The Beachie Blog

Most people associate the Caribbean dream come true with the small southern Caribbean island of Aruba: palm trees, crystal clear turquoise blue water and white dream beaches wherever the eye can see. And that’s also true, because Aruba has the most beautiful beach in the entire Caribbean , thanks to the breathtaking underwater world every dive here becomes an adventure and you can even swim with flamingos . If that’s not enough, it should be said: Aruba can do even more! What many do not know: Aruba’s north side offers the most stark contrast to the dream beaches on the south side that you can imagine. The absolute highlight on Aruba’s north coast is without a doubt the Natural Pool, a round rock formation directly on the sea, into which the waves slosh into it again and again, creating a natural pool. What at first sounds quite unspectacular is one of the main attractions of Aruba, for which many day tourists (e.g. who come to Aruba on the cruise ships) often skip the wonderful beaches. The tours to the Natural Pool are often fully booked days in advance, so a little planning doesn’t hurt. In this article we will show you what you can expect from your Natural Pool adventure on Aruba, what you should pay attention to and – most importantly – how you can explore the Natural Pool completely free of charge. Off Road in Aruba: The Arikok National Park The Natural Pool (also called ‘Conchi’ by the locals) is located in the middle of the Arikok National Park, a very barren nature reserve that takes up almost 20% of the area of Aruba . We have already hinted at it: Who so far has only taken pictures of Aruba’s beautiful sandy beach eshas seen, who can hardly imagine that the island is otherwise characterized by barren, dusty dry landscape, in which little more than grows than man-high cacti and aloe plants (the symbol of Aruba, next to the Divi-Divi trees, of course). This is due to the simple fact that Aruba has no inland water and in the southern Caribbean, as one of the islands ‘under the wind’, hardly ever gets rain, you won’t find a hurricane season in Aruba. It is warm and sunny all year round, so the flora and fauna look accordingly. At this point just a few pictures:   The further you go to the north side, the more bizarre and rocky the landscape becomes (and the more dangerous the native animal species become, for example you come across more and more wild, very (!!) dangerous donkeys, as can be seen in the picture). In the area of ​​the Arikok National Park at the latest, paved roads are becoming increasingly rare: You are on the road off-road, Google Maps can often no longer help and some of the routes cannot be covered with a normal rental car. Natural Pool Aruba: The Best Aruba Adventure The way to the Natural Pool is not that simple, especially if you want to go out on your own: Since the Natural Pool cannot be reached via a paved road, Google Maps will unfortunately lead you astray. It took us two attempts to find the Natural Pool. On the first day we turned around again because, thanks to the lack of a GPS signal in the Arikok National Park, we weren’t sure whether we were on the right path and were afraid of getting lost (we had already been on the road for over half an hour with far too little water and slowly lost orientation in the barren landscape). It is therefore all the more important to start the Natural Pool adventure halfway prepared – because the journey is part of the goal! This is how you get to the Natural Pool You can basically reach the Natural Pool in Aruba in 3 ways: By guided tour, with your own 4×4 or off-road with a rental car and a short hike. By guided tour to the Natural Pool This is the tourist variant ? For those of you who have little time in Aruba, a guided tour to the Natural Pool is ideal. You will be brought as close as possible to the Natural Pool in an off-road vehicle, the last section (possibly 200m) you have to cover on foot. The cost of a natural pool tour is around $ 90 per person , the tours last about 4 hours and you will be accompanied by local guides who also take good care of their sheep at the natural pool. Here you can book various Natural Pool tours (remember to book in good time, as the tours are often booked out a few days in advance. Only a limited number of people can be brought to the Natural Pool): On your own to the Natural Pool If you don’t want to pay $ 90 and are not afraid to pave your way through the Arikok National Park with a real off-road vehicle, then this is your alternative. Rent a jeep in Aruba – and by that we mean a jeep, a real off-road vehicle, not an SUV, not a fake off-road vehicle, but a real off-road vehicle. Everything else will not work. You have to drive over large stones, rocks, deep holes and unpaved, sandy soil. The way to the Natural Pool through the Arikok National Park cannot be covered with a normal vehicle. So don’t even try, off-road driving is usually excluded in rental vehicle contracts in Aruba, so that tourists don’t make nonsense with their Fiat Puntos. And no, there is no other way than off road through Arikok National Park. There is just one way. Tip: Since Google Maps won’t show you the way on site, get directions beforehand. You can find very good and precise directions here: Directions to the Natural Pool . It’s best to print them out! Without these clues you will not find the way. Off road walk to the natural pool If you don’t want to rent an off-road vehicle or if you don’t feel comfortable driving it, there is a third way to get to the Natural Pool, which, however, requires a little stamina. You drive with your normal rental car into the Arikok National Park, the roads on this way are just so that you can drive them carefully (!). Enter Rancho Daimari as your destination on Google Maps . Please not Natural Pool Aruba , this is the wrong way! (namely the one that can only be driven on by off-road vehicle!). There is a small parking lot above the Rancho Daimari, here you park your car, pack your belongings and off you go.   You have to first go down and past the ranch, then always follow the trampled path (by the way, we didn’t have to pay an entrance fee for the national park anywhere. We wouldn’t have known where … to give the donkeys? Put a note between the cacti? It was far and wide not a soul to be seen). Go towards the coast and keep to the right. It is best to just follow the coastline to the east, then nothing can go wrong. Along the way you will come across a few smaller beaches in addition to the bizarre landscape – we strongly recommend that you do NOT go swimming here ! The current on this side of Aruba is extremely dangerous, but you can see that from the waves with a little common sense.     After a 1.5 to 2 km walk (approx. 45 minutes ) you will reach the Natural Pool. It took us two attempts to find this way to the Natural Pool. The first time we stopped because we weren’t sure whether we were right at all, as Google is more likely to cause confusion here, as I said, and GPS does not work. After checking again at home, when we were sure that we had actually already been on the right track and that we only had to go a little further, we tried again the next day and this time found the Natural Pool.       In the Natural Pool itself, the current should not be underestimated. The right side is more or less open, the current sometimes pulls you properly towards the open sea. Sometimes such violent waves slosh into the pool from the left side that you get pretty doused and lose your grip. But don’t worry – at the Natural Pool there is always at least one ranger on site (plus the guides for the guided tours) who takes care and can help immediately if problems arise. Incidentally, there is another smaller pool above the main pool, which can be reached with a little climbing. The water here is warmer and calmer. Natural Pool Aruba: This is what you need for your adventure What you should definitely take with you are a pair of sturdy bathing shoes . The rocks in the Natural Pool are quite slippery and sharp-edged, you won’t get far with flip flops (not least because the current will tear them off your feet and then you can only wave wistfully afterwards). The Natural Pool is no fun even barefoot, Christian can tell you a thing or two about it … What you don’t expect at all in the Natural Pool (and even many locals don’t know that): fish! Colorful, funny fish! Take your snorkeling equipment with you, it’s worth it! If you want to experience the natural pool on a hike like us, then think of sturdy shoes . The 2km walk is not a flip flop walk. Extra trekking shoes are not necessary, but sneakers or other sturdy footwear should be. I went on the adventure -as usual- semi well prepared in my Birkenstock and in my summer dress. Already went. With the Birkenstock you can also go into the water wonderfully (= sturdy bathing shoes), they have patiently endured all kinds of tortures for several years. Otherwise: towel, enough to drink, sunscreen, something to eat (you will be on the road for around 3-4 hours in total, regardless of whether you book a guided tour or explore the natural pool on your own). And please no Mimimi, because it wobbles in the jeep or you have to walk over stupid stones (we say that because we have had a few critical words on site from American tourists who have already been driven as close as possible in the jeep. of the ‘comfort’ of the excursion): The way to the natural pool is part of the experience and the natural pool is also not a whirlpool in which we can all sit nicely together.

