Oh Zanzibar, I miss you. Already. One week was not enough. I know, I know, it was my decision and I really wasn’t sure if I would get bored if I would stay two weeks there. Alone. On my own. How wrong I was. If there would have been any chance I would have stayed longer… at least one more week!

The first days I stayed in Stonetown, got lost many many times in the narrow alleys and took thousand of pictures of doors.

The harbour of Stonetown

Aren’t these doors just incredibly beautiful?

Best spot to watch sunset – the roofs!

Then I went to Kendwa, to the beach. To one of the whitest, finest beaches ever.

Where are my shoes?

Ah, there they are…

One of my favourite things to do in Kendwa: Watching the boats passing by

Or snorkeling! But when the guys say the jelly fish are non stingy! DON’T BELIEVE THEM!

After one week my time in paradise was over. And although I really don’t like flying my flight back to Germany was one of the best flights ever. With views like this:

The Sahara from above – I could have starred at this for hours (Ok, that’s exactly what I did)

And sometimes life is a lucky bitch. Like me. I had the official permission from Condor to visit the cockpit!!! And as it really was the flight of all flights I was invited to come back to the cockpit… for landing. Video to come soon!

Disclaimer: This is the last post in cooperation with Nikon. I really liked playing around with the Coolpix S800c. It is a really cool combination of smart phone and camera, as it is running on Android (which was kind of difficult for me, as I’m used to Apple) but you can download every app you want and when there’s Wifi around you can for example upload your pictures directly to Instagram. Or check your Emails or Facebook. I really liked that! Besides this I really liked the size, especially on my first day in Stonetown, when I felt a bit insecure, it was great to take the Coolpix with me instead of my DLSR, made me feel safer.

You also wanna travel with the Coolpix S800c? Then subscribe to my newsletter today!!! In my upcoming newsletter there will be a cool contest where you can win one of these!!

Disclaimer: My flight to Zanzibar was sponsored by Condor.

The post My Trip to Zanzibar – An Instagram Diary appeared first on JUST TRAVELOUS.

Let’s be honest: I always thought street art is cool and graffiti is… well I had no idea. I thought it’s kind of the same or graffiti is more or less just daub. Then Paul from TheHiddenPath took me on a cool graffiti tour through Berlin. And told me fascinating things about graffiti and the different techniques and the history and how to read them. And while I’m still learning and watching awesomesauce youtube videos for research I wanted to show you some cool stuff. My Instagram pictures from the tour… And soon I will tell you more about it and I promise you will see graffiti through different eyes then, but for now sit back, relax and enjoy the pictures:

Sometimes graffiti and street art are sharing a wall

A typical Berlin walla graffiti island in the river SpreeThere’s a “travelous” missing…A farm for kids and graffiti – in the middle of Berlin

In my next post I will tell you all about it why exactly I loved the tour and why you should go on one. And well some cool insider stories…

Disclaimer: Nikon gave me a Coolpix S800c to test it. All pictures in the post where made with this camera, edited in different apps and uploaded to Instagram.

The post Graffiti in Berlin – An Instagram Diary appeared first on JUST TRAVELOUS.

The question is yet, if it’s generally a good idea to sell monkeys in their natural habitat as a tourist attraction. I mean, let’s be honest, if I would be a tourist attraction all at once and people would come visit me in my living room, I probably would get aggressive too. No, I would for sure get aggressive, not only probably. But sure, the monkeys in Ubud are used to tourists and if you don’t act like a complete idiot they won’t harm you. And with the entrance fee you help to fund projects associated with the conservation of the Monkey Forest’s natural and cultural resources. So that’s good.

Seriousness aside, let’s feel like a kid in the puppy store and drool over the monkeys:

A penny for their thoughts!

What is he telling the corn cob?
Stoned?

Oh nope, just tired!

I can’t decide. Which picture is cuter? The one above or the one below?

And if this doesn’t soften your heart… what’s wrong with you??

How to get there:

Best thing would be to stay in Ubud for a few days, then it’s easy. Just follow Monkey Forest Road and there you go. If you’re not staying in Ubud you can also do a day trip.

When is the best time to go there?

You definitely should go there early in the morning. You’ll need at least one hour to see all the monkeys and temples. And get the hell out of there at around 10am, that’s when the tourist buses will arrive.

Where to stay in Ubud:

We’ve stayed in Artini 1, loved it there! It feels like sleeping in a temple, you get breakfast served on your own terrace and a bungalow is available from €25 a night.

What else?

You definitely should see the sunset in Petulu! For more tips for Bali and Ubud check out my friend Theodora’s blog Escape Artistes!

Have you been to Monkey Forest in Ubud? Any other tips?

