Saudi Living in London March Update

This post is a roundup of all my London ventures of the previous month. It’s a list of food I tried, places I visited and things I did. This post will keep you up to date with my life in London. This is the first time I do a post of this nature, but it seems like a lot of people are interested in what I do in London, so here is a quick summary. Please let me know in the comments if you would like to see this update every month! 

Let’s start with the London food I indulged in:

Darjeeling Express Indian Restaurant

Since the beginning of the year, I went to Darjeeling Express twice and each time the food was really good! Their all Halal menu and delicious choices are fantastic. The service is a little slow, but it’s a kitchen made of home cooks, so I can let it slide. My advice is to go with plenty of time on your hand. 

Opso Greek Restaurant

When I go out with the girls, we aim for a new restaurant depending on our location. My foodie friend, found this tapas style Greek restaurant and it was amazing. The goat curd cheese and the Fava beans were so good! We shared five tapas between the four of us and got an extra mini Fish burger each, which was more than enough! 

DFX Mexico

The first time I tried this place was a few years ago when it was first opened. In March, I tried the Tottenham Court Road branch and it was just average. I tried their fish tacos and cheesy fries, but it was nothing special so I won’t be going back there in a rush. 

The Black Penny

This is a nice cafe in Covent Garden with a nice breakfast/brunch menu and yummy dessert bar. I was impressed with their chocolate and salted caramel cupcake and chocolate brownies. It was a bit hard getting a table there on a Sunday, but if you do manage one then it’s a nice cafe to chill for a bit. 

Places I visited around London in March

Royal Academy

In March, I attended my first late night event of the year. By late I just mean after the usual hours of a Museum opening hours. The theme was night at the palace and I got to fully dress up, which I loved! Seeing the gallery at night wearing a gown was a little much, but it was one of the month’s highlights for sure!

A post shared by Arabian Wanderess |رحالة عربية (@arabianwanderess) on Mar 8, 2018 at 10:00am PST

A post shared by Arabian Wanderess |رحالة عربية (@arabianwanderess) on Mar 7, 2018 at 5:19am PST

Rich Mix

Earlier in March, I went to the Arab Women Now festival in Rich Mix. I love the gallery space and the various things they usually have planned in there. During the day, I tried a play writing class, which was interesting. In the evening, I attended a concert in the same space for a Tunisian band and absolutely loved it! Snippets of all of that is in the video below!

A post shared by Arabian Wanderess |رحالة عربية (@arabianwanderess) on Mar 12, 2018 at 12:34pm PDT

Cass Art Islington

Cass Art has a few locations around London. I usually go to the one in Soho when I have any art emergencies, but this time I went to the Cass Art Islington branch to teach an art class and I really liked the location. It was close to Angel tube station too!

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Borough Market

I usually pass by the Borough market a lot, but I rarely go spend the day there. I managed to visit to film and have lunch with a friend last month. It was really lovely and I should actually visit it more often.

City and Guild Art Show

Having artist friends is fantastic, I went to my friend Clare Dudeney’s art show, which was part of her post graduate degree. It was fun seeing what she and her classmates created. 

A post shared by Arabian Wanderess |رحالة عربية (@arabianwanderess) on Mar 2, 2018 at 8:11am PST

Things I almost bought for my London flat

I do a lot of online and window shopping, but going through with it is rare unless I feel they are very important to have. I am trying to make my space a bit prettier that's why I was considering these. I might end up making my own home accessories though! Aren't they all just so pretty and tempting? 

Home Time

Speaking of my London flat, I hosted a gorgeous Spring lunch *alhamdulilah* that was mostly vegan except for the fish and the yogurt dip. I was very proud of myself and my favourite people liked it, so it was a win. It's those moments that I look forward to the most when I am not travelling. 

