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!
Hop! To the water! We return under the surface. On the program: a small cruise to the Similan Islands, with...
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.
It's just a fish, I know. No misery moved. Still, it's sad to see, a mola-mola in agony ...
Rantepao, finally! Ideal base for shining in the villages and rice paddies of the country Toraja, called here Tana Toraja. We are almost in the center of the island of Sulawesi.
Off Borneo, Indonesia, the island of Derawan and its archipelago are an incredible place to observe turtles.
There are dives that make the heart beat a little faster. I'm taking you to the south-west of Lombok, Indonesia, discovering The Magnet video and Gili Sarang, in Belongas Bay.
Pantai Songean is the perfect beach. A beautiful cove of black sand, discovered a year ago, in Bali.
At the approach of Tioman Island, I feel that the place will please me. It's big, huge! In the maritime haze of the early morning, a steep profile, covered with a dense and humid vegetation, arises, still clinging with shreds of clouds.
I regret that I could only spend two days in Moorea, the neighboring island of Tahiti. I loved its rugged terrain and lush vegetation, azure lagoon and the legendary Cook Bay.
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.
I left Derawan and its archipelago today. I realized this dream that I had since the beginning of this Indonesian trip to Borneo: swim with rays-mantas, in the waters of Sangalaki!
If, like me, you cross the island of Flores (Indonesia), you will meet many people wearing traditional fabrics called ikats, very beautiful, whose patterns and colors differ from one region to another.
The Dutchman Max Ammer is the "pioneer" of diving in Raja Ampat. A sacred character. He is an eco-adventurer, an enthusiastic explorer and a fabulous storyteller.
Shrek's cat tenderizes you? Do you fall for wet eye pups? This cute little couscous from Indonesia should melt you.
He's such a great guy. Opo, my dive guide in the waters of Central Sulawesi, became my hero. Because I can be a real burden sometimes...
This is one of the strangest dives I've done. Feel the earth tremble ... under water, it's really a funny thing. It was in Indonesia, in Sulawesi, in July 2007. In the Togian Islands, exactly.
Hammerhead sharks make diving enthusiasts fantasize. These sharks have a pretty awesome head, I must say...
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.
What is convenient when traveling to the Philippines is that everyone speaks English. Fishermen and peasants, villagers and townspeople, children and adults ...
That's the Pascha. Well named boat, on which I lived like a princess, during the six days of my dive cruise in Komodo, in July 2011. Six fantastic days out of time.
I finally decided the stages for my Malaysian-Indonesian trip of July: Perhentian, Mabul (Sipadan), Derawan. Nothing but islands! These holidays will be insular and aquatic.
Fancy some exuberant coral and wriggling fish? A little corner of authentic Indonesia? Welcome to Kampanar, Sulawesi!
A little video flashback: In October 2012, I went to meet sharks in the blue, off Rangiroa, in Polynesia.
It was last summer, in July 2018. I was back diving in the waters of the Alor archipelago in Indonesia, to explore its gorgeous coral reefs... often swept by crazy currents!
My short stay on the small Indonesian island of Derawan last July allowed me to attend no less than two weddings! Two almost identical weddings, with kitschy decor and pop-marshmallow orchestra.
I released my last bubbles in Sipadan, this Monday. Ultimate and intense underwater emotions in the middle of sharks, turtles and...
When it's cold and gray, I remember Maupiti. I see the light, the lagoon, the ocean ... Come on, presto! We return to Polynesia.
Derawan's kids are mischievous kids. They love to take the pose and then look into the screen of digital devices. "Photo, photo! "
The rest of my trip to Sulawesi (Indonesia) during the summer of 2007 ... On the program: the Togian Islands. A little paradise at the end of the world!
It was in Siquijor, Philippines, that I had the pleasure of photographing my first Mandarin fish. What good memories, on this island!
Here are new pictures of the peaceful little island of Koh Yao Noi, in the bay of Phang Nga, Thailand. Authentic atmosphere, nothing to do with Phuket.
The globe-trotters of Lagrandeaventure.fr, Benoît Bringer and Alexandre Franceschi, are in Thailand. Four years after the tsunami, they ...
These words are already a journey. Before discovering Polynesia in 2012, I thought it was mostly folklore for tourists in search of exoticism. Not at all. These are really strong cultural symbols, rooted in the everyday life of Polynesians.
Going to a tropical island far from everything is good. But to immerse yourself in a tropical sea is better ... For me, happiness is under water! This time, it's happening in Lombok, Indonesia, near Bali ...
