SummaryAirport Rating **** Reception of locals **** Cost: ££
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.
SummaryAirport Rating ***** Reception of locals ***** Cost: £££££
I recently had the opportunity to head back to Singapore, my first trip to the city state in almost 5 years. If you read my previous article on Singapore, you'll note that I only stayed a couple of days and mentioned it was one of the places I'd like to visit again, only with more time to spare.
Well I finally had the chance to revisit it, and I spent almost a week exploring areas of Singapore that I didn't have a chance to see the first time around. Read on for more about my views and observations about one of the more divisive places in Asia. ManhattanI 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. SummaryAirport Rating N/A Reception of locals **** Cost: £££££
The Amalfi Coast is one of the most famous coastlines in all of Europe, located south of Naples and to the west of Salerno. The coastline is most famous for its dramatic cliffside drops that leave very little room for arable land, but create a stunning spectacle. In fact, as with the rest of my blog, the photos in these article are taken with an old school 8MP camera, but still look postcard perfect. Three towns in particular are heavily associated with the coast; Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi, and during my recent trip to Italy, I visited all three.
SummaryAirport Rating ***** Reception of locals ****3/4 Cost: ££
Chaotic, loud and dirty, yet with a raw beauty I haven't seen replicated anywhere else for a city its size. Naples is without a doubt one of my favourite cities that I have visited.
With a history stretching back almost three millennia, scenery that includes a volcano, a port and architecture rivalling Rome, and a culinary reputation surpassing most other cities, Naples should be near to the top of everyones must visit list. In many ways the city is similar to the Barcelona of 15-20 years ago - that raw beauty and a local/traditional essence is still there and tourism is not yet the all encompassing feature that I am sure it will become. I visited Naples for four days, and below are my observations and reviews of a city that I think is comfortably in the top 5 of my favourite cities globally. SummaryAirport Rating ***** (Rome Fiumicino) Reception of locals ***** Cost: £££
It seems pointless making the trip to Rome and not visiting the autonomous Vatican City, the home of the Holy See, residence of the Pope and home of one of the best views of Rome. It's a short walk from the city of Rome, and as I found out, the Vatican City is definitely worth a visit.
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 ***** 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 SummaryAirport Rating **** Reception of locals **** Cost: ££££
Chicago is the third largest city in the United States and the centre of the American Midwest. The city has an incredible history considering its relatively short existence (especially compared to cities in Europe). The Great Fire of Chicago gave rise to the birth of the skyscraper, whilst prohibition brought along with it the rise of gangsters such as Al Capone.
It was another work related matter that allowed me to visit a different American city, this time to give a talk. I decided to take some extra time in the city afterward to explore a little of Chicago and see some of the main sights, and I'm glad I did because I thought it was a beautiful city. |
AuthorBritish Sikh, born in the Midlands, based in London, travelling the world seeing new cultures. Categories
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