Why you Should Consider University Accommodation

I must admit I left looking for London accommodation to the last minute because I was a little too excited about all of the other places I am visiting! When it came to looking for somewhere, most accommodation was already booked or highly overpriced due to the tourist season.

Feeling exasperated, I discussed the problem with my sister and we eventually stumbled upon some vacancies at the University of London for a reasonable price. In addition, we stayed at the University of Kent during our time in Canterbury.

Here are some reasons you should consider staying at universities....

Pro...

You get your own room, complete with a single bed, study desk and chair, wardrobe, kettle, telephone and sink.

My room at University of London International Hall

My room at Rutherford College at Kent University

Con...

You will be using shared toilet and shower facilities. However, they were always clean and the showers were good quality!

Pro...

Breakfast is included.

Our breakfast at the University of London dining hall was amazing. Choices included muesli, yoghurt, fruit smoothies, three styles of eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, croissants, fruit, coffee, tea, juices... You get the idea! We would also take a banana and croissant to have later as a morning snack.

Con...

Breakfast times and quality will vary depending on the university.

Pro...

You will feel 'at home'

Unlike an impersonal hotel stay, having your own space and being able to roam around the university campus will make you feel at home during your stay. 

My 'I love Kent Uni' coffee cup (complimentary - along with hot chocolate, coffee, milk, and a few varieties of tea)

The outside view of Rutherford College

My window view overlooking the park at the University of London

Con... 

You may be a little out of town. In Canterbury, there was a regular bus taking students and visitors into town. We also walked into town as it was only a twenty minute walk. The University of London accommodation was right in Zone One, within walking distance to all attractions!

A Trip to Canterbury

On Wednesday during some chill time, my sister and I decided to book a spontaneous trip to somewhere in the UK. We researched lots of possibilities - Edinborough, Dublin, Cambridge, Cornwall, and finally decided upon Canterbury. I had never heard of the destination before, but it was cheap compared to our other options and only two hours out of London via train.

Upon arrival we were instantly happy with our choice. Canterbury is a beautiful little town with a bustling main street and breathtaking scenery. We stopped for a cup of tea at Kitch - a quaint little cafe serving healthy food and an all-day breakfast.

We spent our second day exploring all of the streets and cobblestone alleyways. Canterbury is made up of cute Tudor style buildings and a stunning cathedral. It also has a modern shopping mall with the usual large chain stores.

In the afternoon we soaked up the sunshine by having a picnic in the Westdale Gardens.

Our little country getaway reminded me that it is important not too get too caught up in London while visiting the UK. Although London is great and I enjoyed my time there, it is relaxing to leave behind the hustle and bustle of the tube and busy streets. There is so much more to see!

Five Nights in London

I feel that over the past four days in London I have ticked off most of my 'To-do list'.

Big Ben 

Westminster Abbey

Buckingham Palace

Tower Bridge

St. Paul's Cathedral

Hyde Park

Notting Hill

Shopping on Oxford Street (no photos haha)

Dinner at Covent Gardens

Dinner at an Authentic English Pub

If I was spending longer in London, I would be interested in...

Going to the theatre

London Eye or going to the top of the Shard

Catching a Double Decker Bus

Tea and scones

London Dungeon

My First Day Alone

As a primarily solo traveller, I've been lucky to be with some of my closest friends for the long flight and beginning of my journey. On Sunday night I said goodbye to my friends, who I won't see until I return home in October, and headed back to my accommodation alone. It's quite a thrill to wake up in a big city where nobody knows your name and have the whole day to explore and do whatever you please.

After sitting alone for my continental breakfast, I set off to Camden markets. I browsed the stalls, which didn't have much of interest to me, then navigated through the backstreets to Regents Park (photos below). I explored the beautifully manicured gardens, before laying in the sun for a few hours reading a book. I've been lucky enough to be blessed with beautiful sunny days throughout my time in London!

I then headed south, walking through the streets in search of a cafe. I came across a Le Pain Quotidien and sat at a table looking out of the window at the busy street and people passing by. I relaxed with a muffin and pot of green jasmine tea.

