Floortje Dessing (p.5)

Transcription

Discover the world
# Tripping
The Travel Magazine for Students // Issue 1 // Januari 2016 // € 4. 95
The Advantages of Taking a Gap Year
An adventure through Australia (p. 15)
Travel, Independence and Romance (p.21)
Expore Mauritius (p.7)
Travel tips from
Floortje Dessing (p.5)
And much more..
#Tripping Magazine // January 2016
A brand new year!
Welcome to yet another New Year! It has been a busy 2015 for most of us, so
right now it is time to curl up on the couch, get a cup of tea and a blanket,
escape the cold outside for a little while and relax. In this brand new issue we
will once again offer you some inspiring stories from travelers all around the
world. We will start the New Year with a story about a peculiar man, enjoying
life at the end of the world. Curious? Flip to page 5 right now! After we have
set the mood we will continue our winter escape and dream about other
summer holiday destinations such as Mauritius, Thailand and even the exotic
Hawaii. But we are also going to give you ideas for some international student
experiences! For example, what about studying a year abroad in Prague? Or
taking a gap year and backpacking through Australia? Just when you start
stressing about how you are never going to be able to afford those lovely but
expensive trips, we head back to reality and cover some unexpected, student
budget yet marvelous destinations (check out the travel diary of Roos on page
17 and the tips of Gintare on page 19). We will wrap up with a beautifully
written column by Alexandra on how to combine all of our student dreams:
travelling, independence and romance. Are you ready? Wait no longer and dig
into this fresh New Year’s issue.
Chiao!
2
Table of contents
5.
11.
David Glasheen has been living on an island
far off the Australian coast for almost three
decades. What’s that like?
Aloha: Get ready for an interesting read on
the best ways to travel around dreamy
Hawaii.
7.
13.
The gorgeous island of Mauritius: Who
could imagine that the inhabitants would
be even more interesting than the island
itself?
Get some insider info on what it is like to
study abroad in Prague; a cheap city with
tons of fun activities!
9.
15.
Tremendous Thailand: Our travel writer
Mateo takes you through three very
different but equally gorgeous cities in one
article.
A gap year: How a dreaded idea can turn
into the best memory of your life. Our travel
writer Elise tells us about her experience in
Australia.
3
17.
Cuba: King of the Coast. Get inspired by an
adventure through three of its most
magnificent cities and a couple of practical
tips and hotel adresses!
19.
For the real broke students we present
Lithuania! An adorable, affordable country
with magical castles, roads and meals. A
perfect getaway when on a budget!
21.
How to be independent while in a
relationship? How to travel alone while
committed to your significant other?
Alexandra answers our burning modern age
questions in her new column: Travel,
independence and romance.
4
Living in no man’s land
Floortje Dessing’s journey to the end of the world
By: F. Hager
H
ave you ever thought of liv-
boat, visiting a 70-year old man called
Despite all the calmness and tropical
ing at the end of the world?
David Glasheen.
beauty, living on ‘Resto’ also entails diffi-
Floortje Dessing, presenter
He’s lived on the tropical, uninhabited
of TV show Floortje Naar Het Einde Van
culties. Besides the fact that he is far
Restoration Island all by himself for
away from his loved ones – his son only
De Wereld (Floortje To The End Of The
more than 25 years.
World), certainly has. In her show, the
comes to visit him during the vacations –
David, once a successful marketing
the island is full of dangerous species
Dutch presenter, producer and writer
strategist in Sydney, decided to leave
such as snakes, spiders and crocodiles.
travels around the world in search of
behind his luxury life after he became
people who voluntarily live in the most
The beaches are circumvented by
bankrupt and divorced in 1987. He end-
sharks, and the weather can be ex-
desolate places on earth, experiencing
ed up at the seemingly idyllic Restora-
life at the end of the world herself.
tremely bad. ‘’
tion Island. More than 4000 kilometres
Floortje visits people with a strong will
There are lots of tropical storms out
away from Sydney, he now lives in a
here. The coconuts are like cannonballs;
and dedication to live in extremely re-
self-made wooden house, staying alive
mote areas, far away from civilization.
they smash through the walls’’, David
by mainly eating fish and drinking rain-
reveals to Floortje. Nonetheless, he pre-
What drives them? Would you be able
water. During her visit, Floortje takes
fers his new life to living in a big city: ‘’I
to do the same as these unordinary hu-
the chance to interrogate her host, in
man beings? I try to find the answer to
feel safe when I’m on the island. Cities
order to find out his reasons for ex-
are far more dangerous than the wild!’’
these questions and more, by diving
changing a luxury city-life for living on
deeper into the inspiring and unique
an island far away from civilization. ‘’I
story of David Glasheen.
David, who already reached 70 years of
wanted a relaxing lifestyle, instead of
age, doesn’t worry about getting too old
the stress and pressure. We all have
to stay on the island: ‘’When that hap-
Restoration Island: Heaven on earth?
dreams, and luckily my dream of living
pens, it happens. It’s the last thing I wor-
During one of her journeys, Floortje trav-
on a remote bounty island came true.
els to the far North-East of Australia by
ry about.’’
Heaven on earth’’, David explains.
5
’Not everyone is capable of living her-
spent my whole life trying to do things
With her show, Floortje manages to pro-
e’’
that other people don’t. We all have a
duce captivating TV content once again,
While you are reading this piece, it’s
reason why we can’t do something, but
even after she was forced to stop pre-
highly probable that you are, just like
only a few have the reason why we
senting for quite some time due to den-
Floortje, wondering whether David has
CAN do something.’’ Lastly, David en-
gue fever. Nontheless, this hasn’t held
ever had somebody with him on the is-
courages anyone who’s interested to
her back from travelling to the planet’s
land. Apart from his dog, his last
come over and experience the beauty
farthest reaches, to learn from and get
(female) company was 14(!) years ago.
of Resto themselves: ‘’You can’t appre-
fascinated by people even more adven-
ciate anything in life until you come to a
turous than herself. For those who are
Not everyone is capable of living here.
place like this. Anything you get here is
interested in these stories: Floortje’s
Before my last partner left me, there was
precious.’’ So, what are you waiting
books 25 Wereldroutes die je gedaan
no shower or hot water’’, he says. Now
for?
moet hebben (25 routes around the
David has Miranda, his soulmate. She
world you have to do) and 100
could be described as his imaginary
Been there, done that?
wereldplekken die je gezien moet heb-
company; she is no more than a doll.
