Posts by Perceneiges

Hi there. You could travel lighter. We just got back from a month in the Dominican Republic with just 32 kg for two masks and snorkels. Plus, my suitcase was inside my husband’s for the return trip. We could’ve packed even less.

The Gilis and Trawangan are amazing for turtles and all, but bring earplugs—there are now three mosques on Meno and Air, and the coral areas have the same issue. They’re *very* early risers.

Have a great trip!

Seraya is Flores, my mistake. To see the **komodo dragons**, on Rinca we saw quite a few, and it’s much closer than Komodo and cheaper too.

Hi there, in Bali for snorkeling, there are amazing Good Karma bungalows in Amed. On the right when facing the sea, there are corals, and if you're a strong swimmer, you can go see the sunken boat at the bottom. But watch out on the way back—the currents can be quite strong, and you’ll need to paddle hard. Near Singaraja, at Lovina Beach, about 1 km from the center, head right for beachfront bungalows and corals you can reach from the shore. On the other hand, the Gilis have incredible marine life with turtles, etc., but before there were no mosques, and now they’re everywhere, making it hard to sleep. However, if you head to Timor, there’s Seraja Island—absolutely stunning. In Borneo, Pulau Mabul Island is awesome. Happy travels!

USD, but if you're coming from Europe, euros work too. Don’t exchange money at the airport in the middle of nowhere—the exchange rate is better elsewhere. Some French locals there told me that. We’re leaving on Friday. Have a great trip!

Hi there, could you share Alain’s contact details if you have them? We’re leaving this Friday for Punta Cana on a direct flight from Zurich—one month on a meet-up with an SUV rental. 1 night in Punta Cana (not all-inclusive) and 8 days in Bayahibe at a French woman’s apartment, which is super cheap. We’ll figure out the rest as we go. Thanks for your comments! Cheers, Perceneige

Hi there. I was wondering if your trip to China went well? We spent 7 fabulous months there without a car. My husband wanted to get his license, wasted several days, took the test in French—100 questions, failed. It was old-fashioned French. The next day, he was able to retake it in German, same thing, and that’s his native language—questions were incomprehensible. The big boss told him: "If you were Belgian, you would’ve passed, but not as a Swiss." The translator didn’t understand anything either. Buses and trains were great though.

Hi there, it was an amazing trip, but renting a car is something to think about. We traveled there for 7 months and driving was impossible. My husband tried to get the permit—total nightmare—and after 2 weeks of tests, the big boss told him... "If you were Belgian, you’d have the permit, but since you’re Swiss, no way." I was relieved because they drove like crazy. But that was 12 years ago. Things have certainly changed, but the trains are great and the buses work really well. I’m nostalgic for this beautiful country. Have a great trip

Hi there, not Sardinia yet—we’ll go between November and February. We have a vineyard that my husband decided to work on. Before, we used to travel around the world for 9 to 11 months at a time. But that’s done and dusted now. We ordered our V114 in 2019 and received it in May 2020, luckily while we were stuck in Thailand. It was like the late 1980s—so good! We really had a knack for timing when we bought it. So this empty year and this camper van made us change our plans. There’s plenty to do in Europe. Best wishes and happy spring.

Hi there. Corsica in December–January is absolutely amazing. We slept all over the place, even where camping was prohibited by signs. In Bonifacio, we went through the forbidden tunnel and slept at the top of the fort, thanks to a tip from a local Corsican. I should also mention that at the beginning of December, we had a new 4kW battery installed. With our original solar panels. So we no longer need electricity—we can charge bike batteries, dry our hair, keep the heating on, and even without using it much, we managed from February to March in freezing weather just by leaving the heating on. It’s been fantastic. The designer himself has an induction cooker. For water, I bought Micropur online—it was cheap and good for 50,000 liters. Wishing you a great summer and happy travels!

Hello. Normally, to be in order, you need to put it in a free zone—this is the case in most countries, e.g., Panama. Or, you can leave it with a friend, and in that case, customs will seal the vehicle with a deposit guarantee in a bank, e.g., Argentina. And be careful, because in Europe, there’s the eco sticker. Check out the green-zone app. And stupidly, each country has its own system—a campervan owner got fined 150 € on the Antwerp ring road. For France, for example, you need one just to drive through Grenoble, etc. Plus, it depends on pollution peaks with signs at city entrances: green, orange, or red. And the sticker isn’t the same for petrol, diesel, or electric vehicles, or even the year. You can get it at customs or the police station—it’s not very expensive. Safe travels.

