January 2020 - ResponsiBo Travel

WhatsApp-Image-2019-12-19-at-09.50.00-e1576752020481

Picturesque Termoli, Italy

Even though I love to write and explain places with a loooot of words, in this blog I am going to try to use less words and show you with pictures why I loved Termoli. During my research in Italy, I stayed a few nights in this harbour town as it was the place from where the ferries depart. I did not expect much of this village, but I was positively surprised! It turns out to be a very cute and colourful town with pastel coloured houses, beautiful sunsets and good food!

In the evening there is some music on the squares in the town and a lot of people go out for food or a drink. Even though I did not always have the best weather (got a lot of rain), this town had a particular atmosphere which I really liked! So now I am going to sh*t up and leave the work to the pictures! I recommend staying a night here before you go to the beautiful Tremiti Islands!

I mean.. Look at these houses!

How cute is this little house?!!

Perfect for the Gram right…?

To me this view looks like a painting.. Believe me, it’s not!

So now that the pictures caught your attention, I would like to share some general information on where to stay, where to eat and how to get there.

Dependance Ludovica

I found this apartment on Booking.com and is the in the middle of the centre! You will have your own full apartment, with bedroom, bathroom and living room with a small kitchen! For me this was perfect as I was able to go out for dinner but also cook something cheap at home. The apartment is very clean and cute and it has breakfast included which you can get a few streets away at a local coffee bar.

Il Mosto Selvatico

In this little restaurant with very kind staff, you can have a full Italian dinner. I loved this place because of the options for veggies including bruschetta and veggie salads. Combine this with some Italian wine.. Yummm..

How to get there?

Termoli has a train station that connects with big parts of Italy. When I arrived in Bari, I took a direct train to Termoli. During my time there, I also went twice to Rimini, which is also a direct train with the most beautiful scenery along the way! Check daily schedules and prices on: https://www.trenitalia.com/

Do you have a question or other remark? Leave a comment or contact me!

12 things to do in Hong Kong

I did not know what to expect from a city like Hong Kong. I guess I was expecting a big, grey and busy city with only big sky scrapers and densely populated. I found out, however, that Hong Kong is so much more than this. Consisting of multiple islands, this city offers multiple natural and man made wonders and is great for hiking and experiencing some of the Asian culture. In this blog I will list some of my favourite places in Hong Kong.

The Victoria Peak

Located on Hong Kong island, you can do very nice hikes to a view point called the Peak. However, as I was alone and meeting my sister in the evening, I chose to visit the Peak the easy way. Besides visiting on foot, you can also go to the Peak by tram. This little Peak tram operates between the top of the hill and the bottom (Lower Peak Tram Terminus) and provides gorgeous views of the city along the way. A single ticket costs 37 Hong Kong Dollars and a double ticket costs 52 Hong Kong Dollars.

At the top you will first have to walk through the souvenir shop after which you can choose to watch the view from a Skydeck. Of course, there is a fee for this deck and I would recommend to just go outside and watch the gorgeous view from one of the other great spots.

Street art in Central and SOHO

I love walking around looking for some good street art. In Hong Kong the areas of Central and SOHO are perfect for enjoying street art. Use the central-mid elevators to get to the top and do not forget your camera to create some nice pictures!

Eat at Mana! in Central

At this little vegetarian restaurant you can have “fast – slow food”. Here you can either choose a flatbread, a burger or a salad. They provide plant based food with a minimal impact to the environment. They turn their food waste and compostable packaging into compost that is used at local farms to grow food. At this cosy place you can have a delicious meal with a positive impact on the planet!

See the Monster building at Quarry Bay

I happen to forgot the real name of this building, but you will probably understand why people call it the monster building. These apartments are famous on the Gram because of their colour and greatness. Standing here, will make you feel really small and it is nice to see how local people live in a big city like Hong Kong.

Experience the busy city at Times square

One of the most busy spots of Hong Kong is for sure Times square. If you want to experience the city’s hectic character, this is your place. Sometimes it is just nice to sit down and watch people, right?

