Posts Tagged ‘London’

London Travel Destination Guide

Aug 30, 2010 Star Bakery

London in the United Kingdom is a city that never gets tired. Like the best cities in the world, London is an expensive city to live in or travel. Nevertheless, do not lose hope since you can still travel to London affordably, although it is not the rock bottom price you must go after, but the value you get for your money.

Sightseeing Big Ben or visiting the Queen Mother in London need not be as expensive as you anticipated. If you are planning to check out the colorful guards of Buckingham Palace, it could be as affordable as it could get if you do wise and careful planning.

London Accommodations

In London, you can save in accommodations because of the vast array of places to stay. Many are far more superior compared to others but they will come at a higher cost. Typical hotels in London are very expensive, although they are not even the five star ones. Any ordinary hotel in a nearby tourist attraction will cost over $200 USD per stay. The only bonus you can get in staying in these expensive hotels is the easy access to whenever you want to go. The cheaper ones are farther away from London and might need you to ride in a bus, double Decker or taxi to your destination. Staying in these far away hotels means bigger savings on your part and most will include continental breakfast and meals.

Hostels Instead of Hotels

If you are looking for hostels then the names Globetrotters, St. Christopher’s Inn and YHA are the places for you. They are all located right in the heart of London too and they cost only a fraction of the price of really high-class accommodations. Try to avoid going through any agency and try to book directly in the hotel. You can use the internet to search for the websites of the hotels, hostels and inns that you are interested in.

If you are young and hip, you can avail of the advantages of a hostel. It may lack direct privacy but it is way cheaper than your average hotels. Always book in advance and not days prior to your stay, and always remember that while you are in London, expect to stay and spend a lot of time inside your room because of the weather. This is not a trip to a tropical country where hotels have pools and spas. What matters most is that you have yourself a clean room, a good bath, and a very comfortable bed. However, please try not to imprison yourself in your room when having dinners or meals. Try to step outside and look for better and interesting places for you to dine in. You will find out that London has a lot to offer when it comes to fine dining, cafes and bakeries.

With this in your itinerary, it is now ideal for you to consider a lower star rating hotel in London than going all out with expensive and luxurious accommodations.

London is actually a very expensive city. However, most tourist attractions in London are free for everyone to visit and this constitutes to a lot of savings. Still one has to use up money on lodging and wandering about the city. Finding the right accommodation in United Kingdom can be tricky, but if you are persistent you will succeed. By taking into consideration few minor things, we can still cut some amount from the daily expenses and can save significantly.


Related Blogs

Tags: , , ,

Celebrate the Chinese New Year in London

Jun 4, 2010 Gourmet Bakery

Yuletide celebrations may have come and gone, but Sunday the 10th of February will see celebration of the Chinese New Year, ringing in what is in Chinese astrology, the Year of the Rat. As the biggest city in Europe and one with a sizeable ethnic Chinese population, London’s Chinese New Year celebrations will be amongst the most extravagant around the world – last year it was the largest in the world outside of Asia, attracting over 300,000 visitors.

In London, celebrations of the Chinese New Year are naturally concentrated around Chinatown, located in the Soho area of the City of Westminster and occupying the area in and around Gerrard Street. The site itself is a must-see for any tourist, and contains numerous Chinese restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets and Chinese souvenir shops.

Chinese New Year celebrations start at 11 am with the Grand Parade from Charing Cross Road to Trafalgar Square and admission is free of charge.

Following opening speeches, including ones by appointed officials, such as the President of the London Chinese Community Centre and Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, the celebrations kick off with the ’Dotting of the Lions’ Eyes’. In this good-luck ceremony, two dancers wear a giant lion costume and the eyes are painted in to drive away evil spirits and bring the lion to life. Accompanying the waking lion are drumbeats, gongs and cymbals, starting off softly and building into an erupting crescendo as the lion awakes and begins to flick its ears, scratch and breathe. The lion then starts to dance as firecrackers go off.

Following this is the mesmerising Dragon Dance, an essential part of Chinese festivals for over two millennia. Historically a part of harvest rituals, today it symbolises the bringing of prosperity and good luck in the year ahead. The Dragon itself is a long, brightly painted serpent-shaped body on poles, worn by up to 8 dancers, with an ornamental head and tail.

At 1 pm the centre stage becomes a showcase for different talents from local and visiting performers. These include both contemporary and traditional arts, from dances to martial arts and music. An impressive display of talent, it promises to be one of the must-see parts of the celebrations.

The skies will light up with fireworks around Leicester Square every hour from 2 – 6 pm, and the celebrations then move from Trafalgar Square into Chinatown. Although it is always a lively part of London, this New Year the festive spirit is expected to be higher than ever, with the Beijing Olympics and London 2012 being integrated into the festivities. Home to over 78 restaurants offering everything from westernised Chinese food to traditional and gourmet delicacies, Chinatown can provide anyone with an appreciation for Chinese food something to suit their tastes.

This year will mark the 30th celebration of the Chinese New Year in London, a testimony to the city’s multiculturalism and the popularity of the celebrations, so why not come along and experience for yourself an event bringing together of best of western and eastern culture.


Related Blogs

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

CEOs of Israel’s three largest bakeries nabbed on suspicions of price-fixing

May 31, 2010 Bakery Prices

CEOs of Israel’s three largest bakeries nabbed on suspicions of price-fixing
The CEOs of the country’s three largest bakeries were arrested yesterday after antitrust investigators accused them of cooperating to fix prices. “This is one of the most blatant cartels the Antitrust Authority has uncovered.

Read more on Haaretz Daily


Related Blogs

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,