Travel: Palma De Mallorca

Where to stay?

We stayed at the HM Tropical hotel. The hotel is located on the boulevard of Playa de Palma and barely 10 minutes from the airport, the ideal location! I was looking for an affordable hotel with a beautiful interior, and I was instantly sold when I saw this hotel online. Fortunately, the hotel did not disappoint. My favorite spot in the hotel is the rooftop bar, which also features a swimming pool with beautiful views of the coastline. The rooms are large enough and clean, and we had a beautiful sea view.

What to do?

-We went to Mhares Sea Club for a day. It is a slightly more exclusive club on a mountain with an exceptional view over the sea. Good to know, if you want to enjoy a day at the pool and the view you have to pay at least €45 pp for a sunbed. We really enjoyed the peace and quiet there. The paella with chicken is definitely recommended, super tasty!

If you're in the sea club, you can take the stairs where you can take a walk over the rocks next to the sea. breathtaking!

-A day trip to the Centre of Palma is also highly recommended. You won't find peace and quiet here, because it's very crowded here but Palma is really a beautiful city. Especially around the Cathedral it's super pretty. We also visited Mercat de L'olivar, an indoor food market. it's worth a visit!

Where do drink/eat?

Bikkini beach is located on the boulevard of Playa de Palma. It has a super happy and tropical Interior and the cocktail there are delicious! My favorite is the frozen strawberry daiquiri. The prices here are approximately the same as in Belgium, around €9 for a cocktail. You can also eat here, for example, they have a wide choice of Poké bowls.

Travel: Gatsby Hotel Blankenberge

This weekend we were offered a night in the Gatsby Hotel in Blankenberge by Hotelspecials. This is a four stars hotel in the middle of Blankenberge. Centre and beach are only 100m from the hotel. Very convenient, this way you can do everything walking. The hotel also has a private parking, which has to be reserved  in advance.

Last year the hotel was completely renewed, all of this in “Great Gatsby” style. Very different from what we are used to, but very fun to do. I have to say the hotel has exceeded my expectations. The rooms are really big, just like the very luxurious bathroom with bath and shower. The bathroom is certainly the eyecatcher of the room. Also important: the king size bed is very comfortable. The minibar filled with cola and water is included in the price.

In each hotel I always look forward to the breakfast. A good stay is never complete without a good breakfast. Like everything in the Gatsby, the breakfast didn’t disappoint. There was alot of choice and everything was very tasty. Lots of different breads and baguettes, many spreads, cornflakes, eggs and bacon, everything you want. All of it are wellknown brands, like Nutella and Kellog’s. 

I would highly recommend the Gatsby Hotel to everyone, I’m convinced it’s one of the best hotels in Blankenberge.

What to do in Blankenberge?

We’ve mostly enjoyed the sun and the sea. Nice food in one of the many restaurants on the promenade, a drink in a beachbar and a walk at the harbour. There’s also Sea Life and the Serpentarium, both very close to the hotel and very worth a visit. In the evening you can go for a gamble at the Casino, which is situated on the promenade. You certainly won’t be bored in Blankenberge!

Travel: Chocolate Nation & Octave Antwerp

Antwerp has a new hotspot! The largest Belgian chocolate museum in the world has recently opened in Antwerp. I was invited to visit the museum, and I can assure you that it is certainly worth a visit. It is not a boring, typical museum but really very modern and quite an experience. You can literally lick your fingers. Not only do you get to know all about chocolate and its origins, you can also try all the delicious tastes and you can even see live how they make pralines. It's really a very nice museum with several nice photo corners.

After (or before) your visit to the museum, I can certainly recommend you to go to the next-door restaurant Octave. You can have a nice lunch or dinner, or just have a nice drink with a bite and enjoy the very nice interior. Tip: Be sure to try the fresh bitter balls with mustard ganache. You can never believe that bitter balls with a chocolate sauce can be so delicious!