Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable Borneo Travel: Cruising on the Kinabatangan River

February 11, 2017 by Karen 21 Comments

I loved the National Geographic movies about the ecosystems of the world as a child, so I always dreamed of visiting Borneo. However, Borneo is a huge island composed of three countries, so you need to decide where you’re going to go. I chose the amazing Malaysian province of Sabah due to its accessibility by budget airlines (AirAsia) and the Kinabatangan river for its amazing wildlife.

A square inch of land in Borneo is supposed to be more biodiverse than ANY other place on the planet. This Borneo travel guide covers my experience visiting the beautiful Kinabatangan river, advice about the Kinabatangan river packages you’ll find, the Borneo ecotour that I chose, and information about the animals you’ll see in Borneo!

…

A scenic day trip from the Hague: Voorburg, Leidschendam, and the Molendriegang

July 24, 2018 by Karen 1 Comment

Sometimes, you don’t need to go far in order to treat yourself. On a recent weekend, my husband and I took a cycle through the lovely towns of Voorburg and Leidschendam prior to visiting the Molendriegang, one of the most famous landmarks of the Hague area.

Although the Hague is quite modern, you can easily experience the cuteness of these adorable towns just outside of the Hague and the classic Dutch polder landscape, including the famous Molendriegang (Three Windmills).

Keep reading for an scenic bike ride outside of the Hague, including stops for lunch and beer, totals about 23 kilometers from the Hague city center. This route should take about 1.5 hours without stopping on a lazy Saturday or Sunday.

…

Can Amsterdam be saved from overtourism? Thoughts on sustainable tourism in Amsterdam

July 26, 2018 by Karen 4 Comments

As a former resident of Amsterdam, I’m concerned about overtourism in Amsterdam, which threatens the livability of Amsterdam as house prices skyrocket and many neighborhoods have become overtaken by tourists. Although the city of Amsterdam has enacted new legislation to limit the impacts of tourism, the numbers of tourists visiting the capital of the Netherlands isn’t slowing down.

A marketing campaign that began in 2016 by the Amsterdam Marketing still seeks to bring more tourists to other destinations in the Holland region, a goal shared by many tourists who hope to see the Netherlands beyond Amsterdam. However, in trying to bring tourists to other destinations, the campaign has rebranded nearby towns and attractions (that aren’t part of Amsterdam) as parts of Amsterdam. Does Amsterdam truly value sustainable tourism or does it only wish to push unwanted tourists beyond its city borders?

…

4 days in Malta: A Malta itinerary on things to do in Malta without a car

April 8, 2018 by Karen 7 Comments

If you’re planning to visit Malta, you might be wondering how many days to spend in Malta. Although it’s easy to spend to one week in Malta, I considered four days to be the perfect amount of time in Malta to see the main sightseeing attractions in Malta.

If you’re wondering what to do in Malta without the expense of a car, keep reading as you can do a surprising number of things in Malta during four days. I wrote this guide as most of the guides that I found about Malta focused on having a car.

Malta is small, so my husband and I chose not to rent a car during my long weekend in Malta as I felt that we could see everything that I wanted to see with the bus after checking the schedule.

…

Your foodie guide to Yerseke, the best place to try Zeeland mussels, oysters, and lobster in Zeeland

June 15, 2018 by Karen 2 Comments

Sometimes, I get a wild hair–and when I read about the Zeeland mussels, oysters, and the Oosterschelde lobster, I knew that I had to visit this Dutch province just for the seafood. After researching where to try the best seafood in Zeeland, I ended up deciding to visit Yerseke.

This cozy fishing village is one of the best places in Zeeland to try local Zeeland seafood. In this little guide to Yerseke for day trippers, I’ll be discussing the history of Yerseke, where to eat in Yerseke, and what to eat in Yerseke.

…

The Best Neighborhoods in Amsterdam to Stay In, Eat In & Explore

February 4, 2016 by Karen 18 Comments

I’ve been living in Amsterdam for a while now and I wanted to show others the Amsterdam that I love: neighborhoods full of regular people, great food, local haunts, and gezellig (cozy) cafes/bars. Most people miss out on these when they visit Amsterdam as they stay in the centre, but I wrote about five neighborhoods worth seeing (or staying in) as well as my favorite sights/food/drinks in each area. Keep reading below the cut for local tips!

…

Off the beaten path things to do in Utrecht with insider tips

August 17, 2018 by Karen 3 Comments

Two weeks ago, I headed to Utrecht for the ultimate insider tour of Utrecht. I was lucky enough to be shown around by Utrecht by Suzanne, a proud resident of Utrecht, that I met using a website called 2 glimpse. We had a lovely time doing the off the beaten path things to do in Utrecht that many tourists miss.

…

A perfect weekend in Amersfoort, the Netherlands

November 9, 2018 by Karen 5 Comments

One of the things that I love most about living in the Netherlands is how easy it is to travel around the Netherlands. Amersfoort is a charming city just thirty minutes from Amsterdam (and only 15 minutes from Utrecht) with a stunning medieval center. Although I’ve been to Amersfoort briefly before, this past weekend gave me the chance to explore this beautiful Dutch city. Keep reading for your perfect weekend itinerary for Amersfoort, the Netherlands!

…

The Rietveld Schröderhuis: the iconic building of De Stijl

October 30, 2018 by Karen 1 Comment

As someone with a keen interest in architecture who has traveled to some of the most famous architectural masterpieces in the world, I was excited to visit the Rietveld Schröderhuis, one of the iconic buildings of de Stijl.

What is striking about architecture is that it’s not just a work of art to be admired, but also one to be used. Although some architecture is built to fulfill the architect’s whimsies, the Rietveld Schröderhuis was built specifically to suit the needs of its owner.

Beyond the history behind this iconic house, the interior of the Schroder house is extremely striking yet functional. This post will discuss the history as well as the architecture behind the home. (There are many photos of the interior as well as the exterior of the Rietveld Schröderhuis!)

…

Why you should visit Eastern Kentucky

October 26, 2018 by Karen Leave a Comment

Travel is not just about going somewhere new, but also coming back to somewhere familiar. I’m an unlikely proponent of visiting Eastern Kentucky as someone who was born and raised in New York City and who had never set foot in Kentucky until I met Jacob. However, Jacob helped me find the charm of this oft-forgotten region of the United States even if he doesn’t always see it himself.

…