52 Fun and Unique Things To Do in London

You’ve been to the British Museum, explored the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey and queued for crumble at Borough Market... What's next? Luckily, London has many more memorable experiences up its sleeve — here are 52 of my favourites.

How To Spend a Perfect Weekend in East London

With its world-class markets, beautiful parks and ever-evolving food scene, East London is one of my favourite areas in the city for spending a lazy Saturday or Sunday. In this guide, I'm sharing my itinerary for the perfect East London weekend. Read on for food, art, history, markets and more!

48 Hours in Paris — A Summer Weekend in the Latin Quarter

I've been to Paris many times over the past four decades, but somehow it had been almost nine years since my last trip. Milestone birthday celebrations brought me back with my family last week and it was as though I'd never been away. We spent just over 48 hours exploring old haunts and pastures new — while trying to stay cool in the heatwave!

How To Spend a Long Weekend in Barcelona (3-Day Winter Itinerary)

With its magnificent architecture, fantastic food and beautiful beaches, Barcelona is one of Europe's best city break destinations. With a week in Barcelona, you can eat your way around countless tapas bars, gorge on Gaudí and venture off the beaten track. But you can still pack a lot into a long weekend in Barcelona, as I found out last month.

How To Spend Three Days at Lake Atitlán, Guatemala

After my epic volcano hike, it was time to relax and Guatemala's beautiful Lake Atitlán region was the perfect place for it! I spent three days exploring the small lakeside towns by foot, shopping for handwoven textiles, admiring the street art and enjoying volcano-fringed sunsets. Here's my guide for making the most of your time in Lake Atitlán.

A Caffeinated Day Trip to Leigh-on-Sea

Last Saturday, I took a day trip to Leigh-on-Sea: a new-to-me seaside destination that's just a 45-minute train journey from London. Once a busy fishing port, Leigh has stacks of character with cobbled streets, historic buildings and wide array of restaurants, cafes and shops, as well as a lovely sandy beach.

My 2024 Holiday Gift Guide for Travel Lovers

Need holiday season gift inspiration for the frequent traveller in your life? Look no further than my list of the best gifts for travel lovers. My gift guide has ideas for every travel lover and every budget, from luggage and bag recommendations, to tech and long-haul flight essentials, fun stocking fillers and more.

A Long Weekend in New York City: Autumn 2024

For me, there's always been something special about New York City. Since my first visit in 1995, I've loved the sights, sounds, scents — and shopping! I even celebrated my milestone birthday there last November with my family. I start to miss the city before I've even got back to the airport. And I've been looking forward to this one — my 34th trip to NYC — since I booked in the summer.

How To Spend Two Weeks in Sri Lanka

After wanting to visit Sri Lanka for some time, I finally made it happen in 2024. I spent two incredible two weeks in September, filled with unforgettable memories: sunrise hill climbs, elephant gatherings, beautiful beaches, captivating cultural experiences and fantastic food. In this guide, I'm sharing my itinerary, what I did, where I stayed, how I got around and other practical tips.

How To Spend Two Weeks in Thailand (Itinerary & Full Travel Guide)

2023 was the year I finally travelled to Thailand, the country on my travel wishlist since 2000 that I'd somehow never quite managed to visit. In this post, I am rounding up my overall experience: my itinerary and how it worked out, what I did, where I stayed, how I got around and my advice and practical tips.

How To Spend Two Weeks in Bali

This is the last of my posts about my recent stay in Bali, where I cover my overall experience: my itinerary and how it panned out, what I did, how I travelled around and some practical tips to help you plan your own trip.

Holiday Gift Guide for Coffee Lovers: 2020 Edition

It's been several years since I last compiled a holiday gift guide, but this year of all years, I thought it would be a good way to highlight some of the products I love — or would love to own — that you can buy from some of my favourite coffee companies and other small businesses. I hope you'll find some inspiration for gifts for the coffee lovers in your life. And yes, that includes gifts to self, of course (I promise I won't tell).

