Jewels of London that allures tourist from around the world ( Part 1)

         

Skyline of London during dusk ( collected)

London is simply a magical land. Anybody visiting her for the first time will be in love with her for the cosmopolitan ambiance, the food, the landmarks, the public transportation system and the ‘jewels’ or the famous landmarks that the tourists are crazy to visit. Basically, you can take the tourist transport system like the Big bus or other means to go around the city. Ig bus gives an array of choice of places you can visit. You may choose to buy tickets online for the places you would love to see. In case you buy from the Big bus officials that might have a good deal for the day or be cheaper than the price displayed online. While touring London, you have to be very tactical and buy tickets which comes with discounted offers. Research is all yours, and you have to choose to form the array of options. I had literary 9 days to cover London. Initial two days were spent in touring the city from the terrace of Big Bus, and the rest days were spent in viewing the hotspots.

     

1.      Madam Tussaud’s museum:  Madam Tussaud’s museum is situated in Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5LR, UK. The museum is a multi-storeyed building which has several floors displayed with wax models of celebrities around the world. The brains behind this, Marie Tussauds, a French by birth learned the art of sculpting from her mother’s employee Dr. Phillippe Curtius. The first wax sculpture was of Francois Voltaire. Opened in 1835, the museum attracted each and every visitor in London who desires to pose with their favorite character or rub shoulder with the wax bodies. Each model was invited for a sitting, and then measurements were taken. Madan Tussaud was said to be imprisoned during the French revolution where she made death masks for the executed nobles. However, the museum underwent losses when hit by a bomb during World War II

Posing with my favorite Bollywood heroine 

Posing with the ' Queen of hearts'

                                                                          

   

Basically, you have to be sure to be standing in the long queue before entering the museum. After you get your entry you will be exposed to a wonderland where you can find each and every personality from any niche be it entertainment, royal family, politics or sports. I chose my favorite Bollywood and Hollywood heroes to pose with. I liked the chamber which demonstrated the method of making molds. 

Demonstrating on the molds

The Royals and popular figures in a line

                             

Never miss the 4 D show that will never fail to amuse you. The last attraction of the museum, London ride is an interesting one, which will take you virtually through the various ages and evolution of London. Visit the gift shop and buy some souvenirs for you to remember.

2.      

T     Thames river cruise viewing the tower bridge and other landmarks:

If you want to see London, buy a ride on the cruise along the Thames River. There are a regular cruise and the timings can be noted from the information online. We bought tickets online and the cruise started at the Tower Pier. Generally, the hop on, hop off cruise starts from the Tower Pier, Westminster Pier, Greenwich Pier and London Eye pier. 24 hours valid tickets are also available from the same counter.  I boarded the vessel, chose my seat and comfortable corner. 

                

Tower bridge standing tall 

There was ongoing commentary which enabled to understand the importance of the landmarks. I am very keen on photographing cityscapes and has some exclusive shots in my collection. The best part was to see the tower bridge open.
         

Viewing Shard, the highest point in Western Europe 

                         

 We enjoyed the panoramic view of important landmarks like Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Shakespeare globe, Shard, Gherkin, Houses of Parliament, London Eye, and the Millennium Footbridge. 

                

The cantilever bridge opens 

 It was a splendid experience floating over the weaving Thames River.  Something that sparked my mind was that London was old but a planned city since the Roman times as it was accessible by the water and road transport as well.

3.      Westminster Abbey and Big Ben: Westminster Abbey is one of the rated tourist spots of London. The iconic building has been the seat of the British monarchy and also the symbol of British politics that the world looks upon. There are regular tours that last for 3-4 hours, thereby explaining the importance of the Elizabeth tower, statue of kings reflecting over the Thames River and also the house of parliament. 

                             

Westminster Abbey as seen from the cruise 

            

           The iconic structure is important as it has seen important coronation ceremony starting from William the conquerer in 1066 and ending with Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. British monarchs were wedded here. 

                          

Inside of the Westminster Abbey ( collected)

                The world has seen the wedding of William and Kate in this iconic building in 2011.  You will simply feel like standing amidst the rich history of Britain since the time it was called Britannia.

