Showing posts with label london. Show all posts
Showing posts with label london. Show all posts
23 November 2017
Where To Stay In London | 10 of London's Best Located Hostels In The City
29 July 2017
Top 10 Money Saving Tips For Visiting London
London is said to be one of the most expensive cities in the world. Yes, London can be expensive for local residents too but it needn't be so for visitors, providing you come well versed with money saving tips for visiting London. This will allow you to find out where to stay in London, places to see in the city, cheap and free things to see and do in London and their for allowing you to make the most of your visit to London a pleasurable one without breaking the bank. Also, booking where to stay in London, England should be an expensive task, you just have to know what options are available and what you get for your budget range. The same goes for things to do in London. There are plenty of free things to do in London, from free museums, free viewing points, beautiful parks in London to cheap way of getting around tips for these in addition to tips for visiting London can be found on the blog but clicking on London Tips in the menu above. For this post, I thought I would give you some tips for visiting London from a Londoner's perspective on how to save money when visiting London. and still have a great time! Below are my money saving tips for visiting London but also look out for my post on the best located hostels in London soon.
21 March 2017
Nope Not India! - London's Insanely Beautiful Temple You Have To See
Religion has always been at the heart of living as human beings. I am always fascinated by the lengths religions go to in the detailed designs of religious architecture. From Chinese temples of Beijing, Malaysian Batu Caves, Cambodian ancient Ankorian temples to exploring India and Israel's Bahai temples. I also always advocate exploring your own backyard as well as seeing faraway places. Neasden temple or Baps Shri-Swaninarayan Mandir as its originally known is a beautiful Hindu temple that has been on my list for far too long. I have visited a couple of times but last year was the very first time I actually got to see the inside. The details and stories of the architecture around Neasden Temple is every bit as interesting as the outside. Said to be the largest marble structure outside of India and we all know about India's famous marble structures such as the Taj Mahal in Agra.
6 November 2016
London Exploring | Tower Bridge At Night [What to See and Do In London] Pt3
Part Three of my exploring London series is by way of a little night photography on London's Tower Bridge. I usually say to myself that I will go shooting on this bridge but each weekend I come up with an excuse not to go. I guess because over the summer period the sun sets slightly later and I just haven't been bothered to wait until 8 or 9pm for it to set (says the person that went shooting sunsets at midnight in Iceland). I take a lot of things for granted living so central in London. As they are a stone's through away I always put them off in favour of something far away.
So this evening I dragged my boyfriend out with me and plugged it as a little walk because hey "we haven't been doing our usual walks lately". Never mind, that it was a walk that was going to include packing photography equipment as well, which he was also going to help me carry. He is an unpaid photography assistant, he just doesn't know it yet. Like I have said in the previous post in the series, these will act as a way to showcase a little bit of London as an when I go out on photo walks, whether solo, with other Instagrammers and when I drag my boyfriend out to assist. Below are a few shots from a night photography session on Tower Bridge.
29 October 2016
4 Reasons To Vacation In Off-Peak Season
1. Prices of Flights Are Cheaper In Low Season
I have found prices to be super cheap or reasonably inexpensive soon after the school holidays. So around November when University students have had their freshers week is usually a great time to fly. Also around mid-January but not too far into February because they pick up again people being flooded with valentines ideas. Mid-January, I guess because people are still traveling back from the Xmas holidays so I guess airline bookings dip after the first and second week of January hence why they reduce the prices to entice bookings.
29 September 2016
London Exploring | Views From The Shard [What to See and Do In London] Pt2
Living fairly central in London means that I am right in the heart of London's hustle and bustle as well as being better placed to offer London travel tips for those coming to visit and explore London. For those that are visting London, checking out the best views in London is usually somewhere up there on the list of things to see and do in London. So as part of my visual diaries of London I thought part two could showcase London city views. This installment is by way of a visit to The Shard View in the heart of London's city. The perfect spot for catching the sunset and see London from high up.
15 September 2016
London Exploring | Westend [What To See And Do In London] Pt1
Every other weekend myself and a few instagrammers take to the streets of London for a little bit of shooting so this post will act as a series to give you a visual inspiration of what you can see and do in London via these photo sessions.
Below you can see Trafalgar Square, Number 10 Downing Street, London Eye Big Ben and Westminster. Make sure you follow me on Instagram to make sure you see these as and when we have the London walks. I usually prefer to shoot just before sunset and after sun set when I am in London, the city just feels and appears so much calmer. When I am away I tend to go more for sunrise shoots.
