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Planning a 3-month Southern Africa trip with kids in a camper van
by Lily97407 · 2026-02-09 · 21 replies
Hello,

I’m reaching out because I’ve already read tons of info from other forums (thanks a million, by the way!) and blogs, but now I’m overwhelmed with details and have so many questions. I’m really hoping you can help us figure this out! Here’s the plan: We’re leaving France for Senegal in our camper van (with two kids, aged 4 and 7), then shipping the van to South Africa before heading to Namibia. We’re planning to leave this summer and should arrive in South Africa in early September. The goal is to reach Réunion by early December, which gives us 3 months to explore Southern Africa. Originally, we wanted to pick up the van in Cape Town, head up to Namibia, and visit the main parks and iconic spots, then go north to Botswana (Etosha Park) and Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls) before heading back down to South Africa to enjoy the milder temperatures while exploring the country. But now we’re wondering how to get back to South Africa. We’ve come up with three options: - Head back down through Botswana: I’ve read everywhere that Botswana isn’t recommended for kids under 6 (most parks) because it can be potentially dangerous—few enclosures for animals (even though we have a camper van with "secure" beds), and the agencies we’ve contacted don’t recommend it. Plus, southern Botswana is tough to navigate in a camper van. - Return from central Botswana (Maun) to Windhoek and drive back to Cape Town via Namibia. - Cross Zimbabwe and potentially Mozambique to head down to Kruger Park and Johannesburg.

Anyone familiar with this region have any recommendations?

Also, is it necessary to book accommodations in advance? Is that only required in certain countries (maybe Botswana/Zimbabwe)? We’d like a mix of camping and lodges.

All advice is welcome!
I Tried Nordic Power Walking (in the Cévennes, France) with Poles
by Manondugard · 2025-08-13 · 2 replies
Hi everyone.

I’ve been doing brisk walking every day for years (an hour every morning at dawn) through forests, along rivers, on trails, tracks, and pavement. I wanted to try Nordic walking, so I bought the poles (apparently, they work your abs extra). I lasted 5 days 😄 And I’m stopping because, for me, it’s incompatible with how I combine sport and wildlife. I tried all the tips (rubber and steel), and they all make a racket that scares off every animal 😅

I get that some athletes go from point A to point B without paying attention to what’s in between, but that’s not me. I love intense exercise, but whenever something’s beautiful, I stop to enjoy it for a few moments (same when I spot an animal). With the poles, it’s impossible—they’re too noisy, even if you don’t press hard.

Oh well, I wasted 20 € on this purchase (though they might come in handy for scrambling, for example).

Anyway, for the brisk walking I do, the poles I totally mastered by the second day (syncing the movement) actually slow me down. Plus, it’s annoying to hear that constant noise in a dreamy landscape when my shoes barely make a sound. And on roads (pavement), they make all the dogs in their houses bark 😅

As for working the abs, brisk walking without poles lets you engage your core if you want, so it works those muscles too.