Street karaoke and performances at Mong Kok

At Mong Kok you can walk down the street and around you there will be people performing some karaoke. Some are better than the others, just take a chair, sit down and enjoy the performances!

Party at Lang Kwai Fong

This is the area where everyone goes for a drink and for going out. Before heading into clubs or bars, people tend to drink a beer in the street, which they buy at the 7eleven. Here you can experience the evening coming to life and the people getting ready for a long night out.

Horse racing at Happy Valley Racecourse

When you plan your trip to Hong Kong, make sure to include at least one Wednesday evening! This is the night to go see some horse races and if you want try to win some money! But be careful.. it is addictive to keep going until you win something.. I know out of experience haha..

Drink expensive cocktails at one of the many rooftop bars

When you are in a city like Hong Kong, you got to go up at least once. I love getting an overview of a city, just to get a picture where you are exactly. In Hong Kong there are many nice and fancy bars where you can enjoy the view with a good but ridiculously overpriced cocktail. Anyway.. it is worth it right? We went to the rooftop of the Wooloomooloo bar in Wan Chai.

See the Nong Ping Big Buddha

Of course there is also a lot to do and see outside of Hong Kong Island. One of these options is taking the Ngong Ping Cable Car to the Nong Ping Big Buddha at Lantau island.

The ride in the cable car will give you a great view of the city and the green mountains and you will end up near the Buddha. Unfortunately we did not have much luck as it was a very cloudy day, so half of the Buddha disappeared in the clouds.

Tai O fishing village and hike to the natural infinity pool

On the same island as the Big Buddha is a cute little fishers village called Tai O. Here you can see more of authentic Asia, with little boats and fish being sold in the harbour.

After a nice walk through the village you can go on a hike towards a natural infinity pool. At this point, it was just my sister and I and it was a magical feeling to be in the nature, without anyone else, knowing the city is so nearby..

This really is the other side of Hong Kong! Unfortunately, it is not allowed to swim in this ‘pool’. As it functions as a reservoir for the drinking water of Hong Kong. However, the scenery is still magical and worth the hike!

Hike and enjoy the beach at Sai Kung Country Park

A bit further away from Hong Kong Island, but still worth the effort is the Sai Kung Country Park. Here you can do multiple hikes of different difficulties, but trust me.. it is hard to follow a trail, we lost the path multiple times haha.. This did bring us to beautiful spots with the most amazing views, though. I was amazed by the beautiful nature that Hong Kong has to offer, as I was only expecting a big city..

Besides hiking, you can relax at some beautiful beaches, eat lunch at one of the little restaurants and for the real adventurers: camp in the park! As I did not have enough time and we did not came prepared, we had to skip the camping..

Hong Kong is a place that surprised me a lot and is definitely a place I would like to return to. There are so many possible hikes around the city that are all unique in their own way. Nature and the facilities of a city are all within reach.

Do you have a question or a remark? Leave a comment or contact me!

Sumba Hospitality Foundation: a future in sustainable tourism for the youth of Sumba

During our research on Sumba, Indonesia we had the opportunity to interview someone from the Sumba Hospitality Foundation. In this blog for my Beautiful People section, I will share the story of the foundation, what they do for the people of Sumba and the environment and my experience visiting the foundation.

Sumba Indonesia

The Sumba Hospitality Foundation (SHF) is based on the Indonesian island called Sumba since 2016. This island is located in the South of Indonesia and is rather underdeveloped. It gets a small amount of tourists every year in comparison to mass tourism destination Bali. Then again this is also the strength and beauty of Sumba, being a rough diamond in an area full of mass tourism. If you want to read more about Sumba and my personal highlights click here.

The foundation

Founded by a Belgian woman with love for Asia, the SHF is set to provide a future to underprivileged youth of Sumba by educating them about the hospitality sector, sustainable tourism, environmental awareness and permaculture farming. The students of the hotel school get housing, meals and healthcare together with their education. After the theoretical and practical lessons at the school, the students do an internship at a 5 star hotel or restaurant to turn those skills into practice. One of these resorts is Nihi Sumba which is rewarded as world’s best resort for the last couple of years. By providing education on sustainable development, the foundation hopes Sumba to be an example of a sustainable tourism destination, where the local community is included in economic welfare and decision making and the environment is well taken care off.

