Category: Travel

 

New Zealand is hands down one of my favorite places to visit.  This country is so beautiful and diverse, and the people are extremely nice and welcoming.  We traveled NZ in a camper van, and being able to experience nature while camping was an experience I will never forget.  Were not big city people, and prefer to be out in the country, so here are a few off the grid experiences that we really enjoyed.

• Visit the seaside village of Piha.  

Piha is a beautiful dramatic black sand beach just outside of Auckland.  This beach is popular with the locals, and after visiting you will understand why.  It is vast and dramatic with rugged cliffs at each end, and lion rock in the center dividing North and South Piha beaches.  Lion rock is Piha’s war memorial and you can climb half way up, but not all the way to the top.  The village is backed by the Waitakere ranges regional park, which has beautiful rainforests and trails to waterfalls.  “Kitekite falls” is a 2.2 mile hike up to a dramatic 3 tiered waterfall, with a swimming hole below the falls.  Whether walking the vast beach or exploring the rainforest, Piha is definitely worth the visit.

• Picnic at Muriwai lookout.  

Muriwai lookout track is not far from Piha beach, and the short walking track leads to a viewing platform with some of the best views on the west coast.  If your visiting from August-March, you can check out the Gannet colony that nest here.  The view from the colony is super impressive, with the thundering waves below and black sands of Muriwai beach stretching to the North.  This spot is perfect for a picnic lunch while watching the birds nest and listening to the waves.

• Drop into the lost world.  

If you like a little adventure, I highly recommend abseiling (repelling) into the the lost world, one of the highlights of our trip.  Located in Waitomo, the lost world is a 100 meter (328 foot) cave.  Its  not for the faint of heart, dropping off the platform and free hanging over this massive void will give even the most adventurist butterflies.  However I felt extremely safe, the guides at “Waitomo Adventures” were very well trained and experienced.  You abseil slowly down to the bottom of the cave, bouncing and turning to to take in the sights, all the while the roar of the Mangapu river echoes from the cavern below.  You then climb your way through the cave exploring glowworms, gigantic formations and huge caverns.  We did the 4 hour tour,  and It was perfect, not too short or too long.  Check out Waitomo Adventures  to get more information.

• Waikite valley thermal pools.   

After a long day of hiking and exploring, Waikite valley thermal pools was just what we needed.  Located right outside of Rotorua this facility offers several pools (with varying temperatures) fed from the “Te Manaroa springs”.  Because the are drained and refilled every night, the pools are extremely clean.  If you have children, there is a large pool kept at 96ºF, perfect for swimming.  They also have restrooms complete with showers, laundry facilities,  and campsites for RV’s.  While your there take a stroll on “Te Manaroa” walkway to see the violent boiling water of the spring.  Check out there website for more details.

• Ohope beach and the town of Whakatane. 

This beach town wasn’t on our itinerary but after finding epic waves we ended up staying 2 nights.  The warm waters, abundant sunshine and safe waters of Ohope beach  is popular with the locals.  Located at the west end of Ohope, is a 15 minute walk to a hidden gem, Otarawairere beach.  This secluded beach is only accessible by foot or kayak and is totally worth the effort.  The town of Whakatane is super cute and worth checking out, it has adorable little cafes, bookshops and boutiques. This little town and beach was one of our favorite places to visit.

These were just a few of our favorites in this amazing country!  If your thinking about camper-vanning, check out “5 Tips for Camper-vanning New Zealand”.  If you’ve traveled NZ I would love to hear about your experience, please comment below..

Bruges is an ancient city of cobblestone streets, medieval architecture, marketplace squares, and canals.   It is a UNESCO world heritage site, and is one of the most popular cities in Europe, because of this it can be quite touristy.  We visited Bruges in March, and it was surprisingly quiet and un-touristy (if thats a word),  so I highly recommend visiting in the off season, in spring or fall.  This city is extremely charming, with photo ops around every corner.  Its a quiet city with a few museums, and plenty of shopping, perfect for a 2 day visit!

Where to stay?

Bruges is a tourist town, so there are a ton of options when it comes to hotels or BnB’s.  While traveling through Belgium we decided to visit Bruges the day before, so we booked our BnB that day.  We used Airbnb to reserve our stay, and we couldn’t have been more happy with our choice.  We found a BnB for 107 euro per night, including breakfast.  The best part about our BnB, it was literally a block away from the town center.  When booking with airbnb make sure you do your research on where you want to stay, and be sure to check the reviews.  If you prefer to stay in a hotel, there are a ton of modern European and American hotels to choose from.