Did you get inspired by this Robinson
ben (100 places around the world you
This might be the reason why David
Crusoe-ish story? What about New
have to see) might be worth reading.
created a profile on a dating site, surpris-
Zealand’s wasteland of South Island,
And moreover: In January a new season
ingly causing a lot of media attention:
Norway’s ice-cold high north, the topo-
packed with fascinating destinations at
‘’The media picked up the story, and
graphic end of the world in South Chile,
the end of the world awaits us.
suddenly I had thousands of respond-
a 2,5 km2 Faroe rock,
ents.’’ However, David explains that
a Canadian Eskimo vil-
many of them had no idea what they
lage, an abandoned ele-
were getting into: ‘’Luxuries like hair-
phant orphanage in
dressers, beauty therapists and shop-
Zambia, or the Afghan
ping centres are part of peoples’ lives; in
capital Kabul?
a place like this you don’t have those
Or Napoleon’s final rest-
things. The respondents didn’t realize
ing place Saint-Helena,
that enough.’’ David adds to that that he
the remote Scottish Is-
would definitely appreciate some compa-
land Canna, the vast
ny: ‘’Having one or several ladies in and
Ecuadorian Amazon, the
out of my life would be the perfect situa-
sandy Texan dessert-
tion for me. I wouldn’t mind if it isn’t
town Terlingua, an ani-
fulltime.’’
mal shelter in the moist
Peruvian Jungle, a Cano
David continues by telling Floortje why
in Panama, the chilling
he thinks he was, in contrast to most
Spitsbergen, a gritty
other people, able to take such a big
oyster farm in Alaska or
step by leaving the civilized world: ‘’Most
travelling around the
people have lost their natural instincts to
world with an old car?
survive, they don’t understand it, they
Been there, done that?
don’t think it is important. Gas isn’t auto-
Floortje has.
matic, it comes from a bottle… I have
6
Mauritius
The Multicultural Island of the Indian Ocean
By: A. Mlikota Le Guennec
W
hen I first told people I was travelling to Mauri-
descent (2%). This has lead to four main religions on the is-
tius, the most common responses were blank
land: Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. The three
faces, followed by an “ah yes… In the Caribbe-
main languages are Creole (a mix of French, Asian and Afri-
an… Right?” or occasionally an honest “Great! But where is
can languages), French and English (the ‘official’ language). It
that!?”. It might be a popular tourist destination in my home
may seem like a weird mix, but basically, once slavery was
country of France, but in the Netherlands, it doesn’t seem to
abolished in 1848, the French still wanted cheap labour in
be as much of a hotspot. The tiny island of 1,3 million inhabit-
Mauritius, so they exported workers from India and China.
ants is situated in the Indian Ocean off the coast of South
Consequently, the entire island is covered in sugar cane, and
Africa and Madagascar, and has all of the characteristics of a
the reason I could get great rum for very cheap!
volcanic tropical island. White sandy beaches, turquoise
ocean, palm trees and dense jungles: check, check double
“I had never experienced so many different languages, cul-
check! I could go on for days about the beauty of the island,
tures and religions in one country before”
but as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and honestly, this isn’t what struck me most about the island. It wasn’t
It is precisely this multiculturalism that struck me the most, as I
the stunning nature, the splendour and beauty found on every
hadn’t researched much about it before my arrival (I mostly
corner… No, what I found most fascinating and unique about
Googled pictures of Mauritian beaches and dreamed about
the little African island were the people.
what my tan will look like). Getting off the plane, my dad rented
a car and we made our way towards the hotel. We paid for the
car in Rupees, spoke to the car rental employee in French,
listened to BBC on the radio, drove on the left side of the road
and passed by an array of Hindu temples, mosques, and Catholic churches. I had never experienced so many different languages, cultures and religions in one country before, or at
least not in such close proximity and in such a small amount of
time. It took a while before I could acclimate to my surroundings.
Mauritius has a long history of colonialism. The island was
discovered by the Dutch (who killed all the Dodos, then left),
colonised by the French, then by the British, and finally gained
independence in 1968. However, even though the British did
officially colonise Mauritius, the island’s culture and language
unofficially stayed French, since the British only used the is-
land’s capital city, Port Louis, as a strategic military base.
Furthermore, most Mauritians are from Indian descent (68%),
African descent (27%), Chinese descent (3%) or French
The prominent culture in Mauritius is Indian, and we saw this
increasingly throughout the duration of the trip. However, this
made me wonder, were there any frictions between the various
societies? If growing up in Northern Europe has taught me
anything, it’s that too many different cultures living in close
proximity might cause many issues.
A week after landing on the island, my family and I were on our
way back from the beach, when my dad had a craving for
7
Summer Holiday Destinations
oysters. We asked around and were directed to a rundown
The multiculturalism I experienced in Mauritius will stick with
fisherman’s hut by the shore. The man who greeted us was in
me a long time, as will the way in which tradition and religion is
his 60s, claiming to be the best fisherman on the island. He
so deeply respected amongst communities. The island, unin-
introduced himself as Pierre, and refused to let us sit without
habited until the first French settlers, was built on these differ-
giving us rum, and a tour of his shark jaws collection, which
ent cultures, and each new culture brought with it new religions
fuelled my dad’s paranoia of swimming in the ocean for the
and traditions. I would recommend to anyone struggling to see
rest of the trip. Once we had dutifully finished off our glass (or
the possibility of harmonious living amongst different cultures,
two) of rum and the negotiations regarding the oysters had
to visit this small African island in the Indian Ocean.
finally been settled, I decided to ask Pierre a few questions
about the atmosphere amongst the different cultural groups in
Mauritius.
He explained that there is peace and harmony amongst all
religions, as they are all taken seriously and respected equally.
However,he claims there is segregation amongst social classes, that Indo-Mauritians had the better work opportunities
than Creole (African-Mauritian) people, and that the few
French-Mauritians (whites) on the island do not mingle with the
rest of the population. He said that himself, as a Creole man, is
a fisherman due to his background. When I probed further as
to whether this causes friction amongst the different communities on the island, his answer surprised me. He looked
thoughtful for a second and replied “No. Nobody from the island is from Mauritius; everyone has come from abroad, bringing their heritage with them. We must respect that.”
