My family and I recently went to England to visit family. We stayed in London and had a great time enjoying all that London had to offer. It was my second time there, but the last time I went I was years old (my daughter’s age) and went with my grandmother to visit her sister. I remember a few things from that trip, but this time around I made new memories with the family.

The Hotel

We stayed at the Clayton Hotel in Chiswick, the West London area of the city. I loved the setup of the room it had a separate area for kids and a master. It was also really close to the Underground (the rail system) so we were able to easily access and there were small shops around. It seem to be more of a business district so the stores and restaurants around closed early.

Getting around

Thanks to T-Mobile, I was able to use my data while I was out and about and not get charged! Google maps was my best friend! We primarily used the Underground to get around the city. There were seriously maps everywhere so it was extremely easy to know where you were supposed to go. Plus I didn’t feel like a tourist too much, Londoners used the maps just as much as we did, so I didn’t feel out of place.  I didn’t realize how big London is, you can travel within an hour on the underground and still be in London and the buses reached the outskirts of London. The Overground was also available, but more expensive. I also downloaded Uber and used that for the first time too. We wanted to go to lounge and there wasn’t one near the hotel so we took an Uber, which was pretty easy.

Sight Seeing

We did a lot of sight seeing, The London Eye, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s Cathedral, a boat tour; but the real site was just observing the city. I love people watching and you observe people with a different eye when you’re not in a rush. I enjoyed the beauty of all the parks, people running to work, enjoying time outdoors and just hanging out at a pub. Even outside of London, every block you turned seemed like a great photo opportunity.  The cleanliness and ease directions made sight seeing easy.

Food!

I can’t lie…I spent most of my food money at Nando’s. London is pretty expensive and Nando’s was a great affordable option for the family. Aside from being affordable, it was delicious! I brought home two bottles of Nando’s sauce with me. I did have other food too! We didn’t have to worry about breakfast, since the hotel had that. Lunch, dinner and snacks still added up, but I must say everything was tasty. I even had a veggie roti from a lunch spot called Wrap it Up.

Check out more of what we did on our trip. 

Mikelah

Mikelah is a Caribbean Culture expert, curating the bridge between the Caribbean and its diaspora. A CUNY Baruch College graduate with a BBA in Marketing. With previous experience with Caribbean lifestyle brands such as VP Records, Tempo TV and JAMROCK Magazine. Currently serving as a digital marketing maven by day, while continuing to collaborate with Caribbean brands.

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