Discussions Envallis took part in

Bonjour,

on avance dans notre projet Brésil de l'an prochain. J'ai différents contacts qui me proposent différents itinéraires, qui se rejoignent tous, mais divergent dans les options proposées pour finir en bord de mer du côté de Salvador 3/4 jours : Morro de Sao Paul(Tinharé), Boipeba ou Imbassai.

On exclue Morro car de ce que j'ai vu ce n'est pas ce qu'on recherche. On veut du chill en bord de plage, des petits restos de bord de mer, et quelques activités pour occuper les ados. Pas des plages à transat et de la musique dans les oreilles. (mais on se trompe peut-être ?😐)

Restent Boipeba ou Imbassai. Très dur pour nous de nous faire un opinion sur l'une ou l'autre. Boipeba est souvent citée et recommandée, mais n'est-ce pas surfait ? Et a part chill au bord de l'eau, qu'y a-t-il à y faire ? Concernant Imbassai, la plage est une page de surf, moins belle sur les photos. Il y a quand même l'air d'y avoir 2/3 trucs à faire dans le coin, mais n'est-ce pas paumé ?

Bref, si certains d'entre vous ont un retour d'expérience de ces deux sites, je suis preneur 😉 Et puis si vous avez une autre option à proposer je prends également 😛

Bonne journée

Hi

For our trip next summer (tentative plan: Rio-Iguazu-Salvador plus a few days at the beach), we're thinking of doing it independently, but I don’t want to waste energy or time on logistics. So I’m looking for an agency that can handle bookings and transfers for us (excluding international flights—I’ve got those covered). Have any of you had good experiences with an agency like this? It’s tough to find one online that doesn’t push guides or tours 😕

Thanks

Hi, We're heading out at the end of the year to join family in Cebu. We're planning to spend a week in the area but are struggling to choose between these 3 islands... Ideally, we'd like to have 2 bases to explore two of them. Have any of you visited all three, and which would you recommend? We're into snorkeling, beautiful excursions, and would also love to connect with locals. And ideally, do all that without too much logistical hassle 😅 Thanks for your experiences/tips!

I don’t know about you, but I’m a huge fan of markets. No matter where I go, in every country or city I visit, I won’t leave without having seen one. I’m mostly talking about food markets. I love the smells, the colors, and watching people from all walks of life stroll around. It’s like a mirror of a country’s culture, and I love soaking it all in.

Thai markets are particularly appealing to me. In my province, there are so many. Maybe more than elsewhere—I’m not sure—but every day, you can find a "Talat Nat." These are traveling markets that set up in specific places on specific days. They only stay open for a few hours. Some attract more shoppers than others because they have more stalls and a wider variety of products. Sometimes, they’re set up in pretty unusual spots: temples, roadside, even on train tracks...

On top of these, there are also markets in the city that stay open all day.

I’d love for you to share your photos of markets, local product stalls, and why not, let’s talk about gastronomy and cuisine too!

I’ll start with my favorite market—it’s 8 kilometers from my place and happens every Tuesday from 2 PM to 5 PM. I never miss a Tuesday unless there’s a downpour... 😉 It’s located in the countryside, in a village famous for its coffee (ThamSing), and inside the grounds of a slightly unusual temple. It’s easy to get to—over the past 10 years, the roads have been paved, which wasn’t the case before and made the trip a bit risky when it rained...

In the first two photos, you’ll see the temple courtyard on a normal day, without the market.

Hey everyone,

After a crazy intense work year, we’re heading off soon to relax for a week in Mauritius.

It’s great to unwind, but it’d be a shame to just lie around on a sun lounger the whole time.

So I grabbed my favorite (little) travel guide, the Lonely Planet, a few days ago, and the picture it paints isn’t exactly inspiring. Word for word: - Pamplemousses Garden: “more or less well-maintained, it’s lost its former glory” - Île aux Cerfs: tourists “flock there in crowds” - Blue Bay Marine Park: “some now call it a morning cemetery” (given the state of the coral garden) - Le Morne Peninsula: “big hotel chains have taken over the beaches”

Not sure what to make of all this :/

Hello everyone!

The September contest “Making a Living on the Street” was won by Philippebrg, followed by Xrctn in second place, and I, the happy bronze medal winner, get to organize October’s challenge.