A post shared by Arabian Wanderess |رحالة عربية (@arabianwanderess) on Mar 30, 2018 at 11:55am PDT

Disclaimer: living in London is fabulous, but it has its challenges and high costs. Although, I got to do a good amount of activists it took me an hour each way to commute to and from. Also notice, there were 31 days in March and I only went out to these places. The rest of the month I was at home working! #KeepingItReal 

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10 Islamic Art Activities in London

You might not associate London with Islamic art, but surprisingly there is a booming Islamic art scene in London. I love the art community in this city and there is always an event happening related to this art (and other types of art). If you are new in London you might not know some of these. I only knew about these places and activities a year after I moved London! That is why I am sharing

10 Islamic Art Related Activities in London that you might enjoy! 

Ps. This post is NOT sponsored! I just love these places, organisations and people! :D 

1- Visit the Jameel Gallery in the Victoria and Albert Museum

This is one of the most remarkable collections in London and no visit to London is complete without going into the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Islamic collection in the Jameel gallery space is my highlight. Additionally, it's free to go in, so don't miss the chance! 

2- Immerse yourself in patterns in Leighton House Museum

The Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896) had a huge interest in Islamic art, very much so that he made an Arabian hall decorated with Islamic ceramics and calligraphy in his house that is now a museum that is open to the Public for an £8 entry fee. It's a small museum and will take you an hour maximum, but it's worth visiting. I would advice to go there during on of their free tour times or late Jazz nights just to make the most of your visit. 

3- Illuminate your trip with an Islamic Illumination Workshop

Islamic illumination is a specific type of Islamic art and usually means the use of gold in painting a traditional patterns. Illumination was used for Qurans and Islamic manuscripts. There are a few people around London that teaches this skill, but you can attend some of the regular Islamic Illumination workshops or organise a private session with Islamic Illumination that fits in with your London trip. 

4- Learn the secretes of Islamic Geometry

Just like the suggestion of the Islamic illumination workshop, you can learn more about the art and get close and personal with Islamic geometry that is the basis of most Islamic arts. You can do that by attending one of Samira Mian's regular and short geometry workshops or by booking a longer session with the Art of Islamic Pattern.    

5- Bid on Islamic treasures in one of the Sotheby's open auctions

An Islamic art auction at Sotheby is not a usual occurrence, but it happened a few time since I moved to London. Usually the auctioned pieces are true treasures and are not really for the everyday user, but looking at them while they are getting auctioned can be a real treat. Sotheby is a famous art auction house, so there is always something going on. If you miss one about Islamic art you can try their other ones. 

6- Get as close as possible to Islamic manuscripts at the British Library

The British Library is the house to a big number of Persian, Turkish, Indian and Arabic manuscripts. If you make an appointment, you are welcome to go see a few and that is basically the closest you can be to such heritage. If you are a university student or doing research in the area, you get a quicker permission, but tweet them or email them for exact details on the process.  

7- Awaken your mind with an Islamic art lecture

Many Islamic traditional artists have learnt their craft at the Prince's School of Traditional Art. It's a great institution. One of the amazing thing they do is their monthly lecture series about various art subjects and a lot of them are about Islamic art. By the way, the lectures are only during term times. SOAS university also has a lecture series related to Islamic art referred to as Islamic Art Circle Lectures. 

8- Explore Islamic art beyond the visuals

Although a lot of Islamic art is seen and appreciated visually, there are other types of Islamic art that speak to your other senses such the traditional music and theatre performances. They are not referred to as Islamic, but it comes from the same geographical regions, where Islamic art originated. It might be fun to attend some events that organised by Rich Mix , Bagri Foundation and the Arab British Centre. 

9- Get to know the contemporary art by Muslims

London does not only exhibit Islamic traditional art brilliantly, but it has contemporary art exhibition by Muslim and Arab artists. Stay up to date with Reconnecting Arts, Art Canteen and Shubbak Festival. They all have annual art events full of activities from art exhibitions to discussions and even concerts. 

10- Shop Islamic art in London

Since London is a city booming of all types of art, you can certainly buy Islamic art to take home with you. You can find Islamic items from Turkey and Morocco in the Camden market. Or you can buy from independent Islamic artists who are based in the UK such as Islamic Illumination,  Anita Chowdry, Jeea Mirza, and Islamic Art Gallery plus so many others that you can find on Instagram. 

