MenuBack

I spoke at Experience Bucharest conference! Travel influencers Romania tourism event, Bellu Cemetery vampire fashion.

gothic vampire japanese fashion goth

This little vampire had the best Halloween ever. I got to visit the ultimate Gothic destination… Bucharest, Romania! 

Since I was a teen, I imagined myself haunting Romania’s cemeteries. This dream became reality, thanks to the hard-working team at Experience Bucharest — who invited me to speak at their October 2017 travel and tourism conference.

designer vampire cape dracula

Over the course of several days, I got to meet dozens of fellow travel bloggers, influencers and industry professionals. We experienced the best of Bucharest through immersive activities (and some stayed on to see more parts of the country with Experience Romania).

Needless to say, I had the time of my life. I’m so excited to share these stories from the land of Transylvania –– starting with a waltz through Bellu Cemetery in my Japanese vampire cape. (All photography by Joey Wong.)

experience bucharest conference bloggers

For a long time, Romania has been an overlooked destination. However, the tide is turning thanks to Experience Bucharest / Experience Romania, the largest independent project to promote tourism in this fascinating country. The passionate team of volunteers invited 100 top travel bloggers, vloggers, digital influencers and media to discover Bucharest’s many attractions, as well as take part in a day-long conference.

Above, I’m with Tudor Maxim (founder and one of the chief organizers) and Jeanette Ceja (travel TV reporter and expert), who spoke on the social media panel along with me.

moi meme moitie gothic lolita egl dress

The conference took place at the Novotel Hotel Bucharest, which also hosted my stay. It’s located by Old Town, with a balcony that had this lovely view of the city’s classic architecture.

Hair: My new purple/red/blue ombre haircolor is by Chad Evans at Stratosphere Salon in Vancouver, Canada. He cut my bangs into a vampire V, and did a fishtail braid in the back. So happy with this new hairstyle!

Outfit details: I wore Gal Stern tights with a silver skull pattern, Alex Streeter pearl necklace, Sleevey Wonders sheer sleeves, and a Moi-meme-Moitie graveyard dress (designed by Japan’s Elegant Goth Lolita icon, Mana of the bands Moi-dix-Mois and Malice Mizer).

travel influencers panel event discussion

I spoke at the “The Future of Tourism in Romania” conference, which  brought together travel professionals from all around the world. This Eastern European country has modernized and opened up to visitors especially since 2007, when it joined the EU.

The local tourism organizers first shared success stories of tourism in Romania, highlighting the increasing interest of travelers in Sibiu (historical city in Transylvania), Mamaia (beach and resort destination on the Black Sea), Bucovina (scenic historic region on the slopes of the Carpathian mountains) and other areas.

experience romania conference speech

Next, I stepped onto the Experience Romania stage to speak about “Best international practices in tourism and social media.” I was a speaker on this social media panel along with leading travel Instagrammers Altug Galip and Laiza Souza, and Jeanette Ceja who comes from a journalism background.

For about an hour, we answered questions from the audience and shared personal advice on topics related to travel, digital media, press trips, sponsorships and tourism trends. It was fantastic to hear everyone’s perspectives from their various backgrounds, and have a conversation with an audience of hundreds who are passionate about traveling. 

 

I put together a few clips of my Q&A answers during the travel blogger panel. You can see the video above and here.

experience bucharest press trip romania tourism

Many thanks to the Travel Massive Romania volunteers and local businesses for welcoming us bloggers, and showing us the best of Bucharest!

We got to go on walking tours of the city, try various restaurants… I’ll be showing you much more of my explorations soon.

japanese elegant gothic fashion lolita

I wore Gal Stern tights, Alex Streeter accessories, Sleevey Wonders under-sleeves and a Moi-meme-moitie dress (the wind gave my skirt and hair a boost!).

More photos of this look at the end of this post, but first…

bellu cemetery bucharest romania

Is there any better place to wear a vampire cape… than in the land of Dracula?

I transformed into a bat and flew to Bellu Cemetery (part of the Bucharest Urban Adventures “Darkside Tour”). This graveyard, officially known as Șerban Vodă, is the largest and most celebrated one in the city.

romanian coffin dracula tour

Bellu Cemetery was particularly atmospheric during Halloween season, with autumn leaves on the dramatic coffins.

Address and access: Șoseaua Olteniței 3-5, București, Romania. If you’re traveling by subway, get off at the Eroii Revolutiei metro stop (two stops from Universitate Station in Old Town). Entry is free, and the graveyard is open daily from 10 am to 8 pm.

vampire dracula graveyard fashion outfit

I got to live out my Dracula fantasies in this photoshoot, surrounded by wooden stakes and dark tombstones. 

