a travel blog by renata green
This is a guide to George Town on Pulau Penang, after all, one of my favorite cities in all of Asia.
What makes it so special?
I don’t even know where to start.
It was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia and became – together with Singapore and Malacca – a British crown colony in 1867.
George Town, counting about 710,000 inhabitants, is Malaysia’s second-largest city and the capital of Penang Island.
This Way to the Whole Story ->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 ->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 ->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 ->In this guide, I’m introducing you to the amazing island of Foehr, which floats in the North Sea off the coast of Germany. Wide sandy beaches, picturesque Frisian villages, an eventful history, endless bike paths, and fresh North Sea air: you’re sure to find your very own favorite spot here.
So, you’re ready to escape everyday life? Then follow me on a little trip to Foehr!
In Foehr, every village is a home. Come again: every village a home – what’s that all about?
Well, on one of Germany’s most popular holiday islands, almost every one of the 16 villages’ names ends with the suffix –um. This is the Frisian and Lower German version of heim, which translates to home. Hence, you can imagine how cozy and homey this North Frisian island is to its….homies.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Spending a weekend trip or a vacation on the island of Fehmarn in a camper van gives you a totally different perspective of the island’s cool activities and beautiful sceneries.
After I had spent a weekend on this Baltic island in Spring – when it still was a bit nippy – I thought, in Summer, this place must be paradise.
This Way to the Whole Story ->There’s no question about it: Venice is absolutely magical. Strolling between the canals and over countless bridges. Losing yourself between majestic palazzi and gazing dreamily after the gondolas.
However, despite its ancient charm, Venice keeps you on your toes, and a visit can also get quite stressful. The masses of tourists, the queues, the pushing and the shoving at the jetties. In the summer there is also the heat.
Therefore, if you have the chance, it’s definitely worth adding one or two days extra to spend on one of the beaches off the Veneto shores.
Let me assure you: Pampering yourself with a day full of dolce far niente, hence, sweet idleness, will recharge your batteries and get you fit so that you can joyfully plunge back into the hustle and bustle of Venice.
Don’t know where to spread out your beach towel?
No problem: In this post, I’ll introduce you to the three best beaches that you can reach quickly and easily by public bus or the iconic water bus Vaporetto from Venice.
You might have never heard of Ulsan. In ye olden days, the city was known for whaling. Fortunately, all that’s left of this kind of animal cruelty is a whale museum and some memorabilia at the former whaling village Jangsaengpo.
Today, Ulsan prides itself on being the home to the world’s largest single industrial plant. Hyundai Industries consists of five independent factories with a total of approximately 32,000 employees. And while this is pretty impressive, I totally understand when it doesn’t sound like a good reason to squeeze a day in Ulsan into your already very tight itinerary for South Korea.
But wait, not so fast: In this post, I’ll give you three proper reasons why a visit to the underrated city of Ulsan is absolutely worth your while.
Venice is magic, without a doubt: The canals, the bridges, the palazzi, the gondolas – I could go on and on. Nevertheless, a visit to Venice can also be very stressful: The tourist masses, the pushing, the shoving, the lines, the heat. Therefore, especially if you are in Venice for more than just two or three days, you should treat yourself to a day trip to the beaches of the Lido di Venezia.
Break away from Venice and hop on the vaporatto that rushes you to the Lido di Venezia in about half an hour’s time. Here, you’ll enter a world of serenity and the flair of a Mediterranean beach resort.
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