Results for "Archéologie+et+Lisbonne+|+9+>+225"
4719 results found.
Votre avis sur itinéraire de trois semaines en Thaïlande English translation pending
Salut,
Durant 3 semaines en novembre, je vais partir en Thaïlande avec ma meilleure amie. J’aurai besoin de vos conseils sur l’itinéraire que je prépare et connaître les fêtes principales durant cette période. Surtout si vous avez d’autres lieux à me conseiller, ou des rectification sur l’itinéraire choisi, merci de me l’informer. ;-)
· 1er jour : BANGKOK Visites : Le grand palais et les différents temples. Est-ce que la maison de Jim Thompson vaut le coup de visiter ? En ce qui concerne les matchs de boxe, est ce réellement 2000 baths ? Connaissais vous un autre lieu ou le prix est plus accessible ? J’aimerai également voir un marché avec vente d’insectes grillés, un à conseiller ? Dormir : Kao san road + marchés nocturne.
· 2ème jour : A L’OUEST DE BANGKOK - Nakhon Pathom - Damnoen Saduak : Le marché flottant - Kanchanaburi : Rivière Kwai / Jeaath museum / la nonne flotante / Erawan waterfalls (cascades)
· 3ème jour : DIRECTION LA PLAINE - Kamphaeng Phet : Site archéologique - Temple Sri Satchanalai : encore sauvage - Temple Wat Phra Mahathat
· Pendant 5 jours : TREK trouvé par ma meilleure amie en pleine nature durant 3 jours, deux jours de trajet. Pas encore d’infos mais le programme a l’air super sympa donc je vous en tiendrai informé à mon retour ;-)
· Pendant 4 jours : CHIANG MAI et le TRINGLE D’OR + ENVIRONS Visites : Le musée national. De Chiang mai et ses différents temples. Les marchés warotot market et night bazaar. Combat de boxe. - Fête loi Kratong du 16 novembre - Mae sa butterfly and orchids farm - La montagne Suthep et son temple - Elephant training center chiang dao - Le temple Wat phra that lampang luang - Mae Klang falls : cascades - · 14ème jour : MAE HONG SON Tribus montagnardes, village à l’écart du monde
· 15ème jour : CHIANG RAI ET LE TRIANGLE D’OR
· 16ème et 17ème jour : Route + Le parc national de PHU RUA
· 18ème jour : CHIANG KHAN A NONG KHAI, le long des rives du fleuve mékong
· Deux derniers jours : BANGKOK – PATTAYA – KOH CHANG - Le musée national à Bangkok - Pattaya sans y rester longtemps car apparemment c’est le lieu du tourisme sexuel donc pas envie de traîner là bas. Qu’en pensez vous ? Y a-t-il des choses à voir dans la journée ? Est-ce que l’on peut y aller sans y être embêté ? - Ile Koh Chang. J’hésite entre plusieurs plages : Khlong phrao beach pour le coté sable blanc et le village des pécheurs – White sand beach pour le coté animé – Nice beach car la jungle est proche. Laquelle est à faire en priorité ? Quels est le « meilleur spot » et facile d’accès pour plonger ? Est-ce que Hin lukbath est un bon site pour faire de la plongée ?
Je sais que c’est un peu long, l’itinéraire n’est pas encore réellement fini, donc merci de votre aide. lilou
· 1er jour : BANGKOK Visites : Le grand palais et les différents temples. Est-ce que la maison de Jim Thompson vaut le coup de visiter ? En ce qui concerne les matchs de boxe, est ce réellement 2000 baths ? Connaissais vous un autre lieu ou le prix est plus accessible ? J’aimerai également voir un marché avec vente d’insectes grillés, un à conseiller ? Dormir : Kao san road + marchés nocturne.
· 2ème jour : A L’OUEST DE BANGKOK - Nakhon Pathom - Damnoen Saduak : Le marché flottant - Kanchanaburi : Rivière Kwai / Jeaath museum / la nonne flotante / Erawan waterfalls (cascades)
· 3ème jour : DIRECTION LA PLAINE - Kamphaeng Phet : Site archéologique - Temple Sri Satchanalai : encore sauvage - Temple Wat Phra Mahathat
· Pendant 5 jours : TREK trouvé par ma meilleure amie en pleine nature durant 3 jours, deux jours de trajet. Pas encore d’infos mais le programme a l’air super sympa donc je vous en tiendrai informé à mon retour ;-)
· Pendant 4 jours : CHIANG MAI et le TRINGLE D’OR + ENVIRONS Visites : Le musée national. De Chiang mai et ses différents temples. Les marchés warotot market et night bazaar. Combat de boxe. - Fête loi Kratong du 16 novembre - Mae sa butterfly and orchids farm - La montagne Suthep et son temple - Elephant training center chiang dao - Le temple Wat phra that lampang luang - Mae Klang falls : cascades - · 14ème jour : MAE HONG SON Tribus montagnardes, village à l’écart du monde
· 15ème jour : CHIANG RAI ET LE TRIANGLE D’OR
· 16ème et 17ème jour : Route + Le parc national de PHU RUA
· 18ème jour : CHIANG KHAN A NONG KHAI, le long des rives du fleuve mékong
· Deux derniers jours : BANGKOK – PATTAYA – KOH CHANG - Le musée national à Bangkok - Pattaya sans y rester longtemps car apparemment c’est le lieu du tourisme sexuel donc pas envie de traîner là bas. Qu’en pensez vous ? Y a-t-il des choses à voir dans la journée ? Est-ce que l’on peut y aller sans y être embêté ? - Ile Koh Chang. J’hésite entre plusieurs plages : Khlong phrao beach pour le coté sable blanc et le village des pécheurs – White sand beach pour le coté animé – Nice beach car la jungle est proche. Laquelle est à faire en priorité ? Quels est le « meilleur spot » et facile d’accès pour plonger ? Est-ce que Hin lukbath est un bon site pour faire de la plongée ?
Je sais que c’est un peu long, l’itinéraire n’est pas encore réellement fini, donc merci de votre aide. lilou
Où sont les plus belles plages du côté d'Antalya? English translation pending
Merci de me renseigner car j'aimerai partir dans cette région début septembre ... j'aimerai une belle plage de sables fins et non de galets .
Merci,
Bertho
Merci,
Bertho
Se loger à Playa del Carmen (Mexique) English translation pending
bonjour
Je vais a playa au mois d'octobre pour 6 mois et j'aimerais savoir ce qui est mieux à propos de l'hébergement??? Mon budget est assez restreint donc... Je vais voyager seule avec mon sac à dos. Si quelqu'un est déjà allé j'aimerais bien avoir quelques informations: prix des appartements, auberges de jeunesse et si vous avez des suggestions à me faire, je vous en serait très reconnaissante.
merci beaucoup
Je vais a playa au mois d'octobre pour 6 mois et j'aimerais savoir ce qui est mieux à propos de l'hébergement??? Mon budget est assez restreint donc... Je vais voyager seule avec mon sac à dos. Si quelqu'un est déjà allé j'aimerais bien avoir quelques informations: prix des appartements, auberges de jeunesse et si vous avez des suggestions à me faire, je vous en serait très reconnaissante.
merci beaucoup
Comment se rendre du Mexique (Mexico) au Guatemala? English translation pending
Salut,
je suis entrain de prevoir mon itineraire de vacances ou je pars au guatemala (je vis actuelement a mexico), mais je ne sais pas exactement comment m'y rendre en bus. Par ou dois je passer pour que ce soit le plus direct et rapide? et combien de temps cela prend'il?
Merci d'avance,
David.
Merci d'avance,
David.
Pammukale, ca vaut le coup? English translation pending
Bonjour,
Nous souhaitons nous rendre à Pamukkale en octobre 2005. J'ai lu différents avis sur l'état des bassins et la beauté ou l'horreur du site. Quelqu'un est-il allé sur place récemment et pourrait m'informer? Vaut-il la peine de faire le trajet depuis Fethiye dans la journée ou est-il plus judicieux de dormir sur place pour voir le lever et/ou le coucher du soleil? Qu'en est-il en outre du site d'Hiérapolis?
Si vous avez logé sur place, avez-vous une adresse à recommander?
Merci et au plaisir de vous lire.
Sabine
Nous souhaitons nous rendre à Pamukkale en octobre 2005. J'ai lu différents avis sur l'état des bassins et la beauté ou l'horreur du site. Quelqu'un est-il allé sur place récemment et pourrait m'informer? Vaut-il la peine de faire le trajet depuis Fethiye dans la journée ou est-il plus judicieux de dormir sur place pour voir le lever et/ou le coucher du soleil? Qu'en est-il en outre du site d'Hiérapolis?
Si vous avez logé sur place, avez-vous une adresse à recommander?
Merci et au plaisir de vous lire.
Sabine
Que visiter sur l'Ile de Karpathos? English translation pending
Bonjours !
Je vais faire une petite escale sur l'ile de Karpathos pour environs 2 jours, j'aimerais avoir des conseilles sur ce qu'il y a a voir absolument, et si vous avez quelques tuyaux sur l'hébergement et les restos n'hésitez pas, nous allons louer une voiture et essayer de voir le maximum.
Merci !
ciao ! 😎
Je vais faire une petite escale sur l'ile de Karpathos pour environs 2 jours, j'aimerais avoir des conseilles sur ce qu'il y a a voir absolument, et si vous avez quelques tuyaux sur l'hébergement et les restos n'hésitez pas, nous allons louer une voiture et essayer de voir le maximum.
Merci !
ciao ! 😎
Bélize -Guatémala English translation pending
ä tous merci d'avance.
je serai à playa del carmen(mexique) pour une semaine. je disposerai d'une semaine supplémentaire pour aller voir le Bélize et une partie du Guatémal. je serai avec ma femme et mes deux enfants(ados).
QQ'un peut me recommander des priorités à voir, des combines, des hotels.....de quoi passer une bonne semaine.
amitiés, Ridha
je serai à playa del carmen(mexique) pour une semaine. je disposerai d'une semaine supplémentaire pour aller voir le Bélize et une partie du Guatémal. je serai avec ma femme et mes deux enfants(ados).
QQ'un peut me recommander des priorités à voir, des combines, des hotels.....de quoi passer une bonne semaine.
amitiés, Ridha
Infos sur la Crète English translation pending
Bonjour
Quelqu'un aurait-il des infos sur Gouves, Heraklion, Hersonissos ? Transports, visites à faire, plages sympa ?
Merci d'avance
Quelqu'un aurait-il des infos sur Gouves, Heraklion, Hersonissos ? Transports, visites à faire, plages sympa ?
Merci d'avance
traversée amérique centrale English translation pending
Je pars début avril de panama city pour rejoindre cancun le tout en deux mois, je voudrais connaitre les quelques astuces qui sont nécessaire pour passer un bon séjour dans cette région du monde avec le temps que j'y reste, ainsi que les lieux a ne pas manquer et ceux a éviter.
Je voulais également savoir le buget recommandé par jour en moyenne pour un voyage façon routard et en découvrant des trucs sympa.
A tout les travellers, je souhaite une bonne poursuite de leur trip, de fabuleuses découvertes et merci a tous par avance pour vos infos.
Je voulais également savoir le buget recommandé par jour en moyenne pour un voyage façon routard et en découvrant des trucs sympa.
A tout les travellers, je souhaite une bonne poursuite de leur trip, de fabuleuses découvertes et merci a tous par avance pour vos infos.
Italie de Rome vers le Sud English translation pending
Bonjour,
En septembre j'aurai 3 semaines pour faire l'Italie; de Rome vers le Sud.
Quelles villes dois-je absolument visiter et comment est le transport par train.
Je préfère de beaucoup le transport par train et je préfère réserver les hotels et/ou pension (2 étoiles) avant mon départ. Après avoir déjà fait la portion Nord de l'Italie sans réservation d'hotel, je ne souhaite pas renouveller l'expérience. Les auberges de jeunesse et hotel bon marché était très difficile à trouver.
Si vous avez des suggestions de pension et d'hotel bon marché ce serait également apprécié.
Merci
En septembre j'aurai 3 semaines pour faire l'Italie; de Rome vers le Sud.
Quelles villes dois-je absolument visiter et comment est le transport par train.
Je préfère de beaucoup le transport par train et je préfère réserver les hotels et/ou pension (2 étoiles) avant mon départ. Après avoir déjà fait la portion Nord de l'Italie sans réservation d'hotel, je ne souhaite pas renouveller l'expérience. Les auberges de jeunesse et hotel bon marché était très difficile à trouver.
Si vous avez des suggestions de pension et d'hotel bon marché ce serait également apprécié.
Merci
Hôtel le Moklos en Crète English translation pending
bonjour nous partons en crete du 11/07/2005 au 25/07/2005 quelqu'un pourrait il nous donner quelques renseignements sur l'hotel ( le moklos ) à sitia, sachant que nous faisons la 1er semaine par nous meme chez l'habitant et la seconde à l'hotel moklos . merci d'avance pour vos réponses. jérome & nathalie 😉
ps :si vous avez un circuit sympa à nous proposer nous sommes preneurs.
ps :si vous avez un circuit sympa à nous proposer nous sommes preneurs.
Que faire à Hurghada (Egypte)? English translation pending
Bonjour,
Un projet de vacance pour hurghada fin juin, mais gros probleme, nous n'arrivons pas à choisir notre hotel. En effet, d'experience nous aimons etre pres de la ville, pour visiter et faire les boutiques, rencontrer les gens. Par contre, pour hurghada, nous avons pas d'infos sur la ville en elle même. que peut on y faire, y voir de pitoresque et de typiquement egypsien. Nous partons avec notre fils de 2ans en juillet. Nous ne pourrons pas nous deplacer plus d'une demi-journée, d'ou l'embaras pour l'hotel. etre prés d'Hurghada, si cette ville est jolie et bien fournie en commerce, parait utile pour nous. Par contre, s'il n'y a rien à faire, nous pouvons envisager des hotels à Makadi ou el gouna, et nous concentrer sur la plage les activites de l'hotel.
Si vous avez des infos n'hesitez pas, les voyagistes vous disent toujours ce que vous voulez entendre et c'est l'idéal pour des vacances gachées
Merci, et vive les voyages à la decouverte des autres.
Un projet de vacance pour hurghada fin juin, mais gros probleme, nous n'arrivons pas à choisir notre hotel. En effet, d'experience nous aimons etre pres de la ville, pour visiter et faire les boutiques, rencontrer les gens. Par contre, pour hurghada, nous avons pas d'infos sur la ville en elle même. que peut on y faire, y voir de pitoresque et de typiquement egypsien. Nous partons avec notre fils de 2ans en juillet. Nous ne pourrons pas nous deplacer plus d'une demi-journée, d'ou l'embaras pour l'hotel. etre prés d'Hurghada, si cette ville est jolie et bien fournie en commerce, parait utile pour nous. Par contre, s'il n'y a rien à faire, nous pouvons envisager des hotels à Makadi ou el gouna, et nous concentrer sur la plage les activites de l'hotel.
Si vous avez des infos n'hesitez pas, les voyagistes vous disent toujours ce que vous voulez entendre et c'est l'idéal pour des vacances gachées
Merci, et vive les voyages à la decouverte des autres.
