LIFESTYLE/INSPIRATION

Virgin Experience Days: Top Experiences Part 2

In Part 1 of my post I spoke about how much I have enjoyed using Virgin experience days so far. Here are a few more experiences I have booked with them.

iFLY Indoor Skydiving for Two

I bought this because I promised myself skydiving before my 25^th birthday but I didn’t lmao. Indoor skydiving was great ad our instructor was amazing. I highly, very highly recommend this experience.

Champagne Afternoon Tea for Two at the Courthouse Hotel, London

My friend wanted a taste of British and what’s more British than afternoon tea? The price is for 2 people so it’s the more affordable option I have seen so far around. It was really good (apart from the weather that day). Again no confusion on what to pay for at the end.

Visit to The View from The Shard with Signature Cocktail and Souvenir Photos for Two

My husband and I enjoyed this activity before heading off to dinner. This offer is also available via The Shard’s website so if you were to book this via Virgin Experience days with a discount code, you would be saving some coins for the same thing!

There are so many experiences available sometimes the hardest part is choosing who to go with and what to do! I will keep trying different ones: I have my eyes on a few hotel short breaks next! Check back for more reviews and as always my instagram for more updates

Catch you soon!

Autumn Winter Activities

I really like the awesome winter activities available in London. In addition to Christmas lights, there are so many other activities to enjoy. Wrap up warm and head out to experience something new

Backyard cinema– the Winter Garden and Snow Kingdom are back this winter! I’ve always missed out on them due to conflicting schedules but this year I am determined to go!

Winter wonderland– Winter wonderland is back! The cold weather favourite is the perfect meeting place for a catch up! This year though, you have to prebook tickets (£5). I’ve already booked mine- have you?

Syon Park Enchanted Woodland– I went to this 3 years ago and had a good time. It’s a walk in the dark past illuminated trees and illustrations. Highly recommended

Christmas at Kew – Christmas at Kew is back! I went to this previously and the light show at the end is awesome. I have a feeling the prices have increased but I definitely recommend it

Lightopia Crystal Palace Park– this one is quite local to me so I will make an effort to visit. I think its similar to Syon Park Enchanted Woodland.

Winterland at Neverland – open food and drink destination complete with igloos! Pre booking is essential. I’ve never been here but definitely hoping to visit this year!

In addition to these activities, there will be food markets, Christmas lights and markets! The return of igloos comes with the cold weather too (I have never been successful in booking one lol) and most of them have a ridiculous minimum spend

You can also check out Virgin Experience Days for new experiences to try out!

Catch you later

Virgin Experience Days: Top Experiences Part 1

If you have ever thought about getting a Virgin Experience days voucher but thought it was a ‘scam’, you won’t be a lone. I was the same. I used to think they were too good to be true and perhaps the service won’t be the same if you went without a voucher. I finally took the plunge last year and got a voucher for friend’s birthday and I haven’t looked back since!

Before I tell you what I have done so far with Virgin Experience Days, I should dispel my earlier thoughts: they are excellent value for money vouchers and the services I had received so far are amazing. I also did some double checking and some of the vouchers are actually just offers from the individual service providers: most, are the same prices( or double for 2 people) so no they are not ‘too good to be true’!

Tip: Always search for a discount code: there’s always one (sign up for their newsletters) they also offer student discounts. There’s also sales most of the time

How it works

Buy your chosen experience
Activate your voucher following instructions in your email confirmation
Book your experience following instructions once your voucher has been activate
Enjoy your experience and go back and look for more!

Below are some of the experiences I have done so far with Virgin Experience days vouchers, all paid for myself:

The View from The Shard and a Three Course Meal for Two at Marco Pierre White’s London Steakhouse Co

The first experience I booked! It went well and there was no confusion/issues with any of them. This one takes some coordination especially if you wanted to book both experiences in one day. The service at the MPW’s Steakhouse was impeccable. There was no confusion on payment at the end. (note they will still add service charge so depending on whether you ordered any extras (we did) you will have a very affordable bill at the end)

Tapas Style Afternoon Tea with Free Flowing Cocktails and Prosecco for Two at MAP Maison

This was so worth it and truly a free flowing experience for the duration of your slot. Our glasses were not empty and there was a good selection of cocktails to choose from. The afternoon tea/tapas were delicious too and quite filling. You will definitely leave slightly tipsy

Tropical Cocktail Masterclass for Two at Laki Kane

This one really is for cocktail lovers. For snippet of what went down. Check out my instagram reel here

There’s a few more experiences have done! Watch out for more in a second blog post.

