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Spending a weekend at Le Méridien Goa, Calangute – My Staycation Experience

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For the modern traveller looking for a hotel that is equal parts chic, luxurious and family-friendly, it does not get better than the relatively new Le Méridien Goa in Calangute. It is located in the heart of the tourist hub in North Goa, just a stone’s throw away from the best restaurants, bars, cafes, night clubs and of course, the very popular Calangute beach. The management kindly invited me for a staycation and if you follow me on social media and have seen all my posts and stories, you will know how much fun I had the weekend I was in the hotel. 

Le Meridien Goa

Le Meridien Goa

Le Méridien Goa Staycation Experience

Location 

Le Méridien Goa is located in Calangute, one of the most popular tourist destinations in North Goa, at a distance of around 25 kms from the Dabolim airport. While the property is not beach facing and you do need to walk for a few minutes to get to the beach, the location is very convenient. There are shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, salons and spas all around and the best part is that the hotel is set just off the main road so you can enjoy the peace and quietness away from the hustle and bustle, yet you have easy access to it once you step out of the hotel. 

Le Meridien Goa

Le Meridien Goa

Look & Feel

Chic, casual and contemporary. These are the three words that come to my mind while describing the look and feel of the hotel. As it is with all Le Méridien properties, the focus is also on showcasing local culture and you will find references to that all over the hotel. The lobby is decorated with artwork that draws inspiration from the Kunbi tribe, Goa’s original settlers and showcases their jewellery and fishing tools. There are photographs, paintings, murals all over the property that aims to build a connection with Goa’s rich cultural heritage. 

Le Meridien Goa

Le Meridien Goa

Le Meridien Goa

Le Meridien Goa

Replica of a Goan style villa

Replica of a Goan style villa

Facilities

Le Méridien Goa is a hotel for all types of travellers. Whether you are looking to spend a quiet romantic weekend or a boisterous one with friends or an activity-filled one with kids or a business retreat, the hotel caters to all needs. The usual facilities of a swimming pool, well-equipped gym, sauna are all there. Kids will especially love the Le Méridien Kids Club, a no-tech interactive activity centre where they can play, paint, draw and participate in activities that pique their interest. Kids Clubs are available in select Le Méridien hotels all over the world and is a great way to engage the young minds on a holiday and also leave some alone time for the parents :).

Le Meridien Goa

For the explorers, Le Méridien Goa also offers curated tours that showcases Goa’s rich cultural heritage. On the second day of my trip, I went on a day-long tour where I explored the old Latin quarters of Fontainhaus, climbed up the Res Magos fort and ended the day watching the sunset from Sinquerim beach. And all these suggestions were given to me by the GM of the hotel, Mr Victor Chen who is an avid traveller, foodie and also a Kolkata boy. We spent some time discussing about the different things to do in Goa and he told me about some very unique and offbeat places that one must definitely visit. I will share all of that in my next blog post so stay tuned. 

Rooms

The rooms are designed for privacy, comfort and luxury. There are a total of 146 rooms divided into three categories. The Classic Pool View rooms have a private balcony and a view of the pool area. The Family Studio Rooms are larger and perfect if you are travelling with children. The Classic Balcony Rooms are modern, chic and comfortable. I stayed in one of the Classic Pool View rooms and loved it. It also helped that when I checked in, I saw a lovely note from the GM along with some Bebinca shaped like a bed placed in the room. My room was spacious and overlooked the pool. If I were staying for some more days, I would have probably spent most of my day in the balcony, curled up on the chair, reading a book and drinking beer. I also got to know that the beds in the rooms are uniquely designed to offer a superior sleeping experience. I can vouch for that claim because I fell asleep within minutes of hitting the bed after dinner. It could have been the effect of the multiple bottles of beer that I consumed as well but let’s give the benefit of the doubt to the bed :D. 

Le Meridien Goa Room

Le Meridien Goa Room

Le Meridien Goa Room

Le Meridien Goa Room

F&B Options

This is the area I am most interested in a hotel and this is where Le Méridien Goa shines. Goa’s first whiskey bar, Jazz & Grills not only serves a great selection of alcohol but they also get local artists to perform there live on weekends and I happened to catch one such exhilarating performance. Longitude 73° is where I enjoyed some lovely coffee flavoured cocktails and a spread of sweets and savouries in the evening. Latest Recipe is the all-day diner that has a wide range of Indian and international dishes on their menu but what you must try is their Goan selection. For two days, that is all I gorged on. From Chorizo Pav to Ross Omelette to Chicken Xacuti and Vindaloo, I had everything but what I will go back again for is their Goan thali. With all Goan specialty dishes in one big thali, it is a wonderful option for anyone who loves this unique cuisine.

