Vlieland: 5 Days of Quietude, Craft Beers, and a Lighthouse (Walk + Work)

We stayed on the carfree island of Vlieland from the 21st till the 26th of January, 2024. As part of the Walk + Work Dutch Coastline Hike, we stayed here and walked a section of the coast every day. Since this is a continuation of the original Walk + Work trip, the hiking days count up, starting at 21. Contents1 1. Arriving in Vlieland (Day 21)1.1 Ferry ride to Vlieland1.2 Checking in to our Airbnb in Oost-Vlieland1.3 Hiking the Dutch Coastline Day 21: the Easternmost point of Vlieland2 2. Walking the North Coast (Day 22)2.1 Vlieland Tourist Information, Bus toContinue reading

Hailuoto Day Trip from Oulu: Marjaniemi Lighthouse + Keskiniemi Beacon

We visited Hailuoto on Thursday the 14th of September, 2014. It’s a very beautiful and flat island in the northern Baltic Sea in Finland. Contents1 Bus 59S from Oulu to Marjaniemi Lighthouse on Hailuoto2 Marjaniemi Lighthouse +  Coffee3 Hiking Hailuoto’s Forests to Karvo4 Keskiniemi Beacon Tower and Light5 Harrassed by Bugs in the Forests of Hailuoto6 Hyypänmäki and the Struve Geodetic Arc7 Hitchhiking to the Ferry + Return from Hailuoto to Oulu8 Solving the Mystery: Meet the Deer Fly9 Map of Hailuoto Hike10 Was this post useful? Ponder buying me a beer!11 Good read? Consider sharing it with fellow FinnophilesContinue reading

The Best Maps of Rodrigues Island, Mauritius

Use the table of contents or scroll down to see which map app I recommend and other maps of Rodrigues island that you can find while in Rodrigues. Contents1 Google Maps thinks nobody lives here2 The two maps of Rodrigues that will save your trip3 Other maps of Rodrigues I have stumbled upon3.1 Chez Jeanette3.2 3.3 Grande Montagne Nature Reserve3.4 François Leguat Giant Tortoise and Cave Reserve3.5 The Island of Rodrigues by Alfred North-Coombes4 Useful info? Consider buying me a Blue Marlin!5 Wish to share or save for later? Cool cool cool Google Maps thinks nobody lives here If you’reContinue reading

Kayaking to Île aux Fous, Îlot Hollandais, and Île aux Diamant from Port Mathurin, Rodrigues

We did this paddling trip on Monday the 23rd of May, 2022. The route went from Pointe Monnier in Port Mathurin to the artificial Îlot des Hollandais, Île aux Fous, and Île aux Diamant. All these islands are located in the gigantic lagoon of Rodrigues, Mauritius. Contents1 The Idea to Paddle to Île aux Fous2 Where to Rent a Kayak in Rodrigues?3 Kayak Time!4 Paddling to Îlot des Hollandais5 Paddling to the Main Objective: Île aux Fous6 Hiking to the Beacon of Île aux Fous + Lunch7 Paddling to Île aux Diamant8 The Cave + Peak of Île aux Diamant9Continue reading

Île aux Bénitiers + Crystal Rock by Kayak! (Mauritius)

All this happened on the 10th of January, 2022. After asking around far and wide for a place that would rent us a kayak, someone came through. The caveat? The two-person kayak only had one paddle. But we made do and paddled to île aux Bénitiers and Crystal Rock. Watch the vlog to see what that’s like! Contents1 Green Village Saves the Day2 Paddling to Île aux Bénitiers3 Mystery Rock + Crystal Rock4 Crossing Île aux Bénitiers on Foot/Paddling Around the North5 Paddling Back to Green Village/La Gaulette6 Contact Info7 Good intel? Consider buying me a tamarind juice! Green VillageContinue reading

Îlot Fourneau: Peak Hike via an Interpretive Trail

We did this trip to Îlot Fourneau on the 6th of January, 2022. The Idea + Attempt #1 When we moved from Souillac to La Gaulette by taxi, we drove past Le Morne Village. We both saw the small islet called Îlot Fourneau off the coast. I want to visit as many islets in Mauritius as possible; they are the best kind of day trips. So when we settled into our home in La Gaulette, I did some digging into going there. I found a blog post about walking to the islet in shallow waters at low tide and thenContinue reading

Mallorca by Scooter: 9 Days of Freedom from University

During my final year at university, I sometimes had a week-long vacation. Just like normal people, Jonas and I would use that week to fly to a different country and do something cool. From Wednesday the 17th till Thursday the 25th of October 2018, Jonas and I drove a scooter around the Spanish island of Mallorca. These were the most memorable things we saw. How to Rent a Scooter in Mallorca? First things first, how did we travel around Mallorca? We chose not to hitchhike this time to make sure we have plenty of time to see and do things.Continue reading

The Chiloé Archipelago

It’s hard to imagine I’ve spent nearly two weeks here, but the time really did fly by island hopping and digital detoxing in the Chiloé Archipelago. It’s a group of islands in the south of Chile that many drivers had spoken of before about how special this place is. Not a single driver was like “So you’re going to Chiloé? It’s pretty average there… better skip it”. South of the Ruta 5 The main road in Chile, the “Ruta 5” just continues on the island like there wasn’t some water to cross. My truck driver named Walter drove from theContinue reading

Sleepless in Dwejra on Gozo Island, Malta

This morning I woke up on Gozo in my sleeping bag at the docks of Dwejra (location here). There’s a little inland sea here that formed a natural harbor for small fishing boats. There’s a cave that you can see in the background, which is where the boats enter and leave this calm protected area. Without pitching my tent, I just laid out my sleeping bag and slept on top of it. It wasn’t the best sleep because it was so public, but it did the job. Some people woke me up before sunrise asking me if I wanted coffee.Continue reading