Are you ready for one of the ultimate New York travel adventures? Who does not want to fly in a helicopter over New York City? FlyNYON makes this possible and the best thing about it is that they offer a ride with open doors. The ultimate best thing to do in New York City for sure…

The Niagara Falls were the second stop of my trip through Canada and the USA, and I was beyond excitement about finally visiting these famous and amazing falls. During my stay at the falls I constantly saw these helicopters rides over the falls, that’s when I thought, I need to be on one of those, I want to see the Niagara Falls from above.

Philadelphia had been on my list for a long time, mainly for two reasons. The first reason being the important role the city of Philadelphia had in the creation of what we now know as the United States of America. The second reason being that this city was used for the famous Hollywood movie Rocky Balboa. A lot of scenes were shot here, which makes it fun and interesting to walk through this city and movie set!

Two years ago, when I was searching for accommodation in Abu Dhabi because I was visiting the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, I came across the Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort for the first time. Back then, in August 2018, they were still building the resort, planning to open later that year. For me that was too late, as they would open after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. But for some reason I always kept this resort in my mind.

We always like to travel for as long and as far away as possible, for some reason we think the best things are always found abroad. And of course we have found many beautiful spots all over our world during our travels the past few years. But with the current restrictions we felt more comfortable looking a bit closer to home to spend our holiday.

And sometimes that means you literally don’t even have to go that far. Who knew that Heerlen, only a short 5 minute drive from our place, is the Mural capital of the Netherlands?
Obviously I noticed some pretty cool murals in the past, but I never knew that Heerlen actually was the street art capital of the Netherlands.

Related: List of 24 cool and unique places to visit in Netherlands!

Experiencing the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, is topping the bucketlist of many travelers. It was on top of mine for a couple of years, until I decided to just go for it. Destinations where you can spot the Northern Lights are not the cheapest, but it is worth every penny, trust me. These tips for chasing the Northern Lights in Tromso will help you making the most of this epic travel adventure.

Breda, The Pearl of the South, is one of the best place to visit in the North Brabant province in the south of The Netherlands.

The city has held the title of best city center in the Netherlands from 2017 to 2020. And that is quite rightly too. Breda has a lively center with cozy terraces, characteristic canals and a beautiful green park. In short, Breda has it all!

In this travel blog you will find out everything you need to know about the Breda tourist attractions and what to do in Breda. Let me show you the best places to visit in this underrated city in the South of The Netherlands.

After a few recent trips to Scandinavia I became a real fan of these Northern European countries, the people, the food, the lovely cities and the most beautiful nature.
Although Scandinavian countries are expensive, I just really like them. After my weekend in Stockholm, I became curious to visit Gothenburg, their second-largest city.

Some destinations are on everyone’s travel bucket list. The Niagara Falls are such a destination, every traveler dreams to see them at least once. For me, that was certainly the case. I had traveled the western parts of Canada before, but because of the Niagara Falls, I also really wanted to explore and travel to the eastern parts of Canada.

We first got introduced to the 25hours Hotel brand in 2022 when we visited Hamburg. We then stayed at the 25hours Hamburg HafenCity. We totally liked the hotel and the brand and started searching for more of these amazing hotels. After we stayed at the newest addition to the hotel chain, the 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central, we were completely convinced. When there is a 25hours hotel in town then there is no question, that is our place to stay.

It’s always a sport, to find decent and affordable accommodation with a prime location. Dubai has over 600 hotels, and has the world’s highest hotel occupancy rate. Finding a hotel in Dubai is not difficult, but finding something decent and affordable, that feels like a home away from home, can be a challenge.

Leave those challenges for Traveltomtom, as we managed to find the newest affordable hotspot in Dubai, and we are ready to tell you all about it! We’re sure you’re going to love this one just as much as we did! Free rental car included in the room rate! Can you believe it? Keep reading...

Are you planning a trip to the Netherlands? Then this list with the most beautiful places to visit is exactly what you are looking for. Find below a map with all the tourist spots of the Netherlands and pick the ones you like for your next trip. The Netherlands has a wide variety of tourist attractions and this extensive list has some off the beaten path destinations that you won't find in any other Netherlands travel guide.

One region in the Netherlands in particular is close to the hearts of the Traveltomtom Team, in fact, it’s home for Team Traveltomtom, and we would like to put it in the spotlight through this travel blog about Zuid Limburg. People from other parts of the Netherlands often imagine themselves being abroad when they are on holiday in South Limburg. We love showing you the most exotic and off the beaten path destinations all over our world, but we think it is about time to show you our beautiful backyard. Come visit Zuid Limburg with us!

A trip to Amsterdam is always a good idea. So whenever we can, we love to add a short trip to our capital city. Even though we love the busy and bustling city center, lately we started exploring some other suburbs of Amsterdam, with more authentic experiences. That’s how we ended up in Amsterdam-East, at the Volkshotel, to fully experience some new parts of Amsterdam.

Back in 2016 Rotterdam was named as one of the top 10 cities in the world to visit by Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel’. The city owes its place on the coveted list to its futuristic architecture, inspiring city initiatives and a growing range of art, culture, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Rotterdam, the city of reconstruction, was also mentioned by the New York Times and Rough Guide. Both recommended the Maasstad (Rotterdam’s nickname) as one of the best cities to visit in the world.

