Mini Travel Log: London, UK (6)

I was looking around for cherry blossom trees (sakura) during spring time in London. It is not easy to find as this is not their native tree and they prefer their magnolias, camellias, daffodils and crocuses. Kew Gardens has the largest concentration of cherry blossom trees, both the pink and the white blossoms. However if you prefer somewhere in central London, then you can find a couple in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and Regent's Park. I only walked around Kensington Gardens and could only find the white blossoms. If you want to see the pink blossoms, then you may try in Regent's Park the next season.

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Mini Travel Log: Winter Wonderland, London

This post is long overdue. So first up, belated Merry Christmas, belated Happy New Year and belated Chinese New Year wishes to all readers. I had been procrastinating for too long. Probably feeling burn out, but also wasted much time on playing computer games too. Am now too lazy to go back into writing for the blog. But here I am, finally managed to write and post something which dates back to last year.

I spent my New Year in London hoping to catch the amazing London fireworks. But disappointment set in one month before my actual trip. Hotels with direct Big Ben/London Eye view were all booked out in advance. So no joy in watching the fireworks from the comfort of the room. Next I tried to search for good fireworks locations along the Thames. To my disappointment, this year's fireworks were ticketed for the first time instead of free viewing. It was actually a guise for crowd control due to the heightened terrorist threat. Only limited numbers of tickets were released everyday at 12 GMT. Within minutes of the tickets' release, they were all sold out. I gave up after 3 days of trying.

So with the fireworks out of the question, I planned for alternatives. The streets of London were literally empty on the New Year day. Many London attractions were closed as well. Then I remembered a colleague of mine recommended a visit to the Winter Wonderland in London Hyde Park. It was the best amusement park experience I had in my life. There were so many attractions and colourful activities in there. For those planning a visit this year end, it starts on 21st Nov 2015 till 4th Jan 2016. The Ice Kingdom and Ice Bar is worth a visit, but do prepare for the very cold temperature inside. The rest outside are exciting rides and themed houses good for the kids and adults as well. They also have hundreds of stalls selling food and drinks.

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Mini Travel Log: London, UK (5)

It is a rare opportunity to get nice weather in London. Most of my times in London were spent on not so good and sometimes rainy weather. I love to see the sun and clear blue skies. So even after my tiring flight, I fought the fatigue and went out. I walked down Thames river while enjoying the nice cool weather. Further down the river after the London Eye, I discovered the busking street which leads down the river all the way till Tower Bridge. Here you can see all kinds of street performers and buskers showcasing their trade of arts and skills. The most notable one that I found is the fiery tuba player. He plays music while blowing out fire from his tuba while sitting on his antique music player.

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Mini Travel Log: London, UK (4)

Wow...the Queen loves to summon me to London. This is the 4th time in the year I come to London for royal treatment. Your Majesty, I love this place and really appreciate your invites, but if you confer me with a royal title or grant me a knighthood, then it will make my travel so much easier into the country. Oh and I will definitely take up residence in this lovely country of yours.

In return of your kindness, I visited the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, and contributed back to your royal funds. I have to say I'm so amazed by this garden. After having visited many other botanical gardens around the world, this Kew Gardens is a league above the rest; a class of its own. Boasting the world's largest collection of living plants, this garden really deserves for being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For visitors, this garden is a must visit. Apart from being able to see the world without getting out of the country, you can sit back and relax in this vast scenic park while enjoying a cup of tea under the cool sun. There are also many beautiful attractions and historic buildings/museums to visit; particularly the Kew Palace. So your Majesty, perhaps we could arrange for a royal high tea in this palace on my next return? I would like to reserve a room with the garden view. =)

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Mini Travel Log: London, UK (3)

The Queen must have loved me so much, for I was summoned back to the UK after I left in less than a week. Thank you for your invite Your Majesty, for if not, I would have left rotting in the house for a week. But so sorry that I did not pay you a visit at Buckingham Palace this time, for I had a date with your ancestor King Henry VIII at his Hampton Court Palace instead. Boy, I have to say his castle gardens are much bigger and more beautiful than your St. James Park. I had fun getting lost in the Maze Garden but bollocks, for the exit was actually the same entrance. Ahh...what a trick.

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Even though I return to the same places I have visited last time, London still has its charm. I had a wonderful time here with my fiancee. We were blessed to be able to meet in London out of the so many flights around the world. This is the first of the many more honeymoon trips to come. I am looking forward to that.

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Mini Travel Log: London, UK

We brought the sunshine from Singapore to London when we touched down. I was told by the ground staff it had been awful and raining for the past week. With great sun, blue skies and cool temperature, I had a wonderful stay in the city. I benefited from the long day hours during summer, which I had spare time to visit more places and a cruise down Thames River. However when it comes to night time, I had to wait until 9pm for the sun to fully set. I have missed the chance to snap the beautiful city night shot from the hill up in Greenwich Park, because it closes at 8.30pm. The weather turned awful again on the day I left. Temperature dipped to a low of 16 deg during summer. Unbelievable. It reminded me of Melbourne, where the city can have 4 seasons in a day.

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