Bruges or Ghent? Which one is better?

This is often a hotly debated topic - which city in Belgium is better? Bruges or Ghent? Well, it depends on what you mean by “better”....

The cities themselves are quite similar but they also have a lot of differences. Bruges’ (aka Brugge) historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With this recognition, it does get a lot more visitors, but most come just for the day (staying overnight is recommended). It has a good-sized market square surrounded by restaurants - most serving mussels and frites (french fries). There are several good bars and shops for the Belgian beer lover. And there is a lot of green space that encircles the town center (complete with a windmill!)

Ghent (aka Gent) on the other hand, is home to a large university (+40,000 students!). Because of this, the town center feels younger than Bruges even if it doesn’t look modern. There isn’t really a center market square area like Bruges has but instead is spread out more. It has a lively area with bars and restaurants located canalside in the center which Bruges doesn’t have.

Both have scenic canals. Both have a brewery you can visit. Both have cobblestone roads. Both have horse-drawn carriages. Both have churches. Both have Belgian frites, Belgian chocolate and Belgian waffles. Both are worth staying in for a night or two.

Ghent has a castle. That might be all that I have to say to some travelers. It is a relatively small castle, but located in the center of town it is easy to get to. Visitors follow arrows throughout the Castle of the Counts which take you from the dungeons to the towers. Some rooms hold collections of medieval weapons and suits of armor. Great for kids (just make sure to keep an eye on them). Expect a LOT of stairs.

Bruges does not have a castle but it does have the Basilica of Holy Blood which is said to house a relic of the Holy Blood which was brought to the Basilica in the 1200s. This is a popular sight for most travelers.

Ghent is home to many museums including the Design Museum, Museum of Fine Arts and a contemporary art museum (S.M.A.K.) just to name a few.
Bruges is also home to many museums - but many are unexpected - including the Dali Xpo-Gallery, Expo Picasso and the Frietmuseum (Fries museum).

For the beer lovers, Bruges is probably the top choice. While Ghent does have its own brewery, Bruges is more well-known for its beer bars with their extensive collections as well as the Halve Maan Brouwerij (makers of Straffe Hendrik and Bruges Zot). Ghent’s brewery, the Gruut, is gaining in popularity outside of Belgium due to their unique recipes. They do not use hops but instead use a blend of special spices (“gruit”). Both of these breweries can be visited and tours are available on-site. They both have restaurants as well. De Halve Maan is in the city center in Bruges; Gruut is a bit more off the beaten track but still easy to find.

For the shoppers, Ghent is probably the top choice. There are a lot more areas to shop in Ghent including “high-street” stores as well as an area with boutiques and higher end stores interspersed with small restaurants and cafes. Bruges is the place to go for lace though.

So which one do I like “better”?

I have mixed feelings but I still prefer Bruges. Yes, there are tourists, but if you stay overnight you will see that the town empties out. There are also plenty of areas to wander around and get away from the masses. But that is not to say that I don’t like Ghent. It just doesn’t have the same quaint, small town feel that Bruges has.

My suggestion would be to try to visit both. They are only 30 minutes apart so you can easily stay a few nights in one and do a day-trip to the other. Or if you have time, spread it out evenly amongst both and then make up your own mind on what is “better”!

Leila’s Suggestions:
Bruges:

• I especially like the “hidden” courtyard gardens surrounded by small, whitewashed almshouses. These houses used to house poor elderly people or widows. There are 46 of these blocks of almshouses within Bruges and they make a great escape. We saw so many bumblebees and butterflies in the gardens last time we were there - so nice and relaxing.
• De Halve Maan Brouwerij - Even if you aren’t familiar with their beer, I still recommend doing their brewery tour. You must be able to go up a lot of stairs as they take you to the roof for a panoramic view over Bruges. Afterwards, you can reward yourself with one (or two) of their brews in their on-site restaurant. Outdoor seating in a courtyard is possible in the summer months.
• Continuing on the beer theme, there are several great beer bars and stores within the city center that are definitely a “must” if you are a Belgian beer lover or want to learn more. We especially enjoyed the small Cafe ‘t Brugs Beertje which offers 300+ Belgian beers (and is owned by a woman!)
• Pasta Maria - We stayed very close to this take-out pasta place and we got food to go from here at least three times over four days (we love pasta). You can choose your pasta and the sauce. Affordable and tasty. You can get it to go and then find a scenic place to have a picnic. It is located next to the St Salvator Cathedral (opposite side as the main street).