It’s hot—really hot—caliente! Protect yourselves!

Parasols, umbrellas, sun hats, caps, shemaghs, tents, awnings, curtains, pergolas, sunglasses, sunscreen, trees, bits of cardboard... anything goes to shield yourself from Helios’ rays. Your photo must be taken in a context related to heat (a simple hat out of context won’t cut it).

The rules:

- Photo submissions until Sunday, October 25 at 11:59 PM (Paris time). You can post up to 3 photos, numbered and shared in separate messages, ideally with a short description of the location and the story behind it.

- Voting from Monday, October 26 at 12:01 AM to Saturday, October 31 at 11:59 PM. After the deadline, it’s too late! Please indicate the photo number, the username, and the points awarded: Photo #1 = 3 pts Photo #2 = 2 pts Photo #3 = 1 pt

- All VF members can vote (even those who didn’t submit photos).

- In case of a tie for first place, the winning photo will be the one with the most first-place votes, then second-place votes!

- The lucky winner will earn the admiration of all photo contest participants and the privilege of choosing the theme and organizing November 2026’s photo contest.

For discussions about the theme, check here.

Happy shooting!

Hello hello

It's decided—2027 will be Brazil, in the summer (unless you advise against it 😕). From what I’ve read, the weather’s okay, even if it’s a bit chilly for swimming. We’re going, as always, as a group of four, with our teens. 🙂

We’d be looking at a solid two weeks, at least 14 days on the ground. I’m planning way ahead to nail down an itinerary and book our flight tickets (the prices I’m seeing already are freaking me out…).

From my research, I’ve come across some classic routes: Rio/Iguazu/Paraty/Ilha Grande. Roughly: 4 days in Rio, 2 in Iguazu, 2 in Paraty, and 3 on Ilha Verde. That’d leave us one more stop on the trip.

Since we like to end with a "chill" stop for the kids,

My questions: - Is Ilha Verde worth it this time of year? I’ve read that swimming might not be an option—water’s too cold… So not ideal for a chill/relaxing destination? - How should we round out the trip in the South? São Paulo? Another stop along the Costa Verde? - Wouldn’t it make more sense to head up to the Northeast, where it’s warmer, like Salvador de Bahia?

But Salvador raises other questions: - Are there flights from Iguazu to Salvador? - And for the return to France, would we have to connect through Rio or São Paulo from Salvador? - Any suggestions for places to stay around Salvador?

Thanks for your input—I’m sure I’ll have more questions as I go along. 😉

Hi everyone, We’re planning a one-month trip to the Philippines for two of us, spanning April/May 2027, and we’d love your valuable advice to tell us if our itinerary is realistic or not :) Just so you know, we’re divers and want to take the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course at the start of our trip (which will take up 2 full days) so we can fully enjoy the different dive sites afterward. We also want to limit internal flights as much as possible. Here’s our itinerary: Arrive directly in Cebu Take the ferry to Bohol, head to Panglao Island Diving in Panglao (& PADI training) + visit Bohol Island for 4/5 days We’re wondering about this part of the trip because Panglao Island seems very touristy—what do you think? Would the Camotes Islands, for example, be more interesting? Take the ferry to Siquijor, stay there for 3/4 days (combined with a visit to Apo Island) From Siquijor, return to Cebu to head to Malapascua, stay there for 2/3 days Again, return to Cebu to take a flight to El Nido → So about 12 days in the Visayas Do the El Nido→Coron 3-day/2-night cruise Stay 2/3 days in Coron (combined with Apo Reef) Head to Luzon Island from Coron (by plane or ferry) Visit the Banaue Rice Terraces (if possible) for 3/4 days Return to France from Manila Thanks for your help :)

Hi there, we’ve decided to head to Brazil at the end of March for 2.5 weeks with our 13-year-old son. From what I’ve gathered from some research, Rio seems like a great destination at this time of year, and I’m thinking around 4-5 days to explore it—does that sound right to you? Copacabana, Ipanema, Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer, maybe a favela tour, or any other ideas?

How’s the best way to get around locally? I’ve heard about Bonito or Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande—what do you think of those? Fernando de Noronha for snorkeling or even diving? Is Recife a good option at this time of year?