Hand on heart: have you ever heard of Exuma? No? Never mind, neither did we until a few years ago. If you are not a huge fan of the Caribbean and are not committed to discovering the most beautiful dream beaches in the world or visiting the swimming pigs of the Bahamas , then you don’t have to deal with Exuma. But if you love buttery soft, white sandy beaches and turquoise blue water as much as we do, then you should be careful now: The Exuma Islands in the Bahamas are the weirdest thing we have seen in recent years! Really now. Exuma is paradise. PARADISE. We have never – never! – seen something like that. And if IIf I write something like that, I don’t really know how to explain what the Exuma Cays are. Nobody believes us anyway. Let’s try it this way: The Exumas are an island chain of the Bahamas consisting of around 360 individual islands. Most of them are completely untouched. The island chain extends southeast of the main island of the Bahamas, New Providence and Nassau. The Exuma Cays belong to the so-called Out Islands of the Bahamas and are visited by significantly fewer tourists than Nassau. That is a huge mistake! It is to be hoped, however, that this will not change anytime soon, because tourist crowds like Nassau have to cope with them would destroy this paradise within a very short time. Characteristic of Exuma is the relatively shallow water that stretches for hundreds of kilometers across the entire chain of islands, which means that the entire area of ​​the Exuma Cays is bathed in a brilliant turquoise blue. This view of the bright blue water is seldom broken by places where the sea is a little deeper and the water shimmers dark blue. In between, the often nameless islets with their white beaches line up, many of them are completely uninhabited or are owned by some celebrity. Exuma Cays: By boat through paradise How did we end up here of all places, one of the most remote places in the world? The answer is simple: Exuma is home to the famous swimming pigs of the Bahamas. As frivolous as it is: Without the rationally simply incomprehensible wish to experience the swimming bristle beasts once in a lifetime, we would probably never have come to Exuma (yes, we are these tourists who only came to Exuma because of the swimming pigs and the Incidentally, only a blank shake of the head from the locals). Fortunately, when we make such decisions, our mind often has a break from broadcasting, and so it happened that we found ourselves poorer by 1000 €, armed with toast and a GoPro on a speedboat, which in a monkey tooth with us through the bluest sea of ​​all time Exuma Cays raced – pigs, here we come! In the first part of our report about our tour to the Bahamas pigs we already reported in great detail how exactly you get to Exuma and what possibilities there are to book such a tour. You can read everything here: Since the pigs on Big Major Cay are not the only highlight on an ocean safari through the Exuma Islands, we have split the report about our adventure for reasons of space. In part 1 we reported about the swimming pigs that we had finally reached after what seemed like an infinitely long 2 hour boat trip. Feeding, petting and playing with them was really an absolute highlight. The pigs were the first stop on our tour – here you can find out how it went afterwards and what else we experienced in Exuma. Adventure on Exuma: petting sharks on Compass Cay After leaving Pig Island and the pigs behind us a bit wistfully, we were of the opinion that after this absolute highlight of the tour, there probably wasn’t much more to come. So we could hardly believe our eyes and ears when our boat set course for a small island called Compass Cay and our guide announced that we would now swim with sharks and stroke them. Pet sharks ?! Wtf ?! I’ll give a shit! 20 seconds later I was in the water petting sharks. Mr. Even though I knew in theory that the Nurse Sharks that live here on Compass Cay are completely harmless, the pump went really well in the water at first. In the first few seconds no shark was seen, but it wasn’t long before the first shark appeared out of nowhere. At that moment, by the way, it was already too late for the instinct to flee spontaneously, because the shark didn’t need 3 seconds to get to us. Ready to be eaten, I gave in to my fate – and stroked my first shark (or rather the shark stroked me by eagerly swimming around me. I preferred to hold still first). At Compass Cay, the island’s owner has built a boardwalk into the shallow water. The nurse sharks that live there are used to the tourists and even voluntarily swim to the jetty at high tide to be petted and fed. The sharks are not fenced in, but can move freely. But since they are well taken care of, they do not seem to have any increased interest in staying anywhere other than Compass Cay. If you want some peace and quiet, just dive down and lie down on the ocean floor under the jetty. The largest of them are up to 4 meters long including their tail fin and can frighten you at first just because of their size. But we get used to it quickly and swim and snorkel for a while with the sharks (which, by the way, look like wet, By boat through paradise: Conch on the sandbank After everyone was collected happy and euphoric by our guide at the port of Compass Cay and directed to the boat, we went on to the next item on the program: Prepare conch salad on a sandbank. Aha. Now we’re supposed to cook our lunch here ourselves in the middle of the sand, which our guide caught earlier during a short stopover in the sea … or what does it look like? And what is that anyway … Conch? Do I have to kill it myself? The snobby tourist in us wrinkles our noses a bit, but as we slowly head towards the sandbank with our boat, we immediately get huge, bright eyes. What’s going on here…?? OMFG! As soon as we set foot on land, we immediately sink into the softest, finest white sand we have ever experienced. The bright turquoise blue sea nestles gently around the white sandbank, interrupted again and again by new, small sandbanks. Holy shit. Unfortunately, we don’t notice much of the preparation of the conch salad, but we are