Looking for more places to visit in the Netherlands? Click on the link for oour complete list of the best things to see like: Giethoorn, Volendam, Parkstad Limburg and much more.

Travelling the East coast of Canada was one of the many trips I did last year. Only knowing the city in connection with the Titanic disaster was my main reason for to visit Halifax on the far North East of Canada’s coastline. A beautiful drive takes you from Quebec right to Halifax, where there are much more tourist attractions and things to do than just the Titanic stories.

Traveling is all about making choices, time is always too short and there is way too much to see. At least that’s the struggle I always face when travelling. When I decided I wanted to travel the Eastern parts of Canada and the USA, in three weeks, I knew it was all about making choices again. Therefore I chose to use CityPASS and these are my experiences.

The Bollenstreek (Bulb Region) and it’s tulip fields are one of the most famous and popular places to visit in the Netherlands. The Keukenhof, located within the Bulb region, attracts about 800.000 visitors each year by itself. It must be worth visiting if a few hundred thousand people do so each year, but even though we’re Dutch, visiting the Bollenstreek was on our bucket list for quite some time. For some reason we never managed to visit the flower fields.

Since travel was still on the back burner, now was the ideal time. We very recently visited the Bollenstreek and the famous Dutch flower fields and wrote this guide for Traveltomtom.

Sometimes you come across places that leave a lasting impression. During our most recent trip ticking of some of the best places to visit in The Netherlands, we also visited the Veluwe and the Veluwe National Park. They had been on our to do list for a long time, because of their beautiful nature and some really good opportunities to spot wildlife. Yes, even in the Netherlands you can spot wildlife.

We always try to explore new places, also when it comes to cities like Amsterdam, which we have visited many times. We try to find hidden gems and undiscovered spots, to make the trip feel like we have actually visited a new destination. In our search for our most recent Amsterdam trip we were looking for a unique place to stay and came across the Ambassade Hotel. A prime location in the heart of the city, yet a part we had never visited and explored properly.

When you talk about unique places to stay, Apukka Resort in Rovaniemi is certainly one of them. When you think of Lapland, you think of those dream accommodations in the middle of nature. Apukka Resort totally fits this image and is one of those dream resorts where every traveler loves to stay.

According to their website they are home of the finest and most comfortable Northern Lights accommodations in Rovaniemi. Let’s experience that ourselves I would say. Here is our review blog about our stay at Apukka Resort Rovaniemi.

It should of course come as no surprise that we at Traveltomtom are big fans of Rovaniemi, Lapland and Finland. Since our first visit in the Summer of 2022 we have been back twice to experience a different Lapland in Winter.

You might remember our stay in early 2024 at the most amazing accommodation of Rovaniemi, Apukka Resort Rovaniemi.

For us staying at Apukka Resort was a bucket list thing to do, so we never thought we would end up staying here ever again. Until we started making plans to experience Rovaniemi's and Lapland's famous Autumn season, known as Ruska.

Sometimes dreams come true, and the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel is such a dream. The Arctic TreeHouse Hotel is one of those typical bucket list accommodations that is all over social media. If you search for unique accommodations in Lapland, this is often the first in the search results.

As avid Lapland and Finland travelers and enthusiasts, we have already experienced many beautiful accommodations. Yet the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel was secretly high on our list of things we wanted to discover. Last autumn the time had finally come.

I visited Canada last September during the so-called Indian Summer. It’s when all the leaves of the trees, especially the maple leaf, start to colour. Algonquin Provincial Park was one of the few nature parks I visited during my recent trip through Canada, but a must as Indian Summer here is just amazing! Autumn is the most colorful and wonderful season to travel to East Canada.

Experiencing Dubai from above? Doesn't it sound awesome to visit the highest observation deck in the world? Dubai is a city of extremes, where many things are possible, somewhere you must visit once in your life. A city with many world records to their name, including having the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.

Tourism and animals are certainly not always a successful combination. In Finland they have lived closely with nature and animals for centuries. People, reindeer, moose and huskies live together here and cannot live without each other.

Using animals for tourist purposes is of course something different, but if it is done in a good and correct way it can only be recommended. In that light I would like to tell you everything about my trip with Bearhill Husky. Read my review blog below about our experiences on our husky safari adventure.

Excel in Luxury and Service is exactly what Boutique & Design Hotel Navis in Opatija, Rijeka is all about!

Five star hotels are often big, bigger, biggest. The motto is often the bigger the better the more luxurious. Having said that however, I often find myself lost in these huge hotels. After checking in, it can sometimes feel like a maze to find your room.

Big is not always better and best. This must have been the thought when building Boutique and Design Hotel Navis in Croatia. A small-scale five star hotel where personal service is key.

Read below all about my experiences staying in this charming boutique hotel in Kvarner Bay, Rijeka.

Boutique Hotel De Salon van Fagel was born in 2016, when the owner had a dream for the beautiful monumental building the hotel is located in. Creating a place where people from all countries can experience a pleasant introduction to The Hague. We were looking for that pleasant place to stay in The Hague. We visited The Hague before, but a long time ago and only on day trips.

Very recently we travelled through some new and undiscovered parts of the Netherlands. The city of Deventer turned out to be the perfect stop in between the Veluwe and the Achterhoek. We liked it so much that we decided to spend the night there, and we really had chosen the perfect place to stay in Deventer.

