Abel Tasman to Franz Josef via Great Alpine Highway
After a beautiful sunrise at Tahunanui beach, I picked up the girls and we left Nelson for Abel Tasman, a National Park opened in 1942, 300 years after its namesake Abel Tasman first sighted New Zealand. It’s New Zealand’s smallest National Park but nevertheless a coastal paradise with golden beaches, tranquil lagoons, clear water & … Continue reading
Wineries, lakes & pristine beaches
The roadtrip in South Island began in Picton. Picton’s foreshore has one of New Zealand’s most beautiful views. Known for it’s ever changing colors & light. The town is also surrounded by lush forests of beech, manuka & fern, which cover secret valleys, secluded coves & hill top lookouts. Pilar, a Spanish girl who travelled … Continue reading
Cook Strait
Wellington, home to 400.000 souls and cosmopolitan capital city of New Zealand is the second most populous urban area at the southwestern tip of the North Island between Cook Strait & the Rimutaka Range. The city is a busy & vibrant place packed with heritage buildings, theatres, eclectic cafe’s, museums, galleriesparks, bars & restaurants. It has a spectacular … Continue reading
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Established in 1887, Tongariro was the first national park in New Zealand and the fourth in the world. It is also a dual World Heritage area, a status which recognises the park’s important Maori cultural and spiritual associations as well as its outstanding volcanic features.It is a place of extremes and surprises, a place to explore and … Continue reading
Reid’s Farm & Lake Taupo
The great lake Taupo is situated right in the middle of the North Island on the dramatic Central Plateau offering crystal clear water, wild trouts, pristine native bushes, … We pitched our tent at one of NZ many free campsites, Reid’s Farm near the small town of Taupo & next to the Waikati river close … Continue reading
The Redwoods
Haere mai! Welcome! Rotorua, New-Zealand’s thermal capital is famous for its vibrant Maori culture, spectacular thermal areas & forest-fringed trout-filled lakes. Rotorua lies at the heart of New Zealand’s most active geothermal field with bubbling mud pools in the parks, geysers & steaming fumaroles just minutes from the city. It’s rich Maori heritage gives an … Continue reading
Coromandel
Coromandel, one of New Zealander’s favourite destination is within an hour and half east from Auckland and yet the region is a world away from the hustle & bustle of city life. With a thousand natural hideaways to enjoy, gorgeous beaches, dramatic rainforests, … Coromandel feels very much off the beaten track and contains diverse … Continue reading
The grip & the farmer
Destination Cape Reinga today ! Michelle from Oregon was leaving us this morning to travel on her own and Martha, another Spanish girl joined us. In the small town of Tortara North, on the way to Cape Reinga, we stopped and visited Annie, a very energetic & active kiwi. She lived in this beautiful wooden … Continue reading
Bay of Islands
Big day today! The beginning of my Kiwi roadtrip… Destination, Bay of Islands. But before that I had to solve a problem. I rented a car for a month with Ace Rentals but Lyndon told me he would travel with Pilar & me in the North Island for 11 days and that we could use … Continue reading
The Nurse
I was dreaming of this day for so many years and it felt pretty unreal to finally fulfill this dream… Flyin’ all the way around to the other side of our beautiful planet in the Southern hemisphere to visit the Kiwi’s in New- Zealand aka Aotearoa, as the local Maori’s call it. Meaning ‘Land Of … Continue reading
Visiting my parents in Chom Thian
Thailand, land of smiles… Love this country! The abundance of tropical islands, rainforests, mountains, rivers, temples and their beautiful Buddhist religion, the delicious Thai food, the friendly people make this country really stand out! I went to Thailand many times and explored the whole country in the past, but during this particularly trip I just … Continue reading
Vang Vieng
The windy roads from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng brought us high in the mountains, covered by dense, tropical vegetation. It’s beautiful to see the landscapes & daily lives passing by when driving through the villages. People sitting in front of their porge, children running around, screaming hello while waving whenever a car passes by, … Continue reading
Luang Prabang
The beauty about Laos is unique & it appears as if time stood still. It already starts when flying to Laos with an old Lao airlines propeller plane. Beautiful experience that was spoiled right at arrival when I was cheated for getting my Visum. The price for a Visum On Arrival for European citizens … Continue reading
The Truth About Halong Bay cruises
Coming from the lovely town of Sapa, in the north-east of Vietnam close to the Chinese border, I met 3 lovely people from Adelaide, Australia… Brad, his girlfriend Stefanie & his younger brother Jack. It was supposed to be a 12h busride but it became 16h. Don’t need to tell you that we were glad … Continue reading
Sapa
Taking the sleeper bus to Sapa was once again an adventure. Bumpy , windy roads, speeding driver,… On top of that the bus stopped in the middle of the night for a quick toilet stop. So I get off the bus but when I came back, the bus had disappeared. A local guy who saw … Continue reading
Hanoi
Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam is situated in the northeast of the country. I was hosted by Xuan Du Ngo Ngoc, a very nice local girl who worked by day at ‘Maison des Arts’, a company who trades art & at Juices, a healthy bar in the evenings. My time in Hanoi was unfortunately … Continue reading
The Forbidden City
On our way to Hanoi we stopped for a few hours in Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam. Hue was the national capital until 1945, when Emperor Bao Dai abdicated and a communist government was established in Hanoi. Through the website of couchsurfing, I met Tuan, Nhi & Nia, some local students. We had only a few … Continue reading
My Son
My Son is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD by the kings of Champa. The temples are dedicated to the worship of the god Shiva, known under various local names, the most important of which is “Bhadresvara” It lies in the middle … Continue reading
2 lovely old women
Hoi An, my favorite spot during my journey in Vietnam. This small, ancient town simply got it all… authenticity, a nice blend of Oriental & French architecture, beautiful nature, lovely people, great food, exotic beaches… What more can we possibly ask for? We rented some bikes and explored the area. The most popular beach is … Continue reading
Ho Chi Minh
Saigon aka Ho Chi Minh as we know it today, got its name after the republic’s former presidents’ death. This city of 10 millions souls is situated in the south of Vietnam & is the biggest city of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh is a very modern city with huge skycrapers, large boulevards, modern architecture but … Continue reading
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta or ‘Nine Dragon river delta’ as the locals call it is a region in the south-west of Vietnam where the Mekong Delta empties into the sea through a network of canals. I took a tour from Ho Chi Minh city and ended up in a mini-van filled with tourist & an very … Continue reading
Didier Van Bellinghen
Backpacking Around The Globe - 2013 