Squirreling about - far far away

Berlin is one of my favourite places in the world and I go there as often as I can.

This time we stayed at NHow, a really nice hotel located just by the water close to Oberbaumbrücke. Not so far away from Nhow is Hotel Michelberger located, which is one of my favourite places for coffee. As the name suggests it is also a really great hotel.

Berlin is a good place for inspiration and I am already looking forward to my next visit!

Nhow

Michelberger

Michelberger

Subway

Love the colors! 

Squirreling about - far far away

The art of travelling

One of my absolute favourite things in the world is travelling. I need it regularly or I go mad. It is my drug of choice. I think I have always had the urge for revelling and already as a child I remember ordering catalogues from different travel agencies and flip through the pages and dream away.  Being an adult and being responsible for your own time and money made planning and going on adventures much easier. 

It is a sort of collecting for me. Collecting memories and places to think about when everything is painfully ordinary and the rain in falling outside the office window. Thinking of that small café in Berlin with the best frühstück, preferably eaten in front of a cosy fire burning.  Or the peaceful pagoda outside Hanoi  where you could sit and just watch the beautiful scenery from a staircase cut out from the rock under a fragrant Frangipani  tree.  

The collector in me always bring home little souvenirs that also work the magic of remembering and cherish these moments.  These little treasures almost always have in common that they are small enough to enable being transported back home.  And when used, looked at or eaten they bring back the different memories and feelings. A little bit of joy when opening the kitchen cabinet being greeted by a little dotted espresso cup found at the 1 Euro table in a store in Milan. 

A big part of the travelling for me is the actual planning. Exploring the place you are going to visit in advance, sort of looking through a pair of binoculars, seeing from a distance trying to imagine what it feels like to actually be there.  This also brings me great satisfaction and looking forward to an adventure gives me lots of energy. I read books and blogs, look at maps and spend hours looking for the best hotel in the perfect area.

  

Don’t forget comfortable shoes, a camera and an open mind and start a new adventure that will never leave you!

Squirreling about - far far away

Dreaming about this place! Drinks at The Speakeasy on level 24 at the Hotel Muse in Bangkok. Oh, the view!

Squirreling about - far far away

Chances are one day you will find yourself in the situation needing to book a hotel in Bangkok. This is quite hard if you ask me. Bangkok is a huge city with a lot of tourists and therefore also a lot of hotels. Where to look and what strategy you might ask your self? I have been to Bangkok a few times and I have come to the conclusion that whatever your strategy is, you don't want to hold on to tight to your wallet. Bangkok is a big, noisy, sometime a bit dirty with a lot of traffic and people everywhere but, nevertheless a absolutely wonderful city to visit. Keep this in mind when booking a hotel. You want to stay in a nice hotel where you can relax and feel at home after a long day out and about in the big mango.  I would just stay away from the budget alternatives if I have the chance. And trust me, I have tried quite a few budget options. When it comes to areas I still haven't managed to find a strategy though.

The last time we stayed in Bangkok we booked in LUXX at Silom which we really enjoyed. This is a small design hotel with small but sufficient rooms with a nice wooden bathtub. The bed  was really comfy, the toiletries came in an adorable little box, the breakfast was good and the hotel had lovely staff. In the lobby there is also a library that the guest can use and if you feel like watching a movie the library also includes  plenty of DVDs to take up to your room, if you promise to bring it back :)

LUXX at Silom also has a sister hotel called LUXX XL which we are really keen on trying. Maybe next time?

Ps. Sorry for the blurry photo. Must have been very tired :)

Squirreling about - Chiang Mai

If you care for a real food experience in Chainag Mai don't forget to visit the restaurant at Tamarind Village . Walk through the gorgeous bamboo tunnel and just relax at a lovely table just beside the pool. The food here is divine and the service is excellent. If you're not on a tight budget staying at the hotel or visiting the SPA  is also a great idea. If you are just passing by and don't have time for dinner just a quick visit to the lobby and one of the exhibitions they usually have there is also well worth a visit.

Squirreling about - Chiang Mai

If you still haven't ha enough good food here is an other great restaurant in Chiang Mai. I really like the restaurant at U Hotel ( 70 Ratchadamnoen Road). Prices are a bit higher than average but it is well worth it. I particularity like their veggie green curry. The actual hotel is also very nice and I would love to stay there some day :)

Squirreling about - far far away

Staying and Eating

This time visiting Berlin we stayed at a brand new bio hotel in Friedrichshain called Almodovar Hotel. The room was just perfect and the staff really sweet and helpful. I can definitely recommend it.

When in Berlin don't miss the lovely breakfast options! You can usually order a big plate of all sorts of nice things and lovely bread!

If you visit the Kreuzberg area don't miss out  on the lovely restaurant Markthalle on Pücklerstraße, with lovely German food and a genuine décor.

If you like Asian food I would highly recommend Transit  which has restaurants both in Mitte and Friedrichshain.

There are plenty of very nice places to get ice cream in Berlin and almost all are very good! If you fancy yoghurt ice cream try out Yoli and get all carried away with their gorgeous selection of toppings! They have shops on three different locations in Berlin so one is likely to be near you! Have a look at their web site for details and lovely photos!

I really like Russian food and in Friedrichshain you can find the lovely Datscha.
Here you can eat and drink in Russian style!

Squirreling About - far far away

More photos from Korea for gloomy days!  If you ever go to Seoul I can highly recommend a visit to Leeum Samsung museum of art where you among other lovely things can see this sculpture by Yoshimoto Nara.

Or why not visit these guys sitting in the lobby of R Hotel?

Squirreling About - Chiang Mai

The Squirrel and I loves Morooms! 

Morooms is a quirky little Boutique hotel located in the center of Chiang Mai.  The hotel is the product of a creative collaboration between a variety of artists, designers, architects and astrologers.  It has twelve rooms which are decorated according to the signs of the Chinese Zodiac, each of them unique.  Although neither of us Squirrels have stayed at the hotel, we do love stopping by for evening drinks.  Especially after treating ourselves to a manicure! 

If you're visiting Chiang Mai and love art, do check out Morooms website as it provides plenty of information about their concept and has a photo gallery of their amazing rooms.