Fun, London, Winter

Greenwich Ice Rink – Fun on Ice with a Beautiful View

2 Comments

Greenwich Ice Rink, or Queen’s House Ice Rink, as it is officially called, is one of the best ice rinks in London. It’s only in its second year, nothing compared with London’s oldest ice rink Queens in Bayswater, which has been around for over 90 years. The first ice rinks sprang up during the so-called ‘rink mania’ of 1841–44. Back then they used pig’s fat mixed with salts instead of artificially cooled frozen water. Open Hours Until 24 January the ice rink is open from 10am to 9pm every day except Christmas Day. The price varies from £14.50 to £17 for adults 25 years of age and above, £9 to £12 for under-25s, and £7.25 to £9 for children (ages 3 to 15). Minimum age is 3 years. In addition there is a one-off transaction fee of £2.95 per order (orders are limited to 6 tickets). Pre-booking is essential. The […]

Continue Reading

You may also like

Fun, London, Winter

Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink – Perhaps London’s Best Ice Rink

7 Comments

We have just returned from our visit to Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink, which opened today and will be open until 17 January (extended from the initial 3 January end date). Except for Christmas Day, the rink will be open every day from 10am to 9pm. The last skate starts at 8pm. From 18 December, the hours will be extended to 9am to 9:45pm. Tickets Pre-booking is required. Sessions last up to 45mins and guests are being asked to arrive at least 15mins early. Adults and teens pay £16, children £11.50. There are discounts for families. Food and drinks are available on location. Light Show We prefer visiting during daytime. However, many guests choose to do their skating after dark, when the castle is covered in a stunning light show. Family-friendly fun We were very pleasantly surprised to find the large (1,040 sqm) skating area almost empty, compared with our […]

Continue Reading

You may also like

Fun

Axe-throwing with Whistle Punks in South London

8 Comments

I recently had some spare time at my hands and googled quirky fun things to do in London. When Whistle Punks’ axe-throwing (or “urban axe-throwing” as they call it) popped up, I knew I had to book myself in. Not sure if that is normal, but I always wanted to do some axe-throwing. I am a very peaceful, cautious, rational person, but it just sounds and looks like so much fun. Also, hard to imagine better ways of getting rid of a bit of frustration which in these testing times inevitably accumulate. For £22 off-peak (£29 full price) it seemed reasonably priced. I booked a one-hour single ticket for the following day’s evening.   To find the venue is not easy. Most people will arrive by train, bus, or tube at Vauxhall station. At time of writing, the direct path to the venue is blocked by construction sites.   Please […]

Continue Reading

You may also like

Fun, Travel

Trevor’s Travel Trivia – Bhutan – PART II

16 Comments

Highest country in the world – Bhutan Travel Trivia Bhutan is the highest country on our planet with an average altitude of 3,280m. If Tibet were a sovereign country, then it would of course easily eat Bhutan for brekkies at an absolutely incredible average elevation of 4,380m. In terms of mean elevation, Bhutan ranks #4 at 2,220m after Tajikistan (3,186m), Kyrgyzstan (2,988m), and Nepal (2,565m) and before Lesotho (#5 at 2,161m), Andorra (#6 at 1,996m), Afghanistan (#7 at 1,884m), Chile (#8 at 1,871m), and perhaps surprisingly China (#9 at 1,840m). Left picture (c) The Planet D, where uncredited either free stock photography or BSqB For comparison, the United States are at 760m, France at 375m, and the United Kingdom and India both have a mean elevation of roughly 160m. Zebra Crossings In the towns, policemen will politely but firmly remind you to use the zebra crossings, should you forget. Big […]

Continue Reading

You may also like

Fun, Travel

Trevor’s Travel Trivia – Bhutan – PART I

30 Comments

Before we start, let me mention that the Bhutanese (very rightly so!) are extremely proud of their king and country. Much of the following “Travel Trivia Bhutan” can be found on official Bhutanese websites. Some of these trivia might (intentionally) sound strange to the average Western ear. However, in my opinion, it is very important to take them as what they are. Beautiful, unique aspects of a beautiful, unique country. A country that has been completely isolated from the rest of the world until very recently. The world’s highest unclimbed mountain – Travel Trivia Bhutan #1 Gangkhar Puensum (7,570m), the country’s highest mountain, is the tallest mountain in the world that has yet to be summited. Since 1994 the mountain has been off-limits to climbers. So this might never happen. Bhutan is now banning all mountaineering activities above 6,000m. This is to protect the sanctity attributed to these mountains and the […]

Continue Reading

You may also like