Site sur le Pérou English translation pending
Ce site n'est pas un site personnel mais je me permets d'en faire la publicité sur VF pour aider à sa diffusion et à sa connaissance.
http://www.perucultural.org.pe/
C'est un site culturel sur le Pérou, extrêmement bien fait présentant des textes de qualités (espagnol et parfois anglais) rédigés par des chercheurs ou issus de leurs ouvrages.
Dans le menu de gauche, aller sur la section "Peru prehispanico", de là vous aurez le choix parmi des catalogues de musées, des ouvrages à télécharger (comme par exemple sur la civilisation Mochica et le site archéologique de Choquequirau ; section "ver el contenido" puis "descargar"), des visites virtuelles de musées, des simulations 3D, des photos, des vidéos, ...
Toujours dans le menu de gauche, la section "Turismo y medio ambiente" puis "Libro Blanco" vous donne accès à la description intégrale des infrastructures de transport existants au Pérou (carte des ports, des aéroports, du chemin de fer, des routes ; toutefois, cartes parfois incomplètes).
Il propose aussi un guide virtuel de la ville de Cusco, des textes sur les cosmovisions andines et amazoniennes, des explications sur les grandes cultures préhispaniques, des présentations d'expo, une revue gastronomique, des explications géographiques, ...
Bref, plein de chose, qui je l'espère, pourront vous intéresser ou, au moins, attirer votre attention sur les richesses historiques, culturelles, humaines et géographiques de ce pays. Mais aussi à préparer un éventuel futur voyage culturel.
En espérant que cela vous aura intéressé.
http://www.perucultural.org.pe/
C'est un site culturel sur le Pérou, extrêmement bien fait présentant des textes de qualités (espagnol et parfois anglais) rédigés par des chercheurs ou issus de leurs ouvrages.
Dans le menu de gauche, aller sur la section "Peru prehispanico", de là vous aurez le choix parmi des catalogues de musées, des ouvrages à télécharger (comme par exemple sur la civilisation Mochica et le site archéologique de Choquequirau ; section "ver el contenido" puis "descargar"), des visites virtuelles de musées, des simulations 3D, des photos, des vidéos, ...
Toujours dans le menu de gauche, la section "Turismo y medio ambiente" puis "Libro Blanco" vous donne accès à la description intégrale des infrastructures de transport existants au Pérou (carte des ports, des aéroports, du chemin de fer, des routes ; toutefois, cartes parfois incomplètes).
Il propose aussi un guide virtuel de la ville de Cusco, des textes sur les cosmovisions andines et amazoniennes, des explications sur les grandes cultures préhispaniques, des présentations d'expo, une revue gastronomique, des explications géographiques, ...
Bref, plein de chose, qui je l'espère, pourront vous intéresser ou, au moins, attirer votre attention sur les richesses historiques, culturelles, humaines et géographiques de ce pays. Mais aussi à préparer un éventuel futur voyage culturel.
En espérant que cela vous aura intéressé.
Itinéraire mexicain English translation pending
Bonjour à tous,
Je souhaite partir découvrir le Mexique durant l'été 2005 (2 voir 3 semaines exactement).
Ayant envie de connaitre les charmes de ce pays et me reposer au bord de belles plages j'aimerais que vous m'aidiez à élaborer un itinéraire.
Je ne parle pas du tout espagnol et je ne veux pas rester plus de 2/3 jours au même endroit.
Merci de votre aide. Khoulem.
Je ne parle pas du tout espagnol et je ne veux pas rester plus de 2/3 jours au même endroit.
Merci de votre aide. Khoulem.
Retour du Riu Lupita English translation pending
Nous sommes partis 15 jours au riu lupita au Mexique avec nos enfants 7 et 10 ans. Voici mes premières impression "à chaud".
L'hotel est vraiment super. Les chambres sont propres, pas très grandes, mais cela nous a paru bien, animaux fait en serviette presque tous les jours.
Les repas sont très variés et les serveurs très prévenants. Les animateurs sont vraiment géniaux et ne vous emmerdent pas si vous ne voulez pas faire leurs activités. Tous les soirs il y a une remise de diplome et des cadeaux pour les vainqueurs des activités de la journée. Mini disco le soir pour les enfants et là aussi cadeaux pour tous les petits bouts (nous en avons ramenez une pleine valise !!!). Nous avons été faire un tour dans le riu yucatan et le playacar et là ça n'a rien à voir c'est une fourmilière, aussi nous rentrions manger à lupita pour le calme et l'aspect familiale de l'hotel.
Le seul point noir pour nous a été la plage. Elle est petite et les transats sont alignés les uns à côté des autres jusqu'au moment où il n'y a pas assez de transat pour tous . C'est un labyrinte pour accéder à la mer et encore nous ne sommes pas en pleine saison. Nous n'y avons été que 2 fois (nous sommes habitués à mettre notre serviette par terre et au plage plus déserte).
Nous avons fait avec l'hotel l'excurtion de Chitchen itza car c'était loin et pour comprendre ce que nous voyons. Autrement nous avons visité grâce aux collectivos, pas cher et très typique. Nous avons été à xel ha, magnifique parc, tulum 2 fois pour la mer, puerto adventa, paamul plage sauvage, akumal, à éviter pour les non plongeurs le grand cénoté : beau mais entrée trop chère pour le peu de temps que l'on reste. Mais pour tous cela il faut aimer la marche à pied😛
Pour ceux qui partent au lupita, un petit conseil si vous partez avec des dollars, payer les excursions de l'hotel en dollars plutôt qu'en pesos, ils font leurs propres taux de conversion et on y perd. Pour le reste l'hotel échange les euros en pesos à un taux interessant : 14.10 et ne prennent pas de commission. Ils nous restaient des dollars et nous les avons dépensé à l'aréoport car tous les prix sont indiqués en dollars pas besoin de faire de conversion !
Pour le mot de la fin, je dirai superbe voyage même si nous avons été un peu déçu en comparaison de la Martinique. Mais l'accueil des mexicains est génial et surtout n'oubliez pas de dire que vous êtes français de la France (paris) ils adorent les français.
Voilà, si vous avez des questions, je suis prête à vous répondre sans problème.
L'hotel est vraiment super. Les chambres sont propres, pas très grandes, mais cela nous a paru bien, animaux fait en serviette presque tous les jours.
Les repas sont très variés et les serveurs très prévenants. Les animateurs sont vraiment géniaux et ne vous emmerdent pas si vous ne voulez pas faire leurs activités. Tous les soirs il y a une remise de diplome et des cadeaux pour les vainqueurs des activités de la journée. Mini disco le soir pour les enfants et là aussi cadeaux pour tous les petits bouts (nous en avons ramenez une pleine valise !!!). Nous avons été faire un tour dans le riu yucatan et le playacar et là ça n'a rien à voir c'est une fourmilière, aussi nous rentrions manger à lupita pour le calme et l'aspect familiale de l'hotel.
Le seul point noir pour nous a été la plage. Elle est petite et les transats sont alignés les uns à côté des autres jusqu'au moment où il n'y a pas assez de transat pour tous . C'est un labyrinte pour accéder à la mer et encore nous ne sommes pas en pleine saison. Nous n'y avons été que 2 fois (nous sommes habitués à mettre notre serviette par terre et au plage plus déserte).
Nous avons fait avec l'hotel l'excurtion de Chitchen itza car c'était loin et pour comprendre ce que nous voyons. Autrement nous avons visité grâce aux collectivos, pas cher et très typique. Nous avons été à xel ha, magnifique parc, tulum 2 fois pour la mer, puerto adventa, paamul plage sauvage, akumal, à éviter pour les non plongeurs le grand cénoté : beau mais entrée trop chère pour le peu de temps que l'on reste. Mais pour tous cela il faut aimer la marche à pied😛
Pour ceux qui partent au lupita, un petit conseil si vous partez avec des dollars, payer les excursions de l'hotel en dollars plutôt qu'en pesos, ils font leurs propres taux de conversion et on y perd. Pour le reste l'hotel échange les euros en pesos à un taux interessant : 14.10 et ne prennent pas de commission. Ils nous restaient des dollars et nous les avons dépensé à l'aréoport car tous les prix sont indiqués en dollars pas besoin de faire de conversion !
Pour le mot de la fin, je dirai superbe voyage même si nous avons été un peu déçu en comparaison de la Martinique. Mais l'accueil des mexicains est génial et surtout n'oubliez pas de dire que vous êtes français de la France (paris) ils adorent les français.
Voilà, si vous avez des questions, je suis prête à vous répondre sans problème.
Quel itineraire choisir en Inde du nord? English translation pending
Bonjour
Plus je regarde la carte de l'Inde epinglée au mur, et plus je suis dans le doute sur la possibilitée de realisation de l'itineraire que nous avons choisi, je n'arrive pas a me decider et à supprimer certains endroits, ils me semble tous important à voir.
Nous arriverons à Delhi fin Janvier 2005 pour un sejour que nous prevoyons de 45 jours environ, nous quitterons l'inde par Calcutta.
Voici se que nous avons prevu
Delhi 3 jours
Jaipur 4 jours
Ajmer 3 jours
Pushkar 3 jours
Udaipur 4 jours
Jodpur 4 jours
Jaisalmer 5 jours
Bikaner 3 jours
Retour à Delhi 2 jours
Agra 3 jours
Jhansi 3 jours
Khajurago 3 jours
Varanasi 5 jours
Calcutta 3 jours
D'apres vous quels sont les lieux à supprimer ou ceux ou nous devons passer plus de temps ?
Il nous faut aussi un peu de repos entre chaque etapes, nous ne voulons courir et revenir epuissé de notre sejour
Nous ferons tous nos trajets, dans la mesure du possible par train .
Quels sont vos conseils ? faut il etre toujours sur ses gardes ? les propos les plus inquietant circulent, vols dans le train, harcelement des chauffeurs ?
Quand est il exactement,
nous avons lhabitude de voyager en individuel, mais en Asie du sud est ?
Vos conseils et suggestions seront les bienvenus
Merci
J PIERRE
Plus je regarde la carte de l'Inde epinglée au mur, et plus je suis dans le doute sur la possibilitée de realisation de l'itineraire que nous avons choisi, je n'arrive pas a me decider et à supprimer certains endroits, ils me semble tous important à voir.
Nous arriverons à Delhi fin Janvier 2005 pour un sejour que nous prevoyons de 45 jours environ, nous quitterons l'inde par Calcutta.
Voici se que nous avons prevu
Delhi 3 jours
Jaipur 4 jours
Ajmer 3 jours
Pushkar 3 jours
Udaipur 4 jours
Jodpur 4 jours
Jaisalmer 5 jours
Bikaner 3 jours
Retour à Delhi 2 jours
Agra 3 jours
Jhansi 3 jours
Khajurago 3 jours
Varanasi 5 jours
Calcutta 3 jours
D'apres vous quels sont les lieux à supprimer ou ceux ou nous devons passer plus de temps ?
Il nous faut aussi un peu de repos entre chaque etapes, nous ne voulons courir et revenir epuissé de notre sejour
Nous ferons tous nos trajets, dans la mesure du possible par train .
Quels sont vos conseils ? faut il etre toujours sur ses gardes ? les propos les plus inquietant circulent, vols dans le train, harcelement des chauffeurs ?
Quand est il exactement,
nous avons lhabitude de voyager en individuel, mais en Asie du sud est ?
Vos conseils et suggestions seront les bienvenus
Merci
J PIERRE
Itinéraire en Thaïlande English translation pending
Salut à tous,
Je viens vers vous car je pars en Thaïlande au mois d'aoüt et j'aurai aimé connaître votre avis concernant un itinéraire.
En fait, j'arrive le 5/08 à 9h00 du mat' à Bangkok et je dois être à Chiang Rai le 9/08 matin. Voilà comment je pensais "occuper" mes jours de libres entre ces 2 dates :
5/08 : arrivée à Bangkok + nuit sur place (je ne sais toujours pas où...)
PS : je rentre par BKK et j'aurai donc plus de temps pour visiter au retour
6/08 : départ en bus pour Ayuthaya + nuit sur place (?)
7/08 : bus pour Sukhotai, visite, et bus pour Si Satchanalai + nuit sur place (?)
8/08 : bus pour Chiang Rai où je passe la journée (qu'est-ce qu'il y a de vraiment intéressant à voir ?) + nuit sur place
Qu'est-ce que vous pensez de cet itinéraire. Est-ce que ça n'est pas un peu trop chargé ? Comme Ayuthaya n'est pas loin de BKK, est-ce que je ne ferai pas mieux de visiter le 6/08 et de reprendre le bus en fin d'après-midi pour dormir à Sukhotai la nuit du 6 au 7/08 ?
Enfin, est-ce que c'est facile de trouver un bus ou un train pour ces différentes destinations ? Est-ce qu'il faut réserver longtemps à l'avance ?
En tout cas, merci d'avance pour les conseils que vous pourrez me donner.
A bientôt
Math
Je viens vers vous car je pars en Thaïlande au mois d'aoüt et j'aurai aimé connaître votre avis concernant un itinéraire.
En fait, j'arrive le 5/08 à 9h00 du mat' à Bangkok et je dois être à Chiang Rai le 9/08 matin. Voilà comment je pensais "occuper" mes jours de libres entre ces 2 dates :
5/08 : arrivée à Bangkok + nuit sur place (je ne sais toujours pas où...)
PS : je rentre par BKK et j'aurai donc plus de temps pour visiter au retour
6/08 : départ en bus pour Ayuthaya + nuit sur place (?)
7/08 : bus pour Sukhotai, visite, et bus pour Si Satchanalai + nuit sur place (?)
8/08 : bus pour Chiang Rai où je passe la journée (qu'est-ce qu'il y a de vraiment intéressant à voir ?) + nuit sur place
Qu'est-ce que vous pensez de cet itinéraire. Est-ce que ça n'est pas un peu trop chargé ? Comme Ayuthaya n'est pas loin de BKK, est-ce que je ne ferai pas mieux de visiter le 6/08 et de reprendre le bus en fin d'après-midi pour dormir à Sukhotai la nuit du 6 au 7/08 ?
Enfin, est-ce que c'est facile de trouver un bus ou un train pour ces différentes destinations ? Est-ce qu'il faut réserver longtemps à l'avance ?
En tout cas, merci d'avance pour les conseils que vous pourrez me donner.
A bientôt
Math
Questions sur voyage au Brésil en juillet English translation pending
Bien le bonjour a tt le monde,
Donc voila je pars pour le Brésil avec un pote pendant un mois et de poussieres!!!!!! Donc beaucoup de questions se posent a moi!!!
Nous avons pris le Brazil Air Pass de 5coupons, nous avons vu chez TAM(compagnie aerienne bresilienne) que c t eux les moins cher!!
J'aurais aimé savoir s'il excitait moins cher pour 5coupons sachant que nous allons faire: SAO PAULO-Iguacu, Iguacu-Manaus, Manaus-Belem, Belem-Recife et Recife-Rio. De plus si ya des plans pour avoir juste un vol supplémentaire soit 6 coupons pour le meme prix cité au dessus!!!!
Par rapport a Manaus, nous allons pouvoir y rester 4 a 5jours donc peu de temps, si kelkun connait un plan dans l'amazonie facon "Aventure-Nature" remontée de l'amazonie etc....pour la durée citée ca serait bien cool!!!
