We decided to go to London on a whim, as there was a special birthday that needed celebrating. We prefer destinations with its own cultural feel, and London certainly surprised us.
We flew Emirates and went with Pentravel. The costing per person was R13 855. Our excitement started at Heathrow, from where we had to
take the tube to our hotel. This was a do-it-yourself type of holiday – no hotel transfers and no
drivers taking us to places or tour guides.
We could not have asked for a better location – as our hotel, St Giles Hotel was a hop away from Tottenham Court Road tube station, and close to
theatres, restaurants and shopping.
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| St Giles Hotel - poky but comfortable |
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| Tottenham Court Road tube station |
We had only a week in London, and we tried to see and do as
much as we could. It was easy to navigate through the city as there are tube
stations everywhere, and tourist spots are well sign-posted. Just walking the streets and taking
in the sights and sounds of London were a highlight for us, as there was
something different to be seen at every corner. There was so much to do, and we
were not bored - tired maybe, from the walking.
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| The London Eye is just a thirty minute ride - but the views are quite spectacular. |
London is expensive, but you can keep your budget under
control by purchasing an oyster card for use on the tube stations, top up
whenever you need to, and whatever you do not use is refundable. Museums are free, there are a myriad of
markets to visit (we loved Camden), watch the street performers at Covent
Gardens or take a walk to Leicester Square or stroll through Hyde Park.
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| Westminster Abbey |
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| Hyde Park |
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| Beautifully decorated shops |
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| Covent Gardens |
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| Tower Bridge |
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| Tower of London |
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| Amazing shows |
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| Camden Market |
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| Camden Market |
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| Camden Market |
Taking the tube proved to be a feat sometimes as we there were a lot of stairs to climb. There was a bit of a detour taking the tube to Heathrow on our flight back home. But the English are so well organised, even having staff to carry luggage up the stairs.
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