Are you ready for one of the ultimate New York travel adventures? Who does not want to fly in a helicopter over New York City? FlyNYON makes this possible and the best thing about it is that they offer a ride with open doors. The ultimate best thing to do in New York City for sure…

The Niagara Falls were the second stop of my trip through Canada and the USA, and I was beyond excitement about finally visiting these famous and amazing falls. During my stay at the falls I constantly saw these helicopters rides over the falls, that’s when I thought, I need to be on one of those, I want to see the Niagara Falls from above.

Philadelphia had been on my list for a long time, mainly for two reasons. The first reason being the important role the city of Philadelphia had in the creation of what we now know as the United States of America. The second reason being that this city was used for the famous Hollywood movie Rocky Balboa. A lot of scenes were shot here, which makes it fun and interesting to walk through this city and movie set!

Two years ago, when I was searching for accommodation in Abu Dhabi because I was visiting the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, I came across the Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort for the first time. Back then, in August 2018, they were still building the resort, planning to open later that year. For me that was too late, as they would open after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But for some reason I always kept this resort in my mind.

We always like to travel for as long and as far away as possible, for some reason we think the best things are always found abroad. And of course we have found many beautiful spots all over our world during our travels the past few years. But with the current restrictions we felt more comfortable looking a bit closer to home to spend our holiday.

And sometimes that means you literally don’t even have to go that far. Who knew that Heerlen, only a short 5 minute drive from our place, is the Mural capital of the Netherlands?
Obviously I noticed some pretty cool murals in the past, but I never knew that Heerlen actually was the street art capital of the Netherlands.

Related: List of 24 cool and unique places to visit in Netherlands!

Experiencing the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, is topping the bucketlist of many travelers. It was on top of mine for a couple of years, until I decided to just go for it. Destinations where you can spot the Northern Lights are not the cheapest, but it is worth every penny, trust me. These tips for chasing the Northern Lights in Tromso will help you making the most of this epic travel adventure.

After a few recent trips to Scandinavia I became a real fan of these Northern European countries, the people, the food, the lovely cities and the most beautiful nature.
Although Scandinavian countries are expensive, I just really like them. After my weekend in Stockholm, I became curious to visit Gothenburg, their second-largest city.

Some destinations are on everyone’s travel bucket list. The Niagara Falls are such a destination, every traveler dreams to see them at least once. For me, that was certainly the case. I had traveled the western parts of Canada before, but because of the Niagara Falls, I also really wanted to explore and travel to the eastern parts of Canada.

We first got introduced to the 25hours Hotel brand in 2022 when we visited Hamburg. We then stayed at the 25hours Hamburg HafenCity. We totally liked the hotel and the brand and started searching for more of these amazing hotels. After we stayed at the newest addition to the hotel chain, the 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central, we were completely convinced. When there is a 25hours hotel in town then there is no question, that is our place to stay.

It’s always a sport, to find decent and affordable accommodation with a prime location. Dubai has over 600 hotels, and has the world’s highest hotel occupancy rate. Finding a hotel in Dubai is not difficult, but finding something decent and affordable, that feels like a home away from home, can be a challenge.

Leave those challenges for Traveltomtom, as we managed to find the newest affordable hotspot in Dubai, and we are ready to tell you all about it! We’re sure you’re going to love this one just as much as we did! Free rental car included in the room rate! Can you believe it? Keep reading...

Are you planning a trip to the Netherlands? Then this list with the most beautiful places to visit is exactly what you are looking for. Find below a map with all the tourist spots of the Netherlands and pick the ones you like for your next trip. The Netherlands has a wide variety of tourist attractions and this extensive list has some off the beaten path destinations that you won't find in any other Netherlands travel guide.

One region in the Netherlands in particular is close to the hearts of the Traveltomtom Team, in fact, it’s home for Team Traveltomtom, and we would like to put it in the spotlight through this travel blog about Zuid Limburg. People from other parts of the Netherlands often imagine themselves being abroad when they are on holiday in South Limburg. We love showing you the most exotic and off the beaten path destinations all over our world, but we think it is about time to show you our beautiful backyard. Come visit Zuid Limburg with us!

A trip to Amsterdam is always a good idea. So whenever we can, we love to add a short trip to our capital city. Even though we love the busy and bustling city center, lately we started exploring some other suburbs of Amsterdam, with more authentic experiences. That’s how we ended up in Amsterdam-East, at the Volkshotel, to fully experience some new parts of Amsterdam.

