Hi! I am Marianne! A Dutch yoga teacher that lives on Mallorca (Spain) and I have lived in Mozambique and South Africa as well. I am looking forward to telling you more about my experiences of living abroad in Europe as well as in Africa!
Find me on social media:

What to expect in this article:
About me
Hello I am Marianne and I love practising and teaching yoga!ย
I am originally from the Netherlands and I knew from a young age that I wanted to move abroad.
So far, I have lived in Brussels, Madrid, Artรก on Mallorca (Spain), Tofo and Vilankulos in Mozambique and Cape Town in South Africa.ย At the moment I live on Mallorca and work from home as aย freelance yoga coach and content creator.
I have 3 jobs: yoga teacher, coaching and content creator. This allows me to be my own boss, work from home and focus on things I like, such as yoga, hiking and being outdoors.
Right now, I am busy creating all kinds of e-learning material, which help people with their personal development and growth. They can take the e-courses at their own pace and at a time that suits them best.
People can also hire me to write content for their website and I also work as a part-time yoga teacher.ย I have been living on Mallorca forย 2 years now, 8 km north of the nearest village.
My husband works as aย carpenterย and can do all kinds of constructional jobs on boats, but also in and around peopleโs homes. This allows us both to be very flexible with our time andย we are living our best life in Spain.ย We do have to go back to the Netherlands every now and then to earn some extra money or to visit family and friends, but most of our time we are on Mallorca.

My travels in Africa
Inย 2014ย I went to Mozambique for the first time and I taught yoga for 3 months at Turtle Cove Lodge inย Tofo for 3 months. I taught 6 classes per week; in return I could live in one of their houses. It was amazing there and Iย fell in love with the African way of life.ย
After that we drove from Nelspruit in South-Africa all the way toย Cape Town (South Africa). We travelled and stayed in South-Africa for an additional 3 months and in 2018 we decided to go back to Africa, after we had been back in the Netherlands for almost 3 years.ย
In 2018 we stayed in Vilankulos,ย Mozambique for another 4 months.ย Here I worked atย Bahia Mar Boutique hotel, which was another great experience.ย
Even though, I have not lived in both countries for years, I still had a taste of what itโs like to live in Mozambique and South Africa.
After those months in Mozambique, I wanted to go to a more โdevelopedโ country to do some shopping, go for lunches and take courses again. You can also do this in Maputo, the capital city of Mozambique, but I donโt see myself living there and prefer Cape Town in South-Africa.

If I could choose, I would love to live in Cape Town for a longer period of time.ย It feels likeย Europe in Africa for me. Thereโs so much to do and the nature is overwhelming. In Cape Town I could, for example, work in the mornings and in the afternoons go hiking on the slopes of Table Mountain or climb Lions head.
I have already been toย Cape Town 6 times, because I love it so much.ย After graduation, I also travelled from Kenya to Cape Town by only using public transport.ย It took me 3 months. That was an amazing adventure, but I need to write another article about everything I experienced back then.
Itโs then when my love for Africa startedย and when I knew I had to go back one day. If you ever want to travel from South-Africa to Tofo and Barra in Mozambique I definitely recommend travelling with Zelma who runsย Tours2Moz.ย Sheโs really kind, experienced and superfast!

Why we chose Mallorca
Mallorca attracts us very much as it resembles Africa for me.ย I have always wanted to live in Cape Town long term, but what holds me back still is that itโs too far from my family in The Netherlands. The first time Hugo and I visited Mallorca, it felt like we were in Cape Town, itโs like Africa in Europe to us.
Mallorca has everything we like; countryside, hills, mountains, small villages and a beautiful capital city and on top of that the sea is always near us. The island feels like itโs โoursโ, because there are so many possibilities, but the only thing that is missing for us are the elephants and giraffesย ๐

