We finished off our time in Costa Rica with a wonderful couple of days on the coast, and could have stayed for weeks. Here are our highlights from our visit.

Day 1 – Beaches and night walks

We started off our stay by checking in to our hotel, El Remanso Lodge – It had a lovely welcoming feel, and made a great stop for relaxing and resting in comfort with views out over the ocean. It’s also family owned and run, so had a really nice feel to it.

We decided to take a walk to the beach as many of the local Lodges have access to beach trails. It’s advised not to go barefoot on the beaches due to the snakes in the area, although we didn’t see any. The beaches are spectacular though, and tend to be private, with rock pools, forests, coconut tress and miles of sand. In fact, we only saw two other people as we explored.

In the evening we joined an on-site guide for a night walk at the lodge. No sooner had we set out than the heavens opened, but it was worth it because the rain brings out certain forest night life and we at last we found the Costa Rican green frogs with red eyes, as well as cane toads, a snake and 2 sloths, one of which was climbing back up a huge garlic tree having come to ground to defecate (did you know when sloths poop they excrete about 1/3rd of their body weight!!!)

Day 2 – Corcovado National Park and Dolphin Watching

The Osa Peninsula is largely covered by the Corcovado National Park, one of the richest and most diverse tropical areas on the planet. It covers nearly half of the entire peninsula and has the largest lowland rainforest in Central America. It’s a total haven for wildlife watching, and is even home to jaguars and pumas – though we didn’t see any (thankfully!). We spent our morning exploring and saw so much wildlife.

Our final activity before leaving for home was to go dolphin watching. There are also whales here, but our visit didn’t tie in with whale season though it didn’t matter as dolphins are present in the warm waters all year round. Getting close to them on a boat trip was truly special and a perfect way to end the holiday.

And that brings an end to my posts on Costa Rica. Heading home was really sad, we didn’t want to go back to reality – don’t holidays always feel like a parallel universe!?

What did you think of Costa Rica? Let me know in the comments below – and thank you so much for following along on this incredible trip. If you missed any of the series, then you can catch up with the links below:

• Nayara Springs
• Arenal National Park
• La Fortuna
• Tortuguero & Poas Volcano
• Manuel Antonio National Park

Stay safe and happy travelling!

About Manuel Antonio National Park

• Visiting Manuel Antonio is controlled and you have to pay to enter and follow set paths. The entrance cost at the time of writing (2022) is $18, and the park is open from 7am to 4pm every day except for Tuesdays, when it is closed.

• You can access the National Park by car, taxi or bus. The Park lies around 20 minutes from the nearest town, Quepos, and is easily accessible from there.

• The park offers many options – you can explore independently or by hiring a guide. I recommend hiring a licensed guide via the park itself or a reputable tour operator, as they will spot a lot of wildlife for you which you may miss.

• Allow yourself a full day at the Park as there is a lot to see. We managed to explore the nature, beaches and butterflies of the park on our visit in a full day which combined guided and independent exploring – including joining a 2.5hr naturalist guide lead walk.

Things to see and do in Manuel Antonio National Park

Within the park you can choose to walk any of the well marked walking paths independently, or with a guide. There are 4 trails to follow, El Manglar Trail (Mangrove Trail), Catarata Estacional Trail (Waterfall Trail), Miradores Trail (Viewpoints Trail) and the Peresozo Trail (Sloth Trail). We followed along a couple of the trails and saw lots of wildlife, all quite tame.

This included basilisk lizards, white faced monkeys, squirrel monkeys, white nosed coati, baby green iguanas, male and female large black iguanas, an agouti and various spiders.

Following the Peresozo Trail (Sloth Trail) also ends up on the most famous beach of the park, Manuel Antonio Beach. Our walk included a stop at this beautiful white sandy bay where it was safe to swim in the Pacific waters – but not safe to leave your possessions unattended because of the lizards, racoons and agoutis. You also need to watch out for the monkeys, as they can often come close the humans looking to steal your food. Please also resist feeding the monkeys as human food and bacteria on our hands can make the monkeys really sick.

After finishing our walk, we then also headed to the Butterfly Garden for an hour or so. Again you can do guided walks, but we didn’t feel the need to this time. If butterflies aren’t your thing, then you could also do an evening frog and reptile tour.

After all of that walking and exploring we were exhausted, so followed it up with a spa treatment at the hotel to relax after a long day. A relaxing massage was definitely the perfect end to a day at Manuel Antonio.

Thanks for reading about our trip to Manuel Antonio. I hope this post was helpful if you’re planning a visit to Costa Rica. Stay safe and happy travelling everyone!

Tortuguero is a village on the country’s Caribbean coast. Part of Tortuguero National Park, it’s close to the rainforest, black beaches and is a haven for turtle nesting. Tortuguero is about a 3 hour drive from the capital city, San Jose, and requires road and boat travel to reach much of the accommodation in the area.

We visited Tortuguero for 3 nights, with a 1 night stop at Poas Volcano en-route. You can combine this visit with a longer holiday exploring more of the country, including Arenal National Park, La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio National Park and the Osa Peninsula.

Poas Volcano

Poas Volcano is an active volcano, around a 1 hour drive from San Jose. There are some beautiful hotels in the area and we chose the Poas Volcano Lodge as our base.

The next day we chose to explore the volcano, national park and small museum on the site. You can climb or be driven up the volcano, which requires no walking effort. The crater itself is impressive and on a clear day it’s a great view of the lava flow and bubbling steam. We learned from the small volcano museum on site that yellow in the rocks indicates sulphur and red indicates iron.

Before leaving for Tortuguero, we decided to walk a nature trail at our lodge known as a Quetzal Trail. Quetzals are brightly coloured, rare birds and at many of the lodges in the area, including at Poas Volcano Lodge, there are lovely nature walks in the grounds of the hotel to try and spot some! We walked the Quetzal trail, a 5km walk which took us through an array of mix of broken bridges, lack of signposts, steep drops, rough terrain, dairy farmland and primitive forest. The ground and forest were sodden with moss and orchids were growing freely. We didn’t see any quetzals!

Interestingly, the lodge had been destroyed by a volcanic eruption previously and had been rebuilt almost entirely in wood which had been cut down for nearby highways!

Tortuguero

After a long 3 hour drive to the coast, we had to board a boat to reach our accommodation, Pachira Lodge. It was a really exciting experience following the canals winding through dense, verdant, wet rainforest which reaches right to the water’s edge. During the journey to the Lodge we even spotted a crocodile! After that adventure we were ready for a drink or three!