very grateful when our guide brings us a portion of it – in true Caribbean style in a white plastic bowl. Delicious! To clarify: Conch (read: “Konk”) looks to us laypeople like a fairly large mussel, but is a sea snail. The conch is known in German as the “Great Fechterschnecke” and is native to the entire Caribbean, the Bahamas, southern Florida and Bermuda. The conch seems to be something like the national dish in the Bahamas, we encounter it afterwards as conch fritters, as conch burger, conch something … everything is with conch. The shells of the snails look beautiful when cleaned and are sold to tourists as souvenirs for little money (normal is around $ 5 each). But be careful: Since it is a formerly living animal, you are not allowed to import the conch housing into every country. If you want to enter the USA on your way back from the Bahamas, the import is for example prohibited, to our knowledge max. 3 housing per person to be brought. We then learned that the conch is under species protection due to overfishing and we thought about what we should advise you now. The result: we can’t advise you. The conch is so ubiquitous in the Caribbean and it is perfectly normal for the people to eat it. In our experience, in the Caribbean you don’t need anyone with environmental protection, ecological responsibility, overfishing, species protection or anything else – you are not that far there and you cannot be at all. These are First World Problems and the Caribbean is not one of them. Most of the people live from fishing and tourism, not infrequently from hand to mouth. It goes without saying that you don’t give a lecture on such topics to someone like that. If someone offers you conch, try it. And to come back to the sandbar: By the way, here we saw the next shark in the wild. He swam very close to the anchored boats in the shallow water … and as far as we could see it was not a safe nurse shark this time. You have never seen us jump out of the water so fast! This is only possible on Exuma: snorkeling in James Bond’s Thunderball Grotto After we have stayed on the sandbank for a while, we continue to the next highlight of our tour, which is just around the corner: The Thunderball Grotto . In 1965, parts of the famous James Bond film ‘Thunderball’ were filmed in this grotto, since then it has been known as the Thunderball Grotto. For laypeople, snorkeling is only possible in the afternoon at low tide, because only then can you find the entrance to the grotto. Inside the grotto you can expect a breathtaking backdrop and a colorful underwater world. Unfortunately, we only managed to take stupid photos and due to the coming flood we only had a limited amount of time in the grotto … but a little imagination doesn’t hurt either ? By the way, you don’t have to lug the snorkeling equipment with you, you will usually get it as part of the tour. After the snorkeling adventure in the grotto, we finally head for an inhabited island of the Exumas for late lunch. By the way, we didn’t know at that moment exactly which island we were on, because nobody told us that. Our credit card statement says it was Deshamon’s Restaurant on Great Guana Cay . Aha! According to Google Maps, this is not possible at all, because Great Guana Cay is completely different. Well then – no idea where we were. The food from the buffet was okay, but the $ 50 for 2 people was expensive, as is typical of the Bahamas. The islet itself looked very nice at first sight and there was even an asphalt road … we really would like to know where we were.       The Bahamas iguanas are a very special species because their skin is slightly reddish. So the photos are not a Photoshop Fail, the iguana’s skin is actually red. Incidentally, so is our skin. We applied the lotion diligently, but still burned ourselves a lot during the day. Yeah We are therefore very happy that the day is slowly coming to an end in the late afternoon. Tired and exhausted from all the impressions, we finally set off at full speed on our way back to Great Exuma, the main island of the Exuma Cays, where we stay for 3 nights at the Two Turtles Inn * in George Town. On the boat we treat ourselves to two, three, four Bahama Mamas (THE cocktail of the Bahamas, you have to try it!), Which are again served in true Caribbean style from plastic canisters in plastic cups. Bottom up! This is how you can book the tour through the Exuma Cays In the first part of our report, which is only about the highlight of the tour, the swimming pigs , we have already listed all the providers we know with whom you can do a full-day tour through the Exuma Islands. Here is the overview again: Coastline Adventures (price-performance overview here ) Four C’s Adventures Exuma Water Sports Robert’s Island Adventures Island Routes Exuma Sunrise Tour We were traveling with Coastline Adventures. The individual program items are basically the same for all providers: You always visit the pigs on Big Major Cay, the sharks on Compass Cay, and go snorkeling in the Thunderball Grotto. The rest varies a bit, depending on the direction from which you are heading to the Exumas and how much time you have. Which spot you go to in which order doesn’t follow a fixed plan, but the weather. Your guides on the boat communicate by radio with people on site and decide what the route looks like that day. You will definitely have a lot of fun! Exuma is a blast! Before and after our trip to the Bahamas, we often heard “Oh, Bahamas… that’s pretty boring, isn’t it? There is nothing but two or three beaches … and they are not that beautiful either ”. Hm … no ?! That might be the impression you get when you head for New Providence or Nassau on the cruise ship. However, if you think you have seen the Bahamas because you have seen Nassau, you are unfortunately wrong. Not just a little, but miles. The Exumas are a completely different world that we have never experienced anywhere else! And they are one of the few places in the Caribbean that has been spared from cruise tourism. You can feel that clearly. If you are looking for peace and seclusion and want to get to know the real Caribbean feeling, you have to come to Exuma.

