Tag: London

Glamorous Kensington – Why You Need to Visit This Area of London

London is full of beautiful neighbourhoods, but if you’re keen to be in the heart of the action, yet surrounded by peace and quiet, a wealth of shops and eateries and easy access to the city’s best attractions, then Kensington is the place for you. Kensington is part of the beautiful Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which is home to London’s biggest and best museums, not to mention pretty gardens and spacious parks, and some of the best shopping in the city.

These are just a few of the amazing things to see and do in London’s best neighbourhood.

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Kensington Palace

While staying in Kensington, you can’t miss the beautiful and historic Kensington Palace and its gardens. The palace was the childhood home of Queen Victoria, and has been home to a number of other famous royals, such as the now King Charles and Princess Diana. It’s possible to get tickets for the palace, to enjoy a tour of the lavish state rooms and apartments, and learn about its history. Just outside the palace is the 260-acre Kensington Palace Gardens. This is a beautiful place to explore in the sunshine, and you can stroll through the Italian and Memorial Gardens within, and visit the iconic Albert Memorial which stands in the centre of the park. Kensington Palace is the best place to see the royalty and you don’t need to spend any penny on transportation when you have excellent budget accommodation in Kensington just a few steps away from the palace. 

Museums

South Kensington is home to four of the most amazing museums in London, if not the world. The most famous of these is the incredible Natural History Museum, with its breathtaking façade, and its extensive rooms and exhibitions inside where you can see full-size dinosaur skeletons, prehistoric animals, and a collection of precious gems. Just around the corner is the impressive Science Museum, which is a must-see for families and children. Learn about the science of outer space, climb inside a volcano and discover where humans first came from. There are endless new workshops and activities to explore here, which will keep you entertained on a rainy day.

For art and design lovers, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Design Museum are both in Kensington and offer thousands of years’ worth of fascinating displays. The V&A houses ancient sculptures and artwork, and has unique exhibitions on topics such as the history of fashion. The Design Museum is equally intriguing, showcasing hundreds of design inventions, such as how the lightbulb was made and the evolution of the iPod.

Shopping on Kensington High Street

Oxford Street and Regent Street may be the most famous place to hit the shops in London, but you’ll find far less crowds and a more authentic experience if you visit Kensington High Street. The High Street is home to a great variety of clothes, cosmetics and souvenir shops, as well as local supermarkets and well-known brands. You will also find lots of local and unique boutiques, some great restaurants serving worldwide cuisines, and a number of excellent little cafes where you can enjoy a freshly made coffee and a pastry to keep you going while you explore. 

Where to stay

Kensington is one of the most exclusive and luxury areas of London, and is away from the main hustle and bustle of the West End. Book a stay at the Park City Grand Plaza Kensington for a comfortable and high-end stay right in the heart of the capital. Just a stone’s throw from all of the top attractions, and only five minutes’ walk from everything Kensington has to offer, you can enjoy great food and a spacious room after a long day of sightseeing.

Getting there: Kensington is easily accessed by taking the tube via the Circle or District Lines to South Kensington. A number of buses also run to the area, and it is less than 15 minutes from Victoria Station, which has connections to the rest of the UK and major airports such as London Gatwick and Heathrow.

In London for Halloween? Here’s What You Should See and Do

Halloween is fast approaching and if you are staying in London for the spooky season then don’t worry – there are plenty of scary and fun activities to fill your days until 31st October! From hearing ghost stories by candlelight and creepy explorations of Hyde Park, to pumpkin-spiced baking. If you’re staying in central London, you’ll have easy access to all of London’s best Halloween events, top attractions and more.  

Halloween at Hyde Park

Taking place at the Lookout Centre in one of London’s most famous royal parks, Hyde Park will be hosting creepy Halloween events for all ages. The events are ideal for smaller children and don’t require traveling far, as the park is in the heart of central London. Enjoy ‘feely boxes’, a scary nature trail, spooky ghost stories, potion-making, and even learn about the bats that live in Hyde Park! Kids are encouraged to dress up, and you can pick up cute or creepy Halloween outfits for your little ghosts and ghouls in one of London’s many fancy-dress shops. After the events, kids can build and take home their very own bat box. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a Halloween event, especially if you’re staying nearby at one of the hotels near Royal Albert Hall.

How to get there

Hyde Park is just a short walk from Marble Arch, Knightsbridge, and South Kensington, and these are also the best tube stops to get off at for the park. If you are staying at the Park City Grand Plaza, you can take a bus, tube, or taxi to the park in around 5-10 minutes.