Even though we only live a 2.5 hour drive away from Bruges, we had never visited this beautiful city before. Bruges is a feast for the eyes and the mouth. There is so much to see, you won’t even get time to put your camera away. Plus, with over 60 chocolate stores, Bruges is a true chocolate city. Let us help you plan your next Bruges citytrip. We tell you everything you need to know before visiting Bruges.

A small but very chic hotel in the center of San Candido. A hotel with a long and rich history, where the building has always functioned as accommodation since the early beginning. A hotel with a prime location for an amazing holiday in the Dolomites. Of course we're talking about Boutique & Gourmet Hotel Orso Grigio in San Candido.

Boutique & Gourmet Hotel Orso Grigio is a boutique luxury hotel with a prime location in San Candido. The hotel offers only 28 rooms in various styles and sizes. The rooms include a modern design. Charm and intimacy are key elements in all of their 28 rooms.

After a wonderful Summer, where travel restrictions were lifted and travelling was possible again (within Europe for most of us), Autumn and Winter kicked in with lockdowns pretty much everywhere again. After visiting all the amazing places in the Netherlands, traveling to Rotterdam and finding out the best things to do in Heerlen and staying in a crane hotel earlier this year, we decided to focus on our own country again this Autumn and Winter. Once more looking for the most beautiful and special places the Netherlands has to offer.

Switzerland’s Ultimate Summer Outdoor Destination!

After quite some city trips to Dusseldorf, London, Gothenburg and Barcelona over the past six months, Traveltomtom writer Ashley, really felt the urge for an outdoor nature trip. After some research on the internet she looked into visiting Davos in summer, a very famous winter destination in Switzerland.

However, checking out the Davos tourism tips on the internet she immediately became very excited about visiting Davos in summer and made it her next travel destination, without any regrets as you will discover reading this Davos travel blog full of tips.

Opening a brand new hotel in the middle of a worldwide crisis? Sounds too crazy to be true right? Well, two entrepreneurs from ’s Hertogenbosch did just that. And as we’re always looking for unique and special places to stay, this former crane was right up our alley and we couldn’t be more excited.

The crane officially opened late September 2020, as the official opening was postponed due to Corona. However in the months before the official opening they were running a very busy Hotel Exceptionnel. Booking after booking came in, they haven’t really suffered from the Corona crisis.

Dinner in the Sky is a culinary and spectacular international concept that allows you to have dinner 50 meter (165 ft) above the ground. It is one of those crazy unique things to do in Dubai and we got to experience it for you and write about it. This is our blog with a complete review about Dinner in the Sky Dubai.

Have you ever heard of Europa-Park? I think there is a good chance you have never heard of it or have only vaguely heard of it. I had heard of Europa Park, but actually didn't really know it at all. I had no idea what to expect and I am still amazed after visiting both, Europa-Park and Rulantica.

Europa-Park is Germanys largest and Europe’s second largest theme park. It’s located in the Black Forest in the South of Germany, close to the borders of France and Switzerland.

Planning a trip to big cities and choosing the perfect hotel for your Amsterdam trip, can be a lot of work. That’s why we are more than happy to offer you a helping hand. Location is always key when searching for accommodations for our travels, so also during our recent trip to Amsterdam. We checked in to the DoubleTree by Hilton next to Amsterdam Central Station.

Cooler boxes, chilly bins and cooler bags are often inconvenient in size and difficult to take with you on a trip. Yet their functionality is often desired when travelling. We have often explored the outdoors, where it would have been great to have a handy cooler bag to keep drinks chilled for a few hours.

As you probably already know, the Traveltomtom team is a huge fan of Finnish Lapland. Our first introduction to Lapland was the bucket list destination of Rovaniemi. But, we soon discovered that Lapland is more than just Rovaniemi. Just recently we traveled to Lapland again and after our trip to Rovaniemi we visited the leading ski resort in Finland, Levi!

In this blog we will take you with us on our trip exploring this iconic place to visit in Lapland and we will tell you everything you need to know before visiting Levi in winter. Here is your complete travel guide with all our Levi travel tips.

As a tourist and traveler you are often dependent on tour operators for activities, tours and experiences. It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish the good and honest tour operators from the tourist traps.

The nature in Lapland is impressive and endless. You can of course enjoy yourself for days in the vast nature. But there are, especially in Lapland, so many unique experiences for which you simply need a tour operator. It is always nice to know that a tour operator is reliable and provides unique experiences.

The Traveltomtom Team almost calls Rovaniemi home as we have visited Lapland lots of times now, but we recently discovered something new.

As a traveler, the Fairmont le Chateau Frontenac has been on my bucket list of places I have always wanted to stay at least once. When I started planning my most recent trip through the Eastern parts of Canada and the USA, Quebec obviously had to be one of my stops. So this year I was finally able to stay at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, truly a dream come true! The Château Frontenac is so much more than just a hotel, it is an icon of the city of Quebec. Keep reading if you want to find out everything about this fairytale castle hotel.

We stayed at this amazing place in June 2022 as part of our Midnight Sun Ambassador trip to Rovaniemi and Yllas. From the moment we stepped in to this hotel we fell in love with this place. HAAWE boutique hotel in Rovaniemi offers everything we normally search for when looking for accommodation. Privacy, memorable details and perfect design.

From the moment we decided to travel back to Rovaniemi in February 2023, we were determined to stay at HAAWE Boutique Apart Hotel Rovaniemi again.

