11. January 2020 • Katja Laurien
Komodo National Park is the main thing the Indonesian island Flores is known for. In fact, many tourists only go to Labuan Bajo, the gateway to the park, and skip the rest of the island (which I wouldn’t recommend). Komodo is indeed a magical place and has so many amazing things to offer, I found it difficult to find appropriate information on the Komodo tours and pricing a la little bit confusing, so I planned an extra day in Labuan Bajo, just to make sure I could do everything I wanted to.
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5. January 2020 • Katja Laurien
Self love is more than just a fancy word used in psychology and amongst spiritual people. The lack of self love is probably the # 1 reason for all the misery in our lives. Without self love we can’t love others; without self love we can’t develop our full potential and without self love we can never feel “whole” or “complete”. Unfortunately, self love is not something you can turn on and off as you please.
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9. December 2019 • Katja Laurien
The 17 Islands just in front of the tiny village Riung is probably one of the most beautiful spots I’ve seen on Flores. The unspoiled and empty beaches on the 17 islands are a true paradise, to say the least. But I guess many people still skip it because it’s a bit off the tourist route. It’s maybe a bit of a hassle coming there (especially due to lack of information) and there’s not much more to do apart from the day tour to the 17 Islands, but it’s worth it.
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1. December 2019 • Katja Laurien
We live in a time where everything is possible. Power, fame and abundance aren’t limited anymore to the “chosen ones” but can be achieved virtually by everyone. In a way this is great. We have more or less equal opportunities and for most people in the Western world the sky’s the limit. Unfortunately, this limitless opportunities don’t seem to make people any happier, but rather anxious and stressed out. So, where does it go wrong?
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28. November 2019 • Katja Laurien
Karimunjawa was the unexpected highlight of my trip to Java. Actually it was not part of my itinerary, but ended up being the place I spent most of my time on Java. This tiny island in the north of central Java is a true paradise! I actually only wanted to stay a couple of days but ended up staying more than a week and I could have easily stayed another week, just enjoying the pristine beaches, soaking up the relaxed atmosphere and chit chatting with the friendly locals.
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9. November 2019 • Katja Laurien
For many people Borobudur is the main highlight of their trip to Java. It’s the biggest Buddhist temple built around 750-850, about 40 km from Yogyakarta. The temple can be visited anywhere between sunset and sunrise, but watching the sunrise is what most people do. The entrance fee of 350 000 IDR is already pretty hefty for Indonesian standards, but be prepared to pay an extra 125 000 just to see the sunset (which does include a pretty big breakfast buffet).
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3. November 2019 • Katja Laurien
We’ve all told a (white) lie at some point in our lives. If you happen to be this rare person who has never been guilty of it, please contact me. I’d love to meet your parents and do some research on your environment. Most of us grow up in environments where we are taught to be “polite and kind”. And that the truth is impolite and unfriendly. We learn that harmony is more important than confrontation and that our needs are less important than the collective good.
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2. November 2019 • Katja Laurien
One of the things I enjoy most about travelling is the fact that it makes me value my own country a lot more. As a nature lover I always used to consider myself to be very unfortunate to be born in the Netherlands. It’s one of the few countries people would definitely not travel to just for the nature. We don’t have the azure blue waters of the Mediterranean countries, we don’t even come close to the mountains the Alps (let alone any mountain) and our forests have nothing more to offer than any other European forest.
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6. October 2019 • Katja Laurien
We all sometimes struggle to set our boundaries. On the one hand we want to serve others, but we also want to take care of ourselves and serve our own needs and wishes. We could also turn this around and put it differently: We either fear rejection or we fear losing control. How can we find out whether we really want to help someone or whether we are simply afraid to lose their sympathy?
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12. September 2019 • Katja Laurien
For many, the Simplon Pass is no more than just a beautiful gateway between Switzerland and Italy, but there’s more to it. The pass actually has many hiking trails to offer. Finding a suitable day hike was not as easy, due to the huge choice. Eventually, I did get to make my decision: The round-way up to Spitzhörli (2737 m) it was going to be! The hike takes about 4.5 hours without breaks and leads up to the top of the Spitzhörli from where you can enjoy a wonderful view.
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