Posts by Monday

Like Eric, I applaud your cycling feat and loved the energy of your video—it almost makes us feel like we're on a bike too. And then there are all those spontaneous smiles and sincere laughs that do us so much good, coming from locals living in tough conditions while we keep complaining in the middle of our comfort and privileges. I also discovered Vietnam for the first time in 2005, back when there were practically no cars in Hanoi and very few motorbikes (yes, really!), and I still haven’t grown tired of it, returning often despite the frenzy of the big cities. I hope the charm works its magic on you too. Happy travels!

Yes, sorry, I clearly posted in the wrong discussion. Too late now—I don’t have time to find the right recipient. Catch you later, maybe, on another topic.

While in Nan, there was also an interesting place to discover, MAE SALONG. There's a paragraph about this small town in an old 2009 Lonely Planet guide. We went there in December 2023, but transportation was a bit complicated. To get there, we first took a bus to Chiang Rai. Upon arriving in Chiang Rai, there were no buses to Mae Salong, 80 km away... I'm sure things have improved since then. But we had to take a taxi arranged by a bus station employee. The driver had never been to that area and didn’t realize the distance or how difficult the road was. So he charged us way less than he should have, especially since he had to return to Chiang Rai afterward. The road is good until Mae Caen, then narrow and winding for the remaining 40 km. Beautiful scenery along the way. It took 3 hours and 30 minutes.

When we arrived late, we checked into the hotel we had booked, Hill Top Home, which included breakfast. Rice soup, fried eggs, fritters, cantaloupe toast, blackberries, soy milk, coffee, tea... fantastic. 35 € per night.

The area is typically Chinese: most of the inhabitants are descendants of a Kuomintang regiment that fled China in 1949. Chinese hotels, Chinese restaurants, signs in Chinese. Even the school is half-Thai, half-Chinese. The village seems prosperous and surrounded by tea and coffee plantations. Very few tourists, only Chinese travelers in small groups of four by car, and they don’t stay overnight. We only met one foreigner during our stay, a Chinese guy from California 😉.

The next day, we did a 15 km loop hike starting from the village at 1,700 meters and going up to 2,500 meters, with multiple climbs and descents. Almost the entire time along the paved road, but very few cars. Beautiful views of the hills and valley. Some tea plantations that weren’t very well maintained. Apparently, farmers are shifting to coffee cultivation. Several small temples or large Buddhist pagodas to visit, sometimes after steep climbs.

We passed through the "Veterans Village," with architecture typically Chinese. Founded in the 1950s by Chinese soldiers from a Kuomintang regiment fleeing the CCP. The land was given by Thailand in this remote mountainous area where everything had to be built from scratch. Thanks to the hard work of these inhabitants and help from Taiwan, they turned this once-jungle-covered, remote area into a prosperous region. Well, tomorrow we’re heading back to Chiang Rai, and still no bus or taxi. The hotel owner found us a songthaew that will take us directly to Chiang Rai.

I'm really late to this travel journal because I just got back from a long trip where I didn't check the forum at all. But now, what do I see? A story from my favorite Ardennes local, who's so talented at making us laugh. So I read it all in one go, even the congratulations. And I also say bravo and thank you.

Just to clarify, we’re not bikers at all—we’re hikers. So I have no idea about those little constraints for bikers or whether the accommodations mentioned can help you out.

Hi there, There are plenty of decent hotels on this loop. Just search on booking.com, for example. Below are the ones we stayed at.

- Ha Giang: Huong Thao 2 hotel - Dong Van: Hoang Ngoc - Yen Minh: Thao Nguyen - Meo Vac: Tien Cuong - Bao Lac: Duc Tai - Cao Bang: Hotel Jeanne - Lang Son: Van Xuan

It’s a beautiful region—you’re going to love it.

In most highly touristy countries around the world, as soon as you stray a few hundred meters from the "must-see" spots—whether on foot or by bike—you find yourself in the real local life. This holds true for the countryside, forests, and even urban areas.

I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic time in Vietnam.

