"So, did you go back to diving? "I am asked since my return ... Yes! I even realized a dream, combine in one trip two famous spots: Komodo and Raja Ampat.
Continuation of my trip to Sulawesi (Indonesia) in July 2007. Lemo is one of the most famous sites in Toraja country, for its tombs in the cliffs, guarded by the tau-tau, wooden statues representing the deceased.
Batutumonga. This strange and beautiful name is synonymous for me, a fantastic scooter ride in the heart of Toraja Country, in central Sulawesi. Rice fields sublime ... but rotten roads! I almost stayed in the mountains sleeping because of a flat tire.
I'm taking you back to Bali, Indonesia. Amed, exactly, on the northeast coast of the island. Despite the development of tourism in the region, there are still some salt marshes and saunas here.
Through the porthole of the plane, I discover Sulawesi, and the island of Bunaken, where I will spend the first five days. Arriving a creepy hair: it is nice over the bay, but a big rainy cloud settled on the airport of Manado.
Here, there are swarms of sparkling fish and a jumble of multicoloured corals... I take you diving in the waters of Misool, in the south of Raja Ampat.
I like hanging out in Asian markets. During my stay in Sulawesi (Indonesia), last summer, I went for a ride in that of Rantepao, in the heart of Toraja country. Here are some pictures of atmosphere ...
In Komodo, you can' t miss the majestic manta rays. They can be seen either by scuba diving or by snorkelling from the surface. A glorious show!
My stay in Amed, in north-east Bali, ends (sigh). I like this place !!! Here are two souvenir images: a sunset over the Agung volcano and a toad fish photographed in Tulamben.
I do not know which end to start this new ticket. We were made to do so many things in ...
A beach in the Maldives. Blinding sand, turquoise water. The whole village is there for an amazing fishing trip. Small preview in video.
Let's go for a little motorcycle tour in the Amed region, in the north-east of Bali. On the program: rice fields, temples, markets and... cockfighting!
It has been more than a week since I came back from Thailand. But I propose to return to the fabulous bay of Phang Nga, with this small video. A long-tail boat ride from island to island, what do you think?
Indonesia, sea of Celebes. Under the surface, life abounds! The proof in pictures, with this small underwater video, made around the island of Bangka, in the north of Sulawesi.
Pantai Songean is the perfect beach. A beautiful cove of black sand, discovered a year ago, in Bali.
Among my most beautiful memories of Bali: the sunsets on the Agung volcano in Amed and the molas-molas, gigantic moon-fishes crossed off Nusa Penida ...
I remain under the spell of Pemuteran, in northwestern Bali. Between two dives, I even attended dance rehearsals and preparations for a wedding ceremony.
Wake up at the foot of a volcano and live the dream of Magellan ... what's more exhilarating? Welcome to the archipelago of Banda, the mythical spice islands, in Indonesia.
Nature, calm and pleasure ... In North Sulawesi, Indonesia, I headed for a dream island. His name: Bangka.
If, like me, you love islands, here or elsewhere, dive into this book: Besoin d'îles, by the geographer Louis...
A new start, very soon ... Three years after my first trip to Sulawesi, I return. On the program: Bangka Island, Lembeh and the Toraja country.
It's the blue of the huge Pacific Ocean. An intense blue that twists the retinas and floods the head of light. Cape on Polynesia.
Indonesia and Komodo are far away. I rediscover my underwater photos with a new, astonished eye. I saw all that, me? It's crazy.
At the moment when you discover this message, I will be in the clouds, towards Asia ... The trip will be a bit long, since I had to juggle the specials of air fares, connections , availability and companies, to fly to Bali at a lower cost.
I'm leaving for Malaysia in July, and I still do not know what my route will be. Only certainty: I go back to Borneo, dive to Sipadan.
Derawan's kids are mischievous kids. They love to take the pose and then look into the screen of digital devices. "Photo, photo! "
Sea slugs, called "nudibranchs", abound in Indonesia, and especially in Alor. Small gallery-photos.
I take you diving among the underwater volcanic bubbles of Pulau Weh (Sumatra, Indonesia). These hot springs are a real underwater jacuzzi!
These first two days in Bunaken have been going at full speed. The dives are up to my expectations: drop-offs covered with a variety of incredible coral. Side fauna, all the tropical panoply colorful is there.