14 August 2016
Why Every London Visit Should Include A Stop At Notting Hill & Portobello Market
Ahh Notting Hill, an Instagrammers little gem! Notting Hill is famous for many things, from the yearly carnival the brings multi-cultural societies into one big colourful weekend-long street part, to the beautiful Portobello Market and lest we forget Notting Hill romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant! Notting Hill is one place in London that every tourist weigh their coins has to pay a visit to when they come to London.
How can resist that pastel and candy coloured houses all lined up waiting to be snapchatted? It's the perfect place to wonder around on a Sunday as the streets are perfect to get lost in, in between instagramming and latte sipping sessions. Portobello Market is not only famous for its antiques but you will find it all here, from beautiful jewellery to old photography memorabilia, closes, food stalls and many a souvenir. You next visit to London should definitely include a stop to Notting Hill. If the word haven't convinced you yet, hopefully the pictures below should do the trick!
Getting To Portobello Road
Your Nearest underground station is Notting Hill. From there you have clear signage on which exits to use. Its perfectly easy to find as you will always have people heading in that direction.
12 August 2016
The Perfect Weekend Bag For Quick and Easy Getaways
Being a travel blogger, I guess I don't need convince you of the fact that I travel a lot. Working as a consultant also means I travel for much of my projects. Currently making the weekly rounds between London and Harry Potter's playground in beautiful Oxford. I hope my recent weekend trips to Paris, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Edinburgh, the English countryside and many other European cities have served inspiration for you to pack your bags and head for little break. With the right bag one can quickly hop on out of the city for a little weekend R&R with minimal packing effort. Those weekend trips are all about maximising the time you have for play on your get away, and doing so means reducing the time you have to check in at airports or dragging around big bags. You want to be able to pack a carry-on and go from work to play in about as little time as it takes Lewis Hamilton to get from 0-60! That means having a bag perfect for a carry-on-only weekend getaways. Who doesn't need an escape from the weekday grind? The Catalina weekender by Lo and Son is perfect for skipping the check-in desk and heading straight to departures. This little baby comes in a few shades but being a lover of all shades of blue, I went for Indigo, but there are a few more colours in the range if blue doesn't get your wanderlust flowing. Reasons to love this weekender?
3 July 2016
A Local's Guide On What To See And Do In London
It has been a while since I have done a guide on London, the very city I live in, for goodness sake! I suppose I take it for granted that I live here, so I tend to write a lot about other cities I go to as an escape from London. So, my long overdue of a local's guide to London. Even better that no transportation is required with this guide. A lot of it only requires money for a cup of coffee when you get thirsty or need to take cover from the rain. There are lots of stops along the way to taste amazing food. All calories that you will burn off on this walk anyway. Below is a map that you can also click on with previews of what you will see and do along this guide. Also, look out for a guide to shopping in London as well as all the best markets you need to check out when you visit London as well as where to stay when you visit London. I will be covering all budgets for that so make sure you are following on Bloglovin so your don't miss them when they publish. Without further ado, lets get to it!
Start The Day With A Hearty Breakfast In Covent Garden.
6 March 2016
Happy Mother's Day | 5 Gift Ideas For The Ladies In Your Life
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| Necklace and Earrings - HSN/ Prosecco - Co-operatives |
It's that time of year. Mother's day is upon us and time to honer all the beautiful and hard working ladies in our lives. With both parents deceased Mother's day and Father's day at times to really owner the men and women who really make a difference in my life. For mother's day this year The co-operatives food invited me to the Mother of All Tea Parties. If you haven't see pictures of these then check out twitter's hashtag #TwitterTeaParty.
While sipping away countless ups of Earl Grey and sides of irresistible cake I thought it best to spread the love and send you over a few ideas to really pamper and appreciate the ladies in your life. That includes those sisters, friends, cousins and nieces that really bring joy to your life then below are 5 ways to show them a little love for Mothering Sunday. From flowers to a little bling. It's not always about going over the top with Mother's Day gifts. You can invite the ladies over for a little Prosecco and girly giggles.
13 February 2016
Valentine's Day Surprises
I love a good surprise as much as the next person so when I heard the door bell ring and the post man handed me a package, I was struggling to remember if I had ordered something online. I certainly wasn't expecting any delivery. To my surprise the people at the Co-Operative Food had sent over a little Valentines Day breakfast package by way of their 'Love at First Light' gift box, which included that aromatic coffee, chocolate teddy, croissants and a few other sweets that never made it to the shoot below. Well let's just say none of these will make it to Valentines Day as they have been happily consumed between me and the boyfriend. Now, I have to come up with something else to do for Valentines Breakfast as I woofed that down almost as quickly as I opened it....there is still plenty more of that aromatic coffee for the gift box so I suppose we will be okay...
