Results for "Dinant+|+9+>+199"

Zou! is the public transport service for the Région Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. We're Canadian and our plan was to hike the Mercantour Great Crossing (GR52). After landing in Nice, we needed to find transport to the trailhead in the village of Entraunes. It took us two months to figure out that the only service available was Zou!'s shuttle, and—after countless calls (not easy from Canada)—to actually speak to someone at the company. Even though they confirmed our reservation, on the day of the trip, they weren’t waiting for us. We ended up stranded in Guillaumes because the driver hadn’t been "informed" that he was supposed to go all the way to the terminus that day. In 40 years of traveling the world, I’ve never encountered a situation where customer service was this nonexistent and access to a region this difficult. I just wanted to share this experience to warn you if you’re planning to rely on public transport to reach the GR52...

What’s the maximum weight of gear I can carry in my panniers: - For a woman on an e-bike - And for a man on a muscle-powered bike Thanks

Hello, We're hitting the road again in 2027 to discover new countries and cultures. Could anyone give me some tips on driving from Ulaanbaatar to Lake Baikal and the route to take? Thanks, and safe travels to those who are setting off!

Hello, We’d like to spend a week in Luxor and Aswan in February. I’d asked a tour operator to organize the trip for us, but I think it’s way too expensive for what’s included. So I’m going to try to plan it myself, and with your help if you don’t mind. We’re 76 and 77 years old and in good shape, but I doubt we’ll be getting up at 6 a.m. every day. I bought a paper guidebook, but I haven’t read it all yet. We arrive on a Saturday at 5 p.m. and leave the following Saturday at 6 p.m. Here’s what I’d like to do: The first three days in Luxor: - Valley of the Kings: 3 tombs + Seti I and Ramses VI, and Hatshepsut; see the Colossi of Memnon along the way. Ramesseum??? First question: How much time do we need for this? I can’t figure it out. Can we see anything else the same day without feeling overwhelmed or too tired?

- Karnak Temple: Should we start with it or with Luxor Temple? How much time for both? Sound and light show in the evening? Or just Luxor Temple illuminated? Can the Avenue of Sphinxes be seen separately?

- Valley of the Nobles (2 combined tickets), Artisans’ Village, and Medinet Habu: Same question—how much time? Can we see anything else?

No one ever talks about lunch or going back to visit in the afternoon. Is it too hot? I saw there are one or two small restaurants near the temples—do you know any? Or is it better to go back to Luxor?

What’s a fair price for a taxi for a day like this? We’ll probably stay on the East Bank.

- Day 4: Then we’d like to go to Aswan, stopping at Edfu and Kom Ombo along the way. I’ve seen prices around 140 € for a private car with a driver.

- Day 5: Unfortunately, no matter how I rearrange the days, we’ll only have one day for Abu Simbel. I’ve seen prices around 140–150 €. I don’t plan on getting up at 3 a.m.—what time should we leave so it’s not too bad? We won’t have much time to explore Aswan after two days on the road plus a third to return to Luxor.

- Day 6: Philae Temple—I’ve read a lot of comments saying it’s a madhouse to get the boat. How much should we pay to avoid haggling for hours??? How much time for the visit? Return to Luxor—I was tempted to take the train, but so far I’ve only seen options very early in the morning. The price is also around 150 €. - Day 7: In Luxor, since our flight leaves at 6 p.m., I thought we’d visit the Luxor Museum. Does this itinerary seem reasonable? Is there another way to organize it? Of course, if you know drivers who offer good rates, I’m interested—but I want a good driver who doesn’t drive too fast, a car with AC and in good condition for the long trips (we’re not 20 anymore). Thanks for reading this far, and all your advice is welcome! Annaïck

We're planning to cycle through Slovenia on touring bikes from July 14th to August 14th. We're used to camping, but I get the feeling there are large areas without campsites. Is wild camping allowed? If not, is it easy to stay with locals?

Could you tell me about the must-see spots in Slovenia? I'm thinking of finishing in Istria, at a seaside campsite to relax and enjoy the sea. Is it pretty quiet there?

