Results for "Manali+|+38+>+8"

Pouvez vous me donner 3 excursions à faire et à ne surtout pas rater au départ de Punta Cana. 1 semaien pour se reposer c'est pas beaucoup alors 3 excusions ça suffira, mais j'aimerai vraiment faire des truc supers. Donnez moi votre avis! Barbara😎🙂😇

Qui peut me donner des infos sur Hôtel Ibérostar Punta Cana et éventuellement des photos. remerciements

Bonjour,

je projette de partir en Inde l'été prochain. Evidement je dois préciser la région dans laquelle je vais partir, et c'est là que j'aurais besoin de vos conseils. Parmi les voyages que j'ai dejà fait ceux que j'ai préferé étaient ceux au cours desquels j'ai pu a la fois découvrir la culture du pays (à travers des monument et les arts) ainsi que son paysage (en me balladant dans la campagne et faisant des marches en montagne de 3/4 jours) et plus que tout c'est la rencontre avec les habitants qui m'a plu. Pour vous donner une idée c'était le laos et la birmanie. Alors, lorsque j ai évoqué l'Inde on m'a conseillée dans un premier temps le Laddak, m'a crainte est qu'il y ait surtout du treck ; quelqu'un d'autre m'a conseillée un mix rajasthan/gujarat Qu'en pensez vous? Je suis aussi a l'écoute d'autres proposition

😏 eh oui encore moi

je prévois également mon mariage à las vegas quelques aurait des renseignements ?

Salut a tous

Je viens de retourner en Australie, et recherche a travailler sur 1 voilier ou catamaran en partance d'Australie et peu importe la destination, car la raison principale est d'acquerir 1 premiere experience sachant que je cuisine et suis tres motive a apprendre a naviguer et tout ce qui a rapport a la navigation

Je pense monter a Cairns et voir sur la cote est, a partir de la, longer la cote vers le sud, si necessaire, le temps de chercher et faire le tour des ports

si vous avez des infos, des experiences dans les voyages en bateau, des sites a conseiller ou autre, je vous remercie d'avance

😎keep cOOl bANANA'ssSSS

Bonjour à tous !

J'ai une petite question banale pour les gens habitant en France.

J'aimerais savoir quel est le prix pour faire un appel local à partir d'un téléphone public. Ici, un appel via un téléphone public équivaut à un quart de dollar, soit 25 sous. Est-ce similaire en France ?

De plus, je crois savoir que les appels locaux effectués à partir d'un téléphone privé sont payants. Est-ce vrai ? Comment ça fonctionne ?

C'est une petite question coquine, voilà !

Merci et bon blablabla !

Alixia.

Bonjour,

Dans le cadre de notre projet de long voyage en famille (3 enfants de 12ans, 5ans et 5mois) dont le départ est prévu le 7 juillet, nous souhaitons suivre une formation très spécifique qui s'appelle : "techniques médicales en situation d'isolement". Cette formation est délivrée par des médecins spécialisés dans l'urgence (l'institut Européen de la santé). C'est une formation très complète (faire une suture, réduire une fracture, trachéotomie...) ou l'on pratique réellement sur des morceaux de viande... ce n'est pas que de la théorie. Par exemple, ils ont formé les navigateurs du "vent des globes"... Des alpinistes qui partent en expédition... Des explorateurs, des personnes de l'équipe d'Ushuaia....des photographes...des familles de navigateurs TDM...

Nous avons proposé en accord avec l'organisme de formation la mise en place d'une cession spécialisée pour les familles de voyageurs (terriens) + orientée vers la pédiatrie (détecter une otite, une maladie infantile... posologie des médicaments pour enfants, problèmes de palu, prévention, maladies tropicales, choix de sa trousse médicale...).

Si nous arrivons à rassembler 10 personnes (donc 9 avec moi) le tarif de cette formation passerait de 460 à moins de 300€. Si vous êtes intéressés, envoyez-moi un message privé et je vous donne l'adresse du site Internet (pas de pub) qui présente la formation. Vous pourrez vous mettre en relation directe avec le médecin qui mettra en place cette formation (intervention d'un pédiatre, d'un médecin "tropical")

Si un sujet en particulier vous intéresse et que nous pouvons l'intégrer dans la formation n'hésitez pas à me le demander ou à en parler au médecin dont vous aurez les coordonnées.

