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Breaks close to home

Not being able to travel internationally doesn’t mean you have to miss out on some well deserved #RnR 🧖🏾‍♀️. 

Here’s our list of local destinations we think you should try out: 

1️⃣ London – Why not stay close to home or drive/commute down and stay at a 5* star hotel. We recommend the Landmark as they always offer an amazing service 👌🏾 

Breakfast in bed? A spa treatment? Get the holiday feeling without getting on a flight. 

➡️ if you’d prefer a day service why not try the Montcalm or one of the many Bannatyne sites? Their massages are amazing and they offer access to their swimming pool and spa services. 

2️⃣ The Cotswolds 

The Cotswolds have been declared an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). They are truly picturesque. They cover 800 square miles across 5 counties. It’s a gateway to some amazing cities; Bath, Oxford for example and the chefs at their gastropubs are top tier.

We could go on but then this post would get really long 😉 Look into it and make a weekend or longer of it.

3️⃣ Cornwall – St. Ives, Penzance, Newquay, Torquay. Getting to some of these places will really make you feel like you’ve left the UK. You will have a lengthy drive or train head ahead of you but the destination is more than worth it.

https://www.visitcornwall.com

4️⃣Edinburgh, Scotland 

There are nearly more castles than people (not really but there are a lot of castles)! Gothic vibes, castle vibes, cobbled street vibes. Edinburgh offers a lot of vibes, if you’re feeling even more adventourous why not head to the coast and take in some of the beautiful coastline 😍

**Please check local lockdown/covid restrictions before booking anything**

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Covid Friendly Ideas

The English weather took a dramatic turn for wet, cold and windy 🌬 *collective sigh* 

Howeverrrr, we encourage you to not let the cold weather deter you from catching some fun 🤩. Grab your rain coat, some boots and scroll for some inspiration. 

1️⃣ Visit one of the many monasteries 🏚 Monasteries are up and down the U.K.  These structures were closed down years ago so Henry VIII could start the Church of England and sell them for parts, their former glory consists of them being decorated with precious gems and materials. Work your imagination and try to picture them as they formerly were. 

➡️ To see a full list of locations visit: Monasteries and Abbeys | English Heritage

2️⃣ Seven Sisters ⛰ are a series of chalk cliffs by the English Channel. They are a good location for bird watching, long walks, dog-walking and cycling to name a few things. Due to Covid restrictions their visitor centre is closed and there is also no access to public toilets. So bear this in mind when you plan your visit. 

➡️ To get some more information visit: www.sevensisters.org.uk/things-to-do-at-seven-sisters

3️⃣ National History Museum 🦖  The main attraction here is the free! We’re lucky enough to have a host of museums that cost nothing to visit. There are social distancing measures in place, so grab your friends, family or partner and make a day of it. For a full list of the happenings: www.nhm.ac.uk/

➡️ if you prefer being at one with nature, why not visit the Horniman Museum located in South-East London.

4️⃣ Richmond Park 🌳 We didn’t know you could get so up close and personal with deer so close to the city, one of our instafam @tolasadventures put us on! This will be messy, as it is always raining but just get your wellies on and make a day of it.

➡️ For more information: www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond-park/richmond-park-attractions/wildlife/deer-in-richmond-park

5️⃣ Visit ‘Gods own junkyard’ 🏌🏾‍♀️ The ‘Oldest signmakers in London’, this may prove to be sensory overload but if you are willing this looks like a nice stop and rather off the beaten-track.

➡️ Get some more information on: www.godsownjunkyard.co.uk

6️⃣ A walking 🚶🏾‍♀️ tour. We love a good walk and it’s nice to see your city at a slower pace than you usually would. London in particular has so many hidden nooks and crannies as its so old, follow the grim steps of Jack the Ripper’s sprees. Make your way to the dungeons of days past or follow in Harry’s steps as he made his way to Hogwarts.

➡️ Give it a Googs, so many options pop up!

7️⃣ Visit a Palace 🏰 Hampton Court Palace. Buckingham Palace. Kensington Palace. Windsor Castle. Kew Palace. Blenheim Palace. Do you get where we’re going with this? lol. There are numerous choices; get some photo ops and some fresh air.

