My new blog: www.classetouriste.be

This blog won't be updated anymore since I now have a brand-new, travelista-style blog called
WWW.CLASSETOURISTE.BE

see you there!

Papua New Guinea and the last frontier

There hasn't been a lot written in press about Papua New Guinea. Maybe for the best. It's out of this world, a place where you have to travel to without knowing too much. The colors speak for themselves, the expressions on the people's faces too...

Unlimited blue in French Polynesia

Honeymoon cliches become reality in French Polynesia where detecting new shades of blue is an activity on itselve. Although there are enough cheaper and closer destinations where the sea is also a blueish and the lagoons are also undefinable transparent, Tahiti and its sister islands stay an ultimate honeymooners paradise. Avoid dissapointment and shattered dream by making the right decisions and staying in the right hotels and places. For experienced travelers there are only two options: the new Four Seasons in Bora Bora and yachting with Bora Bora Cruises or Humana Cruises.

The Four Seasons is ultra-new, stylish, luxurious and an example of how hotels in French Polynesia all have to be. (Almost) perfect service, huge overwater villa's with FREE (an alian word in French Polynesia) wifi everywhere, iPod docking stations, huge plasma's, somptious beds and of course the Bora Bora lagoon right in front of your doorstep... Or set sail with Humana Cruises in the quite unknown Tuamotu's. This is a divers paradise where the lagoon of Rangiora is a postcard perfect. Although Bora Bora is very commercial and not as perfect as one would think, it still stays on the toplist of many love birds and blue sea devotees. More fancier and slik is the T'a Moana yacht in Bora Bora. Upmarket cruising, fine dining and relaxing while French Polynesia passes by. But be willing to spend money or French Polynesia will leave a bitter aftertaste.

Kenya Revisited

The time is now to discover Kenya. The parks and the beaches are more empty, the rates are lower and the animals are still in milions and milions there. Kenya is by far the safari expert in Africa. This expertise is reflected in how people run the lodges and hotels and how friendly and welcoming the Kenians are. Despite the political issues, new lodges are still popping up around the country. Take the fantastic Saruni Samburu lodge for example, in the wild and more unknown north of the country. Open spaces, use of natural material, huge solar energy plant and a team that knows how to run a more upmarket lodge. Another exciting lodge is Joy's Camp on the former grounds where Joy Adamson used to live. The charismatic couple Lara and Jamie run this camp and they know that even in the wild, in hospitality it's all about details and taking good care of the smallest one. After the dust of the wide Kenian open, head for the Indian Ocean and stay at Kinondo Kwetu. A small secret, far away from the auwfull all-inclusive resorts along Diani Beach. The Swedish Anderson couple take care of their guest as if they are all close friends. The staff is so open and friendly you almost immeditately start planning a future trip to come back to Kenya and see more of this fantastic piece of Africa.

The Faroe Islands, forgotten by time

Although The Faroe Island (belonging to Denmark but located between Norway and Iceland) are trying hard to be the new Reykjavik, it seems like time passed this archipelo, floating in the Atlantic, by. Eighteen green islands with only 50.000 inhabitants and the double amount of sheep. Theatrical and dramatic weather, changing every five minutes ...from spooky haze surrounding the towerhigh cliffs to the sun fighting back through the clouds and spotlighting the cold sea or deep-greenish mountains. The water has the colour of Aquavit and the land is covered in green, soft and mostly wet carpet. People descent from Vikings and are friendly and very welcoming. It doesn't take long before you get invited into their homes to escape the ambitious winds and showery rains. Stay in the classy and very cosy Foroyar Hotel with a view on Tórshavn, the tiny capital. If you want to experience the town itself, choose for the funky Tórshavn Hotel smack in the middle of town and with views over the harbour. Another magical place in the Faroe Island is the village Gjógv, one of the most pitoresque places around the islands. Lodging at Guesthouse Gjáargarður is simple but perfect if you want to stay in this area. The local babe Jóna Ólavsdóttir Joensen who works at the guesthouse could be the Faroese interpretation of Scarlett Johansson.. Real scandinavian beauty but with a undefying, mysterious look. Just like the Faroese Islands itselves.

Undiscovered Northwest Argentina

1. 

Northwest Argentina is South-America in a glass. Lush, green valleys, arid plains, snowcapped vulcano's, saltlakes,... When visiting this area there are two must-stays in the Salta Province: Bodega Colome near the town of Molinos and the House of Jasmines near Salta city. Colome is a wine estate owned by the excentric Swiss businessman Donald Hess who bought this estancia a couple of years ago and turned it very fast into a drinkable example of how ambitious new world wines can be. Here, at an altitude of 3002 meters, Hess experiments with high altitudes wines with lots of attitude and flavour. Bodega Colome is a dreamy estancia away from everything where gaucho's en Indo's rule the land. Perfect for the Latin America lover. If you want to discover this wonderful part of ARgentina and you live in Belgium, check out the expertise of the Latin-America Specialist Cosmic Travel. They know this continent inside out!