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 »

If you’ve always wondered what it would be like to explore the underwater world, but you’re afraid to scuba dive, then you should check this out: Aquafari.

It’s a new type of underwater activity, where you cruise around in the underwater world on a self-proppeled, submersible scooter. Sounds like fun right? Continue reading »

 
When you think of surfing in Asia, Indonesia (Bali in particular) probably comes to mind first. But one of the best surf spots lies on the island of Siargao in The Philippines.

It’s signature break is called Cloud9. This right-breaking reef wave provides surfers with excellent surf opportunities and has a reputation for thick, hollow tubes. Continue reading »

Although I’m not against checking out touristy destinations featuring famous highlights, I also really enjoy going to less well known off-the-beaten-trek places. I like to just stroll around, take in the atmosphere and experience normal, local life.

My visit to Butuan, The Philippines, definitely falls into the latter category. As it turned out though, there is something really cool to do here: it features the longest zipline in Asia. Continue reading »

When I first heard of The Yacht Week Croatia, it didn’t take me very long to make the decision to go. Cruising around the Croatian islands on a sailing yacht with a bunch of friends and about 50 other yachts with people from all around the world? Sounds like something I might enjoy!

To get an idea what The Yacht Week is about, check out the official trailer. Watched it? Ok, so now you want to go as well. Good news, I’ve written an extensive guide that will help you get the most out of it! Continue reading »

When visiting Port Villa, the capital of Vanuatu, a visit to Hideaway Island is well worth it. The only way to reach the island is by ferry. It’s free, but you have to pay a small fee once you reach the island.

Being a marine sanctuary, the main activity is snorkeling. Although some of the coral around the island has died, there is still plenty left. You can visit the island for the day or stay in the islands only resort. There are private rooms available as well as shared accommodation for backpackers. Continue reading »

One of the things that I love most about traveling and an independent lifestyle is that it enables me to jump on adventurous options when they present themselves. During my stay in Australia’s Gold Coast, a friend told me about an island group in the South Pacific called Vanuatu.

He informed me about a special four-day dive getaway to one of the islands, Espirito Santo, that was on offer. It was organized by Air Vanuatu, dive shop Aquamarine, and The Espiritu Hotel. Continue reading »

I was traveling in Asia when I met up with Christophe, a former colleague and good friend. He had taken three weeks off to join me for a trip to Thailand and Malaysia.

Christophe shares my deep passion for scuba diving. Accordingly, the question wasn’t if we would go diving, but (1) where and (2) for how long. I had heard enchanting stories about a group of islands in the Andaman Sea, just a few hours off the western coast of Thailand: The Similan Islands. Continue reading »

During my ski trip to Valmeinier, France, I decided go take a ride with a little lightweight aircraft. The weather was perfect and it turned out to be a super sweet ride with great views and scenery! I attached a camera to the plane and created this video with the footage. Hope you like it! Watch the video »

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 »

I met up with my buddy at Manila airport. We share one passion: deep sea diving. Our final destination was Sabang, a little dive resort in the municipality of Puerto Galera. To get there from Manila, we first had to take a 3 hour taxi to Batangas, a village located at the southern point of the island of Luzon. From Batangas it would be another 2 hours on a Banca (typical Philippines boat) to Sabang. 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 »