How To Spend a Long Weekend in Seattle

30 March 2020: I originally wrote this blog post soon after returning from New York and Seattle one month — and a lifetime — ago. At the time, COVID-19 hadn't yet been declared a pandemic, although the World Health Organization had declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern a month earlier, and several cases had been confirmed in the Seattle area. 

It didn't feel right to publish this post at that time. I'm not advocating that anyone travels anywhere now — quite the opposite, in fact, as we should all be staying at home as much as possible. 

But some day we'll be able to travel again and if, like me, you're dreaming of your travel bucket list or looking for armchair inspiration, I can recommend Seattle as a great destination for future trips. Its coffee shops, restaurants and other small businesses will certainly appreciate your visit. Read on for my city guide.

THINGS TO DO

Seattle 101 walking tour

I often like to take free walking tours when I travel — some are better quality than others — and so, it seems, does Seattle Free Walking Tours founder Jake and his wife Rebecca. They spent their extended honeymoon travelling the world and its walking tours, and incorporated the best elements into their own pay-what-you-think-it's-worth Seattle offering. 

There's a two-hour Seattle 101 tour and a one-hour Pike Place Market tour, among others. I took the former, which Jake ran and which was funny, informative and irreverent, and a great introduction to the city, its history and its culture. If you prefer tours of a subterranean nature, you might also like to check out Beneath the Streets.

Pike Place Market

As you'll see from the food and drink section below, and my Seattle coffee guide, I spent a fair bit of time at Seattle's historic Pike Place Market, which dates back to 1907. The market is a multi-level labyrinth of food stalls, shops and eateries, with views over the Puget Sound. 

I enjoyed visiting by night too, strolling through the deserted, neon-lit hallways that contrast so much with the hustle and bustle of the day (especially weekend lunchtimes). Keep an eye out for the sculpture of Rachel the Market Pig, and the somewhat gross curiosity that is the Gum Wall.

Pioneer Square

This square — and the surrounding neighbourhood of the same name — is claimed by some as Seattle's oldest neighbourhood, dating back to 1852. However, the square also hosts a statue of Chief Si'ahl of the Duwamish tribe who have inhabited the area for thousands of years, and from whom Seattle takes its name. 

There's a totem pole in the square — the original was allegedly stolen from a Tlingit, and later destroyed. The second version was gifted to the city, but if you look closely at some of the carvings, you may be surprised, and some believe this may be a shame pole. 

Close to the shiny glass buildings and skyscrapers just a few blocks further north, Pioneer Square has some historic and characterful architecture. Don't miss Waterfall Garden Park, also known as UPS Park, on the site of the original UPS building, a most zen of retreats.

Museums and galleries

I was in Seattle during Museum Month, where visitors staying in downtown hotels can get half-price admission to many of the city's museums and galleries. If you don't have a Museum Month pass, the $99 Seattle CityPASS, which includes admission to the Space Needle and four other attractions, is very good value.

Although I had heard good things about the Seattle Art Museum, I was more excited to visit the Chihuly Garden, which is dedicated to the work of local glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. I loved every room and the garden, at the foot of the Space Needle, with its impressive, colourful sculptures. I particularly liked the Persian Ceiling and capturing golden hour reflections of the Space Needle in some of the glass spheres in the garden. 

The nearby Museum of Popular Culture was fun too, with current exhibitions including: tattoos, fantasy and sci fi, Nirvana, Hendrix and Pearl Jam.

Two of the evening receptions for my conference were held at the Pacific Science Center, in Seattle Center, and the Burke Museum, which made for some fun after-hours viewing. The former had some cool science-based interactive exhibits (and dinosaurs in the fountains outside), while the latter is a great natural history museum, whose collections include a T. rex skull. 

