Victor's Travels

Actually quite HYPED for tonight!! Green Room is back with an ADE Special at Club Up! Guest List still open, DM for info 🙂

Taiwan is an often-overlooked travel destiation in Asia, but it boasts a great combination of city life, ancient culture and stunning nature. As the island is not that big, it is easy to get around. A train could take you from Taipei to Hualien which is a gateway to the beautiful Taroko Gorge, with its hidden trails, serene temples and diverse flora and fauna.

In this new guide I tell you all about how to get there, when to go and where to stay. Enjoy! Link in bio.

Help me become Travel Blogger of the Year 2020.

Recently I got invited to join a competition to win this coveted title and one of the 12 trips of a lifetime (to Panama, Romania, Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zealand and USA). In between singing itsy bitsy spider and cleaning up bits of food off the floor, I managed to find a little bit of time to follow the assignment and write about my favorite place on earth: Antarctica.

Now this is where I need your help. There is a "Reader's Choice" award to be won, based on most votes. So, if you have a little bit of time, you could help me a lot by clicking on the link below and filling in your email at the bottom of the article. I would be super grateful!

Vote here: https://www.terra-incognita.travel/2019/a-postcard-from-the-coldest-place-on-earth

In between changing nappies, I managed to put together an article with tips for taking your young baby on his or her first flight. It includes both my own experienced and tips from seasoned family travel bloggers. Check it out!

Baby’s first flight: 19 tips from seasoned family travelers ⋆ Victor's Travels Congratulations! You are now the proud parents of a little munchkin. While making sure the little one is fed, changed and not screaming his or her head

It's me again! The last few months have been a true rollercoaster, with the arrival of a little one and all the joys and struggles that come with it.

It's true what they say: life does change completely, and so do your priorities (which leaves not much time for blogging currently). On the little one's first holiday, we took her to a cabin in the Belgian Ardennes last month.

It didn't quite fit in with our regular basic budget accommodations, but it was nice to have some luxury (read: a wooden bathtub) and some space to ease the little one into a concept of traveling.

It was amazing to see the change of scenery only a 3-hour car ride from home, giving you that real holiday feel. There were plenty of hiking trails around, some starting just outside our cabin. It's a great area to visit for history lovers as well, with the Battle of the Bulge being a pivotal point in the Second World War.

All in all, in my first "family travel"-ish update, I would recommend visiting the Belgian Ardennes with (or without) kids :-)

My last trip to South Tyrol (Italy) was truly amazing. I keep getting surprised by how much beauty can be found such a short distance (a 1.5-hour flight) from Amsterdam. We hired a car from Milan and went north, into the famous Dolomites. The weather was lovely, especially for November. Had we visited Italy a week before, we would have ended up in the horrible storm that wreaked havoc in this area.

We visited Bolzano, the Pragser Wildsee, Nature park Puez-Geisler, the Karersee (which was badly hit by the storm), and many other mountainous areas and parks. The food up north was evenly split between Italian and German, with Tyroler specialities like the Canederli (bread dumplings). Of course, we had our share of various types of pasta, pizza, mozzarella, and coffees as well. We ended the trip with a trip to Milan, which was a nice fix for our city-souls after almost two weeks of nature.

Siberia is a beautiful place to visit in autumn. On my trip in 2013, I was able to first-hand experience its stunning nature, culture, and architecture. Even in Amsterdam I get reminded of the colorful Siberian houses as there is a building just a few minutes from my house built in a traditional Russian style. I would love to show you more about the versatility of Siberia, that's why I'm joining the contest.

Doing volunteer work abroad opened up a whole new dimension of travel for me. It didn’t feel like work, but it would give me a great sense of (temporary) purpose that I sometimes lacked on longer trips.

I was interested in the range of volunteer experiences out there and if there would be a positive or negative sentiment around them. So, I asked a few lovely travel bloggers to share their volunteer stories.

