UK - London Camden Town

We couldn't wait to go to back to Camden, it's been so long since our last trip here.

       

Immediately leaving Camden Town tube station we were immersed into the incredible hustle and bustle. Surrounded by huge crowds and the sounds of live music being performed by the tube station, we instantly felt back at home. 

      

Camden is always busy! 

It's a great place to explore and we would recommend it to a whole range of age groups. You can be 100% yourself here without the usual judgemental front which most people give you elsewhere.

Any fashion, any hairstyle, any wage, Camden will welcome you with open arms. 

When you arrive at Camden Town tube station head right. 

Now it doesn't matter which side of the road you walk down, as this place is so full of life and colour you'll be in awe, however we would suggest taking your time and walk down both sides to enjoy the markets and shops which overflow onto the streets.

After you have taken in all the quirkiness of the high street head to Camden Lock. 

     

Here you will find food stalls providing great tasting meals from all over the world. If you are  planning on eating on a budget this is definitely worth checking out for good quality food. The atmosphere here is awesome! Each stall is heaving with regulars grabbing the chance to get their favourite grub before it runs out. 

     

Whilst we were here we found a great little Mexican restaurant right by the lock, which to be honest, we had never seen before, so we were intrigued to check it out.

It's called Cafe Chula Mexicana - You can't miss this place if you are walking on the Lock. It's set right by the canal. 

   

    

They provide indoor and outdoor seating which is pretty ideal especially on a beautiful day in London. 

So as we are now on a very tight budget, we decided to share a Burrito and grab a couple of coronas for breakfast. 

We wanted to try the cocktails (as they looked incredible, especially the Margarita Goblet) however we will have to wait until next time.

When the burrito came out, no word of a lie, it was huge! We were so glad we decided to share one. We went for the shredded chicken and avocado one.

   

If you love anything spicy stick some of this hot sauce on top, it'll blow your mind! 

    

We love Mexican food and this didn't disappoint. The food was extremely tasty and really good value for money. 

The staff here were really friendly and made us very welcome, hopefully we can revisit with a little more cash in our pockets next time.

Suze was very happy as she got complimented by our waitress.

We also got called Swedish which is a new one for us, we found travelling abroad people try to guess whereabouts your from which was very strange for ourselves as we are from the UK. 

    

Moving on...Make sure you don't miss the Stables Market. 

    

This area is a staple attraction for Camden Town. It's full of hidden treasures and Shisha bars. If you are in the market for second hand, quality, yet cheap goods this is the Aladdin's cave to visit. 

Or if however you just want to enjoy a cold beer and people watch (which is an incredible thing to do in Camden) we would definitely recommend checking out the Shisha bar opposite to cyber dog.

    

The stables market is made up of a variety of retro/vintage shops, various different styles of clothing and so much more. You will definitely come across some awesome items here, however with Thailand in our mind, if you plan on going travelling wait until your away to grab the jewellery and clothes as its considerably cheaper abroad.

If not, then the stables market is awesome to pick up some everyday clothes or jewellery or even in preparation for the festival season.

     

Our next trip was slightly further up the road but it's a great little walk. 

As you wander up you will come across a road called 'Hartland'. This place has been artistically modified to 'Artland Road' due to its colourful houses and variety of graffiti. It's truly spectacular and makes for some great photo opportunities.

     

     

                                                   (Graffiti Artist Amara Por Dios) 

This is Suze's idea for our second little home in London. Best start saving the pennies. 

     

After you've taken some vibrant photos keep going and you will find Cottons!! 

     

Now we haven't been to cottons in over a year. The first time we went was on a recommendation from Beardy's brother for his birthday.

Now as you know we are lovers of rum and the mojito. 

Our high standards of a brilliant Mojito first came about when we visited Cottons, so we were very excited to reintroduce our taste buds to these flavours. 

Oh how they didn't disappoint. 

     

During the day the bar is a lot easier to get to, so we would suggest checking it out, trying various cocktails, then coming back after 5 which is when 'happy hour' kicks in and the good music and good vibes kick off. It does get extremly busy though! You've been warned! 

Behind the bar is literally full of rum, so if you are lovers like ourselves you won't be disappointed.

     

The staff here are amazing. So chatty and friendly you instantly feel at home. Even during the busy evenings when this place gets rammed, the standard of service and cocktails never dip. 

Highly recommended if you're taking a trip to Camden. 

     

Top Tips

▪️A helpful app for the Underground is Tube Maps. But to make it even easier Camden Town is on the Northern Line 

▪️Go with the flow in Camden, if somewhere takes your fancy be sure to check it out as its a destination full of hidden gems.

▪️Check out our Instagrams for more pictures from our trip to Camden @Suzeandthebeard & @Beardyandsuze

▪️Take your time and have lots of fun!! 

UK - Times Are Changing

As you guys know, we are now back in the UK. 

We love doing our blog and going on adventures, so we are going to continue posting Travel, Food and Lifestyle Top Tips but from the UK. 

However, our times for uploading are going to be a little different. 

Unfortunately trying to post every other day just isn't realistic.