The small island of Aruba in the very south of the Caribbean has a lot to offer. Anyone who knows me a little knows that I unexpectedly fell head over heels in love with ‘One happy island’. To be honest, I originally only came to Aruba because of Flamingo Beach (yes, totally plemplem …) and otherwise I hardly informed myself and preferred to be surprised. And that has definitely succeeded: Aruba completely knocked me out of my socks with its fantastic beaches and a landscape that couldn’t be more contrasting! I already showed you that Aruba can do more than just beaches and real adventure with the Natural Pool , today the second trick follows:Snuba Diving in Aruba ! Snu … what ?! Doesn’t that mean scuba diving and is it just normal diving? No not really. Here comes the explanation: What is snuba diving? Snuba Diving is a word creation from the two terms Scuba Diving (diving) and Snorkeling (snorkeling). And that’s exactly what Snuba Diving is: a mix of both disciplines. I don’t know about you, but I think snorkeling is only moderately exciting. In the sea, water constantly sloshes into the snorkel, the glasses fog up every few seconds, there is water in there anyway and … and oh, it just sucks. At least a little. Not to snorkel in the Caribbean is of course not an option. So I started looking for ways to get to see as much as possible of the colorful underwater world of Aruba without a diving license – and I came across Snuba Diving. How exactly does Snuba Diving work? The principle is very simple: Instead of heavy diving equipment and oxygen bottles on your back, Snuba Diving has an approx. 20 m long hose that regulates the air supply. The oxygen source remains on top of the boat and you can dive down about 20m with the hose in your mouth. Without a diving license, without heavy equipment . The air is usually enough for a dive of about 30 minutes. Snuba Diving in Aruba: Diving on the SS Antilla Aruba is known as one of the most beautiful diving areas in the world: In addition to the colorful Caribbean underwater world, there are also some shipwrecks to discover, the waters around Aruba are a true cemetery for ships among divers. The SS Antilla is a former German cargo ship, built in 1939 and sunk again in 1940 by a fire that it started. It is located about 700m off the coast of Aruba at the level of Arashi Beach at a depth of almost 20m – so just right to explore it by snuba diving. The SS Antilla is now considered one of the most beautiful wrecks in the Caribbean, even though it broke in the middle. To get it straight: the dive to the wreck of the SS Antilla was more than impressive! This is how you book your diving adventure Of course, you cannot do a Snuba Diving tour on your own. There are plenty of excursions tailored to the tastes of American tourists on Aruba, and a snorkeling tour on the SS Antilla * is one of the most popular tours in Aruba. As part of this tour, you can also book the Snuba Diving package. You will take a catamaran from Palm Beach (where all tours start at Palm Pier) out to the Caribbean Sea up to the height of the SS Antilla shipwreck. I strongly recommend booking in advance!Only a small group of people can be supervised at Snuba Diving per tour, places are limited to approx. 6 people. You can of course also book the snorkeling tour spontaneously, but the places for snuba diving are probably already occupied too soon. Aruba Arriba! Course of the Snuba Diving Tour As already mentioned: The contents of the snorkeling and diving tour are clearly tailored to American tourists. This not only includes sandwiches on board, but also a cocktail called Aruba Arriba, which is touted as the national drink. So far we were of the opinion that the island’s own Balashi beer was Aruba’s pride and joy, but be it – the Aruba Arriba tastes good! The Americans on the boat see it the same way and it doesn’t take long before the pack of party-mad Americans, some with flippers on their feet, are doing a round of line dance on the catamaran (Yes. OMFG. I will probably never get rid of this picture … ) That this is actually about snorkeling seems to have moved into the background somehow. With 1-2 Aruba Arriba in mind, we willingly let our Snuba Diving instructor Angelo strap on the equipment and show us a few tricks, for example how to get water that has run underwater out of the diving goggles. As a novice diver, I have to get used to breathing evenly with a mouthpiece, and in the first few moments underwater I feel panicked. But Angelo manages to get me on the right track and slowly we are sinking deeper and deeper. Aruba’s underwater world: Colorful Caribbean fish and a sunken shipwreck What awaits us down there just below the surface of the Caribbean Sea beats what we have seen so far while snorkeling in Aruba: Lots of colorful fish up close, corals, better-not-to-touch sea urchins and a lot of stuff , of which we still do not even begin to know what it is. Our teacher Angelo shows us what we can touch and what we should rather keep our hands off and watches us newbies very carefully so that we don’t accidentally make nonsense. He also heroically uses a GoPro the whole time, thanks to which we can now delight you with wonderful underwater shots of our snuba diving excursion. I hope you are as enthusiastic about these impressions as I am. For me, snuba diving in Aruba was my first time diving and it completely flashed me! So much so that since then I have definitely wanted to get a diving license in order to be able to discover a lot more of this crazy part of the world that has remained largely hidden from me so far. Until then, I’ll definitely be back for a new Snuba Diving adventure right away!

What first comes to mind when you think of Jamaica? Bob Marley, reggae, rum and white dream beaches? Bingo … not that wrong at all. Jamaica has a lot more to offer than just that. You can really experience everything here – from a relaxed beach holiday to an absolute adventure holiday where you have action every day. Jamaica is green, full of primeval forest, jungle, waterfalls and pretty awesome food that every foodie gets their money’s worth. Now it is that Jamaica is one of the Caribbean islands that is pretty much taken up by American package tourism. So you can find a lot of luxury resorts here and it is sometimes not easy to find out which highlights and sights you really have to experience in Jamaica due to the oversupply of tourist entertainment. And above all: which of them can you explore on your own and how? Since I was backpacking Jamaica for two weeks with my local sister (she has been living on the island for several years), you should be curious which sights I or we can definitely recommend to you without reservation. First of all, there are basically three corners of Jamaica that you should have on your screen: Negril, Montego Bay / Ocho Rios and Port Antonio . These areas are well developed for tourism and there are either one or the other highlight to discover on site or they are a good starting point for excursions. What exactly you can experience where, you will find out if you read on (if you just want a little Jamaica inspiration first, then take a look at my 40 most beautiful pictures from Jamaica ). With this there are some tips for you at hand, for example, the prices and the organization of the transport to the different places. Here we go! Pack my equipment for Jamaica & definitely My camera: Sony Alpha 6500 * Two lenses: an all-round lens from Sigma * (perfect for traveling and affordable, it