You could say that living in Breda has two major advantages:

1) the traffic lights flash when you approach by bike to indicate that you have been seen (and then quickly turn green), which I think is great fun;

2) We can now (quickly!) cycle to my favorite kids' shop @kloffies_koffies! Even more fun there: the most beautiful brands and toys, and a really great kids' hairdresser. And the sweetest people (I've never been there for less than an hour and a half...). Walking out empty-handed is practically impossible.

That just begged for another shoot with the kids at our house by the best @madeleinebolle. So happy with it!

Kids clothes of course all @kloffies_koffies, me in @sezane

Guitar music (okay okay, NL boomer reference mucho)...

Tried and tested: your 3- or 4-day guide (with kids, but also for without) to the authentic boho coastal towns of Mazunte, San Agustinillo and Zipolite in the Oaxaca region (pronounced oa-ga-ka).

Frequently asked question 1: Is it safe? Yes, we never felt unsafe. In fact, we found the community incredibly friendly. There's a large international community, and the vibes are yoga and surfing. We did occasionally see an open truck with armed police driving around, and there's probably a reason for that, but we didn't notice anything. 

Frequently asked question 2: Is it doable with kids? Yes! Absolutely. We flew into Mexico City, slept off our jet lag there, and then flew to Puerto Escondido in an hour. From there, it was an hour's drive to Mazunte. As big as Mexico City is, the airport is fast, streamlined, and easy to navigate (tip: try to travel with only carry-on luggage; it really saves you a world of waiting time. Tip 2: find an apartment or villa with a washing machine). We booked all our flights through Booking.com: everything is clearly arranged in one app and a great way to find and book the best local airlines right away.

Tips in the slides (no text on any slides so you have to swipe to read everything).

We booked a treehouse villa in Mazunte (link via highlight 'Mexico') and it was a hit (see my previous feed post for more), but without kids we would definitely have stayed in one of the two amazing adults-only hotels here.

(And by the way, the last photo is our hotel in Puerto Escondido, link also via 'Mexico Highlights' - to be continued, just like Mexico City).

Joe!

We're here!

Mazunte, Oaxaca, Mexico. The first 20 hours are a fact. This place has been on my wishlist for years and was planned a year ago, but unfortunately, it didn't happen. So it's even more exciting that we're here now!

Oaxaca (a region in Mexico), and specifically the coastline here (Muzante is one of the really great places), is what they call "upcoming" and so much more authentic than, for example, the overpriced Tulum. So when I pitched this trip to my friends at @bookingcom, they were all for it.

On a related note, Booking's Travel Predictions will be released soon: 10 surprising destinations that are a little different than what you might have envisioned. I've already had a sneak peek, and—spoiler alert—Mazunte isn't among them, but the countries and cities did give me tons of inspiration for my next trip, hopefully.

Stay tuned because they will be released soon and we have dedicated no fewer than 4 complete guides to these Travel Predictions.

(But first things first: vacation! Also stay tuned: we did/are doing Mexico City - Puerto Escondido - Mazunte - and Mexico City again. Tips are for sure coming (especially since Team Barts Boekje is also going here next week, so we can double the testing and tips). 🩵