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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...
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 here. Of course, I tried the 'fish head stew' that I saw on the Chiayi episode of the Netflix show Street Food: Asia, but more than that I loved the cozy cafés and restaurants in this city. So if you are staying here for a day or two as a base for your day trip to Alishan, this Chiayi food guide with my tips on where to eat and have coffee will show you where to go. To be honest, before this trip...
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My three weeks in New Zealand are one of the highlights of this year. Which is why it's strange that I still haven't shared anything here on the blog. At the same time: where to begin? But now that I'm writing this back home, while the snow outside is preventing me to...
The timing is perfect. While everybody around me is turning up the heating in their house, storing their summer clothes to replace them with warm, comfy winter clothes, I am getting reading for a bit of extra sunshine. As much as I like autumn, when you're being...
One of my main challenges for this Lisbon city trip is to not come home completely exhausted. I always want to do too much when I visit a city for the first time. So how do you make sure you're taking enough breaks from all the sightseeing? You eat. And drink coffee....
The Warehouse Hotel in Singapore may look brand new, but there's a lot of history here. Yes, the hotel opened its doors earlier this year, but the heritage building - built in 1895 - has had several other purposes before it was turned into the modern design hotel it...
I'm seeing snow on the side of the road. And I'm cold. So incredibly cold. We just arrived in Koyasan (Mount Koya) after a long journey from Osaka to stay at a Buddhist temple. It took a metro, three trains, one steep cable car and a bus to get here and to...
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...
There are normally three reasons why I would like and recommend a hotel. One, the interior design looks modern and beautiful. Two, the hotel is super luxurious and has thought of the little details to make my stay very comfortable. Or three, the staff is so nice and...
"And this is Charlie Chaplin and his wife, having a tea ceremony with my aunt in this room." I'm looking at the black & white picture and love that even though she has probably showed this to many of her guests over the years, you can tell that she also...
I think it’s safe to say that about 99% of what I know about Australian food (or maybe even Australia in general) comes from watching MasterChef Australia religiously for several years. You’d almost forget that those chefs you see on television are also cooking...
When you take many photos - whether it's on your phone of with a big expensive camera - you'll sometimes get one shot that stands out. One you keep looking at. It doesn't necessarily have to be perfect, it may not be fit to show in an art gallery,...
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...
That's the problem with making travel plans too long in advance. Things change. But then how could I have known that three weeks after I booked my return ticket London - Japan, I would come up with the brilliant idea to turn 2 weeks Japan into a three month trip?...
I'm a big fan of Artist Residence. Their London hotel in Pimlico is one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in. So when Jess, Jo and I got invited to stay at their Cornwall hotel, the only question we had was: When? For those of you who don't know Cornwall. It's on...
Some people will escape the winter by flying to a tropical island. Others (that's me) fly to countries where the days are shorter and the temperatures even lower. Helsinki may not be the first city that comes to mind for a city trip right now, but I loved it. It...
It's not every day that I sleep in a hotel where celebrities like Lenny Kravitz and famous fashion bloggers were staying that same week. And where people like Leonardo DiCaprio and Alexa Chung attended the launch party a year ago. It may sound a bit intimidating, but...
When I think about what to bring on a trip, I always start with my camera gear and electronics. Not shoes, not whether I should bring a coat, not what books I want to read... No, it's the geeky stuff that's on top of my list. I'm a firm believer in the saying that...
It all started with a picture of pancakes. It helps that my friend Giulia - who took the picture - is also a talented food photographer, but I also trust her judgement. (Would you question an Italian when it comes to food?) So if she says the pancakes are...
There's more to Bolivia's Uyuni than the salt flats. True, standing on those bright, white grounds with clear blue skies is one of those experiences you'll never forget. But if you limit your visit to Uyuni to 'just' the salt flats, you'll miss some of the...
I often have to remind myself to look up when I'm exploring a city. But sometimes a city's best kept secrets are hidden underground. For two years I was living right above an important part of London history: the deep-level shelters at Clapham South. Built during...
I've never really been on a diet. I've tried, but then someone offered me a cookie on the second day... I like food. I like eating. And I get really cranky when I don't eat enough. So diets have never really been my thing. But healthy eating is. Yes, I have a...
News you don't want to get right before you go on a trip to Los Angeles: stay away from gluten for a while. And this for someone who basically lives on bread and pasta. But looking on the bright side, if you need to adjust your diet anyway, in my case LA was probably...
Every time I visit New York I’m shocked to see how expensive hotels are. Like most people, I’d rather spend my money on something else than a bed and shower. But at the same time, I really (really) enjoy staying at modern boutique hotels. So for my last visit I...
Since I already shared several posts about New York, I decided that this time I would do something different. Actually something that I love doing most: street photography. Just me and my camera, walking around a city without a plan, and capturing whatever catches my...
Chelsea is one of my favorite neighborhoods in London. Great shops, beautiful houses. But when it comes to food or coffee, I often struggle to find something nice. Maybe it's because everyone who can afford to live here has personal chefs to cook them a perfect...
A monastery and a luxury hotel doesn't sound like an obvious combination, but it turns out to be a match made in heaven Prague. With secret passageways, beautiful courtyards, an astronomy tower with 360º views, friendly monks and an old library, I wouldn't...
My camera and I are inseparable most of the time. And I want to make sure that it's protected when I carry it around. But that doesn't mean I enjoy having to choose a camera bag over a beautiful stylish handbag. Can't I have both? Last year I already shared that...
There's something to be said for exploring a city unprepared. You don't know what to expect, what's waiting for you around the next corner, and you'll be more excited when you stumble upon that hidden gem. I'm afraid I'm not that kind of person. I often wish I...
Bloggers love breakfast. Just look at their Instagram feed and you'll see more eggs benedict than steak frites. Why? Well, to start with we prefer daylight to take our photos and you're not going to get much daylight during dinner when sunset kicks in around 4.30pm....
Blenheim Palace is a bit of a movie star. It starred in The Royals (with Elizabeth Hurley as queen of England), in The Young Queen Victoria, Cinderella, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Just to name a few. Add the fact that Sir Winston Churchill was...
The biggest challenge for a travel blogger is to write about a place you know very well. That might sound strange, but it's because you lose the ability to see what makes it so special for someone who's seeing it for the first time. That feeling of...