Discussions Xrctn took part in

Hello everyone!

I’m planning an 18-day trip to Bali between June 12th and 30th. I’ve been to Bali twice before, in 1981 and 1982, but I know it’s changed a lot since then. I have a rough itinerary in mind but I’m open to tweaking it based on any advice I can get:

- Arriving the evening of June 12th, 2 nights in Sanur. Not because I’m particularly attached to Sanur, but just to rest a bit before heading further; - 3 nights in Lovina; - 3 nights in Ubud; - 2 nights in Kintamani (I remember being blown away by the view of the giant caldera!); - 2 nights in Besakih; - 1 night in Sidemen; - 3 nights in Candi Dasa; - 2 nights back in Ubud to wrap up, in case we’ve made any purchases or have shopping plans. By shopping, I mean handicrafts (fabrics, batik, etc.), and I think Ubud is the perfect place for that.

I’m a bit unsure about public transport, especially for getting from Kintamani down to Candi Dasa via Besakih and Sidemen.

We’re traveling as a couple—I forgot to mention that! We’re seasoned travelers and used to packing light. Also, I speak pretty good Bahasa Indonesia, having lived in Indonesia a long time ago!

What do the ‘experts’ think?

Hi, Is it useful to rent a car from Puerto Princesa to get to El Nido? Are there any nice stops along the way? I read that once you arrive in El Nido, most of the beaches and sights are accessed by boat, so I'm wondering if this rental is really worth it... Thanks for your help

Hello, Following our trip on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route this summer, we’re sharing our experience in this travel journal. We’re Richard and Bernadette, both 64 years old, and we’re gravel bike-packing cyclists. We’ve completed several gravel bike trips in France and neighboring countries, and Richard has also done some in South America. We left on July 22, 2026, from Geneva to Calgary via Frankfurt with our bikes carefully packed in boxes, and we returned on October 8 from El Paso to Geneva via Chicago and Frankfurt.

The GDMBR is a mountain route that closely follows the Pacific/Atlantic continental divide, starting in Banff, Canada, and ending at the Mexican border in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. This crossing of the American West is one of the longest mountain biking routes in the world, winding through wild valleys, mountain ranges, and desert plateaus. It stretches about 4,400 km with a total elevation gain of around 60,000 m. The average altitude is 2,000 m, and the highest point reaches 3,600 m. The route is 80% off-pavement (gravel roads, dirt, and a few trail segments). It’s also known for the annual Tour Divide race, which brings together the best riders in the discipline every June and follows roughly the same route.

We prepared for this trip over several months, using a few websites and an older guidebook (the 2013 English edition).



With this, we were able to organize our journey with as much information as possible, a GPS track, and gear suited to the weather conditions, terrain, and sparse resupply points in remote areas.

Once we arrived in Banff, we picked up bear spray to handle a particular challenge: the wildlife we weren’t familiar with.



After landing in Calgary, we assembled and equipped our bikes at the airport. That first evening, we were welcomed by Mike, who invited us to his place when we were looking for a spot to pitch our tent. Then we made our way to Banff over two days, taking a fairly quiet road to Canmore and then a bike path.



A visit to Banff, a charming tourist town in the national park. Its famous Fairmont Hotel.



The starting point of the GDMBR at the arch of this hotel complex.



Here we are, immersed in the wilderness—just a few pedal strokes away from the town, the contrast is striking. Powerful rivers, vast landscapes, and our first encounter with a mule deer.



Spray Lake, our first basic campsite: no showers, dry toilets, no water fountain—we filter lake water. Most GDMBR campsites are like this.





We took the west side of the lake—a longer and wilder route. A few fallen trees blocked the path, forcing us to carry our bikes. But the stunning landscapes made it all worth it!



Our first single track through a forest marked by past wildfires.





Most campgrounds have tables and metal fire rings for safe campfires, which makes setting up camp much easier—especially nice after a long, tiring day! During this trip, we mostly slept in our tent, either in established campgrounds or wild bivouacs.

To be continued...

