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Hong Kong

12/2/2024

 
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Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: ££££
Update:
 I originally posted this in 2019 but I've updated in 2024 following another visit. Updates in italics
  • An assault on the senses; Hong Kong is a lot to take in
  • No issues at the airport, and no issues with locals
  • A city of extremes, with luxury high rise apartments, next to small box rooms in very old buildings
  • Main sights: Victoria Harbour, The Peak, Kowloon night markets, Tian Tan Buddha, La Kwai Fong, Central-Mid level escalators, Kowloon Walled City Park, Hong Kong trams, Aqualuna, Man Mo Temple

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Vienna, Austria

27/11/2023

 
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Summary

Update: I originally posted this in 2018 but I've updated in 2023 following another visit. Updates in italics
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. things felt a little different the second time around although I still got stares it wasn't as bad.
  • 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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Bilbao, Basque Country / Spain

11/9/2023

 
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Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: £££
  • The largest city of northern Spain and the Basque Country, a region known for its unique culture and strong independence movement
  • City has a temperate climate and doesn't get quite so many tourists as other large cities in Spain
  • Didn't see a single Sikh and very few non-Europeans, but no issues travelling through the city with very friendly locals
  • Bilbao has a reasonable cost of living, and there is a lot to see and do
  • Main Sights: Casco Viejo, Guggenheim Museum, Plaza Nueva, Mercado de la Ribera, Basilica de Begona, Artxanda Park, Bilbao Abando, Estadio San Mames, Catedral de Santiago, Iglesia de San Nicolas

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Oviedo, Spain

28/8/2023

 
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Summary

Airport Security *****
Reception of locals ****
​Cost: £££
  • No issues with immigration or airport security when arriving or leaving to Asturias Airport
  • Didn't see a single other Sikh in Oviedo, but people in the city were generally nice (although they stare)
  • Walkable city with a beautiful historical core
  • Quieter than other popular Spanish cities and a lot more cost friendly too
  • Main sights: Catedral de San Salvador de Oviedo, Plaza del Fontan, Casco Antiguo, Monte Naranco, Santa Maria del Naranco, San Miguel de Lillo, San Francisco Park

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Almaty, Kazakhstan

22/5/2023

 
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Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals ****
Cost: £££
  • The largest and most economically important city in Central Asia
  • Beautiful landscapes as the city sits beside the Ile Alatau mountain range
  • Very little English spoken in the city, although greater usage among the younger generation
  • People are relatively friendly, and I had no problems in the city or the airport as a Sikh
  • The city is affordable, although it is expensive to fly to, and the cost of food and accommodation was greater than I expected 
  • Main Sights: Ascension Cathedral, Big Lake Almaty, Shymbulak, Kok-Tobe Hill, Green Bazaar, Panfilov Park, Museum of Folk Music Instruments, Almaty Museum, Abay Opera House, Almaty Central Mosque

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Tokyo, Japan

6/3/2023

 
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Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals ****
Cost: £££££
  • No issues at the airport as a Sikh
  • People are generally friendly and polite, but have a distrust of foreigners 
  • Relatively expensive city, and surprising still heavily cash based
  • Incredible metropolis that stretches for miles, with an endless things to see and do
  • Main Sights: Asakusa, Akihabara, Ikekeburo, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Ginza, Senso-Ji, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Shibuya Sky and Crossing, teamLAB planets, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observation Deck, Yoyogi Park, Zojo-Ji, Imperial Palace, Roppongi, Omoide Yokocho, Atago Jinja 

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Mauritius

16/1/2023

 
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Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: ££££
  • No issues at the airport or on the island as a Sikh
  • An island paradise with idyllic beaches, beautiful landscapes and a diverse mix of residents 
  • Mauritius is expensive to get to, and expensive in resorts, but gets cheaper in the cities and villages
  • Main Sights: Chamarel Waterfall, Le Morne Brabant, Seven Coloured Earth Geopark, Flic en Flac Beach, Pereybere Beach, Le Pouce

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Luang Prabang, Lao

21/11/2022

 
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Summary

Airport Rating •••••
Reception of locals *****
Cost: ££
  • Comfortably one of the most beautiful cities that I have visited
  • Stunning landscapes mixed with gorgeous historical buildings
  • I can imagine it must get rammed during the busy season with tourists
  • More expensive than Vientiane but still very affordable
  • No issues travelling as a Sikh, although no local Sikh community
  • Main Sights: Phousi Mountain, Wat Xiengthong, Kuang Si waterfalls, Luang Prabang Night Market, Morning Market

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San Francisco, California

10/10/2022

 
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Summary

Update: I originally posted this in 2017 but I've updated in 2022 following another visit
Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: £££££
  • San Francisco is the financial and cultural centre of northern California, known for its natural beauty and temperate climate
  • A large Panjabi population lives in the wider Bay Area, and a historical connection to Mexico means that the city is culturally diverse
  • No major issues at airport security, or getting around the city
  • It's an expensive city, more so than NYC and perhaps London too
  • Main Sights: Golden Gate Bridge, Ferry Building, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, Lombard Street, Chinatown, Cable cars, Mission district, Dolores Park, Crissy Field
There are four parts of the world that every Sikh has family friends or relatives; Panjab, England, Canada and California. I'd heard (and read) a lot about the west coast of the United States, and I was excited when I was given the chance to give a talk in San Francisco. I decided to extend my stay for a few extra days and ended up spending almost a week in the city.

Its the tech capital of the world and in terms of western cities, it's definitely one of the strangest I have ever visited. Areas of ridiculous money are often a short walk from areas of abject poverty. The natural beauty of the Bay Area is contrasted by the dirty, run down and drug infested streets away from the coast. It's a city of extremes, but it's one that has left a strong impression on me.

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Florence, Italy

13/6/2022

 
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Summary

Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: ££££
  • A culturally important city famed for its museums and art galleries.
  • No issues with airport security as a Sikh and its a small airport that is well connected to the city.
  • City is filled with tourists, which means a lot of tourist traps, an expensive city centre and a lot of queues - but so much things to see and do
  • Very walkable city with good public transportation
  • Main Sights: Uffizi Gallery, Accademia Gallery, Piazzale Michelangelo, Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore, Mercato Centrale, Ponte Vecchio, Battistero di San Giovanni

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

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