Walking home that evening, the burn of the rum still hot in my
throat, I became more observant of my surroundings. I started
to look around for clues, to see if what Pierre had said made
sense. Throughout the two weeks that followed, we made
plenty more trips all around the island. We saw the huge villas
with mass security and high walls that belonged to the French
across the street of the slums inhabited by Creole or IndoMauritians. Contrasting this, however, was a radio announcement we heard by the Indo-Mauritian president during the I
slam Eid al-Fitr festival, stating and reinforcing the importance
of respecting and honouring all religions and traditions.
8
By: M. Garcia
A journey through
Thailand
eople have always had the
to go an explore that corner of the
do’s and don’ts of the Thai culture. One
urge and desire for adventures,
world. I booked a round ticket during
aspect that really stood out was the
journeys and explorations, the
the December holidays for a 3-week
strict avoidance of conversation about
excitement of learning and experiencing
stay in Thailand in the summer of 2015.
the Thai Monarchy. This is because His
from the unknown is what drives us to
Booking at least 4 months earlier will
Majesty the King of Thailand is respect-
set out and discover the many wonders
give you a better deal on flights; I paid
ed dearly by the Thai people from the
of this world. As 2014 came to an end,
a total of 580.00 Euros from Amster-
many good things he has done for
having always hoped to one day be able
dam to Bangkok round trip. If possible I
them. I suggest some further research
to go and set foot on the Asian conti-
suggest flying with Thai Airways for a
is done into the culture before heading
nent, as I find the culture so different
kick-start into your Thai experience.
out to Thailand to avoid any miss un-
from my own and from what I have so far
derstandings and sticky situations.
experienced. Also, having a few Thai
Bangkok
friends and hearing the many positive
During the 11-hour plane ride to Bangkok, I had the time to read over basic
research I had done of the essential
stories from other friends who visited
Thailand, convinced me it was my time
Approaching Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi
Airport, you will get the first glimpse of
Thailand. The scenery quickly changes
9
The scenery quickly changes from typical Thai country
houses and rice fields, to huge motorways and at a
distance the many skyscrappers
say are a few hours bus ride; you can go
to the Erwan National Park, which costs
300.00 baht (€7.70) p/p, for a beautiful
hike up the mountains with stunning
views and cool dips into the many water-
from typical Thai countryside houses
and rice fields, to huge motorways and
Road (backpackers heaven) full of bars
at a distance the many skyscrapers; you
and hostels as well as agencies selling
can really appreciate how Thailand’s
trips around Thailand. Additionally, it is
rapid economic growth has changed the
a must to visit the Grand Palace, beau-
landscape. When finished with immigra-
tiful structures and religious shrines,
tion, there are many options to get to
with adult tickets costing 400.00 baht
Bangkok city centre and your hotel,
(€10.00); it is essential you dress
these include buses, taxis and BTS,
appropriately according to the rules;
however I suggest getting a 30 minute
otherwise you will be denied entrance.
ing and riding the elephants, it was such
an incredible experience! The River
Kwai Elephant Village is the place to go,
you get to swim, ride and feed the elephants, for just 750 baht (€20.00), an
opportunity not to miss out on.
Koh Samet
Finally, the Island of Samet is not the
taxi ride which will cost you 500 Thai
baht (12 euro); its more convenient es-
For a day’s end I suggest jumping on
pecially when traveling with a family or a
the river-boat-taxi which gets you from
group. When arriving at your hotel I am
one side of the city to the other; here
certain you will be greeted with a warm
you can sit down and enjoy the breeze
and friendly “sawasdee ka/krab”. One
and scenery. Lastly, the nightlife in
very pleasant aspect of Thai people is
Bangkok is cheap and very wild, I sug-
how welcoming they are to you, always
gest going to the Silom bars to see the
smiling and greeting you with desire.
infamous Ladyboy shows while having
From experience in staying in the Su-
a nice cocktail (pun intended); there are
khumvit area, I can truly say this is one
also many other great night clubs
of the most beautiful, modern and clean
where you could face a Hangover-
areas of the city. Sukhumvit has many
movie ending.
most popular, but still has breath taking
views, beautiful beaches and oceans
with the picturesque shades of blue. This
Island is around 5 hours bus ride from
Bangkok, plus the speedboat transfer. It
will cost you around 500.00 baht
(€13.00) return. Here there is not
much to do apart from relaxing in the
many resorts, hotels and beaches available, catering to all budgets! Though, the
newest hotel with up-to-date facilities is
the Ao Prao resort, a bit on the pricy side
but worth the money! I do however rec-
new malls with many shops and brands.
I suggest visiting one of these, if not for
Kanchanaburi
shopping then for the amazing food
Kanchanaburi is a town 2.5 hours bus
courts they have, with all types of foods
ride to the west of Bangkok, tickets for
and cuisines from around the world. In
the air-conditioned buses are cheap,
this area there are lots of modern hotels
99.00 baht (€2.5) one-way; luggage is
with great service and rooftop swimming
of course allowed. When you get there
pools, for those sunny and relaxing
I recommend the Candela River Re-
mornings. Keep in mind that some ho-
sort; a small family owned hotel, lovely
tels, thanks to the exchange rate and
river views, swimming pool and great
other factors are very affordable and
food! Kanchanaburi itself has the river
offer great value for money, around
Kwai and the Death Railway to visit; it’s
3000.00 baht (€80.00) p/n.
falls up the trail. Another highlight is see-
ommend renting out a golf cart for
200.00 baht (€5.00) p/d, and driving
around the island to discover the many
beautiful views it has.
All in all, Thailand is a magical and
beautiful country. Definitely worth visiting! I hope you choose Thailand for your
next holiday. Happy and safe travelling!
a good place to go for some history
lessons.
Furthermore, for site seeing around
Bangkok, I recommend visiting Kao San
However, the main attractions I would
10
Experience Real Hawaii at Oahu
By: E. Kahyaoglu
Aloha, Paradise, and Pacific Ocean are
only a few words that remind me of Oahu. In case that a question pops up in
your mind, Aloha is a word that is used
quite often in Hawaii. It can be used to
greet, say goodbye and to phrase love.
