London

One of the reasons London is such an endlessly exciting city is because it is forever evolving. And along with other parts of the English capital, the London Bridge area of the city is changing at a pretty fast pace. As a native Londoner I still remember the area around London Bridge before The Shard […]

London is a city of over 8 million people, so as a native Londoner I’ve come up with 8 things every tourist in London needs to know. They should help you fit in, do as the locals do and get more out of your trip to the best city on earth. If I’d just got […]

Like a lot of travellers I know, I’m obsessed with shopping for cool souvenirs to bring home from my trips overseas, and even if I’m just popping over to one of my favourite European countries for the weekend (as you do) I have a good idea what I want to bring back. But as well […]

As a native Londoner I’m pretty passionate about the place where I (mis)spent my youth: Camden Town. So when I hear tourists saying they don’t like London (crazy, but it happens!) I feel duty bound to share some ideas about places to go in the capital which might make them change their mind – and […]

London is incredibly multicultural, meaning it’s packed with cool and curious cross-cultural ideas on every corner. But Egyptian influences in the city are not always immediately obvious – unless you know where to look – so you may wonder if it’s possible to enjoy an entire Egyptian itinerary while out and about in the British […]

They’re a girl’s best friend, they’re forever, and they’re timeless. You find diamonds appearing everywhere in our language as well as our jewellery boxes; they’re ‘in the rough’ as well as on the soles of your shoes. They’re the only precious stones which have had world famous slogans invented about them and to which countless well-known terms […]

I review the pho at central London’s Moc Kitchen in my pursuit for Vancouver-grade Vietnamese food here in the UK.

After the excitement of booking a holiday comes the bit nobody enjoys – the pre-holiday chores. From figuring out who’s going to look after the house/kids/dog/cat, to charging your electronic devices, packing, getting currency sorted and reading the latest rules on hand luggage, there’s a million and one things to do before you fly. Deciding […]

I just couldn’t concentrate on anything or anywhere but London this weekend, for obvious reasons. So I decided to write my own little post of defiance, to give the tiniest of glimpses, from own my personal perspective, on why London’s AMAZING multicultural energy won’t change no matter how many times we are the focus of attack by those […]

A romantic weekend away for Valentine’s Day – sounds like a great idea in principle, right? But as anyone who has tried to book even a simple night away with their partner already knows, the process of finding the perfect hotel for romance isn’t all hearts and flowers. You’re searching for seclusion and sophistication in […]

Most people think of Mayfair and imagine upscale hotels, the beautiful boutiques of Dover Street Market and the high-end establishments of Shepherd Market but take it from a local girl, whether you’re more of a Professor Higgins or an Eliza Doolittle you can still find your fun in Mayfair…

I’ve got a different kind of seven step program for you in this post; one that won’t help break your addictions to travel, shopping and good food but which will show you where to find your fix of the luxurious Monte Carlo lifestyle without leaving London. Here I share my 7 favourite places in the […]

When we think of a big city like London we automatically think of the headline attractions that make it famous – and we tend to assume that a trip to the big smoke has to cost the earth. For me moving away from London highlighted the fact that the best things in life, and in […]

Some years I’ve travelled farther afield, some years I explored a little closer to home, but every year I consider myself a traveller. That’s because wherever I go, I’m always looking for change and adventure. This year I changed where ‘home’ was – instead of London, England it was Vancouver, Canada – meaning adventure has […]

In my previous post I got all nostalgic about summer and highlighted 7 spectacular spots from my summer months in British Columbia – but even though I’m happily embracing Autumn (complete with at least 7 pairs of boots to assist me) I’m still singing the praises of some of last season’s most special memories. Here […]

Hawaii might be all about sunshine and fresh air in the warm waters of the Pacific, while London is more drizzle and dirty air alongside the polluted waters of the Thames – but you can say aloha to an entire day of island life in the capital, here’s how to do it…

These days there’s far more to the King’s Cross than Eurostar and Champagne Bars of the station complex, so dip your toe into the coolest canalside area in London with this list of 10 things to do in King’s Cross – try them out one by one or join them all up to make a […]

After nearly four years in the making, and at nearly twice as high of any other London viewpoint, The Shard allows you to see the greatest city on earth in all its 360-degree glory. Here’s my report on The View From The Shard – plus I’ll show you the secret viewpoint that paying visitors will […]

*Update May 2019: Check out the latest post on things to do near The Shard* Imagine a building so tall the view from the window is like looking out of an aircraft. Imagine standing on a floor so high that helicopters are below you. And imagine 40 miles of London views, from the Olympic to Wembley […]

Buckingham Palace’s Queen’s gallery unveils more artistic treasures this week with the opening of The Northern Renaissance: Dürer to Holbein exhibition, a collection of Northern European art which includes the painting that defines the world’s image of Henry VIII, plus a painting freshly unveiled after a two-year-long conservation project and a collection of prints by the art world’s original […]

It’s hard to capture the brilliance, exhilaration and atmosphere of London 2012 in words. So here are my favourite London 2012 pictures – 10 images of London’s Olympics all taken with my own camera or iphone and all making me brim with pride at the amazing show London is putting on…

London has more global cuisine than anyone could hope to eat in a lifetime including a bewildering array of around 450 Japanese restaurants, but how can you find the most authentic Japanese restaurants in the capital if you don’t know your sushi from your sashimi? In this guest post Japanophile and Japan Journeys expert James […]

‘The saddest thing I can imagine is to get used to luxury’ said Charlie Chaplin. Well you get used to luxury pretty quickly on a visit to Buckingham Palace. Get ideas above your station with a visit to the Palace’s Summer Opening and Diamonds A Jubilee Celebration Exhibition…(read on for my tips on getting the most out of […]

You probably already know that Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest artists to have ever lived, but the Italian inventor also made some startling discoveries about the human body which were light years ahead of their time – and subsequently lost to the world for nearly 400 years.  The Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham […]

Soho’s Secret Tea Room Update: November 2018 This review of Soho’s Secret Tea Room is one of the oldest posts on this site, but looking through the latest reviews from 2018 the experience I had at this Tea Room above the Coach & Horses is absolutely consistent with the way it is today, so I […]