Catch you later

Rooftop vibes

In my last post (check it out here), I mentioned a few activities you worth visiting but if drinks and food are your fav past time then this post is for you.

London doesn’t have a lot of rooftops but there are some great ones to visit, these are the few I’ve been too, and advance booking is essential

Alto, Selfridges

This place is tucked in Selfridges Oxford Street and gets quite busy. I love everything about this place: food, drinks( the moscato is my favourite) and of course location. It’s one of the good ones for walk in a although there will be a wait. For walk ins, just get your name on the list and go about your shopping!

Rooftop St James

Probably the place I wanted to visit for the longest and when I finally went it was so worth it. The food, the views are excellent! The service was a bit slow when I went but in all honestly it was a really hot day and they were super busy. Its a small place so booking is essential.

LSQ rooftop

This is a new entry on my bar list but worth checking out. You get amazing views of London with the location been right in Leicester square. A bit grim to find (tbh I was just hungry that day lool) but the service was good. The drinks were amazing, the food? average

Jin Bo Law

Heading to city now, Jin Bo Law rooftop is for dressier occasions and celebrations. Its been a while since I went there but the views are stunning. Booking essential

View from The Shard

Amazing London views plus drinks are always a good combo! The View from the Shard open deck bar is a good place to have a drink if you’re already there! To be totally honest, I thought the drinks would be much pricer (seeing that its the Shard) but drinks start from £12 ( still pricer than your average cocktail in a bar but good for THE SHARD)

Other places worth visit

Madisons

601 Queens Road

Bar Elba

Summer Activities in London

Hello guys, I hope all is well! It’s been a while my last post, I took a break from blogging with everything that has been going on lately, I wasn’t in the right space to talk about anything really.

I’m in a much better place now so I’m back to blogging and I’m quite excited! With a lot still going on, if you feel up for it, here are some activities you can safely enjoy in and around London!

Swinger’s Crazy Golf

I’ve become somewhat obsessed with crazy golf, using the lockdown period to research almost every mini gold venue in London and updating ‘my to visit list’. I went to Swinger’s (City) and its one of the good ones! There’s food and drink in the same spot and 3 courses to choose from.

Summer by the river

Head to South Bank for open food, drinks and activities all summer! Summer by the river started from 10^th June and will be there for 3 months for us to enjoy. If you’re not super comfortable with indoor activities yet, this one would be great to check out.

Roofeast

This is my next place to visit! Rooftop vibes with food, drinks and games? Roofeast is very popular and very busy so booking a game in advance is essential (unlike me who tried to get crazy gold tickets 1 day before a warm Saturday!)

Ballie Ballerson

Another must do activity for me this summer, a huge ball pit, lots of pizza and drinks I can see why Ballie Ballerson is super popular. Again advance booking is essential

Make sure you’re following me on Instagram for more inspiration on beauty, restaurants and things to do in London

Instagram –Sarahfynn

I will be doing a tour of crazy golf venues and bottomless brunch this summer- stay tuned

Date Night Recommendations

What are you doing this weekend? Whether you’re celebrating Val’s day with your partner, the girls or some much needed alone time, here’s a list of places to check out. I love going out and discovering London so if you need some help, here are some of the places I have been and enjoyed, the service and food were top-notch. These places cover a range of budgets, from easy & causal to let’s slay I’m a bad B

Enjoy! ( I’ve linked the reviews I have on my blog) Also check out the Lifestyle Menu for more restaurant reviews. I’m working on my ultimate 100 places to eat( its been years in the making)

Steakhouses/American

Bueno Aires Steakhouse

Steak and Lobster ( best fries and salad I have ever had)

Steak & Co ( if you’re ready to ‘cook’ your own steak, this is it)

STK

Maxwell’s ( Try the freakshakes)

Jackson and Rye

M Grill ( hands down the best service I have had in a restaurant)

Seafood/Sushi

Fat Crab ( crab heaven!)