Hello. I just read your message, which only talks about dogs and very little else about Thailand. The first time I went there was in 1987, then again in 1988. There were mangy dogs everywhere, and it was pretty rough. Since then, they’ve eliminated a large number of them. I returned in 2007 with a one-year visa, and it wasn’t dogs that were overrunning the place anymore—it was tourists. The islands where we used to go with fishermen were gone, replaced by packed boats. 2008 was the same, and then until 2019, I traveled all over Asia—Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, 13 months in Indonesia—long story short. In 2019, I went back to Thailand and rented a car for five months to explore the North/Northeast. It was magnificent. To wrap things up, we got stuck in the country because of Covid. It was amazing—no one around. I rented a motorbike, and it felt like a return to 1987-88. Shops, goods in abundance, fruit vendors in the streets. And no dogs trying to nip at our calves. Wishing you great future travels. For us now, it’s Europe in a camper van. We got a taste for it in Australia—we bought a Hilux camper 4x4 and traveled around for two years and four months. It was incredible. Cheers, Monique

Hi there! You should visit Corsica off-season. We spent 3 weeks there from December to January 2024-2025. Slept absolutely everywhere—even in Bonifacio, right at the top of the fort, thanks to some Corsican advice. We even drove through the tunnel that’s off-limits to campers.

Did the whole loop, explored the center, and even made sea buckthorn jam. In short, the weather was gorgeous—between 15°C and 18°C—just perfect. Always found water. The best part? We’ve got a 4 kW battery. Sardinia is next on the list. Cheers, Monique

Hi there. You're right, a car is great. We were there in 2011 with a rental car for 3 months. Since it was $60 per day, we bought a futon, sleeping bag, thermos, etc., and from January 11th to April 10th, we slept 54 nights in the vehicle. The rest of the time, we stayed in business hotels using a card that gave us the 11th night free for every 10 nights. Every evening, we found onsens. It was amazing.

Right now, you’ll benefit from the exchange rate—the yen has dropped.

At Tokyo airport, don’t rent from Hertz—they’re jerks and were charging $1000 extra for snow tires. Nissan included brand-new snow tires.

Safe travels, and if you hear music while driving, it’s just your tires on the tarmac. Cheers, Monique

Hi there! Corsica is amazing. We’ve just returned from 3 weeks with our 114 van. We installed a 4 kW battery with 220V—so good! We’re the first customers of a company that’s going places.

Corsica was our battery test. In December and January, we were able to sleep anywhere camping was banned. Temperatures were between 16 and 18°C, even 24°C one day.

We bought a 10-trip pass for the St. Bernard Tunnel. Instead of 48.50 €, it cost us 27.10 € by paying in euros (it’s 290 CHF or 290 € otherwise).

At 2 p.m., we entered the tunnel, and by 5 p.m., we’d passed Genoa and were sleeping near La Spezia, not far from the port.

The next day, we were in Livorno and bought a ticket for the following day—round trip for 495 €. The journey takes 4.5 to 5 hours, and no cabin is needed.

We started our tour with Cap Corse. In Macinaggio, there are showers for 2 €. We did the full loop, then Corte and the Col de Vergio. Gorgeous! When we arrived in Porto Ota, on the left side of the river, you can refill water at the port—there’s even a hose.

We travel using Park4Night and Maps.me.

The Corsicans are really friendly, and in May-June, it won’t be crowded.

Happy travels! Monique

Hello there. Since you have experience in Corsica and I think Sardinia, could you let me know if I can trust the Park4Night app? There are plenty of free spots, but you mentioned that wild camping isn’t allowed. We have a Vany 114, 5.99 m long, self-contained with a 4 kW battery. We’re planning to be there around December 16 or 17, 2024, doing both islands, with a return no later than January 1, 2025. We’re around your age and not used to traveling for such a short period. But I absolutely must be back in Switzerland by January 3, 2025, for an 8 AM meet-up. We just want to escape the holidays. Thanks, and have a great day. Monique

