SummaryAirport Rating N/A Reception of locals ***** Cost: ££££
During my short visit to central Europe, Vianden was probably the most beautiful place that I came across, eclipsing even the beauty of Luxembourg City's old town. I only spent an afternoon in the town (there's not too much to do) but it was definitely an afternoon well spent.
SummaryAirport Rating N/A Reception of locals ***** Cost: £££
During my short visit to Luxembourg, I had the opportunity to explore a number of neighbouring cities. In Luxembourg City I shared a hostel with some travellers from Croatia and they mentioned the ancient city of Trier just across the border in Germany as a city worth visiting so I took their advice and decided to make the trip.
SummaryAirport Rating ***** Reception of locals **** Cost: ££££
Every so often I will type in 'Everywhere' into the departure form on Skyscanner and search for the cheapest tickets abroad. Tickets can be as low £15 and combined with a stay in a hostel, you can have a weekend away cheaper than a meal in London. It also gives me a chance to go to places I wouldn't usually consider and Luxembourg definitely falls into this category.
Summary You know the deal by now, marks out of 5, the higher the score the better.
Cost (relative to other areas of Manhattan): **** You can get much bigger places in FiDi for cheaper rental prices than most areas south of Central Park Transport and accessibility: **** Most main subway lines converge at the tip of Manhattan to give you quick access to the island as well as boats and the PATH train to New Jersey and Brooklyn Nightlife and entertainment: * Other than Stone Street, its a pretty poor place for a night out, but things are improving and TriBeCa is just a short walk Shopping and convenience: ** A large Century 21 and a new Westfields Shopping Centre are good, but there is no where near the diversity of shops as there are in SoHo or Greenwich Village. Grocery shopping is also more expensive, with the nearby Whole Foods in TriBeCa the best option History and culture: ***** You won't find anywhere in New York with the history of FiDi and the area also boasts a small number of museums SummaryThe 4th of July is one of the most important dates in American history as it celebrates America's Declaration of Independence from the British Empire. It leaves me slightly confused; there's my British upbringing that makes me want to shout treason, but there's my Panjabi heritage that thinks, 'you did good America'.
July 4th, or Independence Day, is a time of being with your family and therefore there is an exodus from the city the weekend before. In fact, I did a day trip to Long Island on the Friday before, and the traffic leaving the city throughout the day was incredible. For me, July 4th was the perfect opportunity to see how New York City celebrated one of the biggest days in the American calendar. SummaryAirport Rating n/a Reception of locals ***** Cost: £££
Although the organisation that I am working for has offices in New York (where I am based), it has its headquarters in Washington DC, and it was a work related matter that gave me the excuse to check out the capital of the United States.
I decided to extend my stay over a weekend so I could get a chance to explore DC, and the city was unlike anything I had expected; both in terms of size and energy. I managed to see the majority of landmarks and attractions during my stay and I'm sure I'll get an opportunity to return during my time in the States, but for now, here are my thoughts. Lessons from the Big AppleIt's been over a month since I've made the move to New York and it's beginning to feel like home. I've spent the first month exploring different parts of the city, doing the usual tourist things and trying to see a few things not on the trip advisor lists. Between my colleagues at work who have been incredibly welcoming and new people I have met in the city, I have managed to travel to a few different areas and see a few different things. I've also taken long walks on my own to orientate myself in the city. I did a 15 mile walk one weekend and close to a 10 mile walk on another weekend and I feel like I finally have my bearings. I've only been to Brooklyn a couple of times and Harlem once and I'm yet to see any American sports. As I'm roughly 6/7 weeks into my stay, I'll probably update this list a couple of times as I see new things and explore new places. What's it like for Sikhs?Its not that bad at all...so far at least. Colleagues and other locals I meet do tend to ask me if I've had any trouble and sometimes seem quite surprised when I say no. Perhaps its the post Trump coming together that I've seen in New York but the locals are very welcoming. I didn't have any trouble coming into the airport from London, but I'll reserve judgement on that until I've flown a couple of times. Anytime that I meet up with new people, they are curious and open-minded, they ask questions about my long hair, and almost always seem surprised and pleased with the answer. People just generally seem to be very respectful.
There aren't as many Singh's walking around Manhattan as you'd see in central London and no where near as many as the Midlands but I've seen one or two. Surprisingly, it doesnt look like the Singh head nod has reached New York yet. Only a matter of time. SummaryAirport Security *****
Reception of locals *****
Its been less than three weeks since I came to New York and its pretty safe to say its unlike anywhere else I have been. It's loud, dirty, polluted and I absolutely love it! It seems like I walk into some political disorder wherever I go; it happened in Thailand, it happened in Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Barcelona and now America. I got here less than a week before before Donald Trump became President and since then the city seems to be in almost a continuous state of protest. In between the protests, I've managed to walk around a fair bit of Manhattan and managed to visit parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island. The first thing I noticed was the size. The buildings are bigger, the roads are bigger, the cars are bigger, the people are bigger but the main part of Manhattan itself is quite small, surprisingly small actually. However, it manages to pack quite a punch for its size. SummaryAirport Rating ***** (Eurostar) Reception of locals *** Cost: £££££
It's the most visited city in the world and a city that is synonymous with beauty, class and elegance. There's a reason why places around the world are sometimes called "the Paris of the ...insert geographical location". Despite living fairly close to Paris, I haven't been to France since a school trip I scarcely remember.
The city itself is very old, founded in the 3rd century BC, it has grown to be one of the most populous cities in the world, although compared to somewhere like London, it isnt particularly large in size. I was lucky when I went as I have a few friends currently living there. This meant that even though I only went for a weekend, I was able to fit in a lot of things as they knew the city inside out. As with Singapore, Koh Samui, Madrid, Barcelona and Santiago, having someone who knows the local area definitely helps. Ancient ruins, mountains and countrysideNorthern Thailand refers to the mountainous north of the country, a whole world away from the golden beaches and blue seas of the south. The area roughly corresponds to the mountainous area bordering Myanmar and Laos, however in this article I have gone as far south as Sukhothai, which is about 4/5 hours north of Bangkok.
The north of Thailand is one of my favourite parts of the world. The amazing history of Sukhothai is complemented by the cosmopolitan twin cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, the former being one of the highlights of my visit. Sukhothai is famed for its historical park that has literally hundreds of statues of Buddha and ancient temples that are best explored by cycling. It was about an hour into the long journey north from Sukhothai that I began to feel a difference in the climate and landscape. The humidity and flat terrain of the south was slowly replaced by a crisp air and mountainous landscape. The road was bounded by greenery on all sides and the hectic pace of Bangkok tranformed into a slow crawl. Up until the early 1900's the Lanna area of the north was relatively independent and the natives are still fiercely proud of their local traditions and customs. I was lucky enough to visit Lampang, a city the northerners refer to as the 'last true paradise' of Thailand. Staying in a village about an hour outside the city was one of my favourite experiences and I spent my time there visiting local cottage industries as well as a school. Further north is Chiang Mai, a city becoming increasingly popular with tourists. The night market in Chiang Mai is incredible and the nightlife in general is very lively. The area has a significant Burmese influence, not just due to its proximity to the country but also having lived under Burmese rule. The city is the capital of the north, built in a valley, surrounded by mountains and is a great starting point for treks further north to the hill tribes. It's also a great place to spend a few days (or weeks) exploring the many temples, restaurants or getting lost in the streets. |
AuthorBritish Sikh, born in the Midlands, based in London, travelling the world seeing new cultures. Categories
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