09 October 2019

It was 1999.. my first trip to Brazil, it would not be my last. It is 2019, 20 years later on our wedding anniversary (the idea of marriage had sparkled in Brazil after all) we decided to go back to 'our roots' back to Brazil. In the meantime I had had the privilege to visit a few other places but the Nordeste (Ceara) was still on our list. With recently introduced direct flights to Fortaleza by KLM and Air France both from Amsterdam and Paris the journey only got easier. A mere 9+ hour flight gets you straight to the start of this amazing coastline. Windy 9 out of 12 months with the remaining 3 months being the 'wet' season (nothing major but no wind) the coastline is THE kite surfers paradise. After a two hour drive we settled in an amazing house, straight ON the beach.. and what a beach.. no fancy beach clubs, overcrowded beds.. just a never ending shoreline.. kms long, dotted with local posadas, a few hotels, fishermen and.. kite surfers. Long (sunrise) morning walks, no one in site.. meet up with the boats bringing fish and lobsters to shore.. choosing your dinner right on the spot... We could do this.. for days.. We would not be travellers if we did not move just a tiny bit so we decided to move further down the coast driving for around 5h on the beach (by jeep) towards Jericoacoara. The name the reputation it had been on my list for ever and we needed to check it out. What started as a small hippy village has now (partly also due to the opening of a domestic airport) blown up into a major party destination. We arrived on a Friday night and I will be honest .. we felt quite overwhelmed.. probably also due to the contrast with the previous days in our private beach villa. Forget the quite hippy village, Jericoacoara is still set in between the sea and some amazing dunes, the setting is beautiful, there is still sand in the streets and shops and you need to leave your car on the parking lot at the entrance but it has become a full blown party village and you need to be prepared for that. We did stay in an amazing hotel Vila Kalango with the best hotel room we have stayed in years (on stilts) and we managed to enjoy the couple of days there, but you need to adapt your expectations. We then moved on to the other side of the peninsula to Casa Uca In Guriu a minimalist hotel just a few km from Jeri. A destination in itself and may be a good alternative if you wish to enjoy some kite surfing, buggy rides, dune rides, visit to the nearby lagoons and quick visits to Jeri for entertainment. The pool , the view, the tides coming in and out creating some spectacular sceneries and the food are all worthwhile and highly recommended. Ideally we would have moved even further up the coast toward the Lençóis maranhenses national park, a vast desert landscape of tall, white sand dunes and seasonal rainwater lagoons.. but we keep it on the list for next time .. because we will be back for sure. And last but not least.. we felt safe.. people are amazingly friendly, and the food (fish, fruits) is cheap and incredibly tasteful. Brazil! na próxima vez!

29 January 2018

Some 18+ years ago we moved to Bangkok. Freshly married we took an opportunity at hand and decided to try our luck in a new destination.. Bangkok.. We had been before on a backpackers trip and liked it so why not live there. A year later our two boys where born back to back in what you could call a 5* hotel/hospital Amazing doctors, amazing facilities and food ;) Fast forward to last Christmas 2017 when we decided we needed a break as a family and since both our boys will be leaving the nest soon what better destination than Thailand.. going back to our family roots. Bangkok can be quite overwhelming but to the four of us it felt like home.. We made a point to go back to all our favourite restaurants and taste all our favourite food... wander the Sois and visit our street and our local supermarket.. but the highlight would be reconnecting with the wonderful person who helped us raise our boys in their early years (even following us to Singapore). My clients always ask whether they should even stay in Bangkok while travelling through Thailand.. I have a hard time answering that as I realise that it can be quite an overwhelming city.. it's busy, crowded, polluted, dusty, smelly... but on the other hand it is fascinating, mixing the latest trends with the oldest traditions.. it has a second to none public transportation system, some amazing cultural sites and some of the best food in the world. So yes I think everyone should give it a try, at the start or the end of your trip depending on what the focus of your holiday is.. And while you are there... try biking... I know it sounds crazy and I admit that even as a Dutch seasoned city biker crossing some of those streets felt super scary but then when you cross the Chao Praya River with the bike on the boat and just across from the crazy traffic jams you get to bike through green plantations you know you have made the right choice.. So yes give Bangkok a try and ask me for my tips, I have plenty from where to eat the best food to which site you should be visting Sawadee Kha

01 November 2011

While living in Bangkok and Singapore we had planned to visit Myanmar a few times, unfortunately circumstances didnt´t allow us to.. For Christmas-New Year 2010/11 we finally got it all figured out. After quite a bit of hassle securing a visa and a short stopover in Bangkok, we arrived in Yangoon with one of Air Asia´s daily flights. I am not sure where I can start enumerating the highlights of our trip since the whole country amazed us. The people, the food, the sights, everything enchanted us from start to finish. Ok then what should you not miss at any cost? - Sunset time at Shwegadon Pagoda, the golden stupas flicker in the evening sun and it feels like the world has stopped around you, such calm, such serenity. - Bagan and it´s thousand temples. Start saving for a balloon trip at sunrise, nothing compares in terms of beauty than seeing the temples and the villages come alive from the skies. - Inle Lake and it´s fishermen, floating gardens and the five day market - Ngapali, it´s beach, it´s boats, the snorkelling.. We left a little piece of our heart in Myamar and we hope to go back soon. If you want to experience the beauty of South East Asia in one of it´s most genuine forms this is the country to visit but go quick before it opens up too much!