Transportation

This city is so compact that you don’t really need to rent a car, everything is walkable.  If you need to catch a taxi it can be anywhere between 8-12 euro to get to your destination in the city.  The above ground tram system is really convenient and easy to use, its only 3 euros per trip.  Biking is also a great option, the streets are mellow so your completely safe, and bike rental is about 10 euro a day.

Cost of Food

There are a ton of great places to eat in Bruges, from fast food, to cafes, to higher end restaurants.  You can expect to pay about 12 euro at a cafe, and average dinner at a restaurant was 20-25 euro per person.  Because Bruges is a tourist town, we found the food at restaurants were pricier then other small towns.  Do your research on the restaurant before visiting, we searched  trip advisor, checking reviews and the price range of the restaurant.  As with most tourist towns, by avoiding restaurants on the main streets and sticking to the local areas, we found some hidden gems that were reasonable.

What to do?

• Take a brewery tour at De Halve Maan.  This brewery has been around for centuries, and you can learn the history and beer making process with a tour.  They offer two types of tours, a 45 minute tour that includes a glass of beer at there restaurant, and they also offer an XL tour which takes about 90 minutes.  In the XL tour recommended for beer lovers, you will visit the brewery in a smaller group, followed by a professional beer tasting in the cellars of the brewery.  The basic tour is 10 euro, and the XL is 19 euro.

• Tour the city on bikes.  This was the ultimate highlight of our trip to Bruges!  There are a ton of places to rent bikes in and around the city, we paid 7 euro for  a 2 hour rental.  I recommend riding around the perimeter of the city, there is a nice bike path and you will come across windmills and various gateway forts that once protected the town.  You can weave in and out of the inner city and its a great way to explore.  Biking in Belgium is extremely safe, cars give cyclers the right of way, there are no traffic lights and all streets are bike friendly.

• Visit Bruges historic markt.  Make sure to check out this beautiful open square surrounded by medieval architecture, restaurants and cafes.  Grab a sandwich or coffee and sit in the center of the square to watch the tourists and locals bustling through the square.
• Eat chocolate and lots of it!  I have never seen so many chocolate shops, it seems like every third business is a charming little chocolate heaven.  In Belgium they are famous for there chocolate, so grab an assortment of chocolate for an afternoon snack or make sure to bring some home for your loved ones.
• Visit the museum St Janshospital.  I was really bummed I didn’t get to see this museum while we were there, all museums are closed on Mondays in Bruges, and we just so happened to be visiting on a Monday!  This isn’t an ordinary hospital, it has an 800 year old history of caring for pilgrims, travelers, and the poor and sick.  The hospital is beautifully restored with open beams and art masterpieces, and there is a restored 17th century pharmacy.  The museum is 12 euro per person.

Don’t miss this picturesque medieval fairy tail town!  Looking for other towns in Belgium to visit?  Check out “5 Things You Must do in Ghent, Belgium“.

Have you been to Bruges?   If so, please leave your comments below on what you enjoyed most.

 

Amsterdam is hands down one of my favorite cities in Europe! It may be a small city but it has so much to offer for people of all ages. From canals, cafes, museums and so much more. Come along with me and experience this eclectic beautiful city all in 4 days.

Transportation

Amsterdam’s transportation system is so easy and convenient, and its because of this I do not recommend renting a car. Not only is parking very limited in this city, the streets can feel like you are in a maze with a ton of one-way streets. If you arrive at the Schiphol Airport the train station is right below the main hall, and for about 7 euros you will be at Amsterdam central in 15 minutes. We chose to take a taxi to our bed and breakfast for 10 euros, even though it was literally only a 10-minute walk , we were just so pooped from our travels!

While staying in the city the above tram system is really easy to use. We used Google maps to get directions on the transit system, it would tell us what tram to take at what time, and even walk us through how to get there from our location. The other options are taxi, Uber, or if you are ready for an adventure –bike.

Where to stay 

The absolute highlight of our trip was staying on a houseboat! Where else in the world can you stay right on the water with a view of the Dutch canal houses, and bridges, all while ducks and wild swans visit you at your window? Yup that’s why we chose it! We rented our houseboat from Airbnb.com and so far have loved all our stays with this site.  Just make sure you do your research on the area, and read all the reviews from others who have stayed there.

The houseboat we rented was on the smaller side, just a studio with small kitchenette, but since it was only the two of us, it was perfect.  Waking up in the morning and having our coffee with croissants while feeding the ducks is a memory that I will never forget.

