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Tips to travel from home during the COVID-19 quarantine

April 13, 2020

by Bo with 2 Comments Responsible Travel

COVID-19 is putting pressure on the world and everyone is in quarantine or self-isolation. For those who love traveling as much as I do, and cannot wait to start exploring the world again I would like to share some tips on how to travel from your own comfortable couch at home. Because remember, in times like these with Corona, make sure to stay safe, stay at home and keep distance! But all these measure does not mean that we cannot keep dreaming about traveling and maybe even bring traveling home? I hope my tips will make your time at home a bit less boring and will open your eyes to our beautiful world and bring some nice travel inspirations!

Watch movies and documentaries

One of the easiest methods to start dreaming about traveling and to give your eyes and mind something sweet are movies and documentaries about the world. Documentaries like ‘Our Planet’, ‘Life’ or ‘Earth’ are great examples that show the beauty of nature. For Dutch people I can really recommend the documentary ‘Langs de Yangtze’ by photographer Ruben Terlou, which you can still watch on the website of VPRO.

However to be able to day dream about the world, you do not only have to watch documentaries. Almost all movies show parts of the world, with beautiful shots made at the most unique places. One of my favourite movies of all time is called ‘Lion’ and shows the beauty but also the poverty of India. Also, the famous 007 James Bond movies cover some amazing travel footage in every movie. For instance, the opening scene of Spectre takes place during El Dia de Muertos in Mexico City. Other scenes were, for example, shot in London, Rome and Austria.

Movies are the perfect way to get inspiration for future trips, or to think back to times when you were at that exact same spot as the actor or actress. I remember watching ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ and seeing Julia Roberts eating pizza at one of the most famous places in Napoli at the exact same spot as where I was sitting when I was enjoying that amazing pizza.

Music

I don’t know about you, but to me music is all about memories and feelings. I can hear a particular song and think back about the exact moment where I heard it. Music can make me happy, but definitely can also make me cry. I can’t live without music and I really like different types of music with different languages. A lot of songs remind me of previous travels and music also makes me longing for new travel adventures. So I would like to share a list of my favourite music in different languages so you can think back of past travels with me, or start dreaming about new travel experiences through music!

Arabic

Arabic music is maybe my latest love. Of course, living in Morocco taught me a lot about the country and culture, but I also managed to pick up some words in Moroccan and Arabic language. Now I love to listen to these songs to take me back to the time I was there in that beautiful country.

Babylone:

Zina
Kahlete laayoune

Zouhair Bahaoui:

Lazem Alina Nsebro
Décapotable

Dadju (Arabic + French):

Wouli Liya
Melegim
Reine
Mafuzzy Style

Faydee (Arabic + English):

Habibi Albi

Balti:

Ya lili

Besides these Arabic songs I would also like to share another African singer called Youssou n’Dour with, amongst others, the song 7 seconds.

Italian

Besides my love for the Arab language, I also have a crush on the Italian language. Besides the classics of Andrea Bocelli and Eros Ramazzotti, I also really like the following songs that make me think back of the best period of my life: Erasmus exchange in Rimini, Italy.

Takagi & Ketra:

Amore e Capoeira
Jambo

J-AX:

Senza Pagare
Italiana

Boomdabash:

Ti volevo dedicare
Per Un Milione

Mahmood:

Soldi
Calipso

Coez:

È sempre bello

Baby K:

Playa
Roma – Bangkok

Fred de Palma:

Sincera
Una volta ancora
Il tuo profumo

And so much more!!

Spanish

Spanish music, reggaeton.. Do I need to say more to feel the summer holiday vibes? I will list some of my favourites (but I listen to many many more)!

Alvaro Soler:

La Cintura (I can’t help it, this song still makes me happy)

Ozuna:

Me Niego

Prince Royce:

Cúrame

J Balvin:

Indeciso

Mau y Ricky:

Bota Fuego
La Boca

Lalo Ebratt :

Déjate Querer

French

Because of my mom, I grew up listening to French chansons on Sunday mornings. I think that is where my love for the French language and music started. No real chansons in this list though, but still very nice French songs!

