How Not To Be Disappointed by the Lake Baikal
The Baikal Lake is not nicknamed the Pearl of Siberia for no reason. I had very high expectations when going there for the first time in my life this autumn. I must confess my emotions far exceeded what I was prepared to see. If, like me, you like adventures and are ready to fully grasp … Continue reading
Tips for Making your First Time in Japan more Comfortable
The Kasuga shinto shrine in Nara Going to Japan was haunting my dreams for more than a decade. Japan is a long distance flight; I should thoroughly prepare my trip, I thought. What if people don’t understand English and will be unable to help? Perfection paralysis made me postpone for years my decision to book … Continue reading
Vietnam, a hint of déjà vu…
The entertaining Vietnamese puppet show on water. Vietnam, its jungles, its beaches, its food so exotic, its colonial past. All this sounded familiar to me. When I was six, my best schoolmate was born in Saigon. His parents had a Vietnamese restaurant in the north of Paris. I used to eat there almost every day … Continue reading
Sri Lanka, the country of reclining Buddhas
I had a prejudice I believe many had before coming to Sri Lanka. I thought it was a sort of Indian Corsica. Sri Lanka is very different actually from its Indian big brother. The majority of inhabitants are Singhalese and they are Buddhists. However, a second ethnic group, the Hindu Tamils lives in the north … Continue reading
The new face of Burma
What would most people think when hearing about Burma? Not something very glorious. Today, Burma has a reputation of being an impoverished country led by a junta dictatorship. In many travel guides, the question of whether it is good or not to go to Burma is still asked. If you go there, that means you … Continue reading
Cambodia
Khmer empire, Khmer Rouge or ethnic Khmer? Cambodia biggest city and country’s capital is Phnom Penh. However, the biggest flow of foreign visitors (about 5 million in 2009) arrives via another point of entry: Siem Reap. It is the airport of a charming former French colonial city, and the nearest to Cambodia’s landmark, the ruins … Continue reading
When pigs fly 