➡️ www.touristengland.com/top-10-castles-palaces-england

8️⃣ Have afternoon tea ☕️ Pinkies in the air please! Scones. Clotted Cream. Jam. Tea. Very British and that’s on being multi-faceted. 

➡️ Check Groupon for deals on afternoon tea, grab your crew or go alone, and kick back.

9️⃣ Try a new restaurant 🍽 Luckily for us, just like Chip never running out of bars – London doesn’t run out of food options.  Some places we love and highly recommend are:

  • Chuku’s
  • Fat Crab
  • Enish
  • Banana Tree
  • The Breakfast Club

➡️ The options are actually endless, check OpenTable for honest reviews and get booking!

Please check the current covid guidelines and stay safe friends ❤️🥰

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Post Brexit Travel to Europe

European travel looks like the way to go once Covid cases start dropping. Here are few things to bear in mind for UK travellers.

We’re officially about to be outside of the clurb 🥺😔

For more information, visit www.gov.uk/transition

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Packing Hacks!

Top 5 no debating…
  1. Roll your clothes – don’t fold them! Roll socks into shoes, roll outfits together. Trust us, it saves so much space!
  2. Pack shoes and an emergency outfit in your carry-on! In the worst case that your luggage is delayed you have something to change in to aaaand you have more space in your check in luggage for all the outfits!
  3. Pack anti-sickness tablets. There is a chance your system will react to a new environment, better to be safe than sorry.
  4. Double check all your liquids over 100ml are in the your checked luggage. You don’t want to have to bin your favourite perfume or get held up at security. Double and triple check.
  5. Keep your liquids in a separate bag and/or section of your luggage – in case of a leak and also to maximise space.

Did you find these useful? Why not share them with someone else 😉

International Slavery Museum

For years and probs for many more to come, Black people have been trying to explain that slavery is not where our story starts. The curriculum taught in schools isn’t helping, the shows we have on TV aren’t helping either. So, it’s always great to see when an institution is doing its part to educate the masses effectively.

The International Slavery Museum is very comprehensive and I thoroughly enjoyed my exploring. I felt pride, I felt inexplicable sadness and hope – it was a rollercoaster of emotions.

  • There are three main themed galleries:
    • Life in West Africa – exploring the story and culture of Africa and its peoples, who are central to the story of transatlantic slavery.
    • Enslavement and the Middle Passage – revealing some of the brutality and trauma suffered by enslaved Africans on the voyage across the Atlantic; then the oppression of their lives on plantations in the Americas.
    • Legacy – highlighting the continuing fight for freedom and equality; the contemporary impact of transatlantic slavery, such as racism and discrimination; and the achievements of the African Diaspora.

Here are some pictures from my visit:

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World Museum (Liverpool)

The World Cultures gallery showcases World Museum’s huge collections from Africa, The Americas, Asia and Oceania. Featuring more than 1,600 objects, the gallery explores the exchange of ideas and objects between Europe and the many cultures represented in the displays.

The Museum was a pleasant surprise, I loved the way it showcased the different cultures and also continued the conversation surrounding museums and their complicity within systems of oppression.

It’s also FREE, and you can donate what you see fit.

The ‘Black’ story is full of so much culture and richness and visiting off of the back of the Euros loss – it just felt so timely.

There is an Egyptian part of the museum, that has a mummy on display – so be prepared. I have many thoughts on this but we’ll keep them for another time…

I hope you enjoy x

Shots from the museum

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Liverpool

This summer has been all about the staycation, so we got involved 😉

Up to Scouseland we went, here’s a rundown of everything we managed to do/see:

  1. Liverpool Wings (Baltic Triangle)
  2. Chinese Arch
  3. Liverpool Cathedral – (Britain’s largest cathedral)
  4. River Cruise
  5. Royal Albert Dock
  6. Merseyside Maritime Museum and Slavery Museum
  7. Tate Liverpool 
  8. Royal Liver Building 
  9. Walker Art Gallery
  10. World Museum (click the link for more)
  11. Superlambbanana – Developed for the 1998 ArtTransPennine Exhibition, the sculpture is both a comment on the dangers of genetic engineering and is heavily influenced by the history of Liverpool: historically, both sheep and bananas were common cargos in the city’s docks.
  12. Liverpool wall of fame
  13. Cavern Club
  14. Cilla Black statue
  15. Boujee