Into the bin go my poles and their tips, already dead after 5 days (long live wildlife and nature!) 🤘
Lake Bourget: The Parachuting Nightmare
by Rogerdelaman · 2025-07-12 · 24 replies
If you're walking around the southern part of Lake Bourget, you can't escape the noise from a parachuting club's planes. A group of climate skeptics actually takes off in small, very noisy aircraft every 15 minutes over a Natura 2000 classified area. They don’t seem to face any restrictions—neither for noise nor for greenhouse gas emissions. They occupy the airspace without paying fuel taxes or providing carbon compensation to local municipalities or environmental preservation associations, apparently. It sounds surreal, but it’s very real in such an important location.
Are there any accessible showers at Charles de Gaulle Airport?
by Pops974 · 2025-07-09 · 1 reply
Hi everyone, I’m arriving on a long trip at Charles de Gaulle Terminal 2 and would love to take a shower. I’ve already contacted the airport hotels, but they only offer day rates starting at 10 AM, and I land at 5:30 AM... The Yotel capsules are only accessible if you have a ticket for Terminal 2E. And airline lounges without a loyalty program charge at least **115 €** for access that includes a shower 😩. Is there another option? Thanks for your help!
Travel companions wanted for sunny adventures
by Yona77 · 2025-06-16 · 1 reply
I love traveling and would like to share it with one or more people in a simple, positive, and straightforward way. Morocco, Spain, the Canary Islands, France, South Korea, and Croatia are some of my sunny, wellness-focused destinations. My goals when traveling: discovery, sharing, fun, joy, and connections. Looking forward to hearing from you! 😎
National parks in the American West in July: crowds and heat
by Vegafi · 2025-06-15 · 9 replies
Hi everyone, I’m planning a road trip along the American West Coast in July 25 and, of course, I’d love to visit the parks east of Las Vegas. The crowds—but especially the heat—are making me second-guess whether it’s a good idea (the parks). I’d really appreciate your (honest!) feedback from those who’ve been there. Is the experience ruined? Maybe it’s manageable (early morning visits)? I have no doubt the scenery will be breathtaking, but does the context let you fully enjoy it? Thanks so much in advance for sharing your thoughts!
Red Rock Park New Mexico
by Marcalamar · 2025-05-14 · 4 replies
Hi there! 😊 - About fifteen kilometers from Gallup, where we’re stopping, there’s a small state park: Red Rock Park. Two hikes are catching my eye: Pyramid Rock Trail (229 m elevation gain, 5.5 km, 1h45) Church Rock Trail (78 m elevation gain, 3.5 km, 1 hour) Has anyone been there? And if so, which one would you recommend? Thanks for your replies and have a great rest of your afternoon! Marcalamar :)
Dual pricing in Hoi An and big changes in 8 years
by Patrick91230 · 2025-04-30 · 11 replies
Hi there,

I’m currently in Hoi An—I hadn’t set foot here for 8 years. The city has already changed a lot, with lots of construction, and even in the old town, along one side of the riverbank, there are huge residential buildings going up that take away some of the charm of this place. But the worst part is the overtourism—it’s impossible to walk across the famous bridge in the middle of the canal in the evening because it’s so packed with people. There’s also a new trend: massage parlors have opened in the old town and around the city. I was shocked—people call out to you or even grab your arm on the sidewalk, and it’s everywhere. Bangkok and Phuket might start shaking—Hanoi’s the same way.

Anyway, let’s talk about the dual pricing specifically for non-Vietnamese tourists. We went to a restaurant near our hotel last night, and they gave us an English menu—okay, fine! But I noticed the table next to us, where Vietnamese tourists had a different menu. Weird! I asked to see the same menu as my neighbors, but the waitress refused, saying it was in Vietnamese and we wouldn’t understand. I insisted, and she finally agreed. Surprise!!! The prices on the two menus were different, with the English one up to 50% more expensive. I asked why, and she got flustered, telling me to just order from the Vietnamese menu, which I translated with my phone to see the local prices. I mentioned this to the hotel this morning, and the receptionist told me to go to restaurants where prices are displayed at the entrance to avoid getting ripped off. I just bought fresh bread this morning, and it was the same thing—the little loaf costs 4000 dong for Vietnamese people and 5000 dong for non-Vietnamese. It’s not a huge difference, but this way of doing things isn’t right. At supermarkets like VinMart+, prices are displayed, so there’s no surprise or dual pricing there.
Information about the Ait Mansour Gorges area - Morocco
by Niico73 · 2025-03-30 · 2 replies
Hi there,

