During my 3-month travels through China in 2013, I had a hard time finding a fix for my daily coffee fix, especially outside of the major cities. Not weird, you could say, for a country with a long history of growing and drinking tea. However, I definitely saw more Western coffee culture scenarios (people sitting …

People sometimes ask me: how was your trip to Antarctica? I never really have a good answer. Words, or even pictures, don’t do it justice. For a recent writing competition for travel bloggers, I decided to give it a shot. Taking up a more narrative writing style as opposed to my often-used descriptive style, I …

Congratulations! You are now the proud parents of a little munchkin. While making sure the little one is fed, changed and not screaming his or her head off is already hard enough, there might come a moment where you will ask yourself: are we ready to go on our first flight as a family? We’ve …

In Europe, we really are spoiled, with natural beauty just a couple of flight hours away from wherever you live. The Alps, Dolomites, Scandinavian wilderness, Asturias in northern Spain… and those are just a few of the better-known areas. The first question that naturally arises is how to get there. Of course, driving to your …

I heard many volunteer stories from other travelers on my trips. However, not until quite recently I had looked into doing it myself. I signed up for 2-weeks of volunteering on a truffle farm in Asturias, Spain. Doing volunteer work abroad opened up a whole new dimension of travel. It didn’t feel like work, but …

I am by no means a foodie, but sometimes I just can’t resist writing about a nice culinary experience from my travels. Especially when it involves a good piece of meat. I’ve heard the epic tales of Kobe beef during my last visit to Japan in 2013, but as I was very much on a …

What comes to mind when you think about Scotland? Whisky, Loch Ness, Haggis? YES, Scotland is all that. But there is so much more to discover! When you can live with some of the country’s worst enemies — the midges (pesky little flies) and the changeable weather all year long — you will have a whale …

My little off-the-beaten path adventure in Tokamachi, Japan with snow, green forests and a weird animal that followed my every step.

Travelling comes in many forms and sizes. There are city breaks, weekend getaways, staycations, summer breaks, gap years and even the “screw everything, I’m leaving” kind. Although the 2 or 3-week holiday once or twice a year is the standard in the Western world, it is getting more and more common to take a longer …

Wild Spirit Backpackers Lodge is a hippie hostel tucked away in the Tsitsikamma National Park in the relatively undiscovered Western Cape of South Africa.