Back in 2016 Rotterdam was named as one of the top 10 cities in the world to visit by Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel’. The city owes its place on the coveted list to its futuristic architecture, inspiring city initiatives and a growing range of art, culture, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Rotterdam, the city of reconstruction, was also mentioned by the New York Times and Rough Guide. Both recommended the Maasstad (Rotterdam’s nickname) as one of the best cities to visit in the world.

Looking for more places to visit in the Netherlands? Click on the link for oour complete list of the best things to see like: Giethoorn, Volendam, Parkstad Limburg and much more.

Travelling the East coast of Canada was one of the many trips I did last year. Only knowing the city in connection with the Titanic disaster was my main reason for to visit Halifax on the far North East of Canada’s coastline. A beautiful drive takes you from Quebec right to Halifax, where there are much more tourist attractions and things to do than just the Titanic stories.

Traveling is all about making choices, time is always too short and there is way too much to see. At least that’s the struggle I always face when travelling. When I decided I wanted to travel the Eastern parts of Canada and the USA, in three weeks, I knew it was all about making choices again. Therefore I chose to use CityPASS and these are my experiences.

The Bollenstreek (Bulb Region) and it’s tulip fields are one of the most famous and popular places to visit in the Netherlands. The Keukenhof, located within the Bulb region, attracts about 800.000 visitors each year by itself. It must be worth visiting if a few hundred thousand people do so each year, but even though we’re Dutch, visiting the Bollenstreek was on our bucket list for quite some time. For some reason we never managed to visit the flower fields.

Since travel was still on the back burner, now was the ideal time. We very recently visited the Bollenstreek and the famous Dutch flower fields and wrote this guide for Traveltomtom.

Sometimes you come across places that leave a lasting impression. During our most recent trip ticking of some of the best places to visit in The Netherlands, we also visited the Veluwe and the Veluwe National Park. They had been on our to do list for a long time, because of their beautiful nature and some really good opportunities to spot wildlife. Yes, even in the Netherlands you can spot wildlife.

Hotel de Sterrenberg is such a place that left a lasting impression. Our stay with them was organized very last minute, but that really doesn’t detract from our experience with them.

About Hotel de Sterrenberg

Hotel de Sterrenberg is a 4 star wellness hotel in Otterlo, in the heart of the Veluwe. The hotel is surrounded by beautiful nature. It invites you to be active and go outdoors to explore this beautiful part of the Netherlands.

The hotel has 39 rooms, divided over 6 different room types. De Sterrenberg is decorated very naturally with natural, modern and warm designs. The interior seems very basic in terms of the materials they used, but it actually gives the hotel a very luxurious look that fits right in with its surroundings. They used a lot of wooden and concrete materials, which blend in perfectly with the outdoor world, and also very sustainable.

Back in 2017 the hotel was completely renovated, and from then ready to welcome everyone to their wellness hotel on the Veluwe.

At Hotel de Sterrenberg you can taste nature, experience the Veluwe and completely relax in their adult only wellness hotel. Their slogan is: Hotel de Sterrenberg, place to wander. That is really what it is, wander away and get lost in the endless nature, or wander away in the relaxing wellness area. Whatever your preference, I’m sure you’ll find it here.

And, not to forget the top location of this hotel, because it is located in the middle of nature. The vast nature of the Veluwe is all around you, in fact, it’s only 600 meters away from the gates to the Veluwe National Park, top class location! It makes it the perfect getaway to explore the Veluwe.

Restaurant Cepes

When staying at hotel de Sterrenberg, make sure you don’t miss out on the amazing food that Restaurant Cepes has to offer. A true culinary tour de force!

At Restaurant Cepes you’ll be spoiled with a daily 4 course meal at a high level! There is no a la carte menu. Their gastronomic menu includes a variety of fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. Luxury, culinary and excellent food!

Their chefs cook for you with seasonal  and local products from biological addresses from their own region, including recognized Veluwe regional products. That way they spoil you as much as possible as their guest.

Wellness

The wellness is one of the best parts of Hotel de Sterrenberg. The actual wellness with sauna, Turkish steam room, wellness pool and tepidarium is only accessible for adults and is an undressed area. Complimentary water and tea service is available here, and they also serve salads and smoothies in the wellness.

Next to the wellness there is also an indoor swimming pool, with a sauna cabin, and a professional gym, these areas are all dressed areas. Visiting in the summer? Then there’s also a wellness garden outside, very relaxed area to just lie down on one of the beds, enjoy the Veluwe nature and relax! Usage of the swimming pool, wellness and fitness facilities is included in your stay.