I’m planning a trip around the Agadir region, and since the forums are a bit outdated, I have two questions: I’m looking for accommodation in the Ait Mansour Gorges (an email contact would be great) and the schedule for the minibus / van that runs between Tafraout and Ait Mansour. Thanks a million!
12 days in Israel, before...
by Hyerois83 · 2025-01-15 · 44 replies
This trip took place in May 2023, a period of calm that later proved precarious. Day of May 17 Departure from Marseille on El Al (tickets booked by ourselves, while the stay itself was organized by Voyageurs du Monde). Before check-in, six or seven El Al staff members conduct a security check—quite understandable, but they do it in total chaos. They send people to the left, then block them, redirect them to the right, for no apparent reason. Most of the staff don’t speak French, which complicates things. They work at an incomprehensible slow pace, stopping the interview to do something else, then coming back and starting over... The flight goes smoothly, except for the meal service, which, for a four-hour flight that El Al delayed to lunchtime, is more than basic: a quarter-liter of water and a corned beef sandwich that’s absolutely disgusting and inedible. To get a coffee, you have to queue at the back of the plane. You end up missing Ryanair🙂 Arrival at Ben Gurion goes better than expected—the passport control is fairly quick, as is baggage delivery. Transfer to the Lily and Bloom hotel, Lilienblaum Street (easy to remember 🙂) As advised by Voyageurs du Monde, we book a table for the evening at the nearest restaurant, North Abraxas. Good atmosphere and decent food. We get a sense of the price level in Israeli restaurants. Around us, diners share dishes placed in the middle of the table. Much more convivial than our individual plates!! Day of May 18

The next morning, we go down for breakfast at 7:30 AM—a late hour, but the setup is slow, with the two servers taking their time. We ask the bartender for a long coffee and a black tea... It must be a complicated order because it takes him over 10 minutes to make it. He serves us with the grace of a dancer. A good breakfast if you’re not in a hurry, followed by a little stroll in the neighborhood, since our meet-up with Patrick Arfi, our guide for the day, isn’t until 10 AM. P. Arfi is a former publishing house director in Paris who has lived in Israel for a long time and has a vast cultural knowledge. After an initial chat, we head toward Jaffa, focusing on the Bauhaus buildings preserved by a clever urban policy that allows high-rise construction while maintaining old architectural ensembles.



This policy keeps the streets looking more human-scale than the usual high-rise districts in modern cities.

With the visit to Jaffa, Patrick introduces us to a fascinating slice of history, despite the temperature nearing 38°C. Jaffa, once an independent city, is now a neighborhood of Tel Aviv—a predominantly Muslim area. We notice a few buildings in poor condition. They belong to Palestinian families who left Tel Aviv. Otherwise, the city has been very well restored, apart from these few buildings.

A government agency rents out the ground floors of these buildings, which helps fund part of the security work. They also try to track down the owners and buy back the abandoned properties, but some refuse to sell. The visit is very touristy—most of the people we meet are tourists like us.













There’s very little local life, except in the lower part of the city. To be continued, as I’ve reached the allowed photo limit.
Trek in Northern Thailand
by JMPe · 2024-12-18 · 11 replies
Hi everyone. I’m planning a trip to Thailand for November. We loved the treks we did in Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar so much that we’d like to repeat the experience in Northern Thailand. Most travelers who go trekking do it around Chiang Mai. But wouldn’t it be better to do it somewhere else (Chiang Rai?) to get a bit more authenticity? Any tips would be welcome (agency, guide, route, etc.). Thanks for your feedback!
Stormy Iceland
by Attila · 2024-11-15 · 1 reply
Summer 2020, Transavia cancels at the end of June the flights they put on sale at the beginning of the same month... Not enough customers!

Too bad, it was a unique opportunity to discover Iceland without its overwhelming number of tourists.

Summer 2021, the entry conditions for the island keep changing.

Summer 2022, the Icelandair ticket is booked, the Duster 4x4 is rented, accommodations are reserved—it’s finally our turn to discover this northern gem!

In 3 weeks, we’ll have to make choices.

Our itinerary will skip the Westfjords.

We’ll start our Icelandic adventure in Snæfellsnes and finish at the Golden Circle.

In between, there’ll be roads, tracks, glaciers, volcanoes, fjords, wind, cold, rain, snow, fog, and a touch of sunshine...

A few hikes, a hot spring, and plenty of wonder, especially on the backroads where travelers often find themselves alone against the elements.

Bundle up in your down jacket, grab your scarf and hat to warmly discover the full detailed story of this trip...

Happy reading!

And if you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate!