 

What to Eat

• While in Holland you gotta try Dutch food right?  Restaurant “Moeder’s” (Mothers in Dutch) located in the Jordaan district is known for its traditional Dutch food. Their famous for the Dutch “Stampot” of mashed potatoes and vegis, served with a sausage, meatball and bacon. If your not a meat eater, they have vegetarian and fish options. There meals range from 20-30 euro.

 

• If you like Indian food you have got to try “Ashoka”  their Indian and Nepalese cuisine. We stumbled upon this restaurant on our way home one night, and ended up going back again before flying out because we loved it so much. The food is bursting with flavor and the service is top notch. I recommend getting the butter chicken curry, vegetable biryani and naan bread. The portions are very generous, we shared this between 2 people and had left overs for lunch the next day. There meals range from 15-20 euro per person.

• “Jacketz” a baked potato and salad restaurant is great for a light lunch or dinner.  But these aren’t just regular old baked potatoes, were talking huge potatoes stuffed with choices of green curry, stewed beef, pulled pork and all kinds of other toppings to choose from. I only ordered the half potato, but trust me when I say I was stuffed and didn’t even finish it all! This place is really reasonable too, at about 10-12 euro per person (depending on how many toppings you choose).

What to See

• The Ann Frank House is a must see while in Amsterdam, but make sure you book ahead of time or it will be sold out. Walking through her house is like walking back in time, it gave me goose bumps seeing her writing on the walls and the height marks of Anne and her sister. It’s a short tour but well worth the 11 euros.

• The Van Gogh Museum and the Rikjsmuseum are both must sees while in Amsterdam!  The Van Gogh museum is modern and mostly features works by Van Gogh, but I loved learning about his history and seeing his art. The Rikjsmuseum is located in the museum square in a magnificent old building, and has works by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hals, and many more.  If you only have time to visit one of these museums, I would choose the Rikjsmuseum because of the variety of works that they offer, and because of the beautiful architecture of the building.

 

• Waterlooplein Market is the oldest flea market in Amsterdam. It’s here you will find tourists and locals alike doing there shopping, you can find anything from vintage clothing, antiques, tasty treats, collectables, books and so much more. Each stall is unique and different, and everyone is always so friendly!

 

• Take a canal tour! There are a ton of different canal boats, and they run all day from morning to night. We took an open-air canal boat right at sunset and it was amazing!  They offered beer and wine on the boat and we saw some of the city that we hadn’t experienced yet, all while getting a little history session from our boat driver.

• De Haar Castle located just a 30-minute train ride outside of Amsterdam in the town of Utrecht.  Walking through this castle is like walking back in time, it looks like a fairy tale castle with its medieval fortress, moat, and drawbridge. The grounds are beautiful too with gardens, deer park, and a walk through maze that is a blast for kids and adults. If you are hungry for soup or a sandwich, the little restaurant on the grounds was excellent. Also while in Utrecht make sure to visit the ancient and historic city center.

With so much to do and see in Amsterdam this was just a few of my favorites.  Planning on hopping over to Belgium?  Did you know Ghent, Belgium is only a 3 hour train ride from Amsterdam?  Check out this amazing little town in “5 Things You Must do in Ghent, Belgium”.

I would love to hear your thoughts about this article, and if you have already visited Amsterdam, I would love to hear your favorites?

 

 

Did I say 3 weeks? Oh yes I did!  When we were planning our trip to Europe, we decided in advance that it would make our lives way easier to do carry on bags, instead of check in.  After all, we were going to 3 countries and we would be taking several planes, trains, and cars.  Not to mention having to haul our luggage down cobblestone streets, and up 3 flights of stairs at our BnB.

However, packing for 3 weeks in a carry on was definitely easier said then done!  So I scoured Pinterest for the best tips and tricks, and I have to say that I think I have mastered the art of packing a carry on, and am so happy I did!  I’ve narrowed it down to:

