Review: A Day at the Spa

As a middle of exams treat, today I visited the Imagine Spa at the Hilton Heathrow hotel (T5). It was part of a groupon deal which included 4 hours use of the spa and a mud bath treatment. Now four hours in a spa is a lot so we didn't actually end up spending that long in there, but we spent a good four hours overall (including about an hours worth of the mud bath treatment). The spa was small and only included a hydrotherapy pool, sauna and a steam room as well as a salt mineral room (my favourite).

Altogether with the deal, it cost around £30. I wouldn't recommend paying full price for the spa as it's not that big and there was no proper swimming pool. 

However, with the treatment included in the deal, it was ok and the mud treatment is great for your skin, as well as smelling amazing! Seriously, it smelt like chocolate so it was hard not to eat it! Plus you do it yourself which gave you time to relax by yourself and go at your own pace. Other treatments available include massages and beauty treatments. Take a look at the range of treatments from the link below!

As a treat this is a good place to go, however I know there are plenty of spa's set in nicer locations and with bigger facilities. The hotel was a heathrow one so there was issues with accessing it. We ended up driving but it is hard to get to via tube. Also, we got there early to eat before but the hotel cafe and restaurant was majorly overpriced and although there were a few local pubs around, it is not near any town or central London meaning there was a lack of choice.

These sorts of deals come up on Groupon on a daily basis, however I would recommend you choose a location that is either pretty and has bigger facilities, or is in a central area. Head over to Groupon to see the latest deals, but one this you have to be is quick as they don't last long!

http://imaginespa.co.uk/thamesvalley/beauty-treatments/

Review: Royal Opera House Backstage Tour

Amongst revision and exams, it was nice to have a day out in London to experience something different. This weekend, I ventured to Convent Garden to experience something completely new at the Royal Opera House.

Royal Opera House Auditorium

This is home to many ballets and operas and although I've never been to see a performance there, I have had a look at the foyer and always wanted to go.

This time, I went to the Royal Opera house backstage tour. I spotted this whilst on their website and looking for a present for my sister. The ticket prices for performances are cheap anyway, but this was something different and at only £12 per person, very inexpensive.

We booked on to the 12.30pm tour and when we arrived, we were handed a lanyard so we could access the backstage areas which made us feel very exclusive!

The tour lasts around an hour and 15 minutes and takes you into the auditorium, the backstage areas, rehearsal areas and to the costuming departments. Our tour guide was very good and explained in detail all aspects of the opera house, including the history and aspects of how a production is put on. for someone who used to dance, this was very interesting as the productions put on here are internationally world class and you were able to see dancers actually rehearsing for the matinee performance.

For anyone looking for something different to do in London, I thoroughly recommend doing this tour, it will take you to places that no one else is able to access and is great to do before watching a performance on the same day. An additional benefit is your ticket enables you to have 10% discount in the shop and restaurant on the day of your tour. 

Here is the link for more information, definitely check it out!

http://www.roh.org.uk/tours/backstage-tour 

Travel Bucket List

As I was looking at my blog since it started, I realised that it needs a direction. The direction that I am most keen and passionate about blogging is travel and lifestyle. I realised that I am in no position to offer beauty and fashion advice. Yes I like it myself, but I don't have a clue about latest trends, what make up to buy etc.

I simply stick to the basics and buy clothes when I need them. Therefore trying to keep up with the latest trends is more like research and studying for me rather, than a passion.

However, since my Barcelona blog, travel and lifestyle is something that I am definitely passionate about. It is hard to blog about travel when you aren't going anywhere. So this is the direction I am going to take my blog in, however it will be slow (or at least until I finish university). I simply don't have the time and money at the moment to try new places and things.

I you are not aware, then I am going to South Carolina for 3 months this summer to work at Disney's Hilton Head Island, and as soon as I graduate I am travelling around the world for a year! I will also be visiting New York for a few days, and who knows where I will travel this summer.
So this will be the time when I can really focus on developing this blog and become a proper travel blogger!

Of course, this is still a lifestyle blog, so I will still be blogging weekly and writing reviews about days out, new things I've tried. But university exams are looming ahead and there is only so much time I can allocate to blogging.

I thought I would write a travel bucket list, and hopefully I will be able to tick all these places off. I basically want to go everywhere, but I've managed to tailor it down to the places where I have always wanted to go and I am eager to tick off as soon as possible.