After I had finished all of my meetings on the Sunday, I stopped by the Seattle Aquarium, where I was won over by the darling sea otters, especially Mishka ('little bear') and a giant red octopus called Hugo. Alas, Hugo was "not super-interested in his shrimp" during the octopus demo session. My Museum Month pass got me half-price admission, but they got their money back from me in the gift shop!

Sunset at Kerry Park

I decided not to pay the $37 to go up the Space Needle, instead seeking a viewpoint that would include the iconic 184-metre structure in the skyline view. Kerry Park, a short but steep walk up from Seattle Center in Queen Anne, offers great views of the downtown, the bay and even Mount Rainier on a clear day. 

I was lucky to have two beautiful sunny days in the city and was treated to glorious sunset views from Kerry Park, as the sky turned pink and then black, and the city lights came on. If you don't fancy the walk, the park is a short bus ride from downtown. 

For another observatory that is higher and cheaper than the Space Needle, the Sky View Observatory near Pioneer Square is a good option.

Boat trips

With an unexpectedly sunny morning on my first full day off in the city, I decided to take Argosy Cruises' one-hour harbour cruise, with views of and commentary on Seattle, its port and the Puget Sound. It was interesting, if chilly (despite the sun), and I took dozens of photos of Seattle's beautiful skyline.

Later that day, however, some friends from the conference told me about their trip out to Bainbridge Island. You can take a public ferry that takes about 35 minutes and costs about $8 one-way (the return journey is free). Although you don't get the commentary, the views are just as good. 

I spent about an hour on the small island the following day, walking along the waterfront, visiting Eagle Harbor Book Co and stopping by the small but fascinating Bainbridge Museum. If you have more time, there are diverse eateries and wineries too.

FOOD & DRINK

Although I had only two full days of sightseeing, I had plenty of opportunities while I was working to enjoy some of Seattle's splendid eateries. I covered some of my specialty coffee experiences in this post.

A crucial fact about Seattle that I only learned after getting there is that there are a lot of happy hour deals. This is because most Seattleites don't live downtown and thus bars and eateries want to keep commuters in town as long as possible before they head back to the 'burbs. Happy hours often run from 3–6 pm, although they can start as early as 10 am, and some establishments have a second late-night happy hour. 

I wasn't too excited by this until I found out that many happy hour deals also extend to food, from snacks to entrées, if you sit at the bar. If you're on a budget but keen to sample several restaurants in one evening, you can hop between them, enjoying a bite at each. Do bring your passport in case you're in the lucky position of being IDed — I only had my UK driving licence and wasn't allowed to sit at the bar in one establishment, even if I switched my order to a mocktail.

Pike Place Market is a good starting point for a culinary introduction to Seattle. I ate at several of its eateries, including East Coast-beating chowder in a sourdough bowl at Pike Place Chowder. It was worth the 15-minute wait in line! For a quick mid-conference lunch, I headed to Pasta Casalinga for some delicious homemade pasta with pistachio, kale, pesto and crème fraîche. 

On my last night in Seattle, I treated myself to dinner at Matt's in the Market, a restaurant run by a former market fish thrower, which sources most of its ingredients from the market. Having failed to save room for dessert throughout my trip to New York and Seattle, I didn't make the same mistake here. 

After some bread and a superb roasted salmon with cannellini beans, I loved the decadent deconstructed millionaire's shortbread that was the candy bar square. The cocktails and service were excellent too.

I also ate well on the stretch of First Avenue south of the market, towards Pioneer Square. At Heartwood Provisions (CLOSED), I got one of the city's best deals in the form of the $10 happy hour burger, with gruyère and aioli fries. 

Perched at the counter, I got to watch and chat with the chefs, who offered me a few small samples, including of the jamón iberico being carved up. I wish I had had time to return to try some of the other dishes on the menu. 

Another great burger can be had at the wonderfully named gastropub Damn the Weather. It was a beautiful day when I stopped by, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment! 