Related Books: 

Over to you: Which of these activities are you looking forward to the most?

Ps.Feel free to comment more Islamic art activities in London if you know any! 

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Day trip from Prague: Kutna Hora

When I was planning my short trip to Prague, I knew I wanted to do at least one day trip to explore beyond the usual boarders of the city. So, I found a little day trip to Kutna Hora that looked SO GOOD for a very reasonable price: 700 czk. The total time of the trip was 6 hours from 11am at the meeting point to 7pm when you arrive back to Prague (including the train journey of one hour each way). 

Things I got to see on the tour: 

• The Sedlec Ossuary (Bone Chapel)
• Saint Barbara’s Church
• Hrádek
• The Hussite Wars
• Sankturin House
• The Plague Column
• Bohemia’s oldest Cistercian Monastery
• St. James’ Church
• The Italian Court
• and a few other things. 

Book your tour: Prague Kutna Hora and Bone Chapel Tour

Highlights of Kutna Hora

The Sedlec Ossuary Known as the Bones Church

That was actually the reason I chose this trip. It just sounded very bazar that I had to go see it. It was like going into a Halloween party except that the decorations were REAL human bones. They belonged to 65 thousand bodies! These people died from various diseases, but were dug up when the cemetery ran out of space and when the people of the land wanted to make space to build the new church. The bones were previously made into six pyramids until the King decided to commission a wood carver to use some of the bones to decorate the church. I am not sure what possessed the King to think of such commission. The result is creepy, but kind of creative. The masterpiece is the chandelier of life when I walk in the church. The church is very small and since it's an attraction it was kind of crowded. It only takes half an hour to see it all. There is an upstairs section for the actual worship and services that is bone free.  

St. Barbara's Church

Going to the St.Barbra's church was my absolute highlight of the day. I knew it was one of the places we were heading to, but I didn't actually look it up, so when I got there I was very pleasantly surprised. It was absolutely grand. I really loved it. 

St. Barbara's Church

St. Barbara's Church Interior Design

St. Barbara's Church Glass Windows

St. Barbara's Church Prague Grand Church

Kutna Hora Views

View from St. Barbara's Church

Other spots in Kutna Hora:  

Kutna Hora is full of surprises and it's surly more than just the bone church. There are a few other churches to see and little neighbourhood. So it was great having a tour guide telling us everything about the things we passed by. I highly recommend going there. 

Book your tour: Prague Kutna Hora and Bone Chapel Tour

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Over to you: Would you like to go on this day trip?! 

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Vegetarian Restaurants in Prague

I only visited Prague for five days, so this list is not the most comprehensive and the locations are slightly random, but I was impressed with the vegetarian scene there that I decided to share the yummy places I visited with you in case you wanted to try them yourself. Ps. some of the options are a little bit of a splurge so I included how much I paid for each to give you an idea, but you can check their menus to see prices before going. 

Content: 

• Breakfast Cafes in Prague

• Dinner in Prague (the choices are also suitable for lunch)

• Halal Options in Prague

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Breakfast Cafes in Prague

Kavarna Kaaba
Address: Mánesova 20 Prague 2
Vegetarian options available
Price 134 čzk

This place was really lovely and had good breakfast options. It was so cozy and it gives you a little insight of the everyday people of Prague. Most people seemed like they are locals. They have a really cute OLD dog there that hangs out but very well behaved. 

EMA, Espresso Bar
Address: Na Florenci 3, 110 00 Praha 1
Vegetarian options available
Price 134 čzk

This was a really lovely find and as the name suggests it's about coffee and espressos, but they did a very rich and yummy hot chocolate. They also do sandwiches and desserts. 

Dinner in Prague (the choices are also suitable for lunch)

Tips in Czech culture: It doesn't seem to be expected, but people do round up the numbers when paying. 

Note: all restaurants below serve alcohol. 