The post Of Monkeys and Men – Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali appeared first on JUST TRAVELOUS.

While I’m just getting goose bumps, not because it’s so exciting at the moment, but because a cold wind is blowing through the window into my Berlin apartment, I’m sitting here. And still can’t believe my South African adventure is over yet. And because I still need to digest that, especially as I nearly got killed by a cobra, all you get today are some impressions. To daydream, to say oh and sigh.

The sky above the airfield in Hoedspruit. Cloudporn deluxe…

That was our ride from the airport to Kapama Private Game Reserve

A buffalo. We were very happy to see him. Unlike him.

A rare view: Two baby rhinos crossing our path.

Two women enjoying a break in the shadow

Super cute: Baby elephant!

And then one of these sunset, when the world seems to stop for one or two moments.

The rest of the BIG FIVE, the cobra story and what I really do think about game drives: soon!

Disclaimer: I was invited on this trip by Amarula and Nikon gave me a Coolpix S800c to test it. I used it for most of my Instagram pics on this trip, as, and let’s be honest with this, the pics of my iPhone 3GS suck in comparison.

The post My Trip to South Africa – An Instagram Diary appeared first on JUST TRAVELOUS.

1. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Soon I will tell you all about Angor and Siem Reap, the good, the bad and the ugly. And why I think no one should go there ever again.

2. Woman at Inle Lake, Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmar (Burma) was on top of my bucket list for a long long time. I’ve already told you why Bagan really really sucked and all you need to know when travelling to Myanmar (Burma).  But you can look forward to a brand new video soon!

3. White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand

The White Temple in Chiang Rai is crazy shit. Seriously. The artist behind this must be really really crazy and in the same time I think he’s genius. Definitely a must do when travelling through Thailand.

4. Sundowner at Red Sky Bar in Bangkok, Thailand

Sigh, Red Sky Bar. Passion Fruit Martini. Read more here.

5. Sunrise at B Ocean, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Damn, this was possibly the sexiest sunrise I’ve ever seen. FROM MY BED. Yes, there are some sexy hotels in Florida.

6. Beach in Phuket, Thailand

In Phuket Susi of Blackdotswhitespots and me took some time out with the lovely Frankie of asthebirdflies. Lots and lots of pool and beach action.

7. Sunset in Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok does suck you in. And you’ll hate it or love it.

8. Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I’m still not sure what to think about Kuala Lumpur, but the Petronas Towers were pretty impressive.

9. Sunset in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Oh Chiang Mai, you eternal Sunday. If there’s one city besides Berlin I could live in, it would be you.

10. Sunset in Muscat, Oman

This sunset was a perfect end to our Southeast Asia trip.

Interestingly, my most liked Instagram pics are mostly sunsets. If you do like sunsets you should follow my sunset board on Pinterest.

And for sure you should follow me on Instagram. Next pics could be a lion in South Africa!!! Click here!

Do you use Instagram? How often does the travel bug bit you?

The post Best of Instagram – My Most Liked Pictures appeared first on JUST TRAVELOUS.

Here are my favorite shots from Southeast Asia from up in the air:

1. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur was our first stop. Although I didn’t like this city THAT much, from above it looks really pretty.

2. Bangkok, Thailand

After Bali, Khao Lak and Phuket we finally made it to Bangkok. The city with the two faces. The city you’ll love or hate. The city I do love and from where I went on one of the most incredible adventures in my life at the end of our trip.

3. Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma)

Maybe that’s not the most incredible picture you can take from Myanmar (Burma) from up in the air, but, BUT on this pic you can see an U.S. Air Force plane (down on the left side). Because the day before we flew out of Yangon Barack Obama has been there. Wouldn’t it been amazing to meet him? We should have left Bagan earlier. Duh.

4. Thailand (on the way to Chiang Mai)

We had a really bumpy flight to Chiang Mai. Normally I don’t care. But if it’s too much roller-coaster and less flying than even I don’t like it anymore. Then I can’t concentrate on hating other people.

5. Laos

Oh Laos, we didn’t really get to know each other. We’ve spent one week in Luang Prabang. And it was amazing. Time doesn’t fly there, it crawls. But when I was looking out of the window on our way to Cambodia and saw the green jungle under me, I realized I wanted to see more of Laos. Next time.

6. Cambodia

Siem Reap and Angkor are pretty. And in the same time pretty bad. But more about this soon. The first thing I saw from Cambodia were the ash-red streets. And water. And on this pictures you can see the biggest man-made see from the Khmer-time.

