Short city break Archives - ramblingcouple

September 2 2019

Manila – The ugly duckling!

My sister lives in Philippines – so our first destination was Manila.

Manila has been a victim of bad repute. I am sure many of you travel enthusiasts would have read on many of the travel blogs about Philippines one single word – Avoid!

A city as any other capital city – full of traffic, pollution, expensive (in relative terms).

We did spend a few days in Manila and yes if we would have been not staying with my sister, we would have spent at least £38 a night approximately on a stay at decent hotel which is a 4 star.

But I would really want to write a few words about Manila and why despite its negatives I did like the city.

We landed at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 9PM and it took hardly 10 minutes to complete the immigration formalities and further 10 minutes to get our bags. We were impressed! (This never happen when we land in UK where we are residents for last few years)

There is always something to cheer in Manila 🙂

As we stepped out of the airport and started our journey to the place we were staying, we experienced the heavy traffic of Manila.

The streets in Manila are always full of vehicles – from 4X4s to innovative modes of cheap public transport, be it a Limousine look alike mini-bus carrying around 25 people called “Jeepney” or a motorbike converted to tri-cycle which can carry from 5-6 passengers.

Even in that heavy traffic, there was no chaos, no honking.

It was close to Christmas time and the city was all decked up with beautiful lights ready to welcome Santa Claus. We could already feel the festive cheer around us.

With a lot of multinational companies setting up their base in Manila, the city has got everything to keep you busy – Sprawling malls, Shopping centres with bargain deals, Posh hotels, Casinos, musical fountains, Seafront restaurants and a vibrant night life. So, we do recommend, if you are willing to splurge a little and you are in Manila during December – Do visit and experience the Christmas lights in Manila and see this ugly duckling turn into a beautiful swan. As per the rambling couple recommendation this is a definite must experience.

February 17 2019

Fairytale getaway – Lake Bled

Next day we went to picture postcard place Lake Bled. We took a bus which cost us euro 12.80/person (return ticket). The lake itself is a very pretty sight and oozes with tranquility. We wanted to take a walk around the lake which takes approximately 2 hours but never ended up taking it…

It is very difficult to resist the temptation to keep taking pictures of the Bled Island or the Bled castle perched upon a cliff. We went up the castle. Enjoyed a glass of locally brewed wine in the cellars of the castle while watching the locals perform. You will get the best views of the lake with the mountains surrounding it and of the island, from atop the castle.

There is a small souvenir shop in the castle where there is an age-old printing machine. The shop has blocks of designs and alphabets and one can create their own personalized souvenir by printing it themselves. With a childlike excitement we printed on a handmade paper and marked it with a seal.

Niky wanted to go to the island and ring the wishing bell so we got on to a boat which took us on the island. We went up the clock tower as the bells chimed and pendulum sang tick-tock. Rang the wishing bell and made our wish 🙂 and then took the boat back to the mainland. The lake looked beautiful, laden with amazing Autumn colours.

It was a lovely day trip. We took a bus back to Ljubljana. Back in town we went along the souvenir stores and bought some souvenirs.

Walked some more along the riverside soaking in the cafe culture of the city before having dinner and bade a goodbye to this beautiful city.

February 17 2019

Castles and Dragons- Ljubljana

We stayed at City Hotel, which is located at the starting point of the pedestrian path. A short walk led us to the Ljubljanica river which runs along the city. We could see the castle peeping around from everywhere we looked, so without any further ado we started walking in the direction of the castle. On our way, we came across the local market which was bustling with fresh produce.

After exploring the market we continued on our path to the castle. The aim was to get up to the viewing tower to get a glimpse of this beautiful city. Walking past the Congress square, where after helping ourselves to an ice cream, we hiked up to the castle. We enjoyed our walk up to the castle and the views of the city from the top.

Glorious sunrise view from Hotel balcony

Butchers Bridge decorated with ‘love locks’

After a quick lunch we decided to just walk around the city. We started by meeting the city’s most recognizable resident, Ljubljana’s dragon at the dragon bridge. The bridge is adorned by four fiery looking dragons which protect the city.

We followed the winding path of the Ljubljanica river, with its very many bridges including the Butcher’s bridge, the Triple bridge, the Cobblers bridge. The Butcher’s bridge is adorned with love locks.

Cafes & Restaurants lining alongside the river

The riverside is dotted with cafes, restaurants, ice cream stands, stalls selling roasted chestnuts. We enjoyed the roasted chestnuts, had some more ice cream, had some coffee by the river and spent a lazy day before we turned back to the City Hotel. Most of the restaurants along the riverside offer warm blankets or heaters, which made it a perfect setting to enjoy a beautiful cool November evening. If day time is serene and beautiful, the city comes alive in the night. The castle is lit up, there are musicians playing around, people all gathered around the Prešeren Square, making the atmosphere so lively.

February 17 2019

Short Weekend Break – Ljubljana

It was a Diwali week and being away from home always makes festive season not so festive as you miss your family more than usual. So, we planned a weekend trip. While searching for cheap tickets on Skyscanner we came across Ljubljana – Capital city of Slovenia.

After the tickets were booked came the biggest riddle how does one pronounce this tongue twister – it is pronounced as “lyoo-BLYAH-nah”.

Interesting facts:-

Ljubljana was the European Commission’s Green Capital of Europe in 2016

Ljubljana means “Beloved”, and it didn’t take us long to fall under the spell of this charming city!

What charmed Niky and me the most about this place was its uncanny natural way to slow you down, and at a slow pace we started enjoying this “hidden gem”.

We absolutely loved this place. Colorful foliage, the crisp air of November, the city has everything from Castles, park, museums, cafes, a river flowing along the city. Amazing food and wine which is affordable and cheap. Travel by bus to explore the outside of the city is cheap. It is an amazing budget-friendly location for a short weekend trip.

As the saying goes all good things come in small packages, this tiny country has so much to offer; whitewater rafting, hiking, kayaking, picture perfect towns. One more trip to explore this beautiful friendly country with lovely people is on our mind. Keep watching this space…

Getting around:

Slovenia has a good public transport. From airport there are hourly buses, which can be boarded from stop 28. We opted for the shuttle service which was 9 euros per person and dropped us at the City hotel. You can find long distance buses departing from the bus station.

Ljubljana city can easily be covered by foot if you love walking, or you can hire a bicycle to explore the city. There are also electric-powered vehicles referred to as Kavalirs (Gentle Helpers) which is a free city centre public transport option which is both people & environment friendly. You will see these whilst you are walking around the pedestrianized city centre. You can either hail them from the street or call them for a pick up (+386 (0)31 666 331, +386 (0)31 666 332).

You can easily make Ljubljana as your base and travel around for day trips to Lake Bled, Bohinj, Postojna, Piran.