Whilst staying at the lodge, we then spent the next few days going on various nature walks and nature boat trips. We spotted a tiger heron, a toucan, spider monkeys, grey-green iguanas, a caiman, vultures, vipers, crabs, a ‘lacy’ black heron and various other birds – by the end we felt immersed in Costa Rica’s amazing biodiversity. And of course, the sloth was the absolute highlight

We also visited Tortuguero Beach, which is famous for being where turtles come to nest in July and August. As we visited in November, we didn’t see any turtles as it was not the nesting or hatching season but it was interesting to walk along the Caribbean beach where the turtles lay their eggs. The sea at Tortuguero is prone to dangerous undercurrents and tourists are strongly recommended not to swim in the waters which are very dangerous. The sand was black, coloured by volcanic rock.

Tortuguero village is also small and colourful, being a remote but popular destination for outdoor sports. There is a small airport, internal flights being a sensible and easy way to fly from one part of the country to another, and we recommend flying from this airport if you are then heading on to another area of Costa Rica.

This concluded our time on this leg of the journey in Costa Rica. But if you have longer in this wonderful country please also check out my posts on:

• Arenal – La Fortuna, Arenal National Park and Nayara Springs hotel review
• Manuel Antonio National Park
• Osa Peninsula

Thanks for stopping by and reading! I hope you found this insight in to a small part of Costa Rica interesting, especially if you’re planning a trip to this incredible country. Stay safe and happy travelling everyone!

Contents

1. Contents
2. Visitor Information & when to visit
3. About the Park
4. The Lava Fields Section
5. The Peninsula Section
6. Do I need a guide and how long should I spend in the park?

Visitor Information & when to visit

The Park is open 8am to 4pm, with an entrance fee of $15 (at time of visit, November 2022).

The easiest way to get to the Park is by car. You can drive to the main visitor centre in about 20 minutes from La Fortuna, and you can access the Peninsula sector in 30 minutes. If driving to the Peninsula section, access is offroad so drive carefully!

If you don’t have a car, then I recommend visiting on a tour from La Fortuna, as there is no bus to the site and Uber is patchy at best. Most hotels in the area offer tours as part of their services so that’s definitely the easiest way to visit.

The weather in Arenal National Park is variable to say the least. Officially dry season is December to April, with May to November being rainy season. This is a rainforest though so of course it rains all year round. We visited in November and there were days that were sunny with a few rainy spells, and days where the rain was so heavy we couldn’t leave our villa for 15 hours. It’s not predictable.

About the Park

The Park is divided in to two sections – the Main Park (Lava Fields section) and the Peninsula section which is best for seeing Lake Arenal up close.

At the heart of the Park lies Arenal Volcano, which last erupted in 1968. It’s currently inactive but is the most active volcano in Costa Rica and classed as the 10th most dangerous in the world. The last eruption destroyed the rainforest there at the time, so today the forest is around 60 years old and a mixture of primary and secondary rainforest.

The Park is an absolute haven for seeing birds, plus other animals. We were so lucky and managed to see lots of spider monkeys playing above our heads which was truly special. We didn’t see any sloths, and if you are wanting to see those wonderful animals then the Bogarin Trail is a great place to do this.

The Lava Fields Section

In 1968, the Arenal Volcano eruption destroyed the towns of Tabacon and Pueblo Nuevo, in one of the worst natural catastrophes in Costa Rica. Nowadays, visitors can hike through the leftover lava rocks of the eruption on the 1968 trails in the main section of the National Park. The trail starts on the flat, through a varied jungle landscape. During this section, we saw 2 crested caracaras and a beautiful yellow throated toucan, as well as lots of interesting plants and trees.

Follow the Coladas de Lava (Lava flow) trail and you will walk out of the forest and through some lava fields. The walk is quite steep and over difficult terrain so you need good mobility to do it.

At the top, you will come to a clearing of lava rocks where you will get a spectacular view of the volcano (if it’s a clear day, which it absolutely was not for me – as my photos below show!), so I’ve included a photo of what it should like, and how it looked for me. I still can’t stop laughing every time I see them!

The Peninsula Section

The Peninsula section of the park is made up of a flat and easy trail through the rainforest, about 3km long and bringing you out right at the shore of Lake Arenal. And woop – the sun came out and we got a peek at the vocano finally!

The walk was lovely (and there were less people than in the main park), providing stunning views out to the volcano and lake. We combined it with a boat trip but in typical Arenal weather fashion, had to abandon it as there was a storm and our boat started flooding…by this point I was used to it!

This was the section of the Park where we saw 4 or 5 spider monkeys playing above our heads. One even fell out of the tree. It was the highlight of our visit to the Park. We also saw a hawk and a Coati.

Do I need a guide and how long should I spend in the park?

My simple answer is yes to being with a guide. Now normally I am the first to shun a guide, wanting to go at my own pace BUT without a guide in the park I literally wouldn’t have seen any wildlife. The animals hide in the trees (obviously), and are SO hard to spot. An expert guide meant we saw so much more than we would have done ourselves.

We spent two days in the Park, but only because the weather was awful for us. You could easily do both areas in one day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon – however on both trips for us the weather was so bad in the afternoon (monsoon rains) that we had to abandon afternoon activity and instead we did it over two mornings – both sections needing roughly 3.5-4hrs to take in properly.

I hope this post is helpful if you’re planning a trip to Costa Rica or the Arenal area – it’s a wonderful country with so much to offer and see. This post concludes my time in the Arenal area and we’re off to Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast next! Thanks as always for reading!

La Fortuna is around a 3hr drive from the capital, San Jose – and there are so many hotel options in the town you can’t go too wrong. We chose to stay at the wonderful Nayara Springs, the perfect choice for a special getaway.

The weather in the area is super variable, and rain is experienced here 9 months of the year. We had glorious sunshine through to torrential monsoons for up to 36hrs solid, so it’s important to pack for both and expect rapid weather changes.

Here are 8 of the best things to do in the area.

1. Visit Arenal National Park

The main draw to La Fortuna is its proximity to Arenal National Park (post coming soon), which is around a 20-30 minute drive from the town, depending on which area you visit. There are two sections to the park – the main Lava Fields section, and the Peninsula section. We hiked in both areas, and enjoyed both for different reasons.

In the park we saw a large variety of birds (including a toucan, hawk and lots of smaller birds), but the highlight was the spider monkeys who played above us for 10 minutes or so.

2. Spot sloths on the Bogarin Trail

Sloths are the main draw for many coming to Costa Rica, and we didn’t manage to see any in the National Park. So instead we headed to another section of rainforest to walk the Bogarin Trail, where we were lucky enough to see 3 sloths, 2 of which were active.

This area of dense rainforest is an oasis filled with tropical birds (we saw motmots, owls, hummingbirds, a yellow throated toucan and a fiery billed aracari amongst others), as well as colorful frogs and lots of ants! The trail is around 2km long and is an easy walk, just remember to look up as sloths live at the top of the trees.

