As a child my parents always took us on adventurous holidays, from hiking in Austria and Norway, to a self-guided canoeing trip through the rural, remote and wilderness areas of Sweden. During my childhood years I got to see a fair bit of Europe.
My mum is a Kiwi, so I grew up with stories about her homeland New Zealand. Ever since I was young, I have always been intrigued about the Land of the Long White Cloud. So when I was given the opportunity to do my graduation assignment in Christchurch, New Zealand, I grabbed that chance with both hands and made it my first overseas travel experience in 2010. I lived and worked in New Zealand for 6 months and got to see quite a bit of that beautiful country.
During these 6 months I caught the ‘travel bug’. I felt the urge to travel the world and explore new places, but not alone this time, but with my boyfriend Remy. We got to see some beautiful places in the years that followed, and made more and more travels each year.
It was the Summer of 2012 when we were planning our five week New Zealand and Australia trip for early 2013, when we got the crazy idea to get married in New Zealand during that trip. That crazy idea turned into plans, and while travelling through New Zealand, in between sightseeing the North Island, we got married at one of the most beautiful beaches of the Coromandel.
From seeing the Northern Lights in Tromsø to celebrating New Year’s Eve in Dubai and Berlin, from snorkeling both the Great Barrier Reef and the Ningaloo Reef to doing the Cage of Death in Darwin, from the Big Buddha in Hong Kong to the Table Mountain in Cape Town, and from the most beautiful nature and spotting orca’s in Western Canada to the city that never sleeps New York, we have been very lucky these past few years, but still have a never ending bucketlist to go through.
I joined team Traveltomtom in July 2018. The international focus of Traveltomtom is what got me excited. By joining Traveltomtom my articles with our experiences and tips would reach a large and international audience. I get really enthusiastic about travelling and with over 8 years of travel experience I think I can help other travelers by answering questions they may have and create their dream trip.
Curious to what destinations and travels we have lined up for the year ahead? Keep following our travels through this website or via my own Instagram Travelashie.
Feel free to contact me at ashley@traveltomtom.net if you have any questions!
Find below Ashley's latest articles for Traveltomtom
NEW! Lapland Winter Park Rovaniemi | Epic Ice Karting with Saunas & Reindeers
Looking for an authentic Lapland winter adventure and a great day out in nature? Lapland Winter Park in Rovaniemi opened its doors for the first time in December 2024 and offers unforgettable experiences for all winter enthusiasts. Lapland Winter Park offers a wide range of activities that will immerse you in the magic of the Arctic.
Kotatieva Winter Park: Ice Skating in a Forest & More Epic Things to Do in Rovaniemi
Thinking about finally making that dream trip to Lapland this winter? Stop thinking and start doing! We are happy to help you and we have a really great travel tip for Rovaniemi!
Think of an amusement park but in Lapland. Where you can have unlimited fun in the snow all day long. That's Kotatieva Winter Leisure Park. They have something very special that you won't find anywhere else, so keep reading!
Shopping in Rovaniemi: Best Malls, Finnish Brands & Souvenirs to Buy in Lapland
Of course we understand that you are not traveling to Rovaniemi for shopping, but in and between all the amazing activities in Lapland Summer or Winter, we all love to hang out at a shopping mall and check out what we can bring home from Lapland.
Did you know that there are three shopping malls in Rovaniemi city centre?
Rovaniemi Beyond Santa Claus | Best Museums to Visit with the Culture Pass
Rovaniemi is the capital of Lapland and is of course known as the hometown of Santa Claus. Every year hundreds of thousands of people visit this city to see their Lapland dream trip come true. Very often activities like snowmobiling, huskies, ice karting and the Northern Lights are high on the agenda, but there is more.
Of course we have done all these incredibly cool activities in Rovaniemi as well, but with this blog we want to show you what else there is to see and do in Rovaniemi. We love nature and all the outdoor possibilities in Rovaniemi, but we also really enjoy visiting a museum every now and then.
Saddle Up in the Arctic | Tour with Aurora Horses
Tourism and animals are certainly not always a successful combination. In Finland they have lived closely with nature and animals for centuries. People, reindeer, moose and huskies live together here and cannot live without each other. Using animals for tourist purposes is of course something different, but if it is done in a good and correct way it can only be recommended.
360º of Flavor | A Review of Restaurant Moon
We recently shared our blog about the A'DAM LOOKOUT, at the top of the A'DAM Tower. There is something else special located at the top of this tower, namely Restaurant Moon. That's not just any restaurant, it's a revolving restaurant with the most beautiful 360 degree views of Amsterdam.
It is a chic restaurant and although there is no formal dress code, it is advisable to think about your choice of clothing. Smart casual is a good starting point.
Bunk Hotel Amsterdam | Sleeping in an Old Church
Isn't it the best thing there is? Searching for that one unique accommodation in the city. That hotel that is just a little bit different from all the others and where you walk around in amazement again and again and you actually don't want to leave at all.
This is exactly what we recently found in Amsterdam, at the Bunk Hotel to be precise.
VIP Tour Heineken Experience Amsterdam | Cheers to History
Even though I don't even drink beer, as a Dutchie I am extremely proud of one of our biggest export products and the world's most famous beer, Heineken.
We have visited Amsterdam many times, but never did the Heineken Experience. So it was about time. During our recent trip to Amsterdam we finally did the Heineken Experience and we are happy to share our experiences.
Amsterdam Must Do | A’DAM LOOKOUT
Amsterdam is one of our favorite cities in the world and it also happens to be the capital of our own country. For us it is always an easy and fun city trip. So also recently when we discovered Amsterdam in a completely different way from the A'DAM LOOKOUT.
Pullman Eindhoven Cocagne | Five Star Experience
We recently visited the city of Eindhoven in the South of the Netherlands. We were of course looking for the perfect accommodation for our recent city trip to Eindhoven. We think we found this at the Hotel Pullman Eindhoven Cocagne. We stayed there for two nights and from there discovered the city of Eindhoven. We are happy to tell you everything about this hotel!
As you know by now, location is our most important factor when choosing a hotel. That was obviouslyno different for Eindhoven.