Longitude 73°

Longitude 73°

Latest Recipe

Latest Recipe

Latest Recipe also serves an extensive Sunday brunch which has everything from fresh fruit, juices, alcohol, a mix of north and south indian, Asian, continental and local delicacies as well as an indulgent dessert spread. While I was staying, the hotel had organised a very interesting food festival where 5 chefs from UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and West Bengal created a menu with their own unique twist to traditional dishes from their states. That festival was on for only two weeks but they keep on organising interesting food festivals and other events like sundowners, pool parties etc so definitely keep a watch for what’s coming in the future. 

Value for Money

Double rooms from INR 7,500 in low season and from INR 10,000 in high season. Breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi. For more details, click here. 

Overall I had a truly wonderful experience at Le Meridien Goa. The facilities are top notch and the service is impeccable. The staff is helpful and friendly and they go all out to ensure that your stay is a memorable one.

Signing off from this blog post but make sure you stay tuned for the second one where I will write about some hidden gems that I discovered in Goa thanks to Mr Chen. 

 

Note – I was a guest at Le Meridien, however, views, as always, are my own.

 

Siem Reap, Cambodia Travel: Part 1 – Visiting Angkor

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

This post was actually supposed to come out nearly two months back, after my return from Siem Reap. However, life happened and I got really busy with work, more travel and I just did not get the time to write down about my experience. Anyway, here we are and I am repeating what has become my mantra for blog posts now. “Better late than never”. 🙂

Also, since there is a lot that I want to write about, I am splitting the post into two parts. The first one, which is this, will focus only on the sightseeing bit and the places where I went to. Part 2 will be about food and shopping in Siem Reap.

Siem Reap Travel

Planning for the Trip

So, how did the planning start? Randomly actually. I desperately wanted a holiday but did not have a lot of time so one day just decided, how about visiting Angkor and ticking that off my bucket list? Siem Reap is not too far away from Kolkata and can be managed within 3 days. I started checking up on flight fares, hotels etc and then in a conversation with a very old school friend, I brought up the topic. Kasturi, my friend, said that she would arrange for everything because she just started her own travel outfit, The Travelling Life (her IG handle is @the_travelinglife), and I could not have been more relieved. From air fares to hotel and transportation to visa, she took care of everything. And the best thing was that she had free time as well and so we agreed to travel together.

Getting to Siem Reap from Kolkata was not really a breeze. We checked out all affordable options and finally settled on the Air Asia flight to Bangkok and then a connecting flight to Siem Reap. The return flight was via Kuala Lumpur. Since we booked quite late, the fares came to around 25k in total but we also did include 20 kgs luggage. The price goes down a lot if you do away with the checked-in baggage option and can manage only with the cabin baggage allowance of 7 kgs.

Visa is available on arrival but we just found it easier to get an evisa. All you need to do is submit an online application, pay the fee of 36$ and you get the evisa emailed to your ID within a few minutes. In terms of hotel, we selected Saem Siem Reap, a considerably new hotel in the city, located not too far from the city centre.

Visiting Angkor 

Well, if you are going to Siem Reap, then the no 1 reason for your travel should of course be the Angkor temple complex. We visited at the end of March and I can tell you that the place was already as hot as a furnace. But I can also tell you that if you want to see the temples relatively in peace without having a bunch of tourists pushing and shoving, Jan to April is actually the best time to visit. Once the rains start and tourist season begins, it just gets crazy. Our guide said that all you can see are heads inside the temple complexes. So, brave the heat and go earlier in the year.