The school

The whole campus, including the school, resort, restaurants etc. are built from bamboo as it is a very sustainable and durable product. Also, the students get taught about farming and growing herbs, fruits and vegetables that are used in the restaurant and bar. By using solar panels for energy and a water treatment system, the campus is able to be fully self-sufficient.

The hotel

As part of the lessons, the students have to work in the hotel or restaurant on the campus. This hotel is also built from sustainable products and provides a great learning space for the students. Here they can transform the theory learned in the classroom into practice.

Our research

During our research on Sumba we got the opportunity to attend a day at the school. We had to share our research design and they got to share their knowledge about their island. It was an amazing day meeting all these beautiful people and hearing their stories. We also got a tour of the whole ground and they showed us their farm, classrooms etc. It is amazing how in such a short period of time, they created this foundation and are able to help the students with their future.

The practices at the school are a great example of how a destination should develop. The students learn about how precious their island is and how they should treat it in order to benefit from it in a responsible way. I think the Sumba Hospitality Foundation is a beautiful example of sustainable development. Making sure the local community benefits whilst taking good care of the environment.

If you have some questions or other remarks, please leave a comment or contact me!

What to do on Isole Tremiti, Italy

Besides doing research on this beautiful island archipelago, I also went around the islands of San Domino and San Nicola. In this blog I will tell you my favourite spots of these two islands and some general information on this destination

First off I would like to say that these islands are very VERY small, so you will not need too much time to discover them. However, they are definitely worth visiting as they are amazingly beautiful. With forests on San Domino and bright blue waters surrounding the islands, this destination is perfect for relaxation and activities like hiking and swimming.

I went around the island by foot and explored it in a few days, but I think if you have a full day, you can walk the whole island in one day! I just liked to cut it in a few parts and explore something else every day.

San Domino

Cala delle arene

This beach is located near the harbour and really looks like a tropical paradise. The sand is white and the water is blue and the trees are green, sounds like paradise to me right? The plus side of Isole Tremiti is that it is not that popular by the masses (yet) which is why this beach is nice and quiet! Unfortunately, when I was here there was a lot of rain and it was too cold to swim.

Cala Spido

When you are on top of the island of San Domino you will probably see a place with benches and tables where people eat their own snacks. From here, you will have a gorgeous view over Cala Spido. A path will lead you down to the water and will give you great opportunities to swim and snorkel!

Scoglio dell’Elefante

A bit further down the path you will encounter signs saying ‘Scoglio dell’Elefante’. This immediately made me happy as I loveee elephants and I wanted to see this place that is promising an elephant shaped rock. Once you get there, you will immediately see the rock and understand why they named it like this!

Il Faro di San Domino

All the way at the end of the island is the old lighthouse. It is mostly the walk towards the lighthouse that is beautiful with different kinds of scenery. I felt like the landscape changed once you got closer to the light house, or is that weird on a small island like San Domino haha?

Colle dell’Eremita

This spot is quite the walk but worth the view! It is a bit of a search but just try to follow the signs saying ‘Eremita’ and you will get there. From here you can spot three islands in one picture! Quite cool huh?

Cala dei Benedettini

This was one of my favourite places because there was literally no one around me and the place was insanely beautiful. I do not understand how an island like this can be so quiet in May? Anyway.. no real tips here, just climb over some rocks and enjoy the views! And if you are here in summer, enjoy a swim!

Viewpoint Grotta dei Pagliai

From this point near Grotta dei Pagliai you will have a beautiful view over the sea and the other islands. Take a moment to take in the beauty of this spot:

Where to eat and drink?

Of course, during your holiday in Italy you have to eat! As any other place in Italy, this island is perfect for a great pizza or another Italian dish! In May some restaurants were closed, but if you are here in summer, they will probably be open! Still I got a nice place to eat delicious pizza and a place to drink your cocktails!