La formation est coûteuse et l'idée de rassembler + de personnes consiste à faire baisser le prix et à orienter le sujet vers le voyage avec des enfants. Si rien n’arrive à nos enfants durant notre voyage, nous pourrons aider les gens que nous rencontrerons (c’est aussi et surtout cela qui nous intéresse) !

Deux dates sont prévues : en 16 Avril ou 18 Juin à Paris. Il est peut être possible de faire bouger les dates (pas certain mais bon). cela se déroule sur deux jours de 9h00 à 19h00 avec pause repas.

Voilà.

A bientôt

Francis

bonjour

mon agence m'informe aujourd'hui qu'il vaut mieux prendre un traitement antipalu

nous partons mi fevrier a el portillo

nous allons le faire car le palu est une chose grave

mieux vaut prevenir que guerir?

et vous vos agences vous ont elles prevenu?

Je souhaite partir en république pour un voyage d'étude (classe de 22). Etant en licence de manager en grande distribution j'aimerai savoir si il y a des grandes surfaces du style de champion ( ou autre), des parcs animaliers et des endroits ou il ya des productions végétales ( horticulteurs...). Notre formation comprend 3 options (alimentaire, jardinerie et animalier) et nous devons réaliser des visites pour les 3. J'ai cherché sur internet mais je ne trouve rien, par ailleurs j'attend une réponse de l'ambassade.

D'autre part a ce qu'il parait en tant que touriste il n'est pas possible de trop se balader à l'extérieur des complexes hotelier, est ce vrai? Ca craint tant que ca? Nous avons trouvé un hotel a Boca Chica (c'est rien de définitif) mais on aimerai bien pouvoir sortir la tete des hotels!!

Merci a ceux qui connaissent et qui peuvent nous aider.

Salut,

On est deux dans la fin vingtaine et on part pour l'ocean bavaro resort et spa de punta cana du 17 décembre au 24 décembre et on se demande bien comment ce sera à cet hôtel. Si quelqu'un est déjà allé, on aimerait avoir vos commentaires.

Si quelqu'un s'y rend en même temps que nous, faites-nous le savoir, on aimerais bien avoir des gens à qui parler français!!!

Merci.

etant à la recherche d'ub site où passer mes vacances d'hiver, j'hésite entre Bayahibe et punta cana.

Quelqu'un peut il me dire s'il a fait les 2 ce qu'il pense de ces 2 destinations.

Au niveau des hotels j'ai parcouru un peu punta cana (le groupe BAvaro beach, casino and co) mais je ne connais aucun hotel recomandable sur Bayahibe dans le style des Bavaro.

Je compte partir en janvier ou fevrier.

merci à vous

steph

Bonjour !

Je lis trés souvent qu'il faut marchander dans ce pays... Comment procédez-vous ? En général, cette pratique est de coutume justement dans les pays pauvres.... c'est la raison pour laquelle, je ne sais pas marchander car je culpabilise quelque part !

Du coup (exemple en tunisie l'année dernière), je n'achéte pas, je repars sans rien !!!!🙁

Quelqu'un a des conseils ?

Merci

salut,

Qui pourrait me donner des renseignements plus détaillé sur iberostar hacienda dominicus, nous partons le 22.10 et je souhaiterais savoir comment est l'hôtel, et surtout la mer.. y-a-t-il des poissons, les enfants peuvent-ils les approcher en faisant du snorkling? Y a-t-il des endroits à ne pas manquer dans les environs?

MErci d'avance pour les infos

Namaskar a tous!!!

Je suis en Inde depuis 1 mois et demi, et je voulais donner une adresse d'un dispensaire de Mere Theresa a Delhi, car avant de partir, je cherchais une adresse a Delhi, mais ne trouvais qu'a Kolkotta.et le hasard a fait que j ai rencontre une italienne ayant bosser ds un dispensaire De Mother Theresa a Delhi, et juste en face d'ou je loge, chaque fois que je viens ici!!!!

Ca se situe ds le quartier hyper tranquille de Majnu Ka Tilla(quartier des refugies tibetains).Si vs venez la, demandez The Missionary of Charity, Mother Theresa.Si vs voulez une piaule pas chere(150 rps ou 3 euros), allez a la Potala House(ils vous indiqueront le dispensaire, et font des prix pour les benevoles!!)

Potala House, email:potala_house@yahoo.com

Voila, moi j'y serais vers le 10 octobre, pour le moment je me detends au Rajasthan!!

A plus....Chris.

