Travel tips from travel blogger Saskia
Have you already planned the upcoming holidays, or are you more of a last-minute booker? In this blog post, I would like to give you some inspiration for your next trip. Many places are seriously underrated, and you often do not have to travel far or book an expensive hotel to enjoy a unique holiday.
Today, lovely Saskia, who is also active on Instagram as @Mamiplatz and runs the parenting and travel blog Mamiplatz, tells us where she most enjoys going on holiday with her family and shares her insider tips.
Who are you?
I am Saskia, 36, and I live in an all-male household — including the dog, a Spanish rescue dog with a few language difficulties. A year ago, we moved into an old village school near Munich. When we are not renovating something, we love travelling. I have two boys, aged seven and five, with plenty of energy: motocross, pedal go-karts, bikes — anything with horsepower. Quite a contrast to our 1,000 pet worms in the worm composter. I am a Munich girl myself, although I spent the past few years in Berlin.
What is your favourite country to visit?
Oh, I could list quite a few. We absolutely love travelling. Sometimes we go far away for a long time; sometimes it is just a short campervan trip to Austria. We usually stay in each place for only a few days before moving on, so that we can see plenty of the country. My highlights last year were the Maldives — where, by the way, you can also have a great low-budget holiday — Lanzarote, which is completely underrated, and Cape Town, where part of my family has already emigrated because it is so beautiful.
Do you have a hotel recommendation?
We actually rarely stay in hotels. I love holiday homes and usually book everything through Airbnb, or occasionally a lovely bed and breakfast through Booking.com. But if you would like some names, they would be Vulkano Villas, Buenavista Lanzarote or Alava Suites in Lanzarote; Thundi Sea View in the Maldives; and the only hotel I have actually visited three times because I love it so much: Domes Zeen Chania in Crete, formerly called Casa Cook Chania.
Are these suitable for couples or families?
They all work well for couples, but they are also great for families.
What should you see or definitely do?
I will focus on Lanzarote. Go-karting is especially good with children. There are two different venues; we went to Lanzarote Karting, where children aged eight and over can drive themselves, while younger children can ride in a two-seater kart with their parents. Booking a volcano tour or visiting the caves is also well worth it. You can go surfing, learn to surf there, try bodyboarding or take a dolphin tour. You should also make sure to visit César Manrique’s houses and the seafront promenades at Playa Grande and Costa Teguise.
What are your favourite spots or insider tips?
A hire car is essential, as is a jacket when the wind gets a little stronger. Little sleepy villages with white houses and green shutters, cacti, palm trees and black volcanic gravel. Deserted dirt tracks, lunar landscapes and incredible light at sunset. Famara Beach is a wonderful place to spend time: a little surfing town with lovely people, delicious burgers and sandy streets. Hire a wetsuit and board for €30 and off you go. I particularly loved Haría and Teguise, where there is a market on Sundays. I can recommend the tourist attractions such as Timanfaya National Park, César Manrique’s houses, the caves and markets — perhaps just not at peak times. Las Grietas, the open rock formations, are still unknown to many tourists and are definitely worth a visit. The best paella was at Costa Azul in El Golfo, right beside the black beaches and Lago Verde. It is also very touristy, but highly recommended.
What do you particularly like there?
All our accommodation was incredibly lovely. If you look, you can find a beautiful Airbnb in Lanzarote, too. That is not always easy in the Canary Islands, and their reputation for being stuck in 1980s tourism is still firmly rooted. I do not really know why. Away from the tourist promenade lies a scenic gem: extraordinary vegetation, mighty volcanoes and black beaches. We were there in April, when it was already a lovely 20 degrees with plenty of sunshine.
Thank you so much for your tips, Saskia! I hope Saskia has given you a little inspiration. Perhaps you will spend your next summer holiday in a lovely little Airbnb in Lanzarote, enjoying wonderful paella or admiring the impressive scenery. Be sure to tell me about it!
With love,
Helen
Saskia Brecht
Photos: mamiplatz
