TravelSehnsucht

Magome – Tsumago hike: A side of Japan I never knew existed

By: Alenka, TravelSehnsucht August 12, 2018August 19, 2018

Memorable JourneysJapan, Kiso valley, Magome, Nakasendo trail, photography, travel photography, TsumagoLeave a Comment

Japan surprised me in many ways. But the most unexpected was the part of the Nakasendo trail between Magome and Tsumago. It is the place to experience rural Japan that seems to be worlds apart from its sprawling cities. The 8 km hike up in the hills of Kiso Valley balanced my image of this…

Do’s and Don’ts of New Orleans Jazz Fest for Beginners

By: Alenka, TravelSehnsucht June 25, 2018October 1, 2018

Memorable Journeysjazz, Jazz Fest, New Orleans, travel, travel photographyLeave a Comment

New Orleans Jazz Fest is the equivalent of Mardi Gras for music lovers. To avoid some of the common faux pas of a first-time visitor, here are some basic do’s and don’ts to observe.

My imaginary New Zealand job that I am cut out for

By: Alenka, TravelSehnsucht March 17, 2018August 12, 2018

Memorable Journeysblogging, camping, musings, New Zealand, personal, travelLeave a Comment

All it took was a job vacancy offer for a “Social Media / Digital Expert” that I found on Facebook to send my mind wandering. It wasn’t just any job, mind you, it was an open position at Euro Campers, a New Zealand camper rental company based close to Christchurch. I started imagining myself joining the…

Ayurveda with benefits or how I survived two weeks offline

By: Alenka, TravelSehnsucht February 15, 2018February 15, 2018

Quick Escapesayuveda, blogging, India, Kerala, musings, personal, travelLeave a Comment

On Christmas morning I logged out of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and boarded a plane. I was ready for a mental and physical detox. And what better place to end up at than Perumbayil Ayurvedamana, an authentic ayurveda hospital in Kerala. What followed were two weeks of complete relaxation that led me to some surprising…

My year 2017 in pictures

By: Alenka, TravelSehnsucht December 23, 2017August 12, 2018

Memorable Journeys, Quick EscapesAlbania, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Slovenia, travel, travel photographyLeave a Comment

Facebook keeps reminding me how great my 2017 was: According to Zuckerberg’s algorithms I made X new friends, earned Y likes, wows and hahas and gained a couple of “biggest fans”. But what does this really say about the last twelve months? Not much, as it turns out. Apart from the fact that I posted…

Toilets and trains make me want to go back to Japan

By: Alenka, TravelSehnsucht December 17, 2017December 19, 2017

Memorable JourneysAsia, Japan, personal, travel, travel planning1 Comment

The train is seven minutes late. Halfway through a 70 km distance, that is. In Japan something like this only happens after a typhoon wreaked havoc across half a country. Back home it’s a normal part of my morning commute that throws me into an unexpected state of reverse cultural shock right on the first…

10 best Japanese dining experiences (according to me)

By: Alenka, TravelSehnsucht December 3, 2017

Tasty TreatsAsia, blogging, food, foodie travel, Japan, personal, travel1 Comment

If you’re looking for the ultimate list of the best dining experiences in Japan, you might be disappointed. With so many diverse foods and eateries ranging from informal to exquisite Michelin-starred restaurants putting together any kind of “best of” list would be mission impossible. So what you have here is only my personal account of…

Japan in rain: 5 tips for surviving even the worst of weather

By: Alenka, TravelSehnsucht November 21, 2017December 3, 2017

Memorable JourneysAsia, Japan, travel2 Comments

The weather forecast didn’t look good: Constant rain for the first five days of our trip to Japan with a chance of a typhoon brewing up later on. Of course, my hubbs thought that I was exaggerating and that no weather outlook could ever be as bad as I can conjure it up in my…

The hidden European gem I don’t want you to know about

By: Alenka, TravelSehnsucht August 12, 2017August 13, 2017

Memorable JourneysBalkans, Europe, personal, travel1 Comment

Overcrowded tourist attractions are fending off people like flies. Local people are leaving their favourite haunts to hordes of travellers in search of authenticity, best selfie spots and cheap souvenirs. What was once hospitality is slowly turning to hostility towards visitors from all over the world. This seems to be the hottest topic of this…

Camping Ski Holiday. Seriously?

By: Alenka, TravelSehnsucht April 27, 2017April 27, 2017

Quick Escapescamping, Dolomiti, Italy, ski, skiing, travel1 Comment

I love skiing. When I swoop down the slope on a crisp winter day I can feel almost as ecstatic as a dog sticking its head out of the car window. Not even freezing cold and snow can deter me as long as I know there’s the sweet reward of hot sauna and tasty meal…