travel tips Archives - ResponsiBo Travel

What to do in Chefchaouen, Morocco

March 11, 2020

by Bo with No Comment Morocco

Chefchaouen, the Blue Pearl, the Blue City, we probably all heard of this place before, known by its beautiful blue coloured medina. I had the privilege to visit this city in the north of Morocco twice and now I would like to share my tips for a weekend in Chefchaouen!

Discover your inner photographer

First things first: make sure to bring a camera! This city is so crazy beautiful that you will regret it if you do not bring one. Every. Single. Street. Is beautiful in its own way and has a different shade of blue. Everywhere you look you will see picture perfect spots. Add beautiful Arabic writings, doors and colourful fruits and bags full of paint to this and trust me, your camera will be full with Blue Pearl photos. It will be difficult to create ugly pictures in this special place!

Doors of Chefchaouen

While walking around in the blue medina, make sure to pay attention to the beautiful diversity of doors in this city. I know.. I am talking about doors, but come on, look at the pictures.. Do I need to say more?…

Meet the local inhabitants

Now that we are talking about photography anyway, the local (furry) inhabitants of Chefchaouen are also worth meeting and taking pictures of. Morocco as a country has many many cute cats walking around in the streets, but Chefchaouen is like the cats kingdom as there are so many! I loved to meet all these furry friends and they love to pose for beautiful pictures with different shades of blue in the background!

Get a view on the city

As beautiful the city is inside the medina, I can also recommend to walk a bit up the hill and leave the medina. From a distance you can have a beautiful view on the city and the mountains. From here you will see blue, but also white coloured houses built against the beautiful Rif mountains. You can choose to go all the way to the Spanish Mosque and watch the sunset from here. I cannot tell you if it is good, as I did not have the chance to do this!

Visit Place El Haouta

One of the squares that you should not miss while you are in Chefchaouen is Place El Haouta. This cute little square has a blue centrepiece surrounded by little cafes where locals are drinking their daily coffee or Moroccan tea. With the beautiful Rif mountains in the back, this scenic place is worth a stop.

Drink tea at Place Outa El Hamam

Did you know that the northern way of making Moroccan tea is different from how they do it in the south? Where you will most likely get a small pot of tea with the mint inside the pot and a small glass to pour it in in the south of the country, you will get a big glass of tea in the north. Here, the mint will be inside the glass instead of in the pot.

Place Outa El Hamam is the perfect place to try out a glass like this as you will have a nice view on the busiest square of Chefchaouen.

Eat street food

Chefchaouen is home to some nice food stalls, juice stands, pastry stands and some rather hidden street food places. I really loved the fresh orange juice and some cinnamon like cookies. What I also loved was a small window with a man inside preparing some kind of potato dish which was a typical snack from Chefchaouen. Try street food where the locals eat it and I can assure you that you will get a whole new experience, it is definitely worth it!

Eat at Chez Hicham

This riad offers a wide selection of Moroccan kitchen and it all tastes so good! Located in the middle of the centre, this restaurant has something for everyone. Even for a veggie like me there were some interesting options. I chose to go for a typical soup from the north called ‘Bissara’ which is made of a particular kind of beans. It is quite thick and together with saffron, the taste is something I never had before in my life. The second dish I had was a vegetarian pastilla, which I can also highly recommend. Even though pastilla (or bastilla) is not typical from the north, I never had a good opportunity to try one as it normally prepared with chicken, pigeon or seafood.

Drink a smoothie at Café Clock

With a relaxed atmosphere and a beautiful view from the rooftop, Café Clock is a must visit when you are in need of a break. Either choose one of their smoothies, drink a cup of tea or enjoy one of their (veggie & vegan) food options!

Stay and eat at La Petite Chefchaouen

My last tip for Chefchaouen is to stay at ‘La Petite Chefchaouen’ and most importantly EAT there. The cook prepared a full Moroccan meal for us with salads, Moroccan spinach, zucchini, soup, tajine and a delicious dessert. I am not exaggerating when I say that this was the best meal I had so far during my stay in Morocco.

The rooms itself are very modern and beautiful but still have that Moroccan touch. It is located in the middle of the medina and thus has an amazing location. Breakfast is served at the rooftop from where you have a beautiful morning view over the city.

Extra tips

I do have some other tips that I unfortunately not yet have experienced myself. So I cannot share my experience but I still think they are worth mentioning.

Visit the kasbah

This kasbah is located at the main square in the city and even though I did not have time to visit it, I think it is worth a stop!

Hike to the Akchour waterfalls

For those feeling active and in the mood for some nature, the hike to Akchour waterfalls is said to be amazing. With multiple waterfalls along the way and a trail that’s not too tough, this hike is definitely recommended!