La Fenice

Like I already said: PIZZA! For non-veggies there are some other good options (of what I heard of other people) but I just liked the pizzas here. At one point I found myself eating pizza for 5 days in a row… whoops.. (think the restaurant was very happy I did my research on this island haha)

Cocktail bar

I do not know the name of this place anymore (I am not sure if it even has a name), but here you can find the cocktails on the island! The bar is close to the restaurant called l’Altro Faro, you will find it! It is owned by a local couple with hearts for Isole Tremiti. Besides the good cocktails, I liked their solution to banning single use plastics: using pasta as straws!

Where to stay?

Hotel Tramontana

There are not that many hotels on the island (you can only sleep on San Domino), but I stayed at hotel Tramontana. Owned by a family from Tremiti, this hotel offers everything you need: comfortable rooms with nice bathrooms and a good location on the island. Here I met a local who helped me translating all my interviews and showing me around!

San Nicola

This island is smaller than San Domino, but is home to a nice fortress. I would suggest to take the boat from San Domino to San Nicola and just wander around for a few hours. There is not really much to do, besides some spots to eat. Still, the views were amazing and I really enjoyed this island! It is very pretty and also very quiet, so you will have everything to yourself.

How to get there?

This archipelago is rather unknown and not accessible from a lot of places. You can either reach the islands by ferry or by helicopter (which is in low season surprisingly affordable, unfortunately I could not do it..). The ferry leaves from multiple towns, but I decided to go from Termoli.

Termoli is a small harbour town from where ferries daily depart. The trips takes around 45 minutes with nice views of the coastline! In summer there are more ferries than in the low season and one of the companies operating between the islands and Termoli is called ‘Tirrenia’. For daily schedules and prices go to: https://www.tirrenia.it/

Harbour of Termoli

If you have some questions or other remarks, please leave a comment or contact me!

10 things to do in Barcelona

Having a sister who loves to travel as much as I do has its benefits and downsides. Her love for Barcelona resulted in her moving to Spain. This means that I have to miss her most days of the year as we live far apart. However, now we appreciate the moments that we can be together even more AND I now have a nice address to stay when I want to go to Barcelona! As this blog is about What to do in Barcelona, I want to share you my favourite places and things to do in this city (lots of credits to my sister haha). Even though Barcelona is already a very known and touristic city, I hope I can share some new and fun information with you!

See the Sagrada Família from the inside

Yes, I know.. the Sagrada Família is probably the most famous site in Barcelona. Still I wanted to include it in here, just because it deserves its spot! I have been to Barcelona multiple times, but I never went inside the church. During my last visit I had some time to spare and I decided to finally go inside this impressive piece of architecture.

To skip the lines at the ticket office, you can buy a ticket online in advance and with some reduction! With this ticket you will have a particular timeslot, which reduces the amount of time that you need to wait to get in.

As beautiful the Sagrada is from the outside, as breath taking it is from the inside. Instead of using Biblical images for the windows, bright colours and patterns are used and in combination with the sun shining through the windows, this really creates a magical feeling. Besides the fact that this basilica is massive, the amount of details put into this piece of art is out of this world. Even though I can write about the Sagrada Família for pages, I think its best to leave it to the pictures!

Climb up the rooftop of the Barcelona Cathedral

From the outside this cathedral is pretty, but not something I haven’t seen before.. But wait until you reach the top! Inside the cathedral you can buy a ticket to take an elevator up to the roof. Here you have an amazing view of the cathedral itself, but mostly of the city..

Walk underneath the Arc de Triomf

No, I am not talking about the one in Paris! Barcelona has an Arc itself with a very nice orangey colour. Just admire this building as a piece of art and of course do not forget to take a picture!

¡Vamos a la playa!

What better place to go for a stroll or a dip in the ocean than La Barceloneta? The last time I visited Barcelona was in February and even though it was too cold to swim, it was so nice to stroll along this beach. Is it just me or do you also prefer a coastal city?

Get an overview of the city at Bunkers el Carmel viewpoint

For those who wish to see the city from another viewpoint, Bunkers el Carmel is the place to be. Unfortunately this place is getting more known by the larger public, which means it can get busy. However, I think it is still worth it to go as the view is priceless.

