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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...
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 city covered in snow makes everything even more magical. But it’s also cold! Which means you're going to appreciate those Tallinn restaurants and modern cafes where you can warm up even more. Fortunately, there are plenty of cozy spots to grab something to eat or drink, both in the old town and the trendy Telliskivi area. To help you out, here are my favorite Tallinn cafes and restaurants that...
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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,...
There are two main reasons why you should include Chiayi in your Taiwan itinerary. First, you can visit the beautiful Alishan Forest Recreation Area from here as a day trip. And second, it’s famous for its food scene and authentic Taiwanese dishes that originate from...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Only a few days before my trip to Chicago I traded in my beloved Nikon D750 for the new Nikon Z6 full-frame mirrorless camera. There was nothing wrong with my D750 which I've used for the past four and half years. For quite some time I wasn't even sure if I wanted to...
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...
If my previous post didn't convince you to visit Maastricht, then this one should do it. Because in addition to being super charming, Maastricht is also a great city for shopping and eating. So in this post, I'm sharing my favorite cafés and restaurants in Maastricht...
Maastricht is the most southern city in the Netherlands. So southern that it actually takes me longer to get here than Antwerp or Brussels in Belgium. But I love visiting Maastricht. It's a beautiful, historic city and so different from other Dutch cities that it...
I love keeping a journal when I travel. I want to remember every moment, every detail. The good, the bad and the ugly. One way to do this is taking photos, but they will only tell so much. Looking at a photo of a trip I made a few years ago will certainly bring back...
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...
When Lonely Planet chooses a photo of one of their top sights as the cover for their Indonesia guide, you want to make sure you've seen it before leaving the country. Which is why after 4 days in Yogyakarta, I'm taking an eight hour train to Malang in East Java. With...
Klaserie Sands River Camp is the perfect place to stay if you want to have the ultimate luxury safari experience in South Africa. From the moment we arrive and they ask for our car keys to put our luggage in our room, to the warm farewell by the team when we sadly...
When time is not a factor, I love traveling by train. There's something about slowly seeing the world outside your window change as you're approaching your destination. Premier Classe train: the luxury budget alternative to the Blue Train My friend and I had only just...
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,...
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...
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...