Category: Around the world

2 days in Hoi An: Unveiling Vietnam’s Luminous Beauty

Around the world Asia Vietnam

2 days in Hoi An: Unveiling Vietnam’s Luminous Beauty

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A stroll through Hoi An, by far the best-preserved old town in Vietnam, gives you a rare feeling of stepping back in time. The pretty lantern-decorated streets reveal a cosmopolitan architecture that reflects the past of this once prosperous trading port.

Situated on the banks of the Thu Bon River, Hoi An is a coastal town in Vietnam that captivates visitors with its historic charm, well-preserved architecture and peaceful ambience. Not only have the ancient buildings survived the wars of the 20th century, but they have also retained traditional features that are rare today.

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Ninh Binh, a natural gem to discover in Vietnam

Around the world Asia Vietnam

Ninh Binh, a natural gem to discover in Vietnam

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Ninh Binh province was one of my favourites in Vietnam. Naturally, it’s still a must-see for tourists, as it’s nicknamed Ha Long Bay on land, but it feels better than Ha Long Bay, which, despite being a natural wonder, was ultimately my least favourite place.

Ninh Binh boasts some of Southeast Asia’s most beautiful, majestic and impressive natural scenery. With its towering karst peaks rising from the rice paddies, it is a destination that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 (for the Trang An landscape complex).

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Vietnam off the beaten tracks: Pu Luong

Around the world Asia Vietnam

Vietnam off the beaten tracks: Pu Luong

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Pu Luong Nature Reserve is a magnificent mountainous region famous for its picturesque landscapes, rural villages and rice terraces. Pu Luong is not yet on the tourist radar, making it an ideal destination for nature lovers looking for a relaxing, unique and unforgettable experience.

Pu Luong is a truly amazing destination if you like to explore off-the-beaten-track destinations and want to get an idea of what Vietnam was like before tourism took hold.

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Vietnam off the beaten tracks: Mai Chau

Around the world Asia Vietnam

Vietnam off the beaten tracks: Mai Chau

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Mai Chau is a rural region in north-west Vietnam, just a three-hour drive from Hanoi, the bustling Vietnamese capital. It was a breath of fresh air during my trip to Vietnam, as well as an unusual and off-the-beaten-track place to visit.

Indeed, long before our trip and when we were preparing it, there was no mention of this region in any research. The main tourist attraction was the Pu Luong Nature Park, which we wanted to visit and which gave us two days’ rest away from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.

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Discover the world’s most beautiful libraries

Admont Around the world Austria Bavaria Brazil Dublin England Europe Finland Germany Ireland Italy Kosovo Netherlands North America Schwytz South America Spain St. Gallen Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom United States

Discover the world’s most beautiful libraries

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” I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library” has once declared Jorge Luis Borges, the famous Argentinian writer.

Enclosing secrets as old as the world, mysterious and intriguing, these temples of knowledge offer much more than literary choices. They present marvellous architectures symbolising the developments and ideas of history and dazzle with such cachet.

From the oldest to the most futuristic, these spaces dedicated to reading were all built with the aim of being able to amaze, charm and above all inspire visitors. Well, mostly to charm and inspire me. And make me travel to unusual places.

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The ultimate guide to Québec’s national parks

Around the world Canada North America Québec

The ultimate guide to Québec’s national parks

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* This article groups together the different Québec national parks described in the various articles

Vastness territory where nature is omnipresent, Québec represents a world of discoveries. During our road trip in the province, we focused on this wild natural side of the region, which led us to explore several Québec national parks.

Quebec national parks are grouped under the name “SEPAQ”, literally “Société des Établissements de Plein Air du Québec”, administered by the Quebec government, although some of these parks are part of the Canadian national parks network. Only three parks in Quebec are given the appellation of “Parks Canada”.

With over twenty destinations located throughout Quebec, according to the organisation’s official website, these parks list more than “6,995 km² of protected areas”.

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Québec guide: Gaspésie

Around the world Canada North America Québec

Québec guide: Gaspésie

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The Gaspésie was my favourite stop on our Canadian road-trip! The Gaspésie is an encircled peninsula where ocean, mountains and wilderness come together. Indeed, it is this piece of land that looks like a small paw when you look at the map of Quebec. Its name comes from the Micmac “gespeg” which means “where the land ends”, and it is true that arriving at the extremity of this piece of land, I am surprised to think that indeed, facing the Atlantic Ocean, the impression of being at the end of the world is perceived.

We spent a few days discovering the Gaspesian land and its many assets that make it a popular destination for Quebecers and a destination that is as big as Belgium! As soon as we arrived in Matane with the ferry, we took route 132, which splits in two in the gaspésie to form an itinerant loop of about 885 kilometres. We decided to take the northern route of the island in order to arrive in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region while having seen the vast majority of the Gaspésie.

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Québec guide: from Fjord-du-Saguenay national park to the Côte-Nord

Around the world Canada North America Québec

Québec guide: from Fjord-du-Saguenay national park to the Côte-Nord

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This is our third step of our road trip after having spent some days at Lac Saint-Jean, which is famous for its microbreweries (I wasn’t expected Canadians to be so good at making beers). We are quietly heading towards Saguenay, a region well known for its fjord and its beautiful national park. While spending a few days in Saguenay, we had the opportunity to visit two national parks and then gently make our way to Tadoussac, a famous place in Quebec for observing whales. We were also able to discover a bit of the Côte-Nord region before boarding a ferry to reach the Gaspésie peninsula.

GUIDE TO THESE DESTINATIONS IN QUEBEC

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Québec guide : A day in la Mauricie National Park

Around the world Canada North America Québec

Québec guide : A day in la Mauricie National Park

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Vastness territory where nature is omnipresent, Québec represents a world of discoveries. During our road trip in the province, we focused on this wild natural side of the region, which led us to explore several national parks.

Quebec national parks are grouped under the name “SEPAQ”, literally “Société des Établissements de Plein Air du Québec”, administered by the Quebec government, although some of these parks are part of the Canadian national parks network. Only three parks in Quebec are given the appellation of “Parks Canada”.

With over twenty destinations located throughout Quebec, according to the organisation’s official website, these parks list more than “6,995 km² of protected areas”.

… Continue reading