Sachant que le Nordeste est une zone du brésil a voir absolument mais que le temps est compté pour nous, je souhaiterai savoir si ya des imperatifs a faire.Nous allons certainement sur Fortaleza et Bahia, REcife donc, mais nous sommes pas trop accros du tourisme de masse!!!donc si kelkun pouvait nous donner un plan genre une ile magnifique ou ya personne(le reve si ca existe) ou autre, un trip original et depaysant. Un endroit typiquement Bresilien ou on fait la fete et on vit com les gens du pays!!!! Peut etre que je reve un peu mais les voyages c fait pour ça!!
Pour Rio on recherche un endroit trankil pour dormir, sympa, sur, pas tres cher non plus, c qd meme "le nerf de la guerre".Si possible des endroits inconnus du tourisme de masse mais avec une beauté certaine!!!!!!
BREF nous on cherche les bons plans sur les villes dites au debut, tt conseil est bienvenu!!!!si d'autres personnes ont besoin d'infos kil me laisse un message, nous aussi on a kelkes bons plans a donner.
donc je vous laisse repondre
Meerci.Bye
Donc voila je pars pour le Brésil avec un pote pendant un mois et de poussieres!!!!!! Donc beaucoup de questions se posent a moi!!!
Nous avons pris le Brazil Air Pass de 5coupons, nous avons vu chez TAM(compagnie aerienne bresilienne) que c t eux les moins cher!!
J'aurais aimé savoir s'il excitait moins cher pour 5coupons sachant que nous allons faire: SAO PAULO-Iguacu, Iguacu-Manaus, Manaus-Belem, Belem-Recife et Recife-Rio. De plus si ya des plans pour avoir juste un vol supplémentaire soit 6 coupons pour le meme prix cité au dessus!!!!
Par rapport a Manaus, nous allons pouvoir y rester 4 a 5jours donc peu de temps, si kelkun connait un plan dans l'amazonie facon "Aventure-Nature" remontée de l'amazonie etc....pour la durée citée ca serait bien cool!!!
Sachant que le Nordeste est une zone du brésil a voir absolument mais que le temps est compté pour nous, je souhaiterai savoir si ya des imperatifs a faire.Nous allons certainement sur Fortaleza et Bahia, REcife donc, mais nous sommes pas trop accros du tourisme de masse!!!donc si kelkun pouvait nous donner un plan genre une ile magnifique ou ya personne(le reve si ca existe) ou autre, un trip original et depaysant. Un endroit typiquement Bresilien ou on fait la fete et on vit com les gens du pays!!!! Peut etre que je reve un peu mais les voyages c fait pour ça!!
Pour Rio on recherche un endroit trankil pour dormir, sympa, sur, pas tres cher non plus, c qd meme "le nerf de la guerre".Si possible des endroits inconnus du tourisme de masse mais avec une beauté certaine!!!!!!
BREF nous on cherche les bons plans sur les villes dites au debut, tt conseil est bienvenu!!!!si d'autres personnes ont besoin d'infos kil me laisse un message, nous aussi on a kelkes bons plans a donner.
donc je vous laisse repondre
Meerci.Bye
Hôtels de luxe incontournables pour barroudeurs... English translation pending
Les voyageurs ouverts d'esprit ne se cantonnent pas qu'aux auberges de jeunesse, hôtels bas de gamme ou chambres d'hôtes. Parfois, manger ou dormir dans un hôtel de luxe peut se révéler être un moment incontournable d'un voyage réussi. Je commence :
PALMYRE : L'hôtel "SHAMS", pour y déguster ses mezzehs fins et délicats dans son immense réstaurant souvent vide aux tentures orientales. La vue sur le site archéologique y est imprenable. Se baigner dans la piscine après le repas, en plein désert est un autre moment unique à vivre absolument.
L'hôtel "Zénobie" pour y manger sur la terrasse à l'ombre des oliviers, sur des chapiteaux de temples ou de palais faisant office de tables. C'est le seul hôtel de Tadmor se trouvant sur le site de Palmyre. Du jardin restaurant ou de sa chambre l'on voit le site.
ISPAHAN : L'hôtel "Shah Abbas". C'est un ancien caravansérail transformé en hôtel luxueux. manger dans son jardin bordé de lauriers roses et blancs est un luxe tout à fait abordable pour tout voyageur, y dormir l'est moins mais pour ceux qui peuvent se le permettre, il serait dommage de s'en priver.
à vous ...
PALMYRE : L'hôtel "SHAMS", pour y déguster ses mezzehs fins et délicats dans son immense réstaurant souvent vide aux tentures orientales. La vue sur le site archéologique y est imprenable. Se baigner dans la piscine après le repas, en plein désert est un autre moment unique à vivre absolument.
L'hôtel "Zénobie" pour y manger sur la terrasse à l'ombre des oliviers, sur des chapiteaux de temples ou de palais faisant office de tables. C'est le seul hôtel de Tadmor se trouvant sur le site de Palmyre. Du jardin restaurant ou de sa chambre l'on voit le site.
ISPAHAN : L'hôtel "Shah Abbas". C'est un ancien caravansérail transformé en hôtel luxueux. manger dans son jardin bordé de lauriers roses et blancs est un luxe tout à fait abordable pour tout voyageur, y dormir l'est moins mais pour ceux qui peuvent se le permettre, il serait dommage de s'en priver.
à vous ...
Quoi visiter à Riviera Maya? English translation pending
Salut!
J'ai finalement réservé au Barcelo Maya beach pour une semaine! Je part le 26 Janvier et j'ai très très hâte!
J'aimerais bien avoir des idées de place à visiter...Je ne veux pas passer la semaine à visiter, mais j'aimerais bien voir les plus belles places ou cites de cette région! Les incontournables quoi!!
Merci de prendre le temps de me répondre!😉
J'attend vos suggestions avec impatience!
J'ai finalement réservé au Barcelo Maya beach pour une semaine! Je part le 26 Janvier et j'ai très très hâte!
J'aimerais bien avoir des idées de place à visiter...Je ne veux pas passer la semaine à visiter, mais j'aimerais bien voir les plus belles places ou cites de cette région! Les incontournables quoi!!
Merci de prendre le temps de me répondre!😉
J'attend vos suggestions avec impatience!
Conseils sur la Sicile??? English translation pending
Bonjour,
J'envisage de passer 2 semaines de vacances en Sicile en Mai 2004 et de louer une voiture sur place.
Quels sont les sites à ne pas manquer ? Les sites à éviter parce que rien de spécial à voir ? Les villes où il faut prévoir de s'attarder ?
L'île est elle bien désservie en transport en commun ?
Quel budget à prévoir pour bouffe+logement (dans camping ou hotel pas cher) ?
Merci d'avance pour toutes vos infos les amis de VF !!!😎
Merci d'avance pour toutes vos infos les amis de VF !!!😎
qqs commentaires au sujet du groupe Marsans English translation pending
bonjour!
j'ai hésité un moment avant de faire partager mes impressions à propos de ce nouveau tour operator.
J'avais fait appel à eux pour un circuit dans le Yucatan . Les sites proposés correspondaient à mes attentes mais la réalité n'a été que frustration et baclage par des "apprentis"
La première surprise a été à l'aéroport où le guichet réferent qui délivrait les billets -zelé- nous a fait patienter jusqu'à l'heure prévue. Fait normal jusque là, mais peut etre un peu moins quand on constate que les voyageurs des tours operators concurrents avaient déjà enregistré leurs bagages... conséquence? beaucoup de couples ont donc fait le trajet séparés!
A notre arrivée pas de soucis majeurs, l'accueil dans les hotels à été optimale. L'hospitalité mexicaine est irréprochable. Notre première visite, celle de Chichen Itza s'est faite sous la pluie, au moins j'ai des photos uniques, ca c'est sur!
J'ai sourit quand j'ai pu voir l'organisation de la visite de la ville de Mérida: on quitte l'hotel à 9:00, faisons qqs quartiers en bus pour revenir au meme hotel 30 minutes plus tard pour visiter à pied le centre ville puis le marché. Départ à 12:00 vers l'étape suivante. La désorganisation à commencé à m'agacer en arrivant l'après midi meme sur le site archéologique d' Uxmal. L' emploi du temps à été très mal géré et il ne restait que 1 heure avant la fermeture du site au moment de notre arrivée. Fait inadmissible à mon sens car le site est très vaste et très riche en architecture. La frustration à été intense car j'avais choisi de parcourir 9500km pour pouvoir jouir de ces lieux.
Le lendemain, la visite éclair (30 minutes) de la ville de Campeche se passe de tout commentaires... dommage car c'était une ancienne ville coloniale très colorée et très belle. Heureusement que je suis une adepte au jogging!
je ne parle meme pas de nos pannes de bus (j'insiste sur le pluriel! je vous promets de ne pas etre née un vendredi 13!)
La fin du circuit couronne le tout! On nous annonce un hotel...comble de malchance il manque "juste" l'electricité donc halte plus tot que prévue dans un éco village ( très agréable). La visite du site de Chicana à été sans interet (annonce de la visite comme une biosphère= cela a consisté à nous désigner le nom de 4 arbres...) faite en 30 minutes pour se retrouver dans l'hotel en face à 16:00. Lendemain matin, lever 15 minutes plus tot... j'ai pensé "chouette! on va passer plus de temps sur un des sites prévu!" Je suis déjà blonde et visiblement mon cas doit etre désesperé car je suis naive par dessus le marché... en fait, j'ai appris que la famille représentante du groupe Marsans qui voyageait avec nous devait etre déposée à leur hotel pour leur entamer leur semaine balnéaire et pour ce détour ils ont mobilisé tout le groupe de cette facon! Cette situation prouve tant le manque de respect d'autrui qu'ils n'ont meme pas osé en parler franchement au groupe
Mais la panne de bus suivante (encore!) à écourté la visite du cenote prévu (15 minutes d'arret). Je ne parle meme pas du site de Tulum qu'ils ont littéralement saccagé car l'hotel suivant changeait et était 120km plus loin que prévu... Vu les circonstances, la famille en question s'est fait déposer à un endroit où un taxi les attendait. Je pointe ce fait dans la mesure ou d'autres personnes du groupe se rendaient au meme hotel, et que dans le cas où tout s'était déroulé normalement, on déplacait 40 personnes pour le confort de 3 sans meme proposer à celles concernées le meme "traitement"; En effet, c'était le dernier soir nous rejoignions le dernier hotel pour etre transferés le lendemain. De plus, ce changement de dernière minute était un peu agacant car la majorité du groupe avait choisi l'hotel initial pour ne pas avoir à remballer sa valise une fois de plus. Celà nous a couté une journée de plus à attendre que la chambre soit libre et fait perdre une journée sur place
Toutefois, notez que lce meme hotel vient d'etre retiré du catalogue Marsans... vu le nombre d'insatisfaits. Auraient ils eu la présence d'esprit de prévenir la clientèle qu'ils envoyaient à la meme période ou de leur proposer une autre alternative? Je vous laisse deviner!
l'approche gastronomique à été des plus pauvre car tous les sites ou nous sommes passés nous ont servi sensiblement les memes spécialités (aucune communication entre les organisateurs et les lieux visités)
J'ai mis a profit ma seconde semaine, j'ai loué une voiture, pris les bus en commun et refait une majorité de ces sites... Je vous jure que je pense partir que par ce biais à l'avenir "on n'est jamais mieux servi que par soit meme".
Voila, je vous ai raconté qqch dont j'ai un peu honte, je comprends que pour leurs premiers voyages les gens ressentent un besoin de sécurité et optent pour ce type de voyage, mais sincèrement rien ne vaut le contact avec les autochtones et préparer son voyage en apprenant un peu leur langue n'est que enrichissant
Peut etre ce groupe evoluera-t-il positivement dans les saisons à venir... mais pour le moment ne vous laissez pas gacher comme moi votre reve d'enfance
j'attends vos impressions
j'ai hésité un moment avant de faire partager mes impressions à propos de ce nouveau tour operator.
J'avais fait appel à eux pour un circuit dans le Yucatan . Les sites proposés correspondaient à mes attentes mais la réalité n'a été que frustration et baclage par des "apprentis"
La première surprise a été à l'aéroport où le guichet réferent qui délivrait les billets -zelé- nous a fait patienter jusqu'à l'heure prévue. Fait normal jusque là, mais peut etre un peu moins quand on constate que les voyageurs des tours operators concurrents avaient déjà enregistré leurs bagages... conséquence? beaucoup de couples ont donc fait le trajet séparés!
A notre arrivée pas de soucis majeurs, l'accueil dans les hotels à été optimale. L'hospitalité mexicaine est irréprochable. Notre première visite, celle de Chichen Itza s'est faite sous la pluie, au moins j'ai des photos uniques, ca c'est sur!
J'ai sourit quand j'ai pu voir l'organisation de la visite de la ville de Mérida: on quitte l'hotel à 9:00, faisons qqs quartiers en bus pour revenir au meme hotel 30 minutes plus tard pour visiter à pied le centre ville puis le marché. Départ à 12:00 vers l'étape suivante. La désorganisation à commencé à m'agacer en arrivant l'après midi meme sur le site archéologique d' Uxmal. L' emploi du temps à été très mal géré et il ne restait que 1 heure avant la fermeture du site au moment de notre arrivée. Fait inadmissible à mon sens car le site est très vaste et très riche en architecture. La frustration à été intense car j'avais choisi de parcourir 9500km pour pouvoir jouir de ces lieux.
Le lendemain, la visite éclair (30 minutes) de la ville de Campeche se passe de tout commentaires... dommage car c'était une ancienne ville coloniale très colorée et très belle. Heureusement que je suis une adepte au jogging!
je ne parle meme pas de nos pannes de bus (j'insiste sur le pluriel! je vous promets de ne pas etre née un vendredi 13!)
La fin du circuit couronne le tout! On nous annonce un hotel...comble de malchance il manque "juste" l'electricité donc halte plus tot que prévue dans un éco village ( très agréable). La visite du site de Chicana à été sans interet (annonce de la visite comme une biosphère= cela a consisté à nous désigner le nom de 4 arbres...) faite en 30 minutes pour se retrouver dans l'hotel en face à 16:00. Lendemain matin, lever 15 minutes plus tot... j'ai pensé "chouette! on va passer plus de temps sur un des sites prévu!" Je suis déjà blonde et visiblement mon cas doit etre désesperé car je suis naive par dessus le marché... en fait, j'ai appris que la famille représentante du groupe Marsans qui voyageait avec nous devait etre déposée à leur hotel pour leur entamer leur semaine balnéaire et pour ce détour ils ont mobilisé tout le groupe de cette facon! Cette situation prouve tant le manque de respect d'autrui qu'ils n'ont meme pas osé en parler franchement au groupe
Mais la panne de bus suivante (encore!) à écourté la visite du cenote prévu (15 minutes d'arret). Je ne parle meme pas du site de Tulum qu'ils ont littéralement saccagé car l'hotel suivant changeait et était 120km plus loin que prévu... Vu les circonstances, la famille en question s'est fait déposer à un endroit où un taxi les attendait. Je pointe ce fait dans la mesure ou d'autres personnes du groupe se rendaient au meme hotel, et que dans le cas où tout s'était déroulé normalement, on déplacait 40 personnes pour le confort de 3 sans meme proposer à celles concernées le meme "traitement"; En effet, c'était le dernier soir nous rejoignions le dernier hotel pour etre transferés le lendemain. De plus, ce changement de dernière minute était un peu agacant car la majorité du groupe avait choisi l'hotel initial pour ne pas avoir à remballer sa valise une fois de plus. Celà nous a couté une journée de plus à attendre que la chambre soit libre et fait perdre une journée sur place
Toutefois, notez que lce meme hotel vient d'etre retiré du catalogue Marsans... vu le nombre d'insatisfaits. Auraient ils eu la présence d'esprit de prévenir la clientèle qu'ils envoyaient à la meme période ou de leur proposer une autre alternative? Je vous laisse deviner!
l'approche gastronomique à été des plus pauvre car tous les sites ou nous sommes passés nous ont servi sensiblement les memes spécialités (aucune communication entre les organisateurs et les lieux visités)
J'ai mis a profit ma seconde semaine, j'ai loué une voiture, pris les bus en commun et refait une majorité de ces sites... Je vous jure que je pense partir que par ce biais à l'avenir "on n'est jamais mieux servi que par soit meme".
