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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. In Malapascua diving is the main activity and for a good reason: it’s one of the few places where you can get a close encounter with the Thresher Shark.Read more

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. Read more

Airplanes have always intrigued me, so to fly the biggest commercial airliner in the world, the Airbus A380, is an exciting event for me! On my way from Amsterdam to Hong Kong, I flew with Emirates from Amsterdam to Dubai, the first leg of my itinerary.

The A380 is the only airplane with two full-length decks: the lower deck where the economy seats are located and the upper deck for first and business class passengers. That is, Emirates’ A380’s are designed this way.Read more

One of the main reasons why I love to travel is to satisfy my curiosity. I want to know what other places look like, how people live their day-to-day lives and what the local habits are. I love to just stroll around and take in the atmosphere.

This is why I much prefer to stay with locals rather than in a hotel or hostel. So when I get the opportunity, I will literally travel half-way round the globe to take advantage. When my sister-in-law’s family invited me to stay with them in Santiago de Chile, it wasn’t long until I booked my ticket. Read more

Together with cheese, wooden shoes and tulips, the windmill is one of the things Holland is most famous for. Tourists flock from all over the world to catch a glimpse of the windmills in Holland. But the windmill is not just a pleasure to the eye in our typical, flat landscape.

The windmills in Holland played a crucial role in the development of our country. Windmills were used in various ways throughout the history of Holland. They were used to create land, build ships and produce flower, oil and even mustard!Read more

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. Read more

Do you know where the 2nd world war started? Or, to be more precise, where the first shots were fired? I knew it was in Poland, but I had no idea where exactly until I visited the city of Gdansk.

Just outside the city lies a small peninsula named “Westerplatte.” This was the scene of the first battle of world war II. It now functions as a memorial site and it hosts a small museum. During my visit to Gdansk, I took the short boat ride to this historic site to find out what happened exactly.Read more

One of the best things about traveling is engulfing yourself in local delicacies. Finding a good local food joint is not that hard these days. There are all sort of websites and apps to point you in the right direction: tripadvisor, foursquare etc.

But sometimes you find yourself in a situation with no internet access. Darn, now you have to resort to more traditional ways to find a good place to eat. But don’t worry, base your judgement on the signs below and you’ll separate a descent place from a tourist trap in no time!Read more

Every time I’m asked to turn off my electronic devices for take-off or landing, I ask myself this question. And to the passengers around me. The answer is usually something along the lines of “never really thought about it,” or “It’s not been proven but they ask you to turn it off anyway, just in case.”

Imagine electronics do pose a danger to the aircraft’s systems. If this would be the case, would airlines really want to depend on the willingness of their passengers to simply comply with the request to turn it off? Read more

In Hong Kong Asian and Western culture clash, creating a unique mix. After spending two months in this city this year, I consider Hong Kong definitely one of my favorite cities in the world.

You would think with millions of people stacked on a little island, getting around could be difficult. Surprisingly, it’s not. The city center is quite walkable and Hong Kong has one of the most efficient and affordable public transport systems in the world. In addition, taxis can be found everywhere. Read more