Bonjour,

je suis rentre du lookea fiesta à punta cana.

Peux de personnne donne des infos sur ce club.

n'hesitez pas je vous repondrais

Salut, je reviens de l'hotel barcelo villas bavaro si quelqu'un a besoin de détail, je suis là.

Ingrid😏

Bonjour à tous

Je pose la question suivante à tous ceux qui ont vécu ou ont voyagé dans ce pays:

"Est il raisonnablement possible de s'installer, travailler et donc vivre en toute légalitée dans ce magnifique pays"

Attention !! ne me dites pas que tout est génial, je voudrais juste de vrais réponses sur la réalitée de la vie quotidienne (le bien, le moins bien), le prix d'un loyer et d'un salaire moyen etc ...

Du vrai quoi

Merci d'avance à tous

Bonjour, suis nouvelle sur le site : je pars à Punta Cana le 1er Février. Qui peut me communiquer le numéro de téléphone et l'adresse internet de l'hôtel Sirenis Cocotal Beach ? J'ai réservé par "partir pas cher" via Switch mais devant leur inertie je souhaiterais contacter l'hôtel directement pour me renseigner sur certains détails pratiques.

Sinon, ceux qui ont déjà séjourné là-bas : commentaires positifs et/ou négatifs ?

Je rentre le 9 Février, je donnerai mes impressions si cela intéresse 😉

Pour info, j'ai séjourné à l'Iberostar Acienda Dominicus de Bayahibé : super sur tous les plans (animation plage = moyen)

J'attends avec impatience une ou des réponses.

Nous partons le 1er mars 2004 à l'hotel dominicus palace, j'aurai voulu avoir plusieurs avis sur l'hotel le personnel animations restaurants plages excursions

photos souhaitées

merci d'avance.

Bonjour!

Je suis dans une drole de situation (si on peut dire): je devais participer à un chantier de volontariat international aux iles andaman en décembre, et il a été annulé récemment alors que j'ai des billets non modifiables. Donc voila, je me retrouve à Madras sans savoir où aller. Je devais rejoindre une autre volontaire américaine qui vient de me faire faux-pas.

Y aurait-il quelqu'un qui va par là (Madras-Iles Andaman) début décembre (je reste environ 3 semaines, puis je vais en thailande)?

Ou alors quelques conseils de ceux qui connaissent les iles andaman et comment les visiter lorsqu'on est seule (hébergement, transports, visites etc...).

Merci!

Salut, Merci à toi Alan pour m'avoir dirigé sur ce forum. Je souhaite savoir si vous Pensez que l'ile de NIAS vaut vraiment le détour? Savez-vous également dans qu'elle île et où se trouve des beaux magasins de meubles Indonésien? Merci Salut à tous.

Hello chers internautes voyageurs !

Je pars en Rép. Dom. début mai 2003 et je vais dans l'Hotel Villas Bavaro à Punta Cana.

Cet hôtel n'étant pas mon premier choix, mais il ne restait de la place que dans celui-là, j'aimerais avoir l'avis de personnes qui ont séjournées dans cet Hôtel.

En effet, j'ai ne trouve pas bcp d'info sur cet Hôtel dans les divers forums :-(((. Le peu que j'ai entendu c'est qu'il n'était pas génial, loin de la plage, bouffe moyenne .... bref, j'ai un peu peur !!

Merci de me donner vos avis.

@+

QUI CONNAIT LE VIVA DOMINICUS PALACE

Que faut il voir absolument à Santo Domingo ?

Comment s'y rendre depuis les hotels, bus, taxis, collectivos ???

Quelqu'un aurait il quelques bonnes adresses, bar, resto??

D'avance merci

EUSKADI

Hello everyone,

For our latest 3-week family trip (yes, the kids are growing up, and two of them are about to enter the working world), we’re heading to South America! For our first time on this continent, I had planned a classic 3-week loop in Peru.

But since we won’t be returning to this part of the world anytime soon, I thought: why not follow in the footsteps of Franck, aka Bibouns51, who, in 18 days, didn’t just stick to Peru but also added two of the planet’s most stunning landscapes to his itinerary... the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia and its neighbor, the fabulous Atacama Desert in northern Chile !!

So, I set about the tricky task of limiting the regions we’d visit in Peru to those we considered must-sees, to avoid rushing too much. The visit schedules were optimized, including several comfortable overnight buses that have the huge advantage of letting us hop between regions.

