Episode 10: Best & Worst

What was the best and worst hotel/place you stayed in?

Worst place was probably when I arrived to New Delhi late at night and ended up at a place near the slum with mouldy floor, not so clean sheets and of course no internet or anything like that nearby.

Best place was Chedi Spa in Chiang Mai, the Hanalei Surfboardhouse in Kauai and The Imperial Hotel in New Delhi.

Episode 9: Best & Worst

- What was your best and worst food experience?

Best

I had so much good food on the trip that it's hard to say only one place. I was sort of eating myself around the world. Anyway, here's my Top 5:

- The world's best lobster soup at 'Saegreifinn' Reykjavik, Iceland Go!
- Sushi at the casual 'Stand up Sushi Bar' in Tokyo next to the big crossing Go!
- The tuna burger (and the sushi!) at 'Hanalei Dolphin' in Hanalai Bay, Kauai Go!
- Breakfast at 'Chedi Hotel and Spa' in Chiang Mai Go!
- The afternoon tea at the 1911 at 'Imperial Hotel' New Delhi, India Go!

Worst

Not always, but sometimes air plane food sucks. Luft Hansa is the worst - whatever you do, bring your own food on the plane or eat before. You get a piece of dry bread with some old ham at the most. When I went from Frankfurt to Stockholm on Lufthansa my neighbour ordered a gin and tonic. He got the gin in two mini plastic bags (!) and a room tempered tonic with no ice. When he asked for ice the stewardess said 'No, it melts on the plane' (duh!). When he mentioned that other airlines keep their ice in a fridge and asked for an extra tonic water to compensate the lukewarm drink, she charged 3 extra € for the tonic. He was about to explode...

BONUS: Starbucks - New Scientific Research

Episode 8: 'Best and Worst'

- What's your best packing tips and tricks for a trip around the world?

My top 5 would be:

- Leave extra space in your bag for two reasons: you will buy stuff, it's easier to pack a bag again and again with extra space.

- Buy small containers at for instance Muji (Åhlens) or Granit for shampoo, hair products, alco-gel etc.

- Spread everything evenly and pack flat. You fit much more in a bag if you only fold your clothes once and spread socks and underwear all over to fill little gaps. It looks horrible, but it works.

- I've got two Samsonite hardcase suitcases from MrJet - it was PERFECT! I used the cabin size for camera gear and electronic equipment and the large one for clothes and shoes. Since I didn't do a normal back backer trip it was the ultimate packing on wheels.

- Have a warm sweater, soft knee-high socks and a large scarf handy for the flights. It's air-con and cold and easy to forget when it's 35 degrees outside.

Episode 7: 'The Return of a Newly Born Travel Fanatic'

- What country/city would you not travel to again? Why not?

It might take a while until I return to India. I'll probably forget about it after a while and go back eventually, but right now I feel sick just thinking of the word 'Dharamsala'...even if it was worth it. McLeod Ganj & Dharamsala: Click here

Episode 6: 'The Return of a Newly Born Travel Fanatic'

- What country/city would you travel to again? Why?

Definately Kauai. I went there for the third time in my life, and I still love it more than any other place in the world. Kauai is often called 'The Garden Island' since it's raining so much there, which makes it very lush and green. It's less touristy than the other Hawaiian islands (at least on the north shore), and the vibe in the nature is mindblowing! Of course it's different now compared to 10 or 15 years ago. It's more celebryties and wealthy people having properties there, but it's still an allover easygoing feeling on the island; you can even camp outdoor safely, there are no poisonous animals in the djungle, and of course in wintertime: some of the best surf in the world...

Another little flashback from Kauai/Hawaii;

Episode 5: 'The Return of a Newly Born Travel Fanatic'

- Was it lonely to travel alone? Why/why not?

Not at all! The world is full of people, and traveling alone means you have to talk to them. It's a really positive experience. It's a few things to think about (especially if you're a girl) traveling alone though:

- Think about dressing according to the culture. In Hawaii I could walk around in bikinis, but in India I was covering my bum, shoulders and legs for instance.

- I never got drunk during this trip. Sure, when I was out with my Icelandic friends I could have been plastered if I wanted to, but apart from that it's not a good idea being a girl traveling alone and getting drunk. Doesn't look good in most countries I went to, and most of all - you need to be able to watch your back.

- When I'm out at night I don't make eye contact with men. I simply avoid to look them in the eye. This makes you almost invisible in a strange way. It's just unneccesary to get into interactions with weird people when you're alone.

- Of course avoid areas with little or no people at night. Take a cab instead or try to don't put yourself in such situations.

- Make a backup at a remote harddrive at home now an then. So if you loose your computer or external HD, you always have a copy of your pics at home (more packing/luggage tips coming up later).

- Just use common sense.

Episode 4: 'The Return of a Newly Born Travel Fanatic'

- Do you regret anything you did during the trip?

I don't regret anything I did, I only regret what I didn't do. The only reason why I didn't do these things was because of to little time/jetlag/exhaustion etc:

- Kareoke in Tokyo (the only night I had a chance to go with someone who was up for it I was so exhausted by the travel and jetlag that I couldn't move...have to go back!).

- The blue lagoon in Iceland (my Icelandic friends said it was a total tourist trap, but afterwards I regret it. Have to go back!).

- Hiking the Napali Coast in Kauai (because of the storm it was muddy and flooded and I didn't get around to do it this time. Have to go back! ).