6 September 2015
#LumiaStreetArt - East London Street Art | Lumia Photo Walk With Microsoft
You might have seen me post a few pictures on my Instagram account a few weeks ago when I and a few other bloggers were invited to a Street Art Photo Walk(#LumiaStreetArt) with none other than Microsoft. Bloggers were going to be checking out the Nokia Lumia 930 which of course features the Windows platform. I am no stranger to Windows phones as I have written phone applications for the Windows platform as well as using them for work. What I was keen on, was testing out the new Nokia Lumia 930 camera and putting it to its paces. Our walk came with a tour guide taking us through Shoreditch's hidden streets filled with some of the world's famous and popular taggers and street artists. Also on hand was Phil Hebbert from Photography Made Simple, who showed us how to get the best out of the phone's features.
Lumia Photo Walk Round 1
Our photo session ran in two rounds. Starting at Shoreditch station we walked around checking out the colourful art and getting the low down of what inspired the artists, where some of their other works are featured. This also included discussions on their style, how that has evolved as well as their thought provoking works, whether in protest of today's issues or their use of material; paint, props, threading, puzzles in order to engage their audience. Whether you are into art or not, you cannot ignore what the art had done for this area of London.
18 August 2015
London | 10 Things To Do In Greenwich Village
I thought I would put together a 10 things to do in Greenwich Village. Other than getting yourselves food most things to see and do in this part are all free.
13 August 2015
London's Best Roof Top Bars
"Lets face it, this is London. When the weather is this good its time to celebrate"
Summer in London is known for being sketchy so when the sun is out it's time to kick your shoes of, put on some sandals and head for London's best roof top bars. While my sisters were visiting from the USA I managed to take them to a few of them as we hadn't managed to explore them on there last visit. One of those was Vista Bar in Trafalgar Square. Sits on top of Trafalgar Hotel with views across Westminster, London's theatre district and of course watching the hustle and bustle of Trafalgar Square. Great cocktails with prices that won't make your eyes water are just what was ordered.
As we are right in the middle of summer(not judging by this week's weather), I thought I would show you some of the places locals hang out in, in the city. These places also offer some of the best views of the city without paying extra to get in. Others not listed at the Elizabeth Hall on Southbank, London's Sky Garden and the Shard as well as a for more slight further out of central London. You can check out my post on views from across St Paul's Cathedral with 5 top places to watch the sunset over London's skyline.
Vista Bar, The Trafalgar Hotel, 2 Spring Gardens, Trafalgar Square, SW1A 2TS. (Pictures below)
Sushisamba - London's highest roof terrace. Open all year round at Heron Tower in Liverpool Street. Very popular with professionals, so expect a waiting list or queues. The terrace’s point of focus is a tree sculpture with pretty orange leaves that sparkle when lit up after sunset. Cocktail prices are also not for the faint hearted but the amazing views more than make up for the prices. The lift ride up there is worth a go in itself any time of day, although I prefer it at night.
110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY
Aqua - Open all year round and offers the perfect spot for watching the sunset with a cool drink in hand and interesting conversations with friends.
5th Floor, 30 Argyll Street, London, W1F 7EB
12 July 2015
Hampton Court Palace
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People are fascinated by monarchy for many a reason and as the summer draws in, I love nothing more than exploring palatial gardens or the many beautiful parks in London. Most of which have historical links to royal families such as the beautiful Italian Gardens in Hyde Park or the Secret Garden in Regents park. Their perfectly manicured lawns, clipped hedges, imported trees from around the globe, their elaborate use of water around the gardens with mythological statues and pavilions all draw you in as you a explore the story revealed by the landscape artists. The perfect setting for summer picnics in colourful surroundings.
13 June 2015
A Touch of Vintage | Exploring London On A Vintage Route Master
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I have a couple of posts on afternoon teas from London to Dubai to Hong Kong, so I think it's pretty clear that Bee is no stranger to cake accompanied by pinky-held tea cups. So when Thistle Hotels invited a couple of bloggers for afternoon tea atop a red vintage bus, my sweet tooth was ready and willing before I could even finish reading the invitation.