Outfit details: I’m wearing my Black Peace Now designer cape from Japan, and a Moi-même-Moitié dress. 

Șerban Vodă cemetery bucharest

The cemetery is located on a 54-acre plot of land, donated by Baron Barbu Bellu (hence the name). Many of the graves date back to the 1850s, when the Romanian graveyard was founded.

My friends and I enjoyed strolling through the many rows of tombstones, some with interesting and eerie statues.

putin gravestone tombstone tomb

We came across a memorial to someone named Putin, featuring two Sphinx-women carrying a globe on their backs. (Edit – actually, this actually translates to ‘a little’ and has a spiritism spooky story associated with it… see the first comment at the bottom for the history.) On the right, I half-expected a vampire to rise out of this thorny black coffin!

Many famous Romanians lie beneath the soil including writers, gymnasts and astronomers. Two of the most famous residents are the national poet Mihai Eminescu, and playwright / humorist Ion Luca Caragiale.

creepy scary bucharest underground

Count Dracula may have been imagined by Ireland’s Bram Stoker, but Romanians have long-established legends about the dead rising from the grave. According to the local folklore, these “strigoi” crave fresh blood and can transform into other animals, as well as turn humans into ghouls.

vampire fashion editorial outfit post

Nosferatu vibes… When you’re standing in Bellu Cemetery, it’s easy to understand why Romanian vampire legends have captured the imagination of millions worldwide.

cross tombstones bellu graveyard bucharest

I love seeing how nature enhances the beauty of the chains and crosses. The leaves add a splash of blood-red to these resting grounds.

weird bizarre alternative bucharest

When night falls, who knows what might rise from these coffins?

(Of course, I also visited Bran Castle in Transylvania, associated with Vlad the Impaler… there’s a giant article to come out soon about it.)

romanian cemetery, graveyard

Even if you aren’t captivated by vampire stories, you should spend time wandering in Bellu Cemetery. The local history, art and architecture are fascinating to behold here.

vampire v shaped bangs hairstyle

My V-bangs haircut and Black Peace Now cape helped me get into the spooky spirit. Bucharest’s graveyard is truly a Goth dream.

cat on coffin, graveyard

We saw several cats living among the dead. (Dracula’s fellow creatures of the night.)

dracula vampire fashion, cape

Vampira vibes, in front of one of the largest and most elaborate mausoleums in Bellu graveyard. It belongs to Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, a 19th century Romanian politician and lawyer.

romanian goths, gothic attractions bucharest

Such a pleasure to tour this necropolis with my Romanian Gothic friends, Beatrice and Alex.

vampire travel tourism bucharest

In love with the historic architecture and dark decay of the mausoleums.

romania ghosts, srigoi legends

Most of the burial ground is Eastern Orthodox, with well-tended graves topped with crucifixes and angel statues.

vampire hairstyle hair color dye

“Out of what crypt they crawl, I cannot tell / But every night I see the rubbery things / Black, horned, and slender, with membraneous wings / And tails that bear the bifid barb of hell.” – H.P. Lovecraft, “Night-Gaunts.”

bucharest haunted cemetery tombs

This photospeaks for itself… Bucharest’s Bellu Cemetery is one of the most beautiful I’ve visited.

halloween bucharest romania costumes

You can come here on your own, or join the Bucharest Urban Adventures Dark Side walking tour. It also takes you to other eerie parts of the city, including a serial killer’s alleyway and bloody buildings from the Communist era.

bucharest subculture, gothic goths

“To walk with me you must die to your breathing life and be reborn to mine.” – Count Dracula in Bram Stoker’s novel

bucharest darkside tour urban adventures

Bellu Graveyard is tended by citizens, rather than the government. Many locals come here to leave flowers and offerings, and maintain the tombs in good condition.

japanese goth vampire fashion

Although this is a huge plot of land at 54 acres, the graveyard has been filled up over the past century and half. The paths between the rows are narrow, which make you feel close to the dead (or undead?)

designer black vampire cape

As you can see, Bucharest was everything this Goth girl imagined it to be… and far more.

experience bucharest organizers, event

I’m very grateful to the Experience Bucharest family for bringing me to their hometown, and having me take part in the conference’s 2nd Edition! (Above, with the lovely Anda Maxim who worked hard on the program, along with the other team members.)

Some of the invited bloggers stayed for an extra two weeks, and toured all around the country with Experience Romania. I’ll have to return soon to see more.

travel bloggers instagramers influencers conference

One my favorite parts of Experience Bucharest? Meeting dozens of fabulous travel storytellers, each with a unique niche and medium. (Facebook Live, LGBT, comedy videos, history blogs, desserts, you name it).

