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Rome, Italy

30/5/2022

 
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Summary

Update: I originally posted this in 2018 but I've updated in 2022 following another visit
Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: ££££
  • No issues with airport security when landing or leaving Rome Fiumicino airport on two different occasions
  • Saw only one other Singh during my 4 days in the city, but locals are welcoming and although not as multicultural as London or New York, it is still an open, cosmopolitan city
  • Capital and largest city in Italy with a history stretching back 3,000 years including being the foundation of the Roman Empire
  • Main Sights: Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Pantheon, Villa Borghese, Trevi Fountain, Spanish steps, Aventine Hill, Via dei Coronari, Trastevere
Known as the Eternal City, the Capital of the World and the first ever large metropolis, Rome as a city is almost unparalleled in terms of its history and impact on the western world.

I decided to spend a few days discovering the history and story of the city with tips from locals born and raised in the city and found Rome to be one of my favourite cities that I have visited - both as a general traveller, and as a Sikh.

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Seoul, South Korea

22/4/2019

 
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Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: ££££
  • Similar prices to most cities in Europe or North America
  • No issues at the airport, and locals were extremely welcoming
  • A large modern city, with excellent transportation, easy to get around, and a lot to see and do
  • Main sights: Gyeongbokgung Palace, N Seoul Tower, Bukchon Hanok Village, Myeong-dong, Changdeokgung, Cheonggyecheon, Lotte World Tower, Gwangjang Market, Insadong, Olympic Park, Itaewon-dong

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Return to Paris

11/3/2019

 
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Summary

Airport Rating ***** (Eurostar)
Reception of locals ***1/2
Cost: £££££
  • Repeat visit to Paris, and a similar experience
  • No issues travelling on the Eurostar into Paris or leaving Paris as a Sikh
  • Similarly priced to major western cities like London, Amsterdam and New York
  • Main sights visited this time: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Montparnasse Tower, Notre Dame cathedral.

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5 things I loved about Vienna

26/11/2018

 
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I've wanted to visit Vienna for a long time. It's an often overlooked city, but it's one that is thought of as a quintessentially European city - regularly topping the rankings of the most liveable cities in the world. I finally understood at least some of the hype when I visited. The city is incredibly beautiful - the architecture, the history, the culture - there aren't too many places in the world I've visited more aesthetically pleasing than Vienna. However, as a brown person, be ready for stares. These guys don't have too many Sikhs (I saw one!), and they have a tendency to stare...a lot. Other than that, I'd be hard pressed to say too many bad things about the city. You can read my detailed review of the city here, but here are the 5 things I most loved about Vienna.

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5 things I loved about Zurich

5/11/2018

 
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Zurich has a reputation for being a grey, corporate, business city with little to offer by way of history, culture or adventure. Now, don't get me wrong - this isn't the most exciting of cities, but it surprised me with its beauty, and there is definitely history and culture. It's definitely a city by the rich and for the rich, so it's been one of more expensive destinations I have visited, but with the magic of cheap flights and some accommodation searching, I managed a trip at a relatively reasonable price. You can read in detail about my trip here, but here are the 5 things I loved about Zurich.  

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5 things I loved about Rome

20/8/2018

 
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One of the most storied cities in the world, and home to an empire that helped shaped western civilisation. In many respects, Rome is without comparison. I spent the best part of a week in the Italian capital (and you can read about it in detail here, and my trip to the Vatican, which is not a part of the list, here) and it was one of the most absorbing weeks of my life. The history is unparalleled, the culture fascinating, and the food indescribable (my favourite pizza place was here, not in Naples or New York). I could list at least 10 things in Rome that I absolutely loved, but, with some creative accounting, here are 5 of my favourites.

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5 things I loved about Naples

4/6/2018

 
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It's difficult to do justice to a city as spectacular as Naples. It has a raw beauty that is refreshingly unique in an increasingly homogenised Europe. A city that combines traditional architecture with modern skyscrapers almost seamlessly. I'll never forget arriving into Naples and seeing scooters piling on top of each other, street vendors covering the pavements, the smell of food from road side stalls and shops floating over the cobble stoned streets. From history to food, to insta-worthy landmarks, Naples is a city that has it all. You can read my detailed observations of the city here, but below are my 5 favourite things about Naples.

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Vienna, Austria

21/5/2018

 
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Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals ***1/2
Cost: ££££
  • It's the capital city of Austria, and a city with an incredibly rich history being located in the centre of Europe.
  • Austria has had a recent issue with far right nationalism, and although I saw a couple of other Singh's during my time there, and although it was never overtly hostile, there was definitely a feeling of unwelcomness.
  • The architecture of the city is very uniform and incredibly beautiful, with few skyscrapers.
  • The city produced a number of luminaries in the 19th and early 20th century, and the feel of the city almost transports you back to that time - although I felt I was at least 10 years too young to really appreciate the city.
  • Main Sights: Schonbrunn Palace, St Stephen's Cathedral, Prater, Hofburg, State Opera, Museumsquartier, Hundredwasserhaus, Naschmarkt, Karlskirche

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

23/4/2018

 
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Summary

Airport Rating ****
Reception of locals ****
Cost: ££
  • The capital of Malaysia is a very unique mix of being incredibly modern, yet vastly underdeveloped in many areas.
  • No specific issues with airport security uniquely problematic for Sikhs, but the airport is generally an unfriendly place, with odd procedures.
  • Incredibly cheap, especially compared to nearby Singapore.
  • A lot to see and do, with cheap transport connecting the city to Batu Caves in the north.
  • Main Sights: Petronas Twin Towers, KL Tower, KLCC Park, Thean Hour Temple, Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Jalan Alor, Petaling Street Market, Tapak Urban Street Dining.
My visit to Singapore gave me the opportunity to take a side trip to nearby Kuala Lumpur, giving me my first taste of Malaysia. The city is relatively new, established in its modern form some 30 years after Singapore, yet somehow it feels comparatively ancient. I managed to spend 4 days in the city, and although I'll write a separate article on the Batu Caves, this post covers my thoughts and observations on an often overlooked city.

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One thing to do in every Manhattan neighbourhood

26/3/2018

 
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Manhattan

I lived and worked in New York City and found it was unlike anywhere else in the world. And, without a doubt, Manhattan is NYC's beating heart. 

The cool thing about Manhattan is that it's split into a number of neighbourhoods, each with its own unique character. The differences between Chinatown, the Financial District, TriBeCa and SoHo are incredible, even though you could walk through each of them one after the other. 

Given these differences, I decided that during my time in New York, I would visit every part of Manhattan and then pick some things I really enjoyed. Since my return, friends have been asking for my tips, so I thought I'd share this more widely. This list shows one thing to do in every Manhattan neighbourhood, with the neighbourhoods defined by the city's own political map.

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    British Sikh, born in the Midlands, based in London, travelling the world seeing new cultures.

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