Ghent:

• Already mentioned it above, but the castle was a lot of fun even though at times exhausting and dizzying (stairs go round and round and round…)
• Waffles! Ghent has their own style of Belgian waffles that are DELICIOUS. Try them at Mokabon which has a take-out window as well as a sit-down cafe (and was conveniently on same street as the Novotel hotel where we stayed).
• Also near the Novotel was the small hole-in-the-wall-but-absolutely-scrumptious bakery - the Bakker Bernard on Donkersteeg. I even had a pastry with raisins that I enjoyed (and I usually hate raisins).
• For the beer lover, it is worth the 10-15 minute walk out to the Gruut brewery. They have five different beers that they brew on-site and all were decent-to-delicious. They also serve food (we had fries with mayo as a snack). They do close early so go during the day.

How to get there:
Bruges is located closer to the North Sea Coast so it is about an hour from Brussels. Ghent is located between the two - so about 30 minutes from each city. There are frequent trains between all the towns with easy connections to other parts of Belgium, the Netherlands and beyond. Renting a car isn’t recommended, or necessary, if just visiting the towns themselves.

Want more info? Ready to book? Just send me a quick email and we can start planning your European adventure!

Grab a belgian beer (or two) at this unassuming beer bar in bruges

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Bruges rooftops

Castle in Ghent

Visit the local brewery and enjoy a beer by the water in ghent

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Is Bora Bora on your bucket list?

Did you know that I am a Paul Gauguin Cruises PEARLS Accredited Partner? Awesome, right?! But what does that mean, what is Paul Gauguin Cruises, and how will this help you? Let me explain…

The PEARLS program is a training program for travel professionals to learn about Paul Gauguin Cruises and the islands that they visit in the Pacific Ocean which includes Tahiti (overnight Bora Bora), Fiji, and other South Pacific islands. The course was made up of several chapters followed by a final exam. I passed the exam so am an official accredited partner and PG Pearls Specialist.

What is Paul Gauguin Cruises? You may recognize the name “Paul Gauguin” - he was an French post-impressionist artist and his artwork (paintings and sculptures) can be found in museums across Europe. He visited Tahiti and drew a lot of inspiration from the culture and scenery. He eventually moved to French Polynesia towards the end of his life; he is buried on the tiny island of Hiva Oa and there are also several Paul Gauguin museums and sights on the other islands.

Pacific Beachcomber, the leader in French Polynesia luxury resorts, is behind Paul Gauguin Cruises. With more than 25 years of experience in the French Polynesian tourism market, Pacific Beachcomber is the country's largest luxury hotel and cruise operator in the region. In addition to The Gauguin, Pacific Beachcomber operates seven award-winning hotels and is committed towards achieving environmental and social sustainability.  Most recently, Pacific Beachcomber opened The Brando, an award-winning luxury eco-resort on the private island of Tetiaroa.

Launched in 1998, the renowned, 5+-star m/s Paul Gauguin was built specifically to sail the waters of Tahiti, French Polynesia, and the South Pacific and is the longest continually operating year-round luxury cruise ship in this enchanting destination. No other luxury ship in history has offered this level of single-destination focus and expertise on a year-round basis for such an extended period of time.

The ship itself is small - capacity of 332 guests and 217 crewmembers. Its small scale allows it to sail in the shallow seas of the South Pacific, reaching areas larger cruise ships can’t get to. This is very much a destination immersive cruise - while you’ll sleep onboard the ship, most of the time you will actually be spent exploring the land and water of the islands and atolls that you are visiting. The ship even has an onboard watersports arena so you can kayak and windsurf right off the boat!

The cruise itself is quite the luxurious experience with a lot of inclusions - besides having a spacious stateroom (almost 70% have private balconies), the watersports marina, and all your meals onboard included in a choice of venues, you also receive complimentary beverages - including select wines, beers and spirits, in-room minibar that is replenished daily, complimentary room service, shipboard entertainment including a troupe of Polynesian performers and live music in the evenings, plus use of their secluded white-sand beach in Bora Bora and a day on their private islet where you can snorkel, enjoy a barbeque and an open bar, or just relax (on select itineraries).

