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London Repeated

April 2016

Whilst our visit to London last year (2015) was a frantic dash from one attraction to the next, this year’s itinerary is more relaxed. In our 6 days stay, we covered 9 new London’s attractions and the rest are repeates of places we’ve been.

The unmistakable London red buses.

We have never repeated a same destination two years running, but London has an unexplainable aura of drawing me and my wife back. Probably due to the extensive & efficient transportation network, the ease in obtaining halal food, the friendly & helpful locals, those charming road and town names …. arrrgh, we don’t know what exactly. Don’t mind going once more next year.

Edgware Road. Along this stretch, you’ll find plentiful of halal eateries.

Oxford street, the shopping street known to travellers. Not that the prices are cheap, but this is where the crowds are. For affordable and value for money shopping, try Primark at 499-517 Oxford Street. They sell most of those things we’ll wear regularly.

You must be crazy not to be at Oxford Street when in London.

Debenhams at Oxford Street. You’ll need a bigger wallet/purse here.

Street entertainment along Oxford street.

For those with fat and bulging wallet/purse, you can shop your heart’s content at Harrods. About what we could afford here, are the green Harrods shopping bag. Ouch!

Those medium signature shopper bag at £21.95.

A beautifully decorated cake at Harrod’s food section.

At Portobello Road, the world’s largest antiques market, you’ll probably be able to find some interesting and affordable item to buy. You can also find souvenirs and food stuff here, just like any other street market elsewhere in other countries.

Colorful section of buildings at Portobello.

All Saints is a British fashion retailer you’ll find along Portobello Road. Inside, they have floor-to-ceiling display of sewing machines. Awesome.

This year we once again made our way to Arsenal Stadium to get a T-shirt for our son an ardent fan of Arsenal. The same designed T-shirt we purchased last year has gone up by £5. This time around, our son wanted a training jersey instead.

Emirates stadium, home of Arsenal FC.

Training jersey are the ones with stripes. Match jerseys are in yellow.

Travelling by underground tube is one of the most efficient transportation in London although not cheap. The London bus is cheaper, but one must know which one to take and any change of bus required.

Empty tube station passageway.

Reminder to the passengers.

Upgrading should be completed by the time you read this.

You’ll need these for your tube & bus travel.

Some of the different tube stations we got on or off. Edgware has two stations nearby each other. One serves the Bakerloo line while the other the District, Circle & Hammersmith lines.

Most frequently used tube station. Close by Tune Paddington Hotel.

Bayswater. Another area to easily get halal food. Souvenirs are cheaper in Bayswater area.

Tower Hill tube station for Tower Hill & Tower Bridge.

Imagine the crowd on match day at this small Arsenal tube station. Emirates stadium is 5 minutes walk away..

If not for the Tower Bridge Exhibition, we see no necessity to be here again. But to be up on the Tower Bridge glass walkway is something else. What more when we were able to witness the drawing of the bridge right underneath our feet.

Tower bridge repeated.

The HOHO bus as seen through the glass walkway of the Tower Bridge.

Common signposts in UK.

Trafalgar Square bus stop.

Street directions.

Landmarks around Oxford street.

Crowds at Marble Arch.

‘Still Water’. A bronze sculpture of a horse’s head nearby Marble Arch.

Legendary red post box.

A bicycle with disc brakes.

Foldable bicycle.

London fridge magnet to bring home.

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VAT Refund Heathrow, London

April 2016

Our return flight home is from T3 Heathrow taking the Heathrow Express train from Paddington train station. It’s a 15 minutes walk from Tune hotel and the train journey to Heathrow is a short 15 minutes ride. We have purchased our tickets in advanced and entitled for a 30 Day Advance Express Saver Weekend Single ticket at £8.80. If I would have known earlier, I would have purchased a 90 Day Advance Express Saver Weekend Single ticket at £5.50. The normal price is £22.00

Getting off Heathrow Express and walking towards T3.

You come up by escalator (left) from the train stop onto the front of the airport terminal building. With glass roof but open, you’ll feel the chill of the evening spring.

The VAT refund office is outside the terminal building between doors ‘D’ & ‘E’. Get all your receipts ready and present it to the counter staff. They are efficient and the whole process takes a couple of minutes barring no long queue inside. We had our VAT refund in cash and in Malaysian currency. The refund was being made by the same counter staff that check the receipts.

Should you purchase some more items inside the departure hall, there is another VAT office there to attend to your purchases. I guess if you do not want to do your refund outside the terminal, you could do it in the departure hall as well.

VAT Refund office Heathrow T3, London. Between doors ‘D’ & ‘E’ indicated by the white arrow.

There is another VAT refund office inside the departure hall after passport control and customs.

The departure hall is flurry with activity especially at stores offering discounts. And at the food court and restaurants it’s the same. Nonetheless, the departure hall has ample seats for those who just want to sit down and rest. For Muslim travellers, there is a prayer room at the departure hall as well as inside the terminal on the 1st floor.

Inside Terminal 3.

Estee Lauder on 50% discount.

Swatch was having a crazy sale too.

Passengers milling around the stores at departure hall waiting for their flight to be called.

Ted Baker inside the terminal.

Sweets & chocolate for the children back home.

Malaysian Restaurants In West London

April 2016

Edgware Road.
Here is where you’ll find plenty of Halal restaurants. One Malaysian restaurant, Melur is located at 175A Edgware Road, 300m from Tune hotel. It is right at the junction of Edgware Road & Sussex Gardens. From both the Edgware tube stations, its less than 300m. They serve Malaysian & Indonesian cuisine. Melur translated into English is Jasmine.

Melur restaurant along the corner of Edgware Road & Sussex Gardens. Credit : denai.my

The restaurant is on the lower level accessible by staircase.

All time favorite, Nasi Lemak.

Much nearer to Tune hotel is another Malaysian restaurant, Satay House. Its 140m at the back of Tune hotel. We did not have the opportunity to dine here, but as the name suggest, they serve satay as well as Malaysian dishes. From both the Edgware tube stations, it’s about 400m.

Malaysian Restaurant around Edgware

Location of Malaysian restaurants Melur & Satay House around Edgware.

Paddington.
About 400m from Tune hotel down Praed Street is Paddington tube station. Walk for another 300m, on your left you’ll get to Tukdin, another Malaysian restaurant. Like Melur and Satay House, Tukdin also serves Malaysian cuisine.

Tukdin at Craven Road, Paddington. Sandwiched between a hardware and grocery store.

Tukdin dining area.

Tukdin, Malaysian restaurant at Paddington.

Bayswater.
You’ll find in Bayswater, the Malaysian Hall canteen at 30-34 Queensborough Terrace. Like all other Malaysian restaurants, you’ll find Malaysian dishes served here too. Location wise if you look at the map below, it’s just in-front of Bayswater tube station. However, there is no thru road from Inverness Place to Queensborough Terrace. You have to take the long way round walking via Porchester Gardens or Bayswater Road. It will be nearer from Queensway tube station via Bayswater Road. The canteen is open to Malaysian or others accompanied by Malaysian.