Bike rental

Bike rental is pretty normal nowadays at hotels, however, De Sterrenberg goes the extra mile here. Like many other hotels, De Sterrenberg has bikes for rent, both regular and e-bikes. The Veluwe is the perfect place to explore by bike, it’s even better to explore by bike than by car.

The front desk has composed 5 bike routes for you, 5 different routes to explore the region. From just a few kilometers to a full day of biking.

Best places to visit in Hoge Veluwe National Park

This park is one of the largest and oldest national parks in the country and which is of course mentioned in our article about the best places to visit in The Netherlands. You’ll find 5500 ha of forests, moors, sand dunes and marshes. Furthermore, it is home to red deer, roe deer, mouflon and wild boar. There is an entrance fee if you want to enter the park, which depends on your way of transportation. Entrance fee for adults is 11 euros. At every entrance to the National Park there is a large bicycle shed with free bikes to use for visitors to the National Park.

Obviously it’s all about nature when visiting the Veluwe, and the National Park is our number one must visit when coming here. However, there are many more things to do in the Veluwe area, and we would like to list our favorites here, as they are easy to visit from De Sterrenberg.

Loenense Waterfall

Yes, the Netherlands is a very flat country, but even in a flat country, there is always a highest waterfall to visit. For the Netherlands, the Loenense waterfall is the highest waterfall in the country, and when visiting the Veluwe it’s a must do, absolutely worth a stop. It’s tucked away in the forests, so you can even make it a day of hiking and exploring.

Center of the Netherlands

This one is located just a few minutes away from De Sterrenberg and Otterlo. Actually the perfect trip when renting a bike from the hotel. The exact center of the Netherlands happens to be located in Lunteren, in the middle of the forest, so be in for a bit of a search. Once you find it there is a stone marking the exact center of the country, which we think is pretty cool.

Radio Kootwijk

Radio Kootwijk is a national monument which was used as a communication facility between the Netherlands and the colony of Dutch East Indies. Its location is fantastic, open heaths, the largest active sand drifts in Western Europe and of course the monumental radio station itself, definitely worth a visit!

We truly enjoyed our stay with Hotel de Sterrenberg in every possible way. We explored the National Park using their e-bikes, and had the ultimate relaxation in their wellness. Not to forget about the amazing food that they serve in Restaurant Cepes, that alone is worth a visit!

It is a modern and contemporary wellness hotel with the perfect location. A place where gastronomy, wellness and nature come together. Ultimate relaxation, pampering and luxury in the heart of the Veluwe.

Booking.com

This blog was written by travel writer and Traveltomtom team member Ashley. She stayed at the wonderful and amazing Hotel de Sterrenberg on behalf of Traveltomtom and wrote this blog about her experiences.

We always try to explore new places, also when it comes to cities like Amsterdam, which we have visited many times. We try to find hidden gems and undiscovered spots, to make the trip feel like we have actually visited a new destination. In our search for our most recent Amsterdam trip we were looking for a unique place to stay and came across the Ambassade Hotel. A prime location in the heart of the city, yet a part we had never visited and explored properly.

I visited Canada last September during the so-called Indian Summer. It’s when all the leaves of the trees, especially the maple leaf, start to colour. Algonquin Provincial Park was one of the few nature parks I visited during my recent trip through Canada, but a must as Indian Summer here is just amazing! Autumn is the most colorful and wonderful season to travel to East Canada.

Experiencing Dubai from above? Doesn't it sound awesome to visit the highest observation deck in the world? Dubai is a city of extremes, where many things are possible, somewhere you must visit once in your life. A city with many world records to their name, including having the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.

Boutique Hotel De Salon van Fagel was born in 2016, when the owner had a dream for the beautiful monumental building the hotel is located in. Creating a place where people from all countries can experience a pleasant introduction to The Hague. We were looking for that pleasant place to stay in The Hague. We visited The Hague before, but a long time ago and only on day trips.

Very recently we travelled through some new and undiscovered parts of the Netherlands. The city of Deventer turned out to be the perfect stop in between the Veluwe and the Achterhoek. We liked it so much that we decided to spend the night there, and we really had chosen the perfect place to stay in Deventer.

Even though we only live a 2,5 hour drive away from Bruges, we had never visited this beautiful city before. Bruges is a feast for the eyes and the mouth. There is so much to see, you won’t even get time to put your camera away. Plus, with over 60 chocolate stores, Bruges is a true chocolate city. Let us help you plan your next Bruges citytrip. We tell you everything you need to know before visiting Bruges.