3. Mystical Hanging Bridges Park

A short way from the centre of La Fortuna is a park, home to the mystical hanging bridges. It’s family run but is probably the most popular thing to do in the area so be warned, it can get busy. You follow a trail which takes in around 6 hanging bridges, which are high up in line with the top of the canopy, giving wonderful views down.

The hanging bridges are spectacular and the views out over the misty rainforest full of moss, orchids and cheeseplants growing naturally in the wild was special. We spotted howler and spider monkeys, a tarantula, a white hawk, a mot mot bird, a group of coatis and various hummingbirds. I totally recommend doing this with a guide, to make the most of the wildlife.

4. Enjoy Lake Arenal

Lake Arenal is the largest man made lake in Costa Rica, and provides around 30% of the country’s enegery. It lies at the base of the volcano and is perfect for a number of activities. We chose to do a boat tour around the lake, but you can also do wildlife tours, kayaking or even fishing.

5. Hotel ground nature walks galore

Most of the hotels and lodges in the area offer free nature walks for customers and it’s a great way to get an introduction to the rainforest and the incredible array of species. Below is just a section of what we saw on our walks – including a whole host of birds, all beautiful colours plus many lizards, frogs and spiders as well. My favourite though was the Blue Morpho butterfly which was absolutely massive and so beautiful.

6. Relax in a natural hot spring

The area all around La Fortuna is famous for its hot springs. There are a number of free ones which lie along the main road, or you can pay to enter others for a day pass at a spa in one of the hotels (if your hotel doesn’t have its own). The most famous and beautiful are at La Tabacon Hotel but we chose to visit the springs in our hotel for free, and they were still beautiful. You can read my full review of our hotel, Nayara Springs, HERE.

7. Sky Adventures walk and ziplining

Sky Adventures offers an array of jungle experiences. There is a sky gondola to take you to the top, where you can do a beautiful walk for views and then either get the gondola back down or choose something more adventurous and jungle zip-line back through the rainforest. We chose the ziplining.

On arrival we were given helmets and strapped in to our special belts then given some basic instructions about what (not) to do. Then we went up the mountain by steep cable car which carried us over the tree canopy to the first zip line which was a short practice wire. The practice zip line was cleverly set up so that we could not see the first ‘proper’ zip line just round the corner. When we saw the first proper zip line we all gulped: it vanishes in to the distance and you can’t even see the end of it. Our guides were brilliant though, cheering us all on.

After the first shaky landing our nerves started to settle so that as we zig zagged our way back down the mountainside via long zip lines we began to regard ourselves as experts. The views were magnificent (once relaxed enough to enjoy them!). If ziplining isn’t your thing, then you could also try abseiling or white water rafting, which are also both offered in the area.

8. Try local Costa Rican food and drink

The area is great for trying a whole host of local food, which is so delicious. We ate Gallo Pinto, Patacones, traditional Casado and so much fresh fruit. The pineapple was the best I’ve ever eaten, and we loved the hearty style of Costa Rican food.

Thanks so much for reading! I hope this was helpful to learn about Costa Rica. If you’re planning a visit to the country, then you may find my other posts useful too:

• La Fortuna/Arenal area – Arenal National Park, Nayara Springs Hotel

• Tortuguero via Poas Volcano

• Manuel Antonio National Park

• The Osa Peninsula

Stay safe and happy travelling everyone.

It was late, it was raining, it was dark, I was travel sick, I was tired, I was just so ready for the journey to stop and to reach the destination. Clearly my face gave me away as the receptionist suggested we come back for the welcome drink and briefing the next day, sending us straight to our room.

I opened the door. I wasn’t tired, or grumpy, or feeling sick anymore. Instead I couldn’t stop smiling – at this amazing hotel in this insane location – and as I dipped my toes in the pool I said a little thank you for being lucky enough to be able to visit somewhere like this.

Nayara Springs was spectacular, and that little slice of the Costa Rican jungle will always have a fond place in my heart, so it felt the perfect post to kick off my Costa Rica series – lots more posts are on their way over the next few months.

Location of Nayara Springs

Nayara Springs is located a 3hr drive north of San Jose airport, where all international flights arrive. It’s part of a complex of 3 hotels – Nayara Gardens, Nayara Springs and Nayara Tented Camp. Bizarrely after we booked we discovered my parents had stayed at Nayara Gardens back in 2016!

The closest town to the hotel is La Fortuna, just a 10 minute drive away. La Fortuna is the gateway town to one of Costa Rica’s most popular areas – Arenal National Park, home to the famous Arenal Volcano. It’s in the middle of the country so is also surrounded by primary and secondary rainforest on all sides meaning it’s also perfect for wildlife hunting. It also means the weather is super variable – we had days of sun and days of 15hr downpours that meant we couldn’t leave our villa!

Accommodation at Nayara Springs

There are no words other than wow for the accommodation. All accommodation at Nayara Springs are villas with private pools and the same layout. The bed is huge and comfortable, the seating area lovely, and the bathroom dreamy with both a HUGE indoor double shower and an outdoor double shower too.

But the real star is the terrace. Each villa comes with its own lounge bed, hammock, table and chairs plus a gorgeous private pool set right up close with the rainforest. The water in the pools is from the natural volcanic springs so is hot, but there are taps so you can run it cold. No treatment is given to the water, it’s just changed every 3 days with new natural spring water.

Food and Drink at Nayara Springs

The hotel has multiple places to eat and drink. We didn’t have a bad meal whilst staying here and were really impressed with the variety on offer, from local Costa Rican food all the way to Sushi.

The restaurants on site are:

• Mis Amores – Italian with the most amazing pizzas
• 2x swim up pool bars – typical quick food (burgers etc)
• Amor Loco – Fine dining
• La Terraza – Local Costa Rican and Central American
• Asia Luna – Asian (sushi, woks, curry)
• Ayla – Mediterranean and Middle Eastern
• Nostalgia – Spanish Tapas and wine tasting

Breakfast is included in the room rate, but all other meals have to be paid for as additional. The food was good value, but the drinks were expensive – totally worth it though as the cocktails were amazing.

Amenities and Experiences

There are a number of amenities and experiences within the hotel grounds. There are 2 walking trails where you can spot a large variety of wildlife, as well as a jungle hanging bridge for epic views out across the canopy.

There is also a guided nature walk at 6am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The hotel also runs cooking classes, rum tastings, wine tastings, cocktail making and yoga/exercise classes.

A huge infinity pool lies at the top of the property, giving spectacular views out to Arenal Volcano (when you can see it – we had cloud cover for every day of our stay and it only cleared for one afternoon). I’d been on ‘volcano watch’ every day and it was an ongoing joke trying to spot it. It took until our penultimate day to actually get a shot of it!

