A few years ago I visited Malmö for work. It was my first time in Sweden however, you probably know it’s often difficult to have some spare time to explore a city when going on a business trip. Then finally in 2016 I made my first trip to Stockholm for leisure. I was quite excited and didn’t really know what to expect. I only had a slight idea of what Sweden looks like through travel programs. Or films like Millennium and my previous supersonic visit to Malmö. Yet Stockholm still remained a mystery to me.
Biking in Stockholm
Let me introduce you to Stockholm by taking you around the city by bike! Using the excellent system ‘Stockholm City Bikes’ was a cheap and easy way to explore this stunning Scandinavian highlight. Enjoy our travel video and don’t forget to scroll down to my personal tips for your perfect Stockholm citytrip.
The world’s most amazing fish market:
Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo
When you think of Japan, one of the first things that comes in mind is sushi, sushi, sushi! When we visited Japan in 2015 for the first time, our number one activity on our to-do list was trying some delicious maki’s and nigiris! And so we did… Lots of them. And some new sushis we never tried before, of course. Since we are such big sushi fans, we couldn’t resist visiting the world’s most amazing fish markets. Yes, I’m talking about the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. This is the market which starred at the art house movie Hiro dreams of sushi, one of my favorite food documentaries. It is highly recommended to watch this film if you’re a true sushi fan and you want to know everything about how the fish is selected and prepared. ‘ Cause Hiro knows it all…
Welcome to Cambodia, a beautiful country located in South-East Asia. Many years we’ve dreamed about visiting the temples of Angkor and appreciating the diversity of landscapes, from paddy fields and rural sceneries to the beaches in the south. Also, we were particularly excited to taste the authentic Cambodian (Khmer) cuisine. We were told that it’s a fine combination between Thai and Vietnamese food, yet with its own touch.
We recently spent two lovely weeks in Chiang Mai and the country side. We really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere you find in this charming destination. People are very friendly and welcoming. There are precious temples everywhere and the food aromas at the markets and eateries really touch your olfactory senses. We also spoiled ourselves with massages every day.
Then there’s the laid back countryside where you find the traditional way of living. The stretched out paddy fields are bright green, full of live and surrounded by trees and mountains. We loved to cycle through the countryside and visit different places such as temples, local farms and even a ‘Grand Canyon’ filled with bright blue water.
A true highlight was a visit to an elephant camp which has been on my travel list for years! We drove all the way to the mountains, through forests and then into the jungle. Here we learned about the elephant’s habitat. We spoiled the elephants with treats, mud baths and we played with them in the river. It was amazing …
Chiang Mai has surprised us in many ways. See it yourself in a travel video we made to inspire you. Enjoy!
Japan is full of surprises when it comes to local customs, fashion, art and gadgets. Find out what peculiar things surprised us the most during our round trip through the country.
ARTISTIC MANHOLE COVERS Japan is known for its beautiful art which you find in temples, museums and art galleries. Yet, there’s another art form which we found quite startling. When walking through a street in Japan – be it in a city or a village – you notice that manhole covers are beautifully decorated. I’ve read that this curious phenomenon started in 1985, when a bureaucrat working at the ministry of construction came up with the idea to let municipalities design their own manhole covers.
I really liked to spot the designs in every city I visited. We photographed them to make a cool collage. There seems to be more than 6.000 artistic manhole covers all over Japan, each of them containing local symbols. Curious isn’t it?
Hong Kong has been on my travel list for years. This year, we were finally able to visit this far away destination from which we heard many positive things. Most of all, we couldn’t wait to taste the famous Hong Kong style food! Or take some amazing photographs of the illuminated skyline which we’ve often seen on travel programs and postcards.
Welcome to China, one of the oldest civilized nations in the world with more than 50 ethnic groups populating the mainland. After travelling through the country by train, bus and air from north to south-west, we saw and experienced many contradictions. In Beijing we were overwhelmed by the size of the city, the ancient Forbidden City and the labyrinth of narrow alleys of the so-called ‘ Hutongs’ (traditional neighborhoods). Xi’an we experienced to be crowded and chaotic, whereas Chengdu was more regulated and very modern. In Dali (Yunnan Province) we immersed ourselves in the rural, laid-back life, enjoying the fascinating landscapes and the colorful market ‘Shaping’ where the ethnic Dai people sell their fresh products.
To quote the Lonely Planet, China is:
‘Antique yet up-to-the-minute, familiar yet unrecognisable, outwardly urban but quintessentially rural, conservative yet path-breaking, space-age but old-fashioned, China is a land of mesmerising contradictions.’
Lonely Planet. ‘China Travel Guide’.
See it for yourselves: watch our travel video and get a glimpse of our adventures in China!
With over 2,8 million inhabitants, Osaka is Japan’s third largest and (after Tokyo) second most important city. The city is only 30 minutes away from it’s refined little brother Kyoto, however there is a world of difference between the two. Osaka is a modern, big and flashy city, with huge neon lit buildings, elevated highways, interesting architecture and… beautiful green parks.
We really enjoyed Osaka (maybe because there are many similarities with our hometown Rotterdam?). Therefore we’d like to share our favorite areas with you!
Our journey through Japan in September 2015 has been simply marvelous. All of our expectations were met and even exceeded! What stood out to us were the lovely, polite and friendly Japanese people.
They are excellent hosts and really make you feel at ease. Also, they are very proud of their culture and country and they show it!
Obviously, we took some fantastic footage of different cities we visited in Japan. Geerard (as always) made a cool compilation of the material we have. The result? A stunning video that shows some of Japan’s most beautiful places, its culture, and much more… Get inspired!
Five years ago I packed my bag and left home. Free of expectations, I took off to live in Hong Kong. In first instance, the city was overwhelming. But during my stay I started to love Hong Kong. When I left Hong Kong after six months, I knew I would return to this amazing place. And that is what I did. My partner and I went on holiday to Hong Kong. There we had a lovely meet up with Natalie and Geerard. For them, and for Orange Spots, I jotted down a shortlist of my favorite spots in Hong Kong.
With a bit over 1 million inhabitants, Hiroshima does not make the top 10 of Japans biggest cities, however it is in my personal top 3 of places to visit in Japan. Hiroshima’s inhabitants are friendly and outgoing, the local food is excellent and the atmosphere in the city is buzzing and upbeat.
There are so many things to do, see and eat in Hiroshima. I compiled a top 5 of must do’s.
Kyoto is by far one of the highlights of Japan. We loved its temples, beautiful gardens, colorful shrines and the savory food we tasted at local restaurants and the Nishiki market. Furthermore, there’s this special ambiance you sense in the old quarters which throws you back to Japan’s ancient times.
Let us share with you the beautiful sights we visited in Kyoto, from a colorful market to impressive shrines and lively quarters with gorgeous Japanese handicraft. Enjoy our blog!
