Vacation packages for family

Looking back over the years, my New Year’s celebrations have been mostly low-key, largely unexceptional.  Oh, I’ve had some good ones — my Bangkok New Year’s was so much fun, and I’ve had a few memorable nights in Boston — but most of the time the night hasn’t lived up to the hype.  It’s hard to top anticipation like that. My visits to Edinburgh, however — and there have been FIVE in the past fifteen months! — have always been exceptional.  There’s just something about Edinburgh that has drawn me back again and again.  I once told Kash that returning to Edinburgh felt like getting a hug by a good friend wearing a fuzzy sweater.  It’s familiar and comforting, yet you know you’re about to have an amazing time. And in that vein, I gladly accepted an invitation to join #Blogmanay — a Hogmanay celebration for 21 travel bloggers. On this trip, we experienced the best of Hogmanay — and the best of Ed...

It took me 3 visits to London for the city to finally sink under my skin. I found it expensive, crowded, and honestly, a bit overrated. But finally, I get it: you need to give London its due. You can’t visit for a day or two and cross London off your list. I’d say you need a minimum of 4 days in London to even start to understand it: 5 days in London or more is even better if you can swing it. I think that the problem I had when I first visited London is that I spent too much time seeing all the traditional tourist sites and not enough time exploring the neighborhoods that make it so diverse. As someone who used to live in New York for 9 years, I should have known better that there is more to a city than its most iconic attractions (though of course, those are worth seeing too). What makes a city on the scale of London truly special is in the details: its colorful neighborhoods, its authentic ethnic eateries, its quirky local bars where you can rub elbows w...

The U.K., on the whole, is not a budget destination. But with one of my best friends in the world living in London, how could I resist the opportunity to visit her? I spent a week with her in London and we went to Edinburgh for 2 days for a quick weekend getaway. Edinburgh’s center is very walkable and compact. This makes 2 days in Edinburgh a good amount of time to get a feel for the city’s vibe – or if you’re rushed, you can even do quite a lot with just 24 hours in Edinburgh. Of course, though, if you wanted, you could spend a ton more time exploring every nook and cranny of this extremely lovable city.  While some of the things to do in Edinburgh are expensive (like the pricy-but-worth-it Edinburgh Castle, which cost me nearly $27 for a ticket plus audio guide), there are still many amazing cheap and even free things to do in Edinburgh. This 2 day Edinburgh itinerary works as part of a larger Scotland itinerary or as a standalone weekend trip. It balances ...

This was my second stay at the Bullitt Hotel Belfast and I thought it was about time that I do a dedicated review. So here we go, here’s everything you need to know about this quirky, city centre hotel; from the rooms to the tipsy afternoon tea and beyond. I know hotel reviews can sometimes be boring, but not this one! I’ll try my best to keep it interesting, plus it’s full of pretty photos. OK, here we go. My Review of The Bullitt Hotel Belfast Where is Bullitt Belfast? Catching the Enterprise train from Dublin up to Belfast. As you may have guessed, the Bullitt hotel is in Belfast city centre. It’s very easy to reach. From Dublin you hop on the Enterprise train, departing Connolly station, to Belfast. My friend Jen is fancy so we booked first class tickets for the train. Once you arrive in Belfast you can use your train ticket to get on the bus for free, which will leave you right outside City Hall. Then it’s only a 5 minute walk to hotel. Or if you...