Salary differences
Mallorca & The Netherlands
On Mallorca the local pay check is betweenย 800-1200 eurosย per month. This is for working 6 days a week. The rent varies a lot and we ourselves pay 450 Euros per month, but I have no clue what the locals pay.ย There are poor people as well on Mallorca, but I have not seen much of the poverty yet.
I have noticed and heard that even when you live on Mallorca for 40 years, it could be that they still approach you as โthe foreignerโ. ย I sometimes have the idea that they charge different prices for us expats. I find it a bit disappointing as I have been here almost 2 years already and I want to be treated the same as the locals, but I understand that people have to make money and that they think we have more to spend, even when thatโs not the case.
The Netherlands
The same for in the Netherlands. There are people there as well who have less to spend, but my impression is that most people live a luxurious lifeย and are not always aware of it.ย
Some friends of ours easily earn aroundย 3000 > Eurosย per month in The Netherlands and are able to save money and still they feel they should be earning more.
Of course, the cost of living is also higher. What I have learned from people in Mozambique is that they feel rich when they have family and friends to be with. I like that thought.
See these other articles about living abroad:

What’s it like to live in Murcia (Spain)?
Hi everyone! Iโm so thrilled to say something true about the typical dreamy clichรฉ โliving abroad near the sea.โ Iโm a blogger and internet nomad

How to work in Cape Verde as an expat
Hi! I am Samantha, a 28-years old Dutch lady from ChiMotion Lifestyle. Nice to meet you! I spend over 5 years of my life as
Mozambique
In Mozambique the differences betweenย poor and rich are really big.ย Some families I know earnย 30 – 100 euros per monthย for working 8-hour days at least 6 days a week. I also know a family in Tofo that was spending a month of salary per night on dinner in town. More than what they were paying various of their staff for a month of work.
I also know one person who earnsย 150 euros per month. With that money he has to take care of his family, their school fees, food and more so the salary I would say is far from sufficient.
In Mozambiqueย rent for expats cost around 240 euros per month, which is cheap for Dutch standard, but expensive for Mozambicans. The differences are simply big. Locals go to the market to get a meal of rice or fish and meat, simple and basic for 50 Mets (Meticas). While expats have pizza in town for 400 Mets. per pizza, so they live in two different worlds so to speak.
South Africa
You can compare Cape Town to aย European city, but your living standards depend. The center might be expensive to live, but people that live in the Cape Flats (townships) do not have much money to spend. You could say they are more in a survival mode.

Differences in punctuality
A big difference between the Netherlands, Spain and Africa is punctuality.ย Dutch and German people are very punctual (there are many German people that live on Mallorca) and when you want to live here, you might have to let go of wanting things to happen on time.
On Mallorca (Spain) things always changeย last-minute and it sometimes takes me about a month before I finally get to meet with someone that I had an appointment with. ย
An example; If you are invited to lunch on Saturdays, the food will still need to be cooked. In The Netherlands it might already be on the table when you arrive at the agreed time.
Inย Mallorcaย you first sit down, have a drink and after 3 hours or so you might start cooking. As a Dutch person, I learned to ask what I should bring with me, since depending on what time you meet, you bring either wine of something sweet. I ask as well whether we can also arrive a bit later and who else is going to be there.
Inย Mozambiqueย when you are invited for lunch, itโs also very different from how it goes in The Netherlands. One time we were invited over at 6 PM, but when we arrived our hosts werenโt home yet.
We didnโt mind as we were fine looking at the Indian ocean. They arrived at 7 PM with fresh fish from the market and then we started to prepare dinner. We didnโt eat before 10 PM.
In Mozambique youย donโt need to make appointments to meetย people.ย One guy told me that whenever he finishes work, he could reach his home in 15 minutes, but everyone in his village is his friend, so he has to catch up with everyone, which means it will take him 45 minutes or more to reach his home.ย

