long trip

FAKARAVA: A 4-DAY JOURNEY THROUGH A UNESCO BIOSPHERE RESERVE Fakarava, the second-largest atoll in French Polynesia’s Tuamotus archipelago, earned its UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status in 2006 in recognition of its pristine ecosystem and rich marine biodiversity. Spanning 60km in length and 21km in width, this rectangular atoll has been a crucial site for Polynesian culture since the 2nd century CE, when the first settlements were established. DAY 1: ARRIVAL AND ORIENTATION The moment your small aircraft descends toward Fakarava’s airstrip, you’ll witness the stunning contrast between the deep blue Pacific Ocean and the turquoise lagoon waters. After settling into your accommodation near Rotoava village, you’ll meet the team at O2 Fakarava,...

Essential Reservations: For optimal experience, secure your bookings with these recommended providers: Pa’ati Excursions with Leon: Book 2 weeks ahead in peak season (June-September) or 1 week in shoulder season. Cost: 12,000-15,000 XPF per person. Rangiroa Diving Center: Book upon confirming travel dates. Two-day diving packages: 45,000-60,000 XPF, plus equipment rental if needed. Day 1: Welcome to the World’s Second Largest Atoll Begin your journey with an introduction to Rangiroa’s pristine beauty. After settling into your accommodation, venture to the renowned Vin de Tahiti winery, the only wine estate in a coral atoll. During this three-hour experience, explore the unique vineyard where grapes flourish in coral soil, learning about their...

For the 3rd time in 5 years, I went to Cuba. This time our itinerary included Havana for two days, then Trinidad and we drove to Santiago to meet with our Cuban Salsa group: the All Stars. I knew that Cubans love music, or most exactly music is life for the Cubans. This trip did reinforce the notion to a new level. We witnessed a music video being filmed on the Malecon, people dancing in the streets and we could hear music all the time on the streets, coming from cars, apartments, phones. Havana is changing fast, we were able to get cash from an ATM using an European credit card (an impossible thing before), a new 5 stars hotel has opened (after 5 years of construction), luxury brands like MontBlanc, Leica, Nikon are opening shops in Havana. The old Havana was...

This last post took way more time to be written than anyone had expected. In case you are reaching this blog directly, I highly recommend reading the two previous posts about this trip: part 1: the northernmost inhabited place in the world part 2: our boat. The main reasons for me to travel to Svalbard are to see some polar bears and also capture the unique landscape of the arctic. The weather in the arctic changes quickly from the worst to the best in couple minutes. After returning from my previous trip, I learned that my favorite images from that trip were when it was cloudy, overcast, almost stormy. I don’t know why but the pictures taken in cloudy weather seems to reflect better my feelings about Svalbard, a hard place, a challenging place. This time...

After part one, you should now know where Svalbard is and how challenging life over there can be. Sailing can be dangerous but in most places, there is reasonable hope for help if something goes really bad. In Svalbard, you are on your own. The governor of Svalbard makes it really clear that help can take a long time to reach you and you should be prepared to help yourself. I’m not confident enough in my sailing skills so I chartered a boat with a crew. The boat is not a big one, it’s an Alubat Ovni 445, 45ft aluminum hull sailboat, made in France (in the Sables d’Olonnes). The boat was really confortable and spacious. We were 4 passengers and 2 crew members. The constant presence of sunlight really confused our internal clock. After a while we...

I went sailing in Svalbard last month for a week. It was the second time, I visited the small archipelago in the arctic zone. Last time I went camping and kayaking and while it was fun it did not allow me to travel long distances. This time, I chose a sailboat, first because it allowed us to travel quite a lot, secondly it was a lot more confortable, thirdly it was small enough we could get really close to any glacier. Where is the Svalbard? Svalbard (which means “cold coast” in Norwegian) is between 78 and 81 degrees north. The main town is Longyearbyen and is about 650 miles from the North Pole. That’s the northernmost inhabited place in the world. It’s not a big town, about 2000 people lives there year long. There is an hospital, roads, stores,...