5 important ways to pack your carry on

1. Stick with neutral colors.  This one was a hard one for me, because I LOVE bright colors and patterns.  But if your working with a limited amount of space, its better to have one color palette so you can mix and match.  My entire wardrobe for Europe was blue, black, white, beige, and I had one teal shirt.  Exciting I know, but it actually worked out really nicely.  To spice it up, I brought along a few accessories that were colorful, such as scarves, jewelry, and hats.
2. Narrow down the toiletries.  When it comes to toiletries I tried to keep in mind that if I ran out or forgot something, I could always buy it there.  So I went to Target and bought travel toiletries.  That way at the end of the trip, I could toss it before my flight home and I would have more room in my carry on for gifts or souvenirs.
3. Choose 2 pairs of shoes, 3 max.  I brought 2 pairs of shoes, 1 pair of comfortable but classy boots that I could dress up, and a pair of Converse for casual days.  Towards the end of the trip we had a few really hot days in London, so I purchased a pair of sandals, but they were small enough to slide into the carry on.  While your flying be sure to wear your biggest pair of shoes (I wore my boots), that way you have more room in your carry on.
4. Don’t bring too many underwear and socks.  The first trip that I took with a carry on, I brought way too many undies and socks, that I actually came home with unused pairs.  So for my 3 week trip to Europe, I only brought 5 pairs of underwear and 2 of my best pairs of socks.  Practically every place we stayed at had a washing machine, and if it didn’t I would wash my undies and socks in the shower and hang them out to dry overnight.  Even though undies and socks don’t really take up much room, every little bit counts when your in a carry-on for 3 weeks.
5. Use the wasted space.  If you’ve scanned Pinterest on this subject you’ll come across all kinds of ways to actually pack the suitcase, from rolling your clothing to zip lock bags.  Whichever way you choose, just make sure to pack in between the back of the suitcase, the part between the bars of the extendable handle of the bag.  Place some of your smaller items such as undergarments, shirts, swimsuits or camisoles between these bars.  If you haven’t already done this, you have to try it, you’ll be surprised at how much little things can fit there!

Are you looking to buy a hard case carry on that is lightweight, has spinner wheels, and doesn’t break the bank?  The Samsonite Omni PC is my favorite carry on ever because it comes in an assortment of colors and it’s really light weight!  Perfect for those long trips out of the country!

Do you have any tips for packing a carry on?  If so, I would love to hear your thoughts, please comment below.

 

5 Things you must do in Ghent 

Ghent lies in the Flanders region of Belgium, and it is truly a historic gem. I honestly was hesitant to write about this little town, for fear it would become over run with tourists like Bruges.  Ghent is an ancient city of cobblestone streets, medieval architecture, marketplace squares, and lazy canals.  Ghent is also a college town, its home to the biggest university in Belgium.  Because the city center is “car free”, walking through Ghent can feel like your stepping back into medieval times.  These are just a few of my favorite things to do in Ghent:

• Gravensteen Castle also known as “castle of the counts” was built early in the 11th century.  While walking through the castle, it feels like you have stepped back in time to the medieval era. The castle houses a museum of various weapons used in warfare, and a room with torture devices (not for the squeamish).  Make sure to visit the rooftop where you will get a 360 degree view of the city, and a view of the 4 medieval towers of Ghent. The castle is a steal at only 10 euros per person.

• Hike the Belfry Tower or take the lift to the top. The Ghent Belfry is a UNESCO world heritage site, and is well worth the visit.  In ancient times Belfries or Belfort’s were used to protect the town against attacks, fires, and to announce weddings. The hike to the top is up a narrow spiral staircase, and is totally worth the effort. The view from the top is amazing, and to hear the bells chime while you are up there is a feeling you must experience.  At 8 euros per person you must visit the tower.

• We visited Ghent on a chilly spring day so it was the perfect weather for afternoon tea at Maison Elza. I highly recommend making reservations because this place is popular! We didn’t have reservations, but were lucky enough to get a table as a big group was leaving. On warm sunny days you can enjoy your tea on the terrace right next to the river Lieve.  If your not in the mood for tea, they also have delicious breakfast options.  High tea ranges from 12-25 euros per person.

• St Michaels Bridge is hands-down one of the most picturesque sites in Ghent. It’s a great place for a photo op because its one of the few spots in Ghent where you can see all 3 towers aligned.

 

• When in Belgium you have to drink Belgian beer, after all Belgian beer history goes back for centuries, and its famous all over the world! Ghent has a ton of places to drink beer, but the restaurant “Sint Jorishof” is my favorite.  The restaurant is located in one of the oldest buildings in Ghent,  and the interior is like a mini museum.  Make sure to check out the “smoking room” and the “toilets”  for the eclectic furnishings.

Visiting Ghent is like taking a step back into medieval times, its an amazing little town with so much to offer!  Have you been to Ghent?  If so, please comment about your experience below.

Looking for more towns in Belgium to visit?  Check out “2 Days in Bruges, Belgium”.