1. Los Angeles

The ultimate destination. For some reason, LA is my dream city. I want to live there! A lot of people who have visited there have said its tacky and overrated, but I don't care. It will never put me off wanting to go there. Maybe it's the idea of sun, beaches, Hollywood, mountains, the Californian coast line but all of it oozes charm and I really think it sums up me as a person. Plus, I've always wanted to go to the original Disneyland!

2. Australia

As soon as I graduate, this is one of the places I will be going. I want to explore the gold coast and witness the golden beaches for myself. I want to try surfing lessons and see the Great Barrier Reef. This popular travellers destination is a place where I want to spend christmas on Bondi Beach!

3. Vietnam

I've always been interested in history, so this country entices me to learn about its culture, and its war background. I've seen pictures of it and it looks so beautiful, making me want to explore the cuisine, cities, shopping, beaches, everything!

4. Thai Islands

I've been to Bangkok before but now I want to venture to the islands, like Koh Phangan or Koh Phi Phi. A top activity to do is the infamous full moon party. I also want to witness the sandy beaches on the likes of Phuket and Koh Samui.

5. Rome or Athens

I studied Classical Civilisation at GCSE, so I don't know much but I know a bit about the ancient history. I've never been, but always wanted to see the Colosseum or the Parthenon. Or venture down into the preserved city of Pompeii!

6. The Caribbean

It doesn't matter where, but I need to witness for myself the famous pristine, tropical beaches!

7. Hawaii

There's something about Hawaii that I've alway wanted to explore, and with it being apart of America, hopefully I will soon be able to visit it.

8. Marrakech, Morocco

I need to visit the markets and try my hand at haggling! Similar places like Istanbul also are on my list!

So these are my top 8, obviously there are many others but these were the ones that stood out. I have been lucky enough to already have managed to cross some off my list, like Paris, New York, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Barcelona. Let me know of the places you want to explore!

Disney HHI: Visa Appointment

Today was finally visa day! 

My appointment at the London embassy was at 11.30am, however I made sure I got to London in plenty of time as the queue outside is notorious for being long. I got to Bond Street station at around 10.30am and made the short walk to Grosvenor Square. It's easy to spot the embassy, just look for the queue! 

So I joined the queue just after half 10 even though my appointment wasn't for another hour because they don't really care what time it is at this point as there are so many people.

The queue moves quickly, just make sure you have all your documents to hand. These will be checked about 5 times! Also, there will be so many other people there for Camp America etc so not everyone there is for Disney (which I thought so I went up to randomers asking about disney, embarrassing!)

Once you're through security, which is basically airport style, you will be given a ticket and directed to a waiting room with an Argos style number system that directs you to a window. As it was very busy when I was there, I waited for around half an hour, but the time depends on the amount of people there.

Once called, you go up to a window where they check your documents again! Here they take your finger and thumb prints, so no papercuts! They also ask about reading your rights or something similar, although I couldn't understand the lady very well.

Once this is completed, you walk through to another room and visit another window more or less straight away. This is where you have your interview and your documents are checked for the final time. The questions are easy, just what you are doing, how did you find out about it etc. The stamp of approval is then issued and you are free to go! Your documents and passport are kept and sent back via courier.

Overall I was in and out within an hour and there really is nothing to be afraid of. For some reason I was nervous but it was very relaxed and really not a lot of hassle, as long as you have all the correct documents.

A few tips I would give are:

- Bring supporting documents just in case, like flight confirmations, offer letter. They only checked my passport, DS-2019, DS-160, and I-901 form but it's better to be safe then sorry. 

- Bring a visa size passport photo. You may or may not need it but if you do then you will need to hand it in. 

- Phones, keys and bags are allowed in now. I took the bare minimum just in case but they seem to be a bit more relaxed about it. Although it changes regularly so do check before you go!

- Getting there earlier means you will be out earlier, so more time for shopping!

So not a complicated process and now I can legally work in the US!
Currently all flights have been booked so all that's left is medical insurance, American sim card, travel insurance and to start packing! It's all feeling very real now, and I'm flying to New York on May 30th for a few days before flying to Hilton Head Island! 

Disney HHI: Visa Information!

It's been a long time since I posted a Disney HHI post...

So, I can finally write a blog post about Disney Hilton Head Resort Summer Program! After many many weeks of waiting to hear something, I finally had my visa documents arrive! These have arrived earlier than normal this year, which is really good as it means I can book an appointment for when I'm home and not at university.

The documents included my DS-2019 form and various other instructions which means I can now book my visa appointment at the London embassy. Exciting times Ahh!