Do I need to speak the local language?
Mozambique
There are so many languages in Africa,ย Portugueseย is the main language being widely spoken in Mozambique, but every region has itsย own dialect.ย We lived in Tofo, which is a very touristic area so people also speak English there.
In most of the cases we were able to communicate in English, but we always had a Portuguese dictionary with us. Next to that, we could also often use French and we used our hands and feet to talk and used Google Translate. You simply need to be a bit creative.ย
South Africaย
In South Africa they follow Afrikaans and Englishย at school and almost everyone speaks English. This is one reason for me for wanting to go back. I have been to Cape Town several times andย I could easily say I am a Capetonian,ย as I would fit in much easier and get around to express myself more as I can here in Spain. Even though I would wish to take some English classes to keep improving my language.ย



The Netherlands
The Netherlands is very easy to live in, as most people speak English, some even speak German, so you don’t have to worry about that.ย
Mallorca
Lastly, I use Google Translate a lot in Spain, becauseย not so many people speak English here.ย There are many German people who live on Mallorca. They even have their own German newspapers and radio channels. People often speak in German to me, when they hear I speak Dutch to my husband. I do answer them in Spanish, because we are in Spain ๐!
Only the young generation knows English, but they often seem a bit shy to talk. If you know French then you can also make yourself understood from time to time.

See these other articles about living abroad:

Studying in Australia as a teenager?
Hi lovely travellers, I am Ilse from the travelblog op reis met Ilse and I welcome you to read about my adventure living in Australia

Whatยดs it like to study in Madrid?
Hi there fellow vagabonder, my name is Naivedya and welcome to my small but eventful sojourn at Madrid. I am from India and the lure
Safety in Spain and Africa
Iย have felt safe everywhereย I stayed, even in Cape Town, while itโs not known as the safest city.
I believe that when you useย common sense and know which streets not to go and on what hours not to go out, you will be safe. The only time I did not feel safe, is when my friend came over and wore expensive jewellery and she got followed in the park by a small boy who wanted to have it.
We also heard many โbadโ stories about Vilankulosย (the place we stayed) in Mozambique and of course you always have to be aware of your safety and use your common sense, but the community was very supportive and we have always felt safe.ย
Mallorca is alsoย totally safe, no one locks their bikes here as far as I know and last summer we left our door open all day and night.
I can advise you to ask locals what not to do, at which hours you should grab a taxi, what you shouldnโt wear. Like: Donโt wear a bikini when you go shopping or to a cafรฉ. Tourists do this here on Mallorca. That is one thing that is simply not appropriate and you can get fined for this too. A bikini outfit belongs on the beach according to me and many more people on Mallorca.๐

Favorite spots in all 3 countries
Mozambique
Letโs start with Mozambique. The most beautiful thing I have seen there were the whales. You can see them between July and September. They come really close to the shore to play. We once saw them only 2 metres away from us.ย Itโs an incredible experience!ย
There are also whale sharks, turtles, dolphins and manta rays for example. You can book an ocean safari to go and see them; I recommend doing that, but donโt touch the animals.
Furthermore, Tofo and Vilankulos, where I stayed, are very accessible to people who are new to Africa.ย

South Africa
In South-Africa I would first of all recommendย Cape Town; I travelled alongside the South-African coast, but Cape Town has stolen my heart. It feels familiar and feels more Europeanย than other parts in Africa andย itโs a perfect combination of city + nature.
Next to that I have to recommendย Natureโs Valley;ย you can go to the beach, go hiking and there is a very famous hike alongside the coast which you have to sign up for months in advance.ย
Lastly, I would also sayย Buffalo Beach and Coffee Bay. Buffalo Beach is fairly close to Cape Town and Coffee Bay is closer to Durban and Mozambique.ย
If you love surfing, you have to go to Cape Town, Jeffreyโs Bay or Durban, itโs heaven for surf lovers.ย On some beaches in Africa, it feels strange to goย sunbathing. Sometimes these beaches are mainly used to get from A to B. Depends on where you are of course. In my opinion itโs a very luxurious activity to do and in some parts of Southern Africa it felt very awkward for me to do.

