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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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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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Amsterdam, Netherlands

23/5/2022

 
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Summary

Update: I originally posted this in 2018, but have updated in 2022 following another visit
Airport Rating *****
Reception of locals *****
Cost: ££££
  • One of the strangest cities in Europe, with an eclectic mix of history, culture, beauty, art and seediness.
  • No issues at all with airport security, and Schiphol Airport has modern scanners so you don't remove liquids or laptops either.
  • Not the cheapest city to visit, but better value than cities such as Zurich.
  • In the spring time, full of UK stag parties clustered around the Red Light District, but locals are fine, although there is a growing nationalist movement.
  • Main Sights: Westerkerk, Anne Frank House, the many museums, two Gurdwaras, canals, Amsterdam Arena, Vondelpark, Red Light District

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Bridgnorth, UK

3/5/2021

 
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Summary

Airport Rating N/A
Reception of locals *****
Cost: ££££
  • Located in Shropshire, one of the more rural counties in the UK, Bridgnorth is a small town with a small town vibe
  • Separated by the River Severn into a High Town and a Low Town that is connected by a series of steps and a funicular railway
  • No issues to visit as a Sikh as it's located near the Black Country and Wolverhampton, areas with large Sikh populations
  • Main sights: Cliff Railway, Bridgnorth Town Hall, St Mary's church, St. Leonards church, Bridgnorth Castle, Severn Valley Railway, Lavington's Hole

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Lockdown in pictures

29/3/2021

 
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Lockdown

When we first went into lockdown a year ago, I don't think any of us could have predicted the 12 months that have followed. People have lost jobs, and many others have lost lives. I count myself fortunate to be in neither of those categories, but I wanted to share a visual account of my lockdown, if for nothing else, to remind myself years from now how things can change in an instant.

​Before I begin, if you want to read my thoughts on the coronavirus from a year ago you can do so here, but just remember things have changed a lot since then. If you want to read my review of the year 2020, you can do that here.

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Hong Kong in pictures

28/2/2021

 
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Hong Kong

This is part of a series of posts where I look back at some of my favourite pictures from different cities that I have visited. You can read the rest of the series here.

Back before lockdowns, a coronavirus and trouble in China, I managed to visit the chaotic city of Hong Kong, and I'm glad I managed to experience the city before its recent troubles. It was a city high on my bucket list, and it didn't disappoint. If you want to read my in-depth review of Hong Kong you can do it here, or if you want a quick, short read, you can read about the 5 things I loved about Hong Kong here.

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

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Photos used under Creative Commons from Rob.Bertholf, wwward0, jasleen_kaur, tc_manasan, blacklerphotos, miguel_discart_photos, Vallausa, fabrizio-russo, free pictures of money, miguel_discart_photos, thedescrier, falco500, François Lacroix, falco500, frankieleon, Rareclass
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