After quite some city trips to Dusseldorf, London, Gothenburg and Barcelona over the past six months, Traveltomtom writer Ashley, really felt the urge for an outdoor nature trip. After some research on the internet she looked into visiting Davos in summer, a very famous winter destination in Switzerland. However, checking out the Davos tourism tips on the internet she immediately became very excited about visiting Davos in summer and made it her next travel destination, without any regrets as you will discover reading this Davos travel blog full of tips.

Opening a brand new hotel in the middle of a worldwide crisis? Sounds too crazy to be true right? Well, two entrepreneurs from ’s Hertogenbosch did just that. And as we’re always looking for unique and special places to stay, this former crane was right up our alley and we couldn’t be more excited.

The crane officially opened late September 2020, as the official opening was postponed due to Corona. However in the months before the official opening they were running a very busy Hotel Exceptionnel. Booking after booking came in, they haven’t really suffered from the Corona crisis.

Dinner in the Sky is a culinary and spectacular international concept that allows you to have dinner 50 meter (165 ft) above the ground. It is one of those crazy unique things to do in Dubai and we got to experience it for you and write about it. This is our blog with a complete review about Dinner in the Sky Dubai.

Planning a trip to big cities and choosing the perfect hotel for your Amsterdam trip, can be a lot of work. That’s why we are more than happy to offer you a helping hand. Location is always key when searching for accommodations for our travels, so also during our recent trip to Amsterdam. We checked in to the DoubleTree by Hilton next to Amsterdam Central Station.

Cooler boxes, chilly bins and cooler bags are often inconvenient in size and difficult to take with you on a trip. Yet their functionality is often desired when travelling. We have often explored the outdoors, where it would have been great to have a handy cooler bag to keep drinks chilled for a few hours.

As a traveler, the Fairmont le Chateau Frontenac has been on my bucket list of places I have always wanted to stay at least once. When I started planning my most recent trip through the Eastern parts of Canada and the USA, Quebec obviously had to be one of my stops. So this year I was finally able to stay at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, truly a dream come true! The Château Frontenac is so much more than just a hotel, it is an icon of the city of Quebec. Keep reading if you want to find out everything about this fairytale castle hotel.

We stayed at this amazing place in June 2022 as part of our Midnight Sun Ambassador trip to Rovaniemi and Yllas. From the moment we stepped in to this hotel we fell in love with this place. HAAWE boutique hotel in Rovaniemi offers everything we normally search for when looking for accommodation. Privacy, memorable details and perfect design.

From the moment we decided to travel back to Rovaniemi in February 2023, we were determined to stay at HAAWE Boutique Apart Hotel Rovaniemi again.

In the Winter of 2020 we had our first collaboration with Fjällräven. Back then they provided us with a full Fjällräven winter clothing set to review. It was our introduction to the Fjällräven brand. We really liked their products and quality.

When we started planning our most recent trip to Lapland, we knew we needed only the best possible gear. Knowing that the temperature in Lapland can drop well below 0, only the best of the best would suffice. With our previous Fjällräven experiences, there was only one way to go for me.

Who doesn’t dream about this? A helicopter tour is on many travelers and tourists bucket and wish list. In recent years we have been lucky enough to be able to experience a helicopter flight at a number of beautiful places, like the Grand Canyon, the Niagara Falls and New York City. Another destination we had on our wish list for a helicopter tour was Dubai.

England is home to some of the biggest football teams in the world and six of the Premier League football teams have their home ground in London. Wembley Stadium is without doubt one of the most impressive and most important stadiums in football history. The historic World Cup final of 1966 was played here, when England became World Champion. But also the ‘greatest live performance in the history of rock’ by Queen during Live Aid 1985 took place at Wembley. 

Italy was our first destination ever since Corona had put the world on hold. From our Dutch government there are many travel restrictions in place, which leaves very few destinations, all within Europe, open for us to travel to. Early September, Italy was one of the few places we could freely travel to. That plus the fact that we had never properly explored Italy before, made us decide to choose Italy as next destination.

The Netherlands is just a small country and it doesn’t have many 5 star hotels. So, when they open a brand new renovated 5 star hotel and you get invited to come and check it out, then that’s a straight yes!

Traveltomtom team member Ashley got to experience first hand this luxury hotel in Arnhem and wrote this review of Hotel Haarhuis.

Planning a trip to Zuid - Limburg in The Netherlands then you must visit Valkenburg! One of the most famous picturesque villages of the country and also the cycling capital of The Netherlands. Traveltomtom is originally from the so called Heuvelland, the most southern region in The Netherlands and we love to show you some of the best places to stay in Zuid-Limburg.

