Food for thought

bahamas

The black Westerner travel privilege

I wrote several times on this blog what it’s like traveling while black : going through immigration takes longer, the locals stare at you in some areas of the world, locals who want to get a picture with you, people asking about your origins (“where are you really from?”), the ridiculous comparisons with black celebrities… […]

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coronavirus

Almost stuck in Italy because of coronavirus

It’s 10:30pm. I’m at the restaurant in Catania, Sicily, in the south of Italy. We’re a big group, about 30 people, the food is delicious, the alcohol is flowing in abundance… We could hear bursts of laughter in the room. The atmosphere is relaxed, we’re having a great time, and damn we eat so well! […]

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south korea

When the locals want to get a picture of you

From what I remember, the first time it happened was in Montenegro, summer 2013. A few locals came up to me, and asked to get a picture with me. I didn’t understand. Like really, I was perplexed and confused. It never happened in my whole life before, and I didn’t understand why strangers stopped me […]

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port barton philippines

The reverse culture shock after returning home

Going back home, in your country, in your city, after a long trip is not as easy as it looks. Very often, we talk about how hard it is to quit your job, leave everything behind and travel the world. It’s true, the hardest part when it comes to long-term travel is actually leaving your […]

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world map

Where are you really from?

I was peacefully spending a day on a boat, in Palawan Island, Philippines. It was a nice day. I visited several island, I went snorkeling, I ate delicious food, I saw several giant turtles… The atmosphere was good and relaxing. A Dutch guy who was on the boat wanted to get to know us, the […]

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lucky to travel

Am I lucky to travel the world?

“Oh it seems like you’re having fun in the Gili islands! You’re so lucky to travel!” “Oh really you went horse riding in Kyrgyzstan!? So lucky!” “What the hell is this hole in the desert you saw the other day!? Oh man, you and your travels… You’re really lucky!” All those comments, and many more, […]

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munnar travel solo

Traveling while black

I’m always surprised when I see how people around me are astonished when I tell them stories about what happens to me on the road, anecdotes linked to my color skin. Traveling while black means going through different experiences than my fellow white or Asian travelers. The more I travel, the more I realize it. […]

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the nod traveling while black

The nod (when you’re black)

“Can I get a picture with you guys?“, asked a Korean girl. “With who?“, I replied. “With you! And with your friend!” “Which friend??? I’m alone!” “Your friend over there, he’s going away!“, pointing at a black guy. I burst out laughing when she said that! She obviously didn’t know about the nod when you’re a […]

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I launched my online travel agency

dunia travel

OMG who would have believed it? I opened my online travel agency! I have my own travel agency, selling tours in Africa! Yeah sure it’s a French one, for French travelers, but still! I never thought I could do this a year ago! Actually I didn’t even know that was something I was able to […]

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Why you should travel solo at least once

voyager seul

“But… Are you serious? Travel solo?” “Why don’t you bring someone with you? You don’t have any friends?” “You must be bored often when you travel solo right?” “Aren’t you scared to travel solo, on your own?” “Don’t you feel lonely sometimes?” “How do you meet people? Must be hard huh?“. This is the kind […]

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Begpackers : tourists begging for money

The begpackers… I heard about those people before starting my long term trip,  since the media brought this whole begpacking phenomenon to light in 2017. But honestly, I thought begpacking was a marginal trend, and I really didn’t think I would ever see begpackers when I started traveling. However… I spotted a few ones!!! In […]

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Solomangarephobia, the fear of eating alone in public

solomangarephobia

We learn so much from traveling around the world. Of course, you learn about yourself, but you also learn about the other travelers, the way they travel, their mentality, etc… For instance, I didn’t know the fear of racism in a country is a selection criterion of many black people, when it comes to choose […]

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Do it for the gram: thoughts about instagrammable places listicles

instagram

I’ve been blogging for several years now and more and more often, I see a new phenomenon, which wasn’t existing not that long ago: articles listing the most instagrammable places in a given city. Meaning, the visually breathtaking places which will wow your Instagram followers and garner tons of likes and comments. To me, these […]

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What’s the difference between an expatriate and an immigrant

world peace

Before reading the article, be aware that I wrote a 200+ pages book about traveling as a black person. Click here for more info. I still remember vividly what this conversation I had with this French guy I met in Chiang Mai. He was talking about one of his friends, another French guy “He loves […]

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Internet killed the joy of discovery when traveling

yun lai viewpoint pai thailand

What a great time to be alive. Thanks to the internet, it’s never been that simple to travel. How far away is the time when we had to go to a travel agency, ask for the plane ticket prices, pay on the spot, then go buy a guidebook to know what to do there, where […]

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I wrote a book

traveling while black

Holy shit I wrote a book! I WROTE A BOOK! Who would have believed it? Honestly, if you had told me two years ago that I would write a book one day, I would never had believed you! To me, until then, writing a book was reserved for literary people, philosophers, those who read a […]

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