The Month of the Dead

The Month of the Dead is a month-long event with many fun things to do in various locations across London throughout October. There will be guided tours through some of London’s most famous cemeteries, such as Highgate and Brompton. These will be accompanied by spooky tales and information about the people buried there, as well as the fascinating history of the area. The Month of the Dead will also host events such as candlelight ghost stories, lectures about dissections and butterfly preservation, and walking tours of London’s secret locations and backstreets so that you can find out more about the gruesome history of the city. Tickets range in price from £12 upwards, per event.

How to get there

The Month of the Dead events are scattered throughout London, including locations such as Kensal Green Cemetery, Brompton Cemetery and Guy’s Hospital Chapel. These can all be reached via tube or bus from central London.

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Halloween Baking

A Halloween attraction for the little ones, famous biscuit bakers Biscuiteers will be opening their doors over Halloween for some icing fun for kids of all ages. Book a visit to either their Notting Hill or Belgravia cafes to experience their School of Icing. Visitors will learn how to ice their own delicious pumpkin, ghost and witch cookies, and the experience also includes a free hot chocolate. You’ll get to take a whole box of your tasty iced biscuits home with you to enjoy on Halloween too. For more spooky sweet treats, Gail’s Bakery will be hosting Halloween baking classes in their bakeries across London, including in Richmond and Pimlico. If you can’t make time for a full afternoon of cooking, head to the famous Hummingbird Bakery which has branches in South Kensington, Notting Hill and Victoria and will be selling delectable cupcakes and pumpkin pies throughout October.

How to get there

Biscuiteers has cafes in Notting Hill and Belgravia. Notting Hill can quickly be reached by tube on both the District and Circle Lines, while the Belgravia branch is close to Victoria Station which is also on the Victoria Line and connects to major national rail services. Gail’s Bakery in Pimlico is also located on the Victoria Line, and all three Hummingbird Bakery branches are at stops on the District & Circle Lines.

If you’re planning to take part in some of these spooktacular events in the capital this month, staying in the heart of London at the Park Grand London Kensington offers budget accommodation in central London, ensuring you’re never far from the best Halloween activities. Located near Hyde Park, the West End, and the famous museums of South Kensington, this hotel is the perfect base for your spooky adventure. After a day of exploring London’s creepy attractions, you can return to a comfortable room and prepare for the next day’s fun.

Visitors Guide to Notting Hill Carnival : Everything you need to know

Ready for fun, music and glamour? Then Notting Hill Carnival is the place to go this summer. 

Taking place over summer bank holiday 27/29 August, this is Europe’s biggest street festival, attracting not just thousands of spectators but thousands of performers too! 

Book a stay at hotel South Kensington and head to the carnival where you can party and dance the whole day through.  Everywhere you go, there are pop up parties centred around the countless sound systems set up on almost every corner.  Anyone can join in.  All you have to do is find the music you want to dance to.  Stroll around the streets and seek out your chosen music from reggae to calypso, soca to house music.  It is a great way to discover new sounds and new styles. 

Dress casual or dress up with lots of sequins, glitter and feathers, whatever your choice you will not look out of place for this is one of the greatest, most vibrant and lively festivals in the world.

Carnival has been a feature of August life in Notting Hill since the early 1960’s when it arrived as an offshoot of the Trinidad carnival in the West Indies. Since then it has steadily grown and expanded into neighbouring areas like Westbourne Park and Ladbroke Grove. Now there are over 50,000 performers taking part every year, and the event gets ever more colourful, exuberant and spectacular.

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The highlight of the Carnival is the parades that snake their way through the streets.  The performers have been practicing their dance routines and making costumes for months, and you can expect lots of dancing, steel bands, marching bands and more.  There are several parades taking place each day, including a special children’s parade. Everyone wants to impress the judges, and the performance standards are very high.

Search out the various local street vendors when you are hungry or you can also get a portion of delicious food at Restaurants in Kensington. On offer are lots of authentic Caribbean specialties such as jerk chicken.  There is plenty of choice and the amount of food sold over the weekend is staggering – over 16,000 coconuts, 10,000 litres of Jamaican stout plus a ton of rice and peas! 

Be warned – go early and walk or use public transport.  All the roads in the area are closed to traffic. So popular is the event that underground stations can often be closed temporarily to allow passengers to reduce congestion.

Above all, be prepared to party until late at night.  The music never stops at Carnival!