You may know it as the Black Label Hotel, but since March 1, 2022, this hotel is known as Hotel Valkenburg by Mercure. Traveltomtom team member Ashley went to check it out and this is her Hotel Valkenburg review.

I have said it before, travelling the Dolomites and South Tyrol in particular, it often feels like you’re travelling through Austria. It’s the mountains combined with the traditional alpine chalets, and red geraniums hanging from the balconies.

Arriving at Hotel Winkler Sport & Spa Resort we were slightly confused. It was again a classic alpine chalet we arrived at. We had checked the hotel online, and photos showed a very luxurious and modern hotel. Walking up to the entrance of the hotel, we honestly thought we were at the wrong Winkler Hotel. But then, walking through the entrance it’s like going through a time machine, from traditional alpine to extremely modern and luxurious. Absolutely fantastic!

Even though Dusseldorf is only an hour away from where I live, I had actually never visited this city before. I only ever passed it on my way to Dusseldorf Airport, to catch a flight to new destinations.

When looking up things to do in Dubai I am sure you already found out about the Dubai Aquarium, but did you know it is located in a massive shopping mall? There is a huge glass wall in the Dubai Mall that gives you a glimpse into the Dubai Aquarium and it is actually free to view for the public. So why buying a ticket for the Dubai Aquarium? In this blog we will tell you our experiences and why we recommend visiting the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo.

My main reason for visiting Australia’s Northern Territory was to visit Australia’s largest national park. Just to give you an idea of how big Kakadu national park is, it is about 1/3 of the size of Tasmania , nearly half the size of Switzerland and equally-sized to Slovenia. Kakadu scenic flights are therefore one of the best ways to see Kakadu National Park.

After 6 months of staying at home and exploring only our own Netherlands, it was finally time to cross borders again and have our first trip abroad since the Corona pandemic. With still many travel restrictions in place, our destinations were limited. But nevertheless, we managed to pick an awesome destination for this first trip after Corona.

My most recent Canada trip also brought me to the vibrant city of Montreal. Searching for Montreal accommodation for my travels, for me it’s important that my hotel is located on a prime location in the city I visit. This lead me to Le Centre Sheraton in Montreal Downtown. With their newly renovated Club Rooms and its location right in the middle of downtown, this had to be my place to stay.

For a bucket list trip to Rovaniemi in Lapland we wanted to take the best possible gear with us. Decent and warm clothing and shoes are key when visiting extremely cold places like Lapland.

We both had pretty decent hiking boots. But we instantly knew that these weren’t going to be good enough for a trip to the Arctic.

The holiday season is coming, the most wonderful time of the year is almost here. I love Christmas, which is what made me think of a Christmas city trip. Throughout Europe many cities have Christmas markets and special decorations this time of the year. I wanted to visit a city where I had never been before and which is famous for its Christmas markets and celebrations. There was only one city that ticked all the boxes; Vienna!

Canada’s capital Ottawa was without any doubt one of my stops on my itinerary. The only thing I knew was that I really wanted to visit Parliament Hill, to see where all the important decisions are made in Canada. But after spending three lovely days in Ottawa I left the city, impressed by everything I did, saw and experienced those past three days.

When we travelled the Dolomites early September 2020, we picked several stops to cover most of the Dolomites from west to east. So after starting the trip in Merano, we made our way east, having our next stop north of Merano.

A beautiful family-run hotel near the town of Mühlbach, about 50km north of Bolzano and 30km north of the amazing St. Magdalena. We made Nature & Active Hotel Rogen our next stop, which turned out to be a pretty sweet decision.

Sometimes you visit places that will stay with you for the rest of your life, never to forget again. I really think that the nhow hotel in Rotterdam has the most beautiful, amazing and unique view in Rotterdam, may be even in the Netherlands.

When you think of Dubai, most people think of the modern high-rise buildings, and the place where ‘impossible’ doesn’t exist. To be honest, so do I! But obviously it wasn’t always like this. There are a few districts in Dubai, like Bur Dubai and Deira Dubai, that are still quite authentic with souks, abras and Arabian Tea Houses. And we think these spots should be on your itinerary when visiting Dubai.

Scrolling through this Dubai blog I am sure you can't believe this is also Dubai. Therefore, according to Traveltomtom, doing a walking tour of Old Dubai should be listed as one of the best things to do in Dubai. You can feel the vibe in the photos below.