Hello, we’ve traveled through Malaysia several times, totaling about 2 years with rental cars. It’s the better option because you can also go to Borneo, Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei. With a rental car. For Thailand, it was the same—around 2 years total, and our last trip was 5 months in 2019–2020. 600 THB per day. Not counting the flight, we spent about 26 CHF per person per day covering the vehicle, gas, hotels, food, visits, etc. I’ve never seen camper vans for rent or sale in either of these countries. Hotels and guesthouses aren’t very expensive. We bought a 4x4 camper van for Australia and used it for 2 years and 4 months across 3 trips. Then we bought a car in Mexico to go back multiple times—an friend kept it for us. For India, I haven’t been in a camper van, but the people I know who’ve done it came with their own from Europe, either by boat or container. Happy travels! Cheers, Daisy

Bonjour, un conseil, ne planifiez pas trop, même pour 2022. Avec le Covid, il y aura certainement de grands changements, ces prochaines années. Question visas etc. Nous ne pouvons même pas, de la Suisse aller trouver nos amis en France. Une amie du midi veut venir, elle doit faire la quarantaine. 10 jours sans sortir. On ne sait pas si c'est chez elle ou en Suisse. Avec notre camping car, nous ne pouvons tourner qu'en Suisse. Les pays se ferment les uns après les autres. Attendez au moins mi 2021 pour voir ou ça en est. Bonne chance. Amitiés de la Suisse.

Bonjour Marathon. Si vous demandez des visas en France ou en Suisse, effectivement c'est pas gagné. Nous n'aurions jamais eu 2 ans pour la Chine. Mais, en faisant le tour du monde, il faut demander le visa dans le pays où on se trouve, pour le suivant, bien plus facile. Mais avec le Covid. Tout est chamboulé. Plus rien comme avant. Donc au jour le jour. Bon voyage

Bonjour, vu la situation actuelle, tout est chamboulé, certains pays se ferment aux touristes et sutres. En temps normal, Malaisie 3 mois à la frontière. Thaïlande 1 mois ou demande de visa pour 6 mois à l'ambassade, nous venons de faire 5 mois location de voiture neuve Thaï rent car le moins cher 16 € par jour, Laos 1 mois Myanmar demande de visa à l'ambassade ou par le net. Visa à l'ambassade, Vietnam 1 mois, on a pas pu y aller avec notre véhicile, laissé au Laos. L'indonésie 1 mois ou 2 en payant 2x et attente 10 j ou demande pour 1 an, ce qui nous a pris du temps 750 $ US par pers. Arnac totale, mais nous avons pu visiter 20 îles. Intéressant car il y a des ferries ou bateaux qui font toutes les îles. Cambodge 1 mois à la frontière. Philippines 1 mois mais en insistant on peut avoir 2 mois. La Chine très spécial, à Kuala lumpur ça n'est pas à l'ambassade, mais à la banque de Chine. Nous sommes arrivés à 11h, et pour avoir le visa le même jour vers 16h il faut y aller à 8h du mat, On a insisté pour l'avoir à 16h, on a payé 2x express, pas cher. On a noté 1 an, pour peut-être avoir 3 mois. La dame nous a dit que 2 ans c'était le même prix. Pas cher, Et voilà 2 ans avec multiples entrées à chaque fois 180 jours. Franchement, avec un camping car vous allez manquer beaucoup de choses. Les transports d'une île à l'autre pas facile. Pas toujours des ferries pour véhicules. Location d'une voiture pour 4 mois à Jakarta 12 € par jour, ah! Corée du sud 3 mois gratuit location de voiture 18 € jour. Japon 3 mois gratuit, location de voiture 60 $ US par jour un paquet pour 3 mois, mais dormi 54 nuit dedans le top. + business hôtel avec une carte 10 nuit et 1 gratuit. En Asie à part le Japon les hôtels pas cher, entre 12€ et 20€ la nuit, les repas 4 à 6 € voir moins des fois même souvent. Nous avons fait 2 ans et 4 mois l'Australie avec achat d'un camping car 4x4 et revendu. 52'000 kms. Là OK Ici nous avons un bus camping Fiat Ducato. Mais si nous voulions refaire l'Asie nous ferions pareil, location sur place. Moto 3 à 4€ par jour. Bonne chance et pour nous, 1 ère année que nous allons rester par ici cet hiver, à cause des frontières fermées ou qui vont fermer. Cà sera au jour le jour

Bonjour, nous sommes de grands voyageurs entre 5 et 11 mois par an, près de 60 pays visités. Et pas 2 semaines, ex: Australie 2 ans et 4 mois, Chine 7 mois etc. Mais mais....pour cette année et peut- être la suivante c'est cuit à cause du COVID 19. Mais pas pour visiter notre propre pays et voir ceux qui nous acceptent. Bonne route. Amitiés Monique