As I was looking online, I saw that there were many blog posts from various other blogs that give you detailed instructions on the whole visa application. I've decided I'm not going to go into too much detail as it is the same for this program as it is for the normal Disney CEP. If you do have any questions then feel free to email me :) I have linked the ones I used as these were the most helpful, so thank you to whoever wrote them!

Yummy Jobs do send out detailed instructions of their own which gives you the links to the embassy website for you to fill in the DS-160, which needs to be completed first before you can arrange an appointment. This form takes a lot of time and patience! It requires a lot of detail, such as your last 5 visits to the USA, so if this is the case then you need all your old passports. After this is completed, you can then phone a premium phone number or use the new online system to book the actual appointment. It is here that you will need to pay the visa fee which is I think $160 (not entirely sure) so have your debit card at the ready. A lot of the time you will need to refer back to a particular form, such as your DS-2019 which includes your program and SEVIS number, so my advice is to have everything handy.

Unfortunately I couldn't come home for the weekend to book this, so I had to make do with skyping my parents for all the details, which wasn't practically best, but it was manageable. In the end I have an appointment booked for April 10th at 11.30am! I will post another blog post about details of the day, as I know that regulations change frequently so this will be an up to date post.

I will include a checklist about what to take to the embassy, as this tends to change often:



http://danatdisney.com/category/crp/visa-crp/

(although this post is related to the CRP, if you substitute in the relevant documents then it still applies)

Four Days in Barcelona

I've just returned from 4 days in Barcelona, and it was the most beautiful city I have ever visited in my life.

I went with 2 of my friends, and when deciding where to go away, one thing we were looking for was the price, and a place that people our age didn't go to just to go clubbing or smoke weed (a.k.a Amsterdam).

So when a good deal in Barcelona cropped up, we thought, why not?! I've always wanted to go to Barcelona but never actually considered it, so I was excited to explore the city for the first time.

When arriving there after an early morning flight, we were met with warm sunshine and the most chilled out city I've ever seen. As soon as you arrive you feel relaxed and everything is so quiet and calm. Once we got to our hotel (Hotel Condado, highly recommended!), we freshened up and headed off to explore.

Our first stop was the Sagrada Familia. I thought we could walk there, but it was a long walk from our hotel! But the sun made it all the worthwhile and once we were there, we were in awe of the amazing architecture! Obviously this is very touristy, so expect lots of people surrounding it.

Because the weather was so nice, we sunbathed a bit outside before making the long trek back (stopping for ice cream of course). Day 1 was filled with chill time as we had only had about 4 hours sleep, and was finished off with a lovely meal in the evening, followed by a 1 euro bottle of wine which was soo nice! Although having the wine sent me to bed, but it did give me a full 10 hours of sleep!

La Sagrada Familia

Day 2: We woke feeling refreshed and ready for a busy day of sightseeing. Our first trip was to Barceloneta to see the beach. It was very overcast at the time so when we got there, it was quiet and there didn't seem like a lot to do. 

So my advice would be to visit when the weather is nice to sit on the beach. We walked all the way up the beach and visited Parc de la Cuitadella. This place was so lovely for a spot of lunch, and we explored the various statues and buildings located in the park. The sun decided to come out, just in time for a next stop to the cable cars that head up to Montjuic! This view was breathtaking, make sure you do this! The cable car only costs around 11 euros for a round trip, and the view from the cable car is just as good as the view from the top. 

An overcast Barceloneta beach

Parc de la Cuitadella

View of Barcelona from Montjuic

There is a castle at the top of the mountain, however you have to pay and although it was only 7 euros, we decided not to as we were on a student budget. This meant we didn't see the fountains but we weren't bothered about it, instead we sat around the back where we got an amazing view of the harbour. After a little walk around the gardens and so many pictures taken of the whole of Barcelona, we headed back to our hotel to chill before venturing to Las Ramblas for our evening meal.

For dinner, we stumbled across this tiny mexican restaurant around the backstreets, and I really wish I had remembered the name as it was so nice! I would recommend it to anyone. After some Sangria and more wine, we headed back to get some rest before day 3!