Thanks so much, Mireille.

Originally planned for an official opening on July 3, 2025, the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which has already been partially open since autumn 2024, has had its official inauguration pushed back to the end of the year. This decision, made due to growing tensions in the Middle East, was motivated by the desire to give the event the international dimension it deserves.

Spanning 500,000 m²—larger than the Louvre (which has 360,000 m² of total space, including 73,000 m² of exhibition areas)—the museum will house up to 100,000 artifacts, including the complete collection of Tutankhamun and a monumental statue of Ramses II. It can already welcome 4,000 visitors per day with limited access, with a future capacity estimated at 13,000 per day once fully open.

Read the article

Hi everyone,

I’m a total USA addict. I’ve already done several road trips, including the East Coast and West Coast. I’m here today because I’m planning to go back for another road trip on the West Coast. Possibly with one of my sisters and a couple of friends. It’s still just a plan for now, but I’m working on an itinerary in the meantime. Ideally, I’d leave in 2026, but I don’t have the exact dates yet—maybe April-May or September-October. My last trip to the West Coast was in September 2014. We went for 2 weeks, but this time it’d be 3 weeks. What made me want to go back was simply a colleague who just left today. As I’m writing this, he’s on the plane. I’m so happy for him, but now all I can think about is going back.

Since I recently went to NY, I noticed that prices have really gone up. I assume the same is true for the West Coast? For 2 people over 3 weeks, what budget should I expect? We’re the type to watch our spending and find great tips. I think we’ll arrive in San Francisco like the first time and leave from either Los Angeles or Las Vegas.

Thanks to everyone for your advice and help.

Hi there, if you're planning to rent a car to get around in Morocco, make sure to budget for "fines" even if you drive perfectly. For example, getting caught going 5 km/h over the speed limit 500 meters before you see the sign dropping the limit to 60 km/h—while being overtaken by a packed taxi with no seatbelts. Or, say, stopping at a stop sign for 3 seconds but not long enough, even though no helmetless motorcyclists were stopping either (yes, helmets are mandatory in Morocco)... Anyway, plan a "fine" budget for your Moroccan "vacation."

Hi, the situation is complicated... My son would like to marry his girlfriend (married to a Filipino in the Philippines but separated for 14 years), who is from the Philippines... but... what complicates things is that she lives in Switzerland illegally—her visa expired after a divorce from a Swiss national, and she received a deportation order in 2022 but never left. Just to clarify, she’s been working in Switzerland for 10 years and pays Swiss taxes... Recently, she reapplied for a work visa to request residency rights so she could marry my son, but they refused, and she’s already received an order to leave the country... What can we do? We don’t know who to turn to

Hi,

My mom received an invitation for a free stay (though of course it comes with visits to carpet shops, jewelry stores, and other boutiques). She bought a carpet in Turkey about 10 years ago, and it was that carpet shop in Istanbul that sent this invitation. The whole thing is organized by a travel agency called "Habitat VIP Travel." Has anyone here heard of this agency and their "commercial tourism" practices? I’m not against the idea in principle—I just want to make sure it’s legit and not dangerous (I really don’t want to get kidnapped with my nearly 90-year-old mom!). Thanks for your feedback

We’re planning to cycle along the Baltic coast this summer, from Flensburg all the way to the Polish border—and maybe even a little farther along the Polish coast. By e-bike and staying in hotels (we’re not exactly spring chickens). Any tips? Challenges, places to stay, signage? Other thoughts?

Hi there, I’m facing a rather unusual issue with SAUDI AIRLINES. I booked a flight to Jakarta with a layover in Jeddah for July directly on their website on February 25th, paying for our three tickets via PAYPAL. I quickly received confirmation that my flight was booked and our e-tickets were issued. However, after several days, I noticed we were never charged for the tickets, and I saw on our PayPal account that the payment authorization was still pending.