How will my training help you? Besides being more educated on the options for Tahiti, now that I have been recognized as an “Accredited Partner” I get exclusive access to special promotions and sales, as well as direct connectivity with sales support and customer service (which may not seem like a big deal but having heightened “behind the scenes” relationship with them only improves your experience).

Here are some other FAQs:

• Who is the perfect client for this trip? Divers & Snorkelers; Honeymooners who want a relaxing experience; Active Families - they are kid friendly!; Foodies; Eco-conscious travelers; Empty Nesters
• They allow kids? Yes! They even have kids programs - called the Ambassadors of the Environment Family Program - during the summer and holiday breaks. The flexible program allows kids - and their parents - to choose from onboard activities as well as daily excursions.
• Is there Butler Service? Yes, there is butler service for some categories of rooms and suites.
• How many restaurants? There are 3 fine-dining venues plus 24 hour room service.
• Can I combine with an over-the-water bungalow stay? Yes - these types of accommodations are typically found in Tahiti - Bora Bora has the most options. On some itineraries, an overnight is included in the ship’s itinerary. Many guests choose to stay off the ship at the resort for the night instead. Otherwise, we can extend your trip before/after the cruise with more nights on the individual islands/atolls.
• Do they sail year round? Yes. They have several different itineraries including Tahiti, the Society Islands, Marquesas Islands and the Cook Islands. Shortest is 7 nights and longest is 14 nights.
• Are they expensive? This isn’t a typical cruise experience so pricing will be higher than what you may expect to pay for Caribbean cruise BUT there are a lot of differences - small ship, personalized service, upgraded quality of meals, spacious staterooms, most drinks (including alcohol), room service, non-motorized watersports and gratuities are all included. And it is in TAHITI!!

Want more info? Ready to book? Just send me a quick email and we can start planning your Pacific Islands adventure!

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I went. I saw. I conquered a fear

I had an irrational fear of Orcas (aka killer whales) until I saw them in the wild. I think the fear stemmed from seeing them at Sea World when I was younger - I didn't like walking near their tank when they would swim by. I felt that they could easily jump out and grab me, or worse yet I could somehow fall in. I dreaded being chosen as the "lucky" kid who got to give Shamu a kiss (thankfully that never happened - probably helped that I would insist sitting up as high as possible away from the tank!)

It became a joke that I was scared of them. I knew it was irrational. But I still jumped when I would see them even if it was just a photo (or billboard which we have in Orlando for Sea World!)

But I knew that whale watching is one of the "musts" when visiting the Pacific Northwest. I recommend it for others and those that go love it. But was I really going to do it? I had inquired about rates and availability before we left on our trip knowing that I had 3 weeks to decide if I would give it a go. My husband was on board (no pun intended) - that was one of the things he had always wanted to do and was excited that we'd be somewhere we could see the whales in the wild. But I still wasn't sure...

Well, we were in Victoria, BC on a beautiful sunny day. Our friends who live there encouraged us to go (even though they had never done it!) I summoned up all the courage I could and signed up for a 3-hour (gulp!) whale watching tour. There were sightings the day before of several pods and even Humpbacks! I made sure that we were on the biggest boat they offered which was about a 60-passenger double-decker boat. Not huge but not tiny so I was fine with that. It even had a bathroom and you could buy hot cocoa on board. So I could at least have a warm drink and not look out the windows.

The trip to where the whales had been spotted was beautiful. Extremely scenic with mountains and islands. I was enjoying taking photos of the views and enjoying the cool sea breeze. We were about 30 minutes into the tour. And then a fin was spotted. And another. And another.

We had found a pod! And O. M. G. It was AMAZING!! They were freely swimming in the open waters. Diving down for salmon (which makes up the majority of the diet of these Southern Resident Orcas (not seals which I had feared the night before when reading reviews that other people saw them "feeding". Don't believe everything you think you read on TripAdvisor!) The onboard naturalist guides could identify the whales by their markings and told us their names and how they were related. It was fascinating.

We then went on a search to find another pod which we did find. This one was a mom and her younger offspring. They were traveling closely together - synchronizing their dives down for salmon. They'd all disappear for a couple minutes and then pop up somewhere else. It was so fun looking out for their fins and spurts of water.