Sticks & Sushi ( Sushi and more sushi! and sticks for those that don’t like sushi)

Sake no Hana

Chinese/Thai

Ken Lo’s Memories of China

Thai Square

Rosa’s Thai café

Com Viet ( best food on a budget)

Chino Latino

Giggling Squid

Mediterranean/Italian/European

Bob Bob Ricard ( famous press for champagne button)

Haz Restaurant

Oxo Brassiere

Desserts

Snowflake

Bars

Manhiki

Cahoots

Jazz / Live Music

Ronnie Scott’s Soho

Jazz Café Camden

Pizza Express Jazz Club

Red Rooster ( THIS place is LIT)

Outdoor/Street Food

Street Feast venues- Giant Robot, Hawker House, Model Market

Luxe Beauty Beckenham Review

This year, I promised myself I would do more professional treatments. For my first clinic visit of 2020, I went to Luxe Beauty based in Beckenham for a facial. I found the salon on Treatwell (I have downloaded the app) and with a £10 discount code I chose the Dermalogica facial (45 mins) and paid £25( usually £35)

Luxe Beauty is based in Beckenham and offers a range of beauty services like facials, spray tanning and nails. I have never heard of the place so I did some research first before booking. The reviews on Treatwell were very good but I also checked google reviews, everything checked out so I booked my facial.

The salon is based on the high street but parking was free on a nearby road. It looks small and unassuming from the outside but inside it was super clean and modern. I arrived a little bit before my appointment but I was welcomed by the reception and asked to sit. My therapist Leanne soon came and took me to the treatment room. The treatment room was a bit small but it was super clean and smelled great. I took a quick snap of the products she had lined up for me.

I’ve been trying to find a description of the Dermalogica facial I did but I can’t find any. My treatment included double cleansing, exfoliation (I think she did this about 2 or 3 times from what I could feel on my facial) face mask, facial massage, steam, extraction, toning and moisturiser. She also did a shoulder massage. The whole facial lasted about 50 mins

Did I like it? YES, I love Dermalogica as a brand so even though this treatment is new to me, I had faith in it because their products are good quality. I would describe the facial as a deep cleansing/exfoliation facial. My skin was left so smooth and soft to touch. I have never had steam as part of a facial but it was nice, I could only feel it on one side of my face though lol. The pressure of her facial massage and shoulder massage was just right and it reminded me I need to book a body massage because my last one was in October lol

Would I recommend Luxe Beauty? YES, everyone I came in contact with, was friendly and professional. My therapist asked me a few questions regarding my skin before getting started. I would have loved for her to tell me what she was doing because there was no description of the facial online or on the app but I also didn’t ask. Tbh I dislike people talking to me during a facial because I like my peace and quiet so I didn’t mind. The salon is small but it’s very clean and modern inside.

Any cons? The only issue I had was the soothing music was a bit too loud. It wasn’t extremely loud but people that know me know I don’t like high volumes especially if I am in the same room as the music, but this wasn’t a bit deal. At the end the moisturiser she used did not have SPF (I made sure to ask) BUT this isn’t the only place that has done this. I’ve been t at least 3 different places over the last year where they simply don’t use SPF after the facial and I wonder why (there’s only 1 place that used an SPF 35 moisturiser and that was Skin Laundry). I carry my own now to use after a facial so I don’t really treat this as a con

Verdict

The facial was worth the money and the salon was great. I will recommend and book again. Most of the Dermalogica products she used I recognise with the exception of the professional grade products. This is more of a deep cleansing/ exfoliation facial and I will definitely recommend for oily/blemish prone skin.

First facial for 2020 done with more to come. I realised I haven’t reviewed my go to place The Boutique Spa so I will make sure to do a full review after my next visit.

Post facial– its 2 days since the facial and my skin looks and feels so smooth. I have two spots forming which always happens to me after a facial so I am not surprised. I really wish I took pics, I have pics but they are not suitable lool.

I also recommend Treatwell. I was scared to download the app last year but after speaking to a few people I decide to go with it. So far I have booked two treatments and I have had no issues with the actual app in terms of pre paying and turning up to the places. They also give you a £5 off code when your review a place (temptation lol).