At first, I chalked it up to cross-border or banking delays… but since I use PayPal often and the debit from my bank account is usually almost immediate, I called PayPal. They told me that neither they nor I had anything more to do: when a transaction is paid using their solution, the payment is systematically validated by the seller before the transaction (an automated process, I imagine). However, PayPal confirmed that SAUDI hadn’t done this and that they had a month to do so, otherwise the transaction would be canceled by PAYPAL and SAUDI wouldn’t receive the funds. There must have been a technical glitch because normally, I shouldn’t have received the tickets until they had received the payment.

Given the reviews I’ve read about their customer service, I’m worried they might cancel our tickets without notice once they realize their mistake—or that they’ll ask us to pay the amount at that point (since the closer we get to the date, the higher the price goes).

So, I’ve been trying to contact them nonstop via their app (I’ve submitted about 10 tickets), I’ve called them, messaged them on Messenger and Instagram, and so far, I haven’t gotten any response. Either they don’t read my message to the end and just reply that the flight is confirmed + resend the tickets, or more recently, they tell me the issue is being handled by another department. We tried calling them again on Saturday, but no luck—the French-speaking agents were always busy. On Messenger, they keep asking for the secret code sent by SMS at the start of the conversation, but of course, I never receive anything even though my number is correctly registered in my SAUDI account.

I don’t know what else to do, and I’m not sure if I’m right to worry they might cancel our tickets.

I’m afraid this could jeopardize our dream trip, for which I’ve already booked hotels and activities… and we were really looking forward to it.

I hope you can shed some light on this?

Thanks for taking the time to read this

Three of our grandchildren came to spend the last weekend of the holidays at our house. With her driver’s license just in hand, the oldest took her sister and a cousin along. I was talking about VoyageForum, and the conversation turned to AI, which finds writing travel journals a breeze—churning out amazing ads for this or that country and even nudging tourists to visit one place over another.

Jules: "It’s crazy, you can plan and organize everything, then just add your photos and the AI’s text, and boom—you’ve got something great." Héloïse: "What a cheat for yourself and for others." (She’s so wise!) Gaïané: "Ugh, no more surprises. It even picks the restaurants—so lame."

I had this idea to stay on the theme of travel journals:

I found an excerpt from a book (I’ll let you guess the title and author—of course, the kids figured it out in two seconds with their phones), then I wrote my own version, and finally, the AI generated its own using a few keywords.

Here they are:

"We walked at dusk through the thick, dark forest. Sometimes, a clearing would reveal a dreamlike landscape. A magical world, far from humans. A world of frozen waterfalls, stiff fir trees, and sharp peaks slicing through the blinding whiteness of the air.

We gazed, dazzled, at the spectacle, imagining we’d left the human world behind and joined that of the spirits."

"For days, we walked through the half-darkness of dense, untouched forests, then suddenly, a clearing would unveil landscapes you only see in dreams. Sharp peaks piercing the sky, icy torrents, giant waterfalls—an entire fantastical world, blindingly white, rising above the dark line traced by the giant fir trees. We stared at this extraordinary sight, speechless, awestruck, ready to believe we’d reached the limits of the human world and stood at the threshold of the spirits’ realm."

"We walked through the mountain, wild and unyielding, its sharp peaks tearing the sky like honed blades. Giant waterfalls roared and foamed, as if the earth’s hidden forces were pouring out. Higher still, the blinding whiteness belonged to the world of spirits—capricious beings whispering to lost travelers. Faced with this silent vastness, we felt tiny, uninvited guests meditating on the invisible that dwells in these forbidden peaks."

And, amazingly, they unanimously agreed that the author’s excerpt was a thousand times more poetic. Héloïse, my history buff, said: "Nothing replaces the real travel experience." Jules said: "Yeah, but it does the job. Even if the excerpt is cool." And our oldest added: "It makes you want to go there—not at all like the other two versions. Sorry, Mamido."

And then, miracle—Jules asks: "Do you have the book? Can I borrow it?"

I’m so relieved—young people aren’t completely devoured by technology yet. And the forum will keep its charm and usefulness for a long time. Phew!

You agree, right?

Hello,

We’re torn between a riad in the medina and one on the outskirts (south of Marrakech) with the advantage of peace and quiet, a big pool for the kids, but it’s far (10 km).