Maître Gims:

Est-ce que tu m’aimes ?
J’me tire
Corazón
Mi Gna
Le pire

Vegedream :

Ramenez la coupe à la maison
Ma Go Sure
Daishi
Elle est bonne sa mère
La fuite

Ninho :

La vie qu’on mène

Youssoupha :

Par Amour

Caribbean

And to really get in the summer and holiday feeling, I would like to add some Caribbean music!

Voice:

Cheers to life

Lil Rick:

All is Rum

Olatunji:

Oh Yay

Buena vista social club:

Chan Chan
El Cuarto de Tula
De Camino a La Vereda

Dive in the kitchen of..

What is a better time to explore your inner kitchen queen than quarantine? And what is nicer than trying out new dishes from all over the world? You cannot only travel from home through your eyes and ears but also through your mouth, by creating all kinds of world dishes. Think of the Italian kitchen, Indonesian or Moroccan kitchen! During my past travels I had the opportunity to try multiple (veggie) dishes in multiple countries and some of them are still my absolute favourites. The thought of Indonesian fried rice or makdous from Jordan make me so happy and hungry. Of course Italian pizza and pasta are like no other and trying real Japanese sushi is still on my bucket list! The latest kitchen I fell in love with was the Moroccan kitchen with vegetable tajine, couscous and harira soup.

So turn up that music, go online and look for those amazing recipes and prepare a world meal for your quarantine company!

Instagram pages

I think social media like Instagram and Facebook are used more than ever and also to travel from your couch, Instagram can be very useful and nice. I will share my favourite travel accounts that I follow for inspiration and to dream about future travels.

@Aggie : Author of Instatravel and inspirational person
@Moroccoplaces : Beautiful pictures of my old home Morocco
@pilotmadeleine : Travels the world with her baby and fiancé
@lexilimitless : Youngest person to travel to every country
@momimfine Built an entire school out of plastic in Tulum
@fabrizio_road : Beautiful pictures of la Dolce Vita
@sergibasoli : Traveling the world by boat with his dog
@girlfromplanetearth : Beautiful travel pics
@muradosmann : Creators of #followmeto

Photo albums!

Use this time to FINALLY start working on your photo albums that are waiting for you for years now. I am also guilty of buying photo albums and ordering pictures, but never working on them. I always have these amazing creative ideas, but somehow I never manage to find time to do it. Now time cannot be an excuse anymore, right?! So look for pictures on your camera or computer and start reliving those memories of past travels while capturing all those beautiful moments together at one place.

Learn a new language

Now is the time to finally start learning a new language. There are many books or courses online that will learn you the basics of a language through nice exercises. For Dutch people I can recommend the books by Van Dale. Or of course use the app of Duolingo, which is easy to use and a fun way to start a new language.

Dive in traditions and habits of different cultures

Language is not the only part of a country’s culture. There are many more traditions, habits and rituals you can learn about and why not also try out? Get creative with cultural handicrafts or learn a particular dance (maybe even with the music I shared 😉). During this quarantine period, I will learn more about the Moroccan culture and its Islamic influences and participate a day in the Ramadan. This way, you learn already more about a particular culture from home.

Start planning that dream trip

Last but not least I would like to stress again the importance to keep dreaming. So what is stopping your from planning that dream trip? Dream big, read blogs, travel books, everything to prepare that amazing next trip for the future. The travel industry (like many other industries) is suffering from COVID-19 and it’s important to support it by not cancelling your trip, but to postpone instead (if possible). We need to help each other, but of course, all in a responsible way!

Responsible travel

With all the hurt and painful moments that are going on in the world because of COVID-19, I would like to share a happy thought. As everyone in staying inside to stay safe, the environment finally has a chance to recover a bit from human actions. Less CO2 emissions are released because productions stopped, the air above countries is much cleaner and canals in Venice are clear again. Nature has time to recover from what we did to it. As the tourism sector is completely blocked and at a pause at the moment, this could be our chance to learn from our mistakes and travel more responsibly in the future. I really hope that we will not go back to our polluting and destroying way of living and take this period as a warning that we are destroying our beautiful planet. There is no Planet B so lets take this chance to keep dreaming, rebuild our lives and the travel industry, but all in a responsible way. To protect the environment, the earth and the people.