Meanwhile at Japonessa, a sushi spot with Latin American influences, I had two sushi platters — one with six very fresh nigiri and one with 10 pieces of the Seattle roll (salmon, avocado, cucumber, tobiko) — for a total of $20 during happy hour.

Over in Capitol Hill, I had an unexpected take on a classic British dish at popular brunch spot, Olmste(a)d (CLOSED). It was toad in the hole, Jim, but not as we know it: French toast with a hole cut in the middle that was filled with braised chard, melted white cheddar and egg, with home fries on the side. I loved it! 

Strolling down Broadway, I happened upon the Capitol Hill Farmers' Market, where I might just have acquired a fried-to-order Bakewell tart doughnut from 9th and Hennepin. 

I spotted Stateside (CLOSED) on the way to brunch at Olmste(a)d and decided to return to the Asian-influenced restaurant one evening. I had the duck rolls, followed by pork collar on rice vermicelli (from which I could make some DIY rolls), along with a piña colada with an Asian twist.

SHOPPING

As most of my budget went on food and coffee, I was mainly window shopping in Seattle. I picked up a few gifts from museum gift shops — those at Seattle Art Museum, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and Seattle Aquarium were particularly good. 

I also did some gift shopping at local chocolatier, Frans Chocolates, and at Pike Place stationery store Pike St Press. Watson Kennedy is great for gifts and homewares, while Capitol Hill has a superb independent book store in Elliott Bay Book Company.

NEED TO KNOW

Accommodation

I spent two nights at the wonderful Hotel Theodore, a boutique hotel close to the convention centre. My room was small but comfortable, stylish and thoughtfully designed, with decorations inspired by the Museum of History and Industry: a patent for the Seattle Space Needle, a patent for the original Eddie Bauer down jacket and a photo of the Starbucks founders adorned the walls. 

There is a free cocktail hour every day in the lobby (!), and even though I showed up at 9:00 am, long before check-in, I was able to check into my room. I booked direct during a Black Friday sale to get a good rate.

For work, I stayed at the Seattle Sheraton, which was right next to the convention centre and which had a very good conference rate. My room was large and quiet, with views over the downtown. There was a small gym and pool on the 35th floor, which I used a few times.


Arriving and getting around

From Sea-Tac Airport, the Link Light Rail costs about $3, departs frequently and takes just over 30 minutes to get to the downtown Westlake station. During my trip, there was construction work that meant changing at Pioneer Square, and taking the journey time to about 50 minutes. To save time on the return, I took an Uber, which cost about $32 and took just over 30 minutes. 

Within the city, many of the key attractions are within walking distance. The Light Rail is currently limited, but is in the process of being extended. There are plenty of bus routes — I took one to get back from Kerry Park ($2.75, cash only, no change given) — and although the Seattle Center and its museums are only a mile or so from downtown, I took the monorail, because it's fun to do so!

Money

Credit cards, contactless and Apply Pay are widely accepted — I only used cash for hotel staff and walking tour tips and on the bus. Some Seattle restaurants include a 20% service charge, which is what I tend to tip in the US anyway. Alas, the current exchange rate with the British pound, plus tax, means eating out can be quite expensive, even at fairly low-key venues.

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In Honey-Hued Bath, Subterranean Spas and Vegan Victuals

With a few days off work last week, it was the perfect opportunity to return to Bath, which I last visited two years ago. I took a train on Sunday morning, returning home on Monday evening. Bath hotels can get expensive at weekends, while Sunday nights are often cheaper, hence the timing of my visit.

An Autumnal Week in New York City

If you've been following my Instagram, you'll know that I spent a week in New York last month. I was there to work in my company's Financial District office but did get three weekend days and a public holiday free to explore in the city, and was blessed with crisp but sunny weather for most of the week. 

I'm lucky enough to visited New York about once or twice a year for the past quarter-century, which takes off the pressure and means coffee shops, restaurants and things to do can sometimes remain on my to-do list for a couple of years. I've already written about my most recent specialty coffee experiences here, but here's how I spent the rest of my trip.

