Introduction to my travel blog
The main goal of this blog is to share my travel experiences in the past, present & future with you.
- First of all, giving you a personal, but honest impression of a place visited.
- Secondly, providing you with useful tips & ideas for that particular destination.
“To travel” can mean many things. For most people it’s to escape the daily routine & getting to know other places, peoples & cultures. For me personally, traveling means just that.
This home page provides you with a first introduction & index all the travel blog posts so far.
- Throughout most posts on this travel blog you’ll find affiliated links provided by travel platforms like TravelPayOuts, Expedia & GetYourGuide. Links & Ads that may help you plan your next trip.
- If you click on them & buy a ticket for a museum, book a tour, a hotel or a flight a small commission of your purchase will go to me (paid by the travel platform, not by you).
Conquer the World
Sure, many of us like to visit every country in the world. However, besides being almost impossible, I so far have concentrated my travels to:
- (Western) Europe – where I was born in the Netherlands, and
- The Americas – where I moved to many years ago, to Ecuador.
This doesn’t mean I didn’t have a wish to go to other continents. In fact,I did visit beautiful Morocco a few years ago & plan to visit Indonesia soon – but it’s obvious I had my preferences.
Besides the many countries I visited while still living in Europe, I love the Latin American countries which I visited in later years.
The unique country of Ecuador above all, but also the neighboring countries. As well as, Guatemala – where I lived for a few years in beautiful Antigua – and other Central American countries.
Topping it off with my favorite country: Mexico. Or better said, the Mexicos, because one Mexico doesn’t exist.
And by the way, I usually don’t travel alone. Generally I’m accompanied by my wife Wendy & for many years also by our daughter Lisa.
If you want to learn more about me, the travel blog writer, click on: About me
A travel blog index
So far my travel blog has provided tips & ideas for the following cities, countries or Mundo Maya sites:
Click on the name – in orange (!) – if it matches you next travel destination:
Paris, France
*A blog post on the City of Light: Paris.
Edinburgh, Scotland
*Things to do in mysterious Edinburgh, Scotland.
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Spain travel blog
*With first an: Introduction to Spain.
And individual posts on Things to Do in & around:
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Italia
With individual posts full of tips & ideas for:
- Bergamo
- Verona (post in the making)
Croatia
With individual posts on Things to Do in & around:
Indonesia
With individual posts on:
JAVA
- Bogor
- Jakarta (under construction)
- Yogyakarta (under construction)
- Borobudur village (under construction)
- Surakarta/Solo (under construction)
- Semarang (under construction)
BALI
- Pekutatan (under construction)
- Ubud (under construction)
- Sidemen (under construction)
Morocco
With individual post on:
- A short history of Morocco
- Tips & Ideas for your visit to Morocco
- A visit to the Imperial city of Fez & around
- Chefchaouen, the Blue City
- A visit to Tangier & Asilah
New York, USA
With individual post on:
- A general post on Things to Do in & Around Manhattan
- Tips & ideas for: Families visiting Manhattan
- And a post about the Best Hotel Options in Manhattan (for every budget).
Mundo Maya travel blog
A personal passion of mine is the fascinating Maya World (Mexico, Guatemala, Belice, Honduras & El Salvador).
With two general posts:
And specific posts on:
- Copán
- Yaxchilán & Bonampak
- Tikal
- Palenque
- Quiriguá
- Kabah & Labná
- Ek Balam
- Yaxhá
- Uxmal
- Toniná
- Cobá
- Chichén Itzá
- Tulum
- Calakmul
- Muyil
Ecuador is home
Besides traveling, I live in – what many of you would call – a faraway country.
My wife Wendy and I left our home country The Netherlands in 1994, exchanging it for Latin America.
We mainly lived in Ecuador, but also some years in beautiful Guatemala.
From 2003 until 2025 we were the owners of a Hotel-Restaurant in the Andean town of Otavalo. Famous for its traditional indigenous market.
A unique hotel called Hotel Doña Esther, with an excellent restaurant Árbol de Montalvo.
Run these days by people who formerly worked for us and deserve your visit when choosing Otavalo as your destination.
To learn more about this special place, go to: Hotel Doña Esther.
Cotacachi: An alternative place to stay
However, when you decide to stay in nearby Cotacachi, I´d like to present to our brand new Airbnb. Only a 20-minute bus ride away from Otavalo.