is connected to the Sony 6 series together with an adapter * ) and a 30mm fixed focal length from Sigma * GoPro underwater camera * and a matching dome for half-half recordings * Waterproof and waterproof trekking sandals * for waterfall action Waterproof sunscreen without microplastics with a mineral filter * (for the sake of the environment and the sea) Nobite mosquito spray * (the best!) Attractions in and around Negril While planning your Jamaica vacation you have probably already come across Negril. Negril is located on the west coast of Jamaica and is next to Montego Bay the largest tourist area on the island. The inclined individual tourist may now turn up their noses, but I can assure you that everyone will get their money’s worth in Negril, whether backpackers with a small budget or luxury vacationers with a larger budget. Seven Mile Beach In Negril, you definitely won’t be able to avoid THE beach in Jamaica, the famous Seven Mile Beach. With its seven miles, the beach is the longest continuous beach on the island and from luxury hotels to small guesthouses right on the beach, everyone of you is guaranteed to find an accommodation that they like. I lived in a small hut in the Yellow Bird Sea * right on the beach, almost with my feet out of bed in the sand (almost ?). The whole complex is really magical if you don’t care for luxury hotels. At Seven Mile Beach you can plant your beach towel wherever you want, because most of the beach is open to the public – which is unfortunately absolutely not common in Jamaica, as I should learn later. If you don’t want to just sizzle in the sun all day, there is enough to do here: snorkeling, glass bottom boating and lots of other excursions. There is also an abundance of delicious food and colorful beach bars. My tip: Pay a little attention to the prices in Negril. It is quite expensive right on the beach, if you want to eat cheaper, then go to the street that is behind the beach and the hotels. Or just ask a Jamaican where you can find good food at a reasonable price (don’t worry, you don’t have to actively talk to anyone about it … they’ll talk to you every 2 minutes anyway. So just in case you need anything – coconut, cola, sugar cane, one) Trip somewhere, something to smoke – they will organize it for you: p). The sunsets on Seven Mile Beach are legendary, by the way, don’t miss it! Cliff jumping at Rick’s Café The world famous Rick’s Café in Negril should be on every Jamaica bucket list. The prices are a little higher, as is the case at well-known spots. But you can also watch the cliff divers for hours, who plunge into the Caribbean Sea from a height of over 20 meters, or you can try it yourself if you don’t have your pants full. The sunsets are of course also legendary here (and priced into the cocktails ?). How to get to Rick’s Café : From Negril, it’s best to take a taxi or a private driver. This is the cheapest, but be sure to ask about the price beforehand. You can find more information about Rick’s Café here . St. Elizabeth: YS Falls I already indicated it: Jamaica is the land of waterfalls. There are countless inland waters on the island, which, unlike on other Caribbean islands such as the Bahamas or Aruba, ensure blooming flora and fauna. The YS Falls are among the most beautiful waterfalls on the island, but unfortunately they are a bit inconvenient inland. On the one hand, this has the advantage that it is not nearly as crowded as, for example, Dunn’s River Falls, where hordes of cruise tourists are literally dispatched every day, and on the other hand, the cost of a trip to the YS Falls is quite high. But you can also spend the whole day bobbing around to your heart’s content and the whole area is also ideal for children. From calm bathing to ziplining to daring jumping around in the waterfalls, everything is possible here. We have organized a private driver for our excursion to the YS Falls, who took us from Falmouth (which is between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios in the north of Jamaica) to the waterfalls in the southwest. We paid 120 USD for the complete trip for two. Honestly, it didn’t work out that well, because our driver drove stoned like a madman (near-death experience!) And in the end we had a lot of stress with him because of the money. Hence my recommendation: There are also organized bus trips to the YS Falls . From Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril, it is no problem to find a tour to the YS Falls. Since the drive from Negril is the most relaxed and shortest due to the road conditions, I would recommend that you drive from Negril. I can only guess how high the costs are. I talked to other tourists who paid around USD 100 per person for an organized day tour to the YS Falls from Negril . The journey takes about 2.5 hours (one way). In addition there is the entrance price of approx . You can find more information about the YS Falls here . Mayfield Falls And waterfalls again. The Mayfield Falls are also best reached from Negril on an organized day tour , so I’ll list them here as well. They are less inland and a little closer to Negril than the YS Falls. I haven’t visited Mayfied Falls myself, but my sister knows it and loved it too. The cascades of the falls are lower than the YS Falls, overall, Mayfield Falls is a quieter and less action-packed experience than the YS Falls. Whether or not you have to see both waterfalls depends on your personal schedule and budget. Montego Bay and Ocho Rios Area The next corner of Jamaica that should definitely be on your list is the Montego Bay and Ocho Rios area. The tourist center of the island is located here, so the range of things to do is accordingly large. The city of Montego Bay itself is a bit “difficult” … there are actually only large hotel complexes, most of which are designed in such a way that they completely obstruct the beach and the view of it. I have looked in vain for public beaches and a view of the Caribbean blue sea. Outside of the hotel complexes, there is not much to discover for tourists in Mobay and it is probably not completely harmless, which is why we decided not to stay in Montego Bay directly, but in Ocho Rios and Falmouth to explore the area. In Ocho Rios we stayed in the Reggae Hostel * (highly recommended!), In Falmouth (which is between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios) in the G&R Guesthouse *  (the guesthouse itself was ok, unfortunately the owner was our crazy driver who took us to the YS Falls, which we had quite a bit of trouble with, so only a limited recommendation for accommodation). Falmouth: Luminous Lagoon Glistening Waters If you’ve been wondering what the hell to do in this dump called Falmouth, here’s the answer: marvel at one of the world’s weirdest natural spectacles. In the lagoon near Falmouth, river water from the adjacent Martha Brae River and sea water meet, and tiny microorganisms live in this adventurous mix. When set in motion, they glow blue in the dark. Yes, blue … read that right. So you go swimming and it just glows blue around you. Unfortunately, my camera was a bit overwhelmed, so I only have this bad photo for you, but just watch this short video. Crazy Shit, right? As far as I know, this phenomenon can only be seen in four places around the world, so if I were you I would definitely not miss the Luminous Lagoon in Jamaica. The boat tour into the lagoon is unfortunately quite short, it only takes 40-45 minutes . All tour providers charge the same price for this, namely 25 USD (if