accommodations in Tokyo and Hakone? My daughter would love to try an onsen. We have a decent budget, but it’s not unlimited. We’d like to book as we go to spread out the costs a bit.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts

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).

This travel journal is the second part of the trip whose first part you can find here: 1st part...

Sunday, August 7: the day we discover a magical place... Edmaier's Secret...

We got up at 8:00 AM, had breakfast on the terrace of our tiny house, and then set off again toward yesterday’s trail. This time, we stopped after 4.5 miles on House Rock Valley Road at the Buckskin Gulch Trail parking lot. We weren’t interested in that trail today—the slot canyon is muddy anyway after the recent storms...

Instead, we explored a lesser-known area that became our playground. And what a playground it was, folks—an out-of-this-world spot, THE highlight of our trip!!! 😏

Just imagine being in the middle of these landscapes, and the cherry on top... no one else around!!!!! Well, we did meet a couple who were coming back—it was 9:30 AM 😮. Did they camp there? Did they turn back? 🙁

After paying the entry permit online, we set off with plenty of water (6L for the four of us) plus a gallon we hid along the way for the return trip. 😉 After a one-hour approach hike along a wash, we reached the sea of sand.



We had to cross it to reach our goal: a strip about 2 km long and 1 km wide that you can explore freely since there’s no marked trail... We entered a few GPS points into our Garmin Etrex, and off we went!!! 😎 It was... magical, enchanting, a true love-at-first-sight moment!



Brain Rock, waves, fine and brittle rock, colors—it goes up, it goes down.







Just thinking about it gives me chills... I remember sitting still for two minutes, taking in these wonders with such emotion that I teared up...

Hello Everyone!!

Is this American West dream finally going to come true? Illness and the loss of loved ones have forced us to cancel this trip several times over the past few years...

Here’s the rough outline I’m sharing with you—feel free to give constructive feedback!!

From April 20, 2025, to May 5, 2025, that’s 14 days on-site excluding flights.

D20: Flight from Lyon to Phoenix, night in Phoenix L21: Phoenix (visit the zoo, city, Apache Trail? The road is apparently closed??) night in Sedona M22: Sedona, night in Sedona M23: Depart for GC, visit GC, night in GC (no accommodation booked yet, same goes for the following visits) J24: Drive to MV, visit MV, night in Mexican Hat or? V25: End of MV, drive to Page, night in Page S26: Page—Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell, night in Page D27: Drive to Bryce, visit Bryce, night? L28: End of Bryce, depart for Zion (I’m wondering if it’s worth visiting Zion at the end of April—since the park is at high altitude, is there a risk of snow? Temperatures?) If we skip Zion, could we plan 2 days for Arches before heading to Bryce? Night in Springdale if Zion, otherwise drive to Valley of Fire, night? M29: Valley of Fire, then drive to LV, night in LV M30: Morning in LV, then drive to Death Valley, night in Furnace Creek? J1: Visit Death Valley, return to LV, night in LV And then we have 3 days left... where should we add them? More time in Arches and Zion? An extra day in Sedona? In Page? We’re not big hikers, so we won’t spend more than a day in each park.

Just to clarify: passports and ESTA are all set!!

Thanks for your advice! Best regards, Christophe

Hello everyone,

What a pleasure to be back on VF after a few difficult years 😎 So, before diving into the topic, welcome back to VF and above all... keep going!

Well, I’m finally picking up my old habit of posting a new travel journal.

Before heading to Mexico in the summer of 2023 with my family (my partner and our two boys, aged 18 and 16), I had somehow convinced myself—though I can’t even remember why—that the Yucatán was too touristy, too cliché, too expensive, and overrated!

The country didn’t particularly appeal to me, but faced with my wife’s insistence—she’d been there years ago, before we met, and had promised to show our sons this incredible place—my arguments didn’t hold much weight.

And thank goodness, because I have to admit she was absolutely right to take us there! In the end, we encountered far fewer tourists than we’d feared (except at a few sites), and the prices, which we’d been told were geared toward American neighbors (US), turned out to be quite affordable. In short, it was pure joy on both counts. All that was left was for the trip itself to be beautiful and memorable—and it was...

1st stop: Isla Holbox and the whale sharks

Holbox (pronounced “Hol-bosh”) is a stunning island where you can relax in an enchanting setting.