We’ll have a rental car. Is it easy to park near Jemaa el-Fna square, for example? Are the rates public (so we know what to expect)?

This would save us from taking taxis multiple times a day since we’ve been told it’d cost around 12 € each way. The bill could add up quickly.

Generally speaking, would you recommend staying in Marrakech itself, in the old city, or in the surrounding area? We’ll only be there for two nights with a 10-year-old girl and a 14-year-old teen who both want to explore the city but also enjoy the pool.

Thanks

Hello everyone,

I’m looking into planning a trip to Egypt (first time!)

Important context: My wife has difficulty walking. Maybe what I’m looking for will turn out to be complicated. We’re traveling as a couple for 10 to 14 days.

The initial plan is: - Land in Cairo: visit Cairo and the surrounding area (still figuring out how long to stay) - Head up to Luxor: preferably by boat, otherwise by train, or as a last resort, by plane See what sights there are along the way - Hot-air balloon excursion in Luxor: Need to look into this - Then go either to Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh (via ferry) for some beach time and diving (2/3 days)

The goal for this first trip isn’t to see everything at each destination, but rather to be on the move and experience the journey.

My question is about whether it’s possible to travel up the Nile one-way without doing a round-trip cruise from the starting point. Is this doable? If so, how does it work? Through a local agency?

Should we do this trip in this direction, or would it make more sense to go the other way, starting from Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada?

Thanks in advance for your tips! 🙂 Laurent

Hi, We're heading to Madagascar in just over a month. Our flight arrives at Nosy Be, and I was wondering if there are any currency exchange offices at that airport since it doesn’t seem very big? I’d like to exchange 500 € for incidentals (souvenirs, vanilla purchases, etc.). Our hotel is already paid for (half-board) as well as the excursions. What do you think? Thanks for your help!

Hi everyone, I’d love to hear about your experiences traveling by plane with a 7.5-month-old baby to Martinique from Paris. Also, if anyone has direct contacts for reasonable and baby-friendly accommodation—whether in the north or south of the island—I’d really appreciate it. Thanks in advance to those who reply!😊

Hi,

I’m starting this thread after a digression that began in the India section and continued in a travel journal about Kerala.

The original topic was whether India is—or isn’t—a nature destination.

I’ll let you all discuss and share your own definition of a nature destination. 🙂

So, to start the year off right (Happy New Year!), This is where we can discuss January’s theme. With 20,000 km of French coastline (there’s a catch ;)), our beautiful country should be well represented!

Dig out those hard drives! Bruno

Hi there!

I’m planning a self-drive trip to Tanzania (either September or October).

This route won’t include any of the usual parks you hear about everywhere (too expensive, too crowded, too touristy).

The idea is to explore Tanzania more for its landscapes, beaches, and hiking. A little wildlife spotting, sure, but that’s not the main goal.

Here’s the itinerary I’m considering:

(Arrival and departure from Kilimanjaro Airport)

Night 1: Southern gate of Arusha NP

Night 2: Northern gate of Arusha NP

Night 3: Enduimet

Night 4: Same (near the gates of Mkomazi NP)

Night 5: Mkomazi NP

Night 6: Mkomazi NP

Nights 7-8-9: Pangani or Tanga

Nights 10-11-12: Usambara Mountains

Nights 13-14: Foothills of Kilimanjaro

I can’t find much info about Enduimet at all.

So if anyone has any details about this place...

All your ideas, tips, and suggestions for the rest of the route are welcome too!

Thanks! :)

Hi everyone, Have any travelers recently returned to Morocco via the border at Ceuta? If so, how is the crossing at Moroccan customs going right now? Are there any products bought in Ceuta that are banned from import into Morocco? Thanks for your replies! Hope you had a great holiday

SIEM REAP You can now rent scooters just about everywhere in Siem Reap, but at rip-off prices—$15–18 a day instead of $5–10 like everywhere else in Indochina. The best options are tuk-tuks or, even better, electric bikes ($12, but with a 50 km range, so they won’t let you go to Banteay Srei or the River of a Thousand Lingas in the Kulen Massif, which are too far). **WARNING:** Wear a helmet, or they *will* catch you. Scooters are banned from going from SR to the stunning temple of Koh Ker in the northeast and continuing to Battambang; no idea why!

