New York City- the concrete jungle where dreams are made of. The city that never sleeps. The big apple. This is the city I decided to spend my 21st in. I honestly did so much sightseeing in the day that I was in bed by 9pm every night and was extremely boring. I didn't hit the clubs or really even do much drinking, but I still had a pretty great time. Over all, I'm sad to say that this amazing city was slightly disappointing. I don't know what it was but I just expected to fall head over heels in love with it and be wow'ed and I just wasn't. There were definitely some highlights, but overall it was a bit of a let down. Regardless, I wanted to do a "quick guide" to New York City based on where I stayed, what I saw and what I ate (of course). 





When To Go
I went to New York in the summer (mid summer actually) and it was BLOODY HOT! I'm talking 40 degree heat almost (Celcius) and it was hard work. We walked almost everywhere and it killed me. Personally, I would love to go back and see how different it is in the winter, or even just a slightly cooler month. Unless you're particularly keen on getting sunstroke, sweating on rooftop bars and hunting the city for any source of water you can get (such as a water fountain outside a bank) then go for it. Otherwise I'd highly recommend booking your trip in say Autumn, Winter or early Spring. Go when it's not too cold or too hot. The best time of year in New York is meant to be Christmas, which I would love to see, but that's also the most expensive time of year to go, so depending on your budget you may have to go earlier or later.






How Long To Go For
I went for 5 days and found that to be more than enough! If you wanted to go for a long weekend you could easily do quite a lot in 3 days. If you'd rather take your time and experience more of the city and explore more of the boroughs then try a week! I didn't leave Manhattan on my trip, and stayed mostly in central New York, but I would have loved to have explored Brooklyn and little quirky districts in New York such as the Meat Packing District and Soho. The thing with New York is, there is SO much to see and do that unless you plan and research you kind of get there and feel extremely overwhelmed. You also don't want to miss out on anything so you feel a lot of pressure when choosing activities and places to eat incase there's something better around the corner. In 5 days though, I managed to see all the main sight seeing spots, eat some amazing food and got lots of exploring and photo taking in. 

Where To Stay
There are a billion hotels and hostels and motels and bed and breakfasts and everything in-between in New York. You are never going to be short of finding somewhere to stay. Location wise however, I think staying near Times Square is your best bet as it's quite central to everything. Most of the main sight seeing spots are in walking distance, there's lots of food places nearby and it's a good location. My hotel was called "Roommate Grace" and I thought it was really reasonably priced for it's location (literally round the corner from Times Square). It also had extremely lovely and helpful staff, a pool/bar area which you can hire for private parties (would have done if I knew anyone in New York) and just very quirky rooms. I loved it and would definitely recommend it if you're going with a friend for a few days! 






What to See/Do
New York is one of those cities where you should never be bored. There are tonnes of things to do and see, you just have to pick the ones you think you'd enjoy the most and it all depends what you're into! Firstly if you want to do all the touristy sight seeing then I would highly recommend buying yourself a New York City Pass that will get you into all the popular attractions and save you a whole lot of money. 
I visited; 

the Empire State Building which was a walkable distance from Times Square and although it had amazing views it was extremely overcrowded and hard to see anything as the bars are everywhere and it was a bit of a let down if i'm honest.




the Top of The Rock (Rockefellar centre) was 100 times better view wise, space wise, everything wise. It had much better view points and was surrounded by glass rather than metal bars so it was nicer to see everything and easier to take pictures. I would highly recommend going up at sunset however make sure you book well in advance for this (like a few days before) as it's usually booked out. We unfortunately got a cloudy sunset but it was still lovely and better than the Empire State.


















Ground Zero/the 911 Memorial was obviously extremely sad and eerie but also incredibly well put together. It was very interesting, eye opening experience and I would definitely recommend it. It was just a short walk from the Statue of Liberty ferry. It's unbelievable to look into the fountains and imagine what went on there, you honestly get goosebumps walking around and seeing all the footage playing.





Central Park is obviously a must see, but again I was extremely let down by it. We hired bikes thinking it would be a great way to explore the park as it is HUGE, but were told we could only ride on the road parts around the outsides of the park and if you wanted to stop you had to find somewhere to lock the bike up and you couldn't turn around because the roads were all one way which seemed super ridiculous because if you missed something you had to go the WHOLE way around the park almost to get back to it which is roughly 6 miles! No thank you! Otherwise, there were some pretty parts and it was quite cool to be in a park/forest and look up and see sky scrapers. I just wasn't very wow'ed and expected a lot more.

