The Netherlands is just a stone's throw away from Belgium, so visiting Belgian cities has always been easy and fun to do for the Traveltomtom team. After visiting Brussels, Antwerp and Bruges, travel writer Ashley had set her mind on traveling to Ghent. After visiting Bruges in Summer 2021, people told us, if you liked Bruges then you should really visit Ghent. We were told Ghent was even nicer and one of the best places to visit in Belgium.

rYou can’t visit Dubai without doing a desert safari. It’s simply a must do when travelling to Dubai. There are many tour operators offering these safaris, so it can be hard to pick the best one. Luckily we have already done that work for you. Traveltomtom went on a desert safari in Dubai with Platinum Heritage, and we will explain why we think they are your best pick and what their Dubai desert safaris are like.

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and a very popular holiday destination in Northern Italy. It is located half way between Brescia and Verona and right in between Milan and Venice, on the edge of the Dolomites.

In Summer Lake Garda is normally extremely crowded, as it is a popular holiday destination for many people, not just Italians. With a worldwide pandemic, and still many travel restrictions in place, we thought this would be the perfect time to visit Lake Garda and avoid the numbers of tourists that normally visit this famous Italy tourist destination. It turned out to be a pretty good decision.

After our lovely stay at the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront in Dubai Waterfront, we thought it would be fun to check in to another Radisson Blu Hotel nearby. That is how we ended up at the Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Canal View. They’re barely four kilometers apart from each other, but that’s a world away in Dubai, making you explore a complete new part of this magical city.

Lately we visited Dubai again, one of our favorite holiday destinations in the world, and had the opportunity to stay in the up and coming Dubai Waterfront. We had set our eyes on the Radisson Blu Hotel, which seemed to have a great location. In this blog you can read everything about our experiences during our stay.

Just recently, Ashley a valued member of the Traveltomtom Team, visited the Dutch Bulb region for the very first time. Besides visiting all the beautiful Dutch flower fields, she was looking for a fun and unique experience. That’s when she came across Renzy, self guided tours in electric Renault Twizies. Find out her experiences discovering the Dutch tulip fields and stunning landscapes in a unique way.

One of the great things of travelling is that you get to meet like-minded people who often share the same stories and interests as you. It was in July 2022 that we were in Rovaniemi  and Ylläs when we met Lorenzo, owner of Arctic Road Trips. Truly an enthusiastic and energetic guy, who went up the mountains every night to capture the midnight sun. And even though it was in the middle of Summer and we had crazy hot temperatures for Lapland standards, he just couldn’t stop talking about his biggest passion, Northern Lights.

I have to be honest, when I was offered to test and review these Nova Sport earbuds, I wasn’t too enthusiastic to start with, but let me explain. I've always had problems with earplugs. For some reason they never stuck in my ears and always fall out. Reason for me to never wear earphones and to stick with on ear and over ear headphones.

I’m a big fan of over ear headphones, but some are quite large and therefore not handy to travel with. I don’t like using them while walking for example. I think they’re just too big for that. However I sometimes would love to be able to enjoy some music while hiking or exploring new places.

For some reason we had actually never visited the city of Utrecht properly. So, when we discovered the brand-new Crowne Plaza Utrecht, we knew, this is meant to be!

Location is always key when searching for accommodations for city trips, and so it was during our recent trip to Utrecht. Well, let the Crowne Plaza happens to have just the perfect location for a city trip to Utrecht.

Dubai Marina, it’s one of the most popular districts in Dubai, and it surely is our most favorite part of Dubai. It’s where we fell in love with Dubai during our first trip in 2013, and it’s where we come back every time we are visiting Dubai. So it makes sense that we share one of our favorite places in Dubai Marina with you. On one of our latest trips we stayed in Rove Dubai Marina and this is our review.

It seems like new exciting tourist attractions are popping up in Dubai every day. One of the newest additions to the city is Sky Views. I initially thought it was just a new viewing platform or observatory for outstanding Burj Khalifa views, boy was I wrong. Sometimes traveling also means taking on challenges, pushing boundaries and conquering fears, and we certainly did that when we signed up for the Edge Walk in Dubai.

Are you ready to go back to school? Sleep in a brand new hotel located in a former high school! Trust me you will feel like walking through your own former high school and memories will come back to mind! This is AMAZING!

I love seeing old buildings being restored and given a new purpose. Especially when such an old building becomes a new, modern hotel. These unique hotels hold a special story and history. We love these stories and unique places to stay and that is why we love sharing them with you. One of these unique hotels, in an old restored high school is the DoubleTree by Hilton in Sittard.

At Traveltomtom we love to show you all corners of the world. The crazier a destination sounds, the more curious we are. We love to travel the world and show you other countries and cultures. But what’s just as much fun as showing you the world? Showing you Traveltomtom’s home! We have been exploring our own backyard for the past few weeks, and have discovered some hidden gems in Limburg and just recently we reviewed the Merici Hotel in Sittard, a hotel housed in a monastery!