Find LuxeBeauty on Treatwell

What’s your fav place to go for a facial? Let me know

A weekend in Bath

Hey guys, I hope all is well. I went to Bath last month so this post will be about the beautiful town and things to do whilst there! If you haven’t been to Bath already, please plan a visit!

Bath itinerary- 2 days 1 night.

Stay– Dreamstays, Kingsmead Street– excellent location, right in the city centre with bars and restaurants around. You also have Sainsbury’s and Tesco right on your door step. About 10 mins walk from the coach station. The apartment was spotless and perfect for 3 people sharing. The only issue we had was the hot water running out and taking a while to heat up (that’s been happening to me a lot lately) and there are no full-length mirrors.

Best for food/drinks– Gong Fu Noodle Bar, Sotto Sotto, Giggling Squid, Vino Vino Bar, Real Italian Ice-cream parlour

Saturday

We arrived quite early on the Saturday and after dropping our bags at the apparent, we did the ‘Walk to the View walk’ which took us about 2 hours. P.S- don’t bother printing the map from the Visit Bath website, you can simply google Bath Skyline and follow the directions. I would definitely recommend this walk (there is also a longer 3-4hr walk available), the views are beautiful and it takes you through the city centre, points of interest and a garden.

Afterwards, we grabbed a quick lunch at Gong Fu Thai Noodle Bar which was right opposite our apartment. The food was tasty and a good portion. It’s a small take away place. P.S- most of the restaurants closed at 2pm for lunch to reopen at 5/6, this place was one of the few that was open.

After lunch we were exhausted and chilled indoors till we left for dinner in the evening. We went to Vino Vino for drinks before dinner and I had the best Strawberry lychee martini I have ever had. The service was a bit slow but once we ordered the drinks were made quickly. I would recommend. Across the road was Giggling Squid and we had some amazing Thai food! I have been to Giggling Squid before in Bristol and loved it so I wasn’t surprised but the girls had never been so they were very impressed! The service was top notch, Deborah our waiter took care of us and made sure we had everything we needed.

Sunday

After dropping our bags at the sister hotel (also located in the city centre) we went to Sotto Sotto for lunch. We heard it was one of the best restaurants in Bath and we wanted to have dinner there on Saturday but it was fully booked. Sotto Sotto is a very small Italian basement restaurant, we thought it could probably sit 40 people all together but isn’t doesn’t feel crowded. Booking is essential (people were turned away) and we took the first seating at 12.15 for their lunch service (it was fully booked). I understand why it’s so popular, the food is amazing, service was attentive and it’s not overpriced. It takes a minute to get through to them because the line is always busy but definitely recommended!

After lunch, we chilled in Paradise Gardens (£2 entry) which is a beautiful park right in the centre. Lucky for us there was a procession coming through and a performance so we got to enjoy that before it was time to leave.

Bath was so pretty and the town is small so we could easily walk everywhere. We loved our apartment and how central it was to everything! A weekend is perfect and gives enough time to have a feel for the city, definitely a place to check out

Follow my girls & I on our new lifestyle page- Fab3lifestyle We hope to bring you inspiration in all areas and encourage you to try something out of your comfort zone. We didn’t want to be just another lifestyle Instagram page with fake, highly edited photos. Our page is authentic and realistic, we are at a point in our lives where we are working hard and saving but we also want to enjoy life. That’s our main focus, just because we are saving for the next step in our lives doesn’t mean we have to give up the stuff we enjoy, we love finding budget-friendly deals and we will be sharing this with you guys!

Other places in the UK to visit

Bristol

Lulworth Cove

Croatia Travel: Zagreb

My full Itinerary

28^th April- Arrived in the morning. Split- Palace, Viewpoint, Riva

29^th April- Trogir & Krka National Park morning- late afternoon. Evening- Split

30^th April- Plitvice Lakes morning-late afternoon. Onward travel to Zagreb, arrived at night

1^st May- Full day Zagreb

2^nd May- travel back to Split and departure

Zagreb was the final part of my Croatia adventure and I was looking forward to it. We arrived in Zagreb by 10pm so we didn’t do much that evening (after hiking in Plitvice lakes we were tired). We stayed in Apartment Simple Teslina which I highly recommend. The only issue is the hot water runs out quickly and takes a while to heat up (seems like a Croatian problem? We had the same issue in Split). The studio apartment was spotless though. It’s a 5 min walk form the main square and there are lots of restaurants around.