In the Winter of 2020 we had our first collaboration with Fjällräven. Back then they provided us with a full Fjällräven winter clothing set to review. It was our introduction to the Fjällräven brand. We really liked their products and quality.

When we started planning our most recent trip to Lapland, we knew we needed only the best possible gear. Knowing that the temperature in Lapland can drop well below 0, only the best of the best would suffice. With our previous Fjällräven experiences, there was only one way to go for me.

It was time for another trip in the Netherlands. This time our destination was a place we know well, because we had stayed there before, Breukelen. Even though Breukelen is only a really small town, we didn’t know the amazing boutique hotel Flora Batava existed.

Good food can leave you speechless. It’s exactly the experience we had when we walked out from Glowing Ember in Rovaniemi. We had no idea what to expect from dining at Glowing Ember, but it turned out to be the best culinary experience we have ever had.

Never underestimate the value and power of a good walking shoe. Over the years I have come to appreciate really good and decent walking shoes more and more. Especially after having had and worn out several inferior shoes in a short time. Since then I have decided never to opt for inferior and cheaper walking shoes again and to invest in quality. If you can test and use shoes from a brand like HANWAG, then you naturally say yes.

Who doesn’t dream about this? A helicopter tour is on many travelers and tourists bucket and wish list. In recent years we have been lucky enough to be able to experience a helicopter flight at a number of beautiful places, like the Grand Canyon, the Niagara Falls and New York City. Another destination we had on our wish list for a helicopter tour was Dubai.

England is home to some of the biggest football teams in the world and six of the Premier League football teams have their home ground in London. Wembley Stadium is without doubt one of the most impressive and most important stadiums in football history. The historic World Cup final of 1966 was played here, when England became World Champion. But also the ‘greatest live performance in the history of rock’ by Queen during Live Aid 1985 took place at Wembley. 

Italy was our first destination ever since Corona had put the world on hold. From our Dutch government there are many travel restrictions in place, which leaves very few destinations, all within Europe, open for us to travel to. Early September, Italy was one of the few places we could freely travel to. That plus the fact that we had never properly explored Italy before, made us decide to choose Italy as next destination.

HOKA is known as one of the best running shoes available. However, they recently introduced a new model aimed at hiking. A new world for HOKA. We are always interested in good and decent hiking shoes. Especially when well-known brands such as HOKA take this step.

We had the opportunity to test the new HOKA Skyline Float X this summer. We went on some nice hikes in the Dolomites, in Austria and lately took them on our trip to Finland, where we extensively tested these new HOKA's.

The Veluwe is one of my favorite places to visit in the Netherlands. It’s the perfect destination for a relaxed or a sporty outdoor weekend. I like to travel to the Veluwe to relax and enjoy nature and the outdoors.

I also love to explore and experience new parts of the Veluwe. We did exactly that just recently when we visited Hotel de Beyaerd.

I don't often experience a hotel that touches me so much that I still think back to it two weeks after departure. A hotel that exceeded all expectations in every way possible. A hotel that was simply a wonderful place that, once you've checked in, you simply never want to check out ever again.

Hotel Der Bär in Ellmau, Tirol is exactly such hotel. We checked in to Hotel Der Bär without any expectations and were completely surprised and overwhelmed by this special hotel.

The Netherlands is just a small country and it doesn’t have many 5 star hotels. So, when they open a brand new renovated 5 star hotel and you get invited to come and check it out, then that’s a straight yes!

Traveltomtom team member Ashley got to experience first hand this luxury hotel in Arnhem and wrote this review of Hotel Haarhuis.

Hotels located in historic buildings always immediately have an interesting story. This certainly also applies to Hotel Nassau in Breda, as it is located in a beautiful monumental monastery. We recently checked it out on our trip to Breda. Hotel Nassau was our base while checking out the best things to do in Breda. In this hotel review blog post I tell you everything you need to know before booking the Hotel Nassau for your trip to Breda. But trust me it is totally worth it...

Planning a trip to Zuid - Limburg in The Netherlands then you must visit Valkenburg! One of the most famous picturesque villages of the country and also the cycling capital of The Netherlands. Traveltomtom is originally from the so called Heuvelland, the most southern region in The Netherlands and we love to show you some of the best places to stay in Zuid-Limburg.

You may know it as the Black Label Hotel, but since March 1, 2022, this hotel is known as Hotel Valkenburg by Mercure. Traveltomtom team member Ashley went to check it out and this is her Hotel Valkenburg review.

In recent years we have made more and more trips in The Netherlands. And it is so much fun to discover unknown places in your own country.

We still look for new places in the Netherlands several times a year. One of our favorite regions is the Achterhoek, in the east of the country. It is enormous, lots of nature, nice and quiet, lovely villages, many castles, the perfect ingredients for a nice weekend away.

I have said it before, travelling the Dolomites and South Tyrol in particular, it often feels like you’re travelling through Austria. It’s the mountains combined with the traditional alpine chalets, and red geraniums hanging from the balconies.

Arriving at Hotel Winkler Sport & Spa Resort we were slightly confused. It was again a classic alpine chalet we arrived at. We had checked the hotel online, and photos showed a very luxurious and modern hotel. Walking up to the entrance of the hotel, we honestly thought we were at the wrong Winkler Hotel. But then, walking through the entrance it’s like going through a time machine, from traditional alpine to extremely modern and luxurious. Absolutely fantastic!