Volunteer stories - What it's like to do volunteer work abroad Doing volunteer work abroad can be a great way to break up a long trip. Read positive and negative volunteer stories from other travel bloggers.

New article! There is a lot of hype around eating Kobe beef in Japan, with stories of cows being massaged and fed beer for the sake of the beef's tenderness. Is it true? And more importantly, is it the best meat you will ever eat? I decided to find out and order my own Kobe beef steak in Kobe, Japan. Link in the comments.

In 2016, Claire and I hired a very little car and went on a road trip through the western cape in South Africa. I still occasionally get flashbacks to this wonderful country with its amazing food, wildlife and nature, especially when Facebook decides to tease me with its "memories from 2 years ago"... Here's a short movie we made of the trip.

60 seconds of South Africa From the luscious mountains of Hogsback to the semi-desert Klein Karoo and beyond — join us for a 60 second snippet of our 3-week roadtrip through South Afri...

It's a real challenge combining working (full-time) and travelling. But, when there's a will, there's a way, and becoming a digital nomad can be extremely rewarding. Or, you know, it can be really different than you expected it to be.

Last year, I took on assignments through the digital studio I co-founded, Vi Amsterdam, while travelling for 6 months through India, South Korea, Japan, Spain, Denmark and Scotland.

Kami from Kami and the rest of the world wrote an article on what it's like to combine travelling with having a full-time job. She interviewed several travel bloggers, including me. Interesting read! Link in comments.

Scotland is a country that just keeps on giving. From its stunning nature, renowned golf courses and whisky distilleries to the amazing hikes and wildlife that can be found here. But where to start? With the help of 30 travel bloggers, I have put together a list of places to visit in Scotland. Enjoy! Link in the comments.

Want to visit India but don't know where to go? May this list be a great inspiration to you. It has 40 of the best places to visit in India, including a suggestion from myself.

The 40 best places to visit in India From Rajasthan to Kerala to Uttar Pradesh: here are the best places to visit in India as recommended by travel bloggers!

My little off-the-beaten-path adventure in Tokamachi, Japan with snow, green forests and a weird animal that followed my every step.

Tokamachi, Japan - the land that time forgot ⋆ Victor's Travels My little off-the-beaten path adventure in Tokamachi, Japan with snow, green forests and a weird animal that followed my every step.

Blog update! I am struggling a bit with writing long articles lately so I decided to do some shorter ones in a series called "Mini stories". The first one is about a super cool hippie hostel I stayed at in Nature's Valley, South Africa. Enjoy!

Wild Spirit Backpackers Lodge in Nature's Valley, South Africa ⋆ Victor's Travels Wild Spirit Backpackers Lodge is a hippie hostel tucked away in the Tsitsikamma National Park in the relatively undiscovered Western Cape of South Africa.

Traveling with a partner can be either a burden or a blessing. It all comes down being respectful towards each other and not setting unrealistic expectations (or better: not setting any expectations at all).

karolinapatryk.com wrote a huge list with tips from bloggers traveling with their partners, including Claire and me, so go check it out!

Traveling with your Partner - How to Survive It, The Ultimate Guide Traveling with your Partner - Ultimate Guide On How To Make Traveling Most Enjoyable. Tips From Travel Bloggers. How to Survive Travelling

Copenhagen tip: Grundtvigs church. Haven’t seen anything like it!

Are you born between July 2nd 1999 and July 1st 2000 and a citizen of the EU? The European Union is giving away 15.000 travel passes to discover Europe this summer by train. That's no joke! Check out their website for more info and to sign up. Wish I was 18 again...

DiscoverEU What is DiscoverEU? Are you 18 years old? Are you up for an adventure? If yes, get ready to explore Europe by joining DiscoverEU, an initiative of the European Union allowing around 15,000 young people to r...

Like unusual destinations and experiences? Check out the Atlas Obscura, which has a collection of hidden wonders in 169 countries and 1.449 cities. Definitely worth a click to see what things you shouldn't miss on your next destination!

