Bonnes Vacances!: A Crazy Family Adventure in the French Territories

by Rosie Millard

Bonnes Vacances Rosie set out on a tour of the French Overseas Departments and Territories (the 'Dom- Toms') with her husband and four young children, partly to make a documentary series but also to show the children it is possible to survive fourteen weeks without Hannah Montana. Full description

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, France

312 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2011

Reviews

[Best_books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Journo Rosie Millard took her husband and 4 kids away for 14 weeks in a bid to see as many French overseas territories (Dom-Toms) as possible. Good premise for a travel book and it started well but the narrative soon because wearing and repetitive and there was not enough to make me curious or engaged about the places they visited. Most seemed truly awful - or at least that was the impression Rosie gave - and she wrote many of the descriptions of bad food, dirty accommodation and rude locals through the (understandable) winging of her kids.

To be fair this book isn’t the worst I’ve read but I really struggled to finish it.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admire the author for her determination with carrying out the project; however, harsh as it may sound, her kids came off as precocious brats!

I had an idea of visiting French Guyana until I read her account of the place - sounds awful!

[Syrdarya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up with a love of France and feeling nostalgic about a year-long adventure her parents took her on when she was a child, Rosie Millard came up with a great plan to go on a trip to the French overseas dominions and territories with her husband and four children. She also arranged to make 6 documentaries for the Travel Channel (Croissants in the Jungle). And so they were off to visit St. Pierre et Miquelon, Martinique, Guyane, Tahiti, New Caledonia, and La Réunion, among other French territories.

This book was very enjoyable and funny to read. The kids were like a rebellious Greek chorus, and her husband was good-natured but cynical. By the time Rosie got to meet the authors of the only English language book about the French Dom-Toms, I was about as excited as she was to see what they would be like. The trip was full of all kinds of surprises and unexpected challenges, but it was cool to find out about all these locations I might never get the chance to visit myself.

[Betty C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun travel read with an off-beat theme: a round-the-world family trip visiting only the French overseas departments and territories. I would say this could be 4 stars if you are a francophile and 3 if you are not, I enjoyed it immensely.

[Maggie Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read about the French territories and France's attitude to them. Definitely not a 5* holiday!

[Aileen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir of travel was sort-of funny, but never quite grabbed me. It does take the reader to some very out of the way places.