London: a mini guide

I love to travel and love sharing my experiences and favourite places with you lot. So I thought I'd start a little series here on my blog of mini guides to various places I might find myself. I should probably point out that I am in no way claiming to be an expert on what to do in London, but just an excitable tourist with a passion for stumbling across somewhere new. I also realize that many of you probably live or at least visit London regularly, so I suppose this is more for tourist types like myself. However I would love to hear about some of your favourite places in London so please feel free to drop me an email and next time I will check them out! 

Photo from here

 Where to stay

Whenever we go to London, we usually like to stay in the South Kensington area. Not only is it a lovely part of the city, but holds a quite central location for getting about. We have spent many nights in the residence of the Gainsborough Hotel near the natural history museum. It is a grand, classic hotel with old-world elegance. However, I would recommend anywhere in this area as the standard seems to be pretty high.

Photo from here

 Shopping

Shopping in London is great. It has everything. But it can be a bit overwhelming. Oxford street is not only London's but one of the worlds busiest shopping streets. However, I find that as far as the over-all experience goes, Regent street is a better option. The shops on Oxford street are more affordable, but are usually heaving with tourists. Regent street has a nicer feel to it and holds some gorgeous boutiques as well as the better known high-fashion brands. 

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My other favourite place to shop in London would have to be Covent Garden. It is littered with shops and boutiques and is possibly the best place when looking for a unique gift. I have only been to Covent Garden once, but spent the whole day and all my shopping money there.

Photo from here

Markets

Borough market like most London markets is vibrant, busy and full of...well everything. But here's the catch. Borough Market is London's most successful FOOD market. Every stall selling world class, mouthwatering food. We arrived here when it was just setting up at about 9am and already you got the sense that this was the place to be. Living near here would be dangerous though as I don't think avoiding temptation is an option but having eating as your new hobby certainly seemed as though it could be.

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Old Spitalfields market is another great place to spend a Sunday morning, afternoon and evening. Unlike Borough market, Spitalfields holds a mixture of everything. It is a great place to shop for those quirky little market pieces that seem so hard to get your hands on. Whether it is food or trinket based, Markets are a must when visiting London. 

Photo from here

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is synonymous with any weekend away. And London appears to be the place to do it. The other weekend my Mum treated me to afternoon tea at Harrods and well, I can't recommend it enough. The beautiful array of petite sandwiches, baked goods and a massive selection of teas, were indulgent and a real treat. The Georgian restaurant in which we ate was magnificent and made you feel immediately out-of-place. Harrods is definitely the ultimate place to have afternoon tea.

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This next place I am putting in not because I have been there and love their take on afternoon tea, but because it seems like a heaven of a place and needs to be shared with the world. Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium is London's first ever cat cafe. At Lady Dinah's afternoon tea comes with multiple visiting opportunities with their feline staff. You literally sit there drinking tea, eating cake, being surrounded by and getting to watch cats (all of which have very adequate names). Unfortunately this place of wonder is not open yet. But to get you excited here is a link to their website and a video of all the resident cats of Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium.


xo