Spending 10 days in London and 5 days in Edinburgh gave me a good feel for what traveling around the UK is actually like. Before the trip, I had the usual questions about transport, safety, payments, and how different things would be compared to the Philippines. After two weeks there, a few practical lessons stood out. These aren’t …

Edinburgh and bookshops just make sense together. With the city’s literary history and strong reading culture, it’s not hard to find independent bookstores and big chains tucked into historic buildings. I always try to visit at least one bookstore when I travel, and in Edinburgh, Waterstones was the obvious choice after seeing sever…

Edinburgh has a reputation for being expensive, and it can be if you’re buying tickets for every major attraction. But I quickly realised you can see and experience a huge part of the city without spending much at all. Some of my favourite moments there were completely free. Dean Village If you’re planning your trip around a budget,…

I didn’t expect to spend that much time at the National Museum of Scotland, but it ended up being one of the most worthwhile stops in Edinburgh. It’s one of those places you can pop into “just for a bit” and then realise an hour or two has passed. The Grand Gallery What I liked most is that it doesn’t feel niche or overly academic. …

I’ve always been drawn to places with interesting and somewhat dark stories, and the Real Mary King’s Close tour in Edinburgh was one of those activities that lived up to the hype for me. I booked the tour because I wanted to understand the city beneath the streets – the old alleys, the people who lived there, and how life really w…

If you've been reading my blog for quite some time now, then you'd know I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. The series was a big part of my childhood, so visiting places connected to it is something I genuinely enjoy doing whenever I travel. So when I went to Edinburgh, I already knew I’d be setting aside time to look up the Harry …

Seeing the Scottish Highlands had always been high on my list, so I made sure to squeeze in a day trip during my time in the UK. Even though it was just a single day, it was enough to give me a real taste of how dramatic and beautiful the landscape is up north. Wide open spaces, mountains, lochs, and views that just keep coming - i…

During my visit to Edinburgh, I stayed at Pollock Halls Campus Accommodations for four nights, and I’ll admit it felt a bit odd when I first booked it. Staying in university halls doesn’t immediately sound like a holiday plan. In the UK, though, it’s actually quite common for universities to open up their dorms to tourists during th…

While spending the morning wandering around Notting Hill, I eventually reached the point where I needed a proper meal. I was specifically looking for something savory and filling for brunch, which turned out to be harder than expected since a lot of cafés in the area leaned more toward sweet options and pastries. That’s how I ended …

Notting Hill was one of the neighborhoods I really wanted to see during my London trip, and I’m glad I set aside half a day for it. I went on a Saturday morning, which meant the Portobello Road Market was in full swing. It was busy, lively, and a fun change of pace from the more tourist-heavy spots in central London. How I Spent Hal…

The British Museum was one of the places I really wanted to spend time in during my London trip. It’s massive, packed with history, and best of all, it doesn’t cost anything to enter.  the head and upper body of the statue of Ramesses II I knew I wouldn’t be able to see everything in one visit, but even spending a few hours here fel…