Trajet Mauritanie - Maroc par voie terrestre English translation pending
by Hassanelfird · 2020-09-20 · 10 replies
Salut le groupe.. Suis de retour pour en savoir plus sur la route Mauritanie 🚎 Maroc (par voie terrestre) et aussi les bons périodes approprié pour faire des voyages sur la voie et sans oublier le coût du transport bien sûr. Merci d'avance 🙏🏽.
Transférer un 4x4 par bateau à Madagascar English translation pending
by Gerardgarri · 2020-08-31 · 5 replies
Bonjour à tous et merci d'être là pour les autres! J'envisage de venir vivre de longues périodes à Madagascar et je souhaite avoir sur place un 4X4 pour pouvoir me déplacer facilement. J'aimerais en savoir plus sur les transfert de véhicule par bateau, en container ou pas et sur le coût. Comment font la majorité des expats dans ce Pays?

Merci!
Bus, navette ou taxi L'Hospitalet - Pas de la Casa (Andorre) English translation pending
by Andre31 · 2020-08-29 · 4 replies
Bonjour, je souhaite me rendre au Pas de la Case. Je pars de Toulouse et j'arrive en train à la gare de l'Hospitalet. Savez vous s'il existe des bus, navettes ou taxis qui font la jonction ? Ce serait pour octobre prochain. Merci !🙂
Bon restaurant indien, libanais, thaï ou italien à Londres? English translation pending
by Amachou · 2020-08-10 · 1 reply
bonjour, avec mon épouse on envisage 4 jours à LONDRES....début septembre j'ai peur de mal manger c'est pourquoi je vous sollicite pour trouver des restaurants qui font une cuisine étrangère de qualité à des prix corrects??? je pense prendre un hôtel proche du centre: est ce que je peux trouver ce type de restaurant ou est ce qu'il est préférable de se déplacer dans des quartiers en métro pour trouver??? merci: PS 1er voyage en ANGLETERRE...donc j'ai peut être des préjugés??? les restaurants pour touristes en FRANCE faut faire gaffe ...de moins en moins qui cuisinent eux-mêmes donc les ANGLAIS??? je sais pas quoi penser??? merci
Deux nouveaux aéroports internationaux pour l'Égypte English translation pending
by VoyageForum · 2020-07-29 · 0 replies
Malgré la crise du Covid, l'Égypte vient d'inaugurer deux nouveaux aéroports internationaux dans les environs du Caire. Prévus depuis longtemps, ceux-ci font partie à l'origine d'un projet d'ensemble visant à relancer l'activité touristique dans le pays (hors contexte de pandémie). Lire la suite...
Quel masque utiliser avec Transavia? English translation pending
by Lylline · 2020-07-16 · 27 replies
Bonjour,

Pour mon vol Transavia j'avais prévu d'utiliser des masques KN95 (meilleure protection que les masques chirurgicaux simples). Mais sur le site de Transavia il est noté que seuls les masques chirurgicaux à usage unique sont autorisés et non les masques en tissu. Qu'en est-il des KN95 ? Font-ils partie des masques chirurgicaux ? Ce ne sont pas des masques en tissu.
Le tour du Cervin en bivouac (randonnée) English translation pending
by Yoann1 · 2020-06-08 · 2 replies
Bonjour à tous, Est-il autorisé de dormir en bivouac sous tente lorsqu'on fait de la rando en suisse? Le tour du Cervin en bivouac ? Le tour de la dent blanche? tour du mont Rose? autorisé?

Merci
Qui pourra aller en Grèce cet été? English translation pending
by B737 · 2020-05-29 · 34 replies
https://www.lesoir.be/303972/article/2020-05-29/les-belges-ne-pourront-pas-se-rendre-en-grece-contrairement-dautres

Les touristes et voyageurs en provenance de 29 pays seulement pourront à nouveau se rendre en Grèce à partir du 15 juin sans devoir subir de quarantaine, a indiqué vendredi le ministre grec du Tourisme. Ni la Belgique ni la France n’en font partie. Athènes réexaminera le 1er juillet la situation et étendra éventuellement sa liste à d’autres pays.

