We received a Liebster Award!

We’re proud to announce we received a Liebster Award! Thank you, Katja! The Liebster Award is a virtual award passed on by starting bloggers to other starting bloggers. It’s a great way to get your blog out there and discover likeminded bloggers in the process. Chances are you can learn a thing or two from each other. Katja, who deemed us worth this award, is a thrill-seeking young woman who loves to travel and express herself through writing. She decided to combine these two in a travel blog, hoping to inspire and help other travellers. Check out her blog Katja vs World!

Liebster Award 2016 rules

These aren’t so much rules but rather guidelines to keep this chain of awards going when you decide to accept the award.

1. Write a blogpost about your nomination, displaying an image of the award.
2. Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog.
3. Answer the 11 questions the person who nominated you asked you in his/her blogpost.
4. Nominate 5-11 other starting bloggers who you think deserve this award, and come up with 11 questions of your own for them to answer.
5. List these rules in your blogpost.

Our answers to Katja’s questions

Some questions were easy, others we had to think about for awhile, but we liked reflecting on our travels and what we’ve learned so far. Katja, here are our answers to your questions.

What are the three items that you would take on a deserted island?

To start this on a cheesy note, we would definitely bring each other! Brecht wouldn’t want to be on a deserted island without his laptop, he has to keep working. We probably won’t need any money on a deserted island, but he wouldn’t want to let down his customers. Hopefully there will be a decent WiFi connection. I, on the other hand, would survive without my laptop. We can keep in touch with family and friends through Brecht’s laptop. I’d bring my e-reader. What would I otherwise do in between swims when I’m tanning and Brecht is working?

How many countries have you visited so far and how many more are you planning to visit?

On our trip around the world that we started in September 2015, we’ve visited 7 countries so far and will be visiting another 2 in the next half year. Our list: Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia (where we are at the moment), New Zealand, USA. Before this one year trip, we’ve visited France, Germany, the Netherlands the UK, Italy, Austria, Turkey, Spain, and Tunisia together. Brecht has been in Czech Republic as well, while I’ve visited Crete, Scotland and Cyprus without him. So Brecht has visited 17 countries up until now, me 19. We’re planning on visiting a whole lot more in the coming years, you can keep track on our blog.

Do you ever feel super nervous before your upcoming trip and would actually rather stay at home, but when you arrive to the destination, you have no idea what you were thinking?

Before departing on our round the world trip I was nervous, to say the least. We’d been together over 6 years by then, but weren’t sure what to expect from our one year trip, being together 24/7. We heard stories about couples breaking up, one returning home while the other stayed behind, people who’d fallen in love with a country and decided to move there. When we boarded the plane to Bangkok we were both excited to start this big adventure together and agreed we would just enjoy and see how things go along the way. No obligations, just fun! And it worked out great! We love our life on the road, and apart from a small difference of opinion every now and then, we still get along just fine. We are already making plans about where to travel when we get back home in August!

What are your top five bucket list items?

We’re crossing a whole lot off our bucket list on this trip around the world, but of course it’s not possible to cover everything in only one year. We’re looking forward to Uluru, and diving in the Great Barrier Reef, but have to be patient for another couple of weeks. We definitely want to go to Japan someday, and Salar de Uyuni (world’s largest salt flat) and Machu Picchu are near the top of our bucket list as well. Still so much to discover!

What is your preferred destination? (beach, city,…)

The perfect destination is a city close to the beach, like Sydney or Melbourne. You have all in one: the vibrant city with lots of things to see and do, and the beach to relax, get your tan on and take a refreshing dip in the water. Apart from that, we do like a nice hike through nature as well, spotting some wildlife if possible.

Which country has surprised you in a positive way?

Malaysia. We only went there because someone recommended us to visit Cameron Highlands. We saw some beautiful pictures of the tea plantations, but didn’t know what else to expect from the country. We touched down in George Town and were amazed by this charming city. There were small streets with authentic shophouses and buildings, but large shopping malls as well. We loved wandering through its streets, looking for street art everywhere, and the food was simply delicious.

Do you have a favourite travel book and movie?

Our favourite travel movie is “The Beach“, with Leonardo DiCaprio. Although it’s not all fun and tropical paradise, we loved the idea of a remote secret beach. We really like “The 4-hour workweek” from Tim Ferris. It’s not a real travel book, but its concepts enabled us to embark on our round the world adventure.

What are five songs that are always on your ‘travel playlist’?

We don’t really have favourite songs for a travel playlist. When going on a road trip, we just bring some recent music, a mix of party and sing along songs. We listen to local radio as well from time to time, to know what’s going on in the country and what music they listen to. We recently discovered the 'This American Life' podcast, now our favourite pastime on a long day on the road.

Do you prefer to travel solo, with a travel partner or in groups?

We love to travel with just the two of us, not too many opinions to take into account. Nevertheless, we love our annual ski trip with three other couples and definitely enjoy a city trip or vacation with our family as well!

Are you are a planner, a spontaneous traveller or a mix of both?

Brecht’s a planner, I tag along. He does the research, decides where we’ll stop and what we’ll be doing. However, I have some genius thoughts and proposals every once in while as well. Flights and accommodation are always planned ahead one or two at a time, leaving space for changes due to weather for example. The day planning isn’t fixed, Brecht always leaves space for spontaneity.

What is your preferred way of accommodation when you travel? (Couchsurfing, Airbnb, hotels, hostels,…)

We have used AirBnB several times now and think this is a great way to find affordable accommodation in big cities like Sydney. We’ve always been satisfied with the apartment, every single one of the owners was helpful, and we managed to book great locations close to public transport every time. We have a CouchSurfing profile, but have never actually CouchSurfed yet. At the moment were on a road trip through Australia in a small campervan, and we really love this way of travelling as well, in our home on wheels.

Our questions for our nominees to answer

We’ve tried to be as original as possible, but we have some cliches in there as well. These are the things we’d like to know about our nominees.

1. Should we visit your hometown? Why (not)?
2. What about home do you miss most when you’re on a long- (or even short-)term trip?
3. Which item is a must-pack for every trip?
4. What’s your favourite foreign dish and do you get the chance to eat it back home?
5. Is there any kind of food you’ll never try?
6. What’s your biggest travel misadventure? (Supposing everyone has one.)
7. What kind of luggage do you usually take when travelling, and how much does it weigh on average?
8. What are your three favourite beaches in the world?
9. What is in your opinion a destination everyone should have been to at least once in his life?
10. Would you like to move to another country? Why (not)? If yes, where?
11. What are your travel plans for 2016?

Our Liebster Award nominees

These are the travel blogs we thought deserved a Liebster Award. We like their blogs, love to read about their adventures and even implemented some of their travel tips.

Aleksandra & Mike from Customs and Coffee
Cath from The Thoughtful Backpacker
Liberty from The Wanderlust Bug
Craig from No Real Plan
Sarah from Blue Ashes Travel
Kate & Chris from Awaken & Explore

We’re looking forward to your answers!