Voila, je vous ai raconté qqch dont j'ai un peu honte, je comprends que pour leurs premiers voyages les gens ressentent un besoin de sécurité et optent pour ce type de voyage, mais sincèrement rien ne vaut le contact avec les autochtones et préparer son voyage en apprenant un peu leur langue n'est que enrichissant
Peut etre ce groupe evoluera-t-il positivement dans les saisons à venir... mais pour le moment ne vous laissez pas gacher comme moi votre reve d'enfance
j'attends vos impressions
Vos suggestions pour 4 ou 5 semaines au Mexique/Guatemala English translation pending
Salut,
Je pars au Méxique puis Guatemala en Juillet/août 2003 pour une durée de 4 ou 5 semaines. Si des personnes veulent se joindre à mon périple opu simplement me donner des renseignements...n'hésitez pas. Je n'ai pas d'itinéraire précis. Je pars dans le seul but de connaître une culture que j'adore et de découvrir des sites et paysages qui me font rêver depuis tout petit... J'attends vos messages.
Je pars au Méxique puis Guatemala en Juillet/août 2003 pour une durée de 4 ou 5 semaines. Si des personnes veulent se joindre à mon périple opu simplement me donner des renseignements...n'hésitez pas. Je n'ai pas d'itinéraire précis. Je pars dans le seul but de connaître une culture que j'adore et de découvrir des sites et paysages qui me font rêver depuis tout petit... J'attends vos messages.
Parc naturel de Xel-Ha English translation pending
Bonjour!
J'aimerai avoir des infos de cette endroit. Est-il recommendé d'apporter son masque et tuba, est ce qui li a un vestière pour garder son linge sec, appareil photo, caméra en sécurité. demi journée ou bien journée complète.
Merci ! Caps🏴☠️
J'aimerai avoir des infos de cette endroit. Est-il recommendé d'apporter son masque et tuba, est ce qui li a un vestière pour garder son linge sec, appareil photo, caméra en sécurité. demi journée ou bien journée complète.
Merci ! Caps🏴☠️
Back from Albania (1,000km by car)
At the risk of drawing some harsh criticism, I’ll admit we were really disappointed: sure, this trip—taken at the end of September—was short (a week), but we’d planned this little road trip (1,000km by car) as a first scouting mission. We won’t be going back anytime soon!
First mistake: we flew into Tirana (from Marseille) when it would’ve been better to fly to Corfu and rent a car in the south of the country instead of staying in the capital, which frankly isn’t all that interesting. From Tirana, we headed east toward Lin, by Lake Ohrid (a very poor region facing Macedonia), then to Korça, which guidebooks call "the most pleasant city in Albania." From there, we drove to Gjirokastra, an old Ottoman town (170km of mountain roads that took us nearly 5 hours...), then further south to Butrint, near Greece. The goal of these stops? To visit UNESCO World Heritage sites. In Lin, 6th-century mosaics; in Korça, a remarkable icon museum; in Gjirokastra, the citadel. At Butrint, we fled at the sight of all the tour buses parked in front of "this major archaeological site in the Mediterranean" and headed back north! The entire Adriatic coast is undergoing severe overdevelopment: developers are destroying the coastline to attract even more tourists (11 million visited in 2024, while Albania only has 3 million residents). We preferred to leave the coastal road (in excellent condition, a future highway) to visit Berat, an Ottoman town topped by a citadel. Our favorite spot. Why were we so disappointed? Villages without charm, outskirts of major cities in advanced decay, trash along the roads... The weight of the communist dictatorship and forced industrialization over forty years is still felt everywhere. The country is recovering but betting on tourism. The result? Newly built villas for the newly rich, beaches near the capital already polluted... Too bad, because the natural landscapes are often stunning, the locals are welcoming (young people learn English, though their parents speak little), and prices remain very reasonable—except in the capital. We’d chosen to stay with locals as much as possible, but like in Croatia, families are turning their homes into guest houses (~35 € per night, hearty breakfast included). Renting the car cost us 312 € for a week (with an international rental company—it’s probably cheaper with a local one, but I prefer understanding the contract I sign), and we cautiously took the optional insurance. Just so you know: Albanians drive fast, seem unfamiliar with traffic rules, overtake before curves, ignore yellow lines, and rarely use turn signals...)
First mistake: we flew into Tirana (from Marseille) when it would’ve been better to fly to Corfu and rent a car in the south of the country instead of staying in the capital, which frankly isn’t all that interesting. From Tirana, we headed east toward Lin, by Lake Ohrid (a very poor region facing Macedonia), then to Korça, which guidebooks call "the most pleasant city in Albania." From there, we drove to Gjirokastra, an old Ottoman town (170km of mountain roads that took us nearly 5 hours...), then further south to Butrint, near Greece. The goal of these stops? To visit UNESCO World Heritage sites. In Lin, 6th-century mosaics; in Korça, a remarkable icon museum; in Gjirokastra, the citadel. At Butrint, we fled at the sight of all the tour buses parked in front of "this major archaeological site in the Mediterranean" and headed back north! The entire Adriatic coast is undergoing severe overdevelopment: developers are destroying the coastline to attract even more tourists (11 million visited in 2024, while Albania only has 3 million residents). We preferred to leave the coastal road (in excellent condition, a future highway) to visit Berat, an Ottoman town topped by a citadel. Our favorite spot. Why were we so disappointed? Villages without charm, outskirts of major cities in advanced decay, trash along the roads... The weight of the communist dictatorship and forced industrialization over forty years is still felt everywhere. The country is recovering but betting on tourism. The result? Newly built villas for the newly rich, beaches near the capital already polluted... Too bad, because the natural landscapes are often stunning, the locals are welcoming (young people learn English, though their parents speak little), and prices remain very reasonable—except in the capital. We’d chosen to stay with locals as much as possible, but like in Croatia, families are turning their homes into guest houses (~35 € per night, hearty breakfast included). Renting the car cost us 312 € for a week (with an international rental company—it’s probably cheaper with a local one, but I prefer understanding the contract I sign), and we cautiously took the optional insurance. Just so you know: Albanians drive fast, seem unfamiliar with traffic rules, overtake before curves, ignore yellow lines, and rarely use turn signals...)
Last-minute trip to Guatemala with kids
Hi there,
We’ve had to change our plans, so we’re heading to Guatemala from October 16 to 25, 2025 (in just 6 days 😱 😊😕), with two kids aged 8 and 10. No time difference for us.
Here’s our itinerary: Day 1: Morning: Arrival in Guatemala City at 9 AM. Drive to Antigua (1-hour shuttle) / Afternoon: Stroll around Antigua / Night: Antigua Day 2: Explore Antigua / Night: Antigua Day 3: Visit the area around Antigua OR hike a volcano (Acatenango?) / Night: Antigua Day 4: Drive to Chichicastenango for the big market (how many hours?) / Afternoon: Iximche ruins? Or the hanging bridges at Atitlán Reserve? Or spend the day in Chichicastenango / Night: Panajachel Day 5: A day by boat visiting villages around the lake and checking out local crafts (which villages to pick?), Night: Panajachel Day 6: Drive to Flores with 1 stop? Should we go to Semuc Champey? (how many hours?), Night: ?? Day 7: Drive to Flores (how many hours?), Night: Flores Day 8: Yaxha (1.5-hour drive each way with a driver), Night: Flores Day 9: Day trip to Tikal, Night: Flores Day 10:: Flight from Flores to Guatemala City, then departure at 4:30 PM
About hiking a volcano, I’ve read mixed reviews. Some say it’s easy, others say it’s tough. Is there a kid-friendly hike where we could see lava from a volcano? Is it only visible at night? Do we *have* to sleep at the top and come down the next day? I’ve heard of people doing it with 2-year-olds by carrying them, and others using horses—but I guess the horses don’t go all the way up? Seeing a real volcano would be amazing! I think it’d be a memorable experience for the kids. It’d be so cool to say, "We did that as a family!" But maybe it’s way too hard and a bad idea...
I’m struggling to find reliable info on travel times: - How long is the drive from Antigua to Chichicastenango, please? I’ve read shuttles leave at 7 AM and arrive at the market by 8:30 AM, but I’ve also seen people say it’s a 4-hour trip 😕. Are the times on Google Maps reliable?
A blog mentioned visiting Chichicastenango’s market in the morning and Iximché in the afternoon. That seems like a lot of driving, especially after leaving Antigua in the morning. What should we do in the afternoon instead?
Days 6 and 7: The trip from Panajachel to Flores. Any advice on taking an overnight bus? Should we go during the day with a stop at Semuc Champey? Or fly and spend the extra day somewhere else?
Day 8: Is a full day at Yaxha too much?
Thanks so much for your help—it’s *so* valuable with such short notice! 😅 😅 😅 THANK YOU PS: If you have recommendations for private drivers, shuttle services, or any firsthand experience, I’d love to hear it!
Here’s our itinerary: Day 1: Morning: Arrival in Guatemala City at 9 AM. Drive to Antigua (1-hour shuttle) / Afternoon: Stroll around Antigua / Night: Antigua Day 2: Explore Antigua / Night: Antigua Day 3: Visit the area around Antigua OR hike a volcano (Acatenango?) / Night: Antigua Day 4: Drive to Chichicastenango for the big market (how many hours?) / Afternoon: Iximche ruins? Or the hanging bridges at Atitlán Reserve? Or spend the day in Chichicastenango / Night: Panajachel Day 5: A day by boat visiting villages around the lake and checking out local crafts (which villages to pick?), Night: Panajachel Day 6: Drive to Flores with 1 stop? Should we go to Semuc Champey? (how many hours?), Night: ?? Day 7: Drive to Flores (how many hours?), Night: Flores Day 8: Yaxha (1.5-hour drive each way with a driver), Night: Flores Day 9: Day trip to Tikal, Night: Flores Day 10:: Flight from Flores to Guatemala City, then departure at 4:30 PM
About hiking a volcano, I’ve read mixed reviews. Some say it’s easy, others say it’s tough. Is there a kid-friendly hike where we could see lava from a volcano? Is it only visible at night? Do we *have* to sleep at the top and come down the next day? I’ve heard of people doing it with 2-year-olds by carrying them, and others using horses—but I guess the horses don’t go all the way up? Seeing a real volcano would be amazing! I think it’d be a memorable experience for the kids. It’d be so cool to say, "We did that as a family!" But maybe it’s way too hard and a bad idea...
I’m struggling to find reliable info on travel times: - How long is the drive from Antigua to Chichicastenango, please? I’ve read shuttles leave at 7 AM and arrive at the market by 8:30 AM, but I’ve also seen people say it’s a 4-hour trip 😕. Are the times on Google Maps reliable?
A blog mentioned visiting Chichicastenango’s market in the morning and Iximché in the afternoon. That seems like a lot of driving, especially after leaving Antigua in the morning. What should we do in the afternoon instead?
Days 6 and 7: The trip from Panajachel to Flores. Any advice on taking an overnight bus? Should we go during the day with a stop at Semuc Champey? Or fly and spend the extra day somewhere else?
Day 8: Is a full day at Yaxha too much?
Thanks so much for your help—it’s *so* valuable with such short notice! 😅 😅 😅 THANK YOU PS: If you have recommendations for private drivers, shuttle services, or any firsthand experience, I’d love to hear it!
USA 2022 Road Trip
During our first road trip across the United States, we covered 23,000 km and crossed 28 states in 53 days.
Originally, we had planned to drive Route 66 all the way to Oatman in Arizona and visit various national parks in the American West over a two-month period.
This itinerary was planned before our departure, and all the relevant information had been gathered to stick to the schedule.
Everything went so smoothly that we finished visiting the national parks well ahead of our planned return date.
It helped that having a bed, a portable toilet, and a cooler in our vehicle gave us some autonomy since we didn’t have to worry about accommodation.
So, we decided to extend our road trip to the cities of Nashville and Memphis in Tennessee.
We then headed to Louisiana to visit Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
We crossed Mississippi and Alabama before driving along Florida’s west coast all the way to Key West.
We returned via Florida’s east coast and then crossed the eastern U.S. states to get back to Quebec through the Jackman border crossing in Maine.
So, I invite you to keep reading this long recap, which will let you discover the different attractions we visited throughout this amazing journey.
Videos are included throughout the recap. Click on the image to start the video.
