Hong Kong is a cool city, but it can also get crowded and overwhelming at some point. So if you book a trip to Hong Kong, consider visiting at least one of its beaches. I read a few blogs and browsed through the Lonely Planet and it brought me to the idea to take a little trip further south. After two full days of sightseeing in Hong Kong we were looking forward to enjoy beach life in Stanley, one of the oldest villages in Hong Kong Island.
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.
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!
Let me introduce you to the beautiful city of Trujillo, the capital of north Peru. This is the city where I was born and grew up until I was 5 years old. After we moved to the Netherlands in 1991, I went back several times to visit family and friends. It was lovely to wander through my old neighborhood and enjoy the atmosphere of Trujillo’s main square. Being treated with all the gastronomic delights of the region made the relive my childhood memories again.
March this year I visited San Fransisco for a work related event. I asked my US co-workers to show me around their favorite places in the city. This resulted in me visiting local dive bars, hidden gems and … a country dance club. I have experienced life in 5 different apartments of the city: the Mission district, Marina area, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Financial District and the Union square area. These are the spots I can recommend when you’re visiting San Fransisco in California.
Als Vlaanderen expert vragen vrienden mij vaak wat ze beslist niet mogen missen als ze een bezoek brengen aan Antwerpen. ‘Waar kan ik goed shoppen?’ en ‘wat zijn de leuke wijken?’ behoren tot de meest gestelde vragen. Voordat ik er erg in heb begin ik vol enthousiamse te vertellen over de parels van Antwerpen: van de mooiste musea tot de hipste winkels, lekkerste adresjes en meest bijzondere wijken waar toeristen niet zo snel komen. Antwerpen verveelt nooit en al kom je er vaak, je raakt maar niet uitgekeken.
Rotterdam is an exciting and versatile city with a down to earth attitude and a fenomenal modern architecture. Being the town where I live, I’d be happy to show you around the most iconic buildings (Hotel New York, Cube houses), the nicest terraces (Oude Haven), beautiful parks (Kralingse bos) and even an authentic Dutch quarter which you will certainly love (Delfshaven).
Guest blog by Olivier – Antwerp Hi there ! I’m Olivier, born in Belgium and currently living in Antwerp. You can call me a hedonistic hipster wannabe, foodie lover or design & architecture freak, I meet all the before-mentioned requirements. Give me a beat & I will dance to it ! I’m obsessed with music. I literally have headphones taped to my head. Put me on a plane and I’m ready to discover the world. Any destination will do, because to travel is to live.
Off-the-beaten track favorites in Antwerp
Spending my Sundays are mostly limited to shameless couch potato-sessions, but all that is about to change since Antwerp has a shopping Sunday every first Sunday of the month. So next Sunday I will be out the door for a new winter outfit or some (very) early Christmas shopping. Really, any excuse will do ! 🙂
Antwerp is a true shopping-walhalla, so you can be sure there is enough for every taste. If you are flabbergasted by the offer, don’t worry! Below you can find a few of my personal and off-the-beaten track favorites:
Vier Antwerp Hipster Alert ! Street wear lovers and sneaker addicts are at the right place here. A small shop boosting plenty of styles from chic to casual. You will mostly find menswear here, but girls can also find some exclusive pairs of sneakers here or cool gadgets and accessories.
Kammenstraat 66, | Location
‘This is me and my baby boy in front of the only Dutch shop in Houston’.
In the south of Texas, near the Gulf of Mexico, you’ll find Houston. Houston is the 5th biggest city of America while Texas is the 2th biggest state. Most people will know Houston from the NASA, but “H-town” holds one of the biggest oil and gas industries in the world. When you would maybe expect an industrial, concrete city in the desert, you will be surprised.
Om het ware Brussel te leren kennen moet je voor je gevoel iets meer moeite doen dan bij andere steden. En niets is minder waar. De mooie pleinen, goede cafés, boetiekjes, delicatessenwinkels en bezienswaardigheden liggen wat verspreid door de stad en als je de stad niet kent voel je algauw dat je verdwaalt bent. Ik heb Brussel de afgelopen jaren leren kennen via mijn werk en een vriendin die er een tijdje heeft gewoond. Ik ben al snel verliefd geworden op deze fantastische stad. Elke keer bezoek ik weer een nieuwe wijk en sta ik versteld van de contrasten en de leuke verrassingen die je tegenkomt. Mijn favoriete plekken in Brussel zijn o.a. het Sint-Katelijneplein en de Oude Graanmarkt die pal naast elkaar liggen, maar ook het Sint-Goriksplein is gezellig of de Marollen! Wil je mijn favoriete adresjes in Brussel weten? Lees dan snel verder…
BRUSSEL – BELGIË MIJN ORANGE SPOTS
DE GROTE ZAVEL – Chocoladeparadijs
De Grote Zavel is een mooie elegante buurt. In deze wijk moet je zijn voor een pitstop ‘quality shopping’ en delicatessen proeven. Zo vind je hier de bekende chocolatiers als Godiva, Neuhaus en Leonidas. Wil je voor ‘haute chocolade’ gaan, dan bezoek je de winkel van Patrick Roger met vaak creatieve decoraties en chocoladesculpturen in de etalage (ook een toonbank van chocolade): www.patrickroger.com. Pierre Marcolini is ook een topper: kies uit een groot assortiment chocolade in diverse smaken, macarons en heerlijke taartjes: www.marcolini.be. Vlakbij Marcolini bevindt zich Wittamer, officieel Hofleverancier bij het Belgisch hof. Vergeet niet om een gebakje of pralines te bestellen met een verrukkelijke warme chocolademelk in de tearoom op de eerste etage: www.wittamer.com.
Not far from the Dutch boarder and just an hour drive from Rotterdam (NL) you’ll find one of my favorite cities: Antwerp, the city of Rubens, fashion & diamonds. This is the place to hunt for the best fashion items, jewels, shoes, design… Besides, Antwerp is also known for its majestic historical buildings, its authentic Flemish alleys, its gorgeous main square (Grote Markt), beautiful churches and other architectural gems. But let’s not forget to mention the famous Belgian chocolates! There are plenty of excellent chocolatiers scattered all over the city. An upcoming area that has become one of my favorite places in Antwerp is the quarter ”t Eilandje’. Here you can visit the impressive Museum aan de Stroom (MAS), a peaceful little harbour with cranes, boats and warehouses (housing restaurants and trendy bars). If you fancy nice events and good food, I can recommend the yearly gastronomic festival”Antwerpen Proeft”, music festivals, fashion shows, sport events and concerts at the Waagnatie, located at the river banks of t’Eilandje. Did I get your attention yet? Find out about my favorite spots in Antwerp below.
ANTWERP – BELGIUM MY ORANGE SPOTS
THE CHOCOLATE LINE BY DOMINIQUE PERSOONE
Get ready to taste one of the best chocolates in the world! ‘Shock-o-latier’ Dominique Persoone produces the finest chocolate with a fairtrade label and adds the most exotic and unthinkable flavours to his Belgian pralines. Think of chocolates with bacon, wasabi, cauliflower, weed, exotic fruits and much more. Dominique Persoone opened his first store in Bruges and his second in Antwerp. The shop in Antwerp at the Meir street is quite unique: situated in a beautiful building with a stunning decoration. When visiting the shop, don’t forget to walk to the back to take a glance of his chocolate atelier and chocolate art.
Address: The Chocolate Line – Antwerpen, Paleis op de Meir 50
