Stylish Travel Tips

Altea: The White Pearl of the Costa Blanca

Welcome to Altea: A Dreamy Destination by the Mediterranean Sea

On the sun-drenched coast of the Costa Blanca lies Altea, one of Spain’s most enchanting villages. With its white houses, narrow cobbled streets and breathtaking views of the Mediterranean, Altea is a destination that offers the perfect balance of tranquillity, culture and natural beauty. A true gem inviting to explore and enjoy, this picturesque town is the perfect choice for travellers looking for an authentic Mediterranean experience.

Discover the charm of Moraira on the Costa Blanca

Welcome to Moraira: The Hidden Jewel of the Costa Blanca

Moraira, a picturesque coastal town located on the famous Costa Blanca, is a destination that captures your heart from the moment you arrive. Nestled between mountains and the shimmering Mediterranean Sea, this charming town offers a perfect mix of tranquillity, culture, and breathtaking nature. Whether you are looking for a relaxing holiday, a romantic getaway or an adventure full of discovery, Moraira has it all.

Holiday with children in Carvoeiro, white Portuguese fishing village in the Algarve

I always really wanted to go to the Algarve with my family. It had been on my bucket list for a long time. Why, because I was always dreaming away with the image of its beautiful beaches with imposing rock formations, the sunny weather and, of course, the charming coastal towns.

One is Carvoeiro, a picturesque town where the houses are all painted white, just a 50-minute drive west of Faro. And that’s less than a 3-hour flight from Amsterdam, so just perfect if you want to go on holiday to Portugal with small children, because it takes no time at all to get there.

We lived in Carvoeiro for 3 months last winter and in this blog I will give you an insight into our life in Portugal, where we stayed and how incredibly beautiful the beaches there are.

Wintering in the Algarve with school-age children

Before Vincent and I had children, we were more often abroad for longer periods of time. A few months a year we lived as digital nomads abroad. I was mainly working for my own website Stylish Travel Tips and Vincent was already working on his international projects by then. It was a beautiful and free life in which we could decide where to go and for how long. Even when I was pregnant with our oldest we were in Asia for long periods of time and secretly dreamed of traveling around with a little baby.

How ironic our life looked when Sofie was born (crying baby) and we were suddenly confronted with the phenomenon of “rest, cleanliness and regularity”. Our house became our permanent home and after 2 years Sofie got a little sister and with that our family was complete 🙂

Fortunately, some more space opened up after Emma’s babyhood and we were able to go on distant trips again. Since late 2020 we have been living and working abroad for a few months every winter and our children go to school there temporarily. After 2 winters in Curaçao we stayed last winter for 3 months in Portugal and to be more precise in the Algarve.

In this blog I will take you through exactly where we stayed for a longer period of time, which school our daughters went to and what your life looks like when you go abroad with school-age children for a longer period of time. Every time it’s a great adventure for us where we not only have great memories as a family, but where we also see how the kids develop in a positive way and move easily and freely internationally.

Mexico, and its popular Yucatan Peninsula!

Mexico is a popular winter sun destination. Why? Because in addition to its wonderful climate, white beaches and azure sea, it has an amazing cultural hinterland with beautiful sights. In addition, Mexico has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, especially along the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. Not for nothing is this destination high on our list to spend 3 months during the winter there.

Floor and her family went before us and had been traveling the world for 1.5 years when they descended on the beautiful Yucatan Peninsula at the end of their journey. Here they share their experience on Isla Holbox, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The result, an array of delicious vacation photos with their best tips! Want to know what their most favorite destination was? Then be sure to read on.

Winter sun holiday in Portugal

Where is the best place to go during winter holidays in Europe? In my search for the best climate with the best chance of sunshine hours, I quickly ended up in the Algarve. We are here for an extended period and during the Christmas holidays friends also came over for a winter sun holiday, and how lucky we were with the beautiful weather!

It feels a bit like spring here almost every day. The air is fresh but with the sun, it is soon 18 degrees and that almost every day if you’re lucky. If you ask me, the ideal destination within Europe and less than a three-hour flight away.

In this blog, I will give you all my tips on where we stayed and what trips you can do. Believe me you will run out of time, because there is still so much to discover in the Algarve. One advantage in winter, it is not so crowded and too warm. So no crowds of tourists in the popular villages and you often have the beach almost all to yourself.

Wintering on Curacao for 3 months, all the tips you need for a pleasant stay

It is spring, spring is in full swing and we have been back in the Netherlands for a while now. It’s nice that everything is open here now and that all measures have been lifted (for the time being) and that we can enjoy all the freedom of the pre-Corona era again. I think everyone was also ready for it. Two years ago our world was turned upside down when Covid-19 entered our lives.

Within 2 weeks Vincent lost 70% of all his customers. It was an uncertain time, for us as well, but it did bring us a lot in the end. The Netherlands became too small and Vincent decided to go international with his websites and to focus on that for the coming years.

A good move, because it gave us another dot on the horizon on which we could focus so that we became less dependent. The stifling measures of the Netherlands and the school closures “forced” us to travel to Curacao for 3 months in early 2020. From here Vincent could further develop his international websites and more importantly, our daughters could just go to daycare, while in the Netherlands everything was locked up. We even made it to the Dutch newspapers (Tubantia and AD) and it was the “start” of our new (working) life.

Family round trip with children Mexico, Yucatan

Mexico, land of pearly white beaches, azure sea and Mayan temples. My ultimate holiday destination, because the people there are very nice, you can eat delicious food and there is almost always a lovely breeze blowing at the sea. Mexico is very large and my favourite destination is the Yucatán peninsula in the south east, surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

Central America and in particular Mexico is a land steeped in history with landmarks and archaeological sites that shape the culture and people inhabiting its offerings. Experience now this unique part of the world and the beauty of Yucatan with unforgettable excursions for you and your kids specially compiled by Kay Tours.

The most beautiful beaches of Curaçao and where to stay

Most people who go on holiday to Curaçao usually book a stay at Mambo Beach or at Jan Thiel Beach. The hotspot spots of the island, but did you know that the beaches on the West coast are also one of the most beautiful of the island? If you like unspoilt nature, white sandy beaches and you don’t want to be lumped together, you should explore the other side of the island.

Zanzibar 5* Family Hotel Neptune Pwani Beach Resort

Last year I made a call online to see who would be the perfect ambassador for Stylish Travel Tips to review 5 star hotels, to which I received many responses. I also like to give other people a stage who make a special trip and visit beautiful places and one of them is ”The Travelicious Family”.

They can be followed on Instagram @thetraveliciousfamily and have been travelling full-time and indefinitely since January 2020. Who are they exactly? Wouter (45 yrs), Rinkje (38 yrs), Laurens (5 yrs) Sophie (3 yrs) and the youngest child Louise, now 1 year old. Born on Curaçao and already a little world traveller.

They have decided that the Netherlands will no longer be their home and that they will emigrate to Curaçao. On their way to a free life, a life in which their children can grow up without fear and restrictions around Corona. And that is exactly what I wish for my own 2 daughters as well. A life in freedom!