martin_nl's VirtualTourist Home Page

Hello everyone,

My name is Martin, born in the one of the tiniest villages of the Netherlands, called Zwaanshoek. However the location of my town is great. It is close to Amsterdam, Haarlem, Hoofddorp and very close to Schiphol Amsterdam Airport. As a child my parents took me out travelling a couple of times a year. Mostly a two week holiday in Spain, France or Italy and then usually a few smaller trips somewhere around the Netherlands or Belgium. Mostly we went to touristic places, but usually we did some cultural things too in less touristic spots. Those were the tings I enjoyed most.

On my own or with friends I visited quite a few cities around Europe, bu I wanted more. I wanted to discover the world. See as many places as I could. My biggest trip so far has taken me to Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Bangkok. I travelled around those regions for about 10 months and had a really good time. Discovering new cities, enjoying the outdoors, the nightlife and making new friends. My list of things I want to discover is just too long. Basically I want to see it all before I die. Every region of the world has something that appeals to me. Even though I tackled a lot of Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand I have the feeling I stil haven't seen much of the world. But I love to spend all my money on discovering new places also closer to home.

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There are a couple of words that symbolise the way I love to travel:

| Adventure | Culture | Challenge | Learn |

| Nature | Fun | People | Mystery |

For me a trip is complete if most of these things are present in my travels.

Day in, day out in my head I'm planning a possible future trip. Literally, where can my money take me?
See where I'll go next and take a look at where I've already been.

Future Travels

2008
Jun ==> Ruta Maya; Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras & Belize (booked)
Aug ==> V Festival in Chelmsford, England (booked)
Oct ==> Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt (planned)

Past Travels

2007
Jan ==> Buckinghamshire, England
Jun ==> Buckingahmshire, England
Jul ==> Madrid, Spain
Jul ==> Valencia, Spain
Nov ==> Buckinghamshire, England
Nov ==> Dorset, England

2006
Jan ==> London, England
Jan ==> Oxford, England
May ==> Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
May ==> Giza, Egypt
Oct ==> Iceland
Oct ==> New York City, USA
Dec ==> Buckinghamshire, England

2005
May ==> Scotland
Jul ==> Marlow, England
Jul ==> Lizard Peninsula, England
Jul ==> Tintagel, England
Jul ==> Brighton, England
Jul ==> Canterbury,England
Jul ==> London,England
Aug ==> Antwerp, Belgium
Aug ==> Utrecht, Netherlands
Dec ==> London, England

These are my favourite places in the world that I have been able to visit so far where nature is concerned.

Wilson's Promontory, VIC, Australia
Great tracks and rough seas on the east side of the peninsula. Also some of the most beautiful beaches in the country, though not suitable for swimming.

Fiordland NP, New Zealand
Situated in the Southwest of the South Island is this UNESCO listed world heritage. The whole area is jaw dropping. There are fjords, snow capped mountains, many species of birds and lots of rain.

Sungai Kinabatangan, Sabah, Malaysia
A river through a jungle. Stay in huts close to the river and meet the locals: Orang-utans, elephants, crocodiles, civet cats, wild pigs and hornbills. A true experience!

Isle of Skye, Highlands, Scotland
This is the best of Scotland. Visit the Quirang and judge for yourself.

Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall, England
The biggest surprise I found in England. Never thought this country was so beautiful. You have to see Kynance Cove on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. Go there on a warm summer day and you're in for a real treat.

Many people say: A city is a city is a city. To some extent I agree, but there are cities that differ so much from your standard city. Just take a look at a couple of my favourites.

Sydney, Australia
This is my favourite of all cities, not just in Australia, but in the whole world. Take a look at my Sydney page and judge for yourself.

London, England
I have been here many times. Usually I visit at least once a year. There is always something different to do. Or you can do the same things in a different season and it will be different again.

Barcelona, Spain
Try and visit as many of Gaudi's works of art. Some are actually still in progress. The food is great, people are friendly and there's a beach too. Oh and the weather is usually nice all year round.

Rome, Italy
When I went to Rome I was stunned by all the old buildings, or at least what is left of them. If you are into jaw dropping architecture, rich culture and want to learn about the world's history this is the place to go.