Our main goal in coming to Holbox was to swim with whale sharks. So, the first thing we told our hotel, Los Arcos Holbox, upon arrival was to arrange an excursion with one of the island’s many tour operators: Glendy Tours Holbox. We set off the next morning, bright and early.

The itinerary for this outing is the same for all tour operators (and there are about thirty of them!): roughly two hours by speedboat, then snorkeling with the whale sharks, followed by another boat ride to Cabo Catoche for lunch, then more boating to a fish-filled snorkeling spot before heading back. In total, the excursion can take eight hours—or even longer.



Besides my two sons and me, there were only two other clients on board—a French couple. Our boat was one of the very first to leave, but after ten minutes, the pilot got a radio call. We turned back without any explanation, returning to the departure dock.

There, a young woman who clearly fancied herself a diva was waiting for us. She was Mexican and boarded the boat, snubbing all five of us while flirting with the pilot and guide, who were suddenly all eyes for her. We couldn’t understand how this diva had convinced our tour operator to turn the boat around just to pick her up when she hadn’t even booked and we were already far out. We left 20 minutes late.

The two-hour journey passed surprisingly quickly, and for good reason: we spotted dolphins six times! They were leaping out of the water as they moved. Pure joy. We stopped whenever they were near the boat.



The photo isn’t great—the ultra-wide-angle lens on my GoPro makes the dolphins look smaller—but at least I got a souvenir.

A few flying fish (exocets) also glided a meter or two above the water as we sped along. The false start was forgotten, and the day was off to a fantastic start in this stunning marine environment...

When we reached the area where the whale sharks were supposed to be, the guide explained that we’d now have to scan the sea until we spotted one. It could take five minutes or forty-five, he said, and if we were unlucky, we might not see any at all!

An hour and a half later—still nothing! The captain then headed toward a distant area where about twenty other boats were already gathered.

Sure enough, there was a juvenile whale shark (still a good eight meters long) there, and all the boats were lining up to approach it slowly, one by one, so as not to scare the animal. Each boat got about thirty seconds within a few meters of it, engine idling, before making way for the next. We were allowed to approach three times, but we weren’t permitted to dive in. That’s normal—such a crowd of divers around a single animal would stress it out, and here, whale sharks are protected by regulations: swimming with them is strictly controlled. There was even a coast guard boat with us at all times, monitoring everyone’s behavior.

We were torn between the luck of seeing such a magnificent animal, even from the surface, and the discomfort we felt about the absurd situation. All those boats lined up just to catch a fleeting glimpse of the shark for a few seconds—let’s be honest, it was ridiculous. In short, the whole thing was unpleasant, and probably even more so for the shark than for us, though it did keep gulping down kilos of plankton as if nothing were happening...

When it was our turn to approach, I dipped my GoPro into the water at arm’s length and framed the shot blindly, hoping for a decent image of the shark.



On the third and final approach, the sixth passenger on board—the one we’d had to turn back for ten minutes after departure—quietly spoke to the guide and captain after putting on her flippers (even though, I’ll remind you, no one was allowed to dive). She wanted them to ask the coast guard for permission to dive with the shark—just her! She whispered so we couldn’t hear what she was offering in exchange.

The two lackeys complied and shouted the request to the officials in front of all the other boats, with no shame whatsoever. With so many witnesses, the coast guard had no choice but to refuse. The diva wouldn’t let it go and asked them to insist, which they did, but the refusal was firm and final.

On the nearest boats, everyone had heard and was stunned. They openly mocked this bimbo who clearly had no shame. Hidden behind her star sunglasses, she responded with a dismissive smile. Pathetic.

The encounter with the shark ended, and we set off for Cabo Catoche, a site on Holbox Island where we were to have lunch.



We were a little disappointed not to have had the chance to see the usual school of whale sharks (they’re often dozens swimming together!), but that’s nature’s way, and we knew it.

And then, an unlikely stroke of luck: a boat ahead of us was putting divers in the water with a pair of adult whale sharks. We joined them, and while we were putting on our masks and snorkels, the guide briefed us. He said my sons and I would go first, followed by the French couple and the diva.

But Miss World, clearly unhappy with this order, quietly complained to the guide, who eventually switched the order. It didn’t bother us since we’d only get a minute in the water anyway—what’s a minute more or less?

So the three of them got in the water, and a moment later, they were done. My two sons and I, sitting on the edge of the boat with masks on and snorkels in our mouths, were ready to finally take the plunge. But instead of continuing to follow the shark, the captain was suddenly all eyes for Miss Silicone! He even let go of the wheel for a moment to help her back on board.