Times Square was obviously on our list as it was just around the corner. Shopping here is easy but not the greatest. Again, it's one of those places that is really built up but when you get there it's a bit disappointing. To look at it's incredible, it's all big buildings and lights and advertisements and very 'New York'. There are also theatres on every street so you can never say you were at a loss for entertainment. We found it quite difficult to just find somewhere nice and easy to eat in Times Square when I expected it would be full of food places (just how my mind works). They have a Disney store and a Sephora and M&M world but mostly not GREAT shopping places just things you walk in and out of and maybe think looks kind of cool. 

The High Line was a lot less touristy and well known. It was something I'd seen on instagram and tumblr and had read about and always fancied seeing. The whole idea of it was to convert an old train track into a public garden/board walk type thing that is elevated above the West Side Village. It's honestly so lovely and very different to anything else any other city has. It's quite long so we didn't manage to walk the whole thing in the heat and we also started in the half way point so it wasn't a great place to enter as we never would have seen all of it. But if you fancy a little walk and some quirky pictures then definitely check it out! 







One day we walked to a park called Bryant Park which is tiny compared to Central park but was just quite cute and quirky and had a little bar and some food stalls and a board game hut where you just borrowed board games and played them in the park which I thought was such a fun idea. It was also just around the corner from the New York Library which is from the film The Day After Tomorrow and it's just a really old, amazing building so we went in there and had a look around. A little further up was Grand Central Station which is honestly just a really big train station but was really cool to see. Beneath it/going in are some really nice food places and quirky looking shops as well.








There are also plenty of big bus tours that can take you all around New York and Brooklyn, depending on what you want to see as well as ferry tours which are meant to be amazing. These options are quite helpful if you're not very sure how you want to get around and what you want to see. You can see it all in a short amount of time and then decide what you'd like to see more of.

How To Get Around
We mostly walked and honestly, when you're staying in Times Square (as I mentioned) it's so central that everything is pretty much in walking distance. The only time we had to find other means was when we went to see the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero as they are all the way down the other end of the city. We considered tour buses, taxis, and then someone suggested to the subway. I had my doubts about the subway as it just seemed a bit scary and daunting and dirty, but honestly it was easy. We paid $10 for both of us, got on at Times Square and rode it all the way to the last stop- the South Ferry. We got off, walked with the rest of the crowds through Battery Park to the ticket booth, collected our tickets and then joined the queue for the ferries. Afterwards we could easily walk to Ground Zero, or go the other way to the Brooklyn Bridge.

We also hired bikes in Central Park as I mentioned, and you can hire them all over the city. Taxis are everywhere, there are buses that everyone told us were really easy to work out, the Subway runs 24/7 (literally- the city never sleeps) and isn't too hard to navigate and there are literally tour buses and open bus tours on every corner. 

Where to Eat/Drink
Food is an absolute essential to me, anywhere I go. It's the top priority over everything else and American food is always amazing. Greasy, fatty and extremely unhealthy, but also bloody delicious. My favourite breakfast place was a restaurant called The Brooklyn Diner where they served amazing pancakes and fry ups, freshly squeezed juice and are renowned for their life changing cheese cakes. They found out it was my 21st and gave me a MASSIVE free slice with a candle in it and it was so lovely I'm still not over it.




Shake Shacks are all over the city (not as much as Starbucks those things are literally every few steps) and they're a fast food chain that do standard american hot dogs, burgers and fries, all of which are delicious. They also do AMAZING shakes, hence their name. My favourite was the cookies and cream chocolate one. I had to drink it over a period of two days (putting it in the mini bar fridge haha) but it was amazing. 




Hard Rock Cafe & Planet Hollywood are both quite cool diners/restaurants. Hard Rock was probably my favourite of the two as it just has a MASSIVE bar that you can wait at and drink at and chat to people, and I felt like I was in a typical American film sitting at the bar chatting to some American men, sipping my Long Island Ice Tea. The food is HUGE but so good. 