       

               Big Ben: Big Ben is the nickname to the clock tower situated on the northern side of Westminster Abbey. Originally it was called the clock tower and it was renamed as Elizabeth tower in 2012.  The big ben is said the chime every hour and there is a quarter bell that chimes every fifteen minutes. Or visiting Beg ben, it requires a permission from the British parliamentary authorities and tickets are sold six months in advance.  

                    

Big Ben under renovation

Presently the Big Ben is undergoing repairs and the renovation is expected to be completed by 2021. We were not lucky to go inside the clock tower but just have a fair view from outside. 

London – the confluence of tradition and modernity

                               

London attracts millions of tourists every year 

London, the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, has been the bull’s eye of tourists for ages. It’s said that London is a friendly city and has embraced migrants for a long time. The city which is the headquarter of British politics, the epitome of Royalty, has faced terrorist attacks and threats in the recent past. Well, getting a visa for the UK either for work or tourism could be the toughest thing on earth, but when your intention is to see the beautiful city, the hazards are just a minute affair.

Planning the visit: While you plan to visit the city, the best thing is to know the geography of the city, especially how the public transport system connects places. There is ample scope for a visitor to use the train, bus, water transport and underground to reach the various places of interest. Well, when I was planning to visit, my friends intimated me about the high price of traveling intercity and suggested me some easy and economic measures to see the city. There are various tour companies that launched city tour buses, enabling easy travel of any newbie to the city. You may choose any hop- off buses like Big Bus, City tour or Original tour. Prices are competitive and depend on which plan you are buying.  

                              

Easy ways to see the  beautiful city 

You can get the bug bus map as soon as you get onto the bus, which will enable you to understand the sketch of the megacity.  Well, there are lot many options but not that all the places are covered or important. But a seven-day trip should be choosy and you should be skeptical about the money spent on any visit.  A deluxe ticket that includes a 3-day pass, 4 different routes, walking tours and return river cruise, with an additional night cruise will cost 125 £ for a family.

The other options are to purchase a travel card, Oyster card, and London pass. You can plan your visit to various places of interest with ease and in an economic way. Well, people’s choice differs, but some places that are a must visit according to me are discussed. Well, many Londoners have never seen the city in such details as a visitor does in just a week.

              

Understanding the geography of the city 

                        

1.                                                                                            Madam Tussaud’s wax museum: 

                                                           

It's not only wax museum, it's just a wonder 

2.                                                                                                     River cruise and the tower bridge:

           

The iconic tower bridge

3.                                                                                      Westminster Abbey and Big Ben:

                                                       

                                                             

West Minster Abbey from Thames cruise 

Big Ben, the iconic landmark presently undergoing renovation 

                 

4.                                                                                                                    Tower of London:

                                                               

The historic tower of London

5.                                                                                                                   London Dungeon:

                                                      

Dramatic sequence 

6.                                                                                                               British Museum:

                                                      

Knowing the rich past of the country

7.                                                                                                            London Eye: 

                                                                

All eyes on London eye

8.                                                                             

                                              Birdseye view from the Shard, the highest tower                                                                       

Shard, the highest tower 

Bird's eye view from the Shard 

9.                                                                                                             Buckingham Palace:

                                                         

                                                             

The official residence of the Queen

                           

                                                       

                                                                       

1                                                                                  Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly circus: 

                                                                

Hanging out at Trafalgar square doesn't attract  any extra cost

                         

Piccadilly Circus, the famous landmark

1                                                    .   Greenwich Observatory:

                                                      

Giggles when standing at meridian zero

  

These are the must-visits of the city. All the places of interest are generally covered by the Big bus tour except Greenwich.  St Paul’s Cathedral and Kensington Palace was covered within the Big Bus itinerary, but my time schedule didn’t permit a detailed visit inside.

Herbed chicken wings and cheese - a twist to normal chicken !