The hotel offers 4 other pools as well and an insane spa, voted one of the top 100 in the world. The massages were amazing and all are offered in the complete bliss of a jungle hut overlooking the rainforest. On top of that, some huge thermal baths with volcanic spring water are also available to use. Dreamy.

The hotel also offers some wonderful experiences off of the property, including but not limited to hikes around Arenal National Park, kayaking on Lake Arenal, zip lining through the jungle and wildlife tours aplenty.

So what do you think of Nayara Springs? I had the best time here and really didn’t want to leave! Although on writing this up I realise all my husband seems to have done all holiday is take photos of me from behind in my hat haaa – poor guy! Thanks so much for reading everyone – lots more Costa Rica adventures on their way. Stay safe and happy travelling!

I was lucky enough to have an extended stay in New York back in 2018, and during my visit managed to spend quite a bit of time in some of the amazing museums the city has to offer. Here were 5 of my favourite cultural and historical museums, which I really think are worth a visit if you have time when you’re in the Big Apple.

1. Museum of the City of New York

This was an amazing museum. There is an incredible exhibition which traces 400 years of NYC’s history. Starting in 1609 as a Dutch trading colony, through to becoming an English Imperial Port from 1664-1775, to the American revolution and tackling the challenges of growing population density, alongside constant waves of immigration from Europe, New York’s early history was one of constant change. In to the 1900s and the makeup of immigrants changed again – with more from eastern and southern Europe; tenements grew and whole neighbourhoods like Chinatown developed. In to the 1920s New York roared, with an economic boom and the skyscrapers and greater New York area starting to take shape – until the 1929 Wall Street crash abruptly ended the period of prosperity and NYC entered a depression. But yet again the city rebuilt, worked hard, fought in a world war and by the 1950s was again the capital of he world. The museum then talks through the civil rights movement, women’s rights, the Vietnam war, the growth of Hip Hop, the new immigrant economy from South America – and the atrocities of September 11th 2001. The Museum tells the city’s history in fact, through people’s stories and items. Ultimately the museum considers what New York actually is, what it means, and what the future holds.

Entrance to, and inside, the museum

It concludes that New York is a money town – a fierce marketplace. It’s also driven by people from around the world and to be a New Yorker means to be diverse, and promote and be a part of cross cultural tolerance. Density is another defining feature of NYC – the crowds, the people, and the innovations this has spurred. But finally, that New York is a city of creativity – a city of relentless constant change and energy – constantly attracting more money, more diversity, more density and continually redefining itself.

I loved it. And I learned a lot. In fact I spent an entire day there just reading and buying lots of books. Oh and the staircase was awesome.

The staircase

2. American Museum of Natural History

This museum is located in the Upper West Side, and so is perfect to combine with a visit to Central Park. The museum is dedicated to cultures, the natural world and the known universe – it is absolutely incredible and again, you could easily spend a whole day here.

Entrances to the Museum

There is so much to see – from the Human Origins and cultures halls (covering everything from Asian, African and Central American heritages, to the Plains Indians and development of humans themselves), to the Mammal halls exhibiting animals from all over the world, to the Fossil Halls, Planetary Science Halls, Birds and Repitles Halls and the Biodiversity and Environmental Halls. Also on site is the Rose Center for Earth and Space, as well as the Hayden Planetarium where you can sit in the giant dome and watch incredible shows taking you around the universe. A lot of the museum is interactive and super engaging so great for kids and adults alike.

3. Lower East Side Tenement Museum

Traditionally, the Lower East Side was an immigrant, working class neighbourhood. Originally New Amsterdam covered this area, with the bulk of early settlers being Dutch. Then in the late 19th/early 20th century, again the bulk of immigrants to the city came to the Lower East Side, moving into the crowded tenement buildings there. Part of the area became Kleindeutschland (Little Germany), and this was followed by groups of Italians, Hungarians, Poles, Eastern European Jews, Russians and Ukrainians. By 1920, the Jewish neighbourhood was one of the largest of these ethnic groupings, and this heritage can still be found in the area today.

Since the 1960s, the area has been settled by immigrants primarily from Latin America. Today it’s a predominantly a Puerto Rican and Dominican community, and this diverse history of immigration is what makes the Lower East Side so special.

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum preserves this heritage. It is actually housed in two preserved tenement buildings which were home to c.15,000 people from over 20 countries between 1863 and 2011. The museum promotes understanding and you can tour the tenement buildings on various experiences, including learning about the earliest immigrants, Holocaust survivors, Latin American immigrants, Chinese residents and much more.

The tours enable you to enter the restored tenement building (as it would have looked at the time). I took the Under One Roof tour which told the story of The Epsteins, Velezes and Wongs who had all lived at the address in different times, in different circumstances. There are many more tours on offer to suit you interests – this museum was actually my favourite in New York so I couldn’t recommend it enough.

Inside the museum

4. 9/11 Memorial and Museum

What is there to be said about this museum that hasn’t already been said. Visit it, be moved, be shocked, cry – and most importantly pay your quiet respects to the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001 that shocked the world. The museum and memorial are beautifully done as a tribute to ensure those who lost their lives are never forgotten. I was teary the whole way round and also learned a lot about the politics and the build up to the attacks that I hadn’t really appreciated before. Given everything going on in the Middle East at the moment, I really worry about where we will end up again.

Reflection pool (L) and vehicle destroyed by the explosions (R)

5. Museum at Eldridge Street

Learn about New York’s Jewish community at the synagogue on Eldridge Street. This Synagogue, opened in 1887, is one of the  first in the USA by Eastern European Jews, and one of the founders was Rabbi Eliahu the Blessed who was previously Head Rabbi of St Petersburg in Russia.

The Synagogue thrived but after the Great Depression was used less and less. Eventually it became in need of serious repair, and was closed for renovation for 20 years, then reopened in 2007 after US$20 million of renovation as the Museum at Eldridge Street. The museum offers informative tours that relate to American Jewish history and the history of the Lower East Side and immigration. Again it really is worth a visit and at least a few hours of your time. Plus the blue window of the interior is absolutely stunning

Outside and inside the amazing museum

My ultimate takeaway from all of these museums is that New York is a melting pot- of cultures, people, creativity and diversity. Where I live in the UK, things stay pretty stable. My partner’s family have lived in the same 10 mile radius for 8 generations, and that’s pretty common. But in New York it’s constant change, constant innovation, constant hard work and changing population dynamics.