One of the two sharks had already left minutes earlier, and the second was swimming farther away. Other boats were arriving, and the captain went to join the queue 100 meters from the shark. Soon, even more boats showed up. There were way too many people, the shark left, and diving was no longer possible.

I was, of course, a little disappointed not to have fulfilled my long-time dream of swimming with a whale shark, even briefly. But I was mostly disgusted for my two boys, who had been so excited about it. I told the guide exactly what I thought and asked for compensation—not for missing out on swimming with the shark (you can never guarantee seeing one, nature isn’t at our beck and call), but for clearly skipping our turn to dive. He promised a refund.

At the end of the day, back on land, he dropped us all off, and as he was about to leave, I reminded him about the refund. He agreed again, calmly got back on board, and sped off as if nothing had happened—just him and the captain, two total cowards. I couldn’t believe it.

Of course, back at our hotel (which had booked this tour operator—Glendy Tours), I explained the situation and asked for my refund again. The receptionist called the manager, who arrived with the guide. Our runaway wasn’t so cocky anymore. Inside, I was fuming, but I kept my cool during the discussion that followed.

Right off the bat, I made a point of looking the so-called guide in the eyes while telling him he’d run off like a coward. I did my best to stay calm, speaking clearly, staring him down the whole time, and repeating several times that he was a coward, in front of the manager, who didn’t say a word. The guide had clearly been told by his boss to keep quiet because he didn’t utter a word during the entire twenty-minute conversation.

Anyway, I’ll spare you the details, but in the end, the manager only offered us another excursion the next day as compensation for the “inconvenience.” It was just snorkeling with fish, not another whale shark trip. He admitted their fault, but since we had to leave early the next morning and had other bookings for the rest of the trip, we couldn’t accept. And he refused to refund us.

On Tripadvisor, Glendy Tours has a mediocre rating (3 out of 5), but more importantly, it ranks 29th out of 36 nautical tour operators rated by customers. I was pretty upset with the hotel for booking such an amateur for us.



If you want to swim with whale sharks in Holbox, you might end up with Glendy Tours. And it might go well—I certainly hope so. But given the price of such an excursion (3,000 pesos per person, about 160 €!), I’d still suggest quickly checking online before you go to see which providers have the best ratings. You’ll have a much better chance of things going smoothly with the top-rated ones than with those as poorly ranked as Glendy Tours.

On the other hand, if you’re a beautiful young woman, you can choose them without worry—you’ll get better treatment than the rest of us...

To wrap up this excursion, I have to mention the “respect for nature” angle that all these tour operators highlight. They tell us they respect the whale sharks: only two or three people can dive at a time, and only for a few minutes, so as not to disturb these gentle giants...

We believed them before we left, but that’s not what we saw. When the sharks are hard to find except for one, everyone rushes it, and only the constant presence of the coast guard prevents the tour operators from putting their clients in the water.

Because for the second shark we saw, when the divers from our boat got out of the water and we left to join the queue while it was our turn to dive, other boats quickly arrived and started swarming the poor shark, which eventually left.

In other words, it’s clear these companies only respect the sharks when they’re being watched.

Boat reversing a meter away from a pelican

And for the snorkeling near Cabo Catoche, they attract fish daily by feeding them—a practice that’s normally discouraged. Afterward, these fish can’t feed naturally anymore and become dependent on Glendy Tours and its competitors.

A quick note on the rest of the excursion: Cabo Catoche (the site where we had lunch, on Holbox Island) is the northernmost point of the entire Yucatán. The place is paradise.



On the way back, we spent half an hour snorkeling at a site that turned out to be fish-filled only because the tour operators had the bad habit of feeding the fish. But this practice, which isn’t respectful of nature, is normally discouraged.



Plus, life jackets—like in many places in the Yucatán—are mandatory!!



As divers, we didn’t find the site very interesting, but objectively, it should delight those who aren’t used to putting their heads underwater in beautiful dive spots.

We hated feeling trapped in those life jackets, stuck at the surface, and for me, the highlight was swimming next to a pelican that wasn’t too shy—it was paddling right beside me in green water.

Anyway, it seems we can’t post more than 10 photos at once on VF, so I’ll come back with the rest of the journal in another message. Because after these early trip mishaps, the rest of the journey turned out to be magnificent...