Chicken wings and cheese 

Generally, I am tired of eating leg pieces of chicken. I went to the supermarket to pick chicken, and for a difference and I picked a pack of chicken wings. Well, generally chicken wings cannot be cooked to a curry or any other preparation. But, I thought ‘Let’s do justice to this pack of chicken wings’. And some innovative idea clicked my mind. I air fried the chicken pieces, sautéed with herbs and ultimately garnished with cheese and then microwaved. Trust me, when I kept the dish in front of my children, it took just two minutes to be depleted. Well, now I get repeated orders and chicken wings get some justice in my home. Let me share the recipe for some of my food lover friends, who feel that no part of a food item should go for a waste.

(This is for 4-5 persons)

Ingredients:

1.       2 packs of chicken wings

2.       1 teaspoon of ginger paste

3.       1 teaspoon of garlic paste

4.       1 teaspoon of ground oregano,

5.       1 teaspoon of rosemary (fresh),

6.       ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper,

7.       1 ½ tablespoon of balsamic vinegar,

8.       Oil for brushing,

9.       1 teaspoon of salt,

10.   ¼ the cup of grated cheddar cheese,

11.   1/4^th cup of grated mozzarella cheese,

12.   ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
1  1 bell pepper chopped,
11/2 can of sweet corn.

Equipment’s required: Air fryer for cooking, brush for putting oil, and microwave for cooking.

Procedure:

1.       Marinate the chicken wings with vinegar, ground oregano, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic paste and ginger paste. Keep in marinated condition for 30-40 minutes.

2.       Place the marinated chicken pieces inside the air fryer and cook for 20 minutes. Change sides and again cook for 15-20 minutes.  The chicken pieces should be removed and then brushed oil on either side before you set them for cooking.

3.       Remove the chicken pieces and place them on the plate.
c
Cook the bell pepper and sweet corn separately and then add the chicken pieces.

4.       Sprinkle the mixture of cheddar and mozzarella cheese and then microwave for 5 minutes.

5.       Top with shredded rosemary leaves. Can microwave again for 1-2 minutes so that rosemary emits its characteristic smell.

This a mouth-watering starter. If you are expecting guests at your house or might be during weekends, trust me this is one of the easiest dishes you can make. Who says that to be prepare tasty food you need to be a chef? In fact, you are a chef yourself and your ideas are the sources of your recipes. Just enjoy the dish!

‘Watching wild life staying in a Treehouse’- an imagination which was implemented in reality!

                       

Treetop hotel 

  I have always heard stories about tree house from my very childhood. Hearing stories about Phantom ( Aranyadeb, famous to all Bengali kids) who is a superhero and stayed in a tree house with his family, I always desired to stay in a tree house at least once in my lifetime. Well, Kenya has to offer a lot of comfortable bungalows, lodges, and hotels inside the wildlife area to satiate an adventure freak's spree. After a lot of research on Google and other modern means of deciphering information, we chose Tree Tops Hotel to be our next destination to satisfy our adventurous wildlife spree. Since I stay in Nakuru, the journey was quite comfortable and lesser time taking to reach Aberdare National Park.  There are separate routes from Nairobi and also might be Kericho, if you prefer a roadway to the wildlife conservation area.

Routes that lead:

( while traveling from Nakuru)


     

Map Nakuru - Aberdere National Park

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Nakuru/Aberdare+National+Park,+Ndaragwa/@-0.2668497,36.1987986,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x18298d90cf610bef:0xf2f21833bc7cc21a!2m2!1d36.080026!2d-0.3030988!1m5!1m1!1s0x18285dfed09e0ebf:0xaa26adee44d5741e!2m2!1d36.6666989!2d-0.4169027!3e0

Nakuru to  Aberdare National Park: There are three routes you can follow:

Bus route: ( via A 104 Nakuru – Gilgil- Njeru – Aberdare national park)119 Kms which take 3 hrs 40 minutes to reach. Bus route might be slow due to traffic condition.

