2022 Travels

Time for my annual travel blogging round-up, looking back at 2022.

Travel is still the most intense mode of learning and there is still lots to learn so I hit the road to12

countries! After a difficult start of the year (covid), it always went beter ! Enjoy my blog where 2022 brought me.

JANUARI : PERU

MARCH – Last minute cancelled > BARCELONA

2 days before the trip was planned i was tested positive for covid, and had to cancel this trip. Let’s enjoy some pictures from my first visit to Barcelona

APRIL : THE BIG WEST-AFRICA JOURNEY ( Sierra Leone-Guinee-Bissau-Senegal-Guinee-Mauritania)

SIERRA LEONE

There are many excellent beaches in Sierra Leone. Freetown Peninsula is home to beautiful, pristine and well serviced beaches, but the nearby Banana Islands and Turtle Islands are certainly home to other beaches you can enjoy, too.

GUINEE

Here are some impressions of my visit to The Republic of Guinea. This unknow country was part of my overland trip in West Africa. One of the most difficult parts in the world to travel independently. If you want to visit Guinea make sure you don’t miss Fouta-Djalon, sometimes spelt Fouta Djallon in English, is a mountain massif in Guinea, nicknamed “the water tower of western Africa” for its important rainfall.

My memories of Guinea will always be ones of such beautiful landscapes.

MAURITANIA

Mauritania was an awesome experience! It has so much to offer for a country that isnt visited a lot (yet), Ali and his team of great and experienced drivers made it even better.
I did so many great things, from visiting Terjit oasis to visiting the ancient city of Chinguetti, where they still got some books that are over 500 years old which are conserved by the foundation there, and also riding the sand dunes with the hiluxes. Best part of this trip was riding the iron ore train through the sahara desert.

SENEGAL

The last country during my big West-Africa trip was Senegal. A fantastic destination to discover that is situated on the coast of West Africa. Its neighbouring countries are Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Mali and Mauritania. This country is by far one of my favourite African countries and one of those African countries that feels a lot like Europe.

GUINEA BISSAU

Travelling around Guinea Bissau was a bit challenging. It was not easy to find transport to all the destinations i wanted to go…but at the end it went all fine.Contrary to the other former Portuguese colonies, Guinea-Bissau never became westernized. The Guineans maintained their traditions, religions and, last but not least, their fighting spirit. Through the centuries, they steadfastly resisted the Portuguese colonial rulers, and so, Portugal never managed to get a complete grip on the country.

JUNE: LONDON

We went to London especially for the long awaited ABBA concert. The city was also completely submerged for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend

JULY: MALLORCA

Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands and one of the most popular spots to choose for a holiday in the Mediterranean. It’s not hard to see why… the abundance of beach resorts, sheltered coves, limestone mountains and Roman and Moorish remains make it a destination perfect for relaxation with enough adventure to call upon whenever you desire. Even we went during the holiday-saison..we have found plenty of qiuet spot. Mallorca was a suprise!

AUGUST: CARTAGENA- SPAIN

Impressions of our visit to the beautiful city Cartagena-Spain.We went to a friends wedding.But if you’re looking for reasons to visit Cartagena, Spain, then you really don’t have to look far. As the second-largest city in southeastern Spain’s underrated Murcia region, Cartagena doesn’t get nearly the amount of attention it deserves, and this is a real shame. Packing in everything from a classic Spanish charm, perennially beautiful weather, local gastronomic specialities and incredible history!

SEPTEMBER: SARDINIA

Sardinian beaches contain absolutely clear waters along with thin and soft sand. This added to the incredible landscapes surrounding the coastlines, make this island’s beaches be a unique place for relaxing.But there is so much else to see and to discover. I love Sardinia !

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER : ALGERIA

Algeria is the largest country in Africa and by far one of the most challenging countries I have ever visited when it comes to obtaining a visa. Algeria has a fantastic diversity of landscapes, with the Sahara desert in the south, beaches along the Mediterranean sea to the north, mountains that offer excellent hiking during the summer, and skiing opportunities in the snow during winter. Algeria also has an extremely rich history with 7 World Heritage sites and is one of the most socially developed countries in the whole of Africa. I really liked the country; I would put Algeria into my top 50 countries I have visited in the world. The people were super friendly, the food was good, it was easy to get around, and the country had endless sites to discover, especially when visiting Algiers.The week in the Sahara was magical.

DECEMBER: BANGKOK-THAILAND

Back to Thailand. Still my second home.

