Travel Journal
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Istanbul (Turkey) in 2024: the Grand Bazaar & the Tiphane neighborhood
Novotel Bosphorus After a few days spent on the “Blue Mosque” side, we cross the bridge and spend a few days in the Tiphane neighborhood, which we know well because every time we go to Istanbul, we rent an Airbnb within 15 minutes max of this neighborhood. Since we’re only staying for a few days this time, JB books the Novotel Bosphorus for us (Booking link). First because we have Accor miles, but also because JB is still Gold and we might get an upgrade, and because the hotel has a very nice spa. We hesitated between Novotel and Marriott (JB still has his miles with American Express), but Marriott…
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Istanbul (Turkey) in 2024: a lost paradise
Our return to Istanbul in 2024 only confirms one thing: the Istanbul we loved no longer exists… Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal We have a Franco-Turkish friend who owns an apartment in Istanbul and goes there often. We get news about Istanbul, one of our favorite cities, through him. During our stay in 2023, we already sensed a certain unease among the locals, but K. tells me it has gotten worse. He shares some prices from the Asian side: over 20 euros for a breakfast we used to pay barely 7 euros for 5 years ago. JB has had a toothache for a few…
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Back to Sofia (Bulgaria) in 2024
After almost a year of moving around and going out non-stop, we feel the need to settle down somewhere and be quiet for a month. We remembered Sofia, which we really liked, and decided to return there in October 2024. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal If you’d like to read a more touristy travel diary with things to see in Sofia and around Sofia, read this one instead. The only affordable direct flight between Paris and Sofia is Wizzair, departing from Beauvais. It was exactly 3 hours late, but we can’t claim the legal compensation because the airline says the delay was caused by…
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Visiting the Sainte-Chapelle and the Little Prince shop in Paris (France)
Today, I’m sharing with you my photos of the Sainte-Chapelle, which we visited last year. There’s always a crowd in front of the Sainte-Chapelle, so I highly recommend booking your tickets in advance and coming with an ultra-light bag, as bags will be scanned and searched at the entrance. Then, you enter a kind of administrative courtyard, and you need to follow the arrows to know where to go. The ground floor is quite beautiful but dark, and the most impressive part is upstairs. There’s a small staircase leading up, don’t miss it! Nestled in the heart of the Île de la Cité, the Sainte-Chapelle is a treasure from the…
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A Week in Bhutan, the Land of Happiness: Part 4/4
Today, we visit the highly anticipated Tiger’s Nest. This post is part of a series about Bhutan. Read part one, part two , and then part three. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal Even though dinner was a bit light yesterday, we’re quite well served this morning. The guide picks us up early to avoid the heat. The driver drops us off at the parking lot and wishes us good luck. The Taktshang Monastery, also known as Tiger’s Nest , is one of the most iconic and spiritual places in Bhutan. It’s located in the Paro Valley, clinging to a cliff at about 3,120 meters…
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A Week in Bhutan, the Land of Happiness: Part 3/4
Today, we still have a lot of driving ahead of us. This post is part of a series about Bhutan. Read part one , and then Part 2. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal We pass by a stupa, where we buy a scarf for me. It says “baby yak”, super soft. 1800 BTN. The vendor gives JB change in Indian rupees, and he had to ask the guide if we could use them. The Bhutanese currency is pegged to the Indian rupee, and since there is a lot of trade with India, you can use them without any problem. Today, we visit one of…
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A Few Days in Da Nang & Hue (Vietnam) – 2024
I’m catching up on all the missing travel logs from Vietnam. It’s June 2024, and after Thailand, we’re looking for a place to land in Vietnam, before heading to Hanoi and flying back to France. I choose Hue because it’s a city I don’t know very well. There’s a direct flight between Bangkok and Da Nang. We spend a night there because I want to take the scenic train to Hue the next day. At the airport, I find out that the international fireworks competition is happening that very evening. I’m very surprised, because in my head, it’s in October, not June. Whatever! I’ve seen it on TV, it’s always…
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Da Nang to Hoi An by motorbike (Vietnam) – 2022
We’re in May 2022. Vietnam has just reopened after Covid, and we’re meeting our friend F. in Da Nang for a weekend in Hoi An. We each rent a motorbike and decide to ride from Da Nang to Hoi An. We pick up F. at the Pullman, where he stayed the night before. He leaves his suitcase there and keeps only the essentials in a backpack. We each have a small backpack too. There are several possible stops along the way: Ngu Hanh Son mountain, with an old military hotel inside, Ba Na Hills, where French colonists used to vacation to escape the heat… but we won’t do all that…
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Cruise on a Yacht in Ha Long / Lan Ha Bay (Vietnam)
I write “Ha Long Bay” because the H is NEVER silent in Vietnamese. We are in April 2022. I contact my Vietnamese travel agency and tell them “give me the best cruise ship”. He says OK but warns me that prices for foreigners are twice as high as for Vietnamese. So he suggests we put the “Tây” (foreigners) together and that I “officially” occupy alone the biggest room and that we distribute the rooms however we want upon arrival. Clever! We are in 2022, so prices are still very low due to Covid, borders have just reopened. I don’t remember exactly how much we paid, but it’s peanuts, like 150…
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[review] Dolce By Wyndham Hanoi Golden Lake, 5-star hotel in Hanoi (Vietnam)
Right after JB’s recovery in Nha Trang, in September 2022, I felt we needed to recharge our energy somewhere, and a friend of my mother’s told me that the hotel Dolce By Wyndham Hanoi Golden Lake (Booking link) in Hanoi had excellent energy. We booked a night there. But first, let me show you the photos of Cam Ranh from the sky! (we had to fly back to Hanoi). I know the hotel a bit Dolce By Wyndham Hanoi Golden Lake, I had already had the lunch buffet there. My mother’s friend lives not far away, and we talked about me inviting her family to the hotel buffet, but we…