Car route ( via C 69 Nakuru- Tumaini- Aberdare National Park)125 Kms which takes 3 hours 32 minutes

Car route ( via B5 Nyeri – Nyahururu road, Nakuru- Subukia- Nyeri- Aberdare National Park)which  4 hours 7 minutes, distance 180 km

 ( while traveling from Nairobi)

               

Map Nairobi- Aberdere National Park

   

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Nairobi/Aberdare+National+Park,+Ndaragwa/@-0.8226491,36.3574201,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x182f1172d84d49a7:0xf7cf0254b297924c!2m2!1d36.8219462!2d-1.2920659!1m5!1m1!1s0x18285dfed09e0ebf:0xaa26adee44d5741e!2m2!1d36.6666989!2d-0.4169027!3e0

Car route ( via A 104 Nairobi- Kikuyu – Kijabe-Aberdare National Park ) is 149 km and takes 3 hrs 25 minutes

Car route ( via A2 route Nairobi – Ruiru- Thika- Nyeri- Aberdare National Park ) is 200 km and takes 3 hrs 56 minutes.

Kericho to Aberdare National Park:

                            

Map Kericho- Aberdere National Park

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Kericho/Aberdare+National+Park,+Ndaragwa/@-0.3402198,35.446613,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x182a5778a70a0e19:0x9e111200e6923897!2m2!1d35.286286!2d-0.3688967!1m5!1m1!1s0x18285dfed09e0ebf:0xaa26adee44d5741e!2m2!1d36.6666989!2d-0.4169027!3e0

The fastest route is the Nairobi route 228 km, takes 5 hours 6 minutes ( Kericho- Kuresoi- Londiani- Molo- Rongai- Nakuru- Ol Kalou- Aberdare National Park)

The times have been calculated considering there has been enough of traffic. But journey times, in reality, differ with variation in traffic congestion.

 Aberdare  National Park is an abode to endangered wildlife with mesmerizing landscape:

The Aberdare National park is rightly called a heaven for the wild endangered species of Kenya. It's characterized by steep forest ravines and moorlands. Sprawling over 766 square kilometers and being a part of Aberdare mountain range, this park has attracted tourists all over the world.  Flanked by hotels and lodges with modern state of the art designs that make the guests feel at home, Aberdare National Park established in 1950 is rightly called the abode of wildlife. During the migration season, tourists from all over the globe rush to enjoy the treasures of the wild area. There are various hotels which have been the top choice for tourists.  The national park contains the full range of mountain peaks ranging from 4,300 mths and also V-shaped valleys and streamlines which intersect the land.  The landscape is characterized by moorland, rainforest, and even bamboo forests. There are  two gates  (Aberdare National park Mutubio gate and Aberdare National Park gate), and the entry fees are as such:

East African citizens ( adults):  300 KSH

East African children and students: 200 KSH

East African Residents (adult): 1500 KSH

East African Residents (children and students): 500KSH

Nonresident (adults ): 52$

Nonresident children and student: 26$

              

Gate - Aberdere National Park

Animals found in Aberdare National Park: The various animals found in this park are- African elephant, buffaloes, wild boar, spotted hyenas, black rhino, black and white colobus monkey, olive baboons, African wild dogs, warthogs, and bushbucks. Among some rare sights are-giant forest hog, bongo, golden cat, Serval cat, African civel cat and blue duiker. There are almost 250 species of birds available in this park. Some notables are- Jackson francolin, sparrow hawks, goshawks, eagles, plovers, and sunbirds. One of the rarest and endangered species is the leopard. Our guide told us that back in 2007 all the lions were relocated to other national park and conservancies. The reason being that the number of herbivores including buffaloes was being reduced as they were constantly being hunted for food by these lions.

Black Rhino

Buffalo

              

Baboons

Balck and white Colobus monkey

African Elephants 

Spotted hyena

                             

               

         

                     Animals found in the Aberdare  National Park                                       

There is a range of activities that can be enjoyed here- bird watching, trekking, game viewing,  horse riding, photography and camping in the lap of nature.