So, we’re off on a somewhat adventurous trip with three domestic flights (two on the first day and one on the last), two overnight buses for quick hops, several car rentals, the services of a few drivers to make the trip more comfortable, and even a tour operator for crossing the Salar...

Our main concern is altitude sickness, and we’re bringing Diamox, aspirin, etc., just in case.

Our second worry before departure was not even getting off the ground... Yes, for once, we’re leaving from France—Marseille, to be exact. The week before our departure, with the surprise air traffic controllers’ strike, I remembered why we usually prefer to leave from abroad, like Turin or Barcelona... In the end, it wasn’t the air traffic controllers who made us nervous but the early July wildfires that paralyzed the airport a few days before our departure. Fortunately, the fires were quickly brought under control, and on the big day, everything was smooth sailing!

Detailed itinerary (which changed on Day 1 due to departure hiccups): Day 0: Flight Marseille - Madrid - Lima PERU Theoretical and abandoned Day 1: Flight Lima - Cuzco and visit Cuzco (Puka Pukara, Tambomachay, Cristo Blanco Observatory, Sacsayhuaman sunset) - Night in Cuzco Day 2: Taxi -> Chinchero - Moray - Maras Salt Mines - Ollantaytambo - Train to Aguas Calientes Day 3: Machu Picchu - Return train to Ollantaytambo Day 4: 2-day taxi -> Pisac - Tipon - Andahuaylillas - Huaro - Night in San Pedro Day 5: Palcoyo - Checacupe - Vinicunca - Return and night in Cuzco Day 6: Day in Cuzco (catch-up on Sacsayhuaman, San Blas district, Temple of the Sun) - Overnight bus to Arequipa Day 7: Rental car -> On the road to Colca Canyon, night in Cabanaconde Day 8: Descent to the bottom of Colca Canyon, night at Oasis Sangalle Day 9: Ascent from the canyon - Maca - Chivay - Return and night in Arequipa Day 10: Visit Arequipa (Santa Catalina Convent, La Recoleta Church and Monastery, La Compañía Church, Cathedral) - Overnight bus to Puno Day 11: Lake Titicaca - Night in Puno BOLIVIA Day 12: Shared taxi -> Road to La Paz, visit downtown La Paz - Night 1 in La Paz Day 13: Moon Valley and Las Animas Valley - Night 2 in La Paz Day 14: Day in La Paz - Night 3 in La Paz Day 15: Flight to Uyuni - Day 1 of Salar de Uyuni tour - Night at the edge of the Salar Day 16: Crossing the Lipez region and lagoons - Night near Laguna Colorada Day 17: Sol de Mañana CHILE Day 17 cont.: Pre-booked transfer to SPDA - 4x4 rental - Pukara de Quitor - Stargazing tour - Night 1 in SPDA Day 18: Death Valley and Moon Valley - Night 2 in SPDA Day 19: Miscanti and Miniques Lagoons, Salar de Aguas Calientes and its Piedra Roja, Tebenquiche Lagoon and Quebrada del Diablo - Night 3 in SPDA Day 20: Rainbow Valley and swim in the Puritama River - Night 4 in SPDA Day 21: Tebenquiche Lagoon - Bus to Calama - Flight to Santiago Day 22: Return Santiago - Madrid - Marseille

Day 0 - 11/07: Destination Lima

Our first flight from Marseille went smoothly to our Iberia layover in Madrid.

In Madrid, just after getting off the plane around 8 PM, and as we were walking through the terminal, we got a rude awakening!!

We saw the word "Cancelled" next to our flight number on the display boards. Thinking it must be a glitch, we checked another screen, but the system was stubborn, and the same dreaded word appeared !

So, we headed to the Iberia counter, where an agent confirmed that our Friday evening flight was canceled and rescheduled for the next morning. The reason? A breakdown and no replacement plane, even though we were in Madrid, Iberia’s home base!

To make matters worse, I remembered our super-tight schedule, planned to the minute, with no buffer day in Lima. Since I’m a bit phobic of megacities and hadn’t found anything appealing in the Peruvian capital in our guidebooks, we’d planned to leave Lima as soon as possible for Cusco, the heart of the Sacred Valley, to spend our first day there.

Bad idea, because we already knew the 4-hour buffer wouldn’t be enough, and we’d miss the domestic flight, which was, of course, non-refundable and non-changeable. So, we had to call LATAM from Madrid to find another flight for Saturday evening and negotiate a rate to recover some of our initial outlay.

