Travel wishlist: Cherry blossoming in Japan

Last year I already went to Japan, but unfortunately it was not the time of the cherry blossoming. Cherry what?! Yes, cherry blossoming. It’s the time in Japan when the flowers in all the trees start to bloom. The whole world seems to be covered in pinkness. The cherry blossom festival in Japan is also called The Japanese Sakura or annual hanami and people celebrate that spring has come. Flowers in Japan represent a new beginning and life. Most people go to the park to picknick with family and friends during this celebration. Take a look at some pic’s I found online and I bet that after this post, it’s on your bucketlist as well!

Get inspired

Best places to watch the cherry blossoming

As mentioned before one of the best places to watch the cherry blossoming is in the park. The Japanese Sakura is in april and march, so that’s the best time to visit. In early april some of the best places in Tokyo are the Shinjuku Gyoen, Ueno park or Chidorigafuchi. When you are in Osaka, you must go to the Osaka castle. You can watch this beautiful building while it’s surounded by perfect pink trees. Kyoto is by itself one of the best places to visit in Japan in my opinion, but I can imagine that it gets even better when you go there during the cherry blossoming. Visit the Ninnaji temple, the Philosopher’s path or walk up to the kiyomizu temple and taste some green tea sweets on the way.

Food Adventures #1

You might not know this yet, but I’m a real foodie. Good food is one of the things that I can’t take my  mind off, my boyfried even makes jokes about it so you can imagine how food obsessed I can be. I’m not the best cook in the world, so therefore Contentable hasn’t become a food blog ;) but I thought, why not give some travel inspiration about food. I have visited so many places where I want to back, just for the things that I have tasted there. It maybe sounds strange, but really i’m not kidding. I wish I could have taken the recipe home or even better the food stall or restaurant. In this post i’ll tell you about three longed-for foods that are out of reach and if you like this one maybe more will follow! Enjoy and good luck with not getting too hungry.

1. Thai Mango Sticky Rice with Coconut

Who has been to Thailand knows probably exactly what i’m talking about. Mango sticky rice with coconut sauce is a Thai dessert and especially in Bangkok you can buy it everywhere. Go to one of the many food stalls or order it at a restaurant where it’s likely to be on the desert menu. Mango sticky rice with coconut consists out of, prepare yourself… mango, rice and coconut ;) what a shock. The rice is salty and sticky and combined with the sweet mango and perfect coconut sauce it’s one of the best desert you’ll ever get. Want to DIY? Try the instructions on this blog: The Kitchn. I’ve read on many blogs that it’s pretty easy to make, so let me know if you tried!

2. Brazilian Acaraje!

Okay I discovered that you can’t make a nice picture of Acaraje and it also needs some explanation because you can’t really tell what’s in it. The first time that I tried it in Brazil was when I was visiting Salvador and it was really good, somebody of our hotel recommended it and we ended up eating it a lot that vacation. Acaraje is made from peas, some sort of beans, that’s formed into a ball and then fried. After frying the ball is filled up with vegetables and if you like some shrimps are added as well. I often took the vegetarian version. It’s probably not the most healthy food in the world, since it’s fried, but the taste is really good and because of the vegetables everything is nice and juicy. Another pretty fun thing, acaraje is often sold by a little bit older typical brazilian woman in a huge dress. Looks pretty awesome, so getting one is an adventure in itself.

3. Italian Taleggio with sweet onions

Oh my… how I love Italian food. Especially deserts like tiramisu or panforte, but also pasta’s, salads and sandwiches… I could eat it everyday. At the top of my Italian food list is a sandwich with taleggio cheese and sweet onions. I got it a few years ago and it was the best sandwich I have ever had. So therefore my number #3 is the Italian Taleggio sandwich. Oh and if you want to try it someday, the taleggio cheese, prepare yourself for the smell!

Which one of the above would you like to try and what is your longed for food out of reach? Let me know!

Travel tip USA #2: Hawaii

Last year I went to Hawaii, one of the greatest places to relax and surf in the USA. We stayed in Honolulu, it’s on the island of Oahu, and from there we made some cool day trips. One day we went to the North shore to see some monster waves and after that we made a day trip to Hanauma bay for a snorkelling experience. I would love to go back there and see some more, but first things first, because i’m going to give you some Hawaii must do’s!

Go swimming, meet some turtles

One of the best things that I did on my trip to Hawaii was snorkelling. We went to Hanauma Bay for a day trip and it was beautiful there. The sea was clear blue, we had great weather and when we went into the water we saw the most beautiful fishes. I especially loved the turtles, swimming with them was a totally new and magical experience for me. One advise, if you are planning to go there you should go early because it can get very crowded. Also prepare yourself for the big groups of tourist from Asia, they come with hundreds and are not always the best swimmers ;)

Discover new places

One day we bought some random bustickets and went to the other side of the island. We drove by the Dole pineaple plantation but decided to skip that and we ended up at the north shore where we hoped to see some monster waves. When we arrived they were not that big, but I have heared that the real monster waves in Hawaii can swell up to 20 feet. Really big if you ask me! Also not so strange that in the high season some big surf events are held there.

Drink a Mai Tai

Although the Mai Tai originally comes from California, it’s nowadays a very populair drink in Hawaii. When you go out, you should really try one. The Mai Tai cocktails are made from rum, liqueur, sugar and fresh lime juice. We had one near the beach in Honolulu in a cute colourful restaurant.

Enjoy a sunset

Going to Hawaii you should really take time to watch the sunset every night. I have watched some pretty awesome ones there. And to make your evening complete, buy a box of Hawaiian Host filled with milky chocolats with macadamias in it. Imagine a warm summer breeze, find a cute boy to hold you and you never want to leave ;) at least I didn’t!

Go surfing

Last but not least, go surfing! Hire a board and go into that beautiful blue water. Don’t you know how to ride a wave? Just take some lessons and learn the basics. You’re certainly not ready for the real monster waves after that, but i’m pretty sure you can stand on your board. Oh and when you end your surfday, put some flowers near the Duke Kahanamoku statue. It’s the iconic Waikiki statue of the father of modern surfing.

Feel free and live out loud!