Kofein Restaurant
Address: Nitranska 9, 130 00 Prague 3 | GPS: 50°4'33.292"N, 14°27'0.990"E
Serves meat and vegetarian options
Price: 485čzk

This restaurant was suggested by Katie, a travel blogger at Study Hard, Travel Smart.
This restaurant is not completely vegetarian, but includes a few good yummy cold and hot vegetarian tapas. I got three and loved them all: fennel salad, aubergine & fish. I also enjoyed their dessert. I tried the crumble with pineapples and almonds. The photos below are from the restaurant's gallery. I was too hungry and I just ate everything right away! 

Read: Katie's extensive list of recommended restaurants

Maitrea
Address: Týnská ulička 1064/6, Praha 1 - Old Town
Completely vegetarian
Price 445 čzk 

I didn't even know about this until I started looking for food after the Jewish Quarter Tour. It was the best find! They also serve traditional vegetarian Czech food, which I was very happy to try!   

Lehka Hlava (meaning Clear Head) 
Address: Boršov 2/280, Praha 1 - Staré Město
Completely vegetarian
Price 395 čzk

Funnily, this place is the second branch of the first vegetarian restaurant I tried! I didn't realise they are the same until I went in and saw the familiar branding and menu! Again, I was very pleased to have found this. The food is delicious and they have creative options as well! 

Ps. Photos below are from the restaurant's gallery. I don't know how I managed to eat without taking food photos! 

Estrella
Address: Opatovická 17 Praha 1
Completely vegetarian
Price: 430 čzk

This restaurant was completely amazing! We were very luck we found it and found a table there! It got really busy after 6:30, but the food options are delicious and inventive. 

Halal Options in Prague

There are a few halal options I found online that looks yummy such as:

• El Emir Palladium Lebanese Restaurant
• Caspian by Mangal Azerbaijanian Restaurant
• Mangal Turkish Restaurant  

I haven't tried them, but if you do please let me know what you think! 

More posts from Prague and the Czech Republic: 

Over to you: which one are you likely try? And do you have any recommendations of vegetarian or seafood food you loved in Prague? 

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Jewish History in Prague

Jewish Quarter in Prague

I knew that Prague housed many Jews in the past and I really wanted to know more about their history since I was visiting the city for the first time. I took a guided tour through the Jewish quarter. The thing I enjoyed about the tour is all the information that I got. I actually remember the stories better when they are personal and related to the location. Only two of the Synagogues hold service. The rest were turned into museums because there are not enough practicing male members in the Jewish community. Luckily, I did the tour on Tuesday, which was the last day before a three day Jewish holiday! Make sure you check the calendar when you are planning you trip. My friends who joined me the next day were force to miss all of these sights because they were closed! 

Book your tour: Prague: Jewish Quarter with Admission Tickets

The price includes all the entry tickets and a tour guide for three hours: 1200- 950 czk (might differ based on tour oporeator)

Places included with the tour:  

• Old New Synagogue (Europe’s oldest surviving synagogue built in 1270)
• Klausen Synagogue
• Pinkas Synagogue
• Spanish Synagogue
• Old Jewish Cemetery

The tour guide started with the Jewish history from the first settlements until the horrific fate of the Jews during the Second World War. We started with the oldest standing synagogue in Europe that dates back to the 13th century. It's good to see, but not as impressive as you would think. It's on the small site and takes about ten minutes to see. We continued visiting the synagogus and learning so much about them. All of the ones we visited exceot the "Old New Synagogue" have been turned to museums and galleries. 

Spanish Synagogue

This specific synagogue was one of the major contributors of me booking the tour! I saw some of the photos online and I instantly wanted to go and see it in person. It was stunning in every way. Such great care for details and patterns. 

Addition: Jerusalem Synagogue

This was not part of the tour, but I passed by it on another day while I was in Prague. It looked really beautiful from the outside. This one was built to compensate the Jewish people for all their losses. 