It’s an amazing city really – and I can see why people are so proud to be New Yorkers. It would be way too exhausting for me though, and after an amazing break in the city I was glad to get home to my rural, quiet life in England with no traffic, rolling fields, clean air and hedgehogs in my garden and reminisce on my time there. You can read my posts on NYC here:

• New York City – a 2 day itinerary
• Fun things to do in Chelsea, NYC
• A guide to the Lower East Side

Thank you for reading – I hope this post is helpful if you’re looking to learn something while in New York; or if it’s just raining and you need something to do indoors to stay warm and dry! Stay safe and happy travelling everyone.

For this post, I’m pausing the staycation write ups and throwing it back to 2018 and a wonderful trip to St Lucia because I keep finding myself dreaming of the beach. The Caribbean is absolutely beautiful, full of island paradises. Picking between islands is hard enough, let alone then between the multiple amazing resorts on offer. When visiting St Lucia, we stayed at the incredible Sugar Beach Viceroy hotel in the Soufriere area of the island. Here is the review from our stay, if you’re needing inspiration for a visit.

Location

Soufriere is a few hours’ drive from the island’s main airport, along narrow windy roads. There are hotels with a much shorter transfer time and if you suffer from travel sickness like me, that can be a blessing.

However for me it’s worth the drive if you’re wanting to explore a bit of the island because it’s close to some of the island’s most famous attractions. For example, it’s a short journey to the Pitons for the beautiful views out over St Lucia, and it’s close to the sulphur springs and waterfall trails. It’s therefore perfect if you’re planning on seeing a bit more of the country and not just the resort.

It isn’t close to other restaurants or near enough a town to walk, so if you’re going to St Lucia for nightlife there are probably better choices. If you’re going for romance and beautiful beaches, you can’t beat it!

Accommodation

We chose Sugar Beach because each of the stunning villas has a little private plunge pool, which was the perfect dose of luxury for our relaxing stay. The terrace and pool area was beautiful to spend the days sunbathing and reading on.

The villa itself was also spacious, including a big four poster bed, bar area, walk through wardrobe, large bathroom with 2 sinks and a bath, and a separate shower room. On arrival there were fresh coconuts and rum in the little bar area which made for a lovely welcome.

The rooms were clean and turned down daily, with fresh towels whenever needed. At the time, it was probably the best hotel we’d ever stayed in, and I really can’t fault the rooms themselves.

Service

Where to start on the service. Second to none. With the villa rooms, you are given a walkie talkie and can call your own personal butler any time you want – to book dinner, to come and pick you up for dinner, book a tour, get drinks etc. Our butler was called Sherman, and he was AMAZING. I always find rooms with butler service uncomfortable – I hate that I am sitting in this beautiful hotel room, asking someone else to do everything for me; it feels wrong. So instead we just got to know Sherman, we shared our rum with him on our terrace, we had chats with him, and yes he ordered us a couple of tuk tuks but he never once got our drinks or ordered our food. He was such a wonderful man, and my one regret of the holiday is not getting a photo with him.

Awaiting a tuk tuk and at dinner

Aside from Sherman, the whole hotel staff were great – we also had a private dinner down at the beach one night and everything was just perfect with candles laid out rose petals everywhere. Beautiful. Even on arrival, the staff could see I was unwell (all that travel sickness) and immediately got me cold towels, lemon water and a bed to lie on.

Food & Drink

The food at the resort was really good, and the cocktails delicious. However, they were really pricey – in fact, I would say over priced for what you got. That said the beef skewers, prawns and Pina Coladas really were amazing!

Breakfast was also a good spread, offering a cold buffet as well as omelettes, waffles, pancakes, eggs etc off a cooked menu.

Breakfast

We ate most of our dinners in the Bayside Restaurant right on the beach – there are themed nights, from traditional St Lucian, to BBQ, to pizza nights. There is then also an upmarket restaurant called The Great Room which serves A La Carte dining. For lunch, there is the Jalousie Bar on the beach to grab a snack, and then if you really want to go all out (as we did on our last night), there is also the option for private beach dining.

Cocktails

Amenities

The hotels’ best amenity is its beach, nestled amongst the Pitons. It’s epically, stunningly beautiful and you can easily spend a day just lying on the beach watching the world go by.

In addition, the hotel is home to one of the best spas I’ve ever been in. Set in the thick jungle, the wooden huts make the perfect spot for a relaxing massage. The treatments are expensive, but absolutely worth it if you want to unwind; I had a bamboo massage and it was heavenly.

There is also a fitness centre offering all the mod-cons and gym equipment, as well as offering weight loss programmes and classes such as yoga. I’m not really in to all of that so I didn’t make use of these facilities.

There is also a great pool looking out to the Pitons, tennis courts for use, a pool table, beach volleyball, plenty of hammocks and table tennis on site. We don’t have children, but saw advertised The Sugar Club which runs activities for children aged 4-12 to give parents a break and time for that massage!

The hotel also offers a range of tours and activities; for example guided hikes to the Pitons, boat trips and a visit to the Sulphur Springs so seeing the island can all be arranged from the comfort of your hotel room. For more on what to do in the area, you can read my post here.

Overall, I would say staying at Sugar Beach is well worth the money. It is expensive, but no more so than similar hotels in the Caribbean and I think the location and things to do on the doorstep really set this hotel apart. If you ever get the chance to stay here, then I totally recommend it. Stay safe and happy travelling!

But if you have longer in the city, it’s great to explore some of what the other neighbourhoods have to offer too. I was lucky enough to have an extended stay in New York, and one of the areas I really, really liked was the Lower East Side.

This is the neighbourhood right in the south east corner of Manhattan island, and it runs roughly from between the Bowery and the East River -from Canal to Houston (pronounced House-ton in case you want to sound like a local!). Of all the areas in Manhattan, this one really stayed with me – I felt like I learned more about the city here than anywhere else. So why did I love it?

It fees like a window in to the real New York City

Of COURSE part of the real NYC is the tourist attractions – you have to see The Empire State building, you have to go to visit Times Square, it’s great to stroll round Central Park. But that isn’t every day reality for most people in the city.

One thing I loved about the Lower East Side was that there were hardly any tourists at all. What I saw was locals going about their day to day – now, I’m no NYC local – but I felt like I was absorbing some ‘normal life’ which I really enjoyed.

I’d read about local football (soccer) matches taking place at the Sara D Roosevelt park soccer fields, and went to watch a game one weekend. I sat in the sun, watching the soccer, eating an icecream. It was just lovely. And there’s loads more things you can do in the area which absorb a bit of that local culture.

Another great idea is to visit the Metrograph – it’s a super cool cinema not packed with tourists. It has two theaters, a sweet shop, a restaurant, a bar, a bookstore, and it screens archive-quality 35mm prints and new films in digital projection. It’s really quite amazing and well worth a visit.