Let’s be honest here, you have probably
thought about lying down under the
shadow of palm trees, watching the hula
dancers and drinking a Blue Hawaii
cocktail on the beach. You are not the
only one as Hawaii is and always has
been a dream destination for travelers to
visit, couples to get married, and so on.
While we are approaching the end of
2015, it is the perfect time to get away! I
assume that you are about to book your
flight tickets for the holiday season. So
type Oahu in a search engine this time
to make sure that you will have the ultimate Hawaii experience. As you start
packing your bags, let’s begin how real
Hawaii can be experienced on Oahu
beaches.
Waikiki beach is probably the only beach
you have heard of and the most popular
beach on Oahu located in a neighborhood of Honolulu. Considering the fact
that your plane will land in Honolulu,
Waikiki beach would be a convenient
option to visit. However, keep the aim of
experiencing a real Hawaiian life in your
mind. Waikiki will not give you that as it
is surrounded with resorts, extremely
crowded and therefore not peaceful.
That is why you need to take the road to
drive to the southeast of the island to
find Hanauma Bay. You can also take a
bus until the crater and walk in. Hanau#Tripping Magazine // January 2016
11
ma is a marine that has formed in a vol-
What you should do when you get
canic crater and created a natural pool.
there other than enjoying the crystal
It is full of colorful various species that
blue ocean is finding the Kailua Beach
are waiting for the visitors to see them.
Adventures where you can rent a kay-
After purchasing your ticket to enter,
ak. There are two small islands sit off
staff will take you to a small room to
the coast and you can visit the larger
show an informative film about the ma-
one, which is called Moku Nui. The
rine. After you agree to be respectful
rental store is really close to the beach;
against the residents of ocean, you are
anyone you ask would give you the
good to go and rent a snorkeling gear
directions.
and mask to discover the wildlife. Do not
say that you are not a scuba diving lover, it is one time precious experience
that you can have and observe the turtles and many other creatures. Consider
Now time to visit the North part of the
island, do not try to take a bus as it
would take ages to get there. Sunset
Beach is easy to find by car but before
best surfers showing off their skills riding
waves in front of the stunning suset!
you drive there and settle down, stop
Hawaii has been awarded for years hav-
by at Ted’s Bakery to treat yourself.
ing countless splendid beaches and kept
Ted’s Bakery is located in the North
its reputation to be the dream destination
The second destination will leave your
Shore, it is a family owned shop and a
for everybody to go on vacation. Island
mouth open. Lanikai is ranked as one of
phenomenon with its delicious pies for
of Oahu is a good start to discover the
the 10 best beaches in the world and
both locals and visitors since 1996. Go
Hawaiian Islands and experience the
definitely one of the reasons that the
in there, grab a piece of Macadamia
real Hawaiian culture. Here, stating the
island is called paradise. While it may
Nut Cream Pie and head for the Sunset
three unique beaches, you must keep in
get little tricky to find its location by car
Beach. As the name refers, the Sunset
your mind that these are the best desti-
and it is a bit long trip by bus. I highly
Beach is a great location to watch the
nations on Oahu and you should abso-
recommend you to take the bus, as it is
sunset. It is also famous with gnarly
lutely make sure to visit each of them
a part of the experience! You will have a
waves, hence a popular destination
before leaving the island. So get ready
chance to travel between the huge green
particularly for the surfers. Moreover,
with a pen and paper to make your
mountains and next to the windward
the beach hosts The World Cup of
checklist before you arrive; note to take
coast on your way to the white dream.
Surfing that is the second step of the
pictures of marvelous marine creatures
Ask the driver where to get off not to
Vans Triple Crown of Surfing event
at Hanauma Bay, enjoy the white sands
miss the stop because there is no sign
every year. You should check their
and kayaking trip of Lanikai and get
or anything for the Lanikai Beach. If you
schedule to see whether you can catch
ready for a breath-taking view of the
see some people holding crates of beer,
the competitions, which would be a
sunset and the best surf event at Sunset
there is a high chance that they are go-
unique opportunity to watch the world’s
Beach!
it again, otherwise you will regret that
you skipped it.
ing to end up at Lanikai Beach. You
should grab a couple of Kona Longboard
Island Lager as well to taste the best
local beer on the island.
Aloha until next time!
12
Doing Exchange in Prague
By: T. Titera
I
A Great Value Option
n this new series we want to help
nation. Let’s see what else this city in
ribly slow, metro doesn’t go to the city
IBCoM students decide on what
the middle of Europe has to offer!
centre and night busses are ridiculously
destinations to pick for their ex-
change wish lists. We have reached out
to our international students who originally come from the cities that can be
selected and asked them to convey
some impressions of their local friends
for us. This time, Tomáš from the sec-
ond year writes about the experience of
his friends who study back in Prague,
Czech Republic.
Two years ago, Evelína Viktorová was
dreaming of studying architecture in the
United Kingdom. However, unforeseen
circumstances made her change her
plans and now she studies architecture
in Prague. And guess what, she doesn’t
regret it at all!
“What I like about Prague the most?
Beauty of the history
The quote from Evelína at the beginning says it nearly all. Even though I
am clearly biased, I really think the
expensive. I really missed the conven-
ience Prague offers in this sense”, says
Štěpán Lavička, who now studies economy in Prague.
historical centre of Prague is uniquely
“It is very easy to escape the rush of the
nice and well-preserved. Especially
city here by just jumping on a train and
outside of the tourist season, strolling
getting to one of the many large and
through the city in the evening is a per-
calm parks and forests that are scattered
fect way how to let all the historical
on the outskirts of Prague”, adds
sights take your breath away.
Štěpán.
Whether it is the 700 years old Charles
A perfect position within Europe
Bridge, or the biggest castle in Europe
“Prague is really in the heart of Europe
that is the dominant of the panorama
and so it is a perfect starting point if you
on the classic holiday photos from Pra-
want to explore the central region of the
gue, there is something truly genuine
continent”, claims Miroslav Svoboda,
about the city and spending a few
who is now finishing his bachelor in polit-
months there will make you feel like
ical sciences.
this only more.