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

10 beautiful places in Sri Lanka

March 4, 2020

by Bo with No Comment Sri Lanka

In 2017 we travelled to Sri Lanka. I was very excited as I always wanted to go to India and I felt this would be a little bit like ‘Little India’. In some way this was right and it reminded me of the image I had of India, but Sri Lanka is an independent country with lots of unique places to offer itself. In this blog I will share my favourite places in Sri Lanka, but of course, the country has many more great places!

1. Kandy

Let me start with probably my favourite place in Sri Lanka: Kandy. This cultural capital is located in the middle of the country and is home to one of the most interesting festivals I have ever been to: Esala Perharera. During the time of the festival, Kandy is transformed into a bustling city with big crowds of people. This is why we did not go to the famous Relic of the tooth of Buddha in the Tooth temple. But, if you are in Kandy in the low season (away from the big festival) then you should stop here as it is part of their cultural beliefs. What I like about Kandy is its relaxed atmosphere, with small coffee bars in the streets and the characteristic street views of normal daily life in Kandy.

If you are planning your trip close to the dates of the Esala Perahera, I would definitely suggest to plan your way through Sri Lanka around this festival. It is very worth it to stop in Kandy during this festival. However, you do need to take into account that to have a spot in the streets to see the festival, you need to ‘buy’ a chair. As more and more tourists want to experience this festival, organisations sell these chairs for crazy high prices so you got to make sure to make a good deal. We were able to last minute buy four chairs at a corner spot which gave us an amazing view on the dancers, musicians and elephants (you can question the use of elephants for a festival like this…)

2. Ella

And mostly the way to Ella is why this place deserves a spot in this list. The train ride to Ella is named as one of the most beautiful train rides in the world and I can understand why. Trains in Sri Lanka are full when they are really FULL. We often saw people hanging out of the trains, or jumping in when the train was already leaving. The train ride to Ella is a popular one, so make sure to be on time or sit like us on the ground near the doors. To be honest, this gave us a real local experience, instead of traveling the more expensive and comfortable first class. During this ride, you will encounter beautiful mountains, nature and people on other trains.

Ella itself is a nice and relaxed backpackers town with a lot of nice restaurant options and also a few day trekking’s. I still regret not going to the 9 arches bridge, but we did do the ‘Little Adams Peak’ trekking. As the real Adams Peak is very wet during our summer months, we decided to skip this hike and do the little one in Ella instead.

3. Trincomalee

Because of the civil war between the military of Sri Lanka and the separatist Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam, the north of the country was a no go area for a long period of time. Now, Trincomalee is one of the places in the north that are less discovered than the other places in the country. Think of beautiful beaches and Hindu temples where there are mostly local people and the hospitality of the local people who are happy there are finally tourists coming again!

A must-see in Trincomalee is the Koneswaram Temple where you can see Hindu architecture and its worshippers. Of course my sister and I (both tall and blonde) were asked for pictures, and we decided to make use of this opportunity to get a picture with the locals ourselves. It turned out to be a beautiful and colourful picture! (See photo at the top of this blog).

Another activity, besides going to the beach, that is popular in Trincomalee is to go dolphin / whale watching. Unfortunately, we were unlucky as we did not see a blue whale (the people after us saw one..) but we still enjoyed all the dolphins playing with the waves! Taking a boat is also a nice way of experiencing the country from a different angle.

4. Sigirya or “the Lions Rock”

One of the famous places of Sri Lanka is the Lions Rock, or its real name: Sigirya. Sad thing is that this is probably the most touristy spot of the country. Think of climbing the rock in a queue.. However, think about the beauty of this rock and the landscape in which it is located then you will understand why it is so famous by the masses. You can climb the rock all the way to the top where there used to be a fortress, now it only functions as a viewpoint.

If you want to have a more quiet experience, you can choose to climb the Pidurangala Rock which will have a view on the Lions Rock. Or if you have plenty of time, you can choose to climb both and then decide which one you liked best. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to do both but it is definitely on my list!

5. Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura once was the capital of Sri Lanka. This is why the Buddhists build a lot of temples, stupas, elephant statues, etc. in this city. Some of which are nicely restored and show the culture of Buddhism. Do not forget to bring socks as you will have to take off your shoes and the ground is crazy hot because of the sun! For history lovers, Anuradhapura is the place to be and learn about Buddhism.

6. Mihintale

I would recommend to combine Anuradhapura with a visit to Mihintale, which is seen as the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Here you can climb to the top of a holy rock and see some more Buddha statues and stupas. But be aware of the monkeys! They can get a bit too interested in your food and try to steal it..

7. Galle

This little sea side town is known for its VOC influences. Sri Lanka once was a colony of the Netherlands, which is why you can still find old VOC signs and other old buildings. As it is UNESCO heritage, it gets preserved in its original state. I loved the relaxed and nice atmosphere in this little town, that is surrounded by water! Discover all the monuments and take a walk on the city walls.

8. Tangalle

Looking for a destination where you will have the beach to yourself? Tangalle is your place to be! Tangalle is a very, very small town in the south of the country and is the perfect place to unwind from all the impressions of the cities.

9. Dambulla

This place is famous for its caves. Inside these caves you can see a lot of beautiful Buddha statues and paintings. The whole atmosphere feels very spiritual and special and is perfect to combine with one of the national parks like Minneriya and the Sigirya rock.

10. National Parks

Sri Lanka is also home to many different national parks. It has a great variety of animals like elephants, deers, crocodiles, leopards etc. As there are lots of different parks spread over the country, it can be difficult to choose. We decided to go elephant watching at the lesser known Giritale national park and look for leopards at Yala national park. Unfortunately, no leopards for us, but still a lot of other beautiful animals!

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

What to do in Essaouira, Morocco

February 12, 2020

by Bo with No Comment Morocco

Essaouira, formerly known as Mogador, is a city at the Atlantic coast of Morocco. This town, famous for its harbour and great wind- and kitesurf spots is the perfect relaxed getaway from cities like Marrakech and Agadir. Being used as a filmset for the popular tv series ‘Game of Thrones’ make that the visitor numbers increase quickly.

Often people only go to Essaouira in a day trip from Marrakech, however I would definitely recommend staying a few nights in this beautiful and relaxed sea side town! Besides the fact that it is around 3 hours driving from Marrakech, it has a lot to offer to those who stay longer than a day. In this blog I will share my tips for a perfect stay in Essaouira, Morocco!

Skala du Port

This is the place that every Game of Thrones fan will probably recognize. This iconic fortress functioned in the 18^th century as protection for the entrance of the harbour and the rest of the city. Now you can enter the squared tower, walk on the fortified walls and enjoy the beautiful views on the ocean, the harbour and the medina of Essaouira. Do keep in mind that, even though a lot of blogs say differently, the entrance fee of this Skala is 50 dirhams for foreigners and not 10 anymore!

The harbour

Coming from the medina of Essaouira and passing the Skala du Port, you will enter the harbour. This harbour is characterized by lots of blue fishing boats and fish being sold everywhere you look. If you have a sensitive nose, this place might not be good for you. However, if you are able to cope with the smells, this place is very interesting to walk around. Here you can see locals selling and buying the freshly caught fish and count all the different species that are on sale. If you want to experience some of the local life in Morocco, this is the place to be.

Skala de la Kasbah

Other than the other Skala, this one is free to enter. This part of the fortress has also great views of the Atlantic ocean and contains nice shops for souvenirs. Combine a visit to these walls with a stroll through the medina.

The Medina of Essaouira

The medina of Essaouira is worth mentioning by itself. This medina is more wide and relaxed in comparison to the medina of Marrakech. Wander around this rather small medina and enjoy the white-blue coloured walls and beautiful colourful doors.

Go art shopping

What I like about Essaouira is its relaxed atmosphere. Other than that, it is also a very artistic place with lots of beautiful galleries showing work of all kinds of artists. Everywhere in the medina there are little shops with people working on their latest art and often for a small amount of money, you can already buy a nice and unique piece of art. Last time I visited Essaouira, my parents and I discovered a tiny place in one of the outer parts of the medina, selling cute drawings and paintings of Essaouira and its animals.

