Blog

El Petén is without a doubt the wildest part of Guatemala. Deep in the jungle lies the heart of what was once a thriving Maya civilization. Stumbling upon one of their old temples or stone structures, covered with vines and vegetation or neatly excavated, is the highlight of any trip

5.01 The monsoon is in full swing and it has rained all night. But the rain stops as soon as the night guard flicks on the lights, as if the switch also controls the weather. “Hay cafe,” he says. His twelve-hour shift is almost over. If coffee is life, then Finca

Resplendent quetzals, ocellated turkeys, scarlet macaws – Guatemala has no shortage of iconic birds that will feature highly on the wish lists of many birdwatchers and ornithologists. According to Bird Checklists of the World, Guatemala hosts no less than 762 species of birds. You can spot plenty of those in

When you’re dirt tired from travelling, a roof over your head is enough. It’s during these moments that you realise – too late – that your standards have dropped a bit too low. You’re sleeping in a horrid place. And no, I’m not talking about slow wifi or cold coffee.

The GR5A, the Hiking Route of Flanders, loops along the provincial borders of East and West Flanders. For a magazine story, I walked 165 kilometres from Bruges to Antwerp. In the shadowless polders, I discovered that a Flemish Indian summer is no longer what it once was. The problem with