To jump to a specific post, here are the relevant links:
Route 66 - Illinois & Missouri Route 66 - St. Louis (Missouri) - Gateway Arch National Park Route 66 - Cuba (Missouri) - City Murals Route 66 - Springfield (Missouri) - Fantastic Caverns Route 66 - Kansas & Oklahoma Route 66 - Texas & Arizona Route 66 - Texas - The Stations of the Cross in Groom Route 66 - Texas - Panhandle - VW Slug Bug Ranch Texas - Palo Duro Canyon State Park - Juniper Trails Texas - Palo Duro Canyon State Park - The Lighthouse Trail Route 66 - Texas - Amarillo - Cadillac Ranch Route 66 - New Mexico - Santa Rosa Blue Hole New Mexico - Bandelier National Monument - Alcove House Trail via Main Loop Trail New Mexico - Bandelier National Monument - Tsankawi Ruins Trail New Mexico - White Rock Overlook Route 66 - New Mexico - Albuquerque - Old Town New Mexico - White Sands National Park New Mexico - White Sands National Park - Dune Life Nature Trail New Mexico - White Sands National Park - Playa Trail New Mexico - White Sands National Park - Interdune Boardwalk New Mexico - Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument New Mexico - Grants - Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano New Mexico - Gallup - Pyramide Rock Trail & Church Rock Trail Arizona - Holbrook - Painted Desert Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - Puerco Pueblo & Newspaper Rock Viewpoint Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - Blue Mesa Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - The Teepees, Agate Bridge & Jasper Forest Overlook Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - Crystal Forest Trail Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - Giant Logs Trail Arizona - Winslow - Two Guns Ghost Town Arizona - Cameron - Little Colorado River Gorge Overlooks Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Shoshone Point Trail Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Desert View Drive Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Rim Route (Orange) & Village Route (Blue) Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Hermit Route (Red Line) Route 66 - Arizona - Historic Town of Oatman Arizona - Bullhead City Community Park Nevada - Red Rock Canyon - Calico I & II & Sandstone Quarry Nevada - Red Rock Canyon - Willow Springs Nevada - Red Rock Canyon Lookouts Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - White Domes Trail Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Seven Wonders Trail, Pink Canyon, Fire Wave Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Rainbow Vista Trail Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Mouse's Tank Trail Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Rock Formations Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Scenic Routes Nevada - Cathedral Gorge State Park - Slot Canyons Nevada - Cathedral Gorge State Park - Eagle Point & Miller Point Utah - Bryce Canyon National Park - Mossy Cave & Tropic Ditch Waterfall Trail Utah - Bryce Canyon National Park - Scenic Drive Utah - Zion National Park - Pa'rus Trail Utah - Zion National Park - Sand Bench Trail Utah - Zion National Park - Emerald Pools Trail Utah - Zion National Park - West Rim Trail (Trail connecting to Angels Landing) Utah - Zion National Park - Riverside Walk Utah - Zion National Park - Court of The Patriarchs & Big Bend Utah - Zion National Park - Mount Carmel Highway Scenic Drive Utah - Kanab - Jackson Flat Reservoir Utah - Toadstools Trail in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Arizona - Page - Glen Canyon Dam Overlook Arizona - Page - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Arizona - Page - Horseshoe Bend Overlook Arizona - Page - Upper Antelope Canyon Arizona - Page - Navajo Canyon Boat Tour at Lake Powell Arizona - Page - Antelope Canyon X Arizona - Canyon de Chelly National Monument - Chelly Canyon Arizona - Canyon de Chelly National Monument - Canyon del Muerto Arizona - Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Utah - Mexican Hat Utah - Mexican Hat - Goosenecks State Park Utah - Mexican Hat - Valley of the Gods Utah - The Moki Dugway Scenic Backway Utah - Blanding - Natural Bridges National Monument Utah - Lake Powell - Hite Crossing Bridge Utah - Lake Powell - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area - Hite Overlook Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Chimney Rock Loop Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Hickman Bridge Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Grand Wash Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Sunset Point Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Goosenecks Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Viewpoints - Fruita Area Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Viewpoints - Scenic Drive Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Cassidy Arch Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - On the way to Capitol Gorge Trailhead Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Capitol Gorge Trailhead Utah - Monroe - Mystic Hot Springs Utah - Scenic Overlooks on UT-24, UT-119 & I-70 Utah - Arches National Park - Park Avenue Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Courthouse Towers Section's Viewpoints Utah - Arches National Park - Balanced Rock, Pothole Arch, Ham Rock & Garden of Eden Utah - Arches National Park - Double Arch Trail, Cove Arch, Cove of Caves & Panorama Point Utah - Arches National Park - Windows Loop & Turret Arch Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Delicate Arch Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Fiery Furnace Section - Viewpoints Utah - Arches National Park - Sand Dune Arch Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Skyline Arch Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Devils Garden Trail Utah - Dead Horse Point State Park - West Rim Trail Utah - Dead Horse Point State Park - East Rim Trail Utah - Moab - Utah State Route 279 (Potash Road) Utah - Moab - Shafer Trail - Potash Evaporation Ponds Utah - Moab - Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs Utah - Moab - Potash Road - Corona, Bowtie & Pinto Arches Trail Utah - Moab - Potash Road - Wall Street Climbing Area Utah - Moab - Kane Springs Road Utah - Moab - Kane Springs Road - Side By Side Adventure Utah - Moab - Kane Springs Road to Moab Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Mesa Arch Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Aztec Butte Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Whale Rock Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Upheaval Dome Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Grand View Point Overlook Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - White Rim Overlook Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Overlooks Utah - Moab - Wilson Arch Utah - Monticello - Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Road Side Ruin Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Cave Spring Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Pothole Point Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Big Spring Canyon Overlook Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Overlooks Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park - Mesa Top Ruins Road Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park - Chapin Mesa Road Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park - Mesa Top Loop Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park - Wetherill Mesa Road Colorado - Great Sand Dunes National Park Colorado - Mosca - Zapata Falls Colorado - Colorado Springs - Garden of the Gods Colorado - Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Colorado - Gunnison - Curecanti National Recreation Area Colorado - Gunnison - Blue Mesa Dam & Reservoir Colorado - Lake Pueblo State Park (Pueblo Reservoir) Kentucky - Mayfield, 5 months after an EF4 tornado Tennessee - Nashville - Downtown Walking Tour Tennessee - Graceland Mansion - Home of Elvis Presley Tennessee - Graceland - Lisa Marie & Hound Dog II Jets Tennessee - Graceland - Elvis Presley Automobile Museum & Exhibits Tennessee - Exploring Memphis Louisiana - Exploring Baton Rouge Louisiana - Exploring Lafayette Louisiana - Exploring Houma Louisiana - New Orleans - French Quarter Tour Louisiana - New Orleans - Garden District Tour Louisiana - New Orleans - Creole Queen Mississippi River Cruise Florida - Clearwater Beach Florida - Sanibel Island - Bowman's Beach Florida - Siesta Key Beach Florida - Captiva Island - Turner Beach Florida - Key Largo - Sunset Florida - Key West - Smathers Beach Florida - Miami Beach - Art Deco District Florida - Miami Beach South Carolina - Myrtle Beach Virginia - Virginia Beach Maine - Scarborough - Pine Point Beach
Originally, we had planned to drive Route 66 all the way to Oatman in Arizona and visit various national parks in the American West over a two-month period.
This itinerary was planned before our departure, and all the relevant information had been gathered to stick to the schedule.
Everything went so smoothly that we finished visiting the national parks well ahead of our planned return date.
It helped that having a bed, a portable toilet, and a cooler in our vehicle gave us some autonomy since we didn’t have to worry about accommodation.
So, we decided to extend our road trip to the cities of Nashville and Memphis in Tennessee.
We then headed to Louisiana to visit Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
We crossed Mississippi and Alabama before driving along Florida’s west coast all the way to Key West.
We returned via Florida’s east coast and then crossed the eastern U.S. states to get back to Quebec through the Jackman border crossing in Maine.
So, I invite you to keep reading this long recap, which will let you discover the different attractions we visited throughout this amazing journey.
Videos are included throughout the recap. Click on the image to start the video.
To jump to a specific post, here are the relevant links:
Route 66 - Illinois & Missouri Route 66 - St. Louis (Missouri) - Gateway Arch National Park Route 66 - Cuba (Missouri) - City Murals Route 66 - Springfield (Missouri) - Fantastic Caverns Route 66 - Kansas & Oklahoma Route 66 - Texas & Arizona Route 66 - Texas - The Stations of the Cross in Groom Route 66 - Texas - Panhandle - VW Slug Bug Ranch Texas - Palo Duro Canyon State Park - Juniper Trails Texas - Palo Duro Canyon State Park - The Lighthouse Trail Route 66 - Texas - Amarillo - Cadillac Ranch Route 66 - New Mexico - Santa Rosa Blue Hole New Mexico - Bandelier National Monument - Alcove House Trail via Main Loop Trail New Mexico - Bandelier National Monument - Tsankawi Ruins Trail New Mexico - White Rock Overlook Route 66 - New Mexico - Albuquerque - Old Town New Mexico - White Sands National Park New Mexico - White Sands National Park - Dune Life Nature Trail New Mexico - White Sands National Park - Playa Trail New Mexico - White Sands National Park - Interdune Boardwalk New Mexico - Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument New Mexico - Grants - Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano New Mexico - Gallup - Pyramide Rock Trail & Church Rock Trail Arizona - Holbrook - Painted Desert Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - Puerco Pueblo & Newspaper Rock Viewpoint Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - Blue Mesa Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - The Teepees, Agate Bridge & Jasper Forest Overlook Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - Crystal Forest Trail Arizona - Petrified Forest National Park - Giant Logs Trail Arizona - Winslow - Two Guns Ghost Town Arizona - Cameron - Little Colorado River Gorge Overlooks Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Shoshone Point Trail Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Desert View Drive Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Rim Route (Orange) & Village Route (Blue) Arizona - Grand Canyon National Park - Hermit Route (Red Line) Route 66 - Arizona - Historic Town of Oatman Arizona - Bullhead City Community Park Nevada - Red Rock Canyon - Calico I & II & Sandstone Quarry Nevada - Red Rock Canyon - Willow Springs Nevada - Red Rock Canyon Lookouts Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - White Domes Trail Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Seven Wonders Trail, Pink Canyon, Fire Wave Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Rainbow Vista Trail Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Mouse's Tank Trail Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Rock Formations Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park - Scenic Routes Nevada - Cathedral Gorge State Park - Slot Canyons Nevada - Cathedral Gorge State Park - Eagle Point & Miller Point Utah - Bryce Canyon National Park - Mossy Cave & Tropic Ditch Waterfall Trail Utah - Bryce Canyon National Park - Scenic Drive Utah - Zion National Park - Pa'rus Trail Utah - Zion National Park - Sand Bench Trail Utah - Zion National Park - Emerald Pools Trail Utah - Zion National Park - West Rim Trail (Trail connecting to Angels Landing) Utah - Zion National Park - Riverside Walk Utah - Zion National Park - Court of The Patriarchs & Big Bend Utah - Zion National Park - Mount Carmel Highway Scenic Drive Utah - Kanab - Jackson Flat Reservoir Utah - Toadstools Trail in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Arizona - Page - Glen Canyon Dam Overlook Arizona - Page - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Arizona - Page - Horseshoe Bend Overlook Arizona - Page - Upper Antelope Canyon Arizona - Page - Navajo Canyon Boat Tour at Lake Powell Arizona - Page - Antelope Canyon X Arizona - Canyon de Chelly National Monument - Chelly Canyon Arizona - Canyon de Chelly National Monument - Canyon del Muerto Arizona - Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Utah - Mexican Hat Utah - Mexican Hat - Goosenecks State Park Utah - Mexican Hat - Valley of the Gods Utah - The Moki Dugway Scenic Backway Utah - Blanding - Natural Bridges National Monument Utah - Lake Powell - Hite Crossing Bridge Utah - Lake Powell - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area - Hite Overlook Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Chimney Rock Loop Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Hickman Bridge Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Grand Wash Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Sunset Point Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Goosenecks Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Viewpoints - Fruita Area Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Viewpoints - Scenic Drive Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Cassidy Arch Trail Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - On the way to Capitol Gorge Trailhead Utah - Capitol Reef National Park - Capitol Gorge Trailhead Utah - Monroe - Mystic Hot Springs Utah - Scenic Overlooks on UT-24, UT-119 & I-70 Utah - Arches National Park - Park Avenue Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Courthouse Towers Section's Viewpoints Utah - Arches National Park - Balanced Rock, Pothole Arch, Ham Rock & Garden of Eden Utah - Arches National Park - Double Arch Trail, Cove Arch, Cove of Caves & Panorama Point Utah - Arches National Park - Windows Loop & Turret Arch Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Delicate Arch Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Fiery Furnace Section - Viewpoints Utah - Arches National Park - Sand Dune Arch Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Skyline Arch Trail Utah - Arches National Park - Devils Garden Trail Utah - Dead Horse Point State Park - West Rim Trail Utah - Dead Horse Point State Park - East Rim Trail Utah - Moab - Utah State Route 279 (Potash Road) Utah - Moab - Shafer Trail - Potash Evaporation Ponds Utah - Moab - Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs Utah - Moab - Potash Road - Corona, Bowtie & Pinto Arches Trail Utah - Moab - Potash Road - Wall Street Climbing Area Utah - Moab - Kane Springs Road Utah - Moab - Kane Springs Road - Side By Side Adventure Utah - Moab - Kane Springs Road to Moab Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Mesa Arch Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Aztec Butte Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Whale Rock Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Upheaval Dome Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Grand View Point Overlook Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - White Rim Overlook Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - Overlooks Utah - Moab - Wilson Arch Utah - Monticello - Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Road Side Ruin Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Cave Spring Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Pothole Point Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Big Spring Canyon Overlook Trail Utah - Canyonlands National Park - The Needles - Overlooks Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park - Mesa Top Ruins Road Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park - Chapin Mesa Road Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park - Mesa Top Loop Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park - Wetherill Mesa Road Colorado - Great Sand Dunes National Park Colorado - Mosca - Zapata Falls Colorado - Colorado Springs - Garden of the Gods Colorado - Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park Colorado - Gunnison - Curecanti National Recreation Area Colorado - Gunnison - Blue Mesa Dam & Reservoir Colorado - Lake Pueblo State Park (Pueblo Reservoir) Kentucky - Mayfield, 5 months after an EF4 tornado Tennessee - Nashville - Downtown Walking Tour Tennessee - Graceland Mansion - Home of Elvis Presley Tennessee - Graceland - Lisa Marie & Hound Dog II Jets Tennessee - Graceland - Elvis Presley Automobile Museum & Exhibits Tennessee - Exploring Memphis Louisiana - Exploring Baton Rouge Louisiana - Exploring Lafayette Louisiana - Exploring Houma Louisiana - New Orleans - French Quarter Tour Louisiana - New Orleans - Garden District Tour Louisiana - New Orleans - Creole Queen Mississippi River Cruise Florida - Clearwater Beach Florida - Sanibel Island - Bowman's Beach Florida - Siesta Key Beach Florida - Captiva Island - Turner Beach Florida - Key Largo - Sunset Florida - Key West - Smathers Beach Florida - Miami Beach - Art Deco District Florida - Miami Beach South Carolina - Myrtle Beach Virginia - Virginia Beach Maine - Scarborough - Pine Point Beach
From Cairo to Luxor via the White Desert or via the Nile Valley: preparatory questions
Hi there,
This trip to Egypt isn’t happening anytime soon, but I like to plan a few steps ahead! 😉
I’ve already been to Egypt several times (Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, the classic cruise, the Lake Nasser cruise, Abu Simbel, Taba) both solo and on organized tours, but my partner hasn’t.
So, I’m thinking of mixing the classic with something a bit more original.
My idea is to visit Cairo and its surroundings, then make my way to Luxor in stages. The trip would end in Luxor.
Renting a car doesn’t seem like a viable option. That leaves boats, public transport, a car with a driver, or even a private tour for the stretch between Cairo and Luxor.
My questions:
How can I cover the Cairo-Luxor stretch if I go through the White Desert? Is a car with a driver possible? What’s the daily cost of hiring a car with a driver (including the driver’s accommodation and expenses)? How many days should I plan for this route (Saqqara, Fayoum Oasis, Black Desert, White Desert, Ad-Dakhla, El Kharga)?
Are there any cruise boats that do the Cairo-Luxor route (or vice versa)? Dahabiyas? Or at least the Assiut-Luxor stretch?
Thanks! 🙂
This trip to Egypt isn’t happening anytime soon, but I like to plan a few steps ahead! 😉
I’ve already been to Egypt several times (Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, the classic cruise, the Lake Nasser cruise, Abu Simbel, Taba) both solo and on organized tours, but my partner hasn’t.
So, I’m thinking of mixing the classic with something a bit more original.
My idea is to visit Cairo and its surroundings, then make my way to Luxor in stages. The trip would end in Luxor.
Renting a car doesn’t seem like a viable option. That leaves boats, public transport, a car with a driver, or even a private tour for the stretch between Cairo and Luxor.
My questions:
How can I cover the Cairo-Luxor stretch if I go through the White Desert? Is a car with a driver possible? What’s the daily cost of hiring a car with a driver (including the driver’s accommodation and expenses)? How many days should I plan for this route (Saqqara, Fayoum Oasis, Black Desert, White Desert, Ad-Dakhla, El Kharga)?
Are there any cruise boats that do the Cairo-Luxor route (or vice versa)? Dahabiyas? Or at least the Assiut-Luxor stretch?
Thanks! 🙂
Has overtourism changed your relationship with travel?
Good evening! 🙂,
I’m paraphrasing the title of discussions that were popping up back in 2020. Back then, the obstacles were travel restrictions and all sorts of often very arbitrary "health" rules. Today, it feels like we’re facing an epidemic of wanderlust that’s piling up in certain places—places that keep expanding. Places that end up feeling like wallpaper, just part of the scenery, more or less exotic, since the people, the dominant crowd, are always the same. And they’re especially overwhelming in limited spaces like villages, museums, and other remarkable sites.