Sunday rolled on and as if by magic, London was beautifully bathed in glorious sunshine when giggling bloggers jumped on board the afternoon tea tour bus run by BB Bakery, some were so eager that they managed to get on the wrong BB Bakery tour bus(they were politely ushered off). We were also in the good company of a dashing Tom from Thistle Hotels who was on hand to answer our questions we had about the hotel, most of which are in easy access to many of London's tourist attractions. So if you are heading over to London for business or pleasure then you have plenty to choose from. I didn't even know they had that many Thistle Hotels dotted around the capital.
12 May 2015
Brunch At Victoria And Albert Museum
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I forget just how beautiful London's architectures is sometimes. This is fast becoming a typical Sunday hang out spot as its literary next door to the church I go to. In order to avoid the rain when walking to and from Church from South Kensington Station, I usually have to take to the tunnels that led right into Victoria and Albert Musuem then a few steps into Church. This is one of the busiest museums in the capital but you can still find a little respite in the John Madejski Garden. Named so as £2 million was donated by John Madejski to the museum to design a stylish new courtyard for people to meet and provide a central point to explore the museum.
The beautiful garden leads to my little Sunday brunch spot. The Gamble and Poynter Rooms. This is where the cafe is located, the original refreshment room which formed the first museum restaurant in the world. It's usually busy inside but when the sun is shinning you most likely want to be enjoying your meal out on the seats outside or spread across the lawn. It is simply beautiful whether you are dinning here during the day or night when its all lit up. You can spend the whole day here easily. Look at just how stunning the architecture is, let alone the art that is within the walls all the museum.
3 May 2015
Tasteful Experiences | Explore London By Boat
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As Londoners there are many things we take for granted because they are always there, but I tell you there is always an element excitement when you see London from a different angle, say for a boat. When the folks at Tinggly invited my boyfriend and I for a cruise on the Thames we jumped at the chance to explore London by boat. A table by the window guaranteeing uninterrupted views of London's best London marks, gourmet food and wine glasses refilled without even noticing. How would say no to that?
The cruise starts off at Westminster pier and flows through Central London's 2,000 year old river, providing commentary of much of the London's weird and wonderful history from years past to present day. These tours would seem like something only tourists are up for but even a Londoner is bound to appreciate a romantic break on the waters, whether its a first date or anniversary that doesn't involve a plan ride, in addition to learning something new about the city. Taking to the waters is one of my favourite things to do in the city. You can check out my other post on London's Little Venice.
We whiled away the tour passing through, Waterloo Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge and its over-the-river platform, Millennium Bridge with views of St Paul's and Tate Modern and headed for the beautiful bridge with views of Castle of London, Shard and the many skyscrapers of the financial district before cruising to Greenwich. The weather on the day was not great but such is life in London, but fine dining, stunning backdrop to many of the city's tourist attractions and relaxed environment you immediately forget about London's lack of sunshine. The tours run a couple of times a drive with a variety of offerings. Tinggly find the most inspiring experiences around the world and let you share them as gifts for you and loved ones. Head to Tinggly for more details about the cruise as well as more experiences ranging from touring Russia Palaces, walking with Monks in Nepal to zip lining through rain forests, Safaris in African national parks and so much more.
29 March 2015
Top 10 Things To Do In London For The Bank Holiday Weekend
Almost every shop that you go to whether you are in for your double A batteries you will most likely have noticed that they will have piled high Easter eggs at the till in a bid to put you into some sort of Chocolate coma. Well there is more to the long Easter Bank Holiday than scoffing down chocolate. That of the loooong and welcomed few days from work! Some with that much time on your hands what do you do? Whether its just you, your friends or if you have mini-mes at home then I have some idea that will cover you from all angles. Below is my top 10 list of things to do in London during the long weekend holidays. For those hoping to get out of London, not to worry I have some inspiration for you too below. If you are not in London then I am pretty sure these will still help in searching out similar events in your cities.
1. Something For the Kids(and the young at heart)
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London usually puts on a show during the Bank Holidays, most of which are FREE! From live music shows on the Southbank and National Gallery on the Embankment to places like Spanish Garden at the Roof Gardens in Kensington. If that's out of reach then, if you are a lover of all things covered in chocolate goodness then you and the kiddies are in for a treat, as there are various venues hosting Easter Egg hunt. From Clapham Common, Bank of England Musuem to Butlers Wharf on the Thames. Check out Timeout's list for more Easter egg hunting traditions around London. See, its not just for the kids. There is fun to be had for chocolate loving adults too.
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