To gain entrance to the Angkor Archaeological Park, you need an admission pass, called the Angkor Pass. That pass is also valid for other monuments in the Siem Reap area, like Phnom Krom and Wat Athvea. The Pass can only be purchased at the official ticket counter which is around 4 kms away from Siem Reap town and open from 4.30 a.m to 5.30 p.m. We bought a 1 day pass for 37$ but if you are staying in Siem Reap for more days, it actually makes sense to get a 3-day pass for 62$ or a 7-day pass for 72$. That way, you don’t have to rush into seeing all the temples in one day and can space out your visits. Most of the temples are open from 7.30 a.m to 5.30 p.m. Angkor Wat is open from 5 a.m to 5.30 p.m making it possible for tourists to witness the sunrise and sunset. We did not go for either because those times are the most crowded and as much as we would have loved to see the sun rise or set against the backdrop of the gorgeous temple façade, standing in a queue for hours just did not make much sense.

The Most Important Temples in the Angkor Complex

Siem Reap is full of temples and if you are staying there for a few days, you can see all of them but if you have only a day or two, then I would suggest you absolutely see the following which is what we did.

  • Angkor Wat – the largest of the lot and easily takes about 2-3 hours if you want to see everything so go early in the morning. Don’t forget to click a picture of the façade at the water lily pond in front of Angkor Wat but just be prepared to jostle for space because a crowd of tourists will also be waiting at the exact spot to click that perfect shot.
  • South Gate Angkor Thom – Angkor Thom (big city) was once the Khmer capital and the south gate is a masterpiece. It is approached via a causeway and on each side of the causeway are railings fashioned with 54 stone figures that depict the Hindu mythological story of the Churning of the Ocean.
  • Bayon – This temple is at the heart of Angkor Thom and best known for the gigantic face sculptures that adorn its 37 surviving towers. The faces are thought to represent Avalokiteshvara, a Buddhist deity.
  • Baphuon – Located in Angkor Thom, northwest of the Bayon, this was the state temple once. It is shaped like a pyramid and is said to be a symbolic representation of Mount Meru.
  • Terrace of the Elephants – This is part of the Royal Terrace, a 360 meter long sandstone wall that is carved with life-size sculptures of elephants.
  • Terrace of the Leper King – Located to the north of the Elephant Terrace, this terrace is named after a statue of the ‘Leper king’ that originally stood at the centre. Now a replica stands with sculptures of royal dignitaries, priests, nagas and court ladies.
  • Ta Prohm – Dubbed the Tomb Raider temple because it provided the mystical backdrop for the 2001 Hollywood hit starring Angelina Jolie, the root-riddled Ta Prohm temple is an incredibly fascinating site. Go here early morning or slightly later in the day to get the entire feel of the place.

For first-time visitors, before exploring the Angkor temples, I would suggest you go to the Angkor National Museum that houses plenty of images, paintings and artefacts. There are 8 galleries and a film screening called Story Behind the Legend that tells the story of Angkor and the Khmer empire. Tickets are priced at 12$.

Koh Ker

On our second day in Siem Reap, we visited Koh Ker, the capital of the Angkorian empire from 928 AD to 944 AD. It takes about 2 hours to go to Koh Ker from Siem Reap and since the place is not as popular as Angkor yet, there are very few tourists so you can explore on your own.

The main structure of Koh Ker is the Prasat Thom, a seven-tiered temple very similar in appearance to the Mayan temples of South America but on the way there are plenty of temples that you must visit because they house some of the largest Shiva lingas in Cambodia.  Unfortunately, no restoration work has been carried out in Koh Ker so the place is not as maintained as Angkor but I found the entire complex to be incredibly interesting. If you are fond of archaeology, history and old ruins, definitely add Koh Ker to your Siem Reap itinerary. You can also climb on top of the seven-tiered temple for great views of the countryside. Entrance is free. 

Siem Reap is famous for Angkor Wat and Bayon but there are actually a lot more to see there. I did not know about the pink Banteay Srei or lady temple which I heard is exquisite or Phnom Bakheng, popular for sunrise and sunset viewing. Maybe next time.  

That turned out to be a very long blog post but I just wanted to share all the details. Watch out for Part 2 where I will write about the food and shopping scene in Siem Reap.

 

If you want to visit Siem Reap or other places in Cambodia and want a relaxed, comfortable and hassle-free holiday, ask Kasturi of @the_travelinglife to do everything for you. The best tour planner ever!

 

 

 

5 Wonderful Things To Do In London In Winter

Winter Wonderland 2018

Winter Wonderland 2018

London in winter is magical especially during Christmas time. I’ve been to the city three times already earlier this year but my fourth which was for three weeks from end-November to mid-December was no doubt the best of the lot. Christmas lights and decorations are up everywhere, people are in a happy and festive mood and there is so much to see and do. In this post, I will list five of my favourite things to do in London during winter. Most of these attractions are available till the first week of January every year so if you are already in London or planning for a trip in future, remember to tick all these off from your things to do list. 