If you want to know even more about the Jewish history, you can take a day trip to one of the city of Terezín, where sadly a concentration camp existed. I couldn't deal with the amount of sadness of that place, so I didn't go. 

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Here are two books if you would like to read more about the Jewish History in Prague: 

Here's a little video of my Jewish Quarter Tour! 

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Two Days in Sintra, Portugal

If you have read my six days Portugal itinerary, then you know I spent two days in Sintra. Sintra is a UNISCO world heritage site. It has a very different vibe from Lisbon and it's very relaxed. It's really great for the summer as well because it's much more mild than Lisbon and the evenings get a little cold. You can do Sintra in one day for sure, but you won't be able to see more than three sights because each one would need two-four hours depending how fast you want to be. In this post, I am sharing the activities I have done and the places I have visited in Sintra. 

Palaces and Castles Visited: 

• Palace of Sintra
• Castle of the Moors
• Pena Palace
• Quinta de Regaleria

Other Points of interest in Sintra: 

• Cabo De Roca
• Praia De Ursa beach

The great thing is the city knows what people wants to see and they have three possible bus routes that goes from the city centre. Each bus has a specific route that passes by different castles. You might be tempted to walk since the distances aren't huge, but I wouldn't advice you to do so because the hills are very steep and the roads are not big enough for cars and people. 

The 435 bus takes you to the Quinta de Regaleria. It's a good idea to start with this bus because it stops by the sights located in the lower hill. It only costs 2.50 euros for each stop. 

The 434 bus takes you to the more popular sights and the queue to get on it is long. We had to wait for the second bus because the first one filled up quickly. It's every 10-15 minutes. It's affordable! It only costs 5.50 euros and it's a hop on and off style. 

There is a payment bundle that enables you to use all buses and there is a very easy to follow route plan on the bus. One of the buses also stops at the famous Cabo De Roca. That point forms the westernmost extent of mainland Portugal. From there you can walk to the beach! More infromation on that below. 

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Sintra Palace/ National Palace

This is just facing the historical centre of Sintra and it's the first thing you would see when you get to the city from the bus stop. Hence why I started with it. It was interesting inside and had very detailed designs and some geometric patterns that I loved! The palace used to be the royals residency place from the 15th to the 19th centuries and that's why it's very well preserved. So make sure you visit if you want to see how the royals lived. 

Entry fee 10 Euro

Moorish Castle/ Castle of the Moors

I was very excited about this one because I thought there will be a lot of Moorish influence and patterns, but there wasn't. It was still really good to go up there and walk around. It was more like a fort rather than a castle. 

Entry fee 10 Euro

Pen Palace

This is the palace you see in most of the Sintra marketing material. The Palace with the sticking yellow and red on top of the hill. I can see why everyone is crazy about it. It is gorgeous and it has colourful patterns and a nice park attached to it. When you get there I would advice you to get their own shuttle bus up to the castle and save some time. It is busy as you would expect, but it was still nice and a little quiet by the end of the day. 

Entry fee: Joint Ticket with the Moorish Castle 11 Euro

Quinta de Regaleria

The Quinta de Regaleria mansion is what fairytale dreams are made of! It was stunning in every way. It was whimsical and magical. I would happily go back there again (with a few more dresses because it's a good photoshoot location as well!) My only regret is going there midday. It was SO busy and there were so many loud teenagers who thought this mansion was a game not a piece of art to be appreciated. I would either go there really early or at the end of the day. 11pm is prime time. The funny thing about this mansion is it wasn't built by royalty or someone from history. It was some rich businessman with a wild vision. He is my spirtit animal! lol

Entry fee 10 Euro

Dresses I would wear next time I go to the Quinta de Regaleria 😂

Other Points of interest in Sintra are the Cabo De Roca and the Praia De Ursa beach. These two are the main reason we stayed the second day in Sintra. Getting to the Cabo De Roca on the bus is a little long. It took over 40mins to get there. The wind there was so cold. It was cool to see it, but the total time spent there was half an hour. We saw that there is a beach nearby on Google Maps called the Praia De Ursa. Google Maps wasn't much help in term of directions. All we knew was we are on the way to it. We randomly walked down the steep hill and wearing sandals wasn't an ideal thing to do. After walking for an hour and a half (I think we took the very long way down) we got to the beach. It was as quiet as I hoped and I LOVED IT! Getting there at 3pm meant that sun was already light and the water was FREEZING! I would get there for 11pm if I ever go back. It was worth the climb down and UP! 