It’s proud of and preserves its heritage

Traditionally, the Lower East Side was an immigrant, working class neighbourhood. Originally New Amsterdam covered this area, with the bulk of early settlers being Dutch. Then in the late 19th/early 20th century, again the bulk of immigrants to the city came to the Lower East Side, moving into the crowded tenement buildings there. Part of the area became Kleindeutschland (Little Germany), and this was followed by groups of Italians, Hungarians, Poles, Eastern European Jews, Russians and Ukrainians. By 1920, the Jewish neighbourhood was one of the largest of these ethnic groupings, and this heritage can still be found in the area today.

Since the 1960s, the area has been settled by immigrants primarily from Latin America. Today it’s a predominantly a Puerto Rican and Dominican community, and this diverse history of immigration is what makes the Lower East Side so special.

One of the ways this heritage is preserved is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. The Museum is actually housed in two preserved tenement buildings which were home to c.15,000 people from over 20 countries between 1863 and 2011. The museum promotes understanding and you can tour the tenement buildings on various experiences, including learning about the earliest immigrants, Holocaust survivors, Latin American immigrants, Chinese residents and much more.

The tours enable you to enter the restored tenement building (as it would have looked at the time). I took the Under One Roof tour which told the story of The Epsteins, Velezes and Wongs who had all lived at the address in different times, in different circumstances. There are many more tours on offer to suit you interests – this museum was actually my favourite in New York so I couldn’t recommend it enough.

It’s a melting pot of people and cultures

Unsurprisingly, given the diversity of people who have settled in the Lower East Side, it’s a melting pot of cultures.

The Jewish heritage in the area is really clear, with the neighbourhood still having many historic synagogues, plus many significant Jewish businesses such as Katz’s Deli (famous for that scene from When Harry met Sally). The deli is a perfect lunch spot if you’re in the area – the pastrami sandwich is absolutely out of this world.

Also in the area is part of China Town, known as Little Fuzhou. This immigrant population has been in decline since the 2010s due to the focus on gentrification of the area – this means there’s a rapid influx of higher income professionals (often non Chinese) in to the area. Whilst in some ways this is good (an emerging art scene, including the New Museum), in other ways it’s eroding the existing cultures, giving rise to an increased need to preserve the historic culture of the area. Also bordering this area is Little Italy, so why not grab some delicious Italian food like Cannoli or authentic coffee whilst you’re in the neighbourhood too!

I felt really lucky to visit at a time where I could still experience this diversity of culture in such a small area, and I hope in the future the area isn’t converted in to posh flats and the history all lost.

It’s a great place for exploring independent shops and nightlife

The Lower East side’s growing art scene and often indie feel means a treasure trove of independent and unique stores. A couple I discovered which I particularly like are Blue Stockings, Economy Candy and Slipper Room.

Bluestockings is a bookstore with a difference – it’s completely volunteer run and it has a cafe, doubles as an activist centre and is devoted to feminism and social activism. It feels like the right location for such a store. Economy Candy does what it says on the tin – sells candy – and it’s epic. Slipper Room is a burlesque and comedy theatre. It’s a really fun night out – and artists who have guested at the Slipper Room include Lady Gaga, U2 and the Scissor Sisters.

So there you have it – my initial impressions as a tourist of the Lower East Side – and I hope I’ve done it some form of justice and not shown any ignorance. I really learnt a lot from the area and thoroughly recommend a visit if you’re exploring New York. Stay safe and happy travelling everyone!

However, if you’re in town for longer, DC has lots more to offer which is definitely worth exploring. Here are 5 of my favourite things to do outside of the National Mall.

Contents

1. Contents
2. Visit Arlington Cemetery
3. Cruise the Potomac River
4. Explore historic Georgetown
5. Taste the incredible food on offer
6. Watch some sport

Visit Arlington Cemetery

The American National Cemetery in Arlington is under the jurisdiction of the US army. The grounds honour those who have given their lives in service to the country, and around 30 funeral services are still conducted daily. It is common to see funeral processions and mourners at graves while visiting, so always be respectful. Visiting the grounds is a really touching experience – even as someone who isn’t from the US.

Also at the site you can visit the grave of President John F Kennedy, and watch the honoured tradition of the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, first brought to Arlington from the battlefields of France after WWI. The tomb symbolised the sacrifice made by so many Americans, and is still a special site today.

Overall a visit to the cemetery is a very moving experience, and one which deserves at least a few hours of your time for both exploring and reflection.

Cruise the Potomac River

Washington DC sits on the Potomac River. Spend a couple of hours on the water with the Potomac Riverboat Company to take in the monuments from the water, see the Pentagon (from a distance), or even make a special trip of it and board the boat for lunch or dinner as you watch the sunset.

Explore historic Georgetown

Georgetown is an area just to the North West of The National Mall. Georgetown is home to cobbled streets, great shopping and dining options and a waterfront park which is a good spot for a stroll along the river. We particularly liked discovering JFK’s previous home, the place where Julia Childs’ taught her cooking lessons and the famous cakes of Georgetown Cupcake didn’t disappoint.

Taste the incredible food on offer

DC has so many incredible food options for all budgets, and if you’re spending a bit more time in the city then it’s really worth exploring the food scene.

I can’t write about the food in the city without talking about the DC institution that is Ben’s Chili Bowl – even Obama has eaten here and it really is delicious. It doesn’t look fancy, and eating in is a diner like option where you order at the counter, but it is the best chilli ever. Other cheap eat options include a visiting Eastern Market or Union Market for artisinal food vendors and farmer’s market options.

If you’re looking for a special meal out, there is no shortage of great options. My favourite was Rasika Indian restaurant – probably the best Indian restaurant I’ve ever been to (and I’ve been to a fair few). We didn’t book in advance so couldn’t get one of the great window booths – in fact all that was left was seats at the bar looking in to the kitchen. They were perfect; a ‘quick dinner’ turned in to 3 hours of delicious courses (the palak chaat is AMAZING) with prosecco, talking to the chefs and having the best evening.

Other delicious options include the opulent fine dining option The Oval Room – I must admit feeling a little out of place as I was served a decompressed plum, but it was tasty none the less. Masseria is also incredible if you fancy a Mediterranean option, and nothing beats the firepit at Maydan – which offers North African delights like a whole, spiced lamb shoulder (which melted in the mouth).

Whichever options you choose, you will have to venture from the National Mall to find them – but all are worth a bit of time and effort to enjoy.

Watch some sport

One of the best things about America (especially if you’re English) is the sport. We don’t play basketball, football, baseball or ice hockey widely in England. We’re all about football ‘soccer’, rugby and cricket. It’s great to see other sports, learn a bit about them and enjoy them as entertainment – which is exactly what sport is in the US.

We chose to watch a baseball game while in the city at National’s Park and really enjoyed it. You could also watch the Capitals play hockey (we were lucky enough to visit as the Capitals won the Stanley cup in 2018 and it was such an incredible atmosphere!)