Mallorca
I have not seen everything on Mallorca yet, but I like theย North-sideย the most. There you have two bigย mountain ranges,ย but also manyย beaches. In the North-East you can find the Llevant Area (mountains) that is said to be like the highlights of Scotland.
Mallorca is also famous for the West side of the island, where you can go hiking and cycling in the Tramuntana mountains. Nature is never far away on Mallorca, which makes it an amazing place.ย
P.S. Here you can read many more blogs about amazing places in Spain.

Future plans
For now, I hope to stay on Mallorca for the nextย 4 to 5 years. I would love to eventually live in Cape Town and some months of the year in Mozambique.
For now, our biggest goal is to have an income by working online and to live + work wherever we want. Luckily, we are on our way to reach that goal fully.ย ย
I hope you liked reading about all the differences in the countries I have lived in and perhaps I have convinced you to move abroad as well. If you have any questions, please send me a message on one of my social media platforms!ย
XO Marianne
More guests blogs about living abroad

Living and working in Florida: Sun, sea, beach and hurricanes?
Hi, I am Daphne! I am 25 years old, live in the Netherlands and I worked in Florida for a bit longer than a year.

What’s it like to live in Paramariboย (Suriname) for 13 years?
Hi! My name is Anja and I lived almost 13 years in Suriname, also known as Dutch Guyana. It is a small country in South

All the secrets of Plaza de Espaรฑa (Sevilla)
The place you have to visit if you ever go to Sevilla, has to be Plaza de Espaรฑa! Itยดs one of the most incredible places

Studying in Australia as a teenager?
Hi lovely travellers, I am Ilse from the travelblog op reis met Ilse and I welcome you to read about my adventure living in Australia

How to work in Cape Verde as an expat
Hi! I am Samantha, a 28-years old Dutch lady from ChiMotion Lifestyle. Nice to meet you! I spend over 5 years of my life as

What is it like to live and work in New Zealand for 1 year
Hi! We are Lizette (34) and Leon (30), aka The Salty Beachbums. We are two Dutchies who love to travel. Around May 2018, we left

What’s it like to live & work in Taiwan?
Hi! I am Shu Ting, a 24-year-old Taiwanese girl I have been living in Taiwan for 23 years, lived one year in Europe (mostly in

What’s it like to live and work in Barcelona? (+prices!)
Want to know what it is like to live and work in Barcelona? Whether it is because you are planning to move there or just

7 best coffee places in Barcelona
Barcelona has countless coffee spots. So which ones are the ones you really have to go to? In the 8 months I have been living

10 Places I want to visit once I move back to The Netherlands
After spending over 8 months in Barcelona, it is time to go back home, The Netherlands. Right now I am not looking forward to go

The best photo spots in Olvera (Spain)
What are the best photo spots in Olvera (Andalucรญa, Spain)? Olvera is a town in the middle of Andalucรญa, south of Spain. It’s 100 km

All my tips if you want to live & work in Barcelona
Are you planning to live and maybe even work in Barcelona? You have made a great decision. Barcelona is an amazing city to live in.

What’s it like to live in Murcia (Spain)?
Hi everyone! Iโm so thrilled to say something true about the typical dreamy clichรฉ โliving abroad near the sea.โ Iโm a blogger and internet nomad

16 Amazing places in Catalunya (Spain)
Catalunya is a wonderful province filled with rich and pretty places. As I have been living in Barcelona for over 8 months, I wanted to

Top 10 best Instagram spots of Barcelona -2022
Barcelona has been my home town for over 8 months now and it for sure is one of my favorite places in Europe! In the

Whatยดs it like to study in Madrid?
Hi there fellow vagabonder, my name is Naivedya and welcome to my small but eventful sojourn at Madrid. I am from India and the lure

Whatยดs it like to live and work in London?
Hi! I am Asvin and I am living (and working) in London since I was 9 years old. I am from Netherlands, but I moved

The 2 best rooftop bars in Barcelona (with amazing views)
You can not leave Barcelona without spending time on a rooftop bar! I mean it’s in the name! Bar-celona ๐ Ohla and Ayre Hotel Rosellรณn

Best New Yearยดs Eve spot in Barcelona + 12 grapes tradition
You definitely have to go to Montjuรฏc during New Yearยดs Eve! Itยดs an amazing place, where you have a beautiful view of the whole city!