After an hour on the phone with customer service, several endless holds, and three failed attempts to dictate our credit card number over the phone to a Spaniard speaking English with a thick accent, we finally managed to confirm the transaction, securing our new flight tickets for a moderate extra cost of just 150 € total.

At first, we were pretty bummed about losing a day and incurring extra fees to reschedule the domestic flight, but then, when we learned from an Iberia customer service rep that we’d receive the max compensation of 600 € per traveler, we even ended up grinning... because 3000 € in refunds for only losing the first day in Cusco? We’d sign up for that 10 times over!!

Iberia then took care of us, putting us up in a hotel where we had dinner before a short 5-hour night and an early morning departure. I took the opportunity to improvise a quick day of sightseeing in Lima, focusing on the Barranco and Miraflores districts.

Prologue

This journal recounts a trip to Rajasthan that’s already over a year old and that I’ve only now found the chance to write about. The summer of 2024 marked my return to India—my tenth trip—after six long years away since my last solo wanderings in Tamil Nadu in 2018 (the journal of which is published on this site). That absence was partly (but not only) due to the long COVID and post-COVID period, which saw a complete halt and then a major slowdown in global tourism. To top it off, Voyage Forum announced its closure in an end-of-the-world atmosphere. A sad time for our favorite social activity…

A few weeks after returning from Rajasthan, I tried to motivate myself to start writing a journal to publish on a forum claiming to be VF’s successor, which I’d eventually signed up for out of desperation. But I kept hesitating and putting the project off because, for one, I no longer have the time I used to. For another, the vibe wasn’t really taking off on that forum—it was overrun with ads and not very active, contrary to what its host’s name suggested. Despite its good intentions and commendable role as a stopgap, it also turned out to be very impractical to use, especially when you don’t have much time like me. I’ll admit I’d occasionally check back on VF to see if anything was happening. But all the discussions remained frozen in time, stuck in that fateful year, 2020. Then, rumors swirled online about shady reasons behind its closure, leaving little room for hope.

And then, one fine morning, I got a message at work from Marien informing me that VF had reopened. What a huge surprise! Even though the forum’s “end” had played out in a somewhat apocalyptic atmosphere, the memories of passionate and heated discussions, the frank debates, and the useful exchanges that made this site a traveler’s goldmine and a unique hub of conviviality all came rushing back to me like a breath of fresh air. I finally saw a sign and tried to motivate myself to find the time to publish the journal of this tenth trip to India and fifth to Rajasthan. But in the end, I got bogged down in professional and family obligations and never managed to find the time to get started. That’s now fixed, though, because I had two reasons for wanting to do it: I find that looking back on a trip to tell others about it is a highly beneficial introspective exercise. Also, I thought this journal could be useful to other travelers on a few points.

Because, “do we really need yet another journal about Rajasthan?” you might rightly ask! Especially in a time when so many journals about the “Land of Kings” have been published since VF’s return, not to mention the countless stories you can already find online about this region, one of India’s most touristy. And I’d add, why go back to Rajasthan for a fifth time, where I’ve already dragged my feet more than enough—through its forts, deserts, temples, cities, villages, bumpy roads, train stations, tasty street food stalls, cheap guesthouses, and more? Where some might see just another overhyped tourist destination full of the same old *Arabian Nights* clichés, worn to a thread, that I mentioned earlier, when there’s so much else to see in India? Well, first because it’s a magnificent country I never tire of, where I started an academic study and made so many connections. It’s also packed with places where you won’t find a single tourist (right, Marie-Jo?), even in the heart of well-trodden paths and classic itineraries. And most importantly, as I said earlier, things have changed in recent years. First, after six years without traveling far, the urge to go back to India was getting stronger. But this time, no more solo trips (often) or duo adventures (sometimes)—now it’s a team of four that has to come along! And even if you can argue with that, what better place than Rajasthan to introduce India to people who’ve never seen it? To kids you want to amaze? Plus, traveling with your new little family to your favorite country isn’t the same as going solo in often spartan conditions that only affect you. It’s a different challenge, but ultimately probably much harder. So, is it really reasonable to take two kids to India, including a two-year-old baby? That’s one of the main goals of this journal (but not the only one)—to try to answer that question.