Koh Phi Phi, it's actually two islands. The big one, Koh Phi Phi Don, where one lives. And the little one, Koh Phi Phi Leh, uninhabited. It keeps, despite the crowd of tourists, like treasure island, cinema island.
On the island of Flores, Indonesia, some rice fields take unusual forms. In the region of Ruteng, in the west of the island, rice is cultivated in spiderweb!
Last day in Lembeh. Time definitely goes too fast! With its rusty freighters and its black sand bottom littered with sediment and rubbish, this strait is really a singular dive spot, far from clichés.
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.
I continue the story of my trip to Sulawesi, a trip in July 2007. I will take you back to the Toraja country for a motorcycle ride in the beautiful rice paddies around the village of Batutumonga, north of Rantepao.
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.
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.
I remain under the spell of Pemuteran, in northwestern Bali. Between two dives, I even attended dance rehearsals and preparations for a wedding ceremony.
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.
The Togian dives seemed less spectacular than those of Bunaken or Lembeh, during this July 2007 trip: coral more damaged, life less abundant. Yet, taking his time, we discover a lot of treasures.
I dreamed, I'm there! Pulau Weh is a small Indonesian island located on the northern tip of Sumatra. The region is known: it is that of Banda Aceh, devastated during the tsunami of December 2004. Pulau Weh is little tourist and famous for its underwater world.
Manta Sandy is the most famous dive site of Raja Ampat. Normal, it's a real "spa" with manta rays! The proof in photos and video.
At Bangka Island (Sulawesi, Indonesia), on the cute beach of Murex Resort, it's total relaxation: diving, eating, sleeping. Happiness !
Underwater, we do not look only in the blue. In the archipelago of Alor, Indonesia, it is by scrutinizing the bottom that we find treasures.
The flamboyant little mandarin-fish does not dare to come out of his coral den until dusk. I found it in Bangka (Sulawesi, Indonesia).
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!
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.
During the day, turtles from Derawan Island (Borneo, Indonesia) swim under the jetties. At night, they lay their eggs in the still-warm sand.
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.
Thailand: Islands - February 2009 Are you the kind of person who plans everything before you leave, or who improvises at the...
Did you see the movie The Beach with Leonardo Di Caprio and Virginie Ledoyen? Yes, it's there ... Maya Beach, on Koh Phi Phi Leh, in the south of Thailand.
I will leave again. At the end of June, I fly again towards the Orient. It was enough for me to receive the e-ticket on my mail to feel wings.
I revised my Malaysia itinerary for July 2006. It is necessary to make choices... Here is a new map of the route that I will take...
Otdima is a beautiful dive site, teeming with life, swept by a current of madness. One of my favorites in Raja Ampat, Indonesia.
It is a tiny Indonesian village, between sea and mangrove, in Weda Bay. My visit is the evening attraction for the hilarious kids.
Guilhem, my dive buddy in Derawan (Borneo), was kind enough to send me two underwater videos he made this summer in the sea of Celebes.
Fancy Indonesia? I will take you diving in the waters of Sali Kecil, a remote little island on the west coast of Halmahera. Magnificent!
I'm a lucky girl. I'm going on another trip soon! Not to Asia this time. I'm flying to the West,...
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?
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.
Ah! I like the Liberty wreck in Bali. I go back regularly dive, never tired. She is so beautiful...
From the Maluku Islands to Raja Ampat, I experienced a fabulous adventure in Indonesia, aboard a beautiful ship like a pirate princess ship: the Waow.
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 ...
A drone over Raja Ampat, it gives stunning images! Small video south of Misool Island, among the cliffs that plunge into the turquoise water ...
Philippines : Visayas - February 2008 Since my arrival in Dumaguete-Dauin on Monday, the weather remains sad, between light gray and dark grey...
Spectacular dives at Dauin and Apo Island! The corner is teeming with life and sites allow you to alternate dive-muck, drop offs, reefs ...
The Tioman jungle in southeastern Peninsular Malaysia is a protected nature park. Dense, almost impenetrable, it covers most of the island.
The Caribbean Sea, it changes Asia! In Mexico, I could not miss the island of Cozumel, renowned diving spot.
Open your eyes: in the Lembeh Strait in Sulawesi (Indonesia), strange creatures populate the seabed. A treasure of biodiversity, which attracts divers from all over the world.
At Pulau Weh, most divers come for the "big", the deep, the current. And I, who never do anything like the others, I'm having fun in a few meters of water on the beach, tracking down the little animals.
Here is a pretty "hairy frogfish" photographed in Lembeh to wait for the next ticket.