Personally, it tends to send my cortisol levels through the roof, leading to desperate attempts to salvage what I can (the stress when I saw a travel journal about eastern Crete—then, phew, at least this little piece of old Greece hasn’t been exposed yet. Maybe it’ll survive a little longer). So, no more weekends in beautiful European cities. So, adjusted visiting hours, but that’s not always enough (I’ll still have to say goodbye to Caravaggio’s *Madeleine* since I can’t have a quiet moment with her anymore, even late in the day). So, outright giving up: I’ll never see Machu Picchu. Too late. So, shifting travel dates to minimize the damage (Uzbekistan was originally planned for Easter—with April 24th and May 1st to limit vacation days—but the anxiety of tourist crowds during that mild climate period, with few days off, led me to reschedule the trip for winter. Short days and possible rain are a thousand times better).
Avoiding crowds has become a fundamental criterion for choosing destinations and timing.
And you? Are you able to tune out this identical crowd everywhere, or has it changed your relationship with travel/tourism?
Catherine
I’m paraphrasing the title of discussions that were popping up back in 2020. Back then, the obstacles were travel restrictions and all sorts of often very arbitrary "health" rules. Today, it feels like we’re facing an epidemic of wanderlust that’s piling up in certain places—places that keep expanding. Places that end up feeling like wallpaper, just part of the scenery, more or less exotic, since the people, the dominant crowd, are always the same. And they’re especially overwhelming in limited spaces like villages, museums, and other remarkable sites.
Personally, it tends to send my cortisol levels through the roof, leading to desperate attempts to salvage what I can (the stress when I saw a travel journal about eastern Crete—then, phew, at least this little piece of old Greece hasn’t been exposed yet. Maybe it’ll survive a little longer). So, no more weekends in beautiful European cities. So, adjusted visiting hours, but that’s not always enough (I’ll still have to say goodbye to Caravaggio’s *Madeleine* since I can’t have a quiet moment with her anymore, even late in the day). So, outright giving up: I’ll never see Machu Picchu. Too late. So, shifting travel dates to minimize the damage (Uzbekistan was originally planned for Easter—with April 24th and May 1st to limit vacation days—but the anxiety of tourist crowds during that mild climate period, with few days off, led me to reschedule the trip for winter. Short days and possible rain are a thousand times better).
Avoiding crowds has become a fundamental criterion for choosing destinations and timing.
And you? Are you able to tune out this identical crowd everywhere, or has it changed your relationship with travel/tourism?
Catherine
Eastern Crete in September 2024
Travel journal in Eastern Crete from September 8th to 29th, 2024
Our 21-day itinerary
Sunday, 08/09: Once again—and this is the eighth time—we’re setting off, the four of us: Patrick, Michelle, Jacques, and Monique, for the Greek islands. This time, we’ve chosen Crete. No need to wake up at 3 or 4 a.m. to reach Basel-Mulhouse Airport at dawn to catch the first flight to Greece at 6 a.m.! Given the prohibitive prices charged by EasyJet, we found flights that were half the price from Zurich Airport, which is accessible in 3 hours by train from Colmar. Pierre-Paul drives all four of us to Colmar train station, where we take the train to Basel and then, 20 minutes later, the direct train to Zurich Airport. After wandering around the airport, we go for a coffee at 6 € each! We’re in Switzerland, after all. The other dining areas all have vending machines for selecting and paying for meals—soon, there won’t be anyone left to serve you! After a short wait, we take off at 7:45 p.m. (20 minutes late) in an Aegean Airbus A321. Free in-flight meal service isn’t bad either! We land in Heraklion around 11:15 p.m. We pick up our rental car (a red Seat Ibiza) at the airport and head straight to our apartment, located 2 km from the city center. Thanks to the GPS, we find it quickly. It’s a beautiful, fully renovated apartment with all the comforts and well-equipped. On the table, there’s wine, bottles of water, jam, coffee, etc. Given the late hour, we won’t stay up long.
Monday, 09/09: To enhance our breakfast, Michelle and Monique set off to find a bakery nearby. They return with croissants and donuts—yum... Then we head to the west coast. The highway follows the coastline, but we prefer taking the old road to Malia, our first stop. We visit the major archaeological site of this Minoan city under the hot sun. The site covers a vast area, but the ruins aren’t very evocative except for a few beautiful amphorae scattered around. The explanations in a small house at the entrance are interesting and help us better understand the organization of the ancient city with its different districts. From there, we head toward the nearby mountains to see the thousand-year-old plane tree in the village of Krasi. We take the opportunity to enjoy an excellent lunch of moussaka and delicious gemista at the Krassopsychia taverna in the village center. Pleasant surprise: the prices are still reasonable, with a bill of 70 € for four, including wine and water. The friendly tradition of complimentary dessert and glasses of raki continues—great! We’ve set the bar high right away! Let’s hope the rest lives up to it! On the way back toward the Lassithi Plateau, we stop at the Kardiotisa Monastery perched high on the mountain to enjoy a magnificent view of the entire region. Just a little further, we arrive at the Lassithi Plateau: the presence of small windmills used to pump water from the ground is the typical feature of this plateau. We complete a full loop around the plateau, passing by numerous orchards and vegetable gardens that occupy the entire space. At the end of the plateau, we once again cross mountain passes via winding roads that bring us near Agios Nikolaos. Our apartment is located about ten kilometers further south in Amoudhara. The owner, who was notified, waits for us and shows us her superb apartment, whose large terrace overlooks the entire Mirabello Bay. She then gives us valuable information about the different beaches in the area. Dinner will be frugal, given our hearty lunch in Krasi!
Sunset over Mirabello Bay
Tuesday, 10/09: A bit of a gray sky when we wake up around 8 a.m., but the sun will soon triumph over the scattered clouds. For our first swim, we opt for Voulisma Beach, even though our host warned us it was a bit “crowdy.” That’s understandable given the beautiful emerald color of the sea and the lovely curve of the beach. To avoid the big crowds, we move toward the eastern part of the beach, accessible via a steep staircase. The water is very warm, and this first dip is very pleasant. Before returning to the apartment, we stop at the bakery to buy spinach pies, essential ingredients to accompany our Greek salad for lunch. Of course, everything will be washed down with ouzo, which will remain our favorite drink for the next three weeks—but in moderation!!! A nap is in order after all that effort. In the late afternoon, we drive to Agios Nikolaos, the main seaside resort in Crete. We’re not too enthusiastic about visiting this mass-tourism resort, but the center of Agios, concentrated around the small inner harbor, is pleasant to see despite the plethora of shops and restaurants. We dine a little outside the harbor in the shaded courtyard of the Avli taverna: the oven-baked lamb, squid with spinach, and cuttlefish ink orzo pasta are all highly appreciated. We still stay under a 75 € bill for four.
Mirabello Bay seen from our terrace
Wednesday, 11/09: At 8 a.m., the terrace is already bathed in sunlight, and it’s already quite hot. The small parasol barely gives us enough shade, but we’re not complaining! For our second swim, we head to a tiny beach recommended by our host, just 3 minutes by car from our place. The path leading to it is very discreet, and we don’t find it right away! It’s a small sandy cove with a few welcome tamarisk trees for shade. When we arrive, there are two swimmers, and there won’t be more than five or six in the morning. After lunch and a nap, we head to the beautiful village of Kritsa, just a few kilometers away. It’s too late to visit the beautiful church of Kera Panagia, which is already closed. We settle for the exterior, which is worth a look. The weather is clouding over, and big clouds are gathering. Upon arriving in Kritsa, a heavy shower forces us to take shelter in the Platanos taverna in the village center, and since it’s nearly 7 p.m., we decide to stay and dine there. Good choice—excellent meze: croquettes and stuffed zucchini flowers, gigantes beans, grilled tomatoes and feta, and pancetta as the main dish. The rain stops just as we decide to head back.
Village of Kritsa
Thursday, 12/09: Our terrace faces east, so we get to watch the sunrise around 7 a.m.—it’s truly a beautiful sight we never tire of. Around 9 a.m., we head to the village of Plaka, where boats depart for the island of Spinalonga, located north of Agios Nikolaos. We board the first boat, which sets sail at 10 a.m., and we’re not alone—the boat is practically full. After 10 minutes, we land on the island at the same time as several other boats from Elounda or Agios. Needless to say, there are already quite a few people walking through the streets of the leper village. The visit remains interesting and moving as we read the explanatory panels recounting the island’s history under Byzantine and then Turkish rule, followed by its transformation into a leper colony. As soon as we climb toward the top of the island via more or less maintained paths, there’s almost no one left. The 360° view from up there is stunning.

Spinalonga Island
The heat is now unbearable, and we can’t wait to get back home to have lunch on our terrace and rest. In the late afternoon, we go grocery shopping at the AB supermarket at the entrance of Agios. We had spotted another nice restaurant in our guide, but unfortunately, there’s a different one at the indicated location that doesn’t inspire us. So, we return to the Avli taverna for another dinner just as good as the first.
Friday, 13/09: We repeat yesterday’s successful program: a swim in our little cove, lunch on the terrace, a nap, and then, in the late afternoon, we discover another nearby village, Kroustas, nestled in the olive groves near Kritsa. Much less touristy than Kritsa, it’s mostly inhabited by locals, especially the elderly who are enjoying the cool air on their chairs—if you can call it cool given the still-high temperatures in the late afternoon! We then return to visit Kritsa, which we hadn’t been able to explore due to the rain. Dinner at a taverna in the village center at a very reasonable price.
Saturday, 14/09: Today, we move to our new base further east. We start with a high viewpoint at the Faneromeni Monastery, which overlooks Mirabello Bay. The monastery itself is of little interest as it’s under renovation with excessive concrete work. We continue to the village of Kavoussi to see another exceptional tree after a few kilometers on a dusty, bumpy track. It’s an olive tree said to be about 3,200 years old—impressive, and the countryside is very beautiful. It’s time to find a place for lunch. We find one in the charming little port of Mohlos, where a few tavernas surround a very nice small beach. Our choice falls on the Bogazzi taverna, where we enjoy fried fish. To reach our new base in Zakros, we still have to drive through the mountains before reaching Sitia, Paleokastro, and finally Zakros. The region is beautiful, with olive groves and rows of wind turbines taking advantage of the strong wind near the northern tip of the island. In Zakros, we’re greeted by our very friendly host. Here too, we have all the comforts and a beautiful terrace overlooking the village. The apartment has reversible air conditioners, but the overly simple instructions leave us puzzled. Thinking we’ve set it correctly, we realize a little too late that it’s blowing hot air over 30°C! After numerous attempts and testing several confusing programs, we finally succeed! Dinner on our new terrace.
Sunday, 15/09: This morning, we get up early to hike in the “Gorge of the Dead” while it’s still cool. The sky is blue as usual! We park in the nearest parking lot and start our descent via a beautiful path winding through the olive groves. A little further on, the landscape opens up, and the path, now a stony trail, begins the descent to the dry riverbed. On either side of the riverbed rise beautiful reddish cliffs.


Gorge of the Dead
The trail winds its way through this narrow gorge with difficulty. It was in the many caves visible halfway up the slope that the Minoans buried their dead, hence the name “Gorge of the Dead.” The gorge opens onto a beautiful small pebble beach. A swim is welcome after this hike that made us sweat. The hike took us 1 hour and 25 minutes, and a little less on the way back. Meanwhile, Monique did some shopping and prepared an excellent lunch. In the late afternoon, we go down to dine at Platanakis, a taverna in the small village of Kato Zakros.
Monday, 16/09: This morning, we explore the northern part of the east coast near Palekastro. We start with a dip at the beautiful Hionia Beach near Palekastro. The water is still just as nice, but a light breeze is blowing—not enough to spoil our fun! Seeing all the wind turbines lining the ridges, it’s no surprise.
Grocery shopping in Palekastro and return to Zakros. A little rain in the late afternoon and an excellent dinner at Iannis Mitsakakis’ Taverna in Adravastis. These are the kind of small tavernas we love—unpretentious, a few tables on a terrace, a warm welcome, a short menu guaranteeing freshness, tasty dishes prepared by the server’s mom, and a light bill. What more could you ask for!
Tuesday, 17/09: We head back toward Palekastro to do some shopping, but it’s also the road to the Toplou Monastery. There, we see a collection of magnificent icons dating from the 15th to the 20th century. We can also admire drawings of Orthodox religious architecture. We continue toward the Mavros Akrotiri headland to enjoy the view of the sea and rocky capes. On the way back to our place, we make a small detour to see the famous Vai palm grove. Meh... As for Vai Beach, it’s filled with paid umbrellas and sunbeds, and there are so many people that we flee. Plus, having to pay for parking is another reason to snub this trendy beach. We prefer our Hionia Beach, which we already appreciated the other day. In the late afternoon, Pat and I start the trail that begins at Kato Zakros Beach heading south. The poorly marked path crosses a plateau of sharp limestone. The paint and cairn markings are no longer very visible, and with dusk approaching, we turn back toward Kato Zakros. Dinner at the Platanakis taverna—less good than last time.
Wednesday, 18/09: To avoid the scorching sun, Pat, Mimi, and I get up earlier than usual to hike the Hohlakies Gorge. At this early hour, the sky is quite cloudy, and it’s drizzling. When we arrive in the village of Hohlakies, we park in front of a small chapel, the start of the hike. The sky is now completely clear. The trail starts among the olive groves, then after passing through a gate, we descend into the gorge filled with large rocks. We’re alone in the world, and the landscape is magnificent. A few wild goats clinging to the cliff watch us from above. After 1 hour and 15 minutes, we emerge onto the wonderful Karoumès Beach. A pleasant swim, then back to civilization! A walk in the late afternoon in Zakros to discover the beautiful springs route. Dinner in Adravastis.
Thursday, 19/09: Another move: Before heading to our next stop, we make a detour to see the beautiful Keratokampos Beach and can’t resist a swim in the still-warm, clear water. We continue our journey via Ziros, then reach the south coast and have lunch at the Stephi taverna in Ferma—excellent meal! The south coast is quite urbanized and has much less charm than the east coast we’ve just left! The numerous plastic greenhouses are partly to blame. We stop for groceries in Ierapetra. Around 3 p.m., we arrive at our destination in the small perched village of Anatoli. Our lodging is at the top of the village, and from the path leading to it, we have a magnificent view of the coastal plain, unfortunately overloaded with plastic greenhouses. It reminds us of the landscapes of El Ejido in Andalusia.
View of the Ierapetra coast from Anatoli
Friday, 20/09: A walk and discovery of the hamlet of Anatoli. There are few services—a tiny grocery store, a taverna, and that’s it. Fortunately, the traveling baker arrives and honks. We take the opportunity to buy fresh bread. Leaving the village, we take a path that should lead us to the hamlet of Drygies. The landscape is beautiful. We walk through a lovely pine forest before arriving at the hamlet. The path continues to a taverna that’s closed today, with a superb terrace overlooking the coast. Luckily, the owner arrives and informs us that the taverna will be open next Sunday and that we can enjoy barbecued meat. Noted! We head back to Anatoli via the small paved road with, fortunately, very limited traffic. Lunch on our terrace, then a dip in our private pool! The water is noticeably cooler than at the beach. Dinner at the village taverna: there’s only one menu—meze starters, souvlaki, water, wine, and bread—all for 35 €! We think we’re dreaming—was there a mistake? No.
