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Administrative procedures: TO DO list before the round-the-world trip
Did you manage to empty your apartment? (if not consult our article here), you will still have some administrative or online steps to do before your departure: – Termination of subscriptions. We called upon resilier.fr (see our article on this subject) to unsubscribe in 3 clicks from Autolib, gym, Gaumont-Pathé, EDF – Phone package: We changed our phone package to pay a minimum (5€) just to keep our phone line. You can still go to Free to pay even less (2€) – For the follow-up of the mail, we have called upon the Courier du Voyageur service which will scan all our mail and keep it until our return. At…
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El Nido (Philippines): dream beaches
2 hours flight from Manila and we are in Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island. This city is only a stopover because we take a bus directly from the airport to El Nido. Part 1: Travel Diaries Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diaries We had to wait a little while before the bus left. Indeed, we are first dropped in a restaurant by explaining to us that they will come to pick us up after having picked up two other passengers at the airport. During this long wait, the guy of the restaurant has enough time to push us to the consumption: you have to have lunch, you have…
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Manila (Philippines): the city that scares people
The Philippines: the country of the French nomads with Thailand. We came here (1) to understand why there are so many nomads here (2) to support financially this country which has done a service to the whole ASEAN by facing China which is invading all the maritime space of ASEAN (the Filipinos filed a complaint before an international court and won. BRAVO friends!!). Yes, we were supposed to spend 1 month in Mainland China but after the Chinese government made its c$nnard to the neighboring countries (including Vietnam, my country), we preferred to spend our money elsewhere. Choosing the Philippines was an indirect (and silent) way to fight against China’s…
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Is it necessary to get into sports before a world tour? Especially when one is bad at sports?
When I told my close friends that I was going on a backpack trip around the world, and that it wasn’t a joke, their reaction was unanimous: concern. Not because they don’t think I’m capable of letting go of everything, but because they don’t see me able to walk as much, and especially not with a backpack There follow attempts to prepare myself physically for this challenge: here’s my sports teacher’s number, here’s a discount for a gym, I’m walking in Paris, are you coming? What I’ve always said NO to, I was busier emptying the apartment, making appointments with the buyers on Le Bon Coin, than during the 3.5…
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Hong Kong (China) – A crazy city
OMG! I don’t understand why NO ONE suggested I spend MY LIFE in Hong Kong. I am too much in love with this so special city, so small but full of activities. Unfortunately JB doesn’t share my opinion, he hates it! Part 1: Travel Diaries Day 1: Discovery of the district of Mong Kok After 10 days with mom and dad in Hanoi, I leave, with a heavy heart, for Hong Kong without knowing exactly what to expect. 1h30 at the Hong Kong airport is enough for me to tell JB: at least one week in Hong Kong, there are TOO MANY things to do! Arrived at the airport of…
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Macau (China) – the Las Vegas of the East
Macau/Macao has always been on my to do list, for one simple reason: I fell in love with Macau while watching a Korean series. And I’m not the only one, because after the broadcast of this series, Macau became one of the top destinations for Koreans. I remember, the heroine was visiting The Venetian Hotel, where there was a fake Venice canal with a fake blue sky. My goal in coming to Macau: to visit this hotel, and incidentally to celebrate my birthday with dignity Excerpt from the series in question (the big part where the heroine discovers the hotel lobby is missing) There is a one-hour ferry from Hong…
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Sầm Sơn (Vietnam) – Seaside resort where JB is the only foreigner
I found it fun to take JB to places I used to go when I was a kid. It makes me feel like a pilgrimage, and for him, an opportunity to get to know me a little more Sam Son is one of those places that marked my childhood. My parents are civil servants and it is customary for each department of the ministry to organize inexpensive vacations for their employees and their families. This is still the case today and I still enjoy it sometimes When I was little, Vietnam was very poor and suffered from the American embargo. Going on vacation was unaffordable. Flying was unimaginable. Each department…
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Hanoi (Vietnam) – How to live like locals?
What a pleasure to return home (at last to one’s parents) in the middle of the world tour. What a luxury to be able to rest, recharge your batteries and eat the food you love When arriving at the Hanoi airport, we take a metered cab like everyone else, but I think that the prepaid cabs offered in the airport stores will be cheaper. Indeed, we paid 350 000VND or 14€ My parents prepared a great dinner and a huge birthday cake for JB who just spent his birthday in 3 countries (Burma, Thailand, Vietnam) Part 1: Travel Diaries Day 2: The excellent Vietnamese services In Hanoi, we visited it…
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Where to find Korean and Japanese cosmetics in Vietnam
It is very easy to find Korean, Japanese and even worldwide cosmetics in Vietnam. But to find the cheapest stores, follow my advice! The Vietnamese have a flawless method: the suitcase. When they don’t go through the stewardesses, the travelers, they send by boat, parcels… Thus, the Clarisonic Mia Fit, which isn’t even on sale in France, is already available in Vietnam. Hada Crie devices are also available, even the most recent models. You should know that Facebook is adored by unofficial resellers in Vietnam. They can have a Facebook page, do only home delivery (to you and to them), but without having a website. Where to buy Korean/Japanese cosmetics…
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Burma / Myanmar: Travel Guide, budget & 12-day Itinerary
We chose the following 12-day itinerary from Bangkok to Hanoi: Mandalay (4 nights), Day boat from 12h to Bagan (3 nights), Day bus from 8h to Inle Lake (2 nights), Day bus from 8h to return to Mandalay (2 nights). If we had to do it all over again, we would have chosen the following itinerary, for 11 nights, 12 days: Mandalay: 3 nights. Arrival preferably on a Thursday or Sunday. Day 1: Visit of the Royal Palace. Day 2 : Visit Mandalay Hill and the pagodas next door + Mahamuni by scooter. Movie session at Diamond Plaza. Day 3: Visit Amarapura, Sagang or Inwa by scooter or cab. Bagan:…