Atlas Obscura Definitive guidebook and friendly tour-guide to the world's most wondrous places. Travel tips, articles, strange facts and unique events.

Who else has fallen for this classic scam? 💸🇨🇳

The one scam in China you're the most likely to fall for, apparently – Young Pioneer Tours Picture the scene – you’ve arrived into Beijing a couple of days before your tour to the DPRK, and are contentedly wandering around somewhere like Tiananmen Square or other convenient tourist hotspot. If you’re a Westerner in China, the locals don’t exactly need to see you consulting a map ....

Finally got to writing up one of my greatest outdoor adventures in Alaska. Think Grizzly bears, gold fever, Native American tribes, and a hell of a lot of hitchhiking (1.650 miles/2.600km). Thanks to Sam, Leah, and Ericka for helping out with this article.

Alaska adventures: Grizzly bears, gold fever and hitching a 1.000-mile ride In Alaska you can truly get off-grid and have adventures like in the famous film "Into the Wild". This is the story of my Alaska adventures, where I hitchhiked 1.500km, visited a Native American Powwow, panned for gold and hiked the dense forests of Denali National Park.

2.500 inhabitants, 3.500 polar bears. Sounds like a reality show? Nope! It's just the daily reality of people living in the world's northernmost settlement: Svalbard. This Norwegian island in the arctic circle is a winter wonderland for true adventurers. Fellow traveller Marta visited the archipelago and shares her experiences, tips, photos and videos in the newest article on the blog.

Visit Svalbard - The northernmost settlement in the world ⋆ Victor's Travels On the archipelago of Svalbard, located between Norway and the North Pole, the weather conditions can be rough, but the vicious polar bears are the biggest threat. In fact, the number of polar bears (3.500) even outnumbers the humans. So why would you visit Svalbard?

If you have ever searched something on the internet (who hasn't?), then why not plant a tree with every search you make? That's Ecosia's mission. From the money they earn from their ads, they plant trees all over the world. I spoke to Christian Knoll, the CEO of Ecosia, about his vision and his personal connection with the rainforest.

How Ecosia made searching the web green ⋆ Victor's Travels An interview with Christian Kroll, founder of green search engine Ecosia, about starting his social business and his future plans.

Alaska, home of world-class hikes, grizzly bears, panning for gold, the Santa Claus House and much more. I'm working on an article where I will share my tips and crazy experiences in "America's Icebox". Have you visited this state?

The The Lost and Found Hostel in Panama is still one of most magical (eco) hostels I've stayed at. They have hummingbirds that come and go, a playful rescued kinkajou (a kind of raccoon-like monkey), and morning fog would pass underneath the viewing platform. See pictures of this hostel and read about its mission in this article.

The Lost and Found Hostel in Panama ⋆ Victor's Travels The Lost and Found Hostel in Panama is a spectacular eco hostel. Learn more about its mission in this interview with its co-founder.

What is the best way to spend your time on a 16-hour bus ride or a 4-hour layover? If you’re tired of laptop screen glare and sitting on the floor next to a power socket, give podcasts a chance! I made a list of the best podcasts I have listened to, and I keep adding more when I listen to new ones.

18 Best travel podcasts for long bus rides and boring layovers If you're tired of laptop screen glare and sitting on the floor next to a power socket, give podcasts a chance! A whole new world will open up for you, and there is something for everybody that is looking to get entertained. I made a list of the best travel podcasts I have listened to.

Even though Dubrovnik gets a million visitors per year, it is worth seeing this magnificent place for yourself, preferably during spring: the weather is perfect and tourists haven't taken over the country yet.

Read the do's and don'ts of visiting Dubrovnik in two days and on a budget in this article on Victor's Travels.

How to spend two days in Dubvrovnik on a budget ⋆ Victor's Travels Read the do's and don'ts of visiting Dubrovnik on a budget and find out how to avoid the cruise-loads of people visiting Dubrovnik every year.

Victor's Travels updated their website address.