Hike to the Tibidabo theme park

For those who are looking for something different and outside the city, a hike to Tibidabo is an option. Tibidabo is a theme park on top of a hill with an amazing view of Barcelona.

The park is accessible for free but once you want to go in an attraction you will have to pay a ticket. Next to the park there is a big temple called ‘Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus’. This majestic building has a statue of Jesus on top that overlooks the city. Take a windy climb up to the statue and enjoy the panoramas.

Eat at Brunch and Cake

Whether you go for breakfast, brunch, lunch or just something sweet, Brunch and Cake is your place to be. To be exact, its your ‘places’ to be as there are multiple restaurants of this concept spread over Barcelona. My favourites are the avocado toasts and yoghurt and granola breakfasts, jummm..

Eat nachos at Carabela Café

Nice bar, nice atmosphere, nachos, guacamole, salsa and cheese….. Do I need to say more? Just check this place out when you are in Barcelona!

Eat pinchos at Carrer de Blai

When in Barcelona, eating pinchos should definitely on your list! This street is filled with little bars where the selection of pinchos is wide. Here you can choose a few and order a drink and enjoy the Spanish cuisine.

Sing karaoke at The George Payne

When you are in the mood to go out and enjoy some nice drinks whilst singing some karaoke, The George Payne is the bar for you. Here a mix of tourists and local people get together and the real daredevils can take the microphone and sing a song on top of the stairs in front of a big audience. At The George Payne you are sure of a good night out!

For the art lovers there are of course a lot more options in this city where Gaudi left his traces. Places like Casa Batlló, Casa Milà and Park Güell are worth visiting when in Barcelona for the first time. I normally skip these places as they are very touristic and I think Barcelona has also a lot of different places to offer!

If you have some questions or other remarks, please leave a comment or contact me!

How to travel Morocco in a responsible way

I love to travel, I try to spent every Euro I earn on flight tickets and trips. Unfortunately, whilst traveling you leave a footprint on the environment and the local community. In this blog I will share my tips for traveling responsibly in Morocco.

Use public transport

Of course, a holiday at home would be the best for the environment. However, I understand that people want to travel (so do I!!) so sometimes taking a plane to a country is inevitable. If I take a plane somewhere, I try to always take ground public transport at the destination itself.

Morocco has a nice public transport system containing trains and busses. The railways (by ONCF) are operating between the bigger imperial cities like Marrakech and Fes, but also reach to Tangier and Oujda. The trains are comfortable and in a good condition and very affordable: Marrakech – Fes costs 215 dirhams one way for a 6 and a half hour train ride!

Where there are no trains, busses take over the transportation. There are two mayor bus companies operating in Morocco: Supratours and CTM. Supratours is often located near the train station as it is part of ONCF. Both companies have comfortable busses and also offer Comfort plus options on some popular routes like Marrakech – Agadir. There is no need to buy the tickets for busses and trains in advance, I always make sure to arrive half an hour in advance to buy the ticket at the station. However, on the popular route from Fes to Chefchaouen, tickets might get sold out so here I would advise to buy your ticket at least a day in advance.

Of course, the public transport does not reach every corner of the country, so if you are planning on visiting the real remote places of Morocco, you either have to take a shared taxi or drive yourself. Often there are possibilities to take a bus and then a grand shared taxi. These taxis wait until they are full, which means you sometimes have to wait before you can leave.

In the cities there is also good public transportation with mostly busses. However, do not expect them to arrive on time. It is wise to keep your schedule a bit relaxed as you never really know at what time you will arrive.. I once waited an hour and a half for the bus to Taghazout from Agadir..

Besides these little discomforts, I think traveling by public transport brings a lot of good experiences. You can sit down, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery and get closer to the local community. And in Morocco it is very affordable!

Do not stimulate animal abuse

Who doesn’t like to see animals on their holiday? Morocco is a country rich of various species of animals like camels, barbary macaques and tree climbing goats. Unfortunately, the interest of tourists in the local animals results in abuse. Animals are often used to generate money from tourists for pictures and have no freedom at all.