Watch the sunset from the Spanish Mosque

As I was lucky having beautiful rooftop terraces I never had the urge (and time) to go up to the Spanish Mosque to watch the sunset. But from what I have been told, this should be the best spot to experience a magical sundown!

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

An overnight in Legzira, Morocco

March 11, 2020

by Bo with No Comment Morocco

This beach was already on my Morocco bucket list for a very long time. In the beginning of March 2020 I finally had to chance to go and all my (high) expectations were met! Legzira is a small town famous for its beach and is located south of Agadir, close to the town of Sidi Ifni. In this blog I will tell you everything you need to know for an overnight stay in Legzira.

The arch

The Atlantic coastline of Morocco is very long and impressive, but this is definitely one of my favourite spots of this coastline. What makes Legzira so special is the huge, natural stone arch that is crossing the beach. Until the year of 2016 there was another arch next to it, but unfortunately this one collapsed. Still, it is definitely worth a visit as the colour, consistency of the rocks and the whole setting are very unique.

During the ‘Golden hour’ the arch turns golden orange and with sunset you will be able to get a magical view through the hole. Do make sure to take the tides into account, as with high tide the water blocks the arch and you will not be able to get to the other side again. At the beach, there are some little houses and restaurants where you can enjoy a nice Moroccan meal like a tajine.

Where to stay

During a clear night, you will be able to see the sky getting filled with stars. This is one of the reasons why you should spend the night in Legzira. Other reasons are the beautiful sunset, diner next to the ocean and the fact that (if you do not have a car) public transport is not the best!

My tip for accommodation would be Complexe Kasbah Lagzira. Which is located on top of the cliffs in front of the beach. With a stairs you can get to the bottom of the cliffs and from here you can walk in a few minutes to the arch. The complex consists of many apartments, suitable for multiple persons. With a living room, two bed rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and an extra toilet, these apartments are very spacious but also still very affordable. However, the entire property could use a fresh touch as it looks quite old and a bit forgotten. The peace, quietness and location however do again make up for this and we had a lovely stay here!

Sidi Ifni

I would also like to suggest to have lunch at the nearby town called ‘Sidi Ifni’ and especially at the little restaurant called ‘Nomad’. This colourful restaurant serves a nice amount of Moroccan dishes for a descent price and is located in a cute street. Sidi Ifni is a quiet town too but it is nice to spend some time here. As we visited in low season, I do not have any experience with how busy it can get in high season!

Paragliding Legzira

Another AMAZING activity that you can do in Legzira is Paragliding. Together with Parapente Legzira and a 4WD you will go up the highest mountain in the area for take-off. The paragliding gives you an amazing feeling of flying and the area is crazy beautiful. From the dry mountains, you will fly over the small village of Legzira towards the sea. From here you have a great view on the arch and the entire coastline.

After +- 10 minutes flying, you will safely land again on the beach. This was an once in a lifetime bucket list experience to me and I would recommend it to everyone! The price of this flight is 500 Moroccan Dirhams which is a bit less than 50 euros.

How to get there

Legzira is located around 3 hours driving south of Agadir. Unfortunately, public transport to this beautiful place is not ideal. You can take the CTM bus to the closest city: Tiznit. From here you will need to find a shared taxi (taxis that fit 6 passengers) that will take you to either Mirleft or Sidi Ifni. From here you will need to take another taxi to Plage Legzira. However, once you get there, it will be difficult to find transportation back.

This is why I would recommend getting either a private transfer (expensive) or to rent a car. In this way you can drive in a relaxed pace and stop whenever you want. We rented the car for two full days and left on a Saturday morning. We arrived in the early afternoon and went to Sidi Ifni by car for lunch. On the way back we stopped for lunch and a walk in Tiznit.

Place Outa El Hamam is the perfect place to try out a glass like this as you will have a nice view on the busiest square of Chefchaouen.

Tiznit

Tiznit is a city on the way from Agadir to Legzira and is known for its silver jewellery. It is not big, but it is nice for a stroll through the medina and to have lunch on your way. I love it that every Moroccan city has its own unique medina, so it keeps amazing me every time. Men preparing their herbs in big bags, chickens in cages ready to be sold, butcheries and in Tiznit also a lot of jewellery places of course. I would recommend to include Tiznit in either your way to Legzira or your way back as it is definitely worth a look.

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

12 things to do in Hong Kong

January 29, 2020

by Bo with No Comment 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!

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!

How to travel Morocco in a responsible way

January 6, 2020

by Bo with No Comment Morocco Responsible Travel

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!