Prague is well-connected by train with
Well, it’s simply beautiful. I really enjoy
many interesting cities such as Buda-
these early, foggy mornings when I take
the tram to uni and we ride on the
Small and large at the same time
pest, Vienna, Berlin, Munich or Dresden.
riverbank and there is a great view over
Prague has roughly 1.25 million citi-
Exchange experience is to a large extent
the Vltava River as well as the Lesser
zens, which is twice as much as there
about travelling so in this sense, Prague
Town and the magnificent Prague castle.
is people in Rotterdam. However, the
is great as it doesn’t lie in the middle of
Those are the moments I really enjoy,”
city feels much more compact and co-
nowhere and a number of cool destina-
she says.
sy. Everything is easily accessible by
tions can be reached within a few hours.
metro and trams, which connect all the
Culturally, Czech Republic provides a
important hotspots in the city by day
blend of two influences. “It is fine to start
and night.
drinking early in the afternoon, but we
capital. The rich and diverse student
“I used to live in Amsterdam for a year
also have Starbucks. So I guess we are
community is one of the elements that
and I really hated how inefficient the
somewhere in between Eastern and
make Prague a perfect exchange desti-
local public transport is. Trams are ter-
Western Europe”, says Evelína.
Evelína is one of the approximately
130,000 students who study at one of
the universities that reside in the Czech
13
International Student Experience
Also, as Prague is quite far away from
shouldn’t get bored easily in Pra-
the sea, you don’t get all the annoying
gue.
wind and rain over there. Well worth it!
Let’s talk money
There is always something to do
Okay, let’s be honest. Expenses
are always important for students
Did you know that Prague is a home to
and in this sense, Prague is a great
one of the biggest music clubs in
budget choice. Štěpán says that
Europe? Karlovy lázně club is locat-
one can easily find a nice room in
ed right in the middle of the city and
the city centre for under 200€.
offers five stores of clubbing at one
place, with each floor playing different style of dance music. “It is a
must, if even once in your life”, says
Marie Skaláková, a law student.
Other expenses are low as well.
Groceries are around 30% cheaper
compared to the Netherlands, especially meat or fruits and vegeta-
bles. Eating out is also a viable op-
But even if you are not a party ani-
tion, you can get a full meal for 4€
mal, there is much else going on all
even at popular places. If you’d like
the time. If you are more of a hipster
to drink it down, local beer is al-
gal or lad, go to Krymská street, the
ways a great choice. You can get
emerging hotspot for alternative cul-
0.5 litre for around 1€ in a decent
ture with cosy little bars, pubs and
restaurant. A monthly unlimited
experimental spaces.
student public transport pass is for
More into more traditional art and
mere 10€.
culture? The National Gallery hosts
In combination with all of the rea-
one of the biggest collections of 20th
sons above, this relative cheap-
century art in Europe. Also, we
ness makes Prague an excellent
Czechs are really proud of the lega-
exchange destination that will not
cy of our great composers such as
ruin your savings. So I hope to see
Smetana, Dvořák or Janáček, so
many of you writing it down as one
you can visit many classical music
of your exchange choices!
concerts all year long. You really
14
Why you should take a gap year
By: E. Sterk
months, of which I worked three months. My two main
reasons for this decision were that I didn’t fully support
my decision to study criminology and my English was
terrible back then. Therefore, I hoped that I would both
improve my English language skills and discover my
interests, thus the study related to these interests. Also,
I wanted to explore a different country and culture. I
wanted to improve my social skills, solve problems on
my own and learn how to be financially independent. I
can already tell you that I accomplished all these things
and many more.
But let’s start from the beginning. After seven months of
working and saving money for my trip, it was finally the
27th of December. I felt a bit scared and lonely when
As Camille O’Reilly, research fellow at Roehampton Uni-
saying goodbye to my family, I even let a few tears slip
versity in London, states “backpacking was once a mar-
down my face. However, as soon as I walked trough the
ginal and unusual activity undertaken by hippies and
gate this all passed and I got very excited for my trip.
adventurous drop-outs, it has now become a widely ac-
Two days later I arrived in Sydney. It was very warm
cepted rite of passage for young people.” According to
and I was tired and feeling dirty, but enthusiastic to final-
the Year Out Group, which consists out of 38 gap-year
ly be in Australia. The first backpacker I met, an English
companies, each year 90000 British students take a gap
guy named Nathan, was on his way home after a year
year or take some time of from their study. Backpacking
backpacking and he described his experience as “truly
is especially getting more popular among high school
amazing.” And with this first positive comment, I was
students who want to take a gap year before starting
ready to experience and learn new things.
college. Including me.
My gap year started on the 27th of December, seven
months after I finished high school. I was thinking about
the next step in my education and I got accepted for the
study criminology. However, I decided not to start that
study, and instead I took a gap year to travel through
Australia with my friend Flore. I worked seven months to
save money for my trip and I was in Australia for seven
“If you do it right, a gap year can
give you the extra skills you
need to outshine other
candidates when you return
home.”
15
International Student Experience
At first I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially since
taking a gap year to travel and work abroad is often re-
lated with negative experiences. Some people believe
that it is a waste of time and that students can better use
that time to finish school. Roundup News columnist Victor Herrera states that “finding a career younger and
sooner can get you started on a successful path to a
brighter future.” Also, Herrera believes that students
who take a gap year have less “motivation” and “focus”
when they start school again. However, after my experience I can write that I disagree with Herrera. I experienced the loss of “motivation” and “focus” only in the
first three weeks after my return, mainly because I had
the strong urge to go back. However, it helped that, im-
mediately when I got back, I just continued doing everything again.
home.” Furthermore, backpacking in Australia had more
advantages than just education. It had a positive influence on my social skills as well. I met new people, from
different cultures, everyday. Sleeping in dorms was a
great way for me to meet new people. My friend Flore
once said, “sleeping with 6 other people in the same
room forces you to be social and talk to them, otherwise
it just gets really awkward and unpleasant.” Also, dorms
are the cheapest sleeping option in Australia. Since, I
was responsible for my own finances, I had to keep
track of my expenses and decide how I wanted to spend
my money. Going on tours is very expensive, thus I had
to save money on sleeping. This taught me to be financial independent. And yes, of course I’ve had a few bad
experiences when sleeping in dorms, like cockroaches
in my bed… and even people having sex in the bed next
to me. At that moment it is annoying, however when you
wake up the next morning you can laugh about it and it
The first three weeks were a bit rough, but after that
is a fun story to tell to the people you meet next.