As you can tell, it’s not so much the destination but the slightly unusual setup of this trip that, in my opinion, will make this journal interesting. Despite my experience and expertise (yes, I dare say it) in India, there were plenty of questions before we finalized the plan and said, “Alright, let’s go!” The questions were flying for us parents. Is it wise to travel to India with a two-year-old? What would we do (it happened) if the kids got very sick? Would they be able to handle a road trip on Rajasthan’s bumpy, dusty roads using public transport? Could they handle the shock of such a different world—the dirt, poverty, pollution, noise (…and the smell, as they say), the spicy food, monkeys, mosquitoes, snakes, tigers, leopards, and so on? In short, all the clichés that I usually joke about suddenly became potential realities. Another concern: as a mixed Franco-African family (not me, but my partner and her oldest), wouldn’t we risk not always being well received, given what you sometimes hear about that in India? How would Indians react to seeing a mixed-race family, the ultimate taboo in a country of purity and social segregation, which would undoubtedly raise many questions for them? Of course, not everything went as expected… Because, as you know, with India—and what makes it charming for some—there are always complications: sometimes where you don’t expect them… and sometimes where you do. I’ll go into detail about that in the journal to come (not right away) and in the final review (even later). These experiences could be useful to travelers who find themselves in similar situations and have the same questions we did before embarking on such a journey. And maybe it’ll spark the curiosity of those who aren’t concerned and will read yet another Rajasthan journal, but with its own unique twists.

Despite my unchanged constraints, which mean I have little time to write this, I don’t want to rush the story, so I’ll take my time. There will probably be lulls. I hope that won’t stop people from coming to react, debate, share their impressions, or ask for information.

Hello everyone,

What a pleasure to be back on VF after a few difficult years 😎 So, before diving into the topic, welcome back to VF and above all... keep going!

Well, I’m finally picking up my old habit of posting a new travel journal.

Before heading to Mexico in the summer of 2023 with my family (my partner and our two boys, aged 18 and 16), I had somehow convinced myself—though I can’t even remember why—that the Yucatán was too touristy, too cliché, too expensive, and overrated!

The country didn’t particularly appeal to me, but faced with my wife’s insistence—she’d been there years ago, before we met, and had promised to show our sons this incredible place—my arguments didn’t hold much weight.

And thank goodness, because I have to admit she was absolutely right to take us there! In the end, we encountered far fewer tourists than we’d feared (except at a few sites), and the prices, which we’d been told were geared toward American neighbors (US), turned out to be quite affordable. In short, it was pure joy on both counts. All that was left was for the trip itself to be beautiful and memorable—and it was...

1st stop: Isla Holbox and the whale sharks

Holbox (pronounced “Hol-bosh”) is a stunning island where you can relax in an enchanting setting.



Our main goal in coming to Holbox was to swim with whale sharks. So, the first thing we told our hotel, Los Arcos Holbox, upon arrival was to arrange an excursion with one of the island’s many tour operators: Glendy Tours Holbox. We set off the next morning, bright and early.

The itinerary for this outing is the same for all tour operators (and there are about thirty of them!): roughly two hours by speedboat, then snorkeling with the whale sharks, followed by another boat ride to Cabo Catoche for lunch, then more boating to a fish-filled snorkeling spot before heading back. In total, the excursion can take eight hours—or even longer.



Besides my two sons and me, there were only two other clients on board—a French couple. Our boat was one of the very first to leave, but after ten minutes, the pilot got a radio call. We turned back without any explanation, returning to the departure dock.

There, a young woman who clearly fancied herself a diva was waiting for us. She was Mexican and boarded the boat, snubbing all five of us while flirting with the pilot and guide, who were suddenly all eyes for her. We couldn’t understand how this diva had convinced our tour operator to turn the boat around just to pick her up when she hadn’t even booked and we were already far out. We left 20 minutes late.

The two-hour journey passed surprisingly quickly, and for good reason: we spotted dolphins six times! They were leaping out of the water as they moved. Pure joy. We stopped whenever they were near the boat.



The photo isn’t great—the ultra-wide-angle lens on my GoPro makes the dolphins look smaller—but at least I got a souvenir.

A few flying fish (exocets) also glided a meter or two above the water as we sped along. The false start was forgotten, and the day was off to a fantastic start in this stunning marine environment...

When we reached the area where the whale sharks were supposed to be, the guide explained that we’d now have to scan the sea until we spotted one. It could take five minutes or forty-five, he said, and if we were unlucky, we might not see any at all!

