A Coastal Escape Just Outside the City Lampung’s hospitality scene quietly stepped up with the arrival of the Lampung Marriott Resort & Spa, a five-star beachfront property that officially began welcoming guests around late 2024–early 2025, marking Marriott International’s first presence in Lampung. We found out about newly opened Mariott when I was planning for…
— A family beach escape, floating villas, and surprisingly beautiful underwater life I had been wanting to visit Pulau Pahawang for the longest time, but somehow never found the “right” moment. It always felt too close to Jakarta—we can go anytime, I told myself. So I kept postponing it. Until my sister decided to spend…
A personal journey through classic detectives, Japanese thrillers, and Richard Osman’s modern whodunnits
After our whirlwind train journey the day before, we finally slept in a proper bed—and woke up to a calm, snowy view of the Amsterdam port outside our hotel window. Snow falling quietly, ships docked in the distance… it felt like the city was exhaling after all the chaos. Breakfast was slow and comforting. Fabio,…
If you’ve been following our winter trip story… the Netherlands was supposed to be the calm, final leg. We booked our chalet until 3 January, but planned to check out on 2 January and fly to Amsterdam from Geneva. My sister kindly drove us to the airport, and we thought we’d squeeze in a little…
After ten days of moving hotels, hauling suitcases, and doing the usual December travel cardio, it was time for our annual retreat to the Alps—this time with my sister’s family. We’d spent the last two years in the South Alps, mostly because it was closer to her home and we didn’t want to spend more…
We decided to do a day trip to Bern the day after Christmas—because Switzerland has this magical habit of “coming back online” immediately after the 25th. Shops reopen, streets feel lively again, and you don’t spend the whole day staring at closed doors while pretending it’s romantic. Bern delivered. The train from Montreux to Bern…
I finally saw that mountain. The Matterhorn. The one that has been staring at me from Toblerone wrappers since I was a kid (and yes, Toblerone was my favorite growing up—so this felt oddly… full circle). I’ve been to Switzerland twice before: So this time, we made it happen. Getting to Zermatt: Overnight Train → Zurich →…
When I first sketched our itinerary, the plan was simple: fly from Budapest to Zurich (or Geneva) and call it a day. Efficient, predictable, and… honestly, a little boring. Then I discovered a far more interesting option: a night train that links Budapest and Zurich. The kind where you board in the evening, go to…