Maz and Alex are a couple of English eco-lovers and diving enthusiasts, whom I had the pleasure to meet again in Tioman. They are on a humanitarian trip (18 months, 65,000 km and 26 countries) for the Care organization.
Sipadan. An island of dreams, explored by Cousteau. But under military surveillance, for the safety of divers and the preservation of the reef.
I do not know which end to start this new ticket. We were made to do so many things in ...
Kri is my new paradise. It is a small island located in Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia. I lived there like a princess, a short week.
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 ...
Hop, we go to Malaysia to dive to Sipadan ... As a mouthing, I made it simple: a video, a shark, a minute.
Indonesia : Bali - July 2008 Some more pictures brought back from my last stay in Bali. Unusual images,...
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.
"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.
I was wrong when I arrived in Perhentian Kecil (Malaysia) to underestimate the attraction and seductive power of this tiny island ...
Take photos under water, I love it. But palmer, much less. I realized this well by diving in Alor, Indonesia.
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 .
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.
After my malaise trip from summer 2006 to the northeastern tip of Borneo (Sipadan Island), I feel the urge to return to soak my palms in the sea of Celebes. A little further east, this time: on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
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.
Four days already, I'm in Nusa Lembongan, a small island southeast of Bali. Atmosphere very peaceful, as I like, not too crowded with tourists ...
When I'm not posing with the sharks of Sipadan, I stay in Mabul, the neighboring island. I live in a "longhouse",...
Nature, calm and pleasure ... In North Sulawesi, Indonesia, I headed for a dream island. His name: Bangka.
I had not been back in Bali for a few years. And here there are a lot of little details that I have great pleasure to find.
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.
In the Philippines, cockfighting is very popular. Neal, our dive guide in Siquijor, and Raul, who manages the Kiwi Resort, suggested us to go and see these bloody bird fights, at the nearest cockfighting arena, in the village of Enrique Villanueva.
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 ...
The Indonesian archipelago of Raja Ampat sometimes has an air of Jurassic Park. The pretty little island of Mioskon is home to thousands of bats.
Dive without getting wet in Batee Tokong (Pulau Weh, Sumatra, Indonesia), thanks to this little underwater film shot with my Canon Eos 7D.
Alor and Raja Ampat: two distant archipelagos in Indonesia. I am back from it. I reconstructed in video my itinerary ... Total: 13 planes!
Turquoise water and white sand. The beach of Alona, in the Philippines, is certainly very beautiful. But upon arrival, I have only one desire: to flee as soon as possible.
Info found on Plongeur.com. Read the full description here on Wetpixel. To summarize, a barge loaded with materials...
The big day is here. Today, finally, I plunge to Sipadan. The site does not usurp its reputation. It's spectacular. Sharks and turtles galore. Fish everywhere. All along a vertiginous "wall" where the corals abound, which sinks into the blue.
Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. I'm there !!! A real end of the world, still virgin, wild and beautiful, on land and under water.
In Indonesia, in the Papuan archipelago of Raja Ampat, coral grows at the foot of mangroves. Unpublished mixture of terrestrial and underwater life.
I take you under the surface, discover the underwater world of the Perhentian Islands, Peninsular Malaysia ...
Thailand : islands - February 2009 No camera, no underwater pictures... Back to my photographic setbacks with...
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.
This press trip to the Dominican Republic starts strong. The days are so dense, that I haven't found yet...
Ah, Indonesia! My favorite diving destination. But when you travel there, you'd better get used to jam karet, the "elastic weather"...
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.
Papua, Papua in Indonesian. Jungles and beaches, exuberant coral and giant fish. Another world ... which amazed me. Welcome to Raja Ampat!
I have been in Pemuteran, a small village in western Bali, since Tuesday. I love it! Here, the entire population is focused on the conservation of the coral reef.
Raja Ampat is where I've done some of the best diving of my life. But tourism is booming on these remote Indonesian islands, endangering the seabed and the region's exceptional biodiversity.
The huge island of Sulawesi (Indonesia) amazed me. I take you to cool off at the Saluopa waterfall buried in the jungle, near Tentena and Lake Poso.
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!
I did a good job of leaving for Siquijor without waiting. On arrival, I find an almost deserted beach, the beautiful Sandugan Beach.
Making bubbles along coral drop-offs overflowing with life and colour, what a delight! In the Philippines, Cabilao Island is a real little underwater gem.
I'm reconciled with Lovina Beach! Thanks to two very nice dives, a traditional ceremony facing the sea and a splendid sunset.
