things to do in london

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

Things to do in London this winter

Hey hey, guys, I hope everyone is doing great! Whilst I love eating out, sometimes it’s boring to do the same things over and over again. I have compiled a list of activities and events happening all over the capital, most of which are free to inspire to wrap up warm and head out!

Canary Wharf Winter Lights

If you enjoyed any of the Christmas lights last year, I think you will enjoy this one too. Sculptures, structures and many more will be illuminated all over Canary Wharf from the 16^th to 27 of January. Best of all its free and if you fancy a bite afterwards, there are lots of good places to eat nearby. Visit after 5pm

Street Feast– multiple locations

Take a break from the usual restaurant scene and head to Street Feast for some tasty street food. I have featured street Feast many times on my social media (I promise I am not sponsored by them) and there’s good reason, food is cheap, a huge variety and good vibes all round. Giant Robot at Canary Wharf is the latest spot, a rooftop experience plus it’s indoors too. Maybe hit it up after Winter Lights? That’s what I will be doing! Check out the other food markets too here

Lumiere London – multiple locations

I think winter and illumination just go well together! Another ‘light’ event for your diaries! Lumiere London displays lighted artwork across London featuring international artists. I saw the lights in Oxford Street last year and it’s a very pretty site! I will be visiting other locations this year too. 18^th to 21^st January

A list of free events will never be complete without a mention of the museums! London has so many museums and best of all most of them are free if not all. I plan I visiting a lot more museums this year too

British Museum

Tate Modern

National Gallery

I hope you guys find this useful! Make sure to follow me on Instagram as I post places I visit often that I may not put on my blog!

Catch you soon

Sarah

Christmas Activities & Events in London 2017

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? All over the capital, Christmas lights have been switched on and Christmas gift shopping is in full swing! Check out my Christmas Gift guides here and if you are doing Secret Santa this year, head over here for some inspiration! Some houses even have their Christmas décor out so its safe to say Christmas 2017 is here- only 32 days to go!

If you want to head out and discover new places or events this Christmas, then this post is perfect for you! I have compiled a list of events, activities and markets happening in the capital over Christmas and most of them are even free!

Here is your Christmas Activity Guide 2017 for catch ups, late nights and date nights or solo adventure!

Winter Wonderland

Free entry

Is only proper I start off with Winter Wonderland! This activity has sort of become a must visit for a lot of people including myself, over the Christmas period! Based in Hyde Park its easy o get to, free t entry and perfect for catching up with friends. You only pay for food or rides when you go and it family friendly too!

Open until 1^st Jan 2018

Winterville

Free entry expect Friday and Saturday nights

Expect food, cinema, ice skating and much more at Winterville in Clapham Common. This is new to new and I am hoping to visit it very soon- it’s been hailed as London’s alternative festive experience. I trust it would be amazing as the food is provided by Street Feast which is always good- I been to all of them!

Open until 1^st January

Christmas at Kew Gardens

Adult tickets from £16

The gardens will light up after dark this Christmas with over 1 million lights and am illuminated path! This I think is very much like Syon Park’s Enchanted Woodland( which unfortunately is over but was so beautiful, see some pictures below :() I reckon it will be quite nice for date night walking in the dark with the soft lights awwww lol but wrap up warm and get your walking boots out!

Open until 1^st Jan

Skylight Rooftop Tobacco Dock

Free entry

No, it’s not a tobacco shop, its winter fest on a rooftop! If you love ice skating then what’s better than ice skating on a rooftop?! Yasmine will kill me if she knew I was talking about this lol- I am never going ice skating and embarrassing myself LOL but I will visit here for the nice view and good food PLUS ttheyhave a chocolate fondue!!!!!. Ice skating is not free though (obviously) but it starts from £10

Wintertime at South Bank

Free

Southbank is always bustling with activities but over the Christmas period, it gets bigger and better! The Christmas market is always a good place to start: cheap bites, gift shopping and all those pretty Christmas lights can easily warm you up! As if that wasn’t enough, they have shows and a rooftop sauna!