ITB time! Give me a shout if you are there as well 😀

Ask me anything! I'm hosting an AMA session right now on the website of AMAfeed. Join the conversation and ask me anything about my travels, my blog or travel blogging in general, my experiences and tips for places to visit. Click the image to join.

Ask Me Anything Platform Ask Me Anything Search Engine and AMA Platform to host your AMA experiences

If you're looking for truly off-the-beaten-track experiences, Central Asia will eminently be your dream destination. Each country in this area has its own attractions; the stunning natural beauty of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the colorful mosques of Uzbekistan, and then there is Turkmenistan.

Fellow adventure traveler and serial guest blogger Petteri Kyrklund visited this country and was astounded by the uniqueness of this relatively unknown travel destination. He shares his tips, itinerary, costs, and review of his highlights in this article.

Turkmenistan travel guide – the Hermit Kingdom with a Door to Hell If you're looking for truly off-the-beaten-track experiences, Central Asia will eminently be your dream destination. Each country in this area has its own

Over the last years, North Korea has made headlines across the world. Often, you would hear about a (failed) test rocket launch, a verbal threat by its leader, an imprisonment of a foreign national. With the country’s ultra-closed society, it’s hard to really know what is really going on behind the curtains.

But what would a typical day in the life of a North Korean citizen look like? Is there a North Korean middle class? Does pop culture exist in the depths of this secretive state?

Through a series of photos taken by filmmaker Aram Pan from the DPRK 360 project, I will show you a North Korea that might surprise or even fascinate you.

Solar panels to ski resorts: 30 things you didn't know existed in North Korea ⋆ Victor's Travels With North Korea's ultra-closed society, it's hard to really know what is really going on behind the curtains. But what would a typical day in the life of a North Korean citizen look like? I will show you a North Korea that might surprise or even fascinate you.

Traveling around the Netherlands by train can get quite expensive. A roundtrip from Amsterdam to Rotterdam, for instance, will cost you around €30.

What if I told you that you could get that same trip for half price? Or that you can buy a day ticket for just €20 which allows you unlimited train travel anywhere in The Netherlands?

Check out my tips on where and how to buy these train ticket promotions in my newest blog article.

How to buy cheap train tickets in Netherlands ⋆ Victor's Travels Get 40% off your single or return train ticket, or get a day train ticket with this handy guide to buying cheap train tickets in Netherlands.

Are tourist-free paradise islands a thing of the past? Not at all! Check out Tanna Island, part of the Pacific island nation Vanuatu.

It has breathtaking scenery, palm trees, exotic fruit, pristine waterfalls, flowers, hills, local tribes, white sandy beaches and if you think that wasn’t enough, it also has an amazing active volcano which you can visit.

Fellow traveler Petteri Kyrklund has visited this beautiful island and writes about his experiences, gives tips, and shares his travel details and photos in this guest post.

Tanna island, Vanuatu — The perfect paradise in the Pacific | Victor's Travels It’s hard to find perfection in this world, as often the most beautiful places are spoilt by tourism. Tanna island, however, located between Australia and Fiji, has everything that you could wish for without having to deal with the downsides. It has breathtaking scenery, palm trees, exotic fruit, ...

You might not have heard of the Wilsons Promontory National Park in the southern point of the Australian island. I know I hadn't until fellow traveler Christian from Volle on Tour told me about it, but now I'm sold! In this guest post, he shares his experience and gives tips on hiking trails, camping grounds and sights to see.

Wilsons Promontory National Park in Australia – A place to fall in love with The Wilsons Promontory National Park is one of Australia's most beautiful parks and a well-kept secret for adventure travelers. Find out why.

New article: Doha (the capital of Qatar) is a popular option for a layover on any flight to Asia. If you find yourself with some time to wander outside of Doha's (excellent) Hamad airport, here are some tips on what to see and do:

Doha, Qatar: How to make the best of a long layover ⋆ Victor's Travels Doha is an interesting city to spend an extra day on a layover. Find out where to stay, what to see and how its wealth will blow your mind.