THINGS TO DO

 I took an early flight from Heathrow on the Sunday, and made it to my Financial District hotel just after 2 pm local time. I headed straight out into the sunshine, and walked up Broadway to SoHo for a spot of shopping, before cutting over to Washington Square Park. As usual, there was a lively atmosphere, music, art and poetry. I try to visit the High Line at least once each trip and although it was very busy late on Sunday afternoon, I enjoyed the art and the views as always.

Speaking of views, the following day, I took the opportunity to visit the shiny, honeycomb-like structure known as The Vessel, which is located in the Hudson Yards development, way over on the west side of Manhattan, around 30th Street. It's free to climb to the top of the structure, but you need to book a ticket online — possible only from one of the screens at its base. 

As it was a sunny holiday Monday afternoon when I arrived, my entry slot wasn't for another 90 minutes, although the opening of the 7 subway line meant I was able to zip up to Central Park to kill some of the time. When I returned, I spent about an hour climbing up and down the many steps of the 16-storey structure, photographing it from all angles.

As I was staying in the Financial District, I spent some time visiting some of its sights from the old — the graves of Alexander and Eliza Hamilton in Trinity Church — to the new — the ultra-modern Oculus centre — and even caught a lovely sunset over the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park. My office view remains as stunning as always!

Over the week, I spent a fair amount of time crossing the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. My standard running route goes over the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn and then back over the Brooklyn Bridge. I managed this twice, plus another shorter run to the middle of Brooklyn Bridge and back. 

Early mornings are the best time to do this, as the bridge is much quieter; later in the week, when I walked across on a sunny Saturday afternoon the bridge was completely packed. I also stopped by Washington Street in DUMBO, which offers a great view of the Manhattan Bridge between the buildings, and enjoyed an autumnal stroll through Brooklyn Heights, where I always enjoy playing a game of dream house hunting.

On Saturday, I walked over the Williamsburg Bridge from my new Nolita hotel to Williamsburg, where I brunched, shopped, visited Smorgasburg and then took the NYC Ferry down to DUMBO and the Time Out Market New York, whose rooftop offers great views of Lower Manhattan and the bridges . The following day, I took the subway to Prospect Heights to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which was in full harvest festival mode.

FOOD & DRINK

 As usual, I ate out a lot while in New York and this trip, I made particular efforts to visit some of the eateries and bars that had been on my list for some time.

Breakfast and brunch: I had weekend brunch at two reputed Brooklyn brunch spots while I was there: Sunday in Brooklyn (Williamsburg) and MeMe's Diner (Prospect Heights — CLOSED). I managed to score a seat the bar at the former by arriving soon after opening, and had the cheddar scramble with bacon and home fries, which was filling and tasty. 

At MeMe's, I put my name down and was able to return an hour later to take my seat at the bar, where I enjoyed a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, with a spicy twist. The food and service were great at both places. For a lighter breakfast, I always like bagels from Black Seed (Nolita), the B.E.C. (bacon, egg, cheese) being my particular favourite.

Dessert: While in Berlin in May, I ate at an excellent dessert bar, Coda. When I heard that a high-end dessert bar had just opened in New York's West Village, I was keen to visit. And as I had to head to JFK at around 5:30 pm on my last day, a dessert tasting menu was the perfect way to say goodbye to the city.

At Marble Dessert Bar (CLOSED), you can pick a 'main' dessert from the short, creative menu, and you also get an amuse-bouche, a palate cleanser and petits fours. My main, which included pineapple, basil, lemon, mint and olive oil, was superb but the whole experience, sitting at the marble counter with exquisite service was greatly enjoyable. 

For rather less formal sweet treats, I stopped by Dough (Flatiron) for doughnuts and Dōmi at Smorgasburg (Williamsburg) for a profiterole with Asian flavours.