Even though Dusseldorf is only an hour away from where I live, I had actually never visited this city before. I only ever passed it on my way to Dusseldorf Airport, to catch a flight to new destinations.

When we first traveled to Lapland I had never heard of this activity. But once I knew about the existence of the Sampo Icebreaker Cruise, it immediately went to the top of our wish list. Just keep reading and I’m sure once you finished this blog, you will want to do the Icebreaker Sampo Cruise experience as well.

We have already been able to test and experience quite a bit of outdoor clothing. We recently had the opportunity to test some clothing from Vaude for our outdoor trip to Lapland. Of course we wanted that, so some new Vaude clothing went with us on our Autumn trip to the far North of Finnish Lapland.

When looking up things to do in Dubai I am sure you already found out about the Dubai Aquarium, but did you know it is located in a massive shopping mall? There is a huge glass wall in the Dubai Mall that gives you a glimpse into the Dubai Aquarium and it is actually free to view for the public. So why buying a ticket for the Dubai Aquarium? In this blog we will tell you our experiences and why we recommend visiting the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo.

My main reason for visiting Australia's Northern Territory was to visit Australia's largest national park. Just to give you an idea of how big Kakadu national park is, it is about 1/3 of the size of Tasmania , nearly half the size of Switzerland and equally-sized to Slovenia. Kakadu scenic flights are therefore one of the best ways to see Kakadu National Park.

After 6 months of staying at home and exploring only our own Netherlands, it was finally time to cross borders again and have our first trip abroad since the Corona pandemic. With still many travel restrictions in place, our destinations were limited. But nevertheless, we managed to pick an awesome destination for this first trip after Corona.

Imagine a hotel, located on top of a hill, surrounded by the most amazing, beautiful and fresh nature you have ever seen and experienced. Sounds like a dream, right?

Well, think again. Because Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara in Rovaniemi offers you this dreamy hotel location and so much more! We stayed in Lapland Hotels Sky Ounasvaara and this is our review blog.

My most recent Canada trip also brought me to the vibrant city of Montreal. Searching for Montreal accommodation for my travels, for me it’s important that my hotel is located on a prime location in the city I visit. This lead me to Le Centre Sheraton in Montreal Downtown. With their newly renovated Club Rooms and its location right in the middle of downtown, this had to be my place to stay.

Just recently LEVEL8 asked us if we wanted to test their newest arrival, the Capture Carry-On. A pleasant surprise, as this is not a hard suitcase but a soft sided one. We normally don't travel with soft sided suitcases, however this Capture Carry-On could change things here. Just like all the others, this LEVEL8 suitcase also lives up to the high expectations.

We previously reviewed and tested some LEVEL8 suitcases to great satisfaction. Whenever we travel now, we use LEVEL8 gear as we simply like their quality and comfort.

The partnership between LEVEL8 and Traveltomtom started with reviewing the Full Aluminum Carry On and the Luminous Trunk Luggage. These were very quickly followed by a set of the amazing Voyageur Collection.

We previously reviewed and tested some LEVEL8 suitcases to great satisfaction. Whenever we travel now, one of the suitcases we like to use are LEVEL8 as we simply like their quality and comfort.

The partnership between LEVEL8 and Traveltomtom started with reviewing the Full Aluminum Carry On and the Luminous Trunk Luggage. These were very quickly followed by a set of the amazing Voyageur Collection. Most recently we also received their Freeloop Carry On.

Earlier this year we reviewed some LEVEL8 suitcases to great satisfaction. We have been travelling using only Level 8 luggage ever since. For us a suitcase is always the way to go when we travel. Especially since we discovered the Level8 brand and its decent and solid suitcases.

The collaboration between LEVEL8 and Traveltomtom was so well received by both sides that we decided to continue this collaboration. This time we received their new Voyageur collection to test and review. Without revealing too much already, these suitcases are next level!

Along with the Big Ben and the Tower Bridge, the London Eye is one of the most famous landmarks in London. A visit to London isn't complete when you haven't done the most famous Ferris wheel in the world. Traveltomtom stepped onboard of this London must visit and in this travel blog we will tell you what it was like.

For a bucket list trip to Lapland we got in touch with LOWA for the first time. Back then they provided us with their best winter boots. A great start to an even better collaboration with LOWA.

After this first experience LOWA even asked me if I was interested in walking the Nijmegen Four Day Marches on their behalf. And so I did in 2023 with their special Nijmegen Marches boots.

In fact, we are considering taking up the challenge of the Nijmegen Four Days Marches again in 2025.

For a bucket list trip to Rovaniemi in Lapland we wanted to take the best possible gear with us. Decent and warm clothing and shoes are key when visiting extremely cold places like Lapland.

We both had pretty decent hiking boots. But we instantly knew that these weren’t going to be good enough for a trip to the Arctic.

The holiday season is coming, the most wonderful time of the year is almost here. I love Christmas, which is what made me think of a Christmas city trip. Throughout Europe many cities have Christmas markets and special decorations this time of the year. I wanted to visit a city where I had never been before and which is famous for its Christmas markets and celebrations. There was only one city that ticked all the boxes; Vienna!

Canada’s capital Ottawa was without any doubt one of my stops on my itinerary. The only thing I knew was that I really wanted to visit Parliament Hill, to see where all the important decisions are made in Canada. But after spending three lovely days in Ottawa I left the city, impressed by everything I did, saw and experienced those past three days.