Alor Archipelago, Indonesia. It is completely to the east, near East Timor. It is far. It's quiet. It's beautiful. And we dive there.
I leave Kota Bahru, his stuffed women and his concrete for the Perhentian Islands. Perhentian Besar the Great, and Perhentian Kecil the Small, renowned for their crystal clear waters and coral reefs ...
The coral-eating acanthaster starfish is called "crown of thorns" in English ... or COT. This Sunday, it's COT's party!
Hammerhead sharks make diving enthusiasts fantasize. These sharks have a pretty awesome head, I must say...
Philippines : Visayas - February 2008 The good thing about the Philippines is that you can find a lot of...
Remember: during my stay on the island of Bunaken (north-Sulawesi) in July 2007, I had dive with the Froggies center, directed by the amazing Christiane Muller, who had been there for about fifteen years .
Atmosphere of madness, in an arena of cockfighting, in the Philippines! This video was shot in 2008 on the small island of Siquijor, in the Visayas. Sensitive souls refrain.
In the Philippines, you can not escape ferries when you want to move from one island to another. For long journeys, it is often a night ferry ...
Kuta Beach, finally! First and short stage of my Balinese journey. But I run fast on a scooter a little further north, where it's quieter ...
Before landing at Rangiroa to dive, in October 2012, I was completely unaware that it was producing ... wine! It seems incredible, but yes, we cultivate the vine in full Pacific, in the Polynesian archipelago of Tuamotu.
The Philippines, do you see where it is ? That's where I'll be soon, very soon... In 23 days ! ...
March 2013. Bangka Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. My new home, for a few days, is called Coral Eye. What a beautiful name!
This press trip to the Dominican Republic starts strong. The days are so dense, that I haven't found yet...
I'll take you back a few weeks in July 2008. Not quite in Bali, but right next door. A little further southeast, on the small island of Nusa Lembongan. A place I loved, where almost all the inhabitants are seaweed growers.
After Cambodia and the temples of Angkor, we headed for the south of Thailand. So much for...
I can not resist the pleasure of showing you on video the dance of the mola-mola (and, of course, the mola-mola), after having (finally) met this big moon fish in the waters of Nusa Penida.
Spectacular dives at Dauin and Apo Island! The corner is teeming with life and sites allow you to alternate dive-muck, drop offs, reefs ...
Do you dream of tropical beaches? Do not go to Tawau! People are nice, but this Malaysian city in northeastern Borneo is a mochissime. Its only attraction is to be the entry point to Indonesia ...
If you are visiting Tahiti, it is essential to eat at the popular "roulottes" of Papeete, on the seafront. The atmosphere is nice, family. It's good and cheap.
Back to Derawan ... under the surface. The reef of the island, even if it is not the most spectacular of the sites of the corner, deserves some dives. The little creatures that I adore abound. But watch out for diving safety ...
Off Borneo, Indonesia, the island of Derawan and its archipelago are an incredible place to observe turtles.
I was wrong when I arrived in Perhentian Kecil (Malaysia) to underestimate the attraction and seductive power of this tiny island ...
I released my last bubbles in Sipadan, this Monday. Ultimate and intense underwater emotions in the middle of sharks, turtles and...
Already my last day in Bunaken! I'm a little sad at the idea of leaving tomorrow ... I'm already starting to take my little habits here. To do with mosquitoes (nyamouk), the fresh and salty shower of mandi, grilled fish-rice of the evening, the fabulous lunch buffet at Froggies, the inexhaustible kindness of the locals.
I'll take you back to Sulawesi, in the Toraja country, where I spent a few days in the summer of 2007. On the program: a scooter ride from Rantepao, to discover the sites of Ket'e Kesu, Londa and Tilanga.
Here I am at Perhentian Kecil, in the south of Peninsular Malaysia. I explore the island, rather touristy, but very friendly ...
I am under the spell of the island of Siquijor, in the Philippines ... I continue to discover it, a little random, according to my walks after the dives.
The rest of my trip to Sulawesi !!! We are Saturday, July 14, 2007. Departure from Rantepao, in the heart of the country Toraja at 7am, under a bright sun. Arriving twelve hours later, at night, in heavy rain, at Siuri Beach Cottages, on the west bank of the huge Poso Lake.