Saturday, 21/09: We discover the beach of the village of Myrtos, a small seaside resort that’s quite touristy but on a human scale. We swim in the western part of the beach, and once again, we’re alone in the water. The best part: warm water and tamarisk trees for welcome shade. There’s even a shower to rinse off! In the late afternoon, Pat and I decide to go for a hike in the Selakano pine forest. To get there, we take a narrow, winding, and poorly paved road after the village of Christos. Plus, at this altitude, we encounter clouds clinging to the mountain, so it’s drizzling, and visibility is reduced. We decide to turn back and return to Anatoli. As compensation, we take the path that passes in front of the lodging and leads us to the Timios Stavros chapel, which crowns the summit of the nearby mountain. We arrive at the summit just in time for the sunset at 7 p.m. Breathtaking 360° panorama and magnificent colors!
Sunset from Anatoli
Sunday, 22/09: This morning, Pat, Mimi, and I go for a hike in the Sarakina Gorge, located about 12 km from Anatoli via a beautiful road winding through irrigated olive groves. We park in the small parking lot before the trail. At the start, the path follows a levada (small irrigation canal) and quickly enters a very narrow gorge flanked by high cliffs. The riverbed is cluttered with huge rocks blocking the passage. No matter—in the technical sections, ropes or ladders allow us to overcome these obstacles with a bit of skill. You can imagine how quickly the riverbed must rise during a storm, given the narrowness of the gorge!
We progress slowly through this magnificent and impressive rocky chaos. At the exit of the gorge, we take another return path that partly follows the paved road. Back in Anatoli, we go to lunch at the Drygies taverna. We sit at the edge of the terrace under a huge tree that covers almost the entire terrace and order grilled lamb dishes prepared according to the ancient “antikristo” method.
Monday, 23/09: Departure for our last stop before Heraklion. We thought about swimming at Tertsa Beach, but it turns out to be less pleasant than expected, with pebbles and an uneven rocky plateau. So, we return to Myrtos Beach, which we know well and suits us perfectly. We head west, leaving the coast a bit. Around 3:30 p.m., we arrive at our destination in the village of Kamilari, near the famous Matala spot. We’ve rented a beautiful, modern, well-equipped apartment with a lovely shaded terrace. The owner is very friendly and explains everything necessary for a good stay. We explore the quite touristy village with its few tavernas, all full of tourists, mostly Germans.
Tuesday, 24/09: Visit to the village of Sivas, well restored thanks to the Germans, who have invested a lot here. We take the opportunity to scout out “friendly” tavernas, then go for a swim at Kalamaki Beach. Apart from a small sandy access, you have to enter the water via a chaotic limestone plateau—proof of this is that Monique trips slightly when entering the water. A group of very unfriendly German women blocks the sandy passage and doesn’t hesitate to push swimmers they deem too close. Back home, lunch, and a nap. In the late afternoon, we drive to visit the nearby Phaistos site. We benefit from very beautiful lighting. From the elevated site, we overlook the Messara Plain with a beautiful view of the olive grove checkerboards highlighted by the late afternoon sun. The site itself is quite vast, but to appreciate it, it’s better to read the explanatory panels placed throughout the different quarters. At this hour, the site is almost empty, and the beautiful light adds charm to the visit.
Wednesday, 25/09: Departure for the village of Matala, which doesn’t interest us in itself, having been there during the “hippie” era in 1976. However, going to Red Beach, only accessible by taking a path overlooking this area, appeals to us much more. We park in the large parking lot just outside the village and start our climb, which brings us to a pass from where we can admire this beautiful red-sand beach framed by beautiful cliffs plunging into the sea. The weather is magnificent, and at this early hour, there aren’t many people yet. We swim in the free part located near the cliff on the right when arriving at the beach. The sea is like glass, warm, and without a single ripple—a real treat! After half an hour, we turn back, and now there are many people rushing on this path, not at all made for feet in sandals or flip-flops, yet many vacationers venture out like this! Matala lives up to its image—a trendy place, full of shops, bars, and restaurants. You could be in any seaside resort with a standard global urbanism, lacking particular charm. Back home. In the late afternoon, a walk through the olive groves surrounding Kamilari, then dinner at Evangelina’s, who runs the Minoan Parassies taverna in the middle of the olive groves. Evangelina is quite a character: we came to reserve a table for 8 p.m. when it was only 7 p.m., but since we lingered near her restaurant, she prepares a table for us and urges us to sit down! And there she takes our order, and a little later, the meze arrive, followed by the main dishes. We finish this good dinner with several generous glasses of raki, accompanied by Evangelina’s encouragements, repeating “poya poya bravo bravo” in a loop. We’re in great shape too, by the way! We return in the middle of the night, on foot, fortunately, with the path vaguely lit by our phones...
Thursday, 26/09: This morning, we discover a new beach, Kommos Beach, not far from Kamilari either. It’s a long sandy beach, a small part of which is dedicated to paid umbrellas and sunbeds, and the rest is free. We spot a tamarisk tree to take shelter from the still-hot sun, and once again, we enjoy clear, warm water. The few swimmers spread out easily over nearly 500 meters of beach. In the late afternoon, Pat and I go to admire the sunset from the hill near our lodging. The hill, covered with olive trees, is threatened by a planned housing development of large cubic villas—trends dictate. Concrete never stops...
Friday, 27/09: We thought about leaving the car at the Odiyitria Monastery, the end of the paved road, but since the track descending to the cave remains drivable, we park 3 km further at the junction of the track leading to Kali Limenes Beach. We still have to walk for half an hour on a less drivable track, and then we’re at the entrance of the Farango Gorge. It’s a beautiful, easy hike since we follow the dry pebble riverbed. Before arriving at the beach, there’s a very beautiful small chapel sheltered under a large cliff, beautifully lit at this early hour.

Agio Farango Chapel
A few climbers are scaling the cliff, and about ten swimmers are enjoying the sea. Return to the car under the hot sun. In the late afternoon, we all return to visit the interesting Odiyitria Monastery. Last swim at Kommos Beach and an excellent dinner at the Sigelakis taverna in Sivas.
Saturday, 28/09: There’s an end-of-vacation atmosphere... We pack our bags and head north. A short stop to see the village of Vorri, and a little over an hour later, we arrive in the big city of Heraklion. Since it’s too early to check into the apartment, we park in the city center to visit the famous archaeological museum. It’s indeed a must-see highlight of our stay in Crete. All four of us are amazed by the quantity and quality of the objects presented from the Minoan civilization. After more than 2 hours, we come out without having seen everything, but we’re a bit overwhelmed by all these wonders. Lunch at a nice little taverna very close to the Titus Church. We go to take possession of our apartment—the same as on the way there, still just as satisfying. In the late afternoon, I go alone for a walk in the historic district of the city, passing by the Morosini Fountain, which is bustling with people—some seated at café terraces, others standing and chatting. There’s a lively atmosphere here. A little further on are the Venetian loggia and the Agios Titos Church. I walk down to the old Venetian port to stroll along the jetty and admire the fortifications under beautiful late-afternoon lighting, then return to the apartment. Dinner near our place at Kiriakis, a “chic” restaurant but with very reasonable prices and excellent cuisine.
Sunday, 29/09: Wake-up at 3:30 a.m., quick coffee, and drive to the nearby airport. We leave the car in the parking lot. Already a lot of people at this early hour. Since we don’t have checked luggage, we go straight to security, which goes fairly quickly, then it’s waiting time and takeoff on time in an Airbus A321 for a 45-minute flight to Athens. We take off again in another Airbus A321 with a 50-minute delay to arrive in Zurich at 11:10 a.m. local time. Then we have to take the train to Basel and then the one to Colmar. With fewer Sunday services, we won’t arrive in Colmar until around 4 p.m.
Conclusion All four of us returned very satisfied with this stay in Crete for several reasons: - We found superb beaches with clear, warm water and often very few vacationers. - The few hikes we did were magnificent, especially those where the trails went through gorges leading to deserted beaches. - We greatly appreciated Cretan gastronomy—there were so few disappointments that we can count them on one hand. - All the accommodations we booked turned out to be superb, with the icing on the cake being the very friendly welcome from our hosts. - Generally, contacts with Cretans were always very warm despite the language barrier—we speak a little Greek. - We also appreciated the diversity of landscapes in this eastern part of Crete, with plateaus and mountains with splendid rugged reliefs.
Note: The photo album is available by clicking on this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hfdjQndA5eXkL5k7 Captions are only visible per photo by clicking on the circled “i” in the top right. Budget: approximately 3,300 € per couple for 21 days, including train and flights Budget details per couple: - Flight Zurich-Heraklion: 440 € - Trains Colmar-Basel-Zurich round trip for 4: 442.40 € (221 € per couple) - Accommodation: 2,431 € / 21 = 115.80 € per night for 4 (1,216 € per couple) - Car rental for 21 days: 684 € + 145 € fuel (1,150 km) (414 € per couple) - Restaurants, food, etc.: 1,009 €
Our 21-day itinerarySunday, 08/09: Once again—and this is the eighth time—we’re setting off, the four of us: Patrick, Michelle, Jacques, and Monique, for the Greek islands. This time, we’ve chosen Crete. No need to wake up at 3 or 4 a.m. to reach Basel-Mulhouse Airport at dawn to catch the first flight to Greece at 6 a.m.! Given the prohibitive prices charged by EasyJet, we found flights that were half the price from Zurich Airport, which is accessible in 3 hours by train from Colmar. Pierre-Paul drives all four of us to Colmar train station, where we take the train to Basel and then, 20 minutes later, the direct train to Zurich Airport. After wandering around the airport, we go for a coffee at 6 € each! We’re in Switzerland, after all. The other dining areas all have vending machines for selecting and paying for meals—soon, there won’t be anyone left to serve you! After a short wait, we take off at 7:45 p.m. (20 minutes late) in an Aegean Airbus A321. Free in-flight meal service isn’t bad either! We land in Heraklion around 11:15 p.m. We pick up our rental car (a red Seat Ibiza) at the airport and head straight to our apartment, located 2 km from the city center. Thanks to the GPS, we find it quickly. It’s a beautiful, fully renovated apartment with all the comforts and well-equipped. On the table, there’s wine, bottles of water, jam, coffee, etc. Given the late hour, we won’t stay up long.
Monday, 09/09: To enhance our breakfast, Michelle and Monique set off to find a bakery nearby. They return with croissants and donuts—yum... Then we head to the west coast. The highway follows the coastline, but we prefer taking the old road to Malia, our first stop. We visit the major archaeological site of this Minoan city under the hot sun. The site covers a vast area, but the ruins aren’t very evocative except for a few beautiful amphorae scattered around. The explanations in a small house at the entrance are interesting and help us better understand the organization of the ancient city with its different districts. From there, we head toward the nearby mountains to see the thousand-year-old plane tree in the village of Krasi. We take the opportunity to enjoy an excellent lunch of moussaka and delicious gemista at the Krassopsychia taverna in the village center. Pleasant surprise: the prices are still reasonable, with a bill of 70 € for four, including wine and water. The friendly tradition of complimentary dessert and glasses of raki continues—great! We’ve set the bar high right away! Let’s hope the rest lives up to it! On the way back toward the Lassithi Plateau, we stop at the Kardiotisa Monastery perched high on the mountain to enjoy a magnificent view of the entire region. Just a little further, we arrive at the Lassithi Plateau: the presence of small windmills used to pump water from the ground is the typical feature of this plateau. We complete a full loop around the plateau, passing by numerous orchards and vegetable gardens that occupy the entire space. At the end of the plateau, we once again cross mountain passes via winding roads that bring us near Agios Nikolaos. Our apartment is located about ten kilometers further south in Amoudhara. The owner, who was notified, waits for us and shows us her superb apartment, whose large terrace overlooks the entire Mirabello Bay. She then gives us valuable information about the different beaches in the area. Dinner will be frugal, given our hearty lunch in Krasi!
Sunset over Mirabello BayTuesday, 10/09: A bit of a gray sky when we wake up around 8 a.m., but the sun will soon triumph over the scattered clouds. For our first swim, we opt for Voulisma Beach, even though our host warned us it was a bit “crowdy.” That’s understandable given the beautiful emerald color of the sea and the lovely curve of the beach. To avoid the big crowds, we move toward the eastern part of the beach, accessible via a steep staircase. The water is very warm, and this first dip is very pleasant. Before returning to the apartment, we stop at the bakery to buy spinach pies, essential ingredients to accompany our Greek salad for lunch. Of course, everything will be washed down with ouzo, which will remain our favorite drink for the next three weeks—but in moderation!!! A nap is in order after all that effort. In the late afternoon, we drive to Agios Nikolaos, the main seaside resort in Crete. We’re not too enthusiastic about visiting this mass-tourism resort, but the center of Agios, concentrated around the small inner harbor, is pleasant to see despite the plethora of shops and restaurants. We dine a little outside the harbor in the shaded courtyard of the Avli taverna: the oven-baked lamb, squid with spinach, and cuttlefish ink orzo pasta are all highly appreciated. We still stay under a 75 € bill for four.
Mirabello Bay seen from our terraceWednesday, 11/09: At 8 a.m., the terrace is already bathed in sunlight, and it’s already quite hot. The small parasol barely gives us enough shade, but we’re not complaining! For our second swim, we head to a tiny beach recommended by our host, just 3 minutes by car from our place. The path leading to it is very discreet, and we don’t find it right away! It’s a small sandy cove with a few welcome tamarisk trees for shade. When we arrive, there are two swimmers, and there won’t be more than five or six in the morning. After lunch and a nap, we head to the beautiful village of Kritsa, just a few kilometers away. It’s too late to visit the beautiful church of Kera Panagia, which is already closed. We settle for the exterior, which is worth a look. The weather is clouding over, and big clouds are gathering. Upon arriving in Kritsa, a heavy shower forces us to take shelter in the Platanos taverna in the village center, and since it’s nearly 7 p.m., we decide to stay and dine there. Good choice—excellent meze: croquettes and stuffed zucchini flowers, gigantes beans, grilled tomatoes and feta, and pancetta as the main dish. The rain stops just as we decide to head back.
Village of KritsaThursday, 12/09: Our terrace faces east, so we get to watch the sunrise around 7 a.m.—it’s truly a beautiful sight we never tire of. Around 9 a.m., we head to the village of Plaka, where boats depart for the island of Spinalonga, located north of Agios Nikolaos. We board the first boat, which sets sail at 10 a.m., and we’re not alone—the boat is practically full. After 10 minutes, we land on the island at the same time as several other boats from Elounda or Agios. Needless to say, there are already quite a few people walking through the streets of the leper village. The visit remains interesting and moving as we read the explanatory panels recounting the island’s history under Byzantine and then Turkish rule, followed by its transformation into a leper colony. As soon as we climb toward the top of the island via more or less maintained paths, there’s almost no one left. The 360° view from up there is stunning.

Spinalonga Island
The heat is now unbearable, and we can’t wait to get back home to have lunch on our terrace and rest. In the late afternoon, we go grocery shopping at the AB supermarket at the entrance of Agios. We had spotted another nice restaurant in our guide, but unfortunately, there’s a different one at the indicated location that doesn’t inspire us. So, we return to the Avli taverna for another dinner just as good as the first.