5 favourite daytrips from Rimini, Italy

November 17, 2019

by Bo with No Comment Italy

Besides being a nice destination, Rimini is perfect for going on daytrips because of its location. In this blog I will share my 5 favourite daytrips that I did from Rimini and how to get there by public transport.

San Marino

The idea of a country in a country sounds so weird to me. However, Italy has two countries in the country: San Marino and Vatican city. From Rimini, you can get to San Marino in approximately 30 minutes by bus. You will get dropped off at the spot that is the most interesting for tourists. This is a small castle like settlement on a hill with paths going up to the towers. Along the way up you will pass a lot of tourist shops and restaurants. Besides the fact that this feels a bit like a tourist trap, it also feels like your going back in time. The little castles feel like a fairy tale. You do not need a awful lot of time up here, in about 2 to 3 hours you will have seen everything. I would suggest to just walk around and enjoy the beautiful views of San Marino and Italy.

How to get there and back?

There are two bus organisations operating between Rimini and San Marino: Benedettini and Bonelli. For both organisations I would suggest to buy a ticket of 5 euros (one way) in advance on the opposite side of the train station in Rimini. The bus to San Marino leaves from multiple stops like Arco di Augusto or in front of the trains station and I would suggest to check the updated timetable.

Ravenna

I love this little Italian city, which is also why I visited it multiple times. Ravenna is mostly known by its beautiful mosaic. On many street corners you can enjoy a small mosaic art piece, but the main attraction here is the Basilica di San Vitale. This big basilic has the most beautiful mosaic work inside I have ever seen in my life. With bright colours and gold shimmering in the sunlight this cathedral is a must-see when visiting Ravenna. On the same ground there is a small mausoleum where you can enjoy another beautiful and mosaic covered building. Furthermore, there are a few more places where you can see mosaic, but I think the two listed above are the best.

Another place worth to visit is the basilica di San Francesco, in which you can see a part covered in water. When you throw a small coin in the machine, the lights will turn on and you can see the water in the church. Also, if you are lucky you can see the fish swimming in the water. The next stop is Dante Alighieri’s tomb, this small tomb is dedicated to the famous Italian philosopher Dante Alighieri who lived from 1265 until 1321. My last tip for Ravenna is to have a visit at the Biblioteca Classense. This town library is covered in beautiful paintings and covered in mosaic floors.

How to get there and back?

From Rimini central station there is a direct train to Ravenna. You can buy your ticket at the station at the Trenitalia ticket machines. The train ride will take you around an hour and during this trip you will pass the station of Cesenatico, which will also be covered in this blog. Do not forget to validate your ticket before you board the train!

Bologna

The next daytrip option is the city famous for it Tagliatelle al Ragu and it often called the food capital of Italy: Bologna. In a day you will probably not be able to see everything and so this city is actually worth more days. But for this blog I will share the main highlights.

Besides good food, Bologna has a lot of nice buildings and streets to offer. One of the main squares is called Piazza Maggiore (the Big square). Here you will find a nice church and some streets for a great aperitivo! If you have never heard of the concept of Aperitivo I would like to refer you to one of my previous blogs about food in Rimini (button).

If you are feeling active and you like good views, I can recommend climbing the Due Torre. One of these towers (the highest one) is available for visitors and wooden steps will bring you up the roof. From the tower you can search for the second tower which seems gone, until you find it! From here you have a beautiful view over the city and you will understand why Bologna is called ‘La Rossa’ (red).

Enjoy some nice food at one of the pizzerias or osterias, I will share my favourites in my Bologna city guide and if you still feel active afterwards, you can walk all the way up to Basilica di San Luca. More information about this hike and more about Bologna will soon be on my website so stay tuned!

How to get there and back?

From Rimini station there are multiple direct trains to Bologna. It depends on the speed and time when you book how much it will cost. Most of the trains take around 2 hours and will cost a bit less than 10 euros one way. The station of Bologna is in the centre and after a 10 minute walk you will reach Piazza Maggiore. You can buy your train ticket again at a Trenitalia ticket machine. Do not forget to validate your ticket before you board the train!

Padua

This city is a bit further away than the others, but if you have time, definitely worth a visit. I did this in one day but Padua deserves more days. This cosy city is full with students which means that there are a lot of nice bars to drink or eat. Futher, Padua offers a beautiful and big cathedral: Basilica di Sant’Antonio. Another signature spot of Padua is the Prato Della Valle which is surrounded by multiple statues. And of course: you should not miss Palazzo Bo. Not only because it has my name haha, but because it is the oldest anatomic theatre in the world and is now home to the School of Law.