Things to do in London in Winter

Go on rides at Winter Wonderland and Winterville

Winter Wonderland is absolutely amazing! I went there a day after it opened for this year and the atmosphere was fabulous. On weekends it can get really busy with long queues to get in (entry is free) but it is an experience not to be missed.

Winter Wonderland 2018

Winter Wonderland 2018

Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park is London’s biggest Christmas event featuring Christmas markets, an ice skating rink, carnival rides and games, circus shows, an ice sculpture kingdom, live music and entertainment, cinema and of course, my favourite, the food and drink stalls. Even if you are not doing anything else there, you must visit to at least have the bratwurst, grilled salmon, mulled wine, fudge, hot cider and hot chocolate. 

Another very good option if you find Winter Wonderland too crowded is Winterville at Clapham Common. Smaller in size to its Hyde Park variant, the attractions are pretty much the same. Lots of food, backyard cinema, theatre shows, circus, puppet shows, rides, craft fair and activities for children. Winterville starts from mid-November and ends just before Christmas. 

Winterville 2018

Winterville 2018

See the Christmas Lights 

Switching on the Christmas lights at major London streets is a big event. They usually turn them on early November and that pretty much informally starts off the holiday season. I thoroughly recommend going to Oxford Street, Regent Street, Carnaby Street, Bond Street, Seven Dials and Covent Garden (they set up one of the largest Christmas trees in the city). Mind you these areas get crazy busy during this time especially during weekends but a visit is definitely worth it to see how the lights completely transform the streets. 

Visit a Christmas Market

Apart from the Christmas Markets at Winter Wonderland and Winterville, there are quite a few that pop up during winter. This year, I visited the markets at Southbank, Greenwich and Leicester Square. They all offer an endless selection of handmade goods, jewelry, artwork, gifts, holiday knick-knacks, food and beverages. Also worth visiting is Borough Market for food. Even though it is open all year round, during winter, the market turns festive with beautiful decorations, Christmas goods like trees, wreaths etc and winter special food items like mulled wine, cider and other seasonal produce. 

Go shopping and check out the special window displays 

This time of the year, window shopping is quite a treat. Literally. All the shops and big department stores put up special window displays and they are so beautifully done. This year, Harrod’s famous display features festive rituals with a luxury twist, animals are carved into the pillars and panels of the iconic Liberty store, a giant champagne bottle pops and pours gold and silver hues at Harvey Nichols and Selfridges has a rock’ n’ roll theme with even Santa getting a rock star style makeover. 

Also worth a visit are the shopping arcades to soak up the festive spirit and see the beautiful decorations. Burlington Arcade on Piccadily was my favourite. 

 

Enjoy a festive afternoon tea

Afternoon tea in London is a serious affair and most restaurants, hotels and teahouses around the city serve up hot brews accompanied by trays of delicious mini-sandwiches, scones and other sweet and savoury finger food. While afternoon tea is available all year round, you tend to enjoy it more in winter. One of the most delightful Afternoon Tea experiences that you can have is at the iconic Fortnum & Mason. To know about my experience, read this blog post. 

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

 

Apart from what I’ve mentioned above, there are plenty of interesting things you can do in London in winter . If you know how to skate, you can go skating at Somerset House, Canary Wharf, Natural History Museum. You can visit Kew Gardens to see the illuminated trail, enjoy Hogwarts in the Snow at Warner Bros Studio or watch one of the many musicals that play at West End. I’ve not been able to do any of these this year because you need to buy tickets way in advance but they are on my list for my next visit in winter.

What are your favourite things to do in London in winter? Do share in the comments below. 

 

Traditional Afternoon Tea Experience At Fortnum & Mason, London

Fortnum & Mason is an institution in London. This iconic department store was established way back in 1707 by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason who had connections with the royal family and over the years, this store has become a London landmark. It also helps that the store sells some of the finest goods in the city or perhaps even the country but what is truly iconic about Fortnum & Mason is their Afternoon Tea. 

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

Fortnums Afternoon Tea again has a long history. It was started in 1926 at the elegant Tea Salon now named the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon in honour of the Queen’s visit in 2012, when she formally opened the room, in the company of the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge.

