Travel Tuesday: Belgium, a Tour of Brussels & 5 BVF Favs to do

Belgium is a BVF Fav! Brussels is a vibrant, eclectic, and exciting city. As the capital of the European Union, the city is filled with nationals from throughout Europe. Sitting at a cafe nearby the EU headquarters and listening to the chatter from patrons, one can easily feel they are in multiple countries at once. 

Although we traveled to Belgium on separate occasions, we have wonderful memories from our visits!  Mon's friend Mike has lived in Belgium for a few years and has embraced the beautiful city as his second home. He participated in a team building retreat for works and each team had to blindly taste chocolates and identify which chocolatier made them. Yummmmy!! 

Prior to Mike's fam visiting Brussels, he created a simple and enjoyable tour that covers a mix of food, culture, and history. Mike shared his custom tour and we hope you get the opportunity to try! 

See Mike's walking tour at the end of this post.

It's always wonderful catching up with friends and extra special when it's far away from home. Mike and Monica toured the city and had a delightful dinner at Nuetnigenough. The ambiance and food were equally amazing.

Fast forward a few months later and it was Di's first visit to Brussels. The trip was even more meaningful with her dad and brother (extra bonus, Di was an expectant mum at the time). They also enjoyed a delicious meal at Nuetnigenough. Delicious!!

We love going to places recommended by locals and sharing fab places with others. 

BVF's Top 5 Favs in Brussels

Mike's Mapped Walking Tour 

Nuetnigenough Restaurant
Bakeries 

Elisabeth Chocolatier 

Brussels Mainsquare

Bon Voyage! 

Mike's Mapped Walking Tour 

BVF’s 5 Travel SIP Tips

With global concerns mounting over security and safety during the upcoming Olympics, its essential to always have safety on your mind when traveling.  Regardless of your destination, we want you to be safe!! Take a SIP, Safety Is Priority:

1.     Inform your family and friends. Leave a copy of your passport and itinerary with your family and friends. Also be sure to include your flight and train arrival/departure times, cities you will be visiting, hotel names, local phone numbers, etc.

2.     Register your travels. Government agencies such as the @TravelGov STEP program https://step.state.gov/ or @FCOtravel provide online systems for you to register your planned travels. We cannot reiterate the importance of taking the time to do this. For instance, the STEP program allows you to enter all of your information from passport details to contact info. If your passport is lost or stolen, the embassy nearest to the city you are visiting will automatically have your passport details uploaded to their system.

3.     Be aware of your surroundings. Its easy to let your guard down, don’t do it. Especially if you are a solo traveler, avoid venturing out at night to unfamiliar places. If you get lost, go into a public place such as a restaurant and ask for help. You may be in a change of environment but the priority of staying safe shouldn’t change.   

4.     Inspect your room. Use your luggage as a doorstop and check the bathroom, closet, and under the bed to make sure there aren’t any unwanted guests.

5.     Check before you leave. Prior to leaving for your travels, be sure to check for any alerts and warnings from government bureaus. These resources are set up for a reason, to help you take the necessary measures for your safety.

Adventures: New Year's Resolutions for New Travelers

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The beginning of the New Year brings countless possibilities of travel adventures for the year.  All new travelers...it's time to seek new places and enjoy the priceless experiences of traveling. Here are 5 BVF New Year's Resolutions for new travelers. Bon voyage! 

1. Just go. If you've been thinking about traveling, do it! There's no better time than the present to venture out and explore a new city or country. 

2. Mix with the locals. Get a bit of the local currency before arriving as it takes the pressure off finding an ATM the moment you land, and gives you the freedom to sort out transportation and food. Go to a restaurant off the beaten path and strike up conversations with the locals. As with all travels- always be aware of your surroundings, especially if you are a solo traveler.  

3. Discover tastes. Be bold and sample different cuisines around you,yes...trying foods you wouldn't normally eat is part of the adventure. Embrace unique flavors available to you. Bon appétite! 

4.  Just a SEC.  Search, Experience, Culture.  This is a BVF fav! Do some research before your travels to prepare for your destination. After you settle in and it's time to venture out-Search and enjoy the environment surrounding you. Experience as much as you can in the city you're visiting. Culture, embrace it and do something that is specific to the city. 

5. Record memories.  Wether you take pen to paper or keep notes in your mobile phone. Make it a goal to capture your special travel memories as a nice keepsake for the future. 

Top 5 San Francisco Favs

I was inspired by our Adpi sorority sister Sharon Jacobs' weekend getaway to San Francisco. I got to visit this beautiful city every couple of months, during my hostey days with Virgin Atlantic. 

My top 5 favourites were: 

1. Cycle ride over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. We used to have lunch over looking the bay and then catch the ferry back. www.sausalito.org 

2. Catch a cable car tour, it's the worlds last manually operated system. 

www.sfcablecar.com 

3. Check out the sea lions on Pier 39, who have been in residence there since 1989. 

Www.pier39.com 

4. Cruise over to Alcatraz Island and take a tour of the legendary prison. 

www.alcatrazcruises.com

5. Chill out in Union square enjoying people watching, shopping & restaurants. 

www.visitunionsquaresf.com