A complete rental home we – that’s me & my wife Wendy – recently finished building.
Casa Santa Ana
An Airbnb we named Casa Santa Ana. After the official name of our “Magical City”: Santa Ana de Cotacachi. As well as Wendy’s mother Anna.
Besides a spacious living room with chimney & full equipped kitchen, our Airbnb has two separate bedrooms. Each with its own bathroom. Ideal for 1, 2 to 4 people. Or also a family with 2 or 3 smaller children.
- Minimum stay: 3 nights. Maximum stay: several months.
From the partially covered rooftop terrace – also with a chimney – you have magnificent views of the old city center & surrounding area. Like the mountain of the same name in the background.
- Mt. Cotacachi is the 11th highest volcano of Ecuador (4,944m/16,220ft).
Mt. Cotacachi is still covered in the clouds.
To learn more about this overnight option in Cotacachi, click on:
If you first want to learn more about Cotacachi, go to:
Introduction to the “Magical City” of Cotacachi.
Travel blog segments on Ecuador
Ecuador is really one of the most beautiful countries in the world. An ideal country to escape daily routine & get to know a completely other world.
Ecuador is blessed with many unique places to visit, beautiful natural parks, friendly peoples everywhere, a fascinating history & colorful culture.
Ecuador is a relatively small country in South America, but full of diversity.
In just a few hours you can travel from the Andean highlands to the Amazon rainforest or the tropical Pacific coast.
Besides that, a rough 1000 km/ 600 miles from the mainland, you’ll find the Galápagos Islands.
You just can’t stop wandering & wondering in such a diverse country.
So, besides reading about visits to world destinations, be prepared in this blog to travel with me through Ecuador & and receive useful tips & ideas about visiting its many attractions.
For a introduction on this beautiful Andean country, go to: Ecuador
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Special attention will be paid to attractions in my home province Imbabura, but not exclusively so.
Travel blog about the market town of Otavalo
There are many:Things to do in & around Otavalo/Cotacachi.
- One of the most popular things to do is climbing the Fuya Fuya volcano. Located in the Mojanda lake area above Otavalo.
- A second attraction nearby is the spectacular Cuicocha Crater Lake. A MUST SEE when visiting Otavalo. Ideal for hiking, but also to just hang around for a while & enjoy a unique natural mini-ecosystem.
But there are many, many more, like:
- The Peguche Waterfall
- A visit to the Condor Park
- Make a tour of the Villages around Otavalo
- Chachimbiro’s Thermal Springs
- The Authentic rural area around Zuleta
- Mitad del Mundo, Cayambe
- The hidden village of Oyacachi
- Historical zone of Pambamarca
- The pre-Inca site of Cochasqui
Blog about other travel destinations in Ecuador
Besides Otavalo, Cotacachi & the surrounding area ,I’ve planned to introduce you to other places in the Visit Ecuador – Yes or …better No…-segment.
So far I’ve written post on:
- Papallacta’s Thermal Springs
- Ecuador’s capital Quito
- The Cotopaxi & Chimborazo National Parks
- Cuenca (under construction)
- Baños (under construction)
A little history of Ecuador – The French Mission
In the first half of the 18th century a French scientific mission visited Ecuador. Their main goal was “to Measure the Earth“. Literary, to Measure the Earth.
A work that took them eight years from start to finish. Not knowing beforehand the mission would later on provide leave the country its name.
For an idea of this fascinating story go to: Intro to the French Mission.
The introductory post – mentioned above – leads to 4 specific posts, namely:
- Ecuador – What’s in a Name
- How to Measure the Earth
- The pyramids of the French Mission
- Monuments left my the French Mission
A fascinating story & a great introduction to Ecuador.
Facebook Group: Visit Ecuador
* Besides the travel blog posts about Ecuador, I administer a Visit Ecuador FB group. A group you can freely join & is open to all. That is:
- People who live here & want to share their experiences.
- As well as people who want to come over for a visit, get to know Ecuador & have questions to answer.
Here’s the link to the: Visit Ecuador FB-group.
The final message is for fellow travel writers & bloggers:
- TravelPayouts is a global integrated affiliate program focused exclusively on providing all kinds of offers for travellers. Links & ads that will help your readers to plan their next trip, while you may earn some extra money.
To learn more, click on: TravelPayOuts affiliate program