Some things are on everyone’s travel bucket list. The Arctic SnowHotel and Glass Igloos are two of these examples. I think every traveler dreams about staying at places like these. And so did we! Dreaming about traveling to Lapland, the Snow Hotel and these Glass Igloos have always been on top of our wish list.

So, I simply can’t wait to tell you all about this amazing place in Lapland, just keep reading.

Sometimes you don’t have to travel half way across the world to discover some unique hidden gems. In this case we only had to travel 5 minutes from home for a super special accommodation. I knew the medieval Abbey of Rolduc from back in the day when we used to run the annual Abbey Cross running event here with our primary school. But after that I actually hadn’t visited this corner of the Netherlands for years, even though it’s only a 5 minute drive away.

We travel to every corner of our world for Traveltomtom, but now it was about time to explore our own backyard for a change and that is how we ended up staying in the Abbey of Rolduc.

Lisbon has been on my travel bucket list for a very long time. This summer I decided it was about time to visit Lisbon, the second oldest capital city in the world (after Athens). Lisbon is built on seven hills, with the São Jorge hill being the highest of the city. Located on the summit of this hill is the São Jorge Castle, overlooking the city with some breathtaking views. On top of this highest hill, and right next to the castle you’ll find (if you search well) Solar Do Castelo, so be prepared for a climb whenever you go to the hotel! In this blog you can read about my stay, a complete hotel review.

Rovaniemi has been a dream and bucket list destination for us for so long, mainly because it is Santa’s Hometown and simply a magical travel destination for winter. However, little did we expect that we would actually visit Rovaniemi for the first time in the middle of summer.

Rovaniemi in Summer, no snow, no Northern Lights, will Santa even be there? Is there even anything to do in Rovaniemi in Summer? We visited Rovaniemi in July and are completely blown away by it as a travel destination to spend your summer holiday. In this travel blog you can read all about our adventures, places to visit and things to do in Rovaniemi and in the end we will give you some tips for places to stay and lovely restaurants to eat at.

In 2020 Ylläs was awarded with the Scandinavian Outdoor Award for Best Outdoor and Travel Destination. At Traveltomtom we love outdoor destinations and being busy with outdoor activities. So when we got the chance to visit Scandinavia’s Best Outdoor Destination of 2020, we hopped on a plane!

This is your travel guide for those travelers that decide to visit Ylläs in summer. With the best things to do, hotel recommendation, restaurant tips and our travel tips.

My first visit to Washington DC was three years ago, on a day trip from New York City. Back then I thought it was my only chance visiting the capital of the USA, so I didn’t wanna miss it. Looking back at it now, such organized day trips, with limited time for yourself to explore, it’s not my thing at all.

Noise cancelling headphones are a must have essential when you travel. Not all noise cancelling headphones are equally good especially for traveling. The Traveltomtom team is always looking for the best ones to make traveling for us and for you more comfortable and more enjoyable.

Just recently we were introduced to a tech company that was unknown to us at the time: Teufel. Have you ever heard of Teufel?

Sometimes you see things passing by on social media, of which you can only think, who comes up with such a brilliant idea? When I saw the Clock Tower Suite on social media, that was my first thought!

A luxury hotel suite located in a former clock tower, that’s not something you see every day!

After Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Dusseldorf Airport is my favorite airport to travel from. Dusseldorf is located only an hour away from where I live, so it is very easily accessible for me, and offers all international connections I can think of. Something that always catches my attention when I travel from Dusseldorf Airport is the Sheraton Hotel. When you arrive at Dusseldorf airport by car, you can’t miss the large Sheraton letters covering the P3 parking lot.

The destination was set: Lapland. But that immediately led to the next question. What are we going to wear? When it comes to cold winter destinations, warm clothing is super important. Getting the right travel gear is an essential if you embark on an Arctic adventure.

A jacket is fundamental in staying warm in cold conditions. Picking the right one can be a challenge but is crucial at the same time.

There are a few things the Netherlands is really known and famous for. Cheese, windmills, tulips and perhaps the most famous of them all Delft Blue. Everyone in the Netherlands knows Delft Blue and most grandparents might have some Delft Blue in their home.

Because Delft Blue is often found at our grandparents home it has a bit of a dusty and old fashioned image to it. But, it feels as Dutch as can be, so when we got invited to come to the Delft Blue Museum for a guided tour and workshop, I couldn’t be more curious and enthusiastic.