My favorite little hotel in Siem Reap? The Neth Socheata, tucked in an alley off Thnou St near the market—lovely rooms, and the owner speaks great English. Then there’s the Ivy Guesthouse with its little garden, but it’s “always full,” according to the owner. For something upscale but still affordable, a fantastic spot is the Pavillon Indochine, tucked away on a quiet side street on the way to the airport—elegant, with incredible attention to decor, a terrace restaurant, garden, pool, etc. Everything you’d want for $70 including breakfast. I also spotted a hostel for backpackers, the Angkor Thom Hostel, with small 6-bed dorms for $4 with a fan or $6 with AC (18 Wat Bo St).

Food-wise, it’s all amazing! Pub Street has turned into a noise nightmare, with speakers blasting what’s supposed to be music but is just *boom, boom, boom, boom, boom*—run away, even though the pizzas at the Italian place Il Forno are really good. The famous and excellent Tigre de Papier has changed its name to Paper Tiger and is still just as good (lunch only, though, because across the street there’s a huge bar blasting *boom boom boom*, so you won’t be able to hear each other during dinner). On the other hand, the Italian-Cambodian El Toro on Pub Street is perfect, with fantastic pizzas and divine lasagna (go to the first-floor dining room—there’s a big bar across the street blasting *boom boom boom*, but at least you can still talk). Due to the lack of customers during COVID, all the French restaurants—Barrio (three times alas!), Les Deux Sœurs, Le Bel Air, and Le Mozart—have closed. The only one left is L’Olivier, which is pricey. I also discovered a great Moroccan restaurant (though run by a Sudanese man and his French wife), Le Tajine, on Strung Thmei St, 09 68 89 78 27. **WARNING:** For tagines and couscous, you need to order at least in the morning; wine and beer are fine. To get there, turn at the corner of the Cineplex behind the big market at the start of Sivatha Boulevard.

I finally went to the Khmer dance show. Beautiful dancers and dances, but **EAT BEFORE OR AFTER**—the meal is so awful that most Westerners leave it on their plates.

THE ANGKOR TEMPLES Use the excellent *Routard Cambodia* guide. Just a few tips: - Start with the pre-Angkorian Roluos group, 15 km before Siem Reap on the road to PP—it’s the “ancestor” of the temples.

- To avoid the big crowds at Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Ta Prohm, go between noon and 2 PM when everyone’s having lunch. - Speaking of lunch, the crowds flock to the hundred or so mediocre food stalls on the left side of Angkor Wat. Instead, head to Angkor Thom after the stunning Pre Rup temples, all the way to the small Sras Srang basin. Along the basin, there are several restaurants with terraces offering first-floor views of the water, and no crowds. Afterward, cross to the other side of the basin—you’ll end up in the countryside with charming villages where locals seem to live as they did during the temples’ golden age (at its peak, the population was estimated at 600,000–800,000, making it the largest city in the world. The theory for the abandonment is water shortages caused by overpopulation).

- I climbed Phnom Bakheng for the famous sunset, but the crowd was so ridiculous that instead of seeing the temple at sunset, you just see the heads and shoulders around you.

- There are tons of small temples that most people skip, and they’re missing out. My favorites: Thommanon, Neak Pean, Ta Som, and especially Pre Rup, an amazing brick complex with 14 towers.

**Big disappointment:** You can no longer climb to the first floor of Bayon, where you used to stand magically among the giant head statues. So, admire the beautiful bas-reliefs on the outside, but there’s no point going inside—you’ll just see a dark, square corridor with nothing interesting.

ANGKOR FURTHER AFIELD The wonderful Banteay Srei temple. A gem! I couldn’t find the bas-relief stolen by Malraux in the 1920s (fun fact: what he was doing in Indochina—stealing a bas-relief to sell for a fortune in France to cover his massive gambling debts on the stock market, where he ruined his very wealthy American wife—was an open secret. But the French authorities in Saigon, who hated him for his leftist views, decided to let him do it and catch him red-handed, which worked perfectly. He avoided jail only because all the leftist intellectuals in Saint-Germain, Sartre, Beauvoir, and co. cried scandal—though the real scandal was the looting).