Djemaa el Fna square

If you want to travel responsibly, please make sure to always check if your excursion or activity includes animals and how they are treated. One example of mistreated animals in Morocco is at one of the country’s most important tourism spots: Djemaa el Fna. Here you can see monkeys wearing clothes and being chained around their neck. If you take a moment to look at them, you will see them fighting with their owners and trying to pull the chain from their necks.

The monkeys that are not used at that moment at the square are put in too small boxes and have to sit in there all day. Every tourist at that square is a witness of hard animal abuse and the least we can do for them is to not give the sellers what they want: money for pictures. At one point they should realise that tourists are not interested in staged pictures with animals that are captivated in the worst possible way, right? If you really want to see the monkeys and take pictures with them: go up north where you can see loads of them in the wild.

Unfortunately, I am not finished talking about animal abuse at the Djemaa el Fna square. Even though I am not a fan of snakes, the way they treat them at this square is simply WRONG. I am not saying that all snake charmers do this, but a lot of them make sure the snake cannot attack them anymore. They do this by either pulling out the fangs or by sewing the mouth of the snake shut. In both ways the snake will starve and die a very painful death. When this happens, the snake charmers just catch a new victim to work for them and generate money from tourists.

So please! When you go to Djemaa el Fna, enjoy the beautiful juice stands with fruits stacked on top of each other and listen to the music made by musicians and look at the other performers. Animals belong in the wild, a picture is not worth an animals life, right?

Goats in Trees

Morocco is home to a very unique phenomenon of goats climbing in trees. They like the fruits of an argan tree and once they finish the ones hanging at the bottom, they start climbing the tree to find some more. These cute goats are very popular by tourists and shepherds noticed that they can charge tourists money for taking pictures. Now there are tours offered to tourists to see these goats, and the poor animals are tied up in the trees. They often have to stand in the sun for hours and cannot move at all. Besides the fact that this is abuse of the animals, the trees are also harmed by these practices.

I can imagine that you still want to see these cute animals balancing on the thin branches of the trees. However there are ethically better ways of doing this than booking a tour. The only right way is to drive around yourself and look for a shepherd who is genuinely letting his herd roam freely. I always keep my eyes open when I take a bus to another city and hope to spot them. You should think about it like whale watching, you are either lucky or unlucky as it is never sure if you will see them.

Want to interact with animals in a responsible way? Volunteer for Morocco Animal Aid during you stay in the Agadir region! Check out their website and see how you can make a difference!

Minimise your plastic waste

Morocco is a country coping with a huge waste problem. Everywhere you look, you will find garbage in the street and nature. As a tourist you have to be careful with drinking water from the tab so buying bottles of water is the safest option. Try to always buy bigger size bottles to minimise the amount of plastic you use. Also, if you really want to take it next level, you can bring a reusable metal straw which you use instead of all the plastic straws they give you. As juices are super cheap and veeeery tasty, a lot of plastic straws are used..

Support the local community

By choosing your accommodation wisely, you can help the local community benefit from your stay in Morocco. So always book your stay at a local place like a riad or even try to stay at someones home! By choosing a big hotel chain you stimulate the concept of ‘leakage’ where the money ‘leaks’ away from the local community into to pockets of the wealthy (foreign) people. Not staying at these big hotel chians will give you the opportunity to get in contact with locals and learn more about the culture / way of living.

Respect local culture

Another tip for traveling responsibly in Morocco is about respect. It is important to always respect the culture of the destination where you are going. You are the guest in their land and you should adapt to the culture. In Morocco this mostly means to take the way you dress into account. Both men and women should always cover their shoulders, knees and chest.

Not only will you show respect to the people, it will also help to get maybe less harassed.

Do not give money to beggars

Unfortunately during your trip in Morocco, you will get asked a lot for money by beggars. I want to advice you to not give them money. Often (not always) they are fully capable of working and they decide to beg for money as it is an easy way of earning it. Also, a lot of parents use their children to beg for money, which keeps them away from school. The only way of making the kids go back to school is to not cooperate with it and say no when they ask you for money.

I know it is a lot, but the people, environment and animals of Morocco will thank you!

If you have some questions or other remarks, please leave a comment or contact me!