Visiting Gibraltar with WeLoveSpain
Why visit Gibraltar with WeLoveSpain? In 2018 I studied in Sevilla for 4 months. Most weekends I travelled with my friends to Cadiz, Granada, Mรกlaga,

6 Reasons why you should live abroad once in your life
Still doubting if you should take that shot and go live there? I am here to make sure you will take that shot. Because I

How to travel cheaper
Money is often the reason why people donยดt travel and I feel thatยดs such a pity! So if you want some tips how I try

10 (weird) facts about me
Everyone is a little crazy, as am I A little bit akward and shy and crazy about this one guy Okay enough rhyming for today

Sevilla: 3 days itinerary
You are planning to go to Sevilla, yay! I promise you that you wonยดt be disappointed, because I believe that Sevilla is one of the

Cancelled trips due to Corona virus
Social distancing due to the Corona virus, I don’t think anyone had that in mind with 2020 coming. But that is the situation we are

Sleeping on a boat called ยดBooby Blueยด in Portugal
Sleeping on a boat sounds like a dream to me! Did you ever sleep on a boat? Would you like to do it? I did

Roadtripping in Andalucรญa (including the most beautiful town of Andalucรญa!)
How amazing is it when people can inspire you. Inspire you to go to places you wouldnยดt go otherwise.ย This inspiration came from a lady

The most beautiful places in Andalucรญa (and how to get there from Sevilla)
There are many nice places in Andalucรญa, but in this list my favorites are listed. So if you ever go to Andalucรญa, I hope this

Pizza for 5 euros on Tuesday!
Secret code for a pizza! My first week in Sevilla. I unpacked my stuff, met my roommates and explored Sevilla.ย One of my roommates was

Why you should include a Monday on your trip to Sevilla!
Monday? What is so special about a Monday in Sevilla? Well, a lot of things are free to visit on a Monday! As a stingy
Hooray you came this far! Want to read more?

Hoe vraag ik een visum aan voor India? Alles over reizen naar India.
Hallo, vanakam, hello vanuit Pondicherry, India! Dus jij bent van plan om naar India te reizen? Wat gaaf! Ik zeg zeker doen. Ik ben hier

A must-do: Bicycle tour in Pondicherry (India)
Ever thought about cycling in India? No, me neither, but it is actually super fun to do! In this article I will tell you everything about

Living and working in Florida: Sun, sea, beach and hurricanes?
Hi, I am Daphne! I am 25 years old, live in the Netherlands and I worked in Florida for a bit longer than a year.

7 nice places in Drenthe (The Netherlands)
How is it possible I have never written anything about Drenthe, the place I live! During Corona I started to explore more in Drenthe and

Noshi: Fun coffee garden in Porto for brunch
I fell in love with Noshi – coffee garden in Porto and after reading this blog, you might too. A hip, delicious and Instagram-worthy cafรฉ

Birthday idea: Alpaca picnic in Drenthe (NL)
Looking for a fun thing to do in Drenthe? An alpaca picnic is a great idea then! As I spend my last 2 birthdays with

What’s it like to live in Paramariboย (Suriname) for 13 years?
Hi! My name is Anja and I lived almost 13 years in Suriname, also known as Dutch Guyana. It is a small country in South

All the secrets of Plaza de Espaรฑa (Sevilla)
The place you have to visit if you ever go to Sevilla, has to be Plaza de Espaรฑa! Itยดs one of the most incredible places

