When you think of a UK or England destination to visit, London is the first that come to mind! We've got that covered HERE! Loughborough is relatively unknown to most but it is definitely a gem! Most people get scared by its 12 letter name when they first see it. It is simply pronounced as LUFF-BRUH :)

This tiny university town is about 3 hours to London via the M1 motorway. It is only 1hr 35 mins via East Midlands Trains from London St Pancras station.

What is so special about this small town?
This quiet university town was where I had one of the best times of my life. Studying at Loughborough university was an amazing time of growth, learning and healing. Loughborough is a simple town with amazing quiet spaces where I was able to reflect and feel at peace. The slower pace meant I often sat in Queen's Park and read for hours. I learnt to appreciate beauty of a duck, snowflake and the autumn colours. I even had time to build a snowman!

If you are looking for a quiet getaway where you can be away from crowds but still enjoy the comforts of civilisation, this is a great place!

Relax at the Queen's Park and visit the Town Hall for some theatre, art and music!
Check their site for the schedule and booking details! www.loughboroughtownhall.co.uk

Don't miss awesome produce at the Farmer's Market held every second Wednesday of each month between 9am and 3pm at the town centre. Another key event is the historic Loughborough fair that is held early November every year! You get some exciting fair-rides and food!

My favourite Fish & Chips in the whole wide world can be found in Loughborough!
Visit: Trawlers Catch at 92 Ashby Rd, Loughborough LE11 3AE, UK
Must order: COD FISH AND CHIPS!
They are open only 2 hours for lunch from 12-2pm (Tues to Thurs). They open mostly in the evenings from 5-10pm (Mon to Sat).

The most therapeutic part of Loughborough has to be the Great Central Railway. If you love trains, steam engines and everything antique, you MUST visit this place. This mainline heritage railway offers historical steam/diesel train rides all the way to Leicester North and back. You get special events such as steam galas, Peppa Pig, Bonfire Night, Wartime Weekend and Santa Specials!

Train geeks (like me) can even get to drive a locomotive, dine in the train and bring your whole family on an excursion. You get to enjoy views of Charnwood waters and the beautiful countryside! Check out their website for train and event schedules/ticketing details:
http://www.gcrailway.co.uk

Next time you need a quiet, relaxing, therapeutic place to visit in England, head to Loughborough!

#2 Most enchanting experience - Spend a relaxing day at Hyde Park!

I would rank Hyde Park among the BEST parks in the world. You would think, "Hey! you guys have Gardens by the Bay in Singapore don't you?". Yes we do. The problem is, you cannot walk for 15 minutes without soaking your shirt with perspiration in the year-round tropical heat/humidity. I hear Brits complaining about how miserable their weather is all the time while studying in Loughborough. I do admit my ears do hurt when it gets bitterly cold but I love it that you don't need to perspire or feel miserably sticky most times of the year. Okay I need to stop rambling about the weather (a habit I've picked up in the UK!)

Walk along The Serpentine (Lake) and watch the swans, ducks and geese!  If you are visiting between March to October, you can get into a paddle boat and soak in the views from the calm waters. Find a shady spot and have a picnic! The juxtaposition of a green, peaceful and quiet place right in the middle of busy London makes it such an enchanting experience. 

​Debra and I LOVE this park to bits. We basically just sat on a park bench together, stared into the stunning open space and lost track of time. 

#3 Most enchanting experience - Spend a day at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Debra and I have such fond memories of enjoying this amazing winter/Christmas spectacle together. You can enjoy rides, games and amazing food at this fair! Best part: FREE ENTRY!
When we brought Matthias to Winter Wonderland in Singapore last December, we showed him our London photos and wanted to give him an idea of what we were visiting. Sadly, he was utterly disappointed and called it 'Winter RuinLand'. The scale of the London Winter Wonderland is just humongous. You get full scale roller coaster rides and countless little huts and family friendly rides

We enjoyed some amazing hot chips, sausages and mulled wine while strolling along in the winter cold. It was a comforting feeling that is beyond description. It may be a little difficult to stay away from all the very attractive candies!

It is certainly somewhere a couple or family can do together and make wonderful memories together. The weather may be cold but the festivities and being with your loved ones warms the heart and soul. 

Coming soon: Posts on our trip to Nottingham,Loughborough Manchester, Cambridge and Wales!

Enjoyed this post?You can read about our New Zealand adventures HERE!

The great lure of London took us 10,841km (6736 miles) across the globe from Singapore. It is a trip that we often look back (with a little heart ache) with the hope of returning soon. London is a beautiful city. I would even argue that London is a city of love. (Paris is wonderful but just not my cup of tea). 

I became acquainted with London while studying at Loughborough University. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the quietness of a small town, a city boy with itchy feet couldn't sit by the fire all through the long, wet and cold winters in England. That resulted in dozens of train trips  down to London. This time however, we were visiting London the first time together as a married couple. 