Friday, 13/09: We repeat yesterday’s successful program: a swim in our little cove, lunch on the terrace, a nap, and then, in the late afternoon, we discover another nearby village, Kroustas, nestled in the olive groves near Kritsa. Much less touristy than Kritsa, it’s mostly inhabited by locals, especially the elderly who are enjoying the cool air on their chairs—if you can call it cool given the still-high temperatures in the late afternoon! We then return to visit Kritsa, which we hadn’t been able to explore due to the rain. Dinner at a taverna in the village center at a very reasonable price.
Saturday, 14/09: Today, we move to our new base further east. We start with a high viewpoint at the Faneromeni Monastery, which overlooks Mirabello Bay. The monastery itself is of little interest as it’s under renovation with excessive concrete work. We continue to the village of Kavoussi to see another exceptional tree after a few kilometers on a dusty, bumpy track. It’s an olive tree said to be about 3,200 years old—impressive, and the countryside is very beautiful. It’s time to find a place for lunch. We find one in the charming little port of Mohlos, where a few tavernas surround a very nice small beach. Our choice falls on the Bogazzi taverna, where we enjoy fried fish. To reach our new base in Zakros, we still have to drive through the mountains before reaching Sitia, Paleokastro, and finally Zakros. The region is beautiful, with olive groves and rows of wind turbines taking advantage of the strong wind near the northern tip of the island. In Zakros, we’re greeted by our very friendly host. Here too, we have all the comforts and a beautiful terrace overlooking the village. The apartment has reversible air conditioners, but the overly simple instructions leave us puzzled. Thinking we’ve set it correctly, we realize a little too late that it’s blowing hot air over 30°C! After numerous attempts and testing several confusing programs, we finally succeed! Dinner on our new terrace.
Sunday, 15/09: This morning, we get up early to hike in the “Gorge of the Dead” while it’s still cool. The sky is blue as usual! We park in the nearest parking lot and start our descent via a beautiful path winding through the olive groves. A little further on, the landscape opens up, and the path, now a stony trail, begins the descent to the dry riverbed. On either side of the riverbed rise beautiful reddish cliffs.


Gorge of the Dead
The trail winds its way through this narrow gorge with difficulty. It was in the many caves visible halfway up the slope that the Minoans buried their dead, hence the name “Gorge of the Dead.” The gorge opens onto a beautiful small pebble beach. A swim is welcome after this hike that made us sweat. The hike took us 1 hour and 25 minutes, and a little less on the way back. Meanwhile, Monique did some shopping and prepared an excellent lunch. In the late afternoon, we go down to dine at Platanakis, a taverna in the small village of Kato Zakros.
Monday, 16/09: This morning, we explore the northern part of the east coast near Palekastro. We start with a dip at the beautiful Hionia Beach near Palekastro. The water is still just as nice, but a light breeze is blowing—not enough to spoil our fun! Seeing all the wind turbines lining the ridges, it’s no surprise.
Grocery shopping in Palekastro and return to Zakros. A little rain in the late afternoon and an excellent dinner at Iannis Mitsakakis’ Taverna in Adravastis. These are the kind of small tavernas we love—unpretentious, a few tables on a terrace, a warm welcome, a short menu guaranteeing freshness, tasty dishes prepared by the server’s mom, and a light bill. What more could you ask for!Tuesday, 17/09: We head back toward Palekastro to do some shopping, but it’s also the road to the Toplou Monastery. There, we see a collection of magnificent icons dating from the 15th to the 20th century. We can also admire drawings of Orthodox religious architecture. We continue toward the Mavros Akrotiri headland to enjoy the view of the sea and rocky capes. On the way back to our place, we make a small detour to see the famous Vai palm grove. Meh... As for Vai Beach, it’s filled with paid umbrellas and sunbeds, and there are so many people that we flee. Plus, having to pay for parking is another reason to snub this trendy beach. We prefer our Hionia Beach, which we already appreciated the other day. In the late afternoon, Pat and I start the trail that begins at Kato Zakros Beach heading south. The poorly marked path crosses a plateau of sharp limestone. The paint and cairn markings are no longer very visible, and with dusk approaching, we turn back toward Kato Zakros. Dinner at the Platanakis taverna—less good than last time.
Wednesday, 18/09: To avoid the scorching sun, Pat, Mimi, and I get up earlier than usual to hike the Hohlakies Gorge. At this early hour, the sky is quite cloudy, and it’s drizzling. When we arrive in the village of Hohlakies, we park in front of a small chapel, the start of the hike. The sky is now completely clear. The trail starts among the olive groves, then after passing through a gate, we descend into the gorge filled with large rocks. We’re alone in the world, and the landscape is magnificent. A few wild goats clinging to the cliff watch us from above. After 1 hour and 15 minutes, we emerge onto the wonderful Karoumès Beach. A pleasant swim, then back to civilization! A walk in the late afternoon in Zakros to discover the beautiful springs route. Dinner in Adravastis.
Thursday, 19/09: Another move: Before heading to our next stop, we make a detour to see the beautiful Keratokampos Beach and can’t resist a swim in the still-warm, clear water. We continue our journey via Ziros, then reach the south coast and have lunch at the Stephi taverna in Ferma—excellent meal! The south coast is quite urbanized and has much less charm than the east coast we’ve just left! The numerous plastic greenhouses are partly to blame. We stop for groceries in Ierapetra. Around 3 p.m., we arrive at our destination in the small perched village of Anatoli. Our lodging is at the top of the village, and from the path leading to it, we have a magnificent view of the coastal plain, unfortunately overloaded with plastic greenhouses. It reminds us of the landscapes of El Ejido in Andalusia.
View of the Ierapetra coast from AnatoliFriday, 20/09: A walk and discovery of the hamlet of Anatoli. There are few services—a tiny grocery store, a taverna, and that’s it. Fortunately, the traveling baker arrives and honks. We take the opportunity to buy fresh bread. Leaving the village, we take a path that should lead us to the hamlet of Drygies. The landscape is beautiful. We walk through a lovely pine forest before arriving at the hamlet. The path continues to a taverna that’s closed today, with a superb terrace overlooking the coast. Luckily, the owner arrives and informs us that the taverna will be open next Sunday and that we can enjoy barbecued meat. Noted! We head back to Anatoli via the small paved road with, fortunately, very limited traffic. Lunch on our terrace, then a dip in our private pool! The water is noticeably cooler than at the beach. Dinner at the village taverna: there’s only one menu—meze starters, souvlaki, water, wine, and bread—all for 35 €! We think we’re dreaming—was there a mistake? No.
Saturday, 21/09: We discover the beach of the village of Myrtos, a small seaside resort that’s quite touristy but on a human scale. We swim in the western part of the beach, and once again, we’re alone in the water. The best part: warm water and tamarisk trees for welcome shade. There’s even a shower to rinse off! In the late afternoon, Pat and I decide to go for a hike in the Selakano pine forest. To get there, we take a narrow, winding, and poorly paved road after the village of Christos. Plus, at this altitude, we encounter clouds clinging to the mountain, so it’s drizzling, and visibility is reduced. We decide to turn back and return to Anatoli. As compensation, we take the path that passes in front of the lodging and leads us to the Timios Stavros chapel, which crowns the summit of the nearby mountain. We arrive at the summit just in time for the sunset at 7 p.m. Breathtaking 360° panorama and magnificent colors!
Sunset from AnatoliSunday, 22/09: This morning, Pat, Mimi, and I go for a hike in the Sarakina Gorge, located about 12 km from Anatoli via a beautiful road winding through irrigated olive groves. We park in the small parking lot before the trail. At the start, the path follows a levada (small irrigation canal) and quickly enters a very narrow gorge flanked by high cliffs. The riverbed is cluttered with huge rocks blocking the passage. No matter—in the technical sections, ropes or ladders allow us to overcome these obstacles with a bit of skill. You can imagine how quickly the riverbed must rise during a storm, given the narrowness of the gorge!
We progress slowly through this magnificent and impressive rocky chaos. At the exit of the gorge, we take another return path that partly follows the paved road. Back in Anatoli, we go to lunch at the Drygies taverna. We sit at the edge of the terrace under a huge tree that covers almost the entire terrace and order grilled lamb dishes prepared according to the ancient “antikristo” method.
Monday, 23/09: Departure for our last stop before Heraklion. We thought about swimming at Tertsa Beach, but it turns out to be less pleasant than expected, with pebbles and an uneven rocky plateau. So, we return to Myrtos Beach, which we know well and suits us perfectly. We head west, leaving the coast a bit. Around 3:30 p.m., we arrive at our destination in the village of Kamilari, near the famous Matala spot. We’ve rented a beautiful, modern, well-equipped apartment with a lovely shaded terrace. The owner is very friendly and explains everything necessary for a good stay. We explore the quite touristy village with its few tavernas, all full of tourists, mostly Germans.
Tuesday, 24/09: Visit to the village of Sivas, well restored thanks to the Germans, who have invested a lot here. We take the opportunity to scout out “friendly” tavernas, then go for a swim at Kalamaki Beach. Apart from a small sandy access, you have to enter the water via a chaotic limestone plateau—proof of this is that Monique trips slightly when entering the water. A group of very unfriendly German women blocks the sandy passage and doesn’t hesitate to push swimmers they deem too close. Back home, lunch, and a nap. In the late afternoon, we drive to visit the nearby Phaistos site. We benefit from very beautiful lighting. From the elevated site, we overlook the Messara Plain with a beautiful view of the olive grove checkerboards highlighted by the late afternoon sun. The site itself is quite vast, but to appreciate it, it’s better to read the explanatory panels placed throughout the different quarters. At this hour, the site is almost empty, and the beautiful light adds charm to the visit.
Wednesday, 25/09: Departure for the village of Matala, which doesn’t interest us in itself, having been there during the “hippie” era in 1976. However, going to Red Beach, only accessible by taking a path overlooking this area, appeals to us much more. We park in the large parking lot just outside the village and start our climb, which brings us to a pass from where we can admire this beautiful red-sand beach framed by beautiful cliffs plunging into the sea. The weather is magnificent, and at this early hour, there aren’t many people yet. We swim in the free part located near the cliff on the right when arriving at the beach. The sea is like glass, warm, and without a single ripple—a real treat! After half an hour, we turn back, and now there are many people rushing on this path, not at all made for feet in sandals or flip-flops, yet many vacationers venture out like this! Matala lives up to its image—a trendy place, full of shops, bars, and restaurants. You could be in any seaside resort with a standard global urbanism, lacking particular charm. Back home. In the late afternoon, a walk through the olive groves surrounding Kamilari, then dinner at Evangelina’s, who runs the Minoan Parassies taverna in the middle of the olive groves. Evangelina is quite a character: we came to reserve a table for 8 p.m. when it was only 7 p.m., but since we lingered near her restaurant, she prepares a table for us and urges us to sit down! And there she takes our order, and a little later, the meze arrive, followed by the main dishes. We finish this good dinner with several generous glasses of raki, accompanied by Evangelina’s encouragements, repeating “poya poya bravo bravo” in a loop. We’re in great shape too, by the way! We return in the middle of the night, on foot, fortunately, with the path vaguely lit by our phones...
Thursday, 26/09: This morning, we discover a new beach, Kommos Beach, not far from Kamilari either. It’s a long sandy beach, a small part of which is dedicated to paid umbrellas and sunbeds, and the rest is free. We spot a tamarisk tree to take shelter from the still-hot sun, and once again, we enjoy clear, warm water. The few swimmers spread out easily over nearly 500 meters of beach. In the late afternoon, Pat and I go to admire the sunset from the hill near our lodging. The hill, covered with olive trees, is threatened by a planned housing development of large cubic villas—trends dictate. Concrete never stops...
Friday, 27/09: We thought about leaving the car at the Odiyitria Monastery, the end of the paved road, but since the track descending to the cave remains drivable, we park 3 km further at the junction of the track leading to Kali Limenes Beach. We still have to walk for half an hour on a less drivable track, and then we’re at the entrance of the Farango Gorge. It’s a beautiful, easy hike since we follow the dry pebble riverbed. Before arriving at the beach, there’s a very beautiful small chapel sheltered under a large cliff, beautifully lit at this early hour.

Agio Farango Chapel
A few climbers are scaling the cliff, and about ten swimmers are enjoying the sea. Return to the car under the hot sun. In the late afternoon, we all return to visit the interesting Odiyitria Monastery. Last swim at Kommos Beach and an excellent dinner at the Sigelakis taverna in Sivas.
Saturday, 28/09: There’s an end-of-vacation atmosphere... We pack our bags and head north. A short stop to see the village of Vorri, and a little over an hour later, we arrive in the big city of Heraklion. Since it’s too early to check into the apartment, we park in the city center to visit the famous archaeological museum. It’s indeed a must-see highlight of our stay in Crete. All four of us are amazed by the quantity and quality of the objects presented from the Minoan civilization. After more than 2 hours, we come out without having seen everything, but we’re a bit overwhelmed by all these wonders. Lunch at a nice little taverna very close to the Titus Church. We go to take possession of our apartment—the same as on the way there, still just as satisfying. In the late afternoon, I go alone for a walk in the historic district of the city, passing by the Morosini Fountain, which is bustling with people—some seated at café terraces, others standing and chatting. There’s a lively atmosphere here. A little further on are the Venetian loggia and the Agios Titos Church. I walk down to the old Venetian port to stroll along the jetty and admire the fortifications under beautiful late-afternoon lighting, then return to the apartment. Dinner near our place at Kiriakis, a “chic” restaurant but with very reasonable prices and excellent cuisine.
Sunday, 29/09: Wake-up at 3:30 a.m., quick coffee, and drive to the nearby airport. We leave the car in the parking lot. Already a lot of people at this early hour. Since we don’t have checked luggage, we go straight to security, which goes fairly quickly, then it’s waiting time and takeoff on time in an Airbus A321 for a 45-minute flight to Athens. We take off again in another Airbus A321 with a 50-minute delay to arrive in Zurich at 11:10 a.m. local time. Then we have to take the train to Basel and then the one to Colmar. With fewer Sunday services, we won’t arrive in Colmar until around 4 p.m.
Conclusion All four of us returned very satisfied with this stay in Crete for several reasons: - We found superb beaches with clear, warm water and often very few vacationers. - The few hikes we did were magnificent, especially those where the trails went through gorges leading to deserted beaches. - We greatly appreciated Cretan gastronomy—there were so few disappointments that we can count them on one hand. - All the accommodations we booked turned out to be superb, with the icing on the cake being the very friendly welcome from our hosts. - Generally, contacts with Cretans were always very warm despite the language barrier—we speak a little Greek. - We also appreciated the diversity of landscapes in this eastern part of Crete, with plateaus and mountains with splendid rugged reliefs.
Note: The photo album is available by clicking on this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/hfdjQndA5eXkL5k7 Captions are only visible per photo by clicking on the circled “i” in the top right. Budget: approximately 3,300 € per couple for 21 days, including train and flights Budget details per couple: - Flight Zurich-Heraklion: 440 € - Trains Colmar-Basel-Zurich round trip for 4: 442.40 € (221 € per couple) - Accommodation: 2,431 € / 21 = 115.80 € per night for 4 (1,216 € per couple) - Car rental for 21 days: 684 € + 145 € fuel (1,150 km) (414 € per couple) - Restaurants, food, etc.: 1,009 €