Overall, I was a tiny bit disappointed by the food options. I had hoped to stumble across many quirky little restaurants like everyone else seems to do? I asked around, I tried to research but some of them were either just in the trendier districts like Soho and the Meat Packing District, both of which we didn't make it to this time round, or they were a national secret. Don't get me wrong you are never going to go hungry in this city, I was just hoping for more quirky places and maybe it's just that I was staying in a bad position for it, didn't do my research and didn't venture out far enough.

Where to Shop
Times Square, 5th Avenue and Broadway were the best shopping locations I stumbled across. They had your typical fashion stores like Forever 21, Urban Oufitters, American Eagle Outfitters, American Apparrel, Sephora, etc. But again, I wish I had done my research and gone to/found a typical American mall to shop round rather than stay in central New York where the choices were a lot less.

My main advice when going to New York is to make a plan of what you want to do, what you want to see and from there figure out where you'd like to stay, how you're going to get to these places, what's nearby, the best food and bar locations, the best shops, etc. Plan it all out, do a lot of research, read reviews, and then go. You don't have to have a set itinery that you stick to, as long as you know the basics, you can decide what you want to do each day. It's still an amazing city and an amazing experience, just one that I wished had WOW'd me a tiny bit more. I would love to go back at Christmas time, as I think I said, and experience the cold and the snow and the magic of the city at that time of year. Otherwise, it really is the city that never sleeps and if planned right, could be the best time of your life!

Budapest is one of Europe's best kept secrets that people rarely get to experience. It was a city that took me by surprise and stole my heart. It's got all the history of London, the quaintness of Paris and the nightlife of Berlin, all for a fraction of the price. From it's iconic thermal baths to it's renowned music festivals, hidden fairytale islands and incredible ruin bars, it is a city worth exploring over and over again.

Thermal Baths































The Fisherman's Bastion is located on the Buda side of the city and has been around since the 19th century. It overlooks the Danube river and almost all of Budapest. It looks like a fairytale castle and has so many different sections to explore from the Mathias Gothic church to all the staircases, towers, arches, statues and view points. The views really are incredible and it all looks like something out of Hogwarts.


Danube River (by night)




House of Terror




























The House of Terror is a museum that exhibits both the fascist and communist regimes that ruled the country in the 20th century. It also has a memorial for all the victims who suffered during these cruel periods, several floors including a basement where there are padded cells and torture exhibits. If you aren't a museum goer, at least try and do a drive/walk by of this building as it's eerie architecture is worth the trip, and when the sun hits the building at a certain time the words "TERROR" are meant to appear on the sidewalk.


Margaret Island (Margit-sziget)




















































Margaret Island was one of my favourite parts of Budapest and possibly the cities biggest hidden gem! One extremely hot, forty degree day, my boyfriend and I were sweating from every crevice of our bodies and were on a frantic search for a swimming pool in a city that was famous for thermal baths. Typical. With no swimming pools showing up on google maps and a language barrier that prevented us from conveying the "we're hot as f*ck" message, we thought all hope was lost. Then the clouds opened up above us and the heat gods sent us a guardian angel in disguise as a hostel receptionist who pointed out a huge slab of land in the middle of the Danube river on a map on his desk. He simply said, "water slides" and we were sold.

After a complicated, illegal tram journey and narrowly escaping an overweight, evil transport officer who mistakenly gave us directions to the island and then proceeded to attempt to chase us through a crowd whilst threatening to call the cops and fine us, (because we may not have bought tickets) we made it!

Obviously finding these "water slides" was our first priority due to the heat, but on our way we passed beer gardens, food stalls, water fountains, gardens, ponds and people riding around on all sorts of crazy carts, bikes and electric mini cars that looked like pick up trucks. It was all quite an experience and we definitely didn't get to see everything this amazing little Island had to offer.

It was very fairytale like with forests and old ruins and winding paths, and after some hand gestures that were meant to look like water slides we were pointed north where we walked until we felt like Little Red Riding Hood lost in the woods, until finally, this big building rose up ahead and HALLELUJAH we had reached our destination. This incredible little island has a water park smack bang in the middle of it thats super cheap (to get in to and to get a locker for your stuff), has water slides, whirl pools, wave pools, cool and warm pools, food and drink, and it was such a great atmosphere.

