I never spent this much time at a border. Children are sleeping on the grey leather sofas in the VIP room, or crying because they're clearly tired of waiting. There's a National Geographic show on the television in the corner, with subtitles in Hebrew and the volume...
Palestine
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Travel Notes (+ Video) from Palestine
I never spent this much time at a border. Children are sleeping on the grey leather sofas in the VIP room, or crying because they're clearly tired of waiting. There's a National Geographic show on the television in the corner, with subtitles in Hebrew and the volume too low to understand what it's about. The VIP treatment at the Israel-Jordan border has its benefits. For $110 you get your own transport to cross a short distance of no man's land between Jordan and Israel (you're not allowed to bring your own car), you can skip all the queues (and I see many) and there's a separate room with free drinks where you can wait. But they still let you wait. There's a...
OTHER DESTINATIONS
Where to eat in Tallinn: 9 great cafes and restaurants
Tallinn is such a great destination for a city break. While it's said to be a lot of fun during the summer months, I deliberately chose to visit Tallinn right in the middle of winter. Why? Fewer tourists, lower hotel rates, but most importantly: snow. A beautiful, old...
10x The best boutique hotels in the Netherlands
One of my favorite things about a city trip is staying at a beautiful boutique hotel. A place where great attention has been paid to the (design) interior, the service is top-notch, and you're spoiled with a delicious breakfast in the morning. For the past few years,...
Chiayi food guide: my 5 favorite restaurants & cafés
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Magical Alishan: a perfect day trip from Chiayi
In addition to visiting amazing cities like Taipei and Tainan, you definitely don't want to miss Taiwan's beautiful nature. Taroko Gorge is on every nature lover's list. But there's another national park in Taiwan that's absolutely worth a visit: Alishan National...
Boutique Hotel Beekhuizen: a luxury stay in a national park
As much as I love city trips, sometimes all I want is to spend some time in nature. Enjoying the fresh air and some peace and quiet. Ideally, with a bit of luxury, of course. And I can now tell you from personal experience that when it comes to luxury hotels...
What to do in Tainan: 13x must visit places & tips
A visit to Tainan should definitely be part of your Taiwan itinerary. Not only was Tainan the official capital of Taiwan between 1624 and 1887, it is also Taiwan's oldest city. And did you know that this part of Taiwan was once a Dutch colony (between 1624-1662 and...
Best food in Tainan: 6 great restaurant & cafe tips
For true foodies, Tainan is a must-visit on your Taiwan itinerary. There's a reason why this city is known as Taiwan's food capital. I spent 4 days (3 nights) in Tainan and discovered many great places to eat or have coffee during that time. Whether you're planning to...
Taroko Gorge: An unforgettable day trip from Hualien
Located on Taiwan's east coast, near the city of Hualien, lies the spectacular Taroko Gorge National Park. With its impressive marble cliffs, dramatic landscapes, ancient temples, and intensely blue water, this is definitely one of the highlights of my time in Taiwan....
Kruisherenhotel Maastricht review: design in a Gothic church
For a weekend getaway in the Netherlands, Maastricht is one of my favorite destinations. Nowhere else in the Netherlands do I feel so much like I’m on vacation, and I want to spontaneously start speaking to people in another language. I'm also a big fan of beautiful...
First time in Taipei: 15x fun things to do and see
A city trip to Taipei might not be the most obvious destination given the time it takes for most of us to get there. But if you're planning to spend more time in Taiwan, then visiting Taipei will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your trip. I begin and end my...
Where to eat in Taipei: best coffee & food guide
If you still need a reason to travel to Taiwan... the food is fantastic! The charming street food stalls on every corner, the amazing night markets, the strong influences from both Chinese and Japanese cuisine, and of course, authentic Taiwanese food. In this Taipei...
12 Useful Taiwan travel tips for first-time visitors
Taiwan is an amazing country to visit. It is quite modern, so you don’t have to worry much about getting from A to B or finding places to sleep. However, for many of us it’s a country on the other side of the world with from time to time its own ‘instructions’. Are...
The perfect Taiwan itinerary for 2 to 3 weeks
Taiwan is one of those destinations where you really feel that you're traveling. I don't speak the language, you won't run into Western tourists all the time, there's delicious food on every street corner, and it has the most stunning nature. I have 2,5 weeks to...
15x My favorite things to do in Tallinn in Winter
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...
Cabiner: Sleeping in a Beautiful Off-the-grid Cabin in the Woods
It’s been 30 minutes since we left our car and anything that reminds us of our hectic city life behind. Carrying a backpack that hasn’t been used in years. And pulling a folding wagon filled with food and drinks for the coming days. Any doubts about whether it’s still...
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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...
15 Great Things to Do in Amersfoort, the Netherlands
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...
A Stay at the Legendary Hotel des Indes in The Hague
The first time I visited Hotel des Indes was to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday. Despite having lived in The Hague her entire life, it also happened to be her first time to see the hotel from the inside. Hotel des Indes is a landmark in The Hague. Everyone...
Visiting Dordrecht, a Perfect Day Trip from Amsterdam
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...
10 x The Hague Hotspots: Tips from a Local
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....
How to Spend 3 Days in Cape Town, South Africa
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...
Coffee Lover’s Guide: 15 Best Cafes in Chiang Mai
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...
Design Hotel August: a Luxurious Stay in a Former Convent
I don't particularly like celebrating my own birthday. But I do love celebrating other people's birthdays! Unfortunately, many of my friends go through the same phase of not wanting to be reminded that they're getting older and prefer not to make a big deal out of it....
Best things to do in Seville: 16x where to go, eat & stay
Where can you go in November that doesn't require too much traveling but is still warm and sunny? According to many 'Best places to go in November' lists that I find online, I should visit Seville in Spain. Unfortunately even a minimum chance of rain still means it...
Amerikalinjen: Oslo’s most beautiful boutique hotel
As I cross the street from Oslo's Central Station I’m looking up to this impressive building that’s been here for a hundred years. This was once the headquarters of the Norwegian America Line ('Amerikalinjen'), a cruise ship company taking passengers to the United...
The Ultimate Oslo City Guide: 21x What to do & Where to eat
It's not the first time I'm visiting Oslo, the capital of Norway. I've been here once before with my family when I was a teenager. Which, let's be honest, is a really long time ago. I remember seeing an old Viking ship, eating lots of waffles and trying cheese with a...
Where to Stay in Chicago: Dana Hotel and Spa
I have booked my flight. The next question is: where to stay in Chicago? As much as I like hotels, I always find this extra difficult when I visit a city for the first time. After all, you don't want to end up in a bad neighborhood, or be too far away from all the...
How to eat your way through Bangkok
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...
Where to stay in Chiang Mai: 4 Boutique Hotels
Tourists and digital nomads have clearly discovered Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second city. Mostly known for the over 300 Buddhist temples, these days you’ll be just as impressed by the number of hotels, restaurants and trendy coffee shops. They’re everywhere. Finding a...
Where to Eat in Chicago: 10 Great Places You Don’t Want to Miss
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...