Sights we didn’t get to see:

  • Liverpool Stadium 🏟 
  • Beatles museum 
  • Quirky Quarter 
  • Crosby Beach (20 mins by train from Liverpool Lime Street) 

Liverpool is so easily walkable and many of the places to visit are next to each other so you save money on transport.

We were genuinely surprised that we enjoyed our time in Liverpool and we would 100% recommend making your way up north.

Keep up to date with us on @trippinwithsj // @sarahambitious xx

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Longitude Festival

Aside from travelling we love a good festival, so when we heard about Longitude in Dublin – it was must we attended.

Longitude attracts crowds in the 40k range, so issa proper festival.

We flew into Dublin with Ryanair via Stansted; the airport experience was terrible and Ryanair even worse (!) but we move. Stayed in an airbnb that had a dog in it, chileeee – it was a lot.

Here’s a snapshot of what went down.

We had Solange, Sza, Jacob Banks, J HUS, Anderson Paak and The Internet – just to name a few.

It was the sickest line-up for RnB that we’d seen in a very long time.

So, we’ve sold you on it being a vibe. Here’s what you need to consider:

  • Flight: £30 with a low-cost carrier
  • Airbnb/Hotel: £40-ish between friends (Central location with access to buses or walking distance to Marlay Park)
  • Festival tickets: £80 – £180 (It’s a 3 day festival but you can buy day tickets, also note you will be charged in Euro – so use a card that doesn’t charge extra fees)
  • Bring: a poncho/raincoat, it’s the UK and even it summer the rain is raining, power bank, small bag – the festival usually sends out a reminder

All in all the festival and experience was amazing and we’d defo do it again if the line-up makes sense.

Longitude returns in 2022! and it promises to be bigger and better.

Keep up to date with us on: @trippinwithsj // @sarahambitious x

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Festival szn

London is home for us and as much as we like exploring the globe 🌍  we love being in our city too. 

When we’re not catching a vibes in someone else’s country. We’re out and about in big U.K. 🥺

Highlights: 

  • Festival time is peak British culture  🌞 
    • Good music. Good food. Good company. 
  • Going out to eat
  • Indoor rock climbing, Great British Bakeoff Challenge, Cocktail making classes etc.

Keep scrolling and you’ll see our list of summertime and all-the-time 😉 activities for you to enjoy. 

Festivals: 

  1. Lovebox – fingers crossed its back next year
  2. Wireless – 3 days – happening in September this year!
  3. Ends festival – in the heart of Croydon, brought the best in Afrobeats and UK music
  4. Garage nation – shapes and shuffling, back this August!
  5. Yam Carnival – a new one on the line-up and it looks to be biggg! Over the bank holiday weekend this year.

Other activities:

  1. ZSL Zoo – London Zoo is the world’s oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study.
  2. London in the sky – Drink and dine 100ft in the sky at London’s most talked-about dining experience. Starting 1 May at The O2.
  3. Dinner spots:
    1. The Ivy
    2. Afrikana

Keep up with us on @trippinwithsj as always x

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Berlin

Top sights to see:

  • Berlin Wall
  • Brandenburg Gate
  • Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
  • Checkpoint Charlie
  • Mercedes-Benz Museum

When to go: A year round destination; great for walking in the Spring/Summer months, cute Christmas and winter vibes when it gets colder.

Getting around: Train, Walking, Cycle

Berlin boasts of history and a vibrant culture. The nightlife hits! There is a range of delicious food too.

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Karneval der Kulturen

So there’s a carnival in Berlin. So it was only right we checked it out.

Where to stay: Kreuzberg (quality wasn’t amazing) or Blucherplatz

Karneval der Kulturen is a multicultural festival in Kreuzberg, Berlin, celebrated annually since 1996 around Pentecost weekend. It’s four fun filled days; the Carnival of Cultures occurs at Blücherplatz, in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. 

