Located on the Northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the province of Guanacaste, the town of Tamarindo swells from a mere 500 to 5000 due to its popular tourist attractions, including surfing and eco-tourism.

 Tamarindo is known for its beautiful beaches, particularly Playa Tamarindo–which has several excellent breaks for surfers–and Playa Grande, which is famous as the nesting ground for Leatherback turtles. Continue reading »

People often ask me which countries they should visit in South East Asia. Most of the time, they have Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia in mind. I often ask if they’ve considered the Philippines. Most of the time the answer is “no.”

I’ve been to the Philippines almost ten times and I’m not sure why the Philippines isn’t on the top of the list of countries to visit for most people, but I definitely think it should be. Here’s why. Continue reading »

You probably have never heard of this place. São Miguel dos Milagres, a small municipality of less than 10,000 inhabitants, located on the north-eastern coast of Brazil, in the state of Alagoas.

It’s part of an area between the cities of Maceio and Recife, that’s know for it’s pristine, long-stretched beaches and warm tropical waters. An unfamiliar New Year’s setting for most of us. Continue reading »

Florianopolis is a popular holiday destination for Brazilians and Argentinians alike.  While it is a well known spot in South America, it’s relatively hidden to the rest of the world.  Most tourists go to Rio de Janeiro, Natal, or Fortaleza.

Florianopolis is one of my favorite destinations. It has everything I look for: over 40 beaches, magnificent natural beauty, a great climate, a vibrant nightlife scene, and plenty of things to do.  If you are lucky enough to make your way to the paradisiacal island, here are nine things you can’t miss. Continue reading »

This month I’m doing a tour around Asia. After a short visit to Hong Kong to catch up with friends I flew to The Philippines, starting off in Butuan, where I flew like a bird on Asia’s longest zip-line.

I have now arrived in Malapascua Island, a small island located just north of Cebu. I wanted to go to this island for quite a while, for several reasons. Continue reading »

It was my first ever visit to Mexico, so I was super exited. A friend was getting married and invited me to join him for a bachelor party.

Ever since I watched Desperado, a great movie featuring Antonio Banderas, I wanted to visit Mexico. I imagined myself walking into a small bar in the middle of nowhere, wearing a cowboy hat. I’d sit down at the bar and sip on a tequila with a few locals, while enjoying a performance of a sexy Selma Hayek look-a-like signing to the tunes of a local Mariachi playing the guitar. Continue reading »

Since I started traveling abroad I’ve always wanted to visit the South Pacific Islands, in particular Fiji. This island group is so isolated, it almost seems unrealistic to travel there, especially with a home base in Europe.

Fiji is an archipelago of over 300 islands. About 110 are inhabited, most very scarcely with a few small villages. The main island is Viti Levu, home to the biggest city, Suva, and the main airport, Nadi. Continue reading »

I had only slept a few hours when my dad woke me up at 3.30 am. We had to make an early morning flight with Ryanair to Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands. Our final destination was the little town of Corralejo, the surf capital of the Canaries.

I was pretty new at surfing. I had taken the odd lesson over the last few years, but hadn’t passed the beginner stages yet. When we arrived at our first surf spot, I was a little worried. Continue reading »

Two friendly Australian couples from Hong Kong were also staying at the resort. We all got along well from the start and decided to explore the area together. The next morning, we congregated in the hotel lobby, rented a boat, and ventured off to visit the nearby islands.

Our first stop was a small pristine island called “Dako Island.” It was inhabited by a small community who lived off of coconut plantations and canoe manufacturing. While the men were busy carving canoes out of trees, the children played on the sandy beaches with home-made wake boards. Continue reading »

After we settled in our new environment, we decided to go on a reconnaissance mission using the islands main means of transportation: the motorbike.

Typically, I shy away from driving these vehicles as I have met too many expats and tourists with scars, mutilations, brain damage and other motorbike accident related injuries (which in Thailand they call “natural tattoos”). On this island, however, traffic was sparse so I threw caution to the wind and mounted my bike. Continue reading »

I was traveling around Asia when I got a message from my friend Johan. He had been working tirelessly for years and finally had some time off. “I desperately need a holiday,” he told me. “I want to relax and decompress, somewhere away from all the tourists. I need a quiet, peaceful place.”

The light bulb in my head flashed. I immediately thought of Siargao Island, a remote island in the Philippines. Continue reading »

When I was 12 years old, my parents hosted an exchange student from Norway named Lena. My mother was always fond of Lena, considering her to be the daughter she never had. So when my mom discovered that Lena had moved to El Salvador, the planning for a visit began.

I rendezvoused with my mom in Houston, Texas. We enjoyed a drink in the United lounge while waiting for our flight. My mother was bursting with excitement… partially because she hadn’t seen me in some time Continue reading »

It had only been two weeks since my arrival, but I still knew. My mother always told me not to be hasty, but when it hits you, it hits you. As I stepped onto the warm, soft sand for the first time and stared across the turquoise water charged with rolling waves, the proverbial question rang out in my head: if you had to spend the rest of your life in one place, where would it be? Right here. Continue reading »

It’s good to have a friend, but it’s better to have a friend in The Bahamas! Dom is an old university friend, famous for his eerily seductive dance moves. If you have a local friend when visiting a new place, it generally makes for a much better experience. This was no exception.

Two of my friends, Andreas and Christophe, joined me for this excursion. Our first night out began at the US style nightclub ‘Aura,’ where Dom managed to get kicked out for allegedly being drunk (even though, as unlikely as it sounds, he had yet to have his first drink). I can’t really blame the bouncer though, as Dom’s dancing style mimics a drunken stagger-dance pretty well. Continue reading »