Discussions started by Noraz

Hi, July 2026: I’m writing to you from Dali. First, I got scammed on Booking—AI-retouched photos. No tourists at this hotel (Yishanju Designer Hotel), and the reality was horrible: dirty, with a disgusting breakfast. It’s better to use Trip.com here. Next, the old town was an infernal cacophony, packed with tourists who shoved past without a care. Some vendors harassed you to buy things. All the stalls sold the same cheap plastic junk or other uninteresting stuff. The beautiful scenery was ruined by vendors lining 100% of the alleys. Impossible to walk, crushing heat, nothing good to eat except fresh fruit. Horrible experience. Day 2: We went to Cangshan Mountain by cable car—the ride was short and nothing spectacular. We were at 2,600 m. My plan was to see Erhai Lake. Unfortunately, I followed the advice of an AI chatbot: take the boat at Langkan Dock. The Didi dropped us off in the nearest area, which was full of charming little alleys but packed with Chinese tourists. The three-wheeled yellow cabs zoomed through the narrow streets, forcing you to hug the walls, on top of the scooters and other pedestrians to deal with. Crossing the neighborhood was hellish and suffocating. Once out, we hit the "corniche," which was also packed with Chinese tourists. The lake’s edge was all pebbles, and everyone was standing around taking photos. I was with my 5-year-old son. I would’ve liked to sit down and let him play with stones by the water, but it was clear we didn’t belong. They were even shoving each other for a shot! There were no boats in sight. In short, we’d had enough, and there was nothing interesting there either. On the way back, we had to cross that maze again under the scorching sun. My son was braver than me—I even had a little dizzy spell from all the chaos. Add to that Dali’s altitude (2,200 m), so altitude insomnia, fatigue, and vulnerability during the day... The restaurants weren’t inviting—the staff served sticky rice in a little bucket. The dishes were wrapped, and you had to figure it out yourself. After that, they ignored you completely, even if you were the only tourist. On the 3rd day, it was time to leave for Shaxi. I hope to see beautiful villages. But honestly, I’m exhausted by this atmosphere where everything is complicated, communication is never smooth, noise is everywhere, and the behavior of some Chinese people is abusive... Silver lining: not a drop of rain in 4 days and blue skies.

I couldn’t visit the villages in southern Yunnan because of rain and storms there... But I was expecting to see a few more tourists.

Hi, I’m traveling with my 5-year-old son this summer to Northern Thailand, Northern Vietnam, Yunnan, and Indonesia. I plan to equip him with a GPS tracker, but the SIM cards come with a contract. Do you know what the options are in Asia? Thanks, Nora

Bonjour,

Je prévois un circuit en solo (femme) en Azerbaidjan/Georgie pour mi-octobre de Baku à Tbilissi.

- Ces pays sont-ils dangereux en tant que femme seule ? (surtout l'Azerbaidjan) - Ce trajet en train est-il toujours pratiquable? Quelles sont vos expériences? - Connaissez-vous la météo à cette période? - Combien de temps prend l'obtention du visa pour l'Azebaidjan? Je n'ai pas de lettre d'invitation, je vais donner 2 premières nuits de réservation d'hôtel. Est-ce ok? - L'embassade de Géorgie me confirme que le poste fontière est ouvert aux nationalités francaises. Est-ce vrai? - Quels itinéraires me conseillez-vous ? Vos bons plans/bonnes adresses sont les bienvenus. - J'ai hésité entre un circuit : Azerbaidjan/Géorgie et Géorgie/Arménie? Quelles sont vos impressions/avis sur ces 3 pays?

Merci beaucoup pour vos infos précieuses!! Nora