We hit it off with our shared love of travel; it’s such a joy to connect with others who walk a similar path. I left feeling inspired, and am sure I’ll meet up with many of these new friends somewhere in the world.

skull choker pearl necklace

I leave you with some close-ups of my jewelry. My Morbid Debutante white skull and pearls necklace is by Alex Streeter (who created the pentagram Angel Heart ring, most recently worn by Marilyn Manson on the cover of several music magazines).

vampire nail art, yohji yamamoto bracelet

My vampire nails were bloody perfect for the occasion. Dripping blood, bats, Dracula, fangs, coffins and skulls, rendered by hand in unbelievable detail.

As always, these gel nails are the work of Keiko Matsui at Glam Nail Studio in Vancouver. You can see a close-up of the nail art here on my Instagram, and I’ll post more images soon. (My bracelet cuff is vintage Yohji Yamamoto.)

dark red blue ombre haircolor

So thankful to Experience Romania / Bucharest for having me come to give a talk on the social media panel, and capture these stories and photos for you. (All photography by Joey Wong.)

bucharest haunted cemetery tours

“Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!” – Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”

asian vampire japanese girl portrait

This is only the first bite of Bucharest. Many more travel tales to come, including a visit to Bran Castle, and alternative street art tour. 

What are your impressions of Romania so far? Have you ever thought of visiting? If there was a land for Goths… I think it would be here!

SHARE & COMMENT

27 Comments

  1. noori ♡
    Posted November 11, 2017 at 3:42 am | Permalink

    Love this look!

  2. Kazau
    Posted November 11, 2017 at 3:44 am | Permalink

    That cape :O Vampiric perfection!

  3. Yiyi
    Posted November 11, 2017 at 3:45 am | Permalink

    impeccable and congratulations on the event success.

  4. Ellizabeth
    Posted November 11, 2017 at 3:45 am | Permalink

    Thanks 4 coming to Romania! ^ ^

  5. Shia
    Posted November 11, 2017 at 3:46 am | Permalink

    a Gothic dream and in Moitie too <33

  6. mary n.
    Posted November 11, 2017 at 3:46 am | Permalink

    Eastern Europe sure has lots of dark and atmospheric places to visit, come back soon……..

  7. Saarinen
    Posted November 11, 2017 at 3:47 am | Permalink

    I wouldn’t mind running into you in the grave yard :)

  8. Thuta
    Posted November 11, 2017 at 3:47 am | Permalink

    A+++ the fashion! elegant japanese goth lolita!

  9. Katrina03
    Posted November 11, 2017 at 3:48 am | Permalink

    Luv ur hair

  10. Adrian Sticlaru
    Posted November 11, 2017 at 6:02 am | Permalink

    One little correction for this statement: “We came across a memorial to someone named Putin, featuring two Sphinx-women carrying a globe on their backs.” Actually the word putin in this context is not a name – it is a romanian word for “a little”, or “a bit”. ” MAI ȘEDI PUȚIN” is an invitation to sit and stay for a while, for “a little” more. You can see that there is a little bench in the middle with some flowers and a photo. This grave is very famous because it has a mysterious and very intriguing story. It was built for a girl named Iulia Hașdeu (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iulia_Hasdeu) who died of the tuberculosis at the age of 18. She was daughter of a famous romanian writer Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bogdan_Petriceicu_Hasdeu) who build it for her following her plans. He became obsessed by spiritism in an attempt to communicate with his passed-away beloved daughter. He would often come and enter the crypt to visit his daughter and have spiritism sessions there. He also built an entire castle-cathedral in Campina (http://www.romaniajournal.ro/iulia-hasdeu-castle-spiritism-romance-and-science-all-in-one/) claiming that also his own daughter gave all the instructions for it. Spooky fact: if you would have looked inside the structure, just beneath the two sphinxes, you would have seen a human skull (not real, of course, but still very intriguing :) )

    • lacarmina
      Posted November 12, 2017 at 9:47 pm | Permalink

      Ohh thank you for these details! ow interesting, and love the spooky history behind it. So many layers in this graveyard!

  11. Jaden
    Posted November 12, 2017 at 8:01 am | Permalink

    Graveyard dream I love it

  12. Jane
    Posted November 12, 2017 at 8:01 am | Permalink

    What a magnificent cemetery and I am hoping of going to Romania myself this is an inspiration ❤️❤️❤️

  13. WoW girl
    Posted November 15, 2017 at 10:44 pm | Permalink

    Beautiful photography what an inspiring trip to Romania.
    “Wander and Wonder girl”

  14. Khizar Shaikh
    Posted November 16, 2017 at 7:05 pm | Permalink

    Perfect Photoshoot..
    Regards
    MiiKey MiiSport Grey Wireless Bluetooth

Post a Reply to Kazau

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked with *

*
*