Latest news with #AlexanderWelder
Hindustan Times
04-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
German travel vlogger ranks Indian cities, praises Indore as ‘one of the most liveable'
Alexander Welder, a solo traveller from Germany, recently wrapped up his trip to India and took to Instagram to share his experiences with his followers. In a post dated June 16, he rated several Indian cities he explored during his journey, offering honest insights and personal reflections on what he liked, what surprised him, and what made each city unique. (Also read: Travel vlogger visits earth's hottest, driest and lowest place with alien-like terrain: 'Smells like 1000 rotten eggs' ) Alexander Welder, a solo traveller, shared his experiences in India, highlighting food, pollution, and city cleanliness. (Instagram/@alexweldertravels) Mumbai – 6/10 "I loved the food here!" he wrote, sharing how a local friend helped him explore the city's culinary side. However, he didn't shy away from pointing out the downsides, "My biggest issue was the pollution and the strong smell from everywhere that's near the sea or water. And the local trains at rush hour are an absolute carnage." Indore – 8.5/10 Alexander was especially impressed by Indore, calling it "a great clean city" with "no tourists and great food." He went on to say, "I felt it's one of the most liveable cities in the country." However, he did note that from a tourist's perspective, "2 days might be more than enough here though, as there isn't really much to do." Mathura – 4/10 His rating for Mathura was on the lower side, describing it as "chaotic." He enjoyed his time there mainly because of the Holi celebration and the people he met at his hostel. "Outside of Holi, I don't think I would really recommend visiting," he added, citing a lack of high-quality food options and the limitation of only vegetarian cuisine. Agra – 8/10 Agra pleasantly surprised him. "Way less chaotic than I thought," he shared. Alexander appreciated the affordable accommodations with Taj Mahal views, the clean and efficient new metro, and the wide range of quality restaurants. Varanasi – 7/10 Calling it "a city like anywhere else in terms of spirituality but also chaos," Alexander acknowledged the once-in-a-lifetime experience that Varanasi offers despite its overwhelming nature. Delhi – 7.5/10 Despite initial expectations, he enjoyed his time in the capital. "Surprisingly, I liked most of my time in Delhi, probably because I spent most of it in the South where there's an upcoming coffee and club scene, cleaner streets, and a more peaceful vibe," he wrote.
NDTV
20-05-2025
- NDTV
Influencer Tastes Woodworm From Rotten Bark In Philippines, Foodies Find It "Too Extreme"
What is the most bizarre food you have ever come across? We often hear about insects or other unusual living creatures being eaten in various corners of the world, and we may have a hard time imagining consuming them. Recently, one such example from the Philippines went viral on Instagram. A German travel influencer, Alexander Welder, posted a video of himself trying Tamilok, or Woodworm. As the name suggests, this delicacy looks like a worm, and it lives in rotten mangrove wood. In the reel, we see Alexander eat the worm in one of the traditional ways: "raw, alive and dipped in hot water and vinegar." After coating it in this way, he directly slurps the long body of the creature. He clarifies that tamilok is not actually a worm - although one of its common names is indeed woodworm. It is actually a mollusc. In technical terms, tamilok is a shell-less saltwater clam that makes holes in wood. The influencer says that it tastes "a bit similar to oysters, but the texture is even more slimy." In the caption, he also notes that it has "an earthy flavour and a muddy aftertaste." He added, "For the locals, Tamilok is a cherished delicacy and a point of cultural pride. You can find Tamilok mostly in the Southern part of the island of Palawan. There are even restaurants in Puerto Princesa that allegedly serve it on their menu, but it might be out of stock often. We got in contact with some locals from a neighbouring village near Palawan, who prepared an entire piece of wood with fresh Tamilok for us when we arrived." Watch the complete video below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alexander Welder (@alexweldertravels) Instagram users had mixed reactions to the idea of eating such a creature. Many found it too off-putting, while others said they would like to try it. Several people also pointed out that similar "woodworms" are also eaten in other parts of the world. They corrected the vlogger who said it was only found in a particular region in the Philippines and provided examples of other countries where it is consumed. Read some of the comments here: "I'd eat some." "Yes, I would 100% try this." "I'm from the Philippines, but I will never eat tamilok." "I've eaten a lot of things, but I don't think I could do this." "Need a better dipping sauce of lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, chilli and coriander." "Filipino here, but I haven't tried that, nor the worm inside the coconut wood. They said it's good." "Wow, but NO. The sight of worm-like creatures scares me so much." "I wonder who first thought of eating it and then convinced others to try. This is too extreme for me." "Same in Indonesia - the name is tembiluk." "They eat these in Borneo as well, so not exclusive to Palawan." "Interesting! In northern Brazil, people also enjoy that. It's known as 'turu' in Brazil." "Wrong info in the end: it's not endemic in the Philippines. You can also find it and people eating it in the northeast of Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru." Bizarre foods often go viral on social media. Recently, a video featuring hairy tofu (with white fuzzy mould on it) took Instagram by storm. Read more about it here.
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Slimy texture, earthy flavour': travel influencer tries woodworm in Philippines, watch viral video
Travel and food vloggers worldwide have increasingly turned to trying bizarre foods to captivate their audience. Alexander Welder, a travel influencer, has captured the internet's attention after a video of him trying tamilok, a woodworm found only in the southern part of the island of Palawan in the Philippines, went viral. In the viral video, Welder calls it one of the bizarre foods found around Asia. Tamilok, despite its nickname, is not a worm but a wood-boring mollusc harvested from decaying mangrove wood. Traditionally eaten raw, often with vinegar and spices, it is prized by locals for its unique flavour and is considered a delicacy in parts of the Philippines, the influencer explains. Welder further described the texture as 'super slimy,' comparing it to a raw oyster, but said 'it is a bit of an acquired taste.' He shared that his team reached out to locals from a neighbouring village near Palawan, who brought the whole wood with fresh Tamilok inside it. Sharing the video, Welder explains, 'It's a mollusc with a very slimy texture but an earthy flavour and a muddy aftertaste. For the locals, tamilok is a cherished delicacy and a point of cultural pride. You can find tamilok mostly in the Southern part of the island of Palawan. There are even restaurants in Puerto Princessa that allegedly serve it on the their menu, but it might be out of stock often.' Watch the viral video here: A post shared by Alexander Welder (@alexweldertravels) The video quickly gained traction, amassing an array of reactions from adventurers and food enthusiasts. 'I've eaten a lot of things but I don't think I could do this,' a user wrote. 'I'm from the Philippines, but I will never eat tamilok,' another user commented. 'Whenever I think you've reached the limit you find a new strange thing that is even more crazy than the last,' a third user said.