Exploring DC beyond the National Mall is a treat – and I hope if you’re planning a trip, this post has been helpful! We had a wonderful 5 days in the city and hope you enjoy your trip too. Stay safe and happy travelling.

Contents

1. Contents
2. Washington DC Itinerary Day 1: Monuments & Museums
   1. National Monuments Walk
   2. National Air and Space Museum or National Museum of American History
   3. International Spy Museum
   4. Ben’s Chilli Bowl
3. Washington DC Itinerary Day 2: More Museums & The Capitol
   1. Ford’s Theater
   2. Tour the Capitol Building
   3. Grab lunch at Eastern Market
   4. National Museum of Natural History
   5. Admire The White House
4. Have a little longer?

Washington DC Itinerary Day 1: Monuments & Museums

National Monuments Walk

After grabbing breakfast, a great introduction to The Mall and Tidal Basin is to walk round the area following the Monuments. The route we took was Washington Monument – World War 2 Memorial – Vietnam Memorial – Lincoln Memorial – Korean War Memorial – Martin Luther King Memorial – Roosevelt Memorial – Jefferson Memorial. The total walk took us about 2 hours including stops for photos, and my favourite point was the view from the Lincoln Memorial across the reflecting pool.

National Air and Space Museum or National Museum of American History

Washington has some of the most incredible museums in the world, and there’s plenty of options to suit your interests. The National Air and Space Museum is one of the best, with exhibits on the Space Race, early flight, the Apollo landings and the solar system. You can see real space craft, spacesuits and learn all about the history of space travel.

Alternatively, if you’d rather learn a bit more about the history of America, check out the American History Museum. Here you can see the original star spangled banner, and learn about everything from the American civil war, migration, the use of locomotives in transport and US Presidents.

If neither of these museums appeal to you, you could also choose to visit an art museum such as the National Gallery of Art, or the Hirschhorn Museum.

International Spy Museum

Time to play at being a big kid! The International Spy Museum is so much fun, whether you’re an adult or a child. Channel your inner spy and learn about the history of spycraft – from spying methods, discovering true stories of espionage and boggling at the array of spy gadgets.

Ben’s Chilli Bowl

Finish up your day with a short metro ride out of the centre of DC to Ben’s Chilli Bowl – trust me, it’s so worth it! Without doubt, the best chilli I’ve ever eaten…which is probably why the likes of Barack Obama and Bono have both eaten here!

Washington DC Itinerary Day 2: More Museums & The Capitol

Ford’s Theater

Ford’s Theater is another historical location in Washington. Here, as he was watching a play, Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed. The museum at the site tells the story of the Civil War, Lincoln’s life, and the events of his assassination (including the gun with which he was shot), as well as allowing entrance to the theater itself.

Tour the Capitol Building

You can’t come to Washington and not visit the US Capitol. A tour of the building takes in The Crypt and Rotunda and you can even watch Congress in session with a Gallery ticket. It’s an incredible building which is a must do.

Grab lunch at Eastern Market

Close to the Capitol is Eastern Market – an historic market which has been running since 1873! It’s the perfect place to grab some lunch, before heading back to the Mall for your final Museum fix.

National Museum of Natural History

The Museum of Natural History, with the huge elephant in the foyer, is another DC icon. Explore the history of mankind and the animal world, learn about evolution and species across the globe, explore galleries on epidemics in a connected world, fossils and the ocean. The Museum is also home to the Hope Diamond – one of the most famous jewels in the world.

Admire The White House

Paying a visit to The White House is a must before you leave the city as it’s famous the world over and home to the president of the United States (whatever you may think of him). You can’t go in, but you can stand on The Ellipse and have a photo in front of the house. A nice way to end your trip to the city.

Have a little longer?

Full Post: HERE

I hope you’ve found this post useful if you’re planning a trip to DC. There is also so much more to see and do if you have more than just a couple of days:

• Arlington Cemetery
• Historic Georgetown
• Potomac River

What did you think of DC? I hope you found the post helpful – stay safe and happy travelling!

On researching a visit, I was disappointed to read that the Olympic stadium is well gone (now in use for college Football), the Olympic torch is over a freeway and the Olympic exhibit at the Atlanta History Center was closed for a re-design. Nevertheless Centennial Olympic Park remained, and I realised there was much more to this city than ‘just’ the Olympics.

Did you know it’s the home of Coca Cola? Did you know Martin Luther King Jr was born in Atlanta? Did you know The Walking Dead is filmed there? Or loads of Marvel Films? Did you know President Jimmy Carter’s presidential library is there? No…me neither. It’s actually a super diverse city with lots on offer to suit all interests, so I decided to visit anyway.

We visited in the ‘Fall’ (autumn) and found this to be a good time to visit – there weren’t too many people around and we mostly had attractions to ourselves. 3 days was also the perfect amount of time in the city to see the main highlights – and I recommend splitting the days in to areas (1 day in Downtown, 1 day in Midtown and 1 day in the east of the city in the Old Fourth Ward area).

Contents

1. Contents
2. Itinerary Day 1: Downtown Atlanta
   1. Breakfast at the Atlanta Breakfast Club
   2. Center for Civil and Human Rights
   3. World of Coca Cola
   4. Centennial Olympic Park & Olympic rings
   5. CNN Studio Tour
   6. Georgia Aquarium
3. Itinerary Day 2: Old Fourth Ward and East of the City
   1. Jackson Street Bridge
   2. Martin Luther King Jr Historic Site
   3. The Carter Center
   4. Krog St Tunnel & Market
   5. Catch a basketball game
4. Itinerary Day 3: Midtown
   1. Piedmont Park
   2. Atlanta Botanical Gardens
   3. The Beltline
   4. Ponce City Market
5. Atlanta: Other important visitor information
   1. Where to stay
   2. Getting around Atlanta

Itinerary Day 1: Downtown Atlanta

Breakfast at the Atlanta Breakfast Club

Kick the morning off with a breakfast to fuel you for the busy day ahead. The Atlanta Breakfast Club is an amazing place – it’s low-key and retro and the food is delicious. I had the pancakes and they were so yummy (and also as is normal in America – the size of my face).

Center for Civil and Human Rights

So anyone who reads this blog will already know I’m a museum geek – but honestly the museums on offer in Atlanta are really special. The Center for Civil and Human Rights highlights the story of the 1960s civil rights movement, the life of Martin Luther King, and then also looks at the state of human rights across the world today. Want to learn which countries still have dictators in charge? Want to read inspiring stories from those who have made a stand? Then this museum is for you – and it probably makes it in to my top 10 museums ever. And that is saying something from a museum geek.

