Stories & Slow Travel Guides

Whether you are crossing the Amazon rainforest by boat, travelling through Portugal in a van, or seeking hiking adventures and active volcanoes... Each place has its own story and every person will experience that story differently - that is one of the beautiful things about travelling. For me, slow travel is a mindset that is essential for authentic travel experiences and finding your own version of a place's story.

My slow travel guides equip you with tips on where to stay, where to eat, how to get around, and an idea of costs - including my digital nomad ratings.

The travel stories shared here give you another insight into these travel destinations and aim to inspire and motivate you to explore these places for yourself or experience them through reading!

Explore by region...

Click a region to see the stories and available slow travel guides per region

My Essential Travel Tools

eSim

Although for longterm stays (think: several months), getting a physical sim card offers the most affordable plans, I always make sure I get an eSim before I arrive. If you activate your eSim before arriving, the data plan will connect and start running the moment you enter the country. That way you can easily check the map to find your accommodation, book a taxi, or open a translator app. My personal favourites are Airalo, Yesim or the one from Revolut.

Accommodation

I usually find and book the first nights of accommodation via Hostelworld or Booking.com. After I have arrived, when I can, I book or extend with the hostels and guest houses directly to make sure they get the most income. I also try to avoid chains to support local businesses, and when I can I try to avoid Airbnb because it has listings on occupied ground in the Westbank.

Transportation

For buses, trains and boats, I use Omio.com. For flights I use GoogleFlights or Kiwi.com and once I have found my flight, I check the website of the flight company if it is cheaper to book directly with them.

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Crossing the Amazon Rainforest by Boat: from Tabatinga to Manaus

As part of the series 'Crossing the Amazon rainforest by boat and bus,' this post covers all you need to know about the slow boat journey between Tabatinga and Manaus, Brazil. Besides sharing my own stories, I answer questions like what it costs to travel from Tabatinga to Manaus by boat, how long it takes, what the boat looks like, what food is like on the slow boat, and whether you have to buy tickets in advance.

6 days ago19 min read

Crossing the Amazon Rainforest in Peru: Travelling by Boat from Yurimaguas to Iquitos

I crossed the entire Amazon rainforest, travelling from Peru to Suriname. In this post I will give you all the details on how to get from Yurimaguas to Iquitos - either with a fast boat (in 24 hours) via Nauta, or with the slow boat in 3 nights, sleeping in hammocks. Incl. what it costs to travel from Yurimaguas to Iquitos, what to do in Yurimaguas, what to do in Iquitos, and how safe I felt as a solo female traveller (safe!).

Jan 1713 min read