If you go to Budapest you cannot skip visiting this Island, I would go back in a heartbeat! Explore every inch of it and experience it all!

Food Markets





































After our magical visit to the famous Szechenyi Baths, we literally walked outside and saw all these markets across the road. To this day we have no idea what the event was, what it was for, nor what the name of it was, but there was FOOD, and LOTS of it. We wandered over in a hungry daze and wanted to eat absolutely everything. They had coffee, smoothies, juices, slushies, hot dogs, mexican carts, german sausages, chips, pork knuckles, kebabs, sweets, chocolate fondue and heaps of traditional hungarian food, as well as a huge stage with live music, mini petting zoos, and so much more. It was amazing and led us into the Vajdahunyad Castle and some lovely gardens. There are also botanical gardens and a zoo behind the baths. We were super lucky to come across these random markets and enjoy the amazing food and atmosphere. Even if you miss the random food markets, the castle, gardens and architecture around the Szechenyi Baths are a good little exploration to check out.

Heroes Square




















Photo: lovintrends

Heroes Square is also on the way to the famous baths, as it is very close by and a popular metro stop. It is one of the most visited and popular sights in Budapest commemorating important national leaders, a tomb of an unknown soldier and the Seven Cheiftans of the Magyars. Whilst visiting you may get the same pleasure as I did experiencing a one direction fan club gathering, a group of men on a peddle-bar (a literal bar on wheels that you have to peddle to make move, whilst drinking beer) and lots of crazy tourists.

Ruin Bars



Escape Rooms
A unique and quirky little trick that Budapest has up it's sleeve are the Escape Rooms (now more popular in major cities). These rooms are hidden in alleys and ruin bars and all kinds of places. The allure is that you are shut in a room with a group (you make your own groups) and your aim is to solve the puzzle of the room within an hour. They have some crazy things like hidden doors and keys and phone booths and maps and keys and intricate puzzles and mazes and codes, and the whole thing is so much fun, especially with your friends. They are really challenging but doable, and worth the entertainment. 

Food
Definitely my most crucial information when travelling, food is everything. Budapest has a mixture of westernised food places such as TGI Fridays, Wok to Walk, McDonalds and possibly even a subway, as well as having some really great, cheap restaurants that offer you a taste of traditional Hungarian foods like the delicious Goulash soup. Most of the food is super affordable as Budapest is a cheap country and there are supermarkets where you can buy most of the normal snack foods and even meals to cook yourself if you have an apartment. I would recommend trying a local place at least one of the nights you visit.

Transport
Budapest has a great transport system with underground trains (the metro), trams, ferries and buses. There are all quite easy to understand, excluding the incident I experienced with the tram service. It wasn't super clear where you bought a ticket so we kind of just hopped on and hoped for the best and even though we only had to travel three stops, we unluckily ran into the transport officer who tried to fine us. Make sure you ask your hotel/hostel receptionists for directions, maps and tips on where to buy tickets, etc. Nothing is really that far away, and most of it is walkable if you have to.

Accommodation
There are lots of REALLY nice hotels in Budapest, however on my travel budget I always opt for the hostels. My favourite/only one I've stayed in is the Wombats Hostel which I think has a great location and is an AMAZING hostel. It's got a kitchen, common room, bar with themed nights, super helpful staff, really big spacious rooms and a really nice atmosphere. Its in walking distance to central metro and tram stops (where you can travel to the Szechenyi Baths, Heroes Square, Margaret Island, etc), supermarkets, atms, bottle shops, ruin bars, lots of great food places, a massive shopping centre and St Stephens Basilica is just around the corner. Otherwise accommodation is pretty reasonably priced.

Currency
In Budapest they use the Hungarian Forint (HUF) and at the moment one British Pound will buy you about 400 HUF, or 1 Australian Dollar will buy you about 200 HUF. Things are very cheap in Budapest, the booze, the food, the clubs and everything in between isn't so bad either. 



So PLEASE, if you're looking for a hidden gem in Europe, you want an affordable but amazing trip, then make sure you give Budapest a visit. It's an incredibly old and beautiful city with so many things to do and see and explore. I've been there twice and aim to go again in the near future. The people are fun and friendly, the food is amazing, the baths are incredible, the nightlife is pumping and there is an endless list of possible adventures. Put it on your bucket list!