If you’ve got any suggestions, we’re all ears—it’s for our 50th birthdays! :-) Thanks so much for your help and tips. See you soon.

Hi,

I’d like to book an all-inclusive trip next April. My criteria: 1) no sargassum, 2) 4 stars or higher, 3) ability to snorkel right from the hotel beach, and 4) safe.

Any hotel suggestions?

Thanks so much! Chantchat

Good evening to all you photographers and photo enthusiasts on VF,

This is the place to exchange, debate, chat, philosophize, nitpick, ramble, bicker, and congratulate each other on this month’s theme: "The Street as a Livelihood."

Just a reminder that the photos expected in the contest thread should depict street scenes showing people using the street as a place to earn a living—whether it’s legal work, informal jobs, illegal activities, or begging. In the discussion thread, feel free to be much more open-ended.

Good evening to all you photographers and photo enthusiasts on VF,

So, I’ve chosen this month’s theme: "The Street as a Livelihood". The photos we’re looking for are street scenes showing people who use the street as a place to earn a living—whether it’s legal work, informal jobs, illegal activities, or begging.

The rules:

- Photo submissions until Thursday, September 24 at 11:59 PM (Paris time) You can post up to 3 photos, numbered and posted in separate messages, ideally with a short description of the location and the story behind it.

- Voting from Friday, September 25 at 12:01 AM to Tuesday, September 29 at 11:59 PM. After the deadline, it’s too late! Please indicate the photo number, the username, and the points awarded: Photo #1 = 3 pts Photo #2 = 2 pts Photo #3 = 1 pt

- All VF members can vote (even those who didn’t submit photos).

- In case of a tie for first place, the winning photo will be the one with the most first-place votes, then second-place votes!

- The lucky winner will not only earn the admiration of all September’s photo contest participants but will also get the privilege of choosing the theme and organizing October 2026’s photo contest.

For discussions about the theme, head over here: Discussion thread for September 2026’s theme: "The Street as a Livelihood"

Wishing you all some amazing shots!

Hi, I’m thinking of heading to Malaysia soon. I’ve seen some great prices and direct flights from Paris with Malaysia Airlines. Is it a reliable airline? Thanks for your feedback!

Hey, I’d like to know which hotel in the south doesn’t force you to wake up at 4 AM just to reserve a shady chair, whether it’s at the beach or the pool.

I'm currently planning a trip to Cyprus for late October. I have a few questions: - I plan to visit Nicosia, Paphos, and Ayia Napa. What do you recommend in Ayia Napa? - Is it easy to get around by bus from one city to another? Or do you have any private drivers to recommend? - Do you have any hotels to recommend? Any tips or advice is welcome! Thanks in advance

I hesitated about writing this travel journal... This summer, we only did the classics (the 3 northern parks and Zanzibar) and let a local agency take care of everything from start to finish.

No craziness, no risks, no sleeping under the stars, no self-drive, no venturing off the beaten path, no incidents, and not even any delays in the pre-planned itinerary...

But don’t think we were disappointed! The whole family (there were 6 of us) came back with smiles and memories of great moments spent together. So, if you're looking for a "classic" way to discover Tanzania, this is the place to be.

Our 2-week itinerary: - Arusha (1 night upon arrival) - Tarangire (1 night) - Ngorongoro (2 nights in Karatu then Irmisigiyo) - Serengeti (3 nights in Robanda, Togoro Plains, and Seronera) - Zanzibar Stone Town (1 night) - Zanzibar Matemwe (3 nights) - Zanzibar Jambiani (3 nights)

Hakuna matata!

Hi there, Do you know of any good travel insurance? Usually, I go with the one from the agency. But this time, I want to travel independently, and I'm a bit lost.

Some people told me that when you pay with a credit card, you get the bank's insurance. But after checking with the bank, that's not true. Or else, you have to add an extra option and pay for it monthly.

So, I'm looking for insurance that covers cancellation, repatriation, lost luggage, etc. Thanks for your tips!

Hi, who’s familiar with the Algarve? Lagos—should I go for a rental or a hotel? How do I get from the airport to the seaside, and how do I get around the city? What’s there to see and do? Thanks for your ideas and tips!