Places to stay in and around Aberdare National Park: The hotels that deserve special mention are the Treetops hotel, the Ark Hotel, Aberdare country club , Aberdare cottages dream (Gacharageini), Legacy gardens ( Nyeri), Outspan hotel (Nyeri), Green hill hotels (Nyeri), White rhino hotel (Nyeri), Outspan hotel ( Nyeri),  Giraffe Ark game lodge (Nyeri), Rhino watch safari lodge (Nyeri)and many more.

The triumphs of visiting a tree house:  As I had the opportunity of visiting in Treetop lodge, I enjoyed every bit of it. There is a waterhole beside the lodge and animals from the national park come in groups to drink water. It was a wonderful sight to enjoy from the terrace of the hotel. The best part is that the hotel is well illuminated and we watched wild animals throughout the night as I came near the water body to quench its thirst.  Each room is flanked by huge windows with glass fitted thereby ensuring a great view of the animals. I took photographs throughout the day. The sunrise was a great observance and a photographer’s delight.     




                                                        

Sunrise @ Aberdere  National Park

                       

Mount Kenya peak as seen from Aberdere National Park

The hotel itself had several proud moments while the eminent personalities like Queen Elizabeth and royal family members visited the hotel in 1959. That time it was a watchtower with two rooms and a dining hall meant for the visit of rich and famous enjoying wildlife occasionally. Eric Sherbrooke Walker was the man behind the idea of building the famous Tree Top hotel.  Other VIP's visiting the renowned guesthouse were the President of Malawi and the Moi family.  History says that the Queen of England entered the hotel as a princess and when she stepped out, she got the news that her father King George VI passed away. She became the queen officially and the longest reigning monarch of England till date.


             

Some moments with the royal family 

Tree top hotel when Queen Elizabeth visited

When President of Malawi visited

Remarks and signature of celebs

          Some historic moments encrypted on the walls of  Tree Top hotel

The entire structure is a 36 roomed hotel which rests on the wooden structure and supported by pillars. The second and third floor has spiral stairs which are used by the staff. The hotel décor was unique with murals and remains of herbivores once devoured by the carnivores of the park. There are no stairs but an elevation made from wooden floors that leads to upper stories. The topmost level contains rooms for the guests and a viewing point ( terrace) which is open 24 hours for getting the best view of the animals and park. Each room has a buzzer which rings in a moderate volume and alerts the guest if any wild animals come near the waterhole. Food served in the hotel was a wide range of Pan African, continental and also Indian cuisines. The arrangement was superb, and nobody could ever get back home disappointment. The chefs took care of each and everybody's taste bud. You can watch the waterhole and animals from the dining room too.  In one word, it was a thrilling experience, a mixture of adventure and the comforts of a 5-star facility. The décor was rustic yet bear a modern touch. The furniture was age-old but was maintained meticulously, the way Queen enjoyed the hotel first time on her visit.

                               

A buffalo in front of waterhole

An elephant in front of  hotel

                                               Observing wild animals from the hotel room

I took some shots of the mesmerizing sunrise, sunset, wild animals and national park as well.

The primary activity that we enjoyed was a walking trail along the borders of Treetop hotel within the premises of Aberdare National Park. We were accompanied by a gunman during this time.


                                

Experiencing a walking trail with armed guard

                                                      

Wise men  will never ignore the note

     
                                 
       

 If you decide to walk without an armed guard in the restricted area is like inviting trouble for yourself. The electric fence is just security but has chances of being broken down and smashed by buffaloes and elephants struggling. If ever you encounter with these wild creatures on the way of your morning walk, the hotel management is not to be blamed.  Hence, it appeared that wild animals are wild and they should never be trusted. Moreover, buffaloes and elephants are aggressive animals. Even hyenas can enter the encroachment at any time.

Observing a baboon from the terrace of hotel

When buffaloes come for water- from the terrace of hotel

It was a great experience, being in the wild area among the wild beauties, and enjoying their moves intimately from the comfort of your room. We were pampered by the hospitable staff, the food and of course the excursion experience. There is nothing more exciting than staying two nights in a tree house, perhaps an imagination and a childhood fantasy which became true in my life.





                                                   

Front view of Treetop hotel