The thing with the Afternoon Tea is that it is so popular you need to book way in advance to secure a table. I tried going there once in summer with my friend on a weekend and we were politely refused because we did not have a reservation but most importantly, they did not have any place for the next one month. Yes, it is that busy. Also, you cannot sit there forever. There is a time limit of 1.5 hours which means that for 90 minutes that start from the time you are seated, you can order as much food and refills as you want to from your choice of the menu. If you want to go there, you better go with an empty tummy. 

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea

— Henry James

So what is about Fortnums Afternoon Tea that makes it so popular? Well, firstly, the location is really fancy so you feel rather fancy yourself. The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon is an extremely elegant and refined setting for the tea. As soon as the elevator door opens to the salon, it becomes clear that you are in for a delightful experience. Because of the festive season, the salon is now decorated beautifully. There is a big Christmas tree in the waiting area and a pianist playing a grand piano. 

Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

There are two areas where you can be seated – the Drawing Room, lined with hand-painted silk wallpaper or the North and South Salons oozing charm and sophistication. The colours of Fortnum, pale green and white are everywhere, from the decor to the china and cutlery.  

Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

The Afternoon Tea is not just limited to the afternoon. It is available the entire day from 11.30 a.m to 7.30 p.m on weekdays and 11.00 a.m to 7.00 pm on Saturdays and you can choose from four options – Afternoon Tea, Savoury Afternoon Tea, High Tea and Vegetarian Afternoon Tea. 

We were a group of four who went for the Tea experience at 11 a.m on a Saturday morning and after much deliberation, two of us decided to go for the Afternoon Tea and the remaining two went for the Savoury Tea. In my opinion, go for the regular Afternoon Tea instead of the Savoury version because you get a good mix of both sweet and savoury items in the former. My friend I think regretted his choice a bit because he was constantly eating out of our share and asking me to order for more. This is perfectly acceptable because you can order as much as you want to for a duration of 1.5 hours. 

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea Menu

What is in the menu? You get a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream (savoury scones in the Savoury Tea menu), strawberry preserve and lemon curd and a selection of tea cakes and cakes from the cake carriage (tea savouries in the Savoury version) along with your choice of tea. For an extra £13 per glass, you can also order champagne. 

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea has always been a rather elaborate affair in England and I got to know that there are rules associated with it. I’ve never been one to care for rules but these are rather fascinating. For starters, milk is always supposed to be added last to the tea, the correct way to hold the fine china is by making your thumb and index finger meet in the handle, tea should be stirred only with a back and forth motion, finger sandwiches must always be eaten with the hands, not cutlery, scones are pronounced as ‘skon’ and never ‘skone’, scones are always broken, not cut and they are never to be sandwiched back together . I might not have followed all these rules to the T at Fortnums but who really cares? Right? 🙂

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

Coming back to the menu, the star for me was definitely the sandwiches especially the Smoked Salmon with Tartare dressing and the Suffolf Ham with English Mustard. Incredibly soft and light, these were heavenly. The scones were undoubtedly the best I’ve ever had. I am not particularly fond of lemon curd but I do love my scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserve and I might have had one too many. The good thing is that you can even take back the jars of preserve and lemon curd if you are unable to finish at the table. In fact you can take back anything from the menu that you are not able to finish. The servers will gladly pack the leftovers in a fancy F&M box and hand it over before you leave. 

Savoury Afternoon Tea

Savoury Afternoon Tea

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea

From the tea cake selection, my favourite was definitely the Black Forest cake and a light as air cake with sugar rose petals on top. I was told that it is the Queen’s favourite as well. Not wanting to miss out on anything despite struggling to eat another morsel, I tried the Victorian Sponge cake, Battenberg cake and the Chocolate cake from the Cake Carriage. The Battenberg cake has been served with the Afternoon Tea since 1926 and is said to be created to celebrate the marriage of Princess Victoria to Prince Louis of Battenberg in 1884. This colourful cake with iced marzipan was a bit too sweet for my taste but everyone else loved it. Throughout my 1.5 hrs, I made sure to try as many varieties of tea as I could and ended up drinking chocolate violet, peach, vanilla and strawberry with the latter being the best of them all.