When we travelled the Dolomites early September 2020, we picked several stops to cover most of the Dolomites from west to east. So after starting the trip in Merano, we made our way east, having our next stop north of Merano.

A beautiful family-run hotel near the town of Mühlbach, about 50km north of Bolzano and 30km north of the amazing St. Magdalena. We made Nature & Active Hotel Rogen our next stop, which turned out to be a pretty sweet decision.

Sometimes you visit places that will stay with you for the rest of your life, never to forget again. I really think that the nhow hotel in Rotterdam has the most beautiful, amazing and unique view in Rotterdam, may be even in the Netherlands.

We love traveling to Amsterdam, our capital city, it’s always fun. Earlier this year we visited Rotterdam and stayed at the amazing nhow Rotterdam. During that stay we fell in love with the nhow hotel brand. So, when we found out that there was another nhow hotel in Amsterdam, we couldn’t wait to check it out.

Luckily we had another trip to Amsterdam planned. And so it happened that, just a few months after staying in Rotterdam, we now explored and experienced the nhow Amsterdam RAI.

Nova Galaxy Village is a new addition in Rovaniemi. The hotel belongs to the the same owners as Nova Skyland Hotel, but it is in a completely different location and also a totally different experience. Nova Galaxy opened its doors in November 2023 and ran its first season in the winter of 23-24.

Nova Galaxy Village is located almost 20 kilometers from Nova Skyland Hotel and Rovaniemi city center. Its location is truly amazing, in the middle of nowhere and right on the Ounasjoki River.

On our recent trip to Finnish Lapland we stayed in two unique hotels: Nova Skyland Hotel and Nova Galaxy Village, which are from the same owner.

Both unique but completely different accommodations in Rovaniemi. This blog is a review about our stay at Nova Skyland.

When you think of Dubai, most people think of the modern high-rise buildings, and the place where ‘impossible’ doesn’t exist. To be honest, so do I! But obviously it wasn’t always like this. There are a few districts in Dubai, like Bur Dubai and Deira Dubai, that are still quite authentic with souks, abras and Arabian Tea Houses. And we think these spots should be on your itinerary when visiting Dubai.

Scrolling through this Dubai blog I am sure you can't believe this is also Dubai. Therefore, according to Traveltomtom, doing a walking tour of Old Dubai should be listed as one of the best things to do in Dubai. You can feel the vibe in the photos below.

The Netherlands is just a stone's throw away from Belgium, so visiting Belgian cities has always been easy and fun to do for the Traveltomtom team. After visiting Brussels, Antwerp and Bruges, travel writer Ashley had set her mind on traveling to Ghent. After visiting Bruges in Summer 2021, people told us, if you liked Bruges then you should really visit Ghent. We were told Ghent was even nicer and one of the best places to visit in Belgium.

rYou can’t visit Dubai without doing a desert safari. It’s simply a must do when travelling to Dubai. There are many tour operators offering these safaris, so it can be hard to pick the best one. Luckily we have already done that work for you. Traveltomtom went on a desert safari in Dubai with Platinum Heritage, and we will explain why we think they are your best pick and what their Dubai desert safaris are like.

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and a very popular holiday destination in Northern Italy. It is located half way between Brescia and Verona and right in between Milan and Venice, on the edge of the Dolomites.

In Summer Lake Garda is normally extremely crowded, as it is a popular holiday destination for many people, not just Italians. With a worldwide pandemic, and still many travel restrictions in place, we thought this would be the perfect time to visit Lake Garda and avoid the numbers of tourists that normally visit this famous Italy tourist destination. It turned out to be a pretty good decision.

After our lovely stay at the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront in Dubai Waterfront, we thought it would be fun to check in to another Radisson Blu Hotel nearby. That is how we ended up at the Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Canal View. They’re barely four kilometers apart from each other, but that’s a world away in Dubai, making you explore a complete new part of this magical city.

Lately we visited Dubai again, one of our favorite holiday destinations in the world, and had the opportunity to stay in the up and coming Dubai Waterfront. We had set our eyes on the Radisson Blu Hotel, which seemed to have a great location. In this blog you can read everything about our experiences during our stay.

There are two reasons why I really love airport hotels. The first one is that when you check in to an airport hotel, you know your holiday already started. You basically extend your holiday with an extra night. The second reason is that airport hotels make us start our journey and flight rested and relaxed. It’s so good to basically go from bed to breakfast to flight, instead of having to drive to the airport first, beat traffic and arrive stressed and with time pressure to get to your gate in time.

Just recently, Ashley a valued member of the Traveltomtom Team, visited the Dutch Bulb region for the very first time. Besides visiting all the beautiful Dutch flower fields, she was looking for a fun and unique experience. That’s when she came across Renzy, self guided tours in electric Renault Twizies. Find out her experiences discovering the Dutch tulip fields and stunning landscapes in a unique way.

One of the great things of travelling is that you get to meet like-minded people who often share the same stories and interests as you. It was in July 2022 that we were in Rovaniemi  and Ylläs when we met Lorenzo, owner of Arctic Road Trips. Truly an enthusiastic and energetic guy, who went up the mountains every night to capture the midnight sun. And even though it was in the middle of Summer and we had crazy hot temperatures for Lapland standards, he just couldn’t stop talking about his biggest passion, Northern Lights.