An hour and a half later—still nothing! The captain then headed toward a distant area where about twenty other boats were already gathered.

Sure enough, there was a juvenile whale shark (still a good eight meters long) there, and all the boats were lining up to approach it slowly, one by one, so as not to scare the animal. Each boat got about thirty seconds within a few meters of it, engine idling, before making way for the next. We were allowed to approach three times, but we weren’t permitted to dive in. That’s normal—such a crowd of divers around a single animal would stress it out, and here, whale sharks are protected by regulations: swimming with them is strictly controlled. There was even a coast guard boat with us at all times, monitoring everyone’s behavior.

We were torn between the luck of seeing such a magnificent animal, even from the surface, and the discomfort we felt about the absurd situation. All those boats lined up just to catch a fleeting glimpse of the shark for a few seconds—let’s be honest, it was ridiculous. In short, the whole thing was unpleasant, and probably even more so for the shark than for us, though it did keep gulping down kilos of plankton as if nothing were happening...

When it was our turn to approach, I dipped my GoPro into the water at arm’s length and framed the shot blindly, hoping for a decent image of the shark.



On the third and final approach, the sixth passenger on board—the one we’d had to turn back for ten minutes after departure—quietly spoke to the guide and captain after putting on her flippers (even though, I’ll remind you, no one was allowed to dive). She wanted them to ask the coast guard for permission to dive with the shark—just her! She whispered so we couldn’t hear what she was offering in exchange.

The two lackeys complied and shouted the request to the officials in front of all the other boats, with no shame whatsoever. With so many witnesses, the coast guard had no choice but to refuse. The diva wouldn’t let it go and asked them to insist, which they did, but the refusal was firm and final.

On the nearest boats, everyone had heard and was stunned. They openly mocked this bimbo who clearly had no shame. Hidden behind her star sunglasses, she responded with a dismissive smile. Pathetic.

The encounter with the shark ended, and we set off for Cabo Catoche, a site on Holbox Island where we were to have lunch.



We were a little disappointed not to have had the chance to see the usual school of whale sharks (they’re often dozens swimming together!), but that’s nature’s way, and we knew it.

And then, an unlikely stroke of luck: a boat ahead of us was putting divers in the water with a pair of adult whale sharks. We joined them, and while we were putting on our masks and snorkels, the guide briefed us. He said my sons and I would go first, followed by the French couple and the diva.

But Miss World, clearly unhappy with this order, quietly complained to the guide, who eventually switched the order. It didn’t bother us since we’d only get a minute in the water anyway—what’s a minute more or less?

So the three of them got in the water, and a moment later, they were done. My two sons and I, sitting on the edge of the boat with masks on and snorkels in our mouths, were ready to finally take the plunge. But instead of continuing to follow the shark, the captain was suddenly all eyes for Miss Silicone! He even let go of the wheel for a moment to help her back on board.

One of the two sharks had already left minutes earlier, and the second was swimming farther away. Other boats were arriving, and the captain went to join the queue 100 meters from the shark. Soon, even more boats showed up. There were way too many people, the shark left, and diving was no longer possible.

I was, of course, a little disappointed not to have fulfilled my long-time dream of swimming with a whale shark, even briefly. But I was mostly disgusted for my two boys, who had been so excited about it. I told the guide exactly what I thought and asked for compensation—not for missing out on swimming with the shark (you can never guarantee seeing one, nature isn’t at our beck and call), but for clearly skipping our turn to dive. He promised a refund.

At the end of the day, back on land, he dropped us all off, and as he was about to leave, I reminded him about the refund. He agreed again, calmly got back on board, and sped off as if nothing had happened—just him and the captain, two total cowards. I couldn’t believe it.

Of course, back at our hotel (which had booked this tour operator—Glendy Tours), I explained the situation and asked for my refund again. The receptionist called the manager, who arrived with the guide. Our runaway wasn’t so cocky anymore. Inside, I was fuming, but I kept my cool during the discussion that followed.

Right off the bat, I made a point of looking the so-called guide in the eyes while telling him he’d run off like a coward. I did my best to stay calm, speaking clearly, staring him down the whole time, and repeating several times that he was a coward, in front of the manager, who didn’t say a word. The guide had clearly been told by his boss to keep quiet because he didn’t utter a word during the entire twenty-minute conversation.