Beach goodies anyone?

Find a place to stay in Sintra:

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More posts about Portugal: 

Over to you: What would you like to visit in Sintra? 

Three days Itinerary in Prague (Alcohol Free Prague Holiday)

For the past two years, Prague kept popping up as a destination and the more photos I saw, the more I wanted to go! I finally managed to go with two of my girls in October 2017 for five nights. The weather was actually perfect in October. I thought it would be too cold, but it was nice. I even got to see the autumn leaves before they fall. I liked that time of the year because it wasn't too busy. 

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Although Prague is a compact city, you can easily spend a week there to see everything. I would advice you to do your research and decide the things you want to do before getting there. Hopefully this post will give you a few ideas based on the activities I have done and enjoyed. 

Content:

• Prague's Transportation

• Prague's Activities

• Prague's Budget

• Prague's Areas & Accommodations

• Prague's Vegan and Vegetarian food

• Muslims in Prague

• Day Trip from Prague

 

Prague's Transportation

The city is not big, so you can surly do it only by foot, but if you decided to stay slightly further out like we did, then their trams and buses will be a good option! I used Google Maps for times and directions. There are digital boards by the tram stops to tell you when to expect your ride. I thought the easiest thing is to get a 72 hours pass (310czk) to use all transports, but you can keep buying tickets based on your need. they have a single ticket valid for 30 mins (24czk) and 90mins (32czk). There is a 24 hours pass (110czk) as well. You get your tickets from the machines near the trams. I got mine from the airport and I used it for the bus from the airport to the city and the rest of my transportation for my time there. You have to validate the ticket once you get on the tram or bus. 

Prague's Activities

I fully packed my three days there and I really loved it. This little city can keep you very busy for a few days! I had to go see the churches, synagogues and a number of secular buildings. The walking tours I took were the highlight of my trip. Keep on reading to find out about the activities in details! 

First Activity in Prague: Wandering in the old town

The first part of the old town -before you cross the bridge to go to the castle side- is really cool and that's how I started getting to know the city. In there you can visit the Mucha Museum, Town Hall, Prague's astronomical and the St. Nicholas Church. There is certainly more to see, but those are the four I enjoyed the most.

Mucha Museum was my highlight though. Photography and video isn't allowed, but I enjoyed his work. It's a small museum, so expect to finish it in an hour, but it's full of creativity and I think it will help you understand the art scene of the city. 

For the town hall, we went on the guided tour and it was very informative, but it took longer than expected and it was too detailed. It was really interesting seeing the famous clock from the inside. The Prague's astronomical clock were nice to see, but I didn't find them exceptionally memorable. When the clock ticks on the hour and the sculpted saints come out, the whole space in front of the clock is filled with people. 

St. Nicholas Church was fabulous. I really liked the light airy interior space inside with the chandelier. It's a small space and only took me 20 minutes including reading the information and taking the picture, but it was nice to go in.  

Inside the Prague Town Hall

Prague Town Hall

Prague Astronomical Clock

St Nicholas Church in Prague

Inside St Nicholas Church in Prague

Second Activity in Prague: Visit the Jewish Quarter

I think one of my favourite activities in Prague was going on the Jewish quarter tour. I found the history fascinating and the guide knew everything there is to know. You can do this on your own and pay each admission and just read the information, but the tour was very reasonably priced for three hours. Dedicated post on this coming up! 

