TDM
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My review of the American Express Air France Flying Blue Silver Card (plus referral)
To take advantage of my referral, you can click here then click on “View all cards” at the top left to choose your card. You’ll get 8,000 bonus miles and the card is free for life. You can also request a referral for the American Express Air France Gold Card (free the first year) by by clicking here. American Express: What Is It? Very well known in North America, American Express is much less so in France, where we are not used to credit cards. American Express is a company that offers credit cards. American Express is not a bank, so you don’t have (and can’t) transfer funds to them.…
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Sunrise at Mount Batur, hot springs, and waterfalls in Bali (Indonesia)
After resting well for several weeks following my long period of stress, I finally decided to do some sightseeing. But by going through an agency, because I no longer feel like organizing anything. Unfortunately, tourists have been absent for a long time, so no one knows the new prices, what time you need to leave, etc. We end up making a deal with a taxi driver, who seems to know the points of interest and rates better than anyone we’ve asked. We set a meeting for 4 AM. Part 1: Travel JournalPart 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Journal The early wake-up was tough for everyone, including our driver, who…
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Rosalie: 2009 – 2022
Rosalie, my love, has just passed away. Thank you, my baby, for coming into our lives. For all the love you brought us, for all those moments of tenderness, purrs, laughter, fights with dad for some white sauce, or little thefts of carpaccio from my plate. I remember and will remember all those little moments that define your character. Like the time you rushed to join me running up the stairs in Bourville, just to be with me, while you were sleeping peacefully on the ground floor. You were a bit ashamed of that display of love but you know, it remains the best memory I have of us, and…
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What visa do you need for a holiday in Bali (Indonesia) and how to extend it?
Are you planning a trip to Bali? – Plan to buy a SIM card to have internet access – Book your activities in advance with Civitatis – Protect yourself with insurance that offers good coverage. For example, with Heymondo (5% discount by using this link) We can’t say it enough, how lucky we are to have a French passport! It allows us to arrive in 112 countries without any prior visa procedures. Indonesia (and therefore Bali) is one of those countries; there’s no need to apply for a visa at the Indonesian embassy before you go, at least for stays of less than 60 days. Upon arriving in Indonesia, you’ll…
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Review of the Fortuneo Fosfo card (+ referral offer)
Looking for a referral code for Fortuneo? You can use this one: 13021400 It’s valid for the Fosfo card (€50 offered), the Gold CB card (€130 offered), the Bourse (€130 offered), and the Assurance Vie (€130 offered) When you travel for a long time, the question of which payment methods to bring along comes up. For me, ideally you should leave with 3 different bank cards: A Visa bank card A Mastercard bank card A ‘real’ credit card (required to rent a car in some countries) And for each of these cards, if possible choose one that is free and doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Fortuneo is rarely mentioned in…
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How to withdraw money without fees in Indonesia?
Planning a trip to Indonesia? – Plan to buy a SIM card for internet access – Book your activities in advance with Civitatis – Protect yourself with insurance offering good coverage. For example, with Heymondo (5% discount by using this link) If you have a bank card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees for withdrawals outside the eurozone, you can hope to withdraw money without any fees at ATMs in Indonesia. I recommend the following free cards: You just need to find the right banks, as some charge fixed fees. Here’s a summary table of withdrawal fees and limits. This data was collected in Bali in June and July 2022. Note that…
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Mixed First Impressions of Bali (Indonesia): Canggu, Ubud
I chose to write about Bali first, and I’ll catch up on the Vietnam travel journals later. Even though we’ve been traveling for 6 years, this is our first time in Bali. For us, Bali is synonymous with mass tourism and is the “clichéd” destination of the digital nomad. That’s why we’ve always carefully avoided this place. It’s only after 3 months in Vietnam, and while the number of open Asian countries is still limited, that we go there, with a rather negative preconception. In mid-June 2022, the PCR test is a bad memory; only a vaccination certificate (two doses) is required to arrive in Indonesia. From the plane, I…
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My Current Favorites [May 2022]: Jade Bracelet and Small Leather Goods
Since we’ve been back in Vietnam, I’ve been spending more time eating and shopping than reading, so unfortunately my current favorites don’t include any books. We’ll just talk about the talent of Vietnamese artisans. Type A Jadeite Bracelet at Duong Ha Gemstones & Jade 139 Hang Bac Street, Hanoi I found this jeweler by chance. He’s the only one offering this type of bracelet, made of jade beads. While others only sell jade bangles, which I find not only old-fashioned but also fragile (easily breakable). I also don’t like the green color, “imperial jade” style either, so finding this slightly bluer shade was a real feat. He didn’t have the…
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My review of the American Express Gold card (+ referral)
If you’re interested in the American Express Gold card, I can refer you! On top of all the perks, you’ll get 25,000 bonus reward points. That’s a minimum value of €125 To get my referral, click this link. Always on the lookout for interesting cards to maximize benefits, here’s my review of the American Express Gold card. I encourage you to give it a try—you’ve got nothing to lose since it’s 100% free (at least for the first year!). For those interested, I’ve already written reviews on the cards American Express Air France Gold (which let you earn Flying Blue miles) and American Express Business Platinum (which gives you access…
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How to Rent a Scooter in Bali (Indonesia)?
Bali is definitely one of the easiest places in the world to rent a scooter: The scooter is THE main mode of transportation (roads are often narrow, not easy for a car) There’s no public transportation There are many tourists wanting to get around by scooter And so there are plenty of rental shops 🙂 A Quick Note on Safety As in most Southeast Asian countries, no license is required to rent a scooter. It even seems like you won’t get in much trouble with police checkpoints if you have your international driver’s permit (car) license. That doesn’t mean driving without the proper license is legal, and it can have…