everything was normal again, except that I now have an
amazing experience that no one can take away anymore. And if I wouldn’t have taken a gap year I would
Overall, I can only say that the seven months in Austral-
now be studying criminology, a study that I did not fully
ia are among the best months in my life. I learned many
support, instead of Communication and Media, which is
new things, met new people and improved many of my
a study that I really like and is perfectly in line with my
skills. Taking a gap year after high school to work and
interests and hobbies. This is an international study
travel through Australia was the best decision that I
taught in English and, as mentioned earlier, my English
could possibly make. It resulted in an amazing and en-
was terrible. However, after seven months of backpack-
riching experience both during my gap year and after. I
ing in Australia, I was confident that my English was
strongly encourage every student to take a gap year and
good enough to participate in this study. And it was. I
travel or work abroad, especially if you are unsure about
improved a very important skill in this increasingly glob-
the next step in your education.
alizing world. Which is in line with what backpacking
student Beverly Reinemann believes, namely that “If you
do it right, a gap year can give you the extra skills you
need to outshine other candidates when you return
16
Cuba – King of the Coast
By: R. ter Haar
uba, the country of old yank
place in Cuba has its history in muse-
tanks, horse carriages, history
ums. Two other things, apart from go-
and great food. The long over-
ing to museums you should do in the
due post of what I spent my summer
capital is taking a tour in an old yank
vacation doing is here, my top 3 destina-
tank and taking a ride in the bicycle
tions of travelling in Cuba. I left on the
taxi’s that are everywhere around. Both
16th of June with my sister and parents
are super refreshing, escaping from the
from Amsterdam, to Madrid and from
heat for a bit, and makes getting
there to Havana, Cuba. Travelling to
around just that much easier.
some typical Cuban food for lunch.
Cuba took us, in total 9 and a half hours
of flying. We arrived at 18.50, Cuban
Viñales
When we got back to our hotel, we real-
time, so 2 in the morning for us. After
Viñales was our second destination
ized how strong the sun was. I was ex-
some hassle, and finding our taxi driver
and we stayed here for 3 nights. We
tremely burnt and in pain.
we made it to our first bed & breakfast,
arrived in the late afternoon and decid-
Lesson learnt, in Cuba you have to apply
and went straight to bed.
ed to hang out by the pool for the rest
sunscreen every hour to not get burnt.
of the day, however that didn’t last long
First impressions
as the dark clouds started arriving. That
Trinidad
When walking out of the airport, on
Ievening we experienced our very first
Trinidad was our second to last stop in
Thursday evening I couldn’t believe what
Cuban thunderstorm. Those are defi-
Cuba. The city is beautiful with older
I saw. I felt like I was on a 1960’s movie
nitely a lot more intense than European
architecture than the rest of Cuba. How-
set. Many, many cars, but no modernity
storms. Because Viñales is located in a
ever, also more tourists. What I liked
only those American yank tanks. At that
valley, the thunder sounds ten times
most about Trinidad was the evenings.
moment I realized how the civilization of
louder, definitely an experience. We
The temperature cooled down, (even
Cuba was behind at least fifty year. A
went for dinner in the village, which
thought it was still around 30 degrees),
very bizarre moment.
was rather small but very cute. A cou-
and when it started getting darker, the
ple of restaurants and some nice archi-
town started getting brighter. The restau-
Havana
tecture. The morning after we decided
rants where opening, cocktails served
We spent two full days in Havana, the
to go to the beach, something I had
and bands were playing.
capital of Cuba. Jet lag still hit us hard,
been looking forward to since we ar-
with six hour difference from the Nether-
rived in Cuba. After driving for a long
Cuba was one of the best travel adven-
lands, so we were up early both days.
time, and passing the turn we had to
tures I’ve done so far. Especially now
We had at breakfast at our B&B, and
turn into too many times, we arrived. To
that the embargo has been lifted with the
went on our first mission: exchanging
get to the beach, which was called
states, we saw the real old Cuba before
money. After around thirty minutes of
Cayo Levisa, you took a boat to the
it gets taken over. Below I list some trav-
walking around, asking directions,
small island. The boat goes to the is-
el tips, and the rest of the places and
speaking the best of Spanish we could
land twice a day, once there, and the
B&B’s / Hotels we stayed at during our
(which was rather minimal), we found
next back to the main land. When we
visit. Please share and comment below if
the bank. There was a huge line, so we
arrived it was like paradise. This is my
you’ve ever been to Cuba before and if
had to wait in that too. Not to forget the
number one destination, which I advise
your experience was just as great as
heat of 35 degrees Celsius in a busy,
you all to go to. The water was so blue,
mine.
lively city (very humid). Havana is full of
something I had never seen before,
history. My advice is to go to all muse-
and that pictures could not even do
ums, even though not all are in English
justice to. It was stunning. We tanned,
(pictures will do too), because no other
relaxed, floated in the water and had
17
Budget Tripping
1. Do not expect Wi-Fi – This was a big hit to my sister and I, however
we got used to it after a couple of days.
2. The diet in Cuba tends to be a lot different than the Netherlands, so
be prepared for some stomach instability, to put it nicely.
3. Rice chicken all day.
4. Be prepared for large busses of tourists. My advice is to stay away
with them; they are loud and only do the real touristy things and do not
go outside that boundary.
5. On a more serious note, people stare at you a lot.
6. Get a good night sleep or take naps. Cuba gets extremely hot, and to
get through the day being tired and hot is not easy.
Havana
Trinidad
Casa Onelia y Roberto
Casa Pavel
Calle Habana Apartamento No. 301 1er.
Hostal Remanso de Paz, owner Pavel
Piso Esq.