How to get there and back?

The easiest and cheapest way to get to Padua from Rimini is by taking the Flixbus. You can buy tickets in advance on their website. The ride takes around 4 hours and the bus provides you with WI-FI and comfortable seats.

Cesenatico

This last daytrip is especially nice when you go in the December period before Christmas. I visited this place when my parents came to Italy in the beginning of December. The whole town is covered in Christmas lights and the boats are decorated with Christmas stories. The little fishers village gets a romantic and cosy atmosphere with Christmas music playing on the speakers. Here I just suggest to walk around and enjoy the boats and the lights. If you decide to go in Summer, there is also a nice beach where you can go for a swim or work on your tan.

How to get there and back?

From Rimini station you can get a direct train in the same direction as Ravenna. This will only take you around 25 minutes and costs around 3 euros one way. You can buy the ticket at the station at a ticket machine of Trenitalia. Do not forget to validate your ticket before you board the train!

Sumba: The Unspoiled Pearl in the South of Indonesia

November 7, 2019

by Bo with No Comment Indonesia

There is a big possibility that you have never heard of Sumba before in your life. I had not heard of it in my life before my University programme announced that we were going to do research on the island of Sumba. Sumba.. sounds quite exotic right? Well it really is a rough diamond with a lot to offer to travellers. In this blog I will list my favourite spots of this almost undiscovered island.

How to get there?

Multiple Indonesian airlines operate between Sumba and for example Bali. Garuda Indonesia is an airline that operates and is a member of the Sky Team Alliance. From Bali it takes around one and a half hour to get to Sumba and along the way you will have the most beautiful views of multiple Indonesian islands. You can either fly to the airport of Waingapu (the capital of Sumba) or Tambolaka which is located more to west of Sumba.

Garuda Indonesia plane

Tambolaka Airport

Getting around

Getting around Sumba is quite a challenge. As Sumba is still very underdeveloped it does not have many good roads. A 4W drive is most of the times necessary. We always arranged a driver at the hotel to take us somewhere and wait for us at the destination. If you choose to do this, be prepared to pay more than you are used to spend in Indonesia. This is simply because the roads are bad and public transport is (almost) not a thing on this island. If you dare to, you can also choose to rent a motorcycle and explore the island by yourself, this will give you freedom to move around, however, if something happens help is most of the times far away.

Another option is to arrange a ‘tour’ with a local tour operator like Tour Sumba. We used this little company when we travelled to the eastern part of the island for a few days. You will get a guide and a driver and they will take you wherever you want to go. We were really happy that we had them, as the roads are often hard to find!

With our guide of Tour Sumba

Southwest Sumba Regency

If you arrive in Tambolaka, you arrive in the Southwest Sumba Regency. Here you can stay in a hotel and go to some highlights like the Weekuri lake and Mandorak beach (pantai) by car.

Weekuri Lake

About an hour drive west from Tambolaka you can find the Weekuri Lake. This big lake is located in the middle of the woods and is beautiful blue/green of color. Here you will be probably the only (foreign) tourist, surrounded by some local people that try to sell something. You can swim in the lake which is salt because of its opening to the sea. The local people build a small diving board for those who want to experience some adventure. Would you dare to jump? After some swimming you can walk up to see the lake from above and see the difference between the rough ocean and the quiet lake.

Pantai Mandorak

Nearby the Weekuri Lake there is a small beach what I would like to call paradise. Pantai Mandorak is surrounded by palm trees and green grass. On the white beach there are some traditional fishing boats and in the bright blue water some big rock formations. Again, here you will find almost nobody besides a few local people or Indonesian tourists: perks of going to an unspoiled destination.

West Sumba Regency

About an hour drive south from Tambolaka you will find the small village of Waikabubak. Now you are in the West Sumba Regency and here are also some pearls I would like to share with you.

Air Terjun Lapopu

40 minutes from Waikabubak you will find a beautiful waterfall (air terjun) called Lapopu. This waterfall is famous by local people for swimming and jumping off the waterfall. Enjoy a nice swim and try to beat the strength of the water of the falls!

Pantai Watu Bella

The name says it already: Bella! Palm trees, green grass white beach, blue sea and white rocks on both sides of the beach. When you go to the right side of the beach you might find an opening which will bring you to small cave with water.

Pantai Kerewei

Another beach located close to some nice home stays and surf hostels is Kerewei. The road to this beach is just magnificent and on the beach itself you might find a dog or a local person. This beach is more rough but still worth the visit, even only for the road to the beach.