Lunch and dinner: Last time I was in New York, I finally went to Emily (West Village) for a burger, which immediately joined the ranks of my all-time favourite burgers. Although Emily is most famous for its pizza, I had the burger again, and a portion of garlic-cheese bites (incredibly garlicky, incredibly moreish strips of pizza dough). Yes, I was very full for a long time. Yes, the vampires did stay away. 

I had another evening of carb overload in the West Village at Via Carota, where I beat the line by arriving early and alone. The 'nduja arancini, cacio e pepe and negronis were all spot on. 

During my trip, I also enjoyed some excellent Mexican food (tacos, enchiladas and a spicy margarita) at Rosie's (East Village), barbecue at Randall's Barbecue (CLOSED) and fried chicken at Pat LaFrieda at Time Out Market (DUMBO). 

As a small atonement to these excesses, I ate at The Butcher's Daughter, a vegetarian restaurant in the Lower East Side, one night, and had a quinoa, broccoli and peanut salad, which a gorgeous dressing.

Cocktails: During my trip to Malaysia and Singapore, I reacquainted myself with the World's 50 Best Bars list. This encouraged me to fill a few gaps in my New York cocktail bar map. 

I started with Attaboy (#7), a Lower East Side speakeasy where there's no menu and the talented bartenders ask a few questions before surprising you with a drink. My Two Step — tequila, Cocchi, lime and muddled strawberries — was not something I'd have ordered myself but was superbly mixed. 

Meeting a good friend for drinks at the sleek NoMad Bar (CLOSED) (#4) in the Flatiron district, was a rather different experience, although the cocktails were just as impeccable. The Nod to Nothing was fruity and tart but with enough creative pairings to create some very unique flavours.

The Dead Rabbit (FiDi; #22) is only two minutes' walk from my office, so of course my colleague and I headed there one evening when the wind and rain were out in full force. We sat in the Irish-pub-style downstairs bar, rather than the smarter upstairs lounge, which meant I got to enjoy a burger with my cocktail. 

The other bar I visited, Last Light (CLOSED), is located on the rooftop of Sister City, the Nolita hotel to which I moved for the end of my trip. With panoramic views up to the Empire State Building and down to Brooklyn Bridge, this is a great place to watch the sun go down with a drink in hand. I did exactly that and loved watching the lights come on. My cocktail was very good too.

SHOPPING

 Despite the continued slump of the pound against the dollar, I did quite a bit of shopping on this trip, taking advantage of some of the holidays sales to shop at some of my favourite US chains like J. Crew and LOFT. I also bought some black boots from Thursday Boots, which fit perfectly and have required no breaking-in period, which is really unusual for me. There is a store in SoHo and a showroom in the Flatiron (where I had to go because they were out of my size in SoHo). 

I've bought a few skincare and makeup products from Glossier, but as I prefer to try before buying, I decided to visit their SoHo bricks-and-mortar store (hint: go late in the evening to avoid a queue to get in). 

There's a curious new department store in NoHo called Showfields (CLOSED), which offers a home to various online-only brands, like S'well. They also have an 'experience' (culminating in a special slide of some kind) that you can book on to. The lift was quite fun too.

HOTELS

 I've visited New York in mid-October two years in a row and have found hotel rates to be especially expensive, even for this city. For most of my trip, my company paid for my room at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Financial District, a few minutes' walk from my office. The rooms are small but quiet and comfortable, and if you can get a high floor, as I did, there are good skyline views of Lower Manhattan.

For the last three nights, I moved to Sister City (CLOSED), a new 'little sister' in the Ace Hotel family, located on the Bowery, near Prince Street, on the borders of Nolita and the Lower East Side. The location was ideal for me, and although my room was small, it was well thought out, with minimalist décor, and a very comfortable bed. There's also a utility cupboard on each floor that contained a kettle, which made me happy. The Last Light bar, as I mentioned above, is worth a visit even if you're not staying in the hotel.