Fortnum & Mason Battenberg Cake

Fortnum & Mason Battenberg Cake

Fortnum & Mason Rose Cake

Fortnum & Mason Rose Cake

Fortnum & Mason Victoria Sponge Cake

Fortnum & Mason Victoria Sponge Cake

Overall, I loved the experience and I cannot thank the person who invited me there enough. Savouring the famous Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea was on my wish list for a long time and it certainly did not disappoint. The service was impeccable, the food was beyond amazing and the staff, super friendly and helpful. I will certainly go back if I am in London again and I will click much better photographs 🙂

Fortnum’s Afternoon Tea

Served with your choice of Fortnum’s Famous Blends £52.50
Served with your choice of Rare Tea £56.50

 

Have you been to Fortnum & Mason? What did you think of the Afternoon Tea?

 

Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon : Walking in the Bard’s footsteps

“And now my dear, you will literally be walking in William Shakespeare’s footsteps”. That’s when it sunk in. I was in Stratford-upon-Avon and I was about to enter the house where the greatest English playwright was born in 1564 and spent his childhood years.

Shakespeare's Birthplace

Shakespeare’s Birthplace

Visiting Stratford-upon-Avon  

When I got to know that I’d be in Sheffield for two weeks in April, the first thing that I did was find out where I could go on the weekends. Everyone I knew said that there was nothing to see in Sheffield so I should make plans to visit some of the nearby places and one of the suggestions was Stratford-upon-Avon. I’ll write about the other two soon 🙂

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

Me and my colleague looked up Google, checked all information available, booked train tickets and tickets to see Shakespeare’s family homes and on a very cold, snowy Easter Monday morning, set out to discover the Bard’s birthplace.

How to Get To Stratford-Upon-Avon

Since we did not have a car, we took a train from Sheffield to Birmingham New Street railway station. Got down at the station and walked for about ten minutes to the Birmingham Moor Street railway station from where we took a London Midland train to Stratford-upon-Avon. There are a number of websites from where you can book train tickets for travelling within UK. We used the website Go Euro and paid around 35 pounds for the return tickets from Sheffield.

If you are travelling from London, the train ride is around 2 hours long and you will need to get down at Stratford railway station. If you want to fly down, the nearest airport is Birmingham and from there you can either take a train to Stratford or rent a car to drive down.

Travel tip – Don’t wait to buy train tickets two days before your travel because prices can be really high.  It is always a good idea to book them atleast a couple of weeks before your trip. Make sure to compare prices between a few websites to get the best rates. Go Euro, The Train Line, My Train Ticket are some of the websites that you can check for tickets at reasonable rates.

Tour or no Tour?

If you are staying in Stratford-upon-Avon, it does not make sense to book a tour because the town is quite small and on a grid, so it is easy to walk around. If you are visiting for a day and have only a few hours to explore, it makes sense to book a hop on-hop-off bus tour from Viator for about 14 pounds (peak season will be more). We reached Stratford-upon-Avon around 11.30 in the morning and had about 6 hours till we boarded our train back to Sheffield in the evening. The bus tour therefore came in really handy because we saved time in getting from one place to another.

We booked the bus tickets online and once we reached the town, from the railway station we took a cab to go to the tourist office to board the bus. Like all hop on-hop off buses, this one was also an open top bus so the ride was a very enjoyable one. The bus drops you off at the major tourist spots and picks up at a designated time.

What to see?

Shakespeare’s Birthplace – No visit to Stratford-upon-Avon is complete without visiting the birth house of William Shakespeare. This is the house where Shakespeare was born, grew up and spent his childhood years. The house is located in the center of the town and is surrounded by shops, cafes and restaurants making it the most popular tourist spot. I went when the weather was really cold and there were hardly any tourists around but if you go during the peak season, make sure to reach early to avoid the queues.

Outside Shakespeare's Birthplace

Outside Shakespeare’s Birthplace

The visit starts at the Shakespeare Centre which houses an array of artifacts that date back to Shakespeare’s time including one of the three First Folios owned by The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. There are only 230 First Folios that have survived to this day thus making the artifact extremely rare.

Shakespeare Centre

Shakespeare Centre

From the exhibition, you go into the main house.  Inside, you’ll find guides in medieval costume either performing or talking about the history of the house. It is remarkable how well the house has been maintained and credit for that goes to The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. There are various pieces of furniture that belonged to Shakespeare’s time. You can see the room where he was born, the crib where he slept, the kitchens, the bedrooms, desks, chairs etc.