Wherever we go, we always want to capture those special moments as good as we can. We want to create memories and take plenty of photos and videos to make sure we will never forget special moments. Digital and technical innovations are moving so fast that several new products are launched every year that are of interest to travelers.

Cameras, phones, drones, action cam's, it's all there. But those who want to travel light want to think smart on what camera gear they bring on their travels.

This all-rounder seems to go beyond where all other cameras and equipment are limited. We are super curious to check its endless possibilities.

Earlier this year we tested some of the Revolution Race outdoor clothing. Their Winter essentials were a must during our trip to Rovaniemi in Lapland.

We love the outdoors and are always in search for the best outdoor brands and clothing. It must above all be comfortable. With the introduction to Revolution Race we found our new favorite outdoor brand.

Let us tell you about the new Revolution Race outdoor gear we tested the last couple of weeks and why we think they’re the best out there.

Phantom Trail Low Hiking Shoes

I walk a lot so I love a good pair of hiking shoes. Over the years I have experienced that hiking boots can vary enormously. And that it’s often worth the few extra dollars to go for a more expensive and better shoe. Revolution Race has its own hiking shoes, so I was curious. They decided to send me a pair in preparation for the 4 Day Marches in Nijmegen, I participated in.

The shoes are available in five colors. I went for the Black/Arona version. Simply because I like some colors to my shoes, it makes them less boring.

These shoes are super lightweight, it’s absolutely the first thing I noticed when I took the shoes out of the box. These shoes are multifunctional as they are as flexible as a trail running shoe but they have a walking boot’s functions and stability. The cushioning of these shoes is absolutely next level, it feels like walking on the clouds, so smooth.

As mentioned, I used them during the 4 Day Marches in Nijmegen. I walked 50km per day for 4 days in a row. I started with a different brand of shoes, but after two days and blisters on both feet, I decided to switch to these Revolution Race Hiking shoes.

For one main reason, I had blisters on both outer toes. My other boots are quite narrow at the front which made me feel these blisters really badly. The Phantom Trail Low Hiking Shoes have a generous toe part, mainly for swollen toes to provide more comfort during long hikes. This was exactly what I needed. It gave me more space and my toes were suddenly free, so I no longer felt the blisters. This really made the difference during this intense 4 Day hike and helped me make it to the finish line.

For hiking boots they are relatively reasonable priced at €159. Other high-end brand often start higher than that.

RVRC GP Pro Zip-off Pants

I’m a big fan of zip-off pants as they are the ultimate trousers for all-year-round use. With the Dutch weather, you just never know if Summer will really kick in. So these zip-off pants are often just really necessary. We also use them for our trips a lot, as we don’t always visit sunny destinations. We love to visit outdoor destinations.

The RVRC GP Pro Zip-off Pants are part of the bestselling RVRC GP Collection and are their most durable outdoor trousers. I love the different color zippers at the detachable legs. Totally clear which part belongs where.

I wore these trousers in bad weather conditions with a lot of rain and wind. They’re made with PFC-free Hyper shell material which makes these trousers both wind and water repellent.

Another thing I really love about these trousers is that they have boot hooks at the ends of the legs, which helps to keep the trousers securely in place during any activity.

In general, the level of detail of these pants is so incredible high, just fantastic. Seven pockets for storage for example, multiple of them are with zipper, yes!

These trousers are absolutely ideal for outdoor activities such as walking, climbing or just simply enjoying the great outdoors.
The RVRC GP Pro Zip-off Pants are my new number one outdoor pants.

Wander Pro Shorts

Just to get straight to the point, these shorts are by far the best I have ever had. They fit and feel so well. During the 4 Day Marches in Nijmegen I have used these shorts every day. We walked 50km per day, which equals about 10-12 hours of walking per day. And even with those kilometers and hours of walking I had no troubles, no friction, no abrasion! Simply perfect.

The shorts has 5 pockets in total, two of which have a zipper as well. The short is adjustable at the waist for a perfect fit and has pre-waxed reinforced parts for extra water repellency. These shorts are perfect for any outdoor activity and perfect to wear in casually on nice and warm Summer days.

I think I am just getting rid of all my current shorts and only want these Wander Pro Shorts from now on.

Revolution Race Tee

A Summer outfit of course wouldn’t be complete without a nice and comfortable t-shirt to wear during these hot Summer days. We have both the Breeze Tee 2.0 for Women and the Fat Graphic Tee for Men.

Breeze Tee 2.0

These t-shirts are high-quality cotton mix t-shirts that feel exceptionally soft and comfortable against the skin. It has a super relaxed fit that gives you the moveability you need for everyday wear as well as outdoor activities. It’s an all-rounder t-shirt. It looks fancy, not at all like the standard outdoor shirts. You will want to wear it again and again, at any occasion.

Fat Graphic Tee

The same goes for the Fat Graphic Tee for men. It’s a super comfortable shirt with an athletic fit, made in a soft cotton mix. The large RVRC print at the back is just super cool. We love the fit of this shirt, it’s longer than most shirts which makes it fit much better.

Typhoon Jacket

I chose this Typhoon Jacket with an obvious reason. It’s Revolution Race lightest rain jacket, so you can bring it anywhere, around your waist or in a backpack or daypack. It can even be packed into its own pocket, how convenient.

It's fully waterproof and breathable. Features such as zippered underarm vents, adjustable hood and zip-closure hand and chest pockets make this rain jacket the perfect companion in rainy weather.