Calle Independencia No. 8
San Juan de Dios.. Centro Histórico
between Pablo Pi Giron en Piro Guinnart
Cuba. Centro Histórico
Trinidad
Tel: 8615926
Tel: +53 (0) 41992201
Viñales
Cientuegos
Rancho San Vicente (BB)
Hotel La Union (BB)
Carretera a Puerto Esperanza, Km. 33,
Calle 31 y 54
Viñales
Cienfuegos
(048) 796201/796221
Tel: (53) (043) 551020
Soroa
Varadero
Hotel Villa Soroa (BB)
Hotel Iberostar Varadero (AI)
Carretera de Soroa km 8
Kilometro N0. 16 .Carretra Las Morlas
Candelaria, Soroa
Varadero
Tel: (53) (0)85 3534 of 3512
Tel: (045) 66 99 99
Santa Clara
Los Caneyes (BB)
Ave. De los eucaliptos y Circuvalacion
Tel. (042) 218140
18
The best & cheapest trip in your life
By: G. Ruzinskaite
valuable heritage, which is even recognized by UNESCO and capital Vilnius
with its gorgeous old town. But these
characteristics are only a part of the
whole picture of reasons why Dutch people, especially students, should choose
Lithuania to travel to. The biggest one,
though, is that it’s really cheap to do
that. And when I say really, I mean REALLY CHEAP. Hence, this piece is going
to describe and estimate the most inex-
pensive way to have a memorable trip
from the Netherlands to Lithuania.
Transport
Everything starts with getting to the
place. Luckily, there are several airports
in the Netherlands from which you can
fly directly to Vilnius and this takes approximately 1.5-2 hours. Besides, one of
the cheapest airlines in Europe, company Wizz Air, is doing these flights from
Eindhoven airport. Hence, if you look for
T
he Netherlands is located in
only because people don‘t know a lot
probably the best part of Eu-
about it. Or i56_senamiestis žiema-
rope, where every other Euro-
14they don‘t see it as a country worth
pean country can be reached within a
maximum of 3.5 hours by plane. Moreover, Dutch people have a wide variety of
choice of travel destinations as Schiphol
airport is one of the busiest in Europe
and offers direct flights to many other
continents. Hence, it is not surprising
that, according to Gastvrij Nederland, in
2011, 18.6 million trips to foreign countries for holidays were made by people
living in the Netherlands. However, they
rarely choose uncommon countries as
their travel destinations, for instance,
Lithuania and I strongly believe that it is
spending money to travel to.
flight tickets at least two months in advance and you don’t plan to go on a trip
during the main holidays (e.g. Christmas), you will not spend a lot. Especially, if you are a member of Wizz Discount
However, recently, several online travel
Club as it is possible to find tickets for 40
websites, including Lonely Planet,
euros to go back and forth, but they will
listed this Baltic country as one of the
cost only 20 euros with the Wizz dis-
hotspots for holidays, where you can
count. Incredible, isn’t it?
find “vibrant, optimistic culture of today”. Main reasons provided by websites are Lithuania’s beautiful nature,
“The
Accommodation
There are several options for a place to
stay during your trip: hotel, hostel or
journey of a thousand miles can
begin with little money and it will always
end with the best experience.”
19
Budget Tripping
Airbnb (local people offer to stay at their
dishes such as ‘cepelinai’, ‘šaltibarščiai‘
As there is no limit to how much you
apartments for lower price). I looked into
or ‘bulviniai blynai‘. Actually, you need
could spend, let’s look at the lowest pric-
all three options as I am not sure what
to try all of them (maybe not at the
es and assume that you go on a trip to
your preferences would be. First of all, in
same time). Best part – you will spend
Lithuania for 3 days.
Airbnb you can find a room in a big
only around 8 euros in total and this
apartment in the city center for 17 euros
can be your two dinners.
per night. However, if you do not trust
this kind of search for stay, you can have
Sightseeing
Hence:
 plane tickets can be bought for 20
euros;
a bed in a hostel. For instance, Hostel
 bed in a 10-bed dormitory room in
Jamaika in the old town of the city offers
beds from 9 to 13.50 euros per night.
Hostel Jamaika for 3 nights is 27 eu-
And finally, for those of you, who want to
ros;
have a more comfortable stay, you can
 you eat three times a day in restau-
find plenty of hotels in the heart of the
rants all days (exclude one breakfast
city starting from 30 euros per person
as you will come to Lithuania in the
per night.
Food
Finally, you should do some walking
around the city center and old town,
visit several museums and most important places. It is not going to require
a lot of your money as many memorials, such as the Cathedral, the Tower
of Gediminas or the Royal Palace can
be visited for free or very inexpensively.
afternoon and one dinner as you will
leave before it) and each meal costs
you 6 euros on average, hence, 42
trakai5euros;
 you visit The Royal Palace (1.5€), the
tower of Gediminas (1€), National Art
Gallery (<1€), the Castle of Trakai (3€
+ <1€ to get there) and other places
After you settle in your hotel / hostel /
Additionally, students get 50% dis-
Airbnb room, you will probably want to
count, which ends up in 1 or 2 euros
eat something. Good thing about Lithua-
per museum. If you want to see some-
It adds up to 96 euros. 96 euros for plane
nia is that eating in restaurants is almost
thing really impressive, you should go
tickets, accommodation, food in restau-
cheaper than making dinner at home! So
to the city of Trakai, which is around 40
rants and visits to main tourist attrac-
you will be able to treat yourself. For
km away from Vilnius and can be
tions. Just to compare, Nike Air Max
instance, the most expensive and big-
reached by bus in 30 minutes for less
sneakers, which are so popular in the
gest pizza in any pizzeria will not cost
than 1 euro for students. There is the
Netherlands that everybody has at least
you more than 12 euros and you will be
castle of Trakai, which is located on the
a pair of them, cost more than 100 euros.
full after eating half of it. If you want
island in the lake and currently has a
You can organize a trip for this money!
something really fancy, you can try a
museum inside of it. Believe me, it’s
And that trip would be the best proof that
luxury restaurant and choose chef’s
gorgeous and unforgettable view!
the words of Alton Brown are wrong:
menu for around 20 euros, whereas you
would pay about 40 euros for similar
dinner in the Netherlands. Finally, you
have to try some traditional Lithuanian
After naming the prices of all the most
important aspects of every trip it is time
for an estimation of how much money
would you need to travel to Lithuania.
that are free to enter, hence, 7 euros;
“The journey of a thousand miles begins
with a cash advance”. It’s not true. The
journey of a thousand miles can begin
with little money and it will always end
with the best experience.
