Bern’s Best Beer Cafe

Hey, hey, hey it’s T.O.! I’m back again to bring you your favorite travel letter filled with the best travel inspiration from around the world.

Here’s what’s on tap today:

A crafty hotel in Amsterdam

Bern’s best beer cafe

Witness the largest lizards on earth

Fly anywhere with your points!

Stay in Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Craftsmen

This is my second time featuring a hotel in Amsterdam even though I haven’t personally traveled there. Why you may ask? Because Holland makes beautiful things, ok? Or maybe I just have Amsterdam fever… I digress.

I recently came across this 14-room hotel in the Canal District. It is a beautifully crafted property — true to its name. The property was built in 1652, and while it has operated as a hotel for many years, it has taken many shapes and served many kinds of clientele over the years. The entire history of the monumental building has been portrayed on a painting across the hotel’s staircase.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Bern, Switzerland

Biercafe au Trappiste

After wandering around Bern’s Old City at an awkward hour on a Wednesday afternoon, we camped out at this cozy bar for longer than anticipated.

The bartender was incredibly kind and took the time to walk us through the menu thoroughly. We were hungry, and fortunately, they had snacks in addition to their beer menu. We ordered two pints of the lager on draft and a charcuterie board. Impressed by both, we ordered two or three more.

Let me tell you, I did not expect to have top-notch charcuterie at a random bar in Bern, but that’s exactly what happened. The bartender shared that the various meets and cheeses were prepared by a local shop down the street, which explained the high quality. If you’re looking for a friendly local place to hang out for a bit in Bern, you need to visit this spot!

Experience in East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Visit Komodo National Park

Another bucket list-worthy national park coming at you. As the home of the world’s largest lizard, this one is probably as close as you can get to real-life Jurassic Park. The island is a 2.5-hour flight from Jakarta. With an estimated 2500 lizards in the park, this is the place for you if you have any interest in seeing these beautiful beasts in their natural habitat.

Carry On

Pointhound

Everyone, please thank Nic for sharing one of the coolest point hacking tools I’ve seen to date! Just put in your home airport, your desired destination, and date range, and see the best flights available to you for the least amount of points! If you have no destination or date range in mind, no problem, you can explore all of the available deals for some inspiration.

AI Travel Art Piece of the Week

Continuing with our Christmas series, and getting a bit more fantastical this week, enjoy some bear cubs wandering through the candy cane forest.

Cheers ‘til next week,

T.O.