Hi everyone! Hope you are doing well, it has been a while. As you might already know I am in my final year here at Surrey. The push from the final year is real as deadlines are all within the same period for me but it is the break now and I am actually taking a break for myself! So leaving the stress behind for a while I would like to share about the places I’ve travelled to so far in England! When I first started my final year I had plans to return to Singapore after graduation so I told myself that I would try to see as many new places whenever I can.
The first place I travelled to was Kent! This was as soon as I came back to Surrey after the summer holidays. My friend from Surrey was moving there for her placement year and it was the perfect opportunity to help her move in and explore the place. This was a really chill day because I was mostly trying to help her move in. We headed to this sports bar for lunch in Ashford and then took the train to Canterbury. Canterbury was a lot busier than Ashford! There was a stretch of food stalls with lots of different options to choose from. I got some churros and we headed to a nearby park to just sit and relax by the river. There is also a very pretty cathedral there that you can visit.
After that, I took the train down to Brighton. I love Brighton so much. It is such a pretty place, especially on a sunny day!! There is a few things you can do like walk by the beach and see the pier. There are also a few arcade games that you can play. Of course when in Brighton you should try the seafood. For lunch, we had some fish and chips from one of the shops along the beach and for dinner, we headed to Regency restaurant. Both meals were so filling and tasty. It was also my first time trying oysters! They were alright but I haven’t had them since and probably won’t for a while hahaha. Brighton is definitely a must-see place when you’re here. Probably best to go during summer!
I am always in search of a taste of home wherever I go. I came across a post on Instagram coincidently of a restaurant in London selling Tamil food and I had to try it. So my friend and I took the train down from Guildford bright and early in the morning to make the most of our day. (Tip: You can get a day travel pass from the train station in Guildford. It is less than 20 pounds and you can use it to get to London and to travel on the tube.)
Gopal’s corner serves Indian food like Roti prata, Thosai, and banana leaf rice meals. They also have mee goreng, Laksa and Teh Tarik too!! I went to the one at Victoria market hall but they have branches at Oxford Circus and Canary Wharf too. Their food was so good and it definitely satisfied my cravings for some fish curry. We then spent the rest of the day walking around central London, doing some shopping (more window shopping tbh) and taking in the busy city life before we headed back to our quiet and peaceful Guildford.
I then travelled to Manchester. This was an exciting trip. I stayed there for a couple of days. I decided to take a coach to Manchester instead of the train because it was a lot cheaper. The coach journey is longer though. So from Guildford, I took the national express bus to London where I waited for a while and took another national express bus to Manchester. Might sound like such a long journey but was really worth it to me. I have a friend from back home who studies in Manchester so it was really nice to meet and catch up with her after a long time. It was also the Christmas period so I went around their (never-ending) Christmas markets! There were so many stalls, selling so many different things. I bought a hot chocolate that came in a cute mug that you can take home. Manchester reminded me a lot of London for some reason- must be because of how busy it was. Again this trip was mostly me eating a lot lol. Oh, it also snowed the first two days I was there which was really pretty. There is also a Chinatown in Manchester. It isn’t really as big as the one in London but there are so many food places to choose from!!
The next place I travelled to was Bath!! Ahh this place is so pretty and is definitely one of my favourite memories. It was an impromptu trip so I didn’t have much planned but it was still enjoyable. Again I took the train to Bath. We first had to go to Reading and then change over to another train to make our way to Bath. (Railcard will save you so much!) We first went to see Bath Abbey. There is no admission charge but donations are appreciated. We got in and looked around for a bit. It’s totally stunning to see and for sure one of the best things to do in Bath! Of course, then you should go see the roman baths which are right next to Bath Abbey. We then walked to see Pulteney Bridge. It is really in the centre of Bath so you can’t really miss it. There are a number of shops along the bridge too. You should also take a stroll around the Royal crescent and circus. There is so much more you can do if you plan your day well. I also think it is worth staying a couple of days in Bath to really enjoy the city and you could also travel out to neighbouring cities which would save you some money!
These are just the main cities I’ve been to this year so far and I think it is definitely worth going to!
Till next time!
Nitya