It is described as: “A proud expression of hybrid cultural identities” – The organisers of the festival proclaim that “the Carnival of Cultures is open to everybody and all forms of cultural expression. It is regarded as a platform for a proud expression of hybrid cultural identities, containing traditional and contemporary elements. It includes and attracts all age groups, professional artists and amateurs, people from all walks of life.”

Carnival of Cultures is all about celebrating a peaceful co-existence between all the different culture’s that call Berlin home.

The carnival is fun but doesn’t top Notting Hill by any means, but I mean being abroad with your friends and the bacchanal – it could be worse!

We attended a range of events and the party didn’t stop until the early hours.

This year the festivities will be on the 15th August. So if you can why not make your way down. As opposed to the big street party it usually is it’ll be much smaller activities spread out across the area to keep inline with Covid guidelines.

Have a look at how we enjoyed when we went.

As always keep up with us on IG @trippinwithsj x

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How do I get around?

Where do I stay?

Singapore isn’t the cheapest place for accommodation and it gives, ‘you get what you pay for‘. Where you stay does depend on your budget, who you’re going with and also what you’re going for.

Having said that here are our recommendations:

  1. Orchard Road – ££
  2. Historic District 
  3. Marina Bay – £££
  4. The Quays 
  5. Chinatown – £
  6. Sentosa 

Getting around:

  • The bus service is super efficient and cheap, you’re charged on the distance travelled which can work in your favour for shorter trips.
  • Uber is surprisingly cheap!
  • Once in the centre you can walk certain distances, but we wouldn’t recommend it.
  • Hop On, Hop Off bus! You get to see the area very quickly and decide on where you’ll do some more exploration.

Keep up with us on @trippinwithsj x

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Where should I eat in Singapore?

There are so many choices for places to eat:

  • Wild Honey – I think this is a midpoint on the spending scale, and it is worth every penny. We tried their brunch and the pancakes were heavenly.
  • Jumbo Seafood – if you really wanna ball out! But I think about this special fried rice often, it was a serious something. 10s across the board. I highly recommend.
  • Hawker Markets; the biggest one is Chinatown Market. Delicious food options, drink options and on the cheaper side
  • Eating out in SIN is expensive but the flavours are phenomenal. There are supermarkets so you can do some cooking of your own if you feel too and much cheaper prices restaurants, just check online.

Keep up with us on @trippinwithsj x

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What to see…

So, Crazy Rich Asians put Singapore on the map for us! It was always somewhere we’d wanted to go because of the Marina Bay Sands and Supertree Grove, but seeing it presented in such a beautiful way just made us want to go even more.

Singapore is such a beautiful city state, it houses over 60 islands! but only 3 are inhabited.

So what’s the lowdown on visiting Singapore? What should you do? Where do you eat?

We hear your questions and have a list for you, keep scrolling…

What to see:

  1. Changi airport – best airport in the world for 8 years in a row, it’s very rare that an aiport makes a must see list, but Changi deserves its accolades!
  2. Marina Bay Sands – is a hotel and the main attraction is its pool. If you are just looking for a nice hotel, there are other Singapore hotels that offer better value. If swimming in the pool is on your bucket list, then it is worth every penny!
  3. Garden by the bay – is an iconic attraction, it houses a range of attractions. It’s a must-do when in Singapore
  4. Sentosa Island –  is an island resort off Singapore’s southern coast, connected to the city by road, cable car, pedestrian boardwalk and monorail. Whether you’re looking for an adrenaline rush or a day of exploration, a world of adventure awaits you at Sentosa. (Trippin’ Tip: Keep an eye on bus times)
  5. Universal Studios – a theme park located within Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa Island, Singapore. It features 28 rides, shows, and attractions in seven themed zones
  6. Little India – to explore delicious cuisine, visit a temple and do a bit of shopping too
  7. Amazing architecture – so much to see on every corner. Get the Hop on, Hop off bus to make your way around quickly.
  8. Orchard Road – to shop, to eat, to see, to people watch

Keep up with us on @trippinwithsj x