Go to the beach

Essaouira is also home to a big and beautiful beach. However, as you might know, Essaouira’s nick name is ‘the Windy City’ so do not expect a nice and relaxed day sunbathing at the beach as you will probably get covered with sand haha. Still the beach of Essaouira is worth a visit because of its great opportunities for wind- and kitesurfing! And for those who never tried it, or want to improve their skills, there are lots of surf schools offering lessons! If you are feeling a bit less active, or if you are visiting in the winter (and you find the water too cold for a swim) there are camels and horses waiting on the beach for people to go for a ride.

Listen to live music at the Moulay Hassan Square

This main square in between the harbour and the medina of Essaouira is always busy. People are having a drink at one of the terraces, walking around or listening to some live music that is performed by local musicians. The music brings a nice atmosphere to the square with a real holiday feeling!

Where to eat?

During my stays in Essaouira I tried out multiple good (but also very bad) spots to eat and drink. My first tip is to not eat at the main square as the food is often not very good. However, we did like the freshly prepared crepes there! For fresh fish you can go to one of the stands near the harbour and choose your own fish that you would like to eat, however I did not try this (of course because I am vegetarian) because I have heard of local people that this is mostly a tourist trap. So be careful if you are trying these spots! Besides these tips I have some very nice places to enjoy good food and drinks!

Le Love by Caravane

This beautiful restaurant contains of two parts: one for tapas and cocktails and one for a la carte. The interior is extremely colourful and you can tell that its designed by an artist. They offer Moroccan dishes with a twist and also European and Asian dishes, which makes the menu very diverse. Definitely a must try when you are in Essaouira! Tip from my meat eating friends / family: try the chicken with pineapple and caramel sauce. I really like the filled mushrooms!

Le Chalet de la Plage

This restaurant is located near the beach and offers a wide range of fresh fish. As a veggie I really loved the filled eggplant!

Ocean Vagabond

This restaurant / bar is located all the way near the end of the beach. The view from here is amazing as this is the spot where all the camels are laying and as the sun sets this will create beautiful silhouettes. With super friendly staff, this place is perfect for a lunch after some surfing or for a drink in the evening to escape the medina for a moment. They offer a variety of lunch and dinner dishes.

Taros café

This café is located at the main square on the rooftop of one of the surrounding buildings. It has beach bar vibes and is the perfect spot for a nice drink. In the evenings there will be live music, so during summer nights this is perfect. If you are visiting in winter, make sure to bring a warm coat as temperatures tend to drop in the night!

How to get to Essaouira, Morocco?

Public transport

There are no trains that reach Essaouira, so the only public transport are busses. I prefer the two companies called Supratours and CTM. These busses operate between Marrakech – Essaouira, Agadir – Essaouira and Safi – Essaouira and are quite comfortable. Since some time ago, Supratours introduced the Comfort busses from Marrakech to Essaouira, which offer more (leg) space, WI-FI and a bottle of water. On the other routes there are only normal busses. The bus from Marrakech will take around 3 hours and from Agadir 3.5 and cost around 70 dirhams. Check the websites of the bus companies for the latest schedules and prices! Another form of ‘public transport’ are the shared taxis, in which you will share the taxi with 6 other people and you share the price to Essaouira. However, as its quite a long drive, it might not be as comfortable to sit with 4 people in the back of the car..

Private Taxi

You can also choose to order a private taxi to take you to Essaouira. Advantages of this option is that you can stop at any place where you want to stop for example pictures. We were able to stop when we saw goats climbing in trees! If you want to know how to see this natural phenomenon in an ethical way, make sure to read my blog about responsible travel in Morocco. Disadvantage for this way of transportation of course are the costs. A normal price for a one way drive to Essaouira from e.g. Agadir will cost you between 900 and 1000 dirhams.

Rental car

The last option is to drive yourself. If you are a confident driver and like to drive on winding ocean roads it could definitely be something for you! Of course you will have all the freedom to stop at places and enjoy the beautiful views. Just keep in mind that the medina of Essaouira is not accessible for cars, so you should find a parking spot before entering the centre of Essaouira.

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

What to do on Isole Tremiti, Italy

January 17, 2020

by Bo with 2 Comments 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

January 10, 2020

by Bo with No Comment Spain

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!