In between my day trips out of London, was exploring the city itself. One of the first stops was to South Kensington that came highly recommended as a pretty area of London. It was indeed a lovely area to walk around and explore the streets.
Here is my travel itinerary for a 8 day trip to London, England
Day 1 - Arrive in London, South Kensington, Musical Les Miserables
Day 2 - Day trip to Salisbury, Bath, Stonehenge
Day 3 - Oxford Street
Day 4 - Check out Hilton London Metropole Hotel and check into London House Hotel, Lunch at Gold Mine where we had Roast Duck.
Day 5 - Day trip to Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick Castle
Day 6 - Portobello Market, Borough Market, Thames Riverwalk, British Museum, Musical Wicked
Day 7 - Hillsong Church, Oxford Street
Day 8 - Off to Airport
Here is my travel itinerary for a 8 day trip to London, England
Day 1 - Arrive in London, South Kensington, Musical Les Miserables
Day 2 - Day trip to Salisbury, Bath, Stonehenge
Day 3 - Oxford Street
Day 4 - Check out Hilton London Metropole Hotel and check into London House Hotel, Lunch at Gold Mine where we had Roast Duck.
Day 5 - Day trip to Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick Castle
Day 6 - Portobello Market, Borough Market, Thames Riverwalk, British Museum, Musical Wicked
Day 7 - Hillsong Church, Oxford Street
Day 8 - Off to Airport
We stopped here for lunch at My Old Dutch and had delicious crepes that was so large it covered the table space.
No trip in London is complete without visiting Oxford Street, the origins of High Street Fashion, where you could find big brands and their stores like Selfridges, Mark and Spencer, Dorothy Perkins, H&M, Primark, and so much more. Unlike where I come from, walking down Oxford Street could take half a day, especially if you intend to do a little bit of shopping. Oxford Circus Station is probably the center of where all the crowd and shopping begins, with Marble Arch Station where you will want to alight if you intend to visit Primark. My friends ooze about Primark, slightly cheaper than H&M, it sells clothes so cheap compared to London standards. I prefer to go here first thing in the morning, drop off purchases back at the hotel, before exploring the rest of the city.
We stayed at London House Hotel, which was a few minutes walk from the famous Four Seasons Duck at Bayswater. Though we did not get a chance to eat there, we ended up at Gold Mine, which also served duck, and I understand was just as good.
One of the mornings, I went out early to visit Portobello Market which was very near where I was staying. It is good to start first thing in the morning, before the crowds come. Explore interesting knick knacks, old trinklets, silverware, pottery, clothing, fresh fruits and bread at this market. Notting Hill is where the famous movie was filmed, and it was a pretty market to have a look if you are looking for some keepsake.
On return to meet my friend, we headed out to Borough Market. This is one market that one needs to go hungry. It's all about food here, both fresh and cooked. Just outside the market is Monmouth Coffee, notably one of the best coffee in town, in a country where tea still rules best.
A lovely side trip away from the markets is a walk by River Thames to have a view of the Tower Bridge. Ask for directions if unsure, to me it's a must go spot if you are going to Borough Market anyway.
I can go shopping all day long for a few days, it is something I am used to doing, so sometimes it takes a personal reminder that when I am out of the country, I have to do something different to make the experience extra memorable. This time I decided to visit the British Museum. Not a history buff, but wanting to have some culture rub off, it was quite interesting to explore the British Museum, which had a large collection of Egyptian artifacts. Of course, a plus is that the museum is free. One could literally spend a day in the museum with so much to see, but with a friend who was not 'wannabe culture buff' I kept my time to a couple of hours here, before heading back to Oxford Street to shop.
No trip to London is complete without visiting Hillsong Church in London. This is home especially when you are in a foreign land. It's almost a thrill to be able to see the Hillsong team worship live, songs you sing on almost a weekly basis in church.
After Hillsong London church service, I like to eat at the nearby Cornish Bakehouse with deliciously baked crusty Cornish Pasties, perfect for a filling lunch.
And of course no trip is complete in London, without high tea and scones. One of tea sessions here was a trip to the basement of Selfridges for just that. On days where we ate simply, lunches were sandwiches from Mark and Spencer, and dinner was soup and wraps from Pret A Manger.
Our nights in London was spent either having an early rest, or checking out the musicals. We managed to catch Wicked and Les Miserables whilst we were in London, which was quite a thrill as we accomplished so much with the sights and sounds in this beautiful city.
