This Dutchie met Tom during the second Traveltomtom Nambia group trip he organised to Namibia in the summer of 2021. I was always jealous of the pictures he posts on Instagram, even unfollowed him every now and then when I was not able to travel myself because of my work (oops 😉 ), but in the end I was always coming back to his page.

Too curious about his new adventures. When he announced his group trip I decided I wanted to live these adventures of him in real life, instead of via his camera lens. So despite Covid, I jumped on an airplane to the beautiful Namibia and “came as a follower, left as a friend”!

For 7 years, I was a full time biology teacher in Holland. The love for (exploring) nature, explaining the ‘how to’s’ and telling stories was given to me by birth, because my dad was a biology teacher as well. When I was a kid, my parents and I explored the surrounding countries of the Netherlands, which means that I had ‘only’ been in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany as foreign countries by the age of twelve. “Take your time to explore. Every place has its beauties and you’re not in a hurry. Enjoy the moment. It would be a waste to rush the adventures for just the ticking of the boxes of a new country.” These are the wise words of my parents, and has become my motto during traveling.

Although my list of visited countries is now way much longer than the three I’d been to when I was twelve, I’m still always trying to travel slowly and live in the moment. I prefer to stay longer in one place, so I really have the feeling I know the place the moment I leave. Where most people are just visiting the touristic hotspots, I prefer to get lost in a city or in nature. I’m always looking for these hidden gems.

traveltomtom team margot van der linde 4

And because of knowing all these hidden gems in places all over the world, but not have a platform to tell about them, I decided to ask Tom if I could write for his travel blog. That’s when I joined the Traveltomtom Team in May 2022 and hit it off with my first article about my itinerary in Romania.

I really hope you’ll have the same smile on your face and sparkle in your eyes when you’re exploring the places I’m writing about. I alternate traveling solo with traveling with my boyfriend or friends. The stories are coming from my heart and I really enjoy to help you with the ‘what to do’s’, ‘where to go to’s’ and ‘how to’s’.

I alternate traveling solo with traveling with my boyfriend or friends. But since 2023 also with my colleagues, because I switched careers and joined the Royal Netherlands Navy to see the world. Sailing over the oceans and the seas, we end up in the most beautiful port cities that you hadn't always thought of wanting to visit on your own.

You can find my recommendations in my latest articles, or on my own Instagram: @margotvdlinde . Feel free to contact me if you have any questions! 

  • Explore the Beautiful Capital City of Wales: Cardiff

    “Join the navy and see the world”. An expression that has become the truth for me since I started as a sailor in 2023. Following the sunsets, you will arrive at the best destinations with your ship. Sometimes also places that you hadn't heard much about before. Cardiff was such a city for me. 

    I had a weekend to explore the city center and Cardiff bay area, which is in my opinion a good amount of time for a trip to this city. But located in the beautiful Wales, it is also an idea to include Cardiff in your road trip or train itinerary.

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  • 11 Things to do on a City Trip to Bremen

    When people think about a city trip in Germany, most of them will come up with Cologne, Berlin, Munich or Hamburg. But Germany has more to offer and one of her hidden gems is the city of Bremen. During my stay I had the feeling that most tourists haven't discovered Bremen yet, which makes it the perfect get away for a city trip in Northern Germany. Therefore I came up with the idea of writing a travel blog about visiting Bremen showing you the best places to visit, things to do and more travel tips to get you started.

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  • Road trip from Amsterdam to Bremen, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Malmö by bus

    Let me take you on a journey around the Northern countries in Europe. Traveling by bus is much more sustainable than by plane and you will be able to explore much more cities in one trip and if you book in advanced it is really cheap too. I traveled by bus from Amsterdam to Bremen and Hamburg in Germany and continued my road trip by bus to Copenhagen in Denmark and ended up taking a train to Malmö, Sweden. Keep reading how I did it, how much it costs and find all my travel tips for these cities.

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  • 18 Best Things To Do in Brussels in 2024

    Brussels is one of the forgotten capitals of Europe to go to on a city trip. You hear London, Paris, Amsterdam and Rome all the time, but people reacted even kind of surprised when I told them I was going to visit Brussels. Most people think of Antwerp, Ghent of Bruges when traveling to Belgium.

    Brussels feels like to have the position of the underdog. You can probably imagine how they reacted when I told them I was going to visit Brussels again for a second time one month later.

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  • 12 Things to do in Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Ljubljana is the cute capital city of Slovenia and for me it turned out as one of the better cities when it comes to the smaller capitals of Europe. While it's not very big in size, it is big in the hospitality it offers to its visitors. It's definitely hard not to like a city trip to Ljubljana. To me one of the best hidden gems in Europe.

    Let me give you the best must-see's and must-do's to make your city trip in Ljubljana unforgettable! Here are my top things to do in Ljubljana.

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  • 5 Things To do for a Weekend in Cologne

    In this Cologne travel blog I will show you how you can make the most of your time visiting the beautiful metropolis Cologne. Some places in this blog are true hidden gems, while others are the real Cologne sightseeing hotspots. To me Cologne is a perfect mixture between these two and is therefore a perfect weekend destination for everyone.

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  • 10 Alternative Things to do in London

    Yes it is expensive, yes it is crowded and yes it is touristic, but don’t let these thoughts stop you from going on a city trip to the biggest city and capital of Great Britain: London! I will be the first to admit that a couple of areas in the city centre are definitely feeling like an unorganized ant nest, but London has a lot of hidden gems and nature to offer to get away from the crowds to enjoy more quiet and relaxed sceneries so we put together this list of unusual things to do in London for you.

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  • 4 Reasons to Visit Lanzarote in Canary Islands

    The Canary Islands are a group of Spanish islands in the Atlantic Ocean. At their closest point they are only 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Morocco,the African mainland. The most famous (and biggest) islands are Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Hierra, La Palma and La Gomera. All of them are very different from each other and totally worth visiting all with their own landscapes, vegetation and breathtaking views. In this travel blog I’ll give you all the information you’ll need for a visit to the beautiful Lanzarote.

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  • Tips for a Riga City Trip in 2024

    Planning a city trip, but you don’t know where to go to yet? Consider visiting Riga, the beautiful capital of Latvia! I can tell you from my own experience that this is also a perfect destination for solo travelers. Riga is safe, not too overwhelming because of her size and the local people are very friendly and helpful. In this travel blog you can find tips and tricks for a Riga city trip, truly a hidden gem in Europe.

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  • 1 Week Itinerary for Romania

    Planning a trip to Romania and wondering how to spend 1 week seeing some of the most amazing places to visit? In this travel blog you can find a road trip itinerary for Romania for 7 days. Renting a car is easy, affordable and the best way to explore the country. Traveling to Romania is full of surprises.

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