Later, I returned to a park near my accommodation and laid in the sun reading my book again. I then walked through the business district to meet a new friend for dinner.

I was happy to have a day to relax after the flight to Singapore and spending the entire previous day walking and sightseeing. I've encountered a mixture of attitudes towards the fact that I'm travelling alone - many say they would be too scared to do it. So far I've found that most people will go out of their way to help you if you are looking lost or need assistance buying a ticket. I saw the below quote online and I feel it is relevant if you are considering solo travel... Or for life in general :)

life rules

- you are never as awkward as you think you are
- you are never as annoying as you think you are
- you are never as boring as you think you are
- your compliments are never as creepy as you think they are
- you are way more wanted than you give yourself credit for
- chin up, dude

5 Things you should know about Singapore

The MRT (train network) is crowded
But also a cheap and easy mode of transport - it's incredibly organised and punctual.

Security do carry large machine guns
They may seem intimidating, however as a result everyone behaves themselves. There was not one time I felt unsafe during my time in Singapore.

It is a shopping destination
Think of shopping centres so large you can get lost in them. When it comes to shopping, Singapore offers the very latest in fashion and technology from all around the world. My favourite stores to visit were H&M, Forever 21, Sephora and La Senza. The markets on Bugis Street are worth a visit for cheap clothing (petite sizes!) and phone accessories.

It's not that expensive!
Word on the street is that Singapore is an expensive destination. Of course it is more pricy than the likes of Indonesia and Malaysia, but when compared to my hometown Perth, prices are very similar. The price of your trip depends highly on your personal taste - fine dining restaurants are popular, and on the other end of the scale so are hawkers/food courts.

Food is everywhere
From the fine dining restaurants and hawkers/food courts I just mentioned, to high tea, buffets, street stalls, cafés and restaurants - there are food options everywhere. All cuisines are on offer.

After leaving Singapore in the early hours of yesterday morning, there's no doubt in my mind that I want to return again soon.

Unique and Affordable Eating in Singapore

Pita Pan

Located at the Marina Bay Shopping Centre, Pita Pan offers Mediterranean vegetarian cuisine. Cooked goods, such as shakshouka pans, pita pockets and felafel are available, along with plenty of fresh salads to choose from. I could happily eat at Pita Pan every single day.

La Morelle

Located upstairs on Baghdad Street - the Arabic area of Singapore located behind all of the big hotel chains - is La Morelle, a quaint French-style cafe. The cafe features gorgeous quirky decor, large carafes of iced tea, a cheesecake stand, and serves a variety of stuffed crossaints. A cute place to stop and take a break.

Slappy Cakes

Located on Sentosa island is what seems like an everyday American pancake restaurant. As you step inside, you notice that all tables are equipped with their very own hot plate and spatula. With choices of batter mix ranging from buttermilk to peanut butter, and a huge variety of sweet or savoury toppings - you get to make your own pancakes.

We made buttermilk pancakes with shredded coconut, strawberries, lavender honey, and coconut peanut butter.

Tourist Singapore: Sentosa

We visited Sentosa island on Monday. The island is probably Singapore's main tourist attraction, as it is home to Universal Studios, Adventure Cove (a water park), many restaurants, resorts, beaches, and activities.

We got to Adventure Cove at 10am (opening time) and headed straight to the snorkelling area. This is highly recommended if you are interested in snorkelling, as later in the day there is a huge line for entry. You are provided with snorkel gear and permitted to do one lap of the large pool, which contains 20,000 colourful tropical fish. Of course, snorkelling in a man made area cannot be compared to my last snorkelling experience - around the islands off the coast of Phuket, Thailand - but seeing beautiful neon fish up-close can never get old.

It costs $1 to enter Sentosa via the boardwalk, and $36 to enter Adventure Cove. If you would like to do additional activities, such as swimming with dolphins, this will cost extra. Entry to Universal Studios is $74, however I don't go on theme park rides and I'm not really into movies so it seems wiser to save my money to spend in Europe!