Singapore is well connected to London and flight prices are pretty competitive. You can get Sale tickets for as low as S$800++ for a 13.5hr flight. 

Flights from SIN to LHR worth considering:
Direct flights: Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Qantas
1 stopover: Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia Airlines 

Most of the time, I fly Qantas (QF) and British airways (BA) because I avoid connecting flights as much as I can. You can get economy tickets on QF and BA at between S$1390++ and S$1800++ depending on when you book the tickets. Singapore Airlines (SQ) START at S$2100++. I don't think the better service from Singapore Airlines justify paying an average of S$500 more. Business class is at least $3000 more on SQ compared to BA. 

We caught the British Airways 11pm flight which is in my opinion the best timing to get over jet lag. You board the plane, have your dinner, watch a movie, sip your wine, wake up and its morning in London!

#Tip 1 Don't save on hotel bookings!

We stayed in Sofitel London Heathrow for our entire time in London. IT HAS THE BEST BED I HAVE EVER SLEPT ON IN A HOTEL. (Nobody paid me for this review) If you want your day to be romantic, you can't be sleep deprived. If you want your nights to be romantic, you cannot have a horrible bed. It was perfect for us because it was quiet and away from the crowd. A quiet retreat is a perfect place to fall deeper in love! The interior and fittings were luxurious and the hotel staff were friendly and helpful. We chose to stay in the airport hotel because we wanted to be away from the noise of the city. (Police/ambulance sirens can get pretty annoying!) The only issue is that this is all the way in Zone 6 and the city centre is in Zone 1 and 2. It takes an hour to get to the city by London Underground. You could pay more and catch the Heathrow Express to London Paddington Station in 15 minutes. 

#Tip 2 Explore London together!

Walking around London is one of the most romantic things to do! Here are some places we think are amazing for couples to make great memories...

​1. Shakespeare's Globe 
If both of you are into poetry and plays, catch a play together! Read your lover some poetry aloud by the courtyard, tell them your “Love comforeth like sunshine after rain...Love's gentle spring doth always fresh remain" 

2. Walk/Sail along the Thames 
The river provides some amazing views of the city's most prominent bridges and historical buildings. Catch a river bus (just tap the Oyster card you use for the Tube/Buses) if you are tired. 

​3. Walk around Covent Garden 
It has some of the poshest and most beautiful restaurants to have an amazing romantic dinner. The fashion and craft shops around the area are worth exploring together!

4. Stuff your faces together at Chinatown
You get some of the most amazing roast meat and Chinese delicacies here. You make some of the greatest memories at the dinner table. 

5. See the lights at Oxford Circus/Street and Leicester Square
If you are visiting near Christmas, it is most romantic to walk hand in hand and see the Christmas lighting along this bustling shopping area

6. Watch Buskers and fountains at Trafalgar Square 
Sit on the steps around this grand square, appreciate the buskers and listen to the water splashing in the fountains. One thing I've learnt from the British/Europeans is to just sit down and enjoy each other's company. We tend to race through our days in Singapore and few people sit outdoors to just people watch and relax. This is partly because of the sweltering heat in Singapore but you don't have to worry about that in London.  

#Tip 3 Find the London Icons and take fun photos of each other/together

Some icons include: London Bus (Routemaster), Tower Bridge, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Red telephone booths, Westminster Abbey (Where Prince William and Kate got married!).

Okay it might sound silly, I actually tracked down which bus service was running both the new and old Routemasters. We got excited together and waited for the bus to arrive before snapping shots. 

Put these on Instagram and create your own hashtag for these fun shots together. You can lie down on your couch at home many years down the road to reminisce the awesome time you had!

#Tip 4 Visit Museums together!

Visit museums together and share about your interests with each other! You won't know how geeky your spouse/partner is until they share about their interests excitedly! It doesn't matter if you understand what they are saying or not! You make memories and you fall deeper in love when you know them better! 

I got all geeky at the London Transport Museum and Debra got all excited at the Natural History Museum. I got to drive a the Tube train simulator and pretend I was driving a bus. (I actually got to change the sign on the bus number display) We were lucky to see Dippy the Diplodocus before it was removed. The centrepiece is now a blue whale skeleton. 

#Tip 5 Visit THE toy store together

Hamleys Toy Shop on Regent street is our favourite toy shop IN THE WORLD. Toy shops are one of those places we always visited when we were dating. It is a place we get to re-live our childhood and talk about the toys we played with. You find out so much more through such interactions than just texting each other! It is also an amazing place to getting little gifts for each other. This particular toy shop is magical. What more can you ask for when the toy store is the whole building?

#Tip 6 Sit down and have Tea and Scones

Take a moment to enjoy some of the best afternoon tea in the world! How often do you get to sit down with your lover and enjoy an afternoon tea? A couple that eats together stays together! (and put on weight together....haha!) Put that phone away once you are done with instagram! Look each other in the eye and fall in love on a romantic rainy day in London...

Read part 2 for the most enchanting experience you can have as a couple/family in London!