We will be starting work soon (to save some extra pennies) and to be honest trying to settle back into a completely different routine is proving quite tricky.

We would rather do fewer quality posts that you find helpful and fun, rather than lots of mediocre uploads. 

See where we are coming from? 

So for the moment we will be uploading every Monday and Friday!

We are so excited to be starting this new adventure and to share with you guys all the fun things you can do in and around London. 

We have already been on a little adventure to the capital as we have missed it so much. So keep an eye out on Monday for our new post. 

In the meantime if there are any places you want us to check out or if you have any recommendations, drop us a quick email at suzeandthebeard@gmail.com 

Thank you for sticking with us during this unexpected pit stop, we really appreciate it. 

Top Tips

▪️If you are in the same situation as us, don't be disheartened! If you love travelling as much as we do we will help you out with lots of tips and tricks to get you back out there.

▪️If you are in a pair, support each other. Things can and will be very different trying to get back into a routine. But don't worry, ensure you take time for yourself and together! Start planning again. 

▪️Enjoy the local areas or head to London! Stick with us and we'll show you some awesome hidden gems. 

      

UK - Rediscovering Our Roots

This wasn't the original plan, but a trip back to London is in order.

So after months of incredible, life changing experiences travelling around the world, we have hit a slight bump in the road. 

But not to worry! A new plan is on the horizon so Suze and the Beard are still going strong! 

       

Our original plan was to travel Asia until wet season, then moving on to Australia. 

We would continue our blog whilst working in Australia to allow ourselves to travel with an income and then head back to Asia early next year to chase the sun once again.

However due to medicals being needed for our 'working holiday visas' (don't worry, we are fine, it's just due to where our previous travels have taken us), this has resulted in us heading back to London as it's cheaper to get looked over by a doctor. 

Unlike the dent in our pockets it would have caused if we had had them done in Singapore.

Medical: $150

X-ray    : $65

All prices excluding 7% GST 

We are seeing this little hiccup as a positive thing. 

It gives us a great opportunity to gain and share experiences of legal documents which are needed for our next journey.

Plus we get to see friends, family also our little bundle of fluff Figaro for a couple of weeks.

       

We love our blog, even though we won't be on the travelling scene for a short while, we plan to continue with our weekly posts. 

We intend to share with you some of our favourite destinations in and around London, including places to see, eat and drink. 

Also as we knew we were heading back for the UK Summer, we have lined up a couple of festivals! YAY!

     

              

    

We will announce nearer the time which ones we are heading to, which won't be long as festival season is upon us, on our Instagram accounts @suzeandthebeard & @beardyandsuze 

So go give us a follow. 

We intend to work during our time here, again to gain some extra funds and hopefully give some great Top Tips to anyone stuck at home and dreaming of taking on the world. 

Then we will be off again avoiding the British winter once again.

       

We hope you guys will stick with us during our time away from travelling and enjoy this new part of our adventure. 

And trust us, we Love London and have loads of exciting places to share with you. 

Much Love 

Suze and the Beard 

Xxx

Singapore - The Gardens by the Bay

We decided to jump ship from Thailand due to some seriously crazy wet weather.

So Singapore was the next port of call and we couldn't wait to visit The Gardens By The Bay. 

Beautiful pavilions, breathtaking displays and the unforgettable sites of the 'Supertrees'!

       

Flower Dome

Now this dome is the latest attraction at GBTB and in all honesty it's incredible. This feature is the world's largest columness greenhouse and is home to 30,000 plants. This enormous pavilion is home to the largest collection of cacti in South East Asia. 

      

Walking around you see some wonderful creations of nature from places such as Madagascar, Mexico, Brazil and many more. 

      

                        (This picture was reposted on the Instagram account @visit_singapore )

                                              Singapores official tourist IG account

There are also some outstanding art carvings featured here.

      

Now these wonders need to be in a seriously sunny environment, so the creators of this latest attraction have made the perfect dry habitat so all these beautiful prickly chaps can flourish.

If you have a cheeky sense of humour like we do keep an eye out in the "succulent garden", ummm, how to put this....well here is a picture. 

     

See what we mean? We had a right giggle.

Cloud Forest

The Cloud Forest, is a complete contrast to the Flower dome. As soon as we walked through we were instantly transported into a mysterious world filled with mist and tropical flowers, 60,000 of them in fact.

                                     

Standing proud in the middle of this dome is a 35metre tall mountain covered in vines and flowers that surround the world’s tallest indoor waterfall!

As you walk around this incredible waterfall, be sure to keep an eye out for the Lego display, from a distance we were questioning ourselves whether they were real plants or not.

       

                                                         (That's right, that's Lego) 

There is a lift that provides access to the the cloud and treetop walks. These are great areas to get some incredible pictures and to get up close to the vegetation growing up the mountain. 

       

We had arrived around sunset which gave us our first real incredible view of the Supertrees. Unfortunately due to humidity we couldn't get a photo.

This Dome is ideal for you GoProHero's out there as the waterfall goes everywhere so get snapping guys (obviously with those waterproof cases on). 

     

Supertree Grove

Now these are the reason we wanted to come to Singapore, we have seen a few photos and always looked at them in disbelief.