Day 3: We headed to Las Ramblas to explore the gothic quarter. Las Ramblas is very busy and touristy, so beware of pickpockets. Visit La Boqueria food market, your senses will come alive with the sights and smells of all the fresh food. Make sure you have a fresh smoothie, I had a Mango and another fruit which I didn't actually know what it was, but it was the freshest most delicious drink I have ever tasted.  We then wandered down to the harbour to eat lunch, before exploring the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter. For anyone that has seen the Cheetah Girls 2 movie, this is where they filmed the song 'Strut', so it was amazing to see the tiny shops and local cafes that were in the film.The streets are so beautiful, you feel enchanted by them. We also came across Barcelona Cathedral, and by this time it was so hot we had to take a break on the steps for a drink. This mean that I actually got sunburnt!

La Boqueria

Las Ramblas

Barcelona Cathedral

 

From all the walking, we headed back to the hotel to rest our sore feet and chill before our last evening. By this time we had figured that we loved eating in Las Ramblas, so we headed back there for traditional Spanish Paella, Tapas and Sangria! The flavours were exhilarating and the price was so good! to finish off our perfect last night, we headed to a bar for, yep you guessed it, more wine! It was the most perfect ending to the perfect holiday.

Day 4 consisted of wandering around and buying souvenirs before a flight back to the UK.

For anyone that hasn't been to Barcelona, don't even think about it, just go! You will discover what a magical city it is, and it will take your breath away! I will definitely be returning as I didn't have to chance to visit Parc Guell, and I would love to see more of Gaudi's architecture. But we did most of the city in four days and I wouldn't have changed a thing!

Ways to Save Money As a Student

So I was going through my recent posts and released its really obvious that they are thought about on the spot. Due to the amount of uni work I've had recently, I haven't being pay as much attention to my blog as I would've liked, and I've been writing pointless blog posts for the sake of posting something.

However, when thinking about what to actually write about, I had some inspiration. I'm a student and have been for about a year and a half. A couple of friends have been moaning about their lack of money and I realised, I'm quite good at budgeting! So, I thought I would share my advice as a student about how to spend and save money cautiously, where you can still splash out and afford things for yourself but are not left in your overdraft at the end of every term.

• The first tip is an obvious but sometimes not practical one. Get a job. Some people do this whilst at uni, and there are plenty of part time student friendly jobs. Club promoters recruit students to hand out flyers for student nights, although word of advice, you will annoy everyone that walks past and may not be liked as much! The uni will offer jobs for students as well. I was a student ambassador in first year where I would show people around on open days and visit schools to promote the university. The pay was very good, I think it was around £8 an hour which is very generous.
• If you don't want a job while at university, theres always the chance to work over summer. You have about 3-4 months off depending on your course, and many events companies hire students. There are dedicated student websites that only advertise student jobs so they are worth checking out.
• Sometimes a job is not always possible, so the next few tips are about saving on things associated with lifestyle.
• One way to save money on food is to look out for offers and only buy say crisps, or cereal, when it is on offer. This applies to fruit. I only buy the fruit thats on offer as it's quite expensive!
• Also, avoid big brands to cut down costs. Things like pasta are perfectly fine when they are value brands, however some people aren't keen on using value meat. I used to buy meat, divide up the packet and freeze into portions. That way I would get 3-4 meals out of one packet which is a lot!
• Another thing I would do is make my own pasta sauce by using half a tin of tomatoes for one meal, and flavouring with paprika or garlic powder and adding vegetables. This is so much cheaper than buying a tin of branded sauce, not to mention healthier!
• When out and about, buy packed lunch foods when spending a whole day in the library. I see a lot of people buying lunch or dinner from the local supermarket, which overcharge for food anyway, or buy it at the library which takes advantage and increase their prices. Buy a packed lunch box or plastic sandwich bags and make your own. It doesn't take long and will make a difference to your bank account.
• Apply this to hot drinks as well, buy a thermal flask and make your own tea, instead of spending up to £1 on what is effectively a small cup of hot water and a tea bag. Fine for every now and then but it does add up if you buy it frequently.
• Next, shopping! Get good use out of student discounts, although note that sometimes it doesn't make a ton of difference (e.g. topshop and 10% is not that good on some items of clothing). Sign up to websites such as studentbeans.com and they will email when companies are doing discounts specifically for students.
• Onto the main part of students lives- alcohol! My advice, don't splash out on Smirnoff vodka when you can buy Tescos own! I certainly can't taste any difference. And make use of bringing a hip flask into clubs (as long as they don't check your bag) to avoid buying drinks out.

After a night out, cook your own food instead of going to a chip or kebab shop.

All these little changes can make a big difference. By being a little more cautious with money, you can save a lot and get through uni without racking up too much debt. Too many people are reckless with money but if they were more careful, they wouldn't be left empty handed everytime they go home!