7. Muscat, Oman

After 8,5 weeks we had to say goodbye to Southeast Asia. But before flying back to Germany we had a stopover in Muscat, and yes, I know, Muscat is not in Southeast Asia, but this picture fits in this post. This magical city lying under layers of dark clouds, sigh. Will tell you all about this city soon.

Besides our long distance flight we booked all the flights during our trip. One reason was that we wanted to travel spontaneously and the other is that flights within Southeast Asia are pretty cheap, even if you book them at short notice. We’ve tried and tested and the best way to get the cheapest flights is to compare the results of the different flight search engines (e.g. skyscanner). Through this we found for example and amazingly cheap flight from Siem Reap to Bangkok. We really thought there must be a hitch somewhere.

But there wasn’t.

To mention: Skyscanner was so kind to provide us with a flight. AND they just nominated me for best German Travel Blogger. If you want to give me your vote (and win something) you can do this here: www.skyscanner.de/nachrichten/skyscanners-reisebloscars-2013

The post Southeast Asia From Up In The Air – A Photo Essay appeared first on JUST TRAVELOUS.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Skeletons

Where have you seen your favourite cloudporn in the world?

The post Cloudporn in Chiang Rai – A Photo Story appeared first on JUST TRAVELOUS.

At that time I thought the festival would be Loy Krathong. If I understood Thai any better, uhm, I mean if I understood Thai at all, I would have known that this is NOT the festival with the lanterns but the one with the decorated, little boat-like pots which are put on the water. But by chance fate loved me that day and so I got to know about Yee Peng, a festival (THE ONE WITH THE LANTERNS) which only happens in Northern Thailand. During the same time as Loy Krathong. And so I stood there last night with my mouth open and stared into the lantern-flooded sky.

Before you raise your lantern you can make a wish. Here you see Daniel of CanvasOfLight and his wife making a wish… One wish per lantern. Just to be on the safe side I’ve bought three lanterns…

Facts:

The Yee Peng Festival is the Northern Thailand version of Loy Krathong and happens each year during the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai calendar, resp. the 2nd month of the Lanna calender, which is normally in November.

There’s one huge ceremony at the Lanna Duthanka Buddhist Center, close to the Mae Jo University. You really should get there on time (around 4pm) to get a good spot. The lanterns are raised at around 7:30 pm. 15 – 20 min later everything is over.

One lantern costs 100 Baht.

There’s apparently a Thai and a tourist version of this ceremony. We’ve been to the Thai version at Lanna Duthanka Buddhist Center, the tourist version happens one week after the Thai ceremony and there’s reputedly a 80$ entrance fee. Please inform yourself beforehand when and where which ceremony happens. We had the luck to know people in Chiang Mai who told us.

Have you been to Yee Peng Festival? Or is it still on your bucket list?

The post Raise The Lanterns! The Yee Peng Festival in Chiang Mai appeared first on JUST TRAVELOUS.

More things I’ve seen and did in Kuala Lumpur (besides taxis):

Sultan Abdul Samad Building – Petronas Towers and KL Tower in the background

Even though taxis are cheap, the monorail is cheaper AND faster during traffic.

Petaling Street in Chinatown – full of tourists and people who want to sell stuff

He said his name is CharlEE and he’s waiting for his angels.

@agentcikay @velvetescape and me at the opening party of Nosh, the restaurant of Keith’s sister…

I love rundown buildings and there are many like this in KL

I was pretty impressed by the Petronas Towers…

… but not as impressed as I was by the amount of people who wanted to take a picture of ME…

All together I think Kuala Lumpur is an interesting but very stressful city. And I was glad to leave after 3 days…

Have you been to Kuala Lumpur? Did you like it?

The post Kuala Lumpur – An Instagram Diary appeared first on JUST TRAVELOUS.

Berlin, Berlin.

TV tower and morning sun in Berlin – if that’s not love, I don’t know what love is.

Somewhere in this pictures the TV tower is hiding, but actually it’s the Oberbaumbrücke showing off her beauty.

TV tower (again), this time united with the Marienkirche.

Nothing gives me a better feeling of coming home than Tegel. Let’s forget about the stupid idea of Berlin-Brandenburg airport and never talk about it again, deal? If fate wants something else, then I want an office with Nina from Smaracuja in Tegel, best would be IN the tower. Sigh.

Who you should follow on Instagram:

There are a lot of people posting pretty pictures of Berlin on Instagram, but these five are my favourites:

1. @jn

2. @uwa2000

3. @berlinstagram

4. @king_fisher

5. @thomas_k

If there is some follower love left, I would be happy if you would also follow me on Instagram: @justtravelous

Note: this post was brought to you in partnership with Mövenpick Hotels.

The post Berlin on Instagram – A Love Letter To A City With Pictures appeared first on JUST TRAVELOUS.