Why not alternate backpacking days in the north and then take an Open-Bus trip to the south from Hanoi? There are tickets valid for 1 month, and you can stop wherever you choose—just book the next leg (up to the day before). The trip can be done during the day or at night in a sleeper berth. Kids love it. It’s super cheap.

At each stop, you can rent bikes for wonderful rides. Here are my recommendations:

- Ninh Binh - Hoa Lu - Tam Coc - or even further - Hue and surroundings, right bank and left bank - Da Nang - The Bridge - China Beach (watch out for traffic) - Hoi An along the paths through the rice fields - by the beach - the islands - Nha Trang - city and seaside - Buon Ma Thuot - Lak Lake (inland) - Mekong Delta - My Tho - Ben Tre - Vinh Long - Soc Trang

All this doesn’t stop you from other discoveries on foot.

Well, we finally managed to buy 2 entry tickets online for the Machu Picchu site. There were no spots left for May 20th or the following days. There were 2 spots left for May 19th at 3 PM, which we immediately took by adjusting our schedule a bit.

All this to say it’s good news because it means the access road has been repaired and everything is back to normal. Safe travels to you all! Danielle

Hi Alain, I’m jumping on this post because, like you, we’re heading to Peru for three weeks in May. We’ve already got our flight tickets and booked all our accommodations for the trip. But today, when we tried to buy entry tickets for Machu Picchu, we found out that the access road to the site entrance collapsed over an 8-meter stretch, taking trees with it… which led to the road and site being closed indefinitely.

We’ll be there on May 20th, so in two months. For now, online ticket purchases are blocked. Do you know any other trick to make sure we get two spots for circuit 2B on the day?

Another great site for traveling to China is trip.com because, like other booking sites, it offers flights, accommodations, and on top of that, trains.

Yes, that's right. The easiest way is to buy a train ticket on 12go Asia, Kunming/Hekou/Lao Cai. It won’t even cost you 20 €. For extra proof that you’re leaving China, book your first hotel in Vietnam and show your train and hotel confirmations at Roissy and at the Chinese customs checkpoint (if asked).

What a huge pleasure it is, thanks to this forum, to be able to dream again through this travel journal of places we've been or to pick up interesting tips for others we don't yet know. So thank you all for treating us, and a big thank you to the forum for coming back to life.

I don’t live in Vietnam, but a few years ago I was there when a typhoon hit Hoi An. It uprooted centuries-old trees and flooded houses up to the first floor. Yet, it only took the locals 3 or 4 days to restore everything and welcome tourists again—impressive! So, like you, I trust the resilience of these places and plan to return soon to these Southeast Asian countries where I feel so at home.

Yeah, I’m thinking about it for this winter. I was just worried about the news I’d read recently. But I know how incredibly resilient people in Asia are when it comes to bouncing back from events like these.

Your reply reassures me, thank you so much. I was mainly concerned about Laos, but I’ve also received reassuring updates from some contacts.

Thanks, that’s nice! Maybe others will have more info.

Thanks Luan for the quick reply, but that’s not quite what I was asking. I’m also pretty familiar with these countries, but I was wondering what the state of accommodations and infrastructure in general is like after this year’s terrible floods.

Does it seem feasible and reasonable to travel to Laos (or Cambodia) as early as January or February 2025? I don’t have any precise information about the damage these countries have suffered.

Ça s'appelle Tournes à 7km de Charleville.

Oui, je connais bien, je suis originaire d'un village qui s'appelle Les Ayvelles, L.A. pour les intimes... 😉 C'est à 5 km de Charleville...

Je connais mieux tous les villages à l'ouest de Charleville entre Warcq et Rocroi, ou alors, bien sûr, la vallée de la Meuse pour les balades.😊 Je suis passée à proximité des Ayvelles, sans m'y arrêter, des centaines de fois en venant ou en retournant à Trèves en Allemagne où j'ai vécu une vingtaine d'années. On venait chez mes grand-parents, à Tournes, pratiquement tous les 15 jours.