Diving to Sipadan and the bottoms of nearby islands (Mabul, Kapalai, Sibuan), you have to travel to Semporna, the southeastern port of Malaysian territory in Borneo.
Ten days off. Ten days of freedom. From May 10 to May 20, 2014, I left. In Pulau Weh, Indonesia.
Malaysia : Peninsula and Borneo - July 2006 I went back to Jansom Bay, in the...
A new little film, for lovers of mantas rays ... I finally got down to editing my videos, brought back from Sangalaki! This small Indonesian island, located off Borneo, is part of the archipelago of Derawan, where I stayed for ten days last July.
"Do not stay under the coconut trees," I am told when I arrive at Triton Bay. Yes, the biggest danger here is to get a coconut on your head!
"Where are you going this time? To put it simply, I say, "In Indonesia. In fact, I'm leaving the end of Indonesia: in West Papua! I am going to dive in the archipelago bearing the beautiful name of Raja Ampat, "the four kings".
The Indonesian company Lion Air has a unique trick. With the safety instructions, there is a special prayer booklet for the plane.
I belong to this category of divers who can stay for long minutes to be ecstatic on a nudibranch. These...
The site is called Blue Magic. This is one of my favorite diving spots in Raja Ampat. This isolated reef in the middle of the sea is conducive to fabulous encounters.
The bay of Maumere, in the east of the Indonesian island of Flores, is full of beautiful underwater sites. My favorite dive site is Fish Soup. Here, the fish soup is at sea, to be savored under water!
At night, the reefs are not gray. A blue light and an orange mask reveal the fluorescence of corals and underwater creatures.
Last evening on Perhentian Besar. I am not the only "geekette" to take a computer... Around me, some...
The islands around Sipadan are unknown and yet they are worth seeing. I dive there almost every day until the end of the week, waiting for my turn to go to Sipadan.
Philippines : Visayas - February 2008 Since my arrival in Dumaguete-Dauin on Monday, the weather remains sad, between light gray and dark grey...
Five archipelagos with 118 islands and atolls, scattered in the Pacific, on a vast territory like Europe ... Polynesia is just huge!
The Caribbean Sea, it changes Asia! In Mexico, I could not miss the island of Cozumel, renowned diving spot.
Otdima is a beautiful dive site, teeming with life, swept by a current of madness. One of my favorites in Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
Derawan is a tiny Indonesian girl on the east coast of Borneo. I had already been there in 2009. But for this 2013 trip, I have revised my itinerary.
That's it !!! Finally ! I met him! Today in Crystal Bay. I'm happy, happy, happy! My new friend is called mola-mola, or moon fish.
Thailand : Southern islands - January 2007 Grrr... Two days in a row that I dive, hoping to see the...
Here I am in Amed, all east of Bali. The coast is hemmed in by a series of cute coves of sand and black pebbles, where the bright colors of the junkungs, the small fishing boats with pendulums of the corner, line up.
I do not like Patong. But it is still there that I chose to ask for this final night in Phuket.
Island is called "koh" in Thai. As I'm currently doing on the web a lot of...
Borneo is adventure! I saw again the Indonesian island of Kakaban and its mysterious jellyfish lake. I even went back to swim there. Video evidence.
It is a desert island in Indonesia near Borneo. In his mangrove necklace, Kakaban holds the water jade of a huge lake, filled with jellyfish ... which do not sting! The proof in video and in photos.
The Kelimutu volcano in Flores (Indonesia) is spectacular. Three craters form giant basins for three lakes with strange colors.
The place is called "Kilometer Nol". Zero Kilometer. This is where Indonesia begins. It is the most westerly and northernmost point in the archipelago, just north of Pulau Weh, near Sumatra.
I continue my journey in the south of Thailand. After the very pretty, but very crowded and very expensive Koh Phi Phi, here I am in Koh Lanta, much more peaceful.
Thailand : islands - February 2009 Just for fun, a first picture of Koh Lipe...
Thailand : islands - February 2009 I don't have much time to myself, since I'm back home......
Thailand : islands - February 2009 Three days I've been in Koh Lipe, a tiny island in the south...
Farewell Koh Lipe! I left the island and my bamboo bungalow on Sunrise Beach this morning, reluctantly. Despite a few disappointing dives, Koh Lipe is really pretty and deserves a relaxing stay of a few days.