Studying in Australia as a teenager?
Hi lovely travellers, I am Ilse from the travelblog op reis met Ilse and I welcome you to read about my adventure living in Australia

How to spend 2 days in Dublin?
How many days are enough to explore all of Dublin? Is the capital of Ireland even worth it? What spots should I not miss? All

How to work in Cape Verde as an expat
Hi! I am Samantha, a 28-years old Dutch lady from ChiMotion Lifestyle. Nice to meet you! I spend over 5 years of my life as

What is it like to live and work in New Zealand for 1 year
Hi! We are Lizette (34) and Leon (30), aka The Salty Beachbums. We are two Dutchies who love to travel. Around May 2018, we left

Travel plans for 2022 (a girl can dream, right?)
With 2022 coming closer and closer (only 2 months away!), I am starting to wonder about what that year will bring me. Work, personal, but

Hrad Devรญn: Fun one-day trip from Bratislava (Slovakia)
Bratislava is super fun to visit for one day, but what if you want to see other places closeby? Hrad (Castle) Devรญn is a good

4 awesome places in Poland that are worth visiting if you don’t have much time
Which 4 places in Poland are really worth going to? Or what if you don’t have much time to spend in this cool country? Like

What’s it like to visit Auschwitz, the largest Nazi concentration camp (Poland)
Everyone I know has heard once in his/her life about Auschwitz, one of the most horrifying places to be as a Jew during the Second

How to spend 2 days in Warsaw: the capital of Poland
Ever thought about going to Warsaw, the beautiful capital of Poland? I don’t think it is that famous, but it should be. I went there

My first TikTok ever … Welcome in Poland!
I created my first Tik Tok! It’s not perfect, but a start ๐ https://www.aborntraveller.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/tiktok-How-to-spend-2-days-in-Warsaw-the-capital-of-Poland.mp4 Want to read/see more?

3 nice garden terraces in Zeeland (Netherlands)
Last weekend I visited the province of Zeeland (in the Netherlands) for the first time and noticed there were many garden terraces (which are basically

What’s it like to live & work in Taiwan?
Hi! I am Shu Ting, a 24-year-old Taiwanese girl I have been living in Taiwan for 23 years, lived one year in Europe (mostly in

Detmold: What to do in this beautiful town in Nordrhein-Westfalen (Germany)
What to do in Detmold? A small, but beautiful town in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. Detmold is a small town, located on the northwest side of Germany

What’s it like to live and work in Barcelona? (+prices!)
Want to know what it is like to live and work in Barcelona? Whether it is because you are planning to move there or just

7 best coffee places in Barcelona
Barcelona has countless coffee spots. So which ones are the ones you really have to go to? In the 8 months I have been living

10 Places I want to visit once I move back to The Netherlands
After spending over 8 months in Barcelona, it is time to go back home, The Netherlands. Right now I am not looking forward to go

The best photo spots in Olvera (Spain)
What are the best photo spots in Olvera (Andalucรญa, Spain)? Olvera is a town in the middle of Andalucรญa, south of Spain. It’s 100 km

All my tips if you want to live & work in Barcelona
Are you planning to live and maybe even work in Barcelona? You have made a great decision. Barcelona is an amazing city to live in.

What’s it like to live in Murcia (Spain)?
Hi everyone! Iโm so thrilled to say something true about the typical dreamy clichรฉ โliving abroad near the sea.โ Iโm a blogger and internet nomad

16 Amazing places in Catalunya (Spain)
Catalunya is a wonderful province filled with rich and pretty places. As I have been living in Barcelona for over 8 months, I wanted to

Top 10 best Instagram spots of Barcelona -2022
Barcelona has been my home town for over 8 months now and it for sure is one of my favorite places in Europe! In the

Whatยดs it like to study in Madrid?
Hi there fellow vagabonder, my name is Naivedya and welcome to my small but eventful sojourn at Madrid. I am from India and the lure