Anyway, I’ll spare you the details, but in the end, the manager only offered us another excursion the next day as compensation for the “inconvenience.” It was just snorkeling with fish, not another whale shark trip. He admitted their fault, but since we had to leave early the next morning and had other bookings for the rest of the trip, we couldn’t accept. And he refused to refund us.

On Tripadvisor, Glendy Tours has a mediocre rating (3 out of 5), but more importantly, it ranks 29th out of 36 nautical tour operators rated by customers. I was pretty upset with the hotel for booking such an amateur for us.



If you want to swim with whale sharks in Holbox, you might end up with Glendy Tours. And it might go well—I certainly hope so. But given the price of such an excursion (3,000 pesos per person, about 160 €!), I’d still suggest quickly checking online before you go to see which providers have the best ratings. You’ll have a much better chance of things going smoothly with the top-rated ones than with those as poorly ranked as Glendy Tours.

On the other hand, if you’re a beautiful young woman, you can choose them without worry—you’ll get better treatment than the rest of us...

To wrap up this excursion, I have to mention the “respect for nature” angle that all these tour operators highlight. They tell us they respect the whale sharks: only two or three people can dive at a time, and only for a few minutes, so as not to disturb these gentle giants...

We believed them before we left, but that’s not what we saw. When the sharks are hard to find except for one, everyone rushes it, and only the constant presence of the coast guard prevents the tour operators from putting their clients in the water.

Because for the second shark we saw, when the divers from our boat got out of the water and we left to join the queue while it was our turn to dive, other boats quickly arrived and started swarming the poor shark, which eventually left.

In other words, it’s clear these companies only respect the sharks when they’re being watched.

Boat reversing a meter away from a pelican

And for the snorkeling near Cabo Catoche, they attract fish daily by feeding them—a practice that’s normally discouraged. Afterward, these fish can’t feed naturally anymore and become dependent on Glendy Tours and its competitors.

A quick note on the rest of the excursion: Cabo Catoche (the site where we had lunch, on Holbox Island) is the northernmost point of the entire Yucatán. The place is paradise.



On the way back, we spent half an hour snorkeling at a site that turned out to be fish-filled only because the tour operators had the bad habit of feeding the fish. But this practice, which isn’t respectful of nature, is normally discouraged.



Plus, life jackets—like in many places in the Yucatán—are mandatory!!



As divers, we didn’t find the site very interesting, but objectively, it should delight those who aren’t used to putting their heads underwater in beautiful dive spots.

We hated feeling trapped in those life jackets, stuck at the surface, and for me, the highlight was swimming next to a pelican that wasn’t too shy—it was paddling right beside me in green water.

Anyway, it seems we can’t post more than 10 photos at once on VF, so I’ll come back with the rest of the journal in another message. Because after these early trip mishaps, the rest of the journey turned out to be magnificent...

Je vous propose une petite rubrique sur des endroits moins connus que les grands classiques , (comme Brice, Monument Valley ou Las Végas ... )

un lieu ou vous êtes passé, soit par hasard soit en l'ayant planifié , mais qui vous a laissé un bon souvenir quelqu'en soit la raison

La règle, maxi 12 photos par intervention , et une petite explication sur ce qui vous a séduit dans ce lieu particulier

Je commence par Virginia City pas loin de Reno dans le Nevada c'était en aout 2017 en revenant vers San Francisco après un mois de périple dans L'ouest on y avait réservé un hôtel pour y passer notre dernière nuit on avait déjà vu tellement de choses , pourquoi cet endroit nous a plus particulièrement ? peut être un brun de nostalgie sachant qu'on profitait des derniers moments de notre voyage et surement aussi ce sentiment de ressentir pleinement ce qu'on était venu chercher pour ma génération ( 1962 ) on a grandi avec l'image d'une Amérique fantasmée , mélange de Westerns et de séries des années 70 , on a tous une image mentale de ce qu'on s'attend à voir et ressentir , et je crois que c'est dans cet endroit que ce sentiment de toucher notre rêve a été l'un des plus fort

Ancienne grande ville minière , ce n'est maintenant plus qu'un petit village perdu dans les montagnes , avec une rue principale , et quelques rares ruelles autour

une atmosphère très particulière , mais je m'arrête de commenter , je pense que les photos en parleront mieux !

















Le soir venu , on a diné au Red Dog Saloon , ambiance Country , on avait bien l'impression d'y être là aussi ;)





Départ le lendemain matin pour une très longue journée , mais c'est une autre histoire !