They look incredible and futuristic, but honestly, hand on heart, the photos don't even come close to how spectacular they are in person!

These unique trees that stand up to 16 storeys tall are dotted all around the Gardens. 

      

      

The largest of the trees within the Supertree grove is also a restaurant and a sky viewbar. 

We had to take a trip to the top! The entry fee also guarantees you a free alcoholic or soft beverage once you have reached the bar. 

      

      

We only stayed for the free drink, however the views did not disappoint! 

A 360 degree view of Singapore, which looks beautiful at night, however views of the trees from here are restricted as you are above them. 

      

On route down after not eating all day, we thought we would treat ourselves to this once in a lifetime opportunity to eat within this structure. 

The restaurant by Indochine is an Asian and Western fusion restaurant which allowed us to order our meal on a iPad which got sent straight into the kitchen....You know, just to add to the futuristic vibe. 

      

     

We had a delicious meal overlooking Singapore and the tops of the trees.

We would suggest if you want to get a better view of the Supertrees head up to the Skyway. This will give you the opportunity to take in a different view of the Gardens.

       

As impressive as these structures are during the day, it's truly breathtaking when darkness falls. We felt they came to life at night.

They light up these alien like structures in such a way that you can't help but be mesmerised. 

At 7:45 PM and 8:45 PM they also do a musical light show brightening up the whole area in neon lights to the sounds of rock ballads, classical and (to make Suze cry even more) Disney's The Lion King.

      

       

       

What an incredible experience.

Top Tips

▪️Arrive mid/late afternoon. If you time it right we get to see the all the gardens and the Supertrees at night. 

▪️️Entry $28 (Singapore dollars) for two conservatories and $5 for the Supertree skywalk. 

▪️They stop selling tickets for the Skywalk at 8pm and last admission is 8.30pm, don't do what we did and forget to change your watches. Thinking it was only 7.30pm to find out it was 8.30pm and realising we were too late. 

▪️For more pictures and to know where we are follow both our Instagrams @suzeandthebeard and @beardyandsuze

Singapore - The Botanic Gardens

It was a beautiful day in Singapore, the sun was shining and we thought to ourselves, today will be the day we will adventure around the Botanic Gardens.

The taxi ride is a short distance from Orchard road and cost less than 10 Singapore dollars.

At the entrance we were able to grab a free map to navigate ourselves around as this place is huge! 

We took a short minute to work out where we were going but the gardens are laid out very well and easy to navigate around.

      

Walking into the park, we crossed over a small pond which was home to some very beautiful koi carp.

Along the designated pathway there are many information signs on the nature you are passing by, so make sure you take your time and have a little read.

        

After we familiarised ourselves with where we were, we decided to head to Swan Lake. 

Now this place is beautiful, so calm and tranquil along with an elegant statue upon the lake of swans in flight. Hence the name...or so we thought...but as we wandered around two graceful swans swam past us. Having wandered a little further we saw another just relaxing on the bank. 

       

       

Also you can see a variety of fish which all seem to follow, sorry, stalk you in this lake! This is due to it being such a popular tourist attraction and food dispensers have been dotted around the perimeter, so don't be surprised if you make some new fish friends on your visit. 

       

Now our highlight of this park was the National Orchid Garden. 

The entry for this part of the park is only 5SGD per person and it is well worth it. 

Orchids are one of Suze's favourite flowers (lilies being number one on her list) so it was kind of a given that we would take a little trip into this flowery wonderland. 

     

The Orchid Garden is laid out like a big, slightly wonky circle, so it's pretty easy to navigate round. 

Along route you will be blown away by the beauty, and in some cases the weirdness, of some of this spectacular flowers. 

                       

The bright vibrant colours makes this place a photographers paradise. And for all you 'selfie' takers out there, there are designated 'photo spots' to ensure you get the best pictures possible. These can also double up as a great place to rehydrate and avoid the sun for a bit.

       

       

To make this place even better there is a 'Cool House'. Now this is obviously used for those delicate little flowers that prefer a colder temperature, however when the weather is very hot in Singapore this area is ideal for two over heated travellers. 

      

     

As always you end up in a gift shop, but if nothing catches your eye it's easy to wander through to the exit. 

As we are still learning all about our new camera (The Nikon D5300) we saw this as the perfect opportunity to grab some great shots.

     

      

      

      

The whole area is just beautiful. 

Whether you want to just take a book and chill, go for a run or even pack a picnic, find the perfect spot and do a bit of people watching, it's just a really calm relaxing environment to spend a sunny Singapore day. 

     

Top Tips

▪️This Park is HUGE! For two people who love to explore, even we found it difficult to see everything in one day, so maybe break it up and do it over a couple to really enjoy your surroundings. 

▪️Take water. Keep hydrated guys. Like we said this place his huge and especially in the Orchid Garden it can get quite humid. 

▪️Have a little bit of cash with you. Its 5SDG for the Orchid Garden, but they also have little drinks and ice cream shops dotted around. And who doesn't love an Cornetto in the sun! 

▪️For more pictures go follow us on Instagram @suzeandthebeard and @beardyandsuze