Travel
Top Five Places to Visit in London Off the Beaten Path
Hello friends, I am here again with another article in the series of London and United Kingdom. In my last article I talked about the top five weekend getaway places in my opinion which are away from London, but easy to reach [Read: Top Five Places to Visit Away From London]. These are those places where one can enjoy being away from the work tension and hustle bustle of London. Getting a good response from you readers and travel enthusiasts, and getting hundred shares on Facebook by you all really encouraged me. Some of my followers on Facebook and via email suggested us to also write about the places within London where one can plan an evening or weekend. And I have quickly considered this suggestion as it will be a good addition to support our travel series on London and United Kingdom.
If you want to find a great place in London where you can plan or organize an event like a meeting, party, a formal or informal function then you may try finding a suitable venue for it here
www.venuefinder.com/venues-in-london/. This is the same website which helped me hire a meeting room as I discussed in my previous article. If you just want to plan an evening or a weekend where you can hangout with your friends or with your special one then I am going to help you đ
London is a great city and there are many things to do for all kind of people. Recently I also wrote an article on best bars in London. I visited many bars and pubs and restaurants and listed one of the best bars in my opinion. As I said London is for everyone, if you are not the one who enjoys spending time with friends in bars, there are a number of art galleries, theatres, museums, gardens, etc. whatever finds your taste.
When we think of London a lot places come to our mind, like Big Ben, London Bridge, and London Eye, etc. These are no doubt one of the most popular attractions in London, but if you are in London for a long time and you need a change then you must chose the unbeaten path. There are many places in London which deserves your tourist eyes equally.
1. St. James Park
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London Eye across the St. James Park, photo by TrevorLowe |
If you are in central London, this is one of the best place to stroll. This place is really close to Buckingham Palace, St. James’s Place, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, and Westminster. It is a good place to come with your family friends or your better half. Plenty of benches to relax and talk or you may sit on the grass and admire the nature. I could count 28 different species of flowers in the park, in the season daffodils cover a good part of the park adding the charm in its beauty. If you have been to Hyde park, this one you will find comparatively smaller but equally good. While in the nature surrounded by grass, flowers, birds and squirrels, you can still admire the view of the palace and London eye. You will find some brave squirrels there, if you love them do not forget to take some nuts with you and you will be able to make some new furry friends. You can arrive here from Green Park tube or St. James Park tube. Green park is another beautiful park just adjacent to it.
If you are with kids, they will love this place as there is a lot of open space to run about and there are ducks, swans and many other different birds and pigeons in the park and in the lake. If you have plans of eating there then beware of squirrels, but if you have come to feed them, then enjoy feeding them. If you have come to visit the palace, or London Eye, you should spend some time here to rest and relax before continuing your rest of the London trip.
2. Up at the O2
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Up at the O2, Photo by Jason |
Up at the O2 is quite a new attraction which London has to offer to the tourists and Londoners. It was officially open  to the public on 21st June, 2012. This place deserves your time to give you an unforgettable experience which will take you on an uplifting expedition across the roof of the world’s most popular entertainment venue along a 190m long tensile fabric walkway and then back to the base with a thrill completing your ninety minutes of adventure. In the centre of the roof, from the viewing platform you can experience the stunning 360 degree view of the London including the Olympic Park, Thames Barrier, The Shard, Historic Royal Greenwich and Canary Wharf.
Try to go there in the evening when the sun is setting while going up you will be able to enjoy the sun setting and on the top as the sun goes down you will see the city lighting up which is a great feeling. At first the climbing could be very steep and it could be really windy up there. They will provide you shoes with better grip and wind proof suit that would help you even better to enjoy the view.
The staff is really friendly and can guide you along the expedition telling you interesting things about London and Up at the O2. People move in batches so you will have plenty of room when you will be enjoying the 360 degree view at the top.
Tickets start at ÂŁ22 for adults and children. Try booking in advance to avoid disappointment. If you are an O2 customer you are eligible for nearly 15% of discount if you book tickets online.
3. Somerset House Ice Rink
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Somerset House Skating Rink, photo by oatsy40 |
This is one of the greatest Ice Rink, not in the size but in the sense of its location, in the Somerset House! Excellent location and cheaper than expected, the atmosphere at this Ice Rink has more to offer than just skating. With music, with a small “light show”, and a tent where you can warm up with hot chocolate or mulled wine, skating here is more than just fun. Since the rink is comparatively smaller you may expect it to get crowded, but still getting here and getting the tickets is easier. Even then I would advice you to book in advance to avoid any disappointment. During Christmas and new year it is even better with all the festival decoration and new year fireworks.
There is a separate area for learning dedicated to small children with push along penguins to help them take support as well as give them the understanding of other people in the rink. There is a cafe too and cloak room which can take care of your bags.
4. Regent’s Park
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Regent’s Park, photo by Rictor Norton & David Allen |
This park is one of my favourite place, I think this is one of the place in Europe where you can see people playing cricket freely. Being a part of TWR I learnt a lot about cricket while in India, people are more crazy about cricket there than they are in England, given it is a British game.
The park is a large and well kept popular recreation area where you can enjoy tennis courts, cricket ground, children’s playgrounds and the London Zoo. There is also one artificial lake, boating pool and an open air theatre. The park is busiest on its south side where access from public transport is easier. On the north side of the park is London zoo.
The park acts as a true oasis in the middle of all the hustle bustle of the city. If you wander further in the park, you will be completely isolated from the noise of the city. You can walk and explore or you may rent a bike, you may even rent a deckchair and stay amidst the blooming roses. The place is also good to go with family kids or pets. In the evening you will find kids playing cricket or soccer, which is a great sight specially seeing them playing cricket as I have not seen people in Europe playing cricket, although it is a European game.
5. Covent Garden
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Covent Garden, photo by Jaume Meneses |
This is a happening place for both guys and girls; men and women; basically for everyone and for every age, and for all kinds of tastes. This place offers some of the nicest restaurants, bars, markets, boutiques, shopping centres, and theatres making it London’s premier tourist centre. It is a real tourist trap, but fun to almost spend the whole day. If you want to eat or get a drink then it could be slightly costly. Fast food in the market can be better choice if you need budget food of good quality.
There are shops selling from clothes to jewellery to cupcakes and macaroons. On the weekend you wil lfind handicrafts and stalls for other cool handmade gift items too. It is always interesting to walk here and you will find way too talented street artists and performers who never fail to amuse you with their performance. The food, drinks, transport museum, Disney store and Apple store, everything is good and you will feel really safe. The atmosphere and the ambiance will pull you from anywhere. In history and story books I have read about this place a lot of times, but being here was a different experience and I was able to relate how it was narrated in the books in the real life.
Don’t think that if you are in London that too in a shopping place then you will have to spend a lot. There is everything for any range and it is not compulsory to buy something. Even if you do not buy anything there is a lot of free entertainment at this place that can keep you entertained for the whole day. You can enjoy looking at the street performers, people, and having snacks and meals with drinks.
This place can sometime be very crowded so time your visit accordingly and I am sure you will enjoy this place.
I hope you agree with the places I listed here as one of the best places in London where you can relieve your work and city tensions. As I wrote in my previous article, it is not necessary to move out of London to find peace, you can do that well being in London. So here I am concluding this another article in the London and UK travel series. You may subscribe to my updates and follow me where I am travelling via RSS. You can write your opinion in the comment section below and send me suggestion on which places should I cover next.
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