Here you can post off-topic photos, chat, have fun, ask questions, talk tech... Hope you'll like this theme! 🙂

The contest is here

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!

Hi there, I’m explaining our situation—my daughter and her young family have just moved to Polynesia, specifically to the island of Raiatea. That’s great, of course, and my wife and I are planning to visit them. However, flights that go through the United States are causing us a problem because we’ve been to Cuba. I think we’ll need a visa because of that. Has anyone else dealt with this situation before? Any advice on flights and visas would be really helpful. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

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!

Hello,

Our daughter has gone to Sydney, and we’d love to spend the end-of-year holidays with her. The plan is to leave from Paris or Brussels and break up the trip with a 3- or 4-day layover to "split" the journey in two. Then head back to Sydney, explore the East Coast in a van, celebrate Christmas and New Year’s in Sydney, and finally return to France with another layover.

My questions: Which city should we choose for the layover (we’ve already visited Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and would like to see a different city)? Both on the way there and back? Which agency should we rent a van from? What sites should we visit on the East Coast?

If you’ve done this kind of trip before and have any tips or advice, I’d love to hear them.

Thanks

Pressed for time due to a full house of kids, grandkids, and cats, I decided to go with a general theme. Everyone has photos of religious buildings, so architectural variety is guaranteed. Just a reminder—I’m asking for exterior shots only, either wide-angle or detailed views.

Phanom Rung, Thailand Wat Phra Keo, Bangkok

Abu Simbel

Quimper

Venice

Istanbul

Khiva, Uzbekistan

Since I don’t have time to come up with an original theme, I’m suggesting a broad, international topic: religious buildings around the world. Given how vast the subject is, I’d like us to focus on photos of exteriors—wide shots or details. Interiors, which are just as varied, could be the subject of another contest.

A few of my own photos, just to give you an idea:

This trip had been on my mind for about fifteen years.

But the discomfort of overnight stays, the difficulty of communication, and the prices of the few car rental options kept making me postpone the project.

And then, everything suddenly fell into place—I told myself, it’s time!

The preparations took longer than usual; the destination is still far from mainstream.

A bit of Kazakhstan? Not in the end.

The south or not the south? Yes, in the end.

Pre-book or go with the flow? Only two stops were a leap into the unknown.

To help me find the ideal route, I made great use of this forum (thanks to everyone for patiently answering my questions!), pored over travel journals and blogs (Christian, Jeff), zoomed in on Google Maps and Yandex, and bought the guide published by OunTravela about this destination (the guide has been updated since).

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You’ve got your passport, international driver’s license, bank cards, and euros?

Off we go to Lyon—just one night left before our early morning flight.

Tomorrow night, we’ll be sleeping in Bishkek! (Steak for my partner’s mischievous nephews...)



You’ll find here a post with some practical information.

And here, the version of the travel journal without comments.

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As a supplement, the route track. Not necessarily ultra-accurate since Google has serious gaps for this destination...

From Bishkek to Karakol:



From Karakol to Kochkor:



From Kochkor to Baetov:



From Baetov to Kara-Köl:



From Kara-Köl to Bishkek:

This is where you can chat about bridges... let’s get the conversation started! 😊

The theme for this July’s photo contest is: Bridges of the World

Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon

Here’s the definition of a bridge: “A structure, typically made of stone, wood, or metal, that spans a depression or obstacle (such as a transportation route or waterway) by connecting the two sides or crossing over the obstacle.”

Viaducts, aqueducts, and footbridges will all be accepted.

Millau Viaduct

To allow for as many original photos as possible, the bridge can be photographed from the side, below, or above—the main thing is that it’s the focal point of the image.

Bridge in the Algarve

Pont du Gard from below

Details are also welcome, as long as you can still recognize it’s a bridge 😊

Brooklyn Bridge

Practical details:

Participation: Each VF member can submit up to 3 photos, until Sunday, 26/07 at 11:59 PM Paris time. Each photo must be posted in a separate message, with its number (1, 2, or 3). Don’t forget to add a little explanation (comment, location, etc.).

Voting: Each VF member can vote for the 3 photos they consider the best, based on their own criteria and the theme.