World of Coca Cola

When I was researching Atlanta, I had absolutely no idea that it is the home of Coca Cola. About a 2 minute walk from the Center for Civil and Human Rights is the World of Coca Cola. Here you can learn about the story of Coca Cola, meet the polar bear (!), understand their marketing strategy, discover the secret formula, understand how Coca Cola is made and distributed and of course – taste the many different varieties from around the world. Such a fun few hours and a great option if you have children in tow.

Centennial Olympic Park & Olympic rings

After 2 museums, you’re going to need a bit of fresh air. I was SO excited about visiting the Centennial Olympic Park and seeing the rings – the weather was great (despite it being November) so we explored, and then lay on the grass in the park for an hour or so and grabbed some lunch nearby. We then walked over to the Olympic rings for the obligatory photo. There is also a cool little treasure hunt around the park that you can do on your phones if you want a bit of entertainment.

CNN Studio Tour

Just across the road from the Olympic Park are the CNN studios. They are open for tours, and if you’re interested in the media and how it works then this is a really interesting tour. You can even catch a glimpse of shows being filmed (though they meant nothing to me given I don’t watch US TV).

Georgia Aquarium

Finally to finish off your first day in Atlanta, head back through the Olympic Park and to the Georgia Aquarium. I recommend visiting after 6pm as it’s reduced entry price and all the children had gone home. It meant we had it virtually to ourselves and it was really wonderful. You can watch dolphin feeding, explore lots of different aquatic species from penguins to coral – and the highlight is definitely the massive observation wall in to the main tank. Stunning!

Itinerary Day 2: Old Fourth Ward and East of the City

Jackson Street Bridge

Start off your morning with an iconic view out over Atlanta, that anyone who has watched The Walking Dead will recognise.

Martin Luther King Jr Historic Site

It doesn’t get much more historic than this! Spend the rest of your morning exploring the full site of Martin Luther King Jr. This is the birthplace of the most recognised Civil Rights leader in the world, his church and his story. He and his wife are also buried here, and you can visit their graves at the site. You can also visit the church in which he preached, explore the museum on site documenting the civil rights movement, and even tour the actual house where MLK was born – we had a fantastic guide who really brought his early years to life.

The Carter Center

After a break from lunch and to digest the things you’ve seen and heard at the MLK Jr site, it’s now time for a trip a little bit out of the centre of the city. Set in acres of beautiful garden, with a tranquil lake and a really interesting museum about Jimmy Carter’s presidency, The Carter Center is a must for anyone with an interest in US history or politics. In the Center you can learn about this President’s upbringing, his campaign, his presidency and post presidency years including his policies on energy, the Iran hostage crisis and dealing with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Now 95 and still committed to peace efforts across the globe, this centre is a fascinating insight in to Carter’s life.

Krog St Tunnel & Market

Krog St Tunnel is a cool tunnel full of graffiti which is fun to explore. There is also a nice indoor market to eat in nearby. We stopped here for a laid back Vietnamese dinner which was really tasty.

Catch a basketball game

You can’t come to America and not watch some sport! We were lucky enough to get tickets to watch The Hawks take on The Bucks. We had Outkast and 2Chainz perform in the breaks and it was amazinggg – such a great night out.

Itinerary Day 3: Midtown

Piedmont Park

Today is a day outside, so make sure you schedule this day for the one with the best weather! Piedmont Park is a nice, open space with a lake that has great views to the Atlanta skyline. We spent a few hours here walking around and sunbathing (in the middle of November!).

Atlanta Botanical Gardens

At the top of Piedmont Park are the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. They are beautifully maintained – offering amazing flower displays in the summer and a Christmas wonderland in late November/ December. Typically for us we timed a visit right in the middle so all the displays were down (!), but we still spent a few hours walking around and enjoying what was there. There’s even an Orchid house and greenhouses which double up as jungles.

The Beltline

From the Botanical gardens, you can explore the Atlanta Beltline. Like the high line in New York, this redeveloped walking path is home to cool art work, quirky bars and nice shops. A fun way to walk between attractions.

Ponce City Market

Ponce City is a huge complex of restaurants, street food stalls, clothes shops and everything else. We didn’t do that great with our food in Atlanta. But my goodness, the food in Ponce City Market was amazing. Our personal favourite was Botiwalla, which is Indian Street Food and utterly delicious. They even serve alcoholic slushies so I was in heaven. In such heaven, I didn’t even take any photos….

There are also lots of nice clothes, home and other shops here. Our fave was Citizen Supply which had not only lovely things to buy, but also had a hidden bar which was quiet and a great spot for a rest in between shopping. A lovely way to finish off the day and your trip to Atlanta!

After all of that exploring, you will be ready to relax for your final evening in Atlanta. If you have longer in the city, you could also check out a bonus museum, The Atlanta History Center.

The museum covers everything from exhibits on the Civil War with a focus on the role of the South and the Confederate states, to an interesting look at the ethnic diversity and history of Atlanta over time, to a huge Cyclorama of the Civil War and a look at the 1996 Olympics. We spent a whole day here as there is so much to explore – and had lunch at the delicious cafe/book store on site which serves incredible soups.

Atlanta: Other important visitor information

Where to stay

I would recommend staying in Mid-town or Buckhead for your stay. We stayed Downtown and it didn’t make us feel safe. On one evening we were walking to dinner and someone asked us for money, we refused and he chased us up the road threatening to kill us both after raping me. We had to run, fast.

We also had to move rooms in our hotel. We stayed in the W Atlanta Downtown – a nice, upmarket hotel. However, our neighbour had a serious weed smoking issue and our room smelt so bad that we physically couldn’t stay in it. On the plus side, the view was epic.

There does seem to be a drug problem in Downtown too – we saw discarded needles on the streets and a lot of people in the Downtown area were pretty out of it after dark. So – maybe don’t stay Downtown – it was fine in the day but not at night. AND don’t be put off visiting. Every city has good and bad areas, and we chose to stay in a bad one. We moved to Midtown for our final night and it was totally different. So just learn from our mistakes, but don’t be put off going.

Getting around Atlanta

We walked a lot of the time around Atlanta – the Downtown area is really compact, and we even walked out to the Carter Center.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to use that then the MARTA rail system can get you around pretty well. A single trip is only $2.50 and you can get a Breeze card topped up with however much money you need. One thing I did notice though is that often MARTA stops are still a little walk to the site (e.g. Inman Park stop to the Carter Center), although that can also be nice to explore the suburbs a bit.

If you’re in a rush, then the city is also serviced by Uber, which were really easy to get and pretty well priced.

However you choose to explore, Atlanta is well worth a visit and I hope you enjoy your trip as much as we did!

Thank you for reading! I hope you’ve found this post useful if you’re thinking of or planning a trip to Atlanta. Stay safe and happy travelling.