Thailand: Southern Islands - January 2007 My first dives in Koh Phi Phi far exceed my expectations....
Thailand: Southern Islands - January 2007 Koh Phi Phi has been transformed since my last visit in July 2005 (about a year ago), and I've...
In the heart of Thailand's Phang Nga Bay, Koh Yao Noi is an unknown, peaceful island. Remains authentic despite the proximity of Phuket an hour by boat.
Diving in Komodo, I dreamed! The reality was beyond the dream ... First video preview, at the fabulous Batu Bolong site.
The drones are the new gadget fashionable travelers ... On the boat that takes me to Komodo, Indonesia, two of my little dive friends have one!
It's just a fish, I know. No misery moved. Still, it's sad to see, a mola-mola in agony ...
The Liberty is Bali's best-known (and most popular) wreck. It is located in Tulamben, near Amed, on the northeastern coast of the island.
Thailand : Southern islands - January 2007 Today, mini-expedition in the jungle to go to the waterfall, in the...
I have just returned from a four-day dive cruise to the fabulous Similan Islands in the Andaman Sea, Thailand. Here are some pictures, above and underwater.
Dive without getting wet in Batee Tokong (Pulau Weh, Sumatra, Indonesia), thanks to this little underwater film shot with my Canon Eos 7D.
In Indonesia, in the Papuan archipelago of Raja Ampat, coral grows at the foot of mangroves. Unpublished mixture of terrestrial and underwater life.
The beach, the light, the blue ... I take you back to the southwest of Lombok, Indonesia, filling your eyes with the beautiful bay of Belongas.
For lack of whale shark, in Sogod Bay (Leyte), I turned to the little people of the reef... And there's plenty to do and observe!
If you have ever been to Southeast Asia, you will recognize it. The little music of the ice cream shop is the most famous melody and the best peddle in this region of the world ... From Indonesia to Vietnam, from Thailand to Malaysia, we hear it everywhere!
Here, the volcanic black sand of the beaches disappears under colored pebbles. Blue, green, sometimes drawing on turquoise or mauve ... New geological curiosity of the Indonesian island of Flores.
I had to show you this video, of a manta ray and his girlfriends, met while diving in the archipelago of Komodo, ultimate goal of my crossing of Flores ...
Last day of diving in Tioman, peninsular Malaysia side. A day dedicated to the dreaded acanthaster, coral starfish ...
I am finally arrived at Semporna, the gateway to Sipadan in Borneo, with my companions Helena and Paul, a couple from Guernsey.
The Perhentian, it's over. Heading for Sipadan! I take two flights on Air Asia, this Monday, to reach Borneo. Finally !
At Bangka Island (Sulawesi, Indonesia), on the cute beach of Murex Resort, it's total relaxation: diving, eating, sleeping. Happiness !
Oh dear ! Not yet had the time to tell all my dives in Amed, that already, I attack those of Nusa Lembongan. And no half measure: I take you directly to Manta Point !!!
Surprise, last Sunday, returning from diving ... There is a crowd on the beach of Gapang, usually almost deserted.
It is called dugong or "sea cow". I was lucky enough to watch this fascinating animal in its natural environment, in Alor, Indonesia.
Only Noodles... Only noodles. It is the name of a tiny restaurant that we loved in Koh Phi Phi. On the menu,...
It was in Siquijor, Philippines, that I had the pleasure of photographing my first Mandarin fish. What good memories, on this island!
Here, cliffs covered with jungle strangling the sea. This is one of the mythical sites of Raja Ampat: The Passage.
Filipinos have a way of greeting you. To point out that they have seen you, noticed, seen, to say hello fast by the way, instead of a small nod, or a smile like in Thailand, they raise their eyebrows.
In Indonesia, the word "biodiversity" makes sense. Here in the Sea of Celebes, the underwater world teems with bizarre and fascinating creatures, often tiny.
Me in jet-lag, back from Raja Ampat in West Papua (Indonesia), on the phone with a friend: "You know, this is perhaps the most extraordinary trip I've done ..."
This shell is a monster. It is not for nothing that it is called "giant holy water". I have never seen one as big as Raja Ampat.
I'm not done with Raja Ampat! Let me introduce you to a bizarre monster, very common in these waters: bearded carpet shark or "wobbegong".
