10 Hours in Brussels

Brussels for the day, £55 return... who could say no?

This post is a little overdue but I still wanted to share my day trip experience with you all.

A couple of years ago I spent 10 hours in Paris and since then I have always loved the thought of just jetting off for the day. Eurostar tends to be pretty expensive so when I came across this deal I instantly bought two tickets. Since the travel date was about a week after my mums birthday I thought it would be nice to take her along with me as an additional surprise.

The Eurostar journey was pretty smooth and it only took about 2 hours from London St Pancras to Brussles Midi. I slept for most of the journey as I knew we would be having quite a fun filled day and I wanted to have as much energy as possible.

Just so we weren't walking around aimlessly I semi-planned the day the night before so we knew where the main attractions were.As we were only there for 10 hours I wanted to make sure we saw as much as we could.

When we arrived to Brussels Midi station we picked up a map and saw that most of the places on our list were in close proximity of eachother which was great.

The sun was beaming and the sky was blue, perfect weather for a day trip.

Our first stop was the beautiful Grand Palace, a huge city square surrounded by historic buildings often known as the central square of Brussels. We went on to see the Manneken Pis a somewhat iconic fountain with a statute of small bronze boy who often wheres various costumes.

We stopped off for a bit of lunch in a busy market place, full of tourists and locals. Surrounded by plenty of scenery and street music it was a lovely chill spot to eat some food and to have a cocktail or two.

We then went on and continued to explore, visiting Mont des Arts, a stunning public garden offering one of Brussels finest views, Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula and

The Royal Galleries Saint-Hubert home to many luxury boutiques , watchmakers , chocolatiers and restaurants of all kinds. Our final stop was the Atomium an iconic steel sculpture built in the 1950's. There are a few exhibitions held inside aswell to keep you entertained. However, it was quite far from the city centre so I would recommend visiting this place first as we didn't get to spend much time there.

A beautiful city, well known for tasty chocolates, waffles & beer, I highly recommend visiting if you get a chance.

Prefer to get on Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour? There are two different routes that stop at all the main attractions in the city https://bit.ly/2IKfzan

Eurostar currently has loads of journeys starting from £29 one way so it's worth checking out: https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/trains

Take Care until next time

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, by missdemsxo

The city of Marrakech

The beautiful city of Marrakech has been finally crossed off my bucket list. A quick three day weekend getaway in the 'Red City' couldn't have come at a better time.

Marrakech is made up of two main parts, the new town, and the old town which is known as the medina. We stayed in an area called Gueliz, a pretty modern side of Marrakech surrounded by shops, cafes, and restaurants. However, many people tend to stay in a Riad to experience the local culture and local hospitality so this may be something you want to try.

We stayed at the Red Hotel, a 10 minute drive from the airport so It was a very quick and easy transfer. This hotel is situated opposite a train station so if you're feeling really adventurous and want to explore beyond your surroundings then you have no excuse.

Like every holiday activities have to be included in your itinerary. Quad biking and Camel riding throughout the palm grove of Marrakech was definitely on ours. You also get to stop off for some authentic mint tea with views of the High Atlas mountains which is honestly so beautiful.

Morocco is a great choice for travellers interested in sunshine, friendly locals and culture!

MONEY

The exchange rate is quite good in Morocco so I would suggest waiting until you get there for spending money. I stayed for 3 full days and changed approx. £230 which works out about 2900 MAD more than enough for a short break.
Haggling seems to be a big part of the Moroccan experience, be prepared to barter especially in the souks and markets. It may seem a little annoying at first but it's all part of the fun in Morocco.

TRANSPORT

Overall taxi's are fairly cheap but I do recommend agreeing on a price before getting in the cab as the locals tend to up the prices as soon as they realise you're a tourist. We soon realised we got bumped when we first arrived and ended up paying double the price!
The medina's skinny maze of souks and alleys can only be explored on foot so it's a great time to explore and get some exercise in!

Top Tip: Never ask for directions from locals 9/10 they will ask you for money. I suggest downloading and using an offline map or even ask your hotel staff for assistance.

Adventurous quad biking tour, a whole lot of dust & dirt but amazing views.

Definitely consider quad biking and camel riding in the desert. This can be organised by your hotel on your arrival so you don't necessarily have to pre-book before