Happy new year from Bangkok

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2021 Travels

Time for my annual travel blogging round-up, looking back at 2021.

2021 was again not an easy year for any of us as passionate world travelers . We started the year off with another lockdown, and since then it’s been a second year of covid, cancelled plans, bad news, and endless negativity and arguing all over the media. The best thing I could do was waiting to receive my 2 vaccines before buying flighttickets to avoid disappointments.

This year I still managed to travel, returning to cities and visiting new ones.The first part of the year I have explored more of Belgium and France and during the second part of the year if have travelled to the Middle East , Asia and Africa.

Travel is still the most intense mode of learning and there is still lots to learn so here is my blog where 2021 brought me.

Belgium  Limburg Genk- Kalmthout

Kalmhoutse Heide

Iraq ( Kurdistan)

Belgium – Waloon- Thuin

France- Opal Coast

Cabo Verde

Belgium- Chimay

Spain – Madrid

In Madrid

Saudi Arabia

Al Ula Old Town

Peru

Huacacina
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2019 Travels

The year 2020 has arrived—and with it, the beginning of a new decade.

Now, i’d like to look back to another amazing year with interesting trips.

Travel is still the most intense mode of learning and there is still lots to learn so I hit the road in 2019 to 12 countries!

March: Overlandtour YvoryCoast-Ghana-Togo- Benin

We went first to Yvorycoast. It was a great journey! Côte d’Ivoire, also usually known as Ivory Coast is a country located in West Africa with its south facing the North Atlantic Ocean coast. It is shares its borders with Ghana to the east, Liberia to the west, Guinea to the northwest, Mali to the north, and Burkina Faso to the northeast.

After crossing the border we ‘ve explored Ghana. It’s of the most popular tourist destinations in West Africa. I love the diversity of the country.From its cosmopolitan capital to historic cities. On the coast, beautiful beaches with forts that serve as a reminder of Ghana’s tragic role in the slave trade.

Next was Togo

I love to travelling off the beaten track, Togo was a rewarding destination. Its great diversity of landscapes ranges from lakes and beaches along the Atlantic coastline to the rolling forested hills in the centre; we’ve headed further north, aswell to visit some traditional villages.

Benin, the last destination during this big tour is without doubt the most fascinating country i’ve been to in West-Africa. There was Voodoo and much more!

April: Lebanon

The Middle Eastern nation of Lebanon is a country of stark contrasts: beautiful Mediterranean beaches and high mountain ranges, Christianity and Islam, ancient history and modern lifestyles. However, what makes Lebanon even more special are the locals with their warm hospitality, generous food culture as well as both love and respect for their own country.

June: Peru

Lima, home of Katia. We went for the wedding of the year and we’ve catched up mainly with family and friends. Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru.The food is fantastic. There are few cities in Latin America that pride themselves on cuisine as much as Lima.

July: Brussels ( Concert Rammstein)

Probably the biggest and most impressive show in the history!

July: Ibiza         

Nightlife in Club Amnesia

SUMMER ROCKS @ IBIZA
we’ve explored the island during the daytime and nighttime.

September: Amsterdam

Visiting friends in the capital of The Netherlands.I have been there many times but Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most picturesque capitals and always a pleasure to come back.

Oktober: Berlijn

Once again visiting friends was our main goal in the capital of Germany. Berlin is rich with history and culture. Badly fractured during World War II and the cold war, Berlin has recreated itself into an international city with diverse cultures and architecture.

November: Gambia

Back off to West-Africa! Known as “The Smiling Coast of Africa”, the West African country The Gambia is officially Africa’s smallest mainland country but a country with one of the most unique identities and spirit. The destination is renowned for its stunning sandy beaches, hospitable people, three UNESCO heritage sites and year-round sunshine. The Gambia, with its capital Banjul,. is bounded by Senegal with a narrow Atlantic coastline of around 80 kilometers.

December: USA- Florida & the Keys

The Florida Keys

South Beach Miami

My first real US journey. Since we have relatives living in Tampa we went to Florida and spent Christmas.Florida has miles of beaches, tons of activities, an diverse wildlife, and of course theme parks! I drove all the way to Key West, pearl of the Florida Keys.

The Bahamas

Pigs at the beach
Roze Island
swimming pigs at the Bahamas

Since Miami is close to The Bahamas, It is not difficult to come up with the idea to visit the wonderful Caribbean nation of the Bahamas.The archipelago’s geographical location, its 700 unique islands, the weather,  and the Junkanoo Carnival Parade was the perfect place for ending this great year of traveling.

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