30 km of excellent paved road further north, a great spot: the Kulen Massif and the River of a Thousand Lingas (at one point, you’ll come to a T-junction—turn left). Along the road at the foot of the massif, on your right, there’s a great restaurant, Bourey Sovann (where the food is excellent). The trail to the river starts just before it on the left. **Warning:** There are two sites for the River of a Thousand Lingas. One is accessible via a private road, so there’s a $20 toll, and you need to arrive before 11 AM because the road is narrow and traffic flows downhill after that. You’ll end up in a site full of shops, snack stalls, and two good restaurants, including one by a beautiful waterfall. However, the thousand lingas aren’t as spectacular there.

Banteay Srei + the River of a Thousand Lingas makes for a fantastic day. **WARNING:** You used to be able to go to the river and waterfall by scooter or tuk-tuk, but it’s now forbidden. So **go by taxi**—otherwise, you’ll be hiking 12 km round trip up a steep trail.

If you leave Siem Reap early, you can even add Beng Mealea temple on the way back, making a triangular route: SR-BS-Khulen-BM-SR (or the reverse).

If you have time, visit Banteay Samré temple, 10 km west of the Angkor Thom complex. A lovely site with very few visitors.

I’ve never been to the famous Preah Khan on a hill overlooking Thailand. There’s a big dispute between the two countries—the Thais insist the temple belongs to them because the entrance is in their country. There have been serious clashes in the recent past, and landmines are still abundant off the marked paths. They even claim the entire Siem Reap province is theirs and should be returned, arguing it was Thai in the past. It takes two days (6–7 hours each way), with an overnight stay in the nearby village (small hotels and one luxury option with a garden and pool, but it’s expensive).

TONLE SAP People talk about “floating villages,” but that’s a big mistake—these are actually villages of astonishing stilt houses, 4 meters high or more, due to the lake’s major floods. The most famous is Chong Khneas, which I skipped because it’s packed with tourists. Instead, I really liked Kampong Phluk, which is much quieter. To get there, continue on the road past the Roluos group until you reach a parking lot with pirogues lined up. They’ll take you down the river, stop at this amazing village for a walk, and then take you to the Tonle Sap, a true inland sea. At one point, you’ll pass through a flooded forest that you can explore by small boat. At the junction of the river and the Tonle Sap, and on the lake itself, there are floating restaurants where the food is great. Note that in the dry season, you can reach the village by scooter.

BACK TO PHNOM PENH AND ON TO SOUTHERN VIETNAM Since I’d planned at least 15 days in the Mekong Delta between Chau Doc and Saigon, I skipped Battambang, etc. With no desire to endure the dusty road from SR to PP again, I simply loaded my bike onto a bus with the great company Rith Monty (book at their office in SR on the small square at the start of Sivatha Boulevard—$10 for the bike and $6 for me), also known as Paramount. Their buses stop on 136 St right in the middle of PP. I’ll also mention the excellent Giant Ibis, with big modern buses that always leave on time—unlike the others.

I spent the night in PP, and the next morning took the fast boat from PP to Chau Doc with Hang Chau Tourist (buying the ticket the day before is recommended—$25—either at your hotel or the port, and they’ll pick you up at your hotel by tuk-tuk to take you to the port). Departure from PP at noon, arrival in Chau Doc around 4 PM. The boat is great—comfortable and fast. A crew member takes your passports for Cambodian exit formalities, and you handle Vietnamese immigration yourself—it all takes 15–20 minutes. The route isn’t on the Mekong but on the Bassac River to the border, then a wide north-south canal to Chau Doc (the arrival is really nice). In the Chau Doc-PP direction, the boat leaves Chau Doc at 7:30 AM.

