Country Guides
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Itinerary 19 days in Vietnam – North to Center: Ha Noi, Ha Long, Ha Giang, Phong Nha, Hue, Hoi An
Here is the program we have planned for the trip of a friend, who came to Vietnam for the first time. We chose to replace Sa Pa with Ha Giang, for a more authentic and wow experience. As Ha Long Bay is one of the priorities of his visit to Vietnam, we have chosen to incorporate a 3 day 2 night boat tour, allowing us to visit both Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay, which is also less known and less frequented. Ha Noi being my hometown, I chose to come back to Ha Noi between 2 big excursions. It is the ideal place to recharge your batteries, because…
- America, Around the world, Country Guides, During the World Tour, Mexico, TDM, Tips, Top Destinations
[Travel Guide 2020] 15 days of Roadtrip by Bus in Yucatán (Mexico): Itinerary, Budget, Transportation, Practical Advice
Here is the recommended itinerary for a 2 week road trip in Mexico. At the beginning, we wanted to rent a car but the destinations we are targeting are very well served by buses and colectivos, so we preferred to use them to travel in a more economical way. This itinerary is part of our +2 month stay in Central America. To optimize the cost, we land in Merida (instead of Cancun, the classic arrival city from France) from San Salvador (El Salvador), then we will have our luggage kept in a hotel for 2 weeks (hence one night in Merida, to justify leaving our luggage in the l uggage…
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Itinerary 17 days in Mexico by Bus or Colectivo – Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Chiapas: Detailed Budget, Transportation and Advice
If you are preparing your vacation in Mexico, like me, and if you are stuck on the itinerary, here is mine. You can use it as inspiration for the holidays, or for other periods. The difficulty is to choose the best sites of interest because they are all incredible. Abstract This itinerary corresponds to 17 days on site This itinerary is for those who prefer the cenotes & lagoons rather than the beach. Here, every time we go to the beach, it is more for snorkeling. If you want to laze on the beach, check out our 15-16 dayprogram in Mexico This program is an improved version of what we…
- America, Around the world, Country Guides, During the World Tour, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, TDM, Tips
Border crossing in Central America – Entry fee, Exit ticket: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama
Here is a summary of the entry and exit fees for Central American countries. These countries like to use the US dollar very much. Some of them use ONLY US dollars, so plan on using dollars before coming here (or get some from distributors who also offer dollars). Some countries require proof of exit from the territory (Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama), it is better to think about it in advance. A bus ticket will suffice. Mexico Entry: When you enter Mexico, you will be asked for your proof of exit. You can simply buy a bus ticket on the ADO website (e.g. to Guatemala) and exchange it afterwards. You can…
- America, Around the world, Country Guides, During the World Tour, El Salvador, Our Itinerary, TDM, Tips
[Travel Guide] Itinerary 8 days in El Salvador: Budget, Transport, Digital Nomad in El Salvador
We just spent a week in El Salvador and fell in love with this beautiful country. The landscapes are beautiful, everything is green, easily accessible, the people are very nice. We don’t really understand why a bad reputation sticks to it, because we onlyhave good things to say about El Salvador. Why go to El Salvador? Because you will be the only tourist in the village. Quite simply. The trip becomes much more interesting all of a sudden. What about security in El Salvador? Despite the highest rate of intentional homicide in the world, the crimes are mainly committed by gangs (or victims of gangs who refuse to pay a…
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[Travel Guide] Itinerary 19 days in China, from Beijing to Hanoi in Independent (Bus, Train, Plane) – from China to Vietnam
Even if we were not interested in China during our 1st World Tour (in favor of the Philippines), we decided to go there anyway during our 2nd World Tour. Here is the 19 days itinerary that I recommend for China. The idea is to cross China from Beijing to Vietnam. Beijing (3 days) Datong (2 days) Xian (2 days) Zhangjiajie (4 days) Phoenix City (4 days) Yangshuo (2 days) Ghangzhou (1.5 days) Hanoi or Hong Kong & Macau, your choice Comments on the itinerary Everything can be done by train or bus, but I put a few trips by plane (if your finances allow) because I consider this particular train…
- America, Around the world, Country Guides, Digital nomad, During the World Tour, Nicaragua, TDM, Tips
Being Digital Nomad in Nicaragua (Managua, Granada, Leon): Reviews & Speedtests
If you have followed us on the blog, you can see that this year we have chosen the two “dangerous” (in the collective imagination) of Central America to spend the fall: Nicaragua and El Salvador. These two countries are often avoided by tourists crisscrossing Central America (who visit Guatemala and then hop, hop, hop, go directly to Costa Rica). I admit (and I wish to be honest with you), the idea of going there scared me too. I already imagined blocked roads, stray bullets, civil war. Without the very reassuring advice and feedback from Lauriane, an expat who has been living in Central America for 2 years, I wouldn’t even…
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What about Security in Nicaragua in 2020? Dangerous country for tourists ?
Before setting foot in Central America, we asked ourselves this question and asked questions to the French expats living there. In Nicaragua, we were able to contact Lauriane, who is currently there, and who told us that the country was totally safe for tourists (safer even than Costa Rica). The demonstrations and roadblocks observed in 2018 no longer exist. Even on the site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the whole country is in yellow, no zone is in orange or red, which is a very good sign. This is just the time to take advantage of it and have all the tourist sites for you alone. Moreover, Nicaragua is…
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Interview with Lauriane Marecal: What to See, What to Do in Nicaragua? Addresses, Tips & Tricks
Editor’s note: following research for our next trip to Central America, we were led to contact Lauriane Marecal, a French traveler in love with Nicaragua. After almost 2 years criss-crossing Central America, Lauriane brings us in this long interview, recent information (2019) about the country, as well as the richness of this beautiful country still off the beaten track. Thanks to Lauriane for giving us her time. We wish her all the best for her project of a home for adults with mental and motor disabilities in Nicaragua. His Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/lauriane.marecal.9Sound Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/havana_nicaragua/ Hello Lauriane, can you introduce yourself? What brought you to Nicaragua? Hello to all readers.…
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[Travel Guide] Visit the Panama Canal by Boat, Car or Public Transport – Miraflores, Agua Clara, Gatun, Pedro Miguel (Panama)
The Suez Canal and the Panama Canal, since I learned about them at school, have always been a dream come true. I wanted to take advantage of our passage in Central America to make one of my dreams come true: crossing the Panama Canal by boat. By typing “Panama Canal Cruises”, my researches lead only to luxury 2/3 weeks cruises between Colon (in Panama) and the United States ! Even a round-the-world cruise (4 to 6 months) ! You might as well say that finances do not follow 😀 Fortunately, there are options that are much more affordable when you dig a little bit, and that take less time: with…