The weather in the Netherlands can be very bad and rainy. Luckily I have only used this Typhoon Jacket once, with very bad weather and lots of rain.

Often rain jackets eventually stick to your clothes or skin at some point. This one didn’t. I was outdoors in the pouring rain for over two hours and got home with dry clothes underneath my rain jacket. In any case, I am equipped if the weather turns bad when we travel again next.

Revolution Race summer gear review

We were convinced about Revolution Race as a brand and the products they make after our first introduction earlier this year for our Lapland trip. But these Summer gear might have convinced me even more, if that is possible at all.

Mid-July I walked the 4 Day Marches in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. It’s the largest multiple day marching event in the world. I walked 50 kilometer per day, so a total of 200 kilometer.

Revolution Race helped me out and offered some of their Summer gear to get me through these Marches. During these Marches I used the Wander Pro Shorts and the Phantom Trail Hiking Shoes to great satisfaction. They literally helped me through the Marches to the finish line.

After we have tried and experienced both Summer and Winter clothing, I can only draw one conclusion. Nothing else than Revolution Race for us from now!

This blog was written by travel writer and Traveltomtom team member Ashley. She received a set of Revolution Race clothing and a pair of shoes to test extensively and to write this review. Check out her Instagram @travelashie for more travel content.

I have to be honest, when I was offered to test and review these Nova Sport earbuds, I wasn’t too enthusiastic to start with, but let me explain. I've always had problems with earplugs. For some reason they never stuck in my ears and always fall out. Reason for me to never wear earphones and to stick with on ear and over ear headphones.

I’m a big fan of over ear headphones, but some are quite large and therefore not handy to travel with. I don’t like using them while walking for example. I think they’re just too big for that. However I sometimes would love to be able to enjoy some music while hiking or exploring new places.

For some reason we had actually never visited the city of Utrecht properly. So, when we discovered the brand-new Crowne Plaza Utrecht, we knew, this is meant to be!

Location is always key when searching for accommodations for city trips, and so it was during our recent trip to Utrecht. Well, let the Crowne Plaza happens to have just the perfect location for a city trip to Utrecht.

Very occasionally there are places that, after you visit them once, they completely captivate you and you want to keep going back. In our case this applies to Finland and in particular to Lapland and Rovaniemi.

From our first visit to Rovaniemi, we were sold on the country, the people, the culture and especially the endless nature. In everything it is a destination that makes us ultimately happy. That happy feeling makes us go back for more travel experiences, memories and adventures.

Dubai Marina, it’s one of the most popular districts in Dubai, and it surely is our most favorite part of Dubai. It’s where we fell in love with Dubai during our first trip in 2013, and it’s where we come back every time we are visiting Dubai. So it makes sense that we share one of our favorite places in Dubai Marina with you. On one of our latest trips we stayed in Rove Dubai Marina and this is our review.

Magical, fairytale-like, unique, special, straight out of a movie, just a few words and feelings that immediately come to mind when I think back about our stay at Schloss Hotel Korb in Italy.

Imaging traveling the Dolomites, days and days of amazing mountain scenery. Then you travel on towards the wine region of the Dolomites. You pass the city of Bolzano and start winding through one vineyard after another. Your navigation says: 'turn right' and there it is, this impressive and authentic 13th Century castle that rises proudly above the vineyards and overlooks Bolzano and the mountains.

It seems like new exciting tourist attractions are popping up in Dubai every day. One of the newest additions to the city is Sky Views. I initially thought it was just a new viewing platform or observatory for outstanding Burj Khalifa views, boy was I wrong. Sometimes traveling also means taking on challenges, pushing boundaries and conquering fears, and we certainly did that when we signed up for the Edge Walk in Dubai.

Are you ready to go back to school? Sleep in a brand new hotel located in a former high school! Trust me you will feel like walking through your own former high school and memories will come back to mind! This is AMAZING!

I love seeing old buildings being restored and given a new purpose. Especially when such an old building becomes a new, modern hotel. These unique hotels hold a special story and history. We love these stories and unique places to stay and that is why we love sharing them with you. One of these unique hotels, in an old restored high school is the DoubleTree by Hilton in Sittard.

At Traveltomtom we love to show you all corners of the world. The crazier a destination sounds, the more curious we are. We love to travel the world and show you other countries and cultures. But what’s just as much fun as showing you the world? Showing you Traveltomtom’s home! We have been exploring our own backyard for the past few weeks, and have discovered some hidden gems in Limburg and just recently we reviewed the Merici Hotel in Sittard, a hotel housed in a monastery!

Some things are on everyone’s travel bucket list. The Arctic SnowHotel and Glass Igloos are two of these examples. I think every traveler dreams about staying at places like these. And so did we! Dreaming about traveling to Lapland, the Snow Hotel and these Glass Igloos have always been on top of our wish list.

So, I simply can’t wait to tell you all about this amazing place in Lapland, just keep reading.

Sometimes you don’t have to travel half way across the world to discover some unique hidden gems. In this case we only had to travel 5 minutes from home for a super special accommodation. I knew the medieval Abbey of Rolduc from back in the day when we used to run the annual Abbey Cross running event here with our primary school. But after that I actually hadn’t visited this corner of the Netherlands for years, even though it’s only a 5 minute drive away.

We travel to every corner of our world for Traveltomtom, but now it was about time to explore our own backyard for a change and that is how we ended up staying in the Abbey of Rolduc.