OhThePlacesKiWillGo

Hey Travelers!

Let me start with this…this is the soonest I’ve ever written a trip wrap-up post trip before!

Why you ask?

Because I had that good of a time in London and I didn’t want to leave a single detail out! London is great for many reasons. Here’s a few of mine:

• The public transportation is easily accessible, clean and affordable.
• The people are so friendly.
• The SHOPPING.

I traveled to London for a short three nights and stayed at the K West Hotel & Spa. This chic hotel had a lot to do with why I enjoyed my time in London. I LOVED K West because:

• The location was brilliant! A short walk away from Shepherds Bush station, this hotel was close to Westfield shopping and extremely close to central London.
• The hotel was super clean and smelled wonderful. I’d let out a deep sigh each time I walked into the lobby.
• The food was tasty! I actually did not eat here, but my friend ordered the Spicy Chicken Burger and she raved about it.
• The “K” factor. You know I had to get a picture with one of the K’s positioned around the hotel 🙂

Day 1

We arrived in London early afternoon. Trying to fight jet lag, we immediately got a quick bite and got confirmation that we picked the right hotel. Within minutes we were surrounded by a ton of places to eat and shop.

So now that you guys are getting to know me…you know I love to do photoshoot tours. My tour with Luis was great.

Per the usual, I was able to get insights from a local and got to see some of the most beautiful spots in London. We snapped pictures and walked around Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye to name a few.

Take a look at some of my favorite shots below!

To wrap up our evening, we went to a pub for of course: FISH AND CHIPS! I do not have the name of the place, but I can tell you it was in Piccadilly Circus.

No worries, it was nothing to run home about, but read on and you will hear about my most memorable meals.

Day 2

The next day we went to Bills Hammersmith for breakfast and I’m so glad we did. Take a look at my Smoked Streaky Bacon…yummy yummy in my tummy! I didn’t come close to finishing it, so much food!

The staff were super here. They are well aware that they are doing a great job. At checkout they brought smartphones with the receipts so we could immediately leave a review!

This evening we went to an all white party and were invited by my London girlfriends. It was different partying in London and here is my biggest takeaway.

London women are friendly.

I’m from Maryland, Montgomery County born and raised. D.C. is my city of choice to hang and my parents are Brooklyn and Philadelphia bred. So while not a city girl, I’ve been visiting and hanging in cities all my life. While at the party, I was sitting by myself for a while, and a random London woman approached me.

“Excuse me…I spoke to you in the elevator. Are you alone? Would you like to sit with my friends and me?”

After I picked my jaw up, I let her know my friend was returning shortly and that I appreciated her offer. The entire evening, women were giving genuine compliments and showing nothing but genuine love. It was awesome. #GirlPower.

While we waited for the kitchen to open we walked a couple feet to Pizza Express. I’m not usually impressed with chains and I was too nervous about spilling food all over my white dress so I did not take any pictures, unfortunately.

Nonetheless, the Margherita Bufala was delectable. It was super fresh. I washed it down with an Espresso Martini and my my my, I was ready to party!

Day 3

This was my favorite day that I simply did not want to end! Again, you all should be getting to know me, and if you do, you know I love an international bike ride. We used the Santander Cycles app that sends bike release codes straight to your smartphone. You can ride all day for 2 pounds!

We rode the bikes in Hyde Park and it was so beautiful. Unfortunately, my allergies went a little crazy on me and I had to cut my ride short, but it was worth it.

Next we went to lunch at Jak’s Mayfair, my favorite restaurant choice while in London. The ambience was cool and the staff were attentive. I had a burger that was cooked perfectly.

Next, we went shopping on one of London’s most famous streets: Oxford Street! I was blown away.

Any store you can think of, Zara, River Island, French Connection, H&M, Forever 21…it was there! I’ll explain how below, but I took out way too much cash in London and woe is me, I had to spend it!

That evening we went to Mnky Hse for cocktails and a light dinner. It’s a very exciting destination, but different.

To be clear, you pay for the vibry, edgy and sophisticated experience. This was the most expensive meal I had. My tacos, however were very tasty and the Moscow mule was incredibly refreshing.

Sadly, that’s all I’ve got! I hope I inspired you to visit this magical city. I hope you get to see the famous sights, indulge in fabulous shopping, fall in love with the people and enjoy amazing meals. I consider London to be a fabulous girls trips for these reasons!

Ready, set…go see London!

Know Before You Go:

1. Get Over Your Fear of Public Transportation. Again, the Underground is really easy to navigate and a fraction of the cost of a cab. The few times we did take Uber, our rides were cancelled by the drivers and we were even charged a fee a few times (that we were able to have reversed).
2. The  Pound Struggle is Real. I took out about £380 pound and it equated to about $480 USD. However, I noticed once you get over the pound hurdle things in London are pretty affordable. This is why I had so much money left over and had to go shopping before returning home, poor me 🙂
3. Cars Drive on the Left. I forgot this once and almost lost my life trying to cross the street. Be sure to look the appropriate way!

Have you booked your trip yet?