you book the whole thing including transport from Mobay or Ocho Rios, it will of course cost more). I found this to be too expensive for the short tour, but in Jamaica as a tourist you are unfortunately milked pretty much everywhere, thanks to the big wallets of the Americans. >>> Here you can book a tour to the Luminous Lagoon from Montego Bay * The Glistening Waters Hotel * is right in Falmouth on the lagoon . In my opinion it is too expensive for the facilities and location, but just take a look and decide for yourself. Note: The water in the Luminous Lagoon is brackish, which means that when you swim, your feet come into contact with warm mud on the bottom. If you are uncomfortable with that, then it is better not to go into the water. Rafting on the Martha Brae River If you’ve ever been to Falmouth and would like to do something else here, you can go rafting on the Martha Brae River. Attention: The adventure level of rafting here is more like a “coffee trip”, it is much more a leisurely paddle on a bamboo raft through the jungle. This is wonderful too, but you should be aware beforehand that rafting in Jamaica is not what we mean by rafting. >>> Book the rafting tour on the Martha Brae River here *  Dunn’s River Falls There it is … THE highlight of Jamaica. The famous Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios are the most famous waterfalls in Jamaica and the place that probably receives the most tourists. I can neither give a clear recommendation nor a recommendation here – you just have to consider whether you want to accept mass tourism in order to be able to remove the Dunn’s River Falls from your bucket list. My tip for Dunn’s River Falls: arrive as early as possible to avoid the tourist crowds on the cruise ships. The best and cheapest way to get there is from Ocho Rios with a private driver or taxi, which also gives you the flexibility to be there very early.The entrance fee is 25 USD , more information can be found here. If you don’t have the opportunity to organize the visit yourself, you can also book a guided tour in advance: Guided tour with pick-up e.g. in Negril * Guided tour with pick-up at various cruise ports * We actually saved the Dunn’s River Falls, but for the sake of completeness they shouldn’t be missing here. Insider tip Irie Blue Hole I admit it – the Blue Hole is no longer such a real insider tip. It’s only a few kilometers up the hill above Ocho Rios, but it wasn’t overcrowded and therefore a clear recommendation for me. The Blue Hole is basically a nice little place with waterfalls and bright blue natural pools, in which you can happily jump around. You’d think there are tons of them in Jamaica, but the Blue Hole was kind of special. How to get to the Blue Hole : Grab a public taxi (Route Taxi) in Ocho Rios, preferably at the central bus station, the ride to the Blue Hole costs around 2 USD per person. If someone of you wants significantly more, then it is not a public taxi and / or someone tries to rip you off. There’s no need to book an organized tour if you’re already in Ocho Rios! The Blue Hole itself costs around 15 USD entry , you can either move around there independently or you can take a guide. The guide is free (but is happy about a tip, we gave him another 15 USD) and will definitely help you to make funny water jumping pictures and videos. My recommendations for water activities in Jamaica: A waterproof phone case * A GoPro * (the GoPro Hero 5, for example, is already waterproof and no longer needs an extra housing) A waterproof backpack * (these things are worth gold!) Small microfiber towel, quick drying * Stable, waterproof shoes * Other tourist fun: ziplining, bobsledding and swimming with dolphins Since Ocho Rios is the tourist center of Jamaica, all sorts of fun nonsense is really provided here, from ziplining to feeding hummingbirds to bobsledding in the Jamaican rainforest. It is best to have a look at Rainforest Adventures , there you can book all kinds of things and there are, for example, packages together with the Dunn’s River Falls. Personally, I found this type of fun to be moderately exciting and too expensive, so I didn’t do any of it. Swimming with dolphins in Dolphin Cove is also very popular in Ocho Rios . For the sake of completeness I want to list this attraction here, but I definitely reject the whole thing. Even if it all looks kind of nice and animal-friendly in the pictures, because the dolphins are not cooped up in a pool, but swim in the sea – you should be aware that they cannot move freely here either, but rather that they are from The area delimited to the open sea is too small. Whether you want to support something like this is up to you. I don’t. Attractions in and around Port Antonio (Portland) The third region, which is mentioned in the popular Jamaica travel guides as another tourist spot of the island, is the city of Port Antonio in the state of Portland in the east of Jamaica and the region around Port Antonio. If you’ve been to Negril, Mobay and Ocho Rios so far, then you’ve probably noticed the full broadside of Caribbean package tourism: Huge hotel complexes, private beaches shielded by high walls and fences, someone everywhere wants to sell you something, the tourist spots are full of pale Americans who trudge awkwardly through waterfalls and somehow everything feels a bit too expensive. Doesn’t that sound so awesome? Well … then off to Portland with you! The world is still halfway okay here, because comparatively few tourists end up here. Package tourists in particular are almost only found as day-trippers and that made the whole region feel much more pleasant, relaxed and original for me. Here you can find Jamaica just as you imagine it: almost only black people on the streets, chicken that is grilled in smoking bins everywhere in the open, loud music on every corner, cars that have stopped by 20 times TÜV had come and colorful stalls with everything your heart desires (well, mostly fruit or sweat towels. How … you don’t have a sweat towel yet …? You’re on Jamaica – you need a rug !!) The Blue Mountains What you will definitely need a sweat for is for a hike through the Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains are a mountain region in the east of Jamaica, the foothills of which stretch down to the capital Kingston. The highest mountain is the Blue Mountain Peak with a height of over 2000m. The famous Blue Mountain Coffee, one of the most expensive types of coffee in the world, is grown on the lower slopes. The hike to the summit of the Blue Mountains takes you over an approx. 7 mile long trail and is traditionally completed at night in the dark. Why? Because the sunrise on the highest point of Jamaica above the roofs of the jungle is indescribable. When the sky is clear, you can allegedly even see as far as Cuba. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to hike up Blue Mountain Peak, but my sister did it some time ago. Here you can read her report on the hike to Blue Mountain Peak . Rafting on the Rio Grande A rafting tour on the bamboo raft over the Rio Grande in Portland is just as easy as rafting on the Martha Brae River, which I have already written about above. The difference at this point is the landscape that surrounds you: the Rio Grande is more expansive, larger and in some places a little faster, while at the Martha Brae River you sometimes sail through turquoise-green water and feel like you’re in the rainforest. The tour over the Rio Grande also takes longer overall, depending on where you are coming from you should plan half a day to a full day for this excursion. The rafting tour costs around 100 USD if you look for a guide on site. If you book a tour with a round trip to your hotel, it will be more expensive. I would like to recommend a provider to you, but none of the many providers has made it onto the Internet. As I said, the clocks tick a little slower in Portland ? Hence my tip: If you want to raft on the Rio Grande, talk to someone somewhere about it (your host in the hotel, someone on the beach, someone you are with someone else Excursion or similar) We will definitely help you! Finally dream beaches: Frenchman’s Cove Beach, San San Beach and Winnifred Beach I have to admit that I missed one thing in Jamaica compared to other Caribbean islands such as Aruba , St. Maarten or the Bahamas : beaches. No joke. Gleaming white dream beachesWith butter-soft sand, crystal clear water that lets you look down to the ground, colorful fish … The Caribbean – where are you? It’s hard to believe, but such beaches are more of a rarity than the standard in Jamaica. Why is that? Well, the hottest beaches are occupied by huge hotel complexes. As a non-hotel guest you can neither use it nor catch a glimpse of it. Not only for individual tourists like me, but especially for the locals, that’s pretty stupid. Jamaica is the first Caribbean island on which I have experienced this in this form – on many other islands the privatization of beaches by the government is explicitly NOT permitted. Not so in Jamaica, the public beaches are really rare there. Accordingly, I found the most beautiful beaches in Portland, away from the tourist crowds. You should definitely not miss Winnifred Beach. It is completely public, free of charge (there is someone at the entrance who you can give a few dollars to, which will keep the beach clean) and can be reached cheaply by route taxi (public taxi) from Port Antonio. There you will finally find turquoise blue sea and white sandy beach, just as you would expect on a Caribbean island. Frenchman’s Cove is not free, but absolutely worth the money . It is basically a small, park-like complex with a beach and an attached hotel. For about 10 USD you have access to what is in my opinion the most beautiful beach in Jamaica with the most beautiful green jungle river ever flowing into the sea and you can use free wifi to your heart’s content. A dream, seriously. Please look at the pictures … Arrival: By route taxi from Port Antonio. Frenchman’s Cove is on the same stretch as Winnifred Beach. Very close to Winnifred Beach and Frenchman’s Cove Beach is a third beach that you should also check out: San San Beach . The entrance fee is about 5 USD and you can also get there by public taxi (same route as Winnifred and Frenchman’s). But there is a trick how you can save yourself the 5 USD … Keyword Blue Lagoon ? The blue lagoon Do you know the movie “The Blue Lagoon” from 1980 with Brooke Shields? Yes? Alright … The film was set right here, in the blue lagoon of Port Antonio, Jamaica. I think that’s enough to explain why this place should be seen. Personally, the lagoon fascinated and scared me in equal measure: the water is really beautiful turquoise, but it changes color. Sometimes the water is clear, sometimes you can’t see 50cm far. Sometimes it’s cold, sometimes it’s warm. Why? Because salty sea water and warm fresh water from underground springs mix in the lagoon. Nobody knows exactly how deep the lagoon really is, rumor has it that it is about 65 meters at the deepest point. This also means that nobody really knows which critters live in here and where. What fresh water concentration is still okay for a barracuda or other predatory fish, for example, ie how far does it penetrate into the lagoon and does it even do so? In any case, the locals have respect for what could be in the lagoon. So did I. How can you best explore the lagoon? There are three options: by boat with a guide (approx. 30 USD), by rafting on the bamboo raft with a guide (approx. 70 USD) or by kayak without a guide (approx. 30 USD).   We chose the kayak for reasons of cost and adventure . While the boat or raft is limited in time, you can paddle around with the kayak as long as you want. Ha! We also went kayak out to sea and drove to a remote island called Monkey Island . Don’t worry, you won’t meet monkeys there, mostly not even other people. And to come back to the above-mentioned San San Beach : Ahem …. even there you can easily get there by kayak from the lagoon. Ka-ching! Saved $ 5 and seen so many cool things in one fell swoop. The blue lagoon was really one of the highlights in Jamaica for me. Monkey Island – a deserted island near the blue lagoon Reach Falls Waterfalls, waterfalls, waterfalls … ..if you haven’t made it to some yet, but Portland is perhaps the last stop on your Jamaica trip, then with the Reach Falls you have the opportunity to experience the impressive nature of Jamaica again. Reach Falls is a long way east of Port Antonio and it will take a moment to get there by public taxi. But the Reach Falls are an oasis of calm, hardly any tourists come here anymore. At around 10 USD they are also comparatively cheap. My tip: If you have to decide, visit the Irie Blue Hole or the YS Falls. There is more to discover there ? And what about Kingston? – Impressions and highlights from two weeks in Jamaica on your own Did you notice something? This list is missing a place that is otherwise never missing on the popular Jamaica bucket lists: Kingston, the capital of Jamaica. The simple reason for this is that I was not in Kingston, on the advice of my sister, who, as I said, lives in Jamaica and whose judgment I trust. From a tourist point of view, except for the Bob Marley Museum and the neighboring city of Spanish Town, Kingston is not necessarily worth seeing and, moreover, should be enjoyed with caution. Crime is not without it and as a white man, preferably with a fat camera in hand in Kingston… .joa. You can do it, but you can also leave it alone. For Kingston and Spanish Town I would definitely recommend that you only do the whole thing in the company of a local guide. Unfortunately, I have not found any tours that can be booked in advance on the internet, that seems to be a more complicated matter. The Bob Marley Museum, on the other hand, is of course specially prepared for tourists. Theoretically, the entrance fee is only 25 USD but don’t forget that you have to get away somehow. If you now need a rental car or the like. thinks …. naaa. You don’t want to drive a car in Jamaica. Trust me. The same applies here: Including transport costs, you are back at around 100 USD for a visit to the museum. I have selected a provider for you who will pick you up from anywhere on the island as part of an organized tour and bring you to Kingston and the Bob Marley Museum: And how is my impression of Jamaica? What is it like to travel there as an individual tourist who would like to see more of the island than the hotel’s own beach? How do you get by when you want to see and do a lot in Jamaica, but don’t have an endless budget? In one word: COM-PLI-DECORATED. But the good news: it works. You only have to know how. For this reason, there will be a detailed article bulging with my travel tips for Jamaica on your own in the next few weeks – in the hope that this will contribute a little to the fact that more people dare to go beyond a package tour to Jamaica. Because it is so worthwhile to explore this wonderful Caribbean island ?