We did a free walking tour with Free Spirit Tours which I highly recommend. Zagreb is soaked in history and not at all what I expected. The walking tour allowed us to visit most of Zagreb and if you have one day only it’s worth doing.

After the tour, we spent more time walking around and looking for a traditional Croatia dish. We went to Batak Grill to have the Cevapcici, a typical Croatian dish.

There wasn’t much we did in Zagreb so we spent the rest of the day shopping and chilling, preparing for an early start the next day. It was also in Zagreb we had our second request for a picture lol, again from another tourist and much older. We also had an incident in a restaurant where this man would not stop staring at us! He was Croatian and came with his partner and it was slightly uncomfortable after a while, they were sitting close to us. Lucky for us we done with our meal so this encounter didn’t last long. I swear I heard him mutter black girls under his breath when we walked past but my friend said she didn’t hear anything. I was have been pissed if I was the girl he was with! But then again they both could be of the same mindset.

I prefer Split to Zagreb, I liked the vibes there much better than Zagreb.

So that’s all folks! I hope you have found these posts helpful and you are inspired to visit Croatia!

PS we found an African restaurant in Zagreb– I would have never expected that! We didn’t go to it though lol

Catch you later

Croatia Travel: Hiking in Krka National Park

Carrying on with my Croatian travels, I went hiking in Krka National Park located in the South. Hiking was the reason for my travels and I heard Croatia has some of the most beautiful parks and it’s the truth!

Getting to Krka National Park was a bit cumbersome from Split with public transport (two different entrances and no direct buses) so I decided to go with a touring company to cover the seamless transfer. I went with Sugaman tours, because they had the most reviews, it also came recommended from a friend and their Krka tour included a stop in Trogir, a small town about 30 mins from Split.

My experience with Sugaman tours was awesome! I made a mistake booking 4 tickets instead of two and after I emailed them they quickly replied and refunded the difference! The tour itself was excellent value for money. It started on time and our driver & guide Dom told us some of the histories of Split. Once we got to Trogir, he took us around the old city, shared some historical facts and we were given 1hr free time. It was pretty early once we got there so it was very quiet however it was a nice day was a walk around the old city.

After Trogir, it took us about an hour to get to Krka National Park. The entry fee once converted to pounds is about £10. Dom took us to the various exhibitions and told us the history behind them then we got free time for exploring

Krka National park has 17 waterfalls with the biggest one Skradinski Buk. From the main entrance, it’s about a 30-45 min walk through the park. The scenery is beautiful and you go past many waterfalls on the way. Skradinski Buk is not as big as you would think but it’s beautiful nonetheless. It’s the only national park in Croatia you can swim in too.

The entrance ticket includes a boat river on the Krka River to the Skradin (this is one of the entrances to the park. The bus to Split stops here and you get the boat to the park). After the walk, we got the boat back to town and Dom picked us up back to Split! There are other activities to do in Krka Park if you have the time it’s worth checking out!

I would definitely recommend Sugaman Tours for this trip as well as the many others they offer! When I go back to Split, I will definitely book one of their island tours! If you want to check them out, here’s a link> Sugaman Tours

It was in Krka Park I first had another tourist ask me for a picture lol. This old lady came up to me with her phone (couldn’t speak English) so I thought she meant she wanted me to take a picture of her. She kept pointing to the both of us and her phone so I said and gestured do you want a picture of me and you to which she nodded yes so I politely said no and she walked back to her group. I thought she looked eastern Asian but my friend thought Eastern European. She looked quite old so in hindsight, I could understand if she had never seen a black person before. I was careful in my response to her, if indeed I am the first black person she has ever seen then I didn’t want her to have a negative stereotype of us so it was a polite rejection instead of been aggressive and angry. In all my travels I had never had that before so it was a weird feeling but I wasn’t offended. In the whole time we were in the park we didn’t see ANY other black people. I’ve been to many places and in many of those places I have been the only black there: it saddens me because why shouldn’t we enjoy that too: is it because we don’t know or because we are afraid? Anyway, that’s a different post for another day!

Next up: we will be talking about another hike we did in a different park!

If you haven’t already, check out the first part of my Croatian adventure in Split.

Catch you later