We also got to see a large group of Sea Lions just hanging about on a rocky island. They were much louder and easier to spot than the whales!

On the way back to Victoria we did make a circle to look for the Humpback Whales but alas we did not see them. We were there in early October right at the end of whale watching season so they may have already moved south. The good thing about going during the "off season" was there was not much more than a dozen people on board so there was plenty of space to spread out - either inside on the bottom deck which had large windows or up on the top deck that was open to the sky. I even moved around the boat to get better vantage points - something I did not expect that I would do!

I am sooooo glad that I went whale watching. I no longer have that fear feeling when I see them. Instead I have wonderful memories from a successful whale watching trip and also the excitement of doing it again! I think next time I would even try one of the smaller Zephyr boats (which are like inflatable rafts that go fast - they give you gear to wear to keep you warm). It was a definite highlight on our 5-week Pacific Northwest adventure.

I hope my story helps encourage you to face your fear on your next trip. Or at least give you something to consider until then :)

Places to whale watch: Victoria and Vancouver, BC; Seattle & San Juan Islands, Washington; Hawaii; New England; Costa Rica; Iceland; South Africa; Alaska ~ Depends on the season as most whales are migratory.

Ready to plan your fear-conquering adventure?. Contact me now to start planning!

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Sensible Splurging

I understand that not everyone has a "Neiman Marcus" budget but there are some easy, and affordable, ways to elevate your vacation experience with certain indulgences. Here are my top 5 ways to treat yourself on your next trip.

1. Upgrade your flight experience - Business/First class may not be the most budget-friendly option but if you can afford the higher cost then you will have such a better experience especially on international flights. I've never heard of anyone say they'd rather have flown in economy. But there are also more options to fly economy comfort (or plus or extra - each airline has a different name). These seats give you several more inches of legroom (which doesn't sound like a lot but it is!) and usually other perks like reduced/free baggage fees, priority boarding and upgraded meals/drinks. Depends on the airline but something to consider. For either option, I have a great contact who often has discounted airfares for these classes of service so you can save a bit more and have an overall better flight experience. Win win!
2. Private Tours - As you probably know by now, I always recommend small group tours whenever possible. They have a slightly higher cost than the larger group tours but then you don't have to fight with 40+ people to hear the guide. But a further enhancement over the smaller group tours is to hire a private guide. Imagine strolling through the Vatican Museums with your own knowledgeable guide. You can stop and ask questions whenever you want and you don't have to wait for anyone else to catch-up. Private guides are recommended for the most popular sights but also if you want something a little different - many guides are historians, artists, chefs or photographers - and thus can cater your experience on different subjects that are of interest to you. I personally love the idea of going around Paris with my own private photographer and guide ~ forget selfies and instead get professional photos taken while sightseeing!
3. First Class Train Reservations - Second class is great and all but it is what it is. Second class. First Class is where you will be spoiled with a more comfortable (and often reclining) seat, upgraded personal service, and often meals (with wine/beer) served at your seat. Inclusions depend on train company/country but the cost is usually minimal for the services you get in return. Plus you almost always get access to the First Class lounge at the station where you can relax before you board your train.
4. Private Transfers - I always recommend prebooking your private transfers between airports and hotel, but private transfers can also be arranged to/from train stations. You don't have to wait for a taxi and hope they understand your broken Italian. Instead, the driver will be waiting for you (with a sign with your name on it) at the pre-determined time so you don't have to worry about queuing up and losing time while on your vacation.
5. Room with a View - This has become a bit of an obsession for me when I travel. I always want a nice view. I know some of you say you won't be in the room very much to enjoy it but nothing beats waking up and pulling back the curtains to see the sun reflecting off of the waves of the ocean. Or watching the ducks paddle by on a canal. Or people strolling down the Champs-Elysees. This also applies to cabins onboard cruise ships. I never want to sail without having a balcony. Not trying to be snobby but having your own private space to enjoy a leisurely breakfast (room service!) is the best way to start each day. And sitting outside with a glass of wine in the evening star-gazing and listening to the sounds of the waves is the perfect way to end the day. If you don't believe me, then I encourage you to give it a go and then tell me what you think!

A good vacation planner will make sure you are splurging on the right items. Contact me now to start planning your next upgraded vacation!

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