Saint Vincent lies to the west of Barbados and south of Saint Lucia. The island is volcanic and includes little level ground. One side of the island is very rocky and steep, while the other side has more sandy beaches and bays. The country`s highest peak is La Soufrière volcano at 1234m (4049 ft) and I climbed that!

La Soufriere volcano along with the other volcanoes in the Caribbean “Volcanic Island Arch” all originate on hot spots where the Caribbean and Atlantic Plates meet. Thus all these islands of the Caribbean were formed by volcanic eruptions over many years. The earliest eruption was in 1718 with activity lasting for three days. Another one eruption took place at 1812 which destroyed the conical dome within the old crater.

The next recorded eruption was in 1902. The eruption produced hot mudflows and the glowing avalanche produced by this eruption killed 1565 people. The most recent eruption was in 1979 and luckily didn`t claim any lives.

When climbing the tropical mountains, our guide pointed out the difference in vegetation of the forest as you go higher. The changes are due to changes in the microclimate with increasing altitude i.e. temperature, moisture and winds. -Which you were aware of while climbing the volcano - It started out warm and humid, but the higher you went up, the nicer it became with a breeze to cool you down and a strong wind at the top.

I have to admit that it wasn`t a walk in the park for me, as the climbing is quite steep at some stages. The last part is a lot of rocks, but the end result, having climbed a volcano and the view you get up there, is definitely worth it.

Practical tips

*Wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes

*Bring mosquito spray

*Bring plenty of water

*Bring an energy bar or a cookie for some much-needed strength

It took the group about 2 – 2, 5 hours to climb to the top and 1,5 hour to descend. You can of course do this climb at your own pace.

I was invited on this trip by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tourism Authority. Check out their social channels on Twitter and FB. As always the thoughts in this post are my own.

Arriving into Port Elizabeth already reveals the beauty of the island of Bequia. Bequia is the largest island in the Grenadines and has a certain charm to it. When exploring you`ll discover this island is not only rich of sandy beaches, but also has a turtle sanctuary and amazing craftmanships of model boat builders. When taking the ferry into this harbor, you get welcomed by the different sailing boats anchored here. I can only imagine the sight when the yearly Bequia Regatta takes place.

When visiting the English Riviera, make sure Greenway House is on top of your list. Agatha Christie`s holiday home is situated within an estate that extends for over 100 acres, including a section of river, a farm and woodland. Walk along the paths that lead you to hidden gardens, a gazebo and a boathouse.  Just sitting down on the grass was pure bliss, I can only imagine the stimulation this place has brought her writing. How can you not be inspired by the beautiful views over the river, the floral walled gardens and the peacefulness the surrounding offers.

The rooms are similar to the ones at Tune Westminster, even slightly bigger. The concept is the same as at the other Tune hotels, offering comfy beds, a bathroom and amenities you can buy according to your needs. All this at an affordable price.

At this hotel they also have accessible rooms for disabled (there are 13 out of the 183 rooms). The rooms offer wider doors, walk-in showers and handrails. There`s a special entrance at the hotel too.

There`s no breakfast place at the hotel itself, but you can either buy something at the coffee station where they sell coffee, drinks and small snacks or there are restaurants available in the local area, like only a couple of minutes` walk is Spitalfield Square.

What I liked, was the courtyard the room had a view on. It was wintertime when I was there, but I`m sure in the Summer it`s a nice place to hang out, have a drink and relax.

As for the location, the hotel is 10 minutes from Liverpool Tube Station. There`s a Tesco only 2 minutes away if you want to buy a quick lunch or snack. A few highlights in the surroundings are St Paul`s Cathedral, the Millennium Bridge and Brick Lane. Brick Lane is famous for its curry houses, so make sure you have dinner there one night. If you want to see more sights, consider taking the number 11, it`s a great alternative to a hop-on-hop-off bus.

Things that did bother me: the wifi kept falling away (if you`re not an internet addict like me, this won`t be an issue for you), you could hear water running from the other rooms and you want to keep in mind that the tube runs underground,  so you might want to book a room higher up in the building to avoid the tube noise.

People often ask me for tips on where to stay in a city, either be it New York, Paris or London. Finding something that`s both affordable and still well located isn`t always easy. But Tune in London does offer this combination. (There are two more Tune Hotels in London at King`s Cross and the one at Paddington will open 25 June 2012)

I was hosted by Tune Hotels, but the opinions in this post are all my own.

 – @IsabellesTravel Are Belgian fries different to French fries then? Sorry in advance for my ignorance #ttot –

I have had this discussion about fries already on many occasions (not saying any names *cough*)  and I thought it was time to set the record straight.

What`s the difference between French fries and Belgian fries?

My opinion, French fries are Belgian fries and something went wrong when naming them. But some people say French fries are the thinner version of fries. Belgian fries are cut thicker. As a matter of fact that`s one of the explanation I found in my research, the fries are cut “French” hence the name French fries.