Les 29 pays concernés par l’absence de quarantaine sont l’Allemagne, l’Autriche, la Suisse, l’Albanie, l’Australie, la Macédoine du Nord, la Bulgarie, le Danemark, l’Estonie, le Japon, Israël, la Chine, la Croatie, Chypre, la Lettonie, le Liban, la Lituanie, Malte, le Monténégro, la Nouvelle-Zélande, la Norvège, la Corée du Sud, la Hongrie, la Roumanie, la Serbie, la Slovaquie, la Slovénie, la République Tchèque et la Finlande.
Des paquebots en attente au large des États-Unis English translation pending
by Evajules · 2020-05-12 · 69 replies
Bonjour à tous,

On en parle peu, mais, d'après LCI, il y aurait actuellement 104 bateaux au large des Etats Unis, en attente de pouvoir bouger, ce qui représente 72 000 membres d'équipage qui non seulement s'angoissent, font des dépressions, mais ont aussi pour certains entamé une gréve de la faim. De plus quelques morts pouvant être secondaires à des suicides se seraient produites.

Merci de confirmer ces infos....c'est le côté sombre des croisières et la pression doit être forte pour que le silence règne !

Cordialement et restez vigilants
Les tétis, une spécialité cubaine English translation pending
by Stbeat · 2020-04-28 · 2 replies
Dans la région de Baracoa (Yumuri) à une certaine saison , du rio remonte en direction de la mer à la pleine lune des poches chargés d'alevin de poisson .

C'est un met délicat Les villageois les pechent font secher les TETIS sur des plaques de tole

C' est un met délicat, ne pas hesiter de demander à vos propriétaires de vous en cuisiner
Modification d'horaire de vol par la compagnie empêchant la correspondance English translation pending
by PacmanC · 2020-04-23 · 27 replies
Bonjour,

J'ai réservé via GoVoyage (compte prime) un A/R Barcelone - Denpasar (Bali) du 11.07.2020 au 05.08.2020. A l'aller comme au retour, les escales se font à Dubaï et Singapour.

La compagnie que l'on prend de Barcelone à Singapour est Emirates puis nous prenons AirAsia pour rejoindre Denpasar depuis Singapour. Cela fait déjà 3 fois que la compagnie modifie nos horaires de vols sur le voyage aller et cette dernière modification nous empeche de prendre la correspondance.

En effet, le vol AirAsia part de Singapour à 17h alors que nous arrivons à Singapour avec Emirates à 20h le même jour (contre 14h au départ). Cela nous fait en plus une escale de 9h à Dubaï au lieux de 2h prévu au départ.. Normal ?

Je sais qu'il y'a de fortes chances que le voyage soit annulé dans le contexte actuel lié au Covid-19 mais je préfère, par sécurité, prendre les devants.

Que dois-je faire pour résoudre la situation vu que ce sont deux compagnies différentes et que nous avons réservé en 1 fois sur GoVoyages ?

Je vous remercie par avance de vos réponses.
Croisière Tour du monde 2021 English translation pending
by Frebet · 2020-04-21 · 144 replies
Bonjour

Beaucoup de voyageurs ont déjà réservé leur tour du monde en croisière pour 2021. L'achat s'est fait au regard de publicités qui vantaient un certains nombres d'escales , d’excursions etc.... Si durant le voyage des impératifs de sécurité (météo , conflits, etc... ) ou des interdictions se font jour suite à des décisions de pays face à des impératifs sanitaires (Covid19) , on peut comprendre que la force majeure peut être invoquée par la compagnie qui a vendu son produit. Mais la question suivante mérite d'être posée :

Si AVANT de partir , la compagnie sait qu'elle ne pourra pas assurer un certain nombre de prestations en regard avec celles qui ont été décrites par voie publicitaire (Elle ne peut invoquer le cas imprévu et impératif) , doit elle le faire savoir aux croisiéristes d'une manière formelle et le croisiériste pourra il demander le remboursement de tout ce qu'il aura versé quelle qu’en soit la somme et sans aucune retenue ou le report (A son choix) à une date ultérieure ? (Que la réservation ait été effectuée par le biais d'une agence ou en directe ) La question est simple , et mériterait une réponse claire et limpide des compagnies (MSC, Costa Croisières etc...)

qu'en pensez vous ?

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