chefmaison

Indonesia part 4: Surabaya

We checked into the colonial style Majapahit hotel in the centre of Surabaya. A hotel built in 1910 as the Oranje hotel, by the Iranian Sarkies brothers who also built The Raffles and The Strand in the late 1800. We had afternoon tea at The Strand in Rangoon almost ten years ago in 2014. The … Lees verder →

Indonesia part 3 – Mount Bromo

We decided to leave the Villa Borobudur resort quite early as to not miss our train in case something happened on the way to Yogyakarta. Our Grab car was spot on time, and contrary to the car that brought us to Vila Borobudur, knew the right road, so we arrived in Yogyakarta in 1 hour … Lees verder →

Indonesia Part 2: Borobudur

After checking out at the Phoenix hotel in Yogyakarta we called a Grab taxi to take us to Villa Borobudur Resort where we had booked a room for three nights. It took 1,5 hours to get there, at the hotel they take you from the parking area to the hotel lobby in a separate hotel … Lees verder →

Indonesia part 1: Jakarta and Yogyakarta

If you are planning a holiday in Indonesia, coming from Europe, take out enough time, since travel time can be long. Our holiday actually started in Yogyakarta, and it took us almost three days to get there. We flew with Emirates, a really decent airline with great service over Dubai to Jakarta, where we stayed … Lees verder →

Bruges, a real haven for brocante, vintage and lovers of everything second hand!

When planning a trip to Bruges, shopping for brocante, vintage, antique or second hand items, might not be what you had in mind first. But if you love rummaging through previously loved items, Bruges has more to offer than you might think at first! As a city guide I sometimes get the question from visitors … Lees verder →

Jan Van Eyck in Bruges – The Groeningemuseum

Visit Walk in Bruges – Your private guide in Bruges The Groeningemuseum, the museum of fine arts of Bruges, shows six centuries of Belgian visual arts. From the famous Flemish primitive painters, over the international renowned 19th century neo-classicist painters and Flemish expressionists, to the famous 20th century Belgian modernist artists. But the main draw … Lees verder →

Archeological sites Vergina and Dion – Greece

On the way from Thessaloniki to Meteora we made a stop in Vergina. We parked our car at one of the parking lots where we paid 1,5 euro. We walked towards the entrance of the Royal Tombs, and stopped at one of the small cafés to have a drink and use the toilet. I had … Lees verder →

Meteora and two Meteora hikes, Greece

From Vergina we continued our way to Kastraki near Meteora, were we had booked the Dream Nest Meteora appartement. We parked on the private parking and were welcomed by the owner, who openend the door for us. In any other case you can find the key in te key holder. The appartement is beautiful with … Lees verder →

Three days – four nights in Thessaloniki Greece

The Aegean flight left with one and half hour delay, and suddenly I felt releived I did not rent the car for the first day to drive straight to Meteora upon arrival. We took a taxi from the airport to our hotel. On arriving at the hotel we could only pay cash for the taxiride. … Lees verder →

12 day self-drive trip from Johannesburg – South Africa – Part 3 : Drakensberg mountains

The next morning we checked out at the Elephant coast guest house in Saint Lucia and set out on the road to Royal Natal national park, Northern Drakensberg. We chose the route via the highway N2 to Durban and from there the N3 to Bergville. Be aware that between Durban and the exit to Bergvillle … Lees verder →