Another explanation is that the term “French” was introduced when American soldiers arrived in Belgium during World War I, tasted Belgian fries, but called them French as it was the official language of the Belgian Army at that time.

We can go on about whether they should be called Belgian or French fries, but one thing is for sure, we do love our fries in Belgium. You can find a “friterie” or “frituur” (a place where they only sell fries) in even the smallest town. They are served with a wide variety of sauces and snacks.

When visiting Belgium I would suggest trying our fries and judging yourself. I prefer having fries in a “frietzak”, a conic white piece of cardboard with sauce on top, Belgian style! You can also try our famous Moules & Frites and of course you shouldn`t forget about our waffles, chocolates …

For those of you who still doubt about the origin, even Wikipedia says under origin of French fries: Belgium. #justsaying And Wikipedia is always right…right?

Did you ever try Belgian fries? What did you think of them?

I still get excited every time I board a plane, maybe not in the way that the teenage girls felt on my last flight to Rome, they were literally screaming and giggling. But nothing beats the feeling of knowing you`re going somewhere new. I try to get a window seat when possible, because who doesn`t like the view from an airplane window. This photo was taken on my way to Malta.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Today, exactly one year ago, I left for Barcelona to join a blogtrip in Spain. I`d just landed and was on my way from the airport to the hotel, when I got a phone call from my mom. – When that happens I already know something odd is going on. Not that I don`t speak to her during my travels, but I`m the one who lets her know I`ve made it safely or am doing okay. –  I pick up the phone and already feel this isn`t a call I want to take. In short, she tells me there`s been a death in the family…totally unexpected. He was training to be a pilot, crashed with his plane and didn`t survive.

Time stood still and I remember saying “That`s not possible, I only saw him last night”. Tears welled up and I cried the entire ride. I just couldn`t believe what just happened.

Then the practical stuff comes. Do you fly back immediately or do you stay and do your job? It was a tough decision because you want to be there for your family, supporting and helping them, but on the other hand, there are people counting on you to do your job. Conversations between family went on and I even asked advice from fellow travel bloggers… After going back and forth I decided to stay until the end of the trip. I would make it on time for the goodbye ceremony and funeral. My family was helping each other and I knew after everything had past, I would still be able to offer my support.

Nevertheless it was a strange experience, participating in all the activities, even laughing sometimes, instantly feeling bad. I was glad someone told me: “Stay on the trip, I`m sure that`s what he`d wanted.” And I`m sure he was right, because my family member was learning to fly, he was following his passion.

If I learned anything from this, it`s that life can be over in a split second. Make the most out of it and to follow your dreams, don`t postpone, he was only 40… life is short.

Pilots never die, they just fly away. 

Have you ever gotten bad news while traveling? How did you handle it?

Maybe it was because of the long corridor or maybe it was the setup of the room, but stepping into my room felt like walking into a cabin on a boat.

I`m not going to lie, the standard room is small, but you have everything you need: a comfy bed, a desk, a bathroom with a monsoon shower. (If you need a hairdryer, you can just ask for one at the reception.)

Note:

• You have to book for min of 4 hours, after that you can book hourly
• Free wifi (I did run into some problems, but they were very apologetic and helpful to get it sorted)
• You can order snacks and drinks at the reception
• Bring earplugs, because people arrive at different hours of the day and this way you can sleep right through it

For me it was the perfect solution arriving early in the morning after a long flight to catch up on some much needed sleep and freshen up again before traveling onwards. There`s definitely an advantage because you can book it for a couple of hours, because with a standard hotel you have check-in and check-out times, that might not work with your flight hours. Also the location after a trip is convenient. I stayed at both Yotel hotels in London, the one at London Heathrow and the one at Gatwick, both hotels are located at the terminals, so you`re never far away from arrival or departure.

I received a complimentary stay at Yotel London Heathrow. My second stay at Yotel at Gatwick Airport I paid for myself. All opinions in this post are my own. Photos courtesy of Yotel.

Have you ever stayed at the Yotel? What was your verdict?

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter, officially known in Italian as Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as Saint Peter’s Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter’s Cathedral has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world. It`s an impressive building, especially at night when it`s light up. Make sure to pay a visit during the day to admire the interior, the entrance is free. Going early in the morning or at the end of the day will prevent you from having to wait in long lines. Check out more places to visit in Rome.

A highlight on my Bermuda trip was definitely a visit to the Crystal Caves. I`ve visited caves around the world (Italy, New Zealand and many more) but I have to admit that these caves really surprised me. When entering the cave, you don`t know what to expect, you just walk into darkness and the knowledge that you`ll have to descend 83 steps.

These caves were discovered in 1905 by accident. Two boys, Carl Gibbons and Edgar Hollis, both around 13 years old, were playing cricket when they lost their ball. When they went looking for their ball, they stumbled upon this natural wonder.