a travel blog by renata green
Guide to Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia’s northernmost island and actually geographically closer to its neighbor Thailand. Hence, it’s the same turquoise waters, white sands, swaying palms, and enchanting long tail boats as in Krabi and on the Andaman islands.
But there are so much fewer tourists that you can actually enjoy it.
This Way to the Whole Story ->While the most popular islands like the Perhentians or Tioman are on the otherwise very conservative and religious east coast, Pangkor is in the west, three hours from Kuala Lumpur, and even less from Ipoh.
So hop on the ferry in Lumut and half an hour later, you’ll find yourself in a tropical paradise.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Pulau Perhentian – where a tropical paradise awaits divers and snorkelers alike with islands in two sizes.
Perhentian in Malay means stopping point. It is pronounced perhentee-yan and refers to the once thinly populated islands having been a waypoint for traders between Bangkok and Malaysia.
This Way to the Whole Story ->This is a guide to Taman Negara, Malaysia’s Garden Eden.
This National Park is about 130 million years old, hence, one of the world’s oldest rainforests.
So let the adventure begin!
This Way to the Whole Story ->In Malaysia, it is very easy and comfortable to travel between touristy hot spots such as the Cameron Highlands or the Taman Negara. There are shuttles and connections, in short people practically carry you from place to place.
It’s getting far more complicated and time-consuming as soon as you leave these beaten paths. It’s not impossible, nevertheless, it takes some detours and a little more time.
This Way to the Whole Story ->This is a guide to the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia’s Fruit Bowl, that should be on every visitor’s itinerary. This mountainous part of Malaysia is famous for tea farms, vegetable fields, and flower nurseries – and the fabulous Rafflesia Arnoldii.
While we poor Europeans are travelling to Asia seeking the tropical sun, the Colonialists – no matter from which motherland – were desperately looking for cooler places in higher regions. Here, they were building settlements and mansions to take a break from….being wealthy and having servants.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Borkum – all the way in the West of East Frisia – is the last stop of my tour of German islands.
I’ve taken you with me from the former easternmost isle in the Baltic across the North Sea to the Dutch border. Here we’ll spend a couple of carefree summer days on the unique island of Borkum.
The island of Borkum is one of the seven East Frisian Islands off the coast of Eastern Friesland. It is not only the largest, but also the westernmost one. Therefore, it’s geographically actually closer to the Netherlands than to the German mainland.
The island is located between the Westerems Strait and the Osterems Strait, respectively between the North Sea and the Wadden Sea to the south. This grants some distinctive and fascinating features.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Ljubljana mon amour: In fact, already the city’s name sounds like a tender song and derives from the word ljubljena which translates to beloved. Various charming bridges are crossing the picturesque river Ljubljanica. With an amazing number of captivating buildings from the Renaissance, Baroque, and Art Deco, onion-domed churches, and an imposing fortress high above the city, Ljubljana absolutely lives up to her lovely name.
And since Ljubljana is small but definitely mighty, you can explore the city’s most iconic spots and landmarks easily in just two days.
Although the city is no secret anymore and can actually get quite busy in the high season, Ljubljana has kept its sleeping beauty charm and is a sparkling gem.
This Way to the Whole Story ->A trip to the island of Heligoland is always a good idea. On just one square kilometer, it unites soft sand dunes and rough cliffs. It adds tax-free shopping to natural wonders like frolicking seals and jumping guillemots.
Heligoland is a tiny archipelago that long ago used to be Danish and British. But, actually, it is as German as can be since the poet Von Fallersleben wrote the National Anthem during his stay on the island in 1841.
However, visiting Heligoland today, either on a day trip or for a longer stay, it is almost impossible to imagine that at the end of WWII, Germany’s supposedly only deepsea island was completely bombed out. For then long years, it was even uninhabitable.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, today, Heligoland is one of Germany’s most popular island when it comes to a couple of relaxing days in a secluded spot.
This Way to the Whole Story ->