Dubai has many interesting and fantastic highlights and tourists attractions, but one of the most known and impressive one's is the man-made palm shaped island Palm Jumeirah. Palm Jumeirah is often proclaimed the eight wonder of the world. Ever since we started visiting Dubai back in 2013, we have always wanted to see this impressive wonder from above, from another angle. For the daredevils there is the Dubai Skydive or a Dubai helicopter tour, but if that is a bridge too far there is now a fantastic alternative.

Would I most likely recommend Berlin or Munich if anyone would ask me a cool city trip in Germany? Yes, I probably would! I wouldn’t immediately think the harbor city in the north of Germany. But that changed when we recently got to visit and explore Hamburg for a weekend. Did Hamburg surprise and deliver? Oh yes! Would I now recommend this city a Germany travel destination to other travelers? Absolutely! Not as famous as Berlin or Munich, but that’s what makes it even more surprising.

Welcome to the ultimate Lapland destination in Winter: Rovaniemi! It has been on top of our bucket list for at least 5 years to visit Lapland in winter. It’s a magical and dreamy destination that we simply wanted to discover ourselves. Little did we expect that we would actually visit Rovaniemi in Summer first. That Summer trip to Lapland however, made us fall in love with this place and was the decisive moment we started to make serious work of traveling to Rovaniemi in Winter.

Good and decent outdoor clothing is a standard part of our travels, wherever we go. Especially when it comes to extreme outdoor destinations, such as our trip to Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland, having the best possible travel clothing is really important.

Revolution Race stands for high quality outdoor clothing at affordable prices. They make a difference in the outdoor industry with their colorful, stylish and affordable outdoor clothing with the perfect fit. And we got to try it out.

We all know the Big Ben, Tower Bridge and the London Eye as some of the most famous highlights and places to visit in London. But did you know London also has a unique tourists attraction for dare devils and adrenaline rush seekers? It’s called Up at the O2, and it does what the name basically says, you go up and walk over the famous O2 Arena. One of the coolest things to do in London right now and even a great activity with kids.

Even though the Netherlands is a small country, and the fact that we have traveled all over the Netherlands the past 18 months, there are still some undiscovered places. One of the places to see in the Netherlands that we hadn't yet explored were the Northern regions of the province of North Holland. When we do travel the Netherlands, we always try to and love to stay at the Dutch hotel chain Van der Valk.

Traveling to Amsterdam is always a good idea, especially when you get to experience the city in a brand new hotel. Valk Exclusief has been building on their newest, luxury hotel in Amsterdam for the past few years. In the summer of 2020 this new and modern hotel opened its doors to the public. It was pretty special to be one of the very first guests of a recently opened hotel. Everything still smells new, looks brand new, and probably also due to the Covid-19 situation, it was very quiet.

This new, modern and luxurious Van der Valk hotel opened its doors to the public less than a year ago, in April 2018. Opening Hotel Tilburg also meant the first Van der Valk Exclusive hotel in the province of Brabant (the Netherlands), a unique happening! I was very curious to this brand new hotel and the city of Tilburg and left this place very enthusiastic just two days later. Are you just as curious to this newest Van Der Valk Exclusive hotel? Keep reading about my experiences in this review.

As I usually have an early flight out of Schiphol Airport, I always book a Schiphol hotel, to avoid the long trip from my home to the airport during the night, and to have a relaxed start of my travels.  I always travel by car to the airport, so for me it’s important that the Schiphol hotel offers parking for my car as well.

When travelling, safety is very important. I always carry a day backpack wherever I go. Hiking through the mountains, or exploring a new city, I always have a small backpack with me. As an admirer of anti-theft backpacks I got to experience using the Bobby Duffle Bag by XD Design and in this blog you can read how I experienced using it.

After a wonderful Summer, where travel restrictions were lifted and travelling was possible again (within Europe for most of us), Autumn and Winter kicked in with lockdowns pretty much everywhere again. After visiting all the amazing places in the Netherlands, traveling to Rotterdam and finding out the best things to do in Heerlen and staying in a crane hotel earlier this year, we decided to focus on our own country again this Autumn and Winter. Once more looking for the most beautiful and special places the Netherlands has to offer.

Rovaniemi is one of the most magical places in the world. Main reason for this, Rovaniemi is the official home of Santa Claus. When you visit this place in Winter, with lots of snow and freezing temperatures, it actually feels like you’re visiting the North Pole.

We consider ourselves very, very lucky, because we got to visit Santa Claus in Rovaniemi twice already. After visiting Santa Claus Village two times now, one time in summer and one time in winter, it became one of my favorite places ever visited. And definitely the most magical place.