Most recent post
A few minutes before arriving in Tallinn, the pilot informs us about the weather. Cloudy, windy, and snowy. Not what I would typically call holiday weather. But I decided to visit Tallinn in winter because of the snow, so this announcement actually makes me smile. And...
A few minutes before arriving in Tallinn, the pilot informs us about the weather. Cloudy, windy, and snowy. Not what I would typically call holiday weather. But I decided to visit Tallinn in winter because of the snow, so this announcement actually makes me smile. And as the plane is starting its descent, I look out the window and see the most beautiful winter wonderland below me. From Amsterdam it’s less than a 2,5-hour flight with KLM / airBaltic to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It’s my first visit and with my new intention to travel more slowly, I’ll be staying five full days. And I can tell you already: there are more than enough things to do in...
ALL POSTS
I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep this up, but for now I'm trying to avoid trips that require getting on an airplane. Which means that if I do want to travel abroad, I look for places just across the border. So when I received an invite to visit Essen and...
I'd been planning to visit Amersfoort for a while now. With its historic city centre, great restaurants and shops, and plenty of things to see, Amersfoort is the perfect destination for a day trip when you're visiting the Netherlands. This beautiful city is super...
Travel plans may have turned into vouchers for (hopefully) next year, but that doesn't mean that we won't be traveling at all. It will just be a bit closer to home. Starting with: Dordrecht, a perfect day trip from Amsterdam or Rotterdam. If I'm being honest, there...
Today, in addition to sharing some (definitely not all) of the 'The Hague hotspots' you should check out when visiting The Hague, I'll also be sharing these and more tips on a new app that gives you an easy way to collect, remember and share all the places you love....
There are many places in the world I'd like to go back to some day. But with Cape Town, it wasn't a matter of wanting, but knowing that this was going to be a first of many visits. This is my kind of city, I love it! And because I'm totally convinced that there will...
I'm spending two weeks in Chiang Mai. With all the stories I'd heard about digital nomads choosing this city as their base in Thailand I figured there must be enough to do and see to keep me busy for two weeks. After the first two days I'm wondering if maybe I was...
I know, writing about where to eat in Bangkok (or Thailand) and not mentioning street food is kind of unacceptable. But with so many stories already out there about where to find the best street food, what Thai food you must try, etc.... I thought I'd focus on another...
Why do I keep forgetting how long it takes to change the design of your website?! Anyway, that's what I've been working on these past weeks. And the reason why it's been a while since I shared my last post here. But I'm mostly done now (it's never really done, now is...
It's my first time in Chicago. In a week I'll be starting a new job and even though I didn't know that when I started planning several months ago, the timing is now kind of perfect. Traveling 'in between jobs' always gives me that extra sense of freedom where I don't...
Whether you're visiting Thailand to lie on a tropical beach or explore the hipster coffee scene in Chiang Mai, your first stop is probably going to be Bangkok. I'm not using Bangkok simply as a jump-off point to visit the rest of the country. It's my first time in...
I’m currently in Bath (the city, not the tub) where I’ll be ringing in the new year. It’s the last day of the year. The final blog post of 2018. Time to make travel plans for 2019 and look back at the beautiful places we visited this year. I didn’t travel as much as...
With its location in the heart of Flanders Mechelen is the perfect destination for a day trip from Brussels or Antwerp. Or - in my case - a nice weekend break. When I arrive at Mechelen station, I'm surpised it takes me less than two hours to get here from The Hague...
The main reason I decide to visit Brisbane? Koalas. Yes, I've seen them relaxing in a tree on the Great Ocean Road. But... I want to hold one. Have one of those super posed and touristy photos where you get to hold one and fall in love for as long as it takes to take...
As I decribed in my first post about St Petersburg, I'm leaving the city after six days wanting to see more of this fascinating country. I realise how little I know about Russian history except for the major events and the people who played a role in it. But visiting...
After the first couple of days in Tokyo, we continue our trip through Japan in Kyoto. By now the worst of that terrible jet-lag (that never seems to end) is behind us. And we're getting better at finding our way in this country that feels so structured and organised,...
After six days in St Petersburg, I’ve only scratched the surface of what Russia is like. I am under no illusion that you can get to know a country this big and diverse by visiting just one city. But it is a great introduction to Russia and I leave hungry for more. Not...
The woman behind the counter looks confused when I apologetically respond to her question in English. It's not the first time this happens. Not that the people in Gothenburg don't speak English, which they do perfectly, but with the way I look they often think I'm a...
I leave Melbourne thinking 'We should try this again'. It isn't love at first sight like I experienced in Sydney. And with all the high expectations I had of this city, I'm feeling a bit disappointed. But the truth is, I was tired. After traveling non-stop for 6...
This is a story about how my family and I visited Ghent in Belgium and couldn't get ourselves to leave the hotel. If you've been reading this blog for a while you know that 1) I have a thing for beautiful boutique hotels and 2) I usually have a long list of all the...
Trying to kill some time on my flight from New Zealand to Malaysia, I start thinking about how I want to spend the coming days. And I realise how little I know about this country, and Kuala Lumpur - my first destination - in particular. I’ve seen pictures of those...
I'm spending the last three days of my three month trip in Singapore. Three days and three nights before I'm flying back to Amsterdam. It's a strange thought that once I leave Singapore, I'll have to start thinking about everyday life things again. Work, cleaning my...
My taxi driver is singing softly while we're trying to beat the Marrakech evening rush hour traffic. As we're passing the different city walls into the Medina (old city), the city is getting more lively. I hear the call to prayer in the distance, but it can't compete...
Visiting Penang in Malaysia wasn't really planned. At least not when I started my three-month trip. I knew I would end my journey in Singapore, but when that moment came closer and closer I still didn't know where I would be the week before. The original plan - as I...
Sydney or Melbourne? Every time I meet people in Australia it's one of the first questions they ask. Which city do you prefer? There's clearly a friendly competition going on here. Before this trip I thought the answer would be Melbourne. For...
Blog posts with lists, like 8 interesting things to do & see in Yogyakarta can be practical when you're planning a visit to Java, Indonesia. But it doesn't really show you what the city looks and sounds like, the people, the weather, how impressive some of the...
After two weeks in Japan, I'm starting my three weeks Indonesia in Yogyakarta. What a transition! The traffic with what seems like millions of motorcycles, the heat, the squat toilets (toilets are becoming a theme on this trip), the smell of food, and men asking...
If you think Tokyo is just another big city, comparable to New York and London, then you're up for a big surprise. This city is different! It's organized and chaotic, calm and loud, crazy and overwhelming at the same time. As much as you hear about Tokyo, you have to...
Helsinki sure knows how to welcome their visitors. "Nobody in their right mind would come to Helsinki in November. Except you, you badass. Welcome." I actually missed the famous airport sign that went viral when I arrived in November, but it's something that I...
So you were killing some time browsing through Pinterest and travel websites, saw pictures of the beautiful salt flats of Bolivia and said to yourself "I must go there". I get it. I've been there. But then there's only so much time you can spend on a salty...
Brighton is the perfect day trip from London. Only an hour by train, there's a beach, a fun pier, great food... and yet I had only been once. I was already planning another trip when I received an invite to spend the weekend at the new Brighton Harbour Hotel with some...