Afterwards, we lazed around on tubes in the adventure river before spending some time in the tsunami pool (a pool with large man made waves).

After lunch we took the monorail to Siloso Beach (one of the three beaches) and spent the rest of our day there.

Sentosa offers a wide range of activities, and would take at least two days if you are more adventurous than me... Here are some of the activities to fill your days with:

Universal Studios
Zip lining
Indoor skydiving
Segwaying
Jet packing (see photo below)
Water slides
Swimming with dolphins or sharks

We had a great day and it is easy to see what all the hype is about.

Tourist Singapore: Marina Bay Sands

There's probably not one reader who needs an introduction to Singapore's iconic Marina Bay Sands.

If you don't happen to recognise the gigantic structure, it is a hotel with a shopping mall, fine dining restaurants, casino and a famous rooftop infinity pool. The building was completed in 2010 and cost over 5 billion dollars.

Unfortunately the infinity pool is no longer accessible by the public.

Beneath the Marina Bay Sands are the Gardens by the Bay. The gardens are well known for the Supertrees - a group of 25 and 50 metre structures covered in thousands of plants and flowers. The trees are vertical gardens, reaching the equivalent of a 15 storey building.

We visited the gardens on a typically humid and rainy Singapore day, so the walkway between the Supertrees was closed.

However, the Gardens by the Bay are still beautiful from the ground.

This eery giant baby weighs 7 tonne and is supported only by its hand.

The Marina Bay area is a must-see for anyone visiting Singapore. The hotel looks amazing to stay in for a short trip to Singapore if you can afford to spend around $300 a night.

Authentic Singapore: A Daytrip to Pulau Ubin Island

At Changi Ferry Terminal we paid $2.50 and boarded a 'Bum Boat' for the 10 minute journey to Pulau Ubin.

Upon arrival at the island, we bought a $10 kayaking and fish spa package. You can also swap one of the options for bicycle hire if you would like to ride around the island.

I love kayaking so we had lots of fun kayaking around the outside of the island before heading inland to the mangroves. Here, a creature that looked like a cat fish (with legs!) climbed up my paddle. After shaking it off, we discovered many more of the creatures climbing up the side of my kayak! We quickly returned to the ocean to explore a little more.

The airport is very close to Ubin, so we relaxed on our kayaks and watched the aeroplanes flying into Singapore. We spent around 90 minutes kayaking.

Afterwards, we headed to the fish spa - an interesting experience where you pay money to have fish nibble the dead skin from your feet. It took us about 15 minutes to summon up the courage to put our feet into the water, although we have been to a fish spa before! I have also spotted fish spas in Thailand and Malaysia if you are interested in this experience!

Pulau Ubin showcases the less-developed Singapore. It was great for a day trip to escape from the bustle of the city streets to an island where the primary mode of transport is bicycle and the favoured accommodation is camping in the forest. 

Authentic Singapore: How to Spend a Day at the MacRitchie Trails

After a weekend of overindulgence on all of the amazing food Singapore has to offer, I jumped at the chance to get active and go exploring at the MacRitchie trails.

If you intend to walk from the reservoir to the treetop walk and return in a loop, expect about 11 kilometres of walking. Allow yourself extra time - I'm used to walking 10km in 2 hours at a casual pace, but the loop took us 4 hours as there are many inclines, steps, and photo opportunities!

We came prepared with hats, good walking shoes, sunscreen, mosquito spray, 2 bottles of water each, snacks (muesli bars, fresh watermelon, and dried mango), and a good camera. Most areas on the walk are sheltered by trees, so it is possible to keep cool despite the heat and humidity.

The area was beautiful, with manicured gardens, forest walking trails, and lots of wildlife. It is quiet, but every so often a local will jog by. If you are visiting Singapore and feeling overwhelmed at the busy city streets and MRT, or just need a break from shopping, consider the MacRitchie trails for some peace and quiet and the opportunity to explore Singapore's natural beauty.