Traveller of the Month: Cosette from KarsTravels

Welcome to Traveller of the Month! Each month I’m featuring a fellow world traveller to build connections within the travel world, share some new travel stories, and give a little love to a fellow travel blogger.

Without further ado, meet October’s Traveller of the Month: Cosette!

And if you missed last month’s, check it out here!

Who are you, where are you from and where are you now?

I’m Cosette and I’m from Uden in The Netherlands. Currently I live in Utrecht, The Netherlands with my husband and our son.

What’s your travel story? How did you get into travel and what kind of travel are you doing now (or were you doing pre-pandemic)?

As a child I always dreamed of travelling all over the world, and make up round the world trips that I would love to do. During my studies I met my now husband and we started travelling together in Europe whenever we had a break. Later we went on our first road trip through Iceland and then we were hooked on road trips. After having our son in 2010 we didn’t stop with our road trips and have road tripped around everywhere in Europe and the USA.

When did you start your blog and what sort of stories do you share there?

I started my blog KarsTravels in January of 2020. On the blog I share stories about our road trips and family travel. Added to this are stories about food, national parks, camping, hotels and cultural events like festivals and museums.

What do you do when you’re not travelling or writing about travel?

When not travelling I like to cook and bake, read books, sit on a terrace with my husband and son or go for a walk with a friend.

If you had $100 to spend for a day in your favourite place to travel, where are you and what would you do?

I’m driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the USA, stopping at every overlook to take in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. In the morning I’m stopping for a hike, preferably at a waterfall, having a picnic for lunch and then I’d visit Grandfather Mountain for the Mile High Swinging Bridge. I’d have dinner somewhere on the Parkway and then enjoy sunset at an overlook.

How has COVID-19 impacted your travels?

Like many others, we had to cancel our original travel plans for 2020. We only went abroad once in February and after that all our travels were inside The Netherlands. We’ve been more aware of how crowded a place is and can get. We’ve made reservations for visiting museums and such, while normally we would just show up. We’ve also travelled less and have done more things outside. We’ve made sure we had a cooking area where we stayed.

What’s something you do, pack or eat on every trip?

We always love to visit a supermarket and see what’s different than in The Netherlands and try out food we don’t have back home. I always take books and our camera with me. I love to read and have photos to bring back memories.

What is still on your travel bucket list? What have you recently checked off?

My travel bucket list is very long and I keep adding to it. High on it is going to Churchill, Manitoba; a safari in Africa; visiting Antarctica, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. High on the list, but a bit closer to home, is visiting all the Wadden islands in The Netherlands.

Recently we’ve ticked off visiting Giethoorn, staying in a house on the beach, visiting Ypres in Belgium, and Mont-Saint-Michel and the Ile de Machines (Nantes) in France.

Best food you’ve eaten on the road? Worst?

Fried catfish in Granbury, Texas and macarons in Paris. The worst was cured and dried shark in Iceland.

What is the best accommodation you’ve ever stayed in? What was the worst?

Bed & Breakfast De Hooimoat in Losser, The Netherlands was the best. A perfect breakfast, clean room, friendly host and great area to explore.

The worst was a hotel in Athens, Greece. I forget the name, but outside the hotel people were smoking crack and gathering in large groups, which felt aggressive. The breakfast was a joke and other guests had bed bugs.

What is the best local festival or celebration you’ve attended?

The Dickens Festival in Deventer in The Netherlands. Locals and actors dress up as characters from the stories of Charles Dickens. It was fun to be part of this local tradition and perfect to come in the festive mood.

If you could go on a worldwide trip, visiting just one city on each continent, which cities would you pick?

I would visit St. Petersburg, Russia in Europe to see the Hermitage and to soak in the history of this city. In Asia I would visit Singapore for the Gardens by the Bay. In Oceania I would visit Cairns, Australia for a visit to the Great Barrier Reef. In South America my destination is the city of Machu Picchu; I’ve read so much about the Incas. For almost the same reason I would visit Mexico City in North America, since I want to see the ruins of Teotihuacan. At last in Africa I want to visit Cape Town to explore the city and to see the whales.

What food instantly transport you back to a favourite travel memory?

Ćevapčići brings back memories of our visits to Croatia, road tripping and sitting on a terrace outside a restaurant enjoying this dish.

What destination is calling your name in 2022?

A road trip through Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. The Christmas markets in Switzerland and Maastricht. Seeing Santa and the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi, Finland.

Lastly, where can we find you online?

Blog: https://karstravels.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karstravels/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarsTravels

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarsTravels-199183207645665/

---

Thank you for joining my Traveller of the Month series, Cosette! Head on over to Cosette’s blog to learn more about her family travels and stay tuned for November’s Traveller of the Month!