The road to pantai Kerewei

East Sumba

For going from West to East on Sumba we travelled with Tour Sumba. This nice local travel company brought us in the afternoon to the eastern part of Sumba. Of course with only a few good roads, you should not expect a very comfortable experience. Also, do not be surprised when the road gets blocked by cows, sheep, goats, which makes this trip even more special. To explore the part of East Sumba that we explored it is easy to stay in the capital of Sumba: Waingapu. There is not much to this city, so I would suggest to get back to nature as soon as you can!

Bukit Wairinding

As a little kid, did you every watch the Teletubbies? Well I did at least, and this place reminded me of this tv show because of the green hills. This big, green, open space does not look like an Indonesian island at all, which shows the diversity of Sumba’s vegetation.

Bukit Persaudaraan

‘Bukit’ in Indonesian means ‘hill’ and Sumba has a lot of them! I already told you about the Bukit Teletubby, but Persaudaraan is also gorgeous. From this hill you have an amazing view over grasslands, rice fields and palm trees. Just look at the picture and you will know why it is a must visit on your Sumba trip!

Air Terjun Wai Marang

After an hour and a half drive and a walk through the bushes (this is why we were happy to have guide with us) you arrive at the Wai Marang falls. One word: wow. I have never experienced such a beautiful pearl in my life. This waterfall is hidden in some kind of cave and has bright blue water. The cave creates a kind of pool in which you can swim. It is crazy that places like these are completely quiet and the beaches of Bali are crowded. Anyway, I am really happy as this gives Sumba the possibility to develop without mass tourism. Go here and enjoy the quiet beauty of what Sumba has to offer.

Pantai Walakiri

Then, when the day is almost over, the sun is going down. You have one spot left on your list: Walakiri beach. This beach is known by mostly Indonesian tourists as the perfect spot for sunset. During sunset the beach will get flooded by high tide as this is exactly what you want. At this point, the mangrove trees on the beach are in the water and look like they are ‘dancing’. This is one of the best sunsets I have ever experienced in my life. But be careful! The sea is home to tons of beautiful thin starfish.

Visit a local village

When visiting Sumba, this should be definitely on your list. Sumbanese villages are characterized by its unique houses. The roofs of the houses are cone shaped and it is believed the higher the closer to their gods. Also this roof serves as a storage place. In every village you will find different sizes of these houses, the biggest being the one of the most important person, often the chief of the village. Using skulls of buffalos they show their prestige.

So now you know some of the best spots of Sumba, but of course this island has so much more to offer! There are still some spots on my bucket list and I will definitely go back. This island made such an impression on me no other place has done before.

Where to stay?

As Sumba is not very well developed for tourism, the amount of hotels is little. We even stayed in Tambolaka in a hotel that was not even finished yet! However, Sumba is home to worlds best resort: Nihi Sumba. But of course, a resort like this one comes with a price. So if that is not really your budget and to make it a bit easier for you, I listed some of my favourite places.

Tambolaka and surroundings

Oro beach houses: located at the beach this little accommodation with around 5 cottages is located in the middle of nowhere. The owner of the accommodation cares about sustainability and offers a water tank with filtered water where you can fill your bottles. The bathrooms are partly open so you shower without a roof, which gives it a very adventurous feeling. If you go outside during the night, you will see a ton of beautiful stars in the sky. In the morning you can enjoy a fresh made banana pancake. Sometimes its good to be of the radar right?

Musa Homestay: These kind people picked us up in the middle of the night after we left our accommodation (will come to that later). They gave us bananas and some tea and showed us our ‘rooms’. The rooms consist of a hut with a mattress on the floor and a mosquito net. The toilet has to be flushed with a bucket of water and the shower is a bucket of water. But in exchange for some luxury, your staying at the property of local people ON the beach. We could hear the waves from our bed. I think everyone should experience this once in their lives.

Rumah Budaya: this accommodation is at the same time a little culture centre of Sumba. The buildings are shaped in the same style as the local villages and this is a great place to stay when you are in Tambolaka.

Sumba hospitality foundation: this completely sustainable resort is at the same time a school for Sumbanese students to learn about the hospitality industry. We visited this place during our research. However, we did not stay here as it was above our budget.

Sumba Sunset Surf Camp

Musa Homestay

Rumah Budaya

Sumba Hospitality Foundation

Do not stay here! Sumba Nautil Resort

This is the place where we left in the middle of the night. The owner of the hotel is the unfriendliest person I have ever met in my life and we ended up in a fight. The location is beautiful but that does not weigh up to the fact that the staff is the worst. If you are in doubt: read the negative reviews on Tripadvisor. Instead: go to Musa home stay or Sumba Sunset Surf Camp where we met kind local people and most importantly: felt safe.