There are also lots more Christmas markets around the capital and even further a field! All these events are on for a limited period and most of them end on 1^st Jan 2018 and closed Christmas Day! Over the coming weekends try to hit these events you will can easily cross them all off before the new year- at least that’s what I will be doing!

Catch you soon

Sarah!

Discovering London: Summer 2017

I’m all about experiences! Because they give you memories you cherish forever! Share that experience with a friend or loved one and you instantly build your friendship/relationship. Savour that experience by yourself and you have just gained a little bit more self-confidence and you can be proud of yourself. (I remember when I went to the cinema alone, I was so proud of myself and it was a big deal because I was one of those people who thought going to the cinema alone was ‘sad’ anyway)

Since I’m all about experiences, I like to spend time looking around for new events/activities etc in and around London. Because the norm of cinema or clubbing or restaurants (unless it’s discovering new places to eat and diff foods to try in that case yes. I myself have a list of 100 restaurants to try in London*) gets boring sometimes and I HATE with a passion routines/repetition unless it’s my skincare/hair routine lol but even that if it aint working it gotta go! I thought I would share a few fun and different activities I have discovered and hopefully these give you some ideas to go out and discover London! Summer 2017 is about to get hotter! Click on the headings to go to the websites for more info. I have also added my insider tips to help you make the most of out of your experience

Street Feast

I can’t exactly remember how I discovered Street Feast last year but I’m so glad I did. 4 night food markets around London (Lewisham, Canary Wharf, Shoreditch, Canada Water) with excellent street food and drinks and nothing but good vibes! The latest one in Canary Wharf, Giant Robot is a nice rooftop experience and it’s definitely one to check out!

Free entry before 7pm or £3 after 7pm and open till late

Insider tip- make sure you take lots of cash as some vendors do not have card machines! Make sure you stop by YUM BUM too.

Urban Food Fest

Another one for the foodies! If Street Feast has made you curious about night food markets then Urban Food Fest is another to visit! One location is Shoreditch but lots of vendors and drinks to get you started!

Free entry and open till late

Insider tip- don’t leave without dessert!

Monument Steps

If you love a challenge, why not climb the Monument steps?! 311 steps up and down and a very narrow winding path BUT you will be rewarded with nice views of London. You may break a sweat but gain for your step count( if you’re obsessed like me and keep track of it which reminds me I need to get a FIT BIT Plus what’s the point of walking if you can’t keep count lool)

£5 entry or £3.30 with student card

Insider Tip- the steps are narrow and it’s only one way up and down. Go early if you want to avoid congestion. Wear comfy shoes!

Further afield: British Airways i360 in Brighton

This is definitely worth a trip to Brighton! After/ before hitting the beach, make sure you get tickets for the British Airways i360. It’s the world’s tallest observation tower and you get 360 (breath-taking) views of the South coast! Honestly, if you thought the Cable Car in London was nice, wait till you see this one!

£14.40 online ticket in advance or £12.15 with a student card

Insider tip- you can get a glass of bubbly or tea inside. Once up, it stays there for a while, giving you time to savour the views. Imagine this at night and a proposal awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Also, go on a clear day when you can see everything it has to offer

Pizza Express Live

Ok so I haven’t been here yet but I am planning to. Very soon. I love Pizza Express (Thank you 02 Priority deals lol) so naturally, after discovering this when walking through the back streets of Soho with Yass (shout out!) we bought decided to visit it very soon. They combine live jazz and pizza plus a few drinks, what’s there not to love?

Buying tickets for a show automatically reserves a table for you. The full Pizza Express menu is available

Insider tip- since the full menu is available, try the ‘American Hottest Pizza’ oh and the Dough Balls (you may want to get the bigger portion- these are seriously moreish!)

That’s all folks! Let me know what you think of these suggestions and if you visit them too! Catch me on insta as I try to review the restaurants and places I go to but more so for beauty tips lol

I hope everyone has a great summer and MAKE SURE you try something different! Gain the experience, you will cherish it forever!

Sarah

Now to beat my face for AJ birthday dinner

Happy belated Birthday Girl!