Hi, Over the past few months, I’ve been noticing more and more reports about safety issues in Tokyo and Osaka targeting tourists. I knew the local population didn’t want tourists—or at least a lot fewer—under the previous prime minister’s policies. Right now, some friends are in Tokyo—four guys traveling together—and this is what happened to them: a Japanese guy approached them in Akihabara with a map, pretending to ask for directions. Then, eight others came from behind, beat them up, stole their phones, and 30,000 yen. They ran off, and all this happened around 6:00 PM.

They went to the *koban* (police station), but the police just laughed at them. Luckily, two of the phones had trackers, which they mentioned to the police, but the cops didn’t do anything. So, they called the French embassy. The next day, they had a meeting with an embassy delegate at the police station, but nothing happened for 24 hours. Then, two days later, they were summoned back to the police station, and to their shock, the police offered them a deal: they’d get their phones and the 30,000 yen back if they withdrew their complaint. In the end, they got their phones back (one with a cracked screen) and the 30,000 yen without withdrawing their complaint.

Before leaving their hotel for Osaka, they received a letter saying they could be banned from the country for three years. When they arrived in Osaka, their ATM withdrawals with their card were limited to 20,000 yen. They asked the Japanese postal agent why, and the response was, "You’re flagged in the deportable travelers registry." Their hotel canceled their reservation, and the embassy is now taking over by involving the justice system. (more below)

Hi there,

Have you ever traveled with this airline? It seems like they have a real monopoly on some destinations and are also much cheaper.

Thank youuuu.

Hi, does anyone know the status of the ETA that’s supposed to go into effect in December 2024 (and needs to be requested on the e-visa portal www.thaievisa.go.th)? Is it officially starting on December 1st? I’ve got my flight on the 7th of December and I’m on a Non-O Retirement visa with a re-entry. From what I understand, it’ll only apply to visa-free entries and should allow a 60-day stay in the kingdom with the option to extend for 30 more days. So I’m wondering if I need to apply for this since I already have a valid visa. Thanks in advance for your answers! 😊

Hi everyone, I know my post might sound a bit repetitive with the questions asked regularly on this forum, but I’m feeling a little lost and thought I’d still ask for your help. Here’s my situation: I’m traveling to Thailand with my wife and 12-year-old son during the February 2025 school holidays. We’ll be spending 12 nights in the country. So far, I only have our flight tickets to and from Phuket. Now, I need to plan an itinerary that lets us discover beautiful places and the culture of this country. I’d like to stay by the sea, with stunning fine-sand beaches and breathtaking landscapes in areas that aren’t too urban, but also be able to see some beautiful monuments, typical villages, and wildlife not too far away. That said, I don’t want to be lost deep in the jungle either—I’d like a bit of atmosphere in the evenings (no nightclubs, but rather nice bars with music). I’ve done some research and here’s a first draft of what I might do:

Spend my first 3 nights in the suburbs of Phuket to explore the city and the province more broadly, Then head to Ko Yao Noi for 2 nights to discover the charms of Phang Nga Bay, Next, fly from Krabi to spend 4 nights on Koh Samui (maybe with a little excursion to Ko Pha Ngan?), Then fly back to Krabi to reach Koh Phi Phi for 2 nights, Finally, return to the Phuket area for my last night in Thailand to be close for my flight the next day.

The idea is to explore several places without having to pack and unpack every day, and to avoid spending hours on transport every day. What do you think? Do the places seem relevant? If so, does the number of nights seem appropriate? Thanks in advance for your help, Best regards, Lionel

Hi there,

I feel like a total newbie—I’ve never really thought about this before, beyond repatriation—what happens if I get seriously ill or injured abroad? Thankfully, it’s never happened to me.

But now I’d like to cover my bases.

Do you know of any insurance providers, or where to look and how to choose one, that covers potential hospitalization costs, specifically in Uzbekistan?

I don’t even know if this kind of coverage is tied to a specific destination, in Europe (France?), or if it’s arranged directly in the country... 🤪

Catherine

Hi,

Is it possible to get promotions on the MSC Yacht Club section? What strategy should I adopt to get the best prices: book in advance or at the last minute? Is it better to book directly with MSC or through a third-party provider to get the best value for money? Thanks