Shakespeare's Birthplace

Shakespeare’s Birthplace

Shakespeare's Birthplace

Shakespeare’s Birthplace

Inside Shakespeare's Birthplace

Inside Shakespeare’s Birthplace

Travel tip – If you are a Harry Potter fan or intrigued by the world of witches and wizards, definitely go to Magic Alley and The Creaky Cauldron, a shop selling magic wands, wizardry games, spells and butterbeer made from an old Tudor recipe. The shop is located next to Shakespeare’s Birthplace and is quite easy to find. 

Butterbeer

Shakespeare’s New Place – New Place is said to be the site of Shakespeare’s last home and the place where he died in 1616. The house no longer exists as it was demolished by Francis Gastrell in 1759. The story goes that Gastrell who bought the house after the death of Shakespeare’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Hall got irritated by the influx of visitors and destroyed a mulberry tree in the garden said to have been planted by Shakespeare. In retaliation, the townsfolk destroyed New Place’s windows. Gastrell applied for local permission to extend the garden. His application was rejected and his tax was increased so Gastrell retaliated by demolishing the house in 1759. This greatly outraged the inhabitants and Gastrell was eventually forced to leave town. In fact even till this day, anyone with the surname Gastrell is not given permission to live in Stratford-upon-Avon!

Shakespeare's New Place

Shakespeare’s New Place

New Place reopened in 2016 and features an exhibition center with rare artefacts relating to Shakespeare’s life, as well as a beautiful garden with commissioned artworks.

Shakespeare's New Place

Shakespeare’s New Place

Guild Chapel – Standing across from New Place, Guild Chapel was built when in 1269 the Guild of the Holy Cross was given permission to build a hospital and chapel in Stratford-upon-Avon. In 1500, Hugh Clopton, Lord Mayor of London paid for the Chapel’s wall paintings. Conservators now believe that the Guild Chapel’s walls display one of the few surviving pre-Reformation medieval schemes painted at the same time, and painted as one piece.

Guild Chapel

Guild Chapel

Guild Chapel Wall Painting

Guild Chapel Wall Painting

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage – Located slightly outside the town, this 600 year old thatched roof cottage was the childhood home of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway. Inside, there are guides narrating the story of the Hathaway family, how Shakespeare met Anne, how he came to the house to ask for her hand from Anne’s father, the scandal their marriage caused etc. You can see many rare family items of furniture that date back to Anne’s time, including the finely carved, oak “Second Best Bed” that William left in his will for Anne.

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Anne Hathaway's Cottage Garden

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage Garden

Inside Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Inside Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Why Second Best Bed? Because in those days, having a bed at home was a rarity and a symbol of wealth. People rarely slept on the Best Bed and it was more of a showpiece. The Second Best Bed was used by a couple and therefore to give that to Anne was an expression of William’s love and affection for her.

Mary Arden’s farm – Want to experience life in a Tudor farm? Then you’ll perhaps also like to visit Mary Arden’s Farm, which is the childhood home of Shakespeare’s mother and is also a working Tudor farm. I did not have the time to go in and only saw the farm from outside and it looked fascinating. If you are going with kids it will be a great experience for them because there are lots of farm animals inside and interesting activities. 

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre – If you are planning on staying overnight then you must definitely complete your Shakespeare experience with a show at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. I missed out on the experience because I was there for only a few hours but if I ever go back, I’m definitely booking a ticket for myself.

River Avon –   A walk along the river Avon or even a river cruise is a must do here. Before going back we spent some time walking along the riverside, gazing at the beautiful swans, clicking pictures and also enjoying a snack of crepes and strawberries. The peaceful atmosphere and the beauty of the place is soul soothing! 

River Avon, Stratford-upon-Avon

River Avon, Stratford-upon-Avon

Bank of River Avon

Bank of River Avon

Useful Resources

 Shakespeare Birthplace Trust  

Viator Sightseeing Stratford-upon-Avon Hop=on Hop-off Tour 

Royal Shakespeare Company 

 I hope this guide was useful and you enjoyed reading about my travel story. If you have been to Stratford-upon-Avon, I would love to know your experience and your stories. Do share in the comments below. 

The Tempest

The Tempest

 

 Pics – Niladri Chakraborty

 
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