Voting will take place from Monday, 27/07 to Friday, 31/07 at 11:59 PM Paris time.

Selected photos should be listed in order of preference: - 1st photo: 3 points - 2nd photo: 2 points - 3rd photo: 1 point

The winner is the photographer whose photo receives the most points.

Results will be announced on 01/08. In case of a tie, the number of first-place votes will decide. The winner will have the honor of organizing August 2026’s contest.

Photos that have already been nominated (1st, 2nd, or 3rd place) in another contest are not eligible to participate in this one.

This thread is exclusively for contest submissions. Any discussions or comments should be posted in the following thread: Here

Hi there!

I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.

Let’s start with the shotengai...



Our first "wow" moment came as we stepped out of the subway in Asakusa, the Tokyo neighborhood where we’d booked our hotel for our first five nights. Exhausted after our long flight, we finally arrived and took an exit that led straight into a shotengai—one of those covered shopping streets that pop up in city centers and flourished between the 1950s and 1980s.

It was an instant aesthetic shock, like a close encounter of the third kind between the modern city, a typical Asian market with its street stalls, the vintage vibe of the arcade, the sheer abundance of goods, and the bustling crowd—a mix of tourists, pilgrims (thanks to nearby Senso-ji Temple), and locals (it’s a very working-class area). In the end, it set the tone for a feeling we’d experience throughout the trip. Wherever we went, shotengai turned out to be fantastic spots for finding little restaurants, shops, or even fresh produce. Some are like real mazes, like in Kyoto, where we spent ages trying to relocate a restaurant we’d loved ;-)

In Kanazawa, the Omicho Market: And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:

To be continued...

This is where we chat.

Hello,

It might not be very original, but I see it hasn’t been suggested—or at least not for a very long time. I’d like to invite you to discover the beauty of the great outdoors through landscape photos. Whether they’re desert, sea, countryside, or mountain scenes—with or without other elements (people, buildings, animals, etc.)—they should make us want to dive right in without hesitation.

To participate: Photo submissions until Wednesday, June 24 at 11:59 PM You can post up to 3 photos, numbered and shared in separate messages, along with a short description of the place and the story behind it.

To vote: from Thursday, June 25 at 12:01 AM to Monday, June 29 at 11:59 PM After the deadline, it’s too late!

Please include the photo number, 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 get to organize July 2026’s photo contest.

For discussions about the theme, it’s here: Discussion thread for June 2026’s theme: Such a Beautiful Landscape

Good luck to everyone!

Philippe

Chumphon, Thailand: Doi Tapang

Hello everyone,

I’m sharing the menu posted at the entrance of a bar at the foot of the Porto Tower in Southern Corsica. . .

. .

Greetings and have a great Sunday.

Puma2A . .



...

Hello

This month’s photo contest theme for May 2026 is "Staircases"

Plural or singular? Does it really matter as long as you’re told you’ve gone up or down them well?

Anyway, it’s not that complicated, even though I’m sure some will manage to overcomplicate it—after all, why keep things simple when making them complicated is so much more fun (as an Indian proverb goes).

To participate: Submit your photos until Monday, May 25 at 11:59 PM You can post up to 3 photos, numbered and shared in separate messages, along with a short description of the location and the story behind it.

To vote: From Tuesday, May 26 at 12:01 AM until Saturday, May 30 at 11:59 PM After the deadline, it’s too late.

Please include the photo number, 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 get to organize June 2026’s photo contest.

For discussions about the theme, click here: Discussion thread for May 2026’s theme: Staircases

If you’ve already posted your three photos in the contest thread Staircases: May 2026 Photo Contest Theme and a fourth one comes to mind, you can ease your staircase obsession here.

A few examples of staircases:



Some of the 6,600 steps on the staircase leading to the summit of Jade Emperor Peak at 1,545 meters.



Emergency staircase at the Orléans library (France).



Brussels street artist Créons incorporates the staircase into the dress design of his character.



The staircase is part of the roof of Villa Malaparte (Adalberto Libera) on the island of Capri (Italy).