20
Travel, Independence
By: A. Denage
W
omen of this popu-
many of us ambitious independ-
keep a relationship alive while
lar culture dream of
ent women will have face this
being away from your partner.
travelling, discover-
challenge sooner or later, I am
ing new lands, running the world;
wondering: how do you keep
but we still dream of love. A pas-
the thrill in a relationship that is
sionate, unrestricted and addic-
mostly happening behind a
tive type of romance with a part-
screen? Although, technology
ner who is always there by our
has made our life much easier
side. But is there a best of both
with laptops, social media apps
worlds? In an era where both Fif-
and not to forget our dear and
ty Shades of Grey and Girlboss
beloved Internet connection, I
are best sellers, and where Put a
personally see digital communi-
ring on it and Who runs the
cation as an additional rather
world? from Beyoncé are two
than primary type of social inter-
incredibly strong feminine an-
action. I find it so intriguing to
thems, is there actually a way to
hear Lisa, twenty-two years old,
controversially live that exciting,
say “I am grateful for WhatsApp
adventurous and careless experi-
for letting us call for free. Hear-
ence abroad to the fullest while
ing your partner’s voice and ac-
being separated from your loved
tually having a conversation
one?
makes a hell of a difference. It
Kate is an exchange student in
Rotterdam, and just like every
evening for the last three months,
she calls her boyfriend, with
really brought and kept us closer”, when talking about her long
-distance relationship with her
boyfriend living in Suriname.
However, another woman, who
certainly has a less joyful and
glamorous version of longdistance relationships, grabbed
my attention. Jessica, currently
studying Communication and
Media, broke up with her partner
while being in Asia and confesses how time consuming, painfully
exhausting and overly difficult it
was to use communication medium to be in contact with her now
ex-boyfriend: “It made me too
dependent on him, always thinking what time it’s there and why
he couldn’t talk to me more”. Is
passively waiting for your man to
give signs of life what we are
signing for when deciding to
commit to a long distance relationship? In my opinion, although
technology has helped us taking
down geographic boundaries it
whom she has been in relation-
Listening to her telling me with
can never replace real-life inter-
ships for over a year. Although,
such conviction, passion and
action, as the essence and inti-
she is involved in a blooming,
faith how well her relationship is
macy of a relationship cannot be
healthy and loving relationship,
going and how it is all worth it,
unfolded in their full existence.
this romance has mostly been
almost make me believe that
Jessica also admitted that the
experienced in long-distance. As
there is actually a chance to
long-distance affected her life in
21
Column
… and Romance
the Philippines in a way that she
so thrilling that I didn’t find time
build on a relationship, spending
couldn’t be truly happy. She was
to communicate with my partner
too much time apart can break it
waiting for time to go by, con-
which he couldn’t understand”. I
even faster. I hope for women,
stantly wondering what her boy-
am myself currently involved in
especially young ones, to be
friend was doing, who he was
a flourishing, thrilling and geo-
more careful and affirmative in
hanging out with, why we would-
graphically close relationship
regards to their selfconscious-
n’t contact her, to the point that
with a former colleague of mine,
ness. I believe that the question
she couldn’t enjoy the moments
and the probability of me going
we should ask ourselves before
she lived in. And there comes my
abroad in a near future is not to
making the decision to start a
main concern: how could I ever
exclude. Although I care about
long-distance relationship is: Is
open myself to a foreign country,
him, I am still reluctant to the
engaging myself in such a rela-
if a part of me wishes to be
idea of committing to a relation-
tionship benefitting my experi-
somewhere else?
ship that cannot be fully fulfilled,
ence abroad and my happiness?
plus, my eager to learn more
When in our young age, we hold
about myself, to get out of my
the luxury of having time; the
comfort zone, to meet new peo-
time to be selfish and not to take
ple and live every experience to
care of anyone but ourselves.
the fullest are my priorities.
Make a good use of those years.
From that perspective we have
When discussing the advice she
to admit that love is not always
should give someone who is
enough. Going abroad changes
about to take the “long-distance-
you, whether you like it or not,
relationship-step”, Lisa states
and sometimes to a point where
that “A long-distance relationship
the basis of your romantic rela-
is not for everybody. It depends
tionship does not fit with you
on your mind set and heart and
and your expectations anymore.
of your partner” – I could not
Distance and time are both key
agree more. So ladies, before
players when it comes to rela-
engaging yourself in such a rela-
tionship, and as it takes time to
tionship, do think about yourself
build on a relationship, spending
for once and do not let love come
too much time apart can break it
between you and what could be
even faster
a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Choosing between personal life
and family/romantic relationships
is a dilemma that women have
never stopped facing over the
years. It sometimes seems like it
is not politically correct for a
woman to choose her happiness
before the one of others. Sofia
shares a deeply tumultuous,
challenging and tough experi-
ence of how her professional ambitions became an issue in her
romantic long-distance relationship “distance makes you unconsciously
grow apart from your part-
ner to such an extent that it can
become a burden. I remember,
as I was very busy during my internship, my professional life was
22
Next month:
An extraordinary way to enjoy a long budget trip: Being an au pair. Lisa Yan tells an inspiring story.
Hitchhiking as a travel possibility: Our experienced writers gather to give you some usefull tips.
and much more ....
Pictures from:
P. 0
— Hiking Backpacks (http://www.hikingbackpacks.xyz/2015/11/18/backpacking-bags/)
P. 1
— Visit Arizona (http://www.visitarizona.com/)
P. 4
— Imgarcade (http://imgarcade.com/1/transparent-palm-tree/)
P. 5
—Ibcommotion (http://ibcommotion.com/?p=8115)
P. 7 & 8
P. 9
— In minutes (http://inminutes.com/best-honeymoon-destinations-in-asia-malaysia-indonesia-thailand-and-maldives/)
P. 10
P. 11
— Orbitz (http://www.orbitz.com/travel-guide/United_States--HI/Big_Island_of_Hawaii.tg35981/)
P. 12
— Ibcommotion (http://ibcommotion.com/?p=8739)
P. 13
— Anton Zoghi Photography (https://antonzoghiphotography.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/the-beauty-of-prague/)
P. 14
— Travel Prague (http://www.etravelprague.com/prague-photos/)
P. 15
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P. 20
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— 7 Continents on Tour (7continentstour.com)
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— Design Crowd (http://www.designcrowd.com.au/design/2630511)
P. 25
— Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/336925615846027875/)
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Floortje Dessing (p.5)

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