The fact that I’m a summer girl should n’t be dismissed out of hand due to my unmistakable love for the Caribbean and the dream beaches of this world. Lately, surprisingly, I find myself repeatedly finding myself enthusiastic about the absolute contrast program, namely a thick, fat winter with a lot of snow. And that although I don’t even do winter sports (strap things under my feet and I … not a good combination). I don’t know exactly how it happened and why, but somehow I ended up in Norway in the Lofoten Islands to take pictures of the northern lights in deep winter , I froze my ass off at -25 ° C in Swedish Lapland and Iceland’s south coast in winter rattled off in storms and ice. So it seemed like a pretty good idea to go to the snowy Allgäu for a long weekend in winter. One of the most famous places in the Allgäu is Oberstaufen. Yes … the cosmopolitan city of Oberstaufen. New York, Rio, Oberstaufen. You all know the song, right? Joking aside – Oberstaufen is actually a well-known holiday destination in the Allgäu, and not without reason. Why Oberstaufen is also ideal for a short weekend break for non-winter sports enthusiasts and how you can find the perfect mix of rest, relaxation and activities – I will give you a few tips in this article. Oberstaufen in winter: activities & highlights Oberstaufen (not to be confused with Oberstdorf, which is not that far away and is known for the annual ski jumping) is a small place in the Oberallgäu on the border with the Alps. The first really thick snowfalls there are mostly from mid / end of December, but I was really lucky and landed in an absolute winter wonderland with meter-high snow at the beginning of December. Wellness, wellness, wellness First things first: relaxation. If there is one thing in abundance in Oberstaufen, it is fantastic wellness hotels. And not those that are somehow so stiff and “over” that you never really feel at home, but rather rustic, family-run but still modern hotels. None of them are really cheap, but believe me – after several hours outside in the cold, simply being able to warm up in absolute peace in the sauna or a heated whirlpool is worth gold. Even if I’m usually more into action, wellness and relaxation are absolutely part of a short trip in winter for me. I even heard that there should be people who go on real wellness vacations ? Oberstaufen is perfect for this, especially in winter the white backdrop in the middle of the mountains is soothing. Personally, with all my love for sitting in hot whirlpools until my fingers are wrinkled, I still have to have a bit of action in my daily routine. Just go out, explore the area, see something. Admittedly, there is not that much time left for a long weekend. Fortunately, Oberstaufen itself has a few pretty nice highlights to offer, so that you can experience a lot right in the village or nearby. A snowshoe hike at night My absolute recommendation is a snowshoe hike, preferably when it gets dark. For the winter sports dyslexics among you who, like me, don’t like slippery equipment strapped under your feet: snowshoes are ok. Nothing can happen there. The best thing to do is ask in your hotel about snowshoes to rent or a guided hike, some hotels also offer snowshoe hikes free of charge for their guests. You hike to one of the surrounding mountains or a hill, from where you have a fantastic view of Oberstaufen, which is illuminated at night. Beautiful, isn’t it? Buchenegger waterfalls The Buchenegger waterfalls are only a few kilometers outside of the city center of Oberstaufen. The best way is to drive to the ‘Berghütte Alpe Ober-Hündle’, from there it is about 2km on foot to the Buchenegger waterfalls. Depending on the weather, the path is cleared even further and you can drive to the ‘Buchenegg waterfall car park’ . When there is snow, the path is a bit tricky to go, as it goes downhill into a gorge, just follow the signs. Once you have reached the waterfalls below, you have a wonderful picture – unfortunately only for the camera in winter, but you can also swim here in summer. Oberstaufen from above: Take the mountain railway to the winter paradise Oberstaufen is located in a valley and is surrounded by mountains and even as a non-winter sports enthusiast you will get your money’s worth here. There are a total of three railways that also take you up (and back down) as a pedestrian: the Hochgratbahn, the Imbergbahn and the Hündlebahn. Once at the top, just enjoy the view of Oberstaufen, breathe in the clear, cold air, and get yourself a hot mulled wine. If you feel like it and the weather cooperates, you can also go hiking in the winter wonderland. At the beginning of December the onset of winter came as a relative surprise for Oberstaufen, so that when I was there only the Imbergbahn was already open. The view didn’t mean it well to me that day either, but the unbelievable masses of snow on top of the mountain ridge were really adventure enough. You can find out the exact opening times of the Oberstaufen mountain railways here . Travel, accommodation, excursions & Co .: Further tips for Oberstaufen Last but not least: How do you actually get to Oberstaufen? The easiest way is with your own car, but it also works by train, as Oberstaufen has a train station and is well connected. As I said, Oberstaufen is located in the Allgäu, in the very south of Germany on the border with Austria and Switzerland. For a short trip over the weekend the arrival time should of course not be too long, ie how useful the Allgäu is for you as a travel destination depends of course on where you come from. My “rule” for short trips is always that the arrival and departure should take less than 5 hours, otherwise it will be too stressful. My absolute hotel recommendation for Oberstaufen: The Haubers Nature Resort * . I was invited by the Hauber family to Oberstaufen for a long weekend and it was honestly one of the nicest hotels I’ve stayed in so far. If you want to find out more about the hotel, take a look at my report on Haubers Alpenresort . Oberstaufen certainly also has many other great accommodations, you can find an overview here * . I would recommend you to look for a place to stay on the outskirts of Oberstaufen, as it is easier to walk out into nature from there. Excursions to the surrounding area: Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenzollern Castle Ok ok … that’s not Oberstaufen right now. But if you’re ever in the corner and still have a little time and air, then be sure to check out one of these two absolute highlights. Neuschwanstein Castle is THE German fairy tale castle and you can reach it after just 1.5 hours from Oberstaufen. A stone’s throw, right? Plan your arrival at Neuschwanstein Castle so that you arrive by 9:30 a.m. at the latest. Why? Around 10:30 am, the sun slowly disappears behind the mountain and the castle is first partially, then at some point completely in the shade. Of course, that doesn’t detract from the beauty, but this lighting situation is a little difficult for photos. So if you want good photos, be there in time. My tip for light photo equipment when traveling Would you like to take great photos on the go without having to carry too much with you? It doesn’t take much for that! The heart of my equipment are: My camera: Sony Alpha 6500 * An all-round lens from Sigma 17-70mm * (connected via adapter * ) A 30mm prime lens with 1.4 aperture from Sigma * (this prime lens will revolutionize your pictures, I promise!) A light, stable travel tripod * (for long exposures and if you want to take photos of yourself) By the way, the best photo spot for Neuschwanstein Castle is the Marienbrücke. This is above the castle and you have the typical unobstructed view of the castle from there. The way there is signposted and takes about 30 minutes on foot (be careful, it’s uphill). Since the Marienbrücke is well known as a vantage point, it gets relatively crowded there late at night. So: be there early ? I saved myself a guided tour through Neuschwanstein Castle, because the queue around 12 noon was unfortunately very long. Here you can find all information about Neuschwanstein Castle . Hohenzollern Castle is now not necessarily in direct reach of Oberstaufen (2.5 hours drive away), but if you are on the way to or from Stuttgart on your arrival or departure, then you should think about a detour to Hohenzollern Castle. You have the magnificent view of Hohenzollern Castle, which you know from many photos, from the 900m high Zeller Horn. The Zeller Horn can only be reached on foot, it is best to park in the parking lot at Zollersteighof. From there it is about 1.5 km not too steep a walk. My tip: bring a telephoto lens. You can see it in my poor pictures … you won’t get very far without a telephoto lens. The Hohenzollern Castle is certainly 1.5 km as the crow flies from the Zeller Horn. If you’re after the famous photo in which the castle peeks out of a cloud or fog blanket and you cannot see the landscape below – these photos can only be taken in an inversion weather situation. Such an inversion weather situation tends to be found in the morning and it always takes a good deal of luck. Unfortunately, I wasn’t lucky and the castle sank in the hazy weather, but it doesn’t matter, I Depp didn’t have a telephoto lens with me anyway. Otherwise, my weekend in Oberstaufen was wonderful and took me to the very beautiful white winter wonderland that I long for every winter in the emotional pre-Christmas period. Well done, Allgäu! ?