Gaia Naomi

Unfortunately my tan from the Dominican Republic did not last forever, so of course another beach holiday was necessary to freshen it up. I am joking haha the trip to Portugal was mainly to see my best friend from the US again and join her family for a week in Melides, Portugal. It was a relaxing vacation with daily trip to the beach, cocktails, salads and fries for lunch and more yummy food for dinner. One day we went to explore the small town Evora, which sadly was a bit underwhelming. Never the less, we had a very tasty lunch there and were able to stroll around the yellow and white houses. Most importantly though, I made sure to have lots of pastel de nata during the trip :).

A good reason to have a weekend in Hamburg is to go for the yearly Hamburg tennis open. You get to spend Saturday in Rothenbaum Stadium watching some of the best tennis players in the world compete with each other, finish off the day with a delicious dinner and a stop at the wine bar. Sunday you can go explore the city, test out new cafes and if your up for go watch more tennis. This is pretty much exactly what we did. It’s the perfect little weekend get away.

Hamburg is a 6 hour train ride from The Hague. Despite the constant delays of Deutsche Bahn you are able to get there without too much delay, giving you lots of time to explore the city. I’ve been to Hamburg a couple of times and it never disappoints. It’s a gorgeous city with lots to do and see. You can go for a stroll around the Alster lake or have an aperol at one of the many bistros on the street corner. If you want to see my favorite drinks and food places in hHamburg you can take a look at my Instagram guide!

Just an hour outside of Seoul, you can visit the smaller city Suwon. There even is a direct metro line that goes there, making it an easy destination. It is ideal for a short day trip and whilst there we explored the temple, the food street and walked along the wall that surrounds the old city.

If you want to go to have a beach vacation in South Korea, Busan is the place to go. Three large beaches across the city allow you to go surfing, put your feet in the water, take a walk along the shore and enjoy a cold beer next to the ocean. The city is ideal for a three day visit and you can explore the Gamcheon cultural village, one of Koreas prettiest temples (which is unfortunately full of people) and fresh fish at the fish market. Although Busan still has about 3 million inhabitants, in comparison to Seoul it really feels like a small town.

My first time in Asia and I couldn’t have enjoyed the two weeks there more. South Korea was a great place to visit and it was by far one of the best trips I have done in a while. I loved the culture, food, capital city Seoul and most of all how safe the country is. Coming from the Dominican Republic, being in such a safe country was something I really did have to get used to. I spent most of my time in Seoul, a vibrant metropolitan city. You will always find something to do and there are so many areas to explore. Each area has something unique about it, however you will always find opportunities to have Korean bbq, fried chicken or coffee places all across town. Although I stayed for two full weeks, I would love to have been there longer. There is simply so much to see and to explore haha!

Coming to Bocas del Toro is the ultimate vacation destination in Panama. Good weather, jungle, ocean and great food is what made our time here so enjoyable. A lot of the houses are built on stilts in the water, which reminded me a lot of the Maldives. And of course since Bocas del Toro are a bunch of small islands, the main way of transport is by boat. It was actually quite fun having to take a boat everywhere. Although we were only there for three nights, we quickly became regular customers at Tres Palmas Cafe going there three times in a row ahah. The islands are also known for their partying in particular the huge island hopping party Filthy Friday. This of course we could not miss, so on Friday we spent island hopping and dancing all day long. Looking back on the trip to Panama, Bocas del Toro is definitely a place I would love to go visit again.

Who would’ve ever thought that Panama City would have such a modern skyline! It is definitely not the first thing that would pop into my mind thinking about Panama. When looking at the city from the plane window one is kind of reminded of New York or Chicago. Overall, I really enjoyed the capital. The city is filled with restaurants and bars, giving you the opportunity to go out for a Flamenco show on a Friday night or having a freshly brewed coffee in the morning. We stayed in the old town area Casco Viejo, an area filled with colorful houses and LOTS of restaurants to eat at (as you can see in the photos haha). On my Instagram I’ve put together some more recommendations. Of course it’s also possible to go into the downtown skyline area, where you’ll find a lot of expats. This is another great part of town to be in with lots to do, cool rooftop terraces and pools (check out the one at the JW Marriott). We stayed for two nights in the city and it was the perfect amount!

The most beautiful beach! I don’t think I’ever seen one that was more perfect. The crystal clear water and white sand actually makes it one of the prettiest beaches in the world. Since it is so remote, you need to take a boat to get there, which does mean all the nature is preserved. If you bring some goggles along and swim along the rocks you can see an array of colorful fish living in a healthy ecosystem. The beach Bahia de las Aguilas is located at the other end of the Dominican Republic close to the border of Haiti in the Pedernales province. We took this opportunity to actually drive up to the Haitian border and came across lots of weird looks and little children asking for money. Feeling quite uncomfortable, we did not stay for long. The drive from Santo Domingo to Bahia de las Aguilas takes along lots of pretty spots. This includes Playa San Rafael and Laguna de Oviedo where you can see flamingos. Despite being quite far and a six hour drive from the capital, this trip was totally worth it. Theres barely any tourists around this area and you get to go visit parts of the country that mostly only has locals.