Book your tour: Prague: Jewish Quarter with Admission Tickets

Third Activity in Prague: Crossing the bridge to the Prague Castle

Heads up, the Prague castle is a square shape complex as you see in the picture below, but when you pass it you get to see a number of interesting buildings. My highlight was the fascinating St. Vitus Cathedral, which is the gothic building you see popping from the other side of the river. I booked an afternoon tour to go to that side, which was such a good timing because it was really quiet and I got to learn so much about the history and the mythes of the city. 

Book your tour: Prague Castle Complex 2-Hour Guided Tour

Fourth Activity in Prague: Go see Prague from the top

The architecture in Prague is unique and churches are famous for the "onion shaped" domes. The city looks even more beautiful from the top. There are a few points to see the city from up high. The one I went to and enjoyed was the Powder Tower (Tip: You get an entrance for it with the town hall ticket!)

Not so impressive Prague activities: 

Many bloggers raved about a handful of "must see" places that I didn't find mind blowing and thought I will share my opinion with you in case your time is tight in you are trying to choose between activities. The three not so impressive activities were the Charles Bridge, the National museum and the John Lennon Wall. Don't get me wrong they are lovely, but they aren't as amazing as I was lead to believe. The Charles Bridge is SUPER crowded and people barley move. You stop every two second because someone is taking a picture. I really loved the sculptures on it and the myth of the bridge. 

According to one of legends, the builders of the Charles Bridge decided to strengthen the bridge by adding raw eggs into a mortar. There were not enough eggs in Prague, so that they were brought from every corner of the land and the inhabitants in one of the regions were afraid that the eggs would break during the transport, so that they sent them boiled – to the great amusement of the whole of Prague (source).

I was very looking forward to the John Lennon Wall, but the graffiti when I went was very basic and immature. It changes all the time, so maybe I just didn't have a great luck in seeing something creative. The only highlight was the cute owl that I took a photo with. The wall itself is on the small side, so manage your expectations. 

The National Museum was my biggest let down, but I am to blame for not researching it enough before visiting. The museum has moved from the gorgeous looking old building to a new modern glass building, which wasn't impressive. The collection in there was also average and I felt like I really wasted my time going there. I wish I used those two hours going somewhere else. 

Charles Bridge

John Lennon Wall

Prague's Budget How much money do you need for Prague?

Let's talk money because it is an important aspect of your trip! Here's the breakdown of my trip. You can either do it cheaper or more expensive depending on your choices. 

• Flights
  Ryan Air £40 (return from/to London Stansted)

• Accommodations
  £25.25/night in a basic hotel for a single bed room slightly out of the town centre

• Transportation
  72 hours pass 310czk

• Activities

  • Castle Tour 300 czk

  • Jewish Quarter Tour 1200 czk adults / 950 czk students

  • National Museum 200 czk adults / 140 czk students

  • Mucha Museum 240 czk adults / 160 czk students

  • Old Town Hall with Astronomical Clock 250 czk adults / 150 czk students

  • Day Trip Tour to Kutna Hora 700 czk

• Food
  Food was my biggest spending. I just couldn't help myself! I love good food.
  I spent about 120czk (£4) for most meals, but sometimes it went to 350czk (£12) for some of the fancy dinners I had.

Prague's Areas & Accommodations

When I visited Prague, I stayed in Pension Prague City. It was a really nice and basic hotel with cleaning bedding. The staff were very nice to me and helped me with directions. This place has two buildings and doesn't have an elevator! Thankfully, I was given a room on the first floor, so it was only one flight of stairs for me. The area was safe, but the bar/resturant across the street is a little loud.

I also looked up a few other options that are also on a midrange budget in good locations if you would like to take a look at them. 

You can also do your own search in whatever trusted accommodation website you like the most. I use booking because of the easy map and review functions. 

Booking.com

Prague's Vegan and Vegetarian food

I was impressed with the vegan options in Prague. I surly wasn't expecting that! There is a dedicated post for the food coming up! In terms of halal food in Prague, I didn't really seek any since I was very happy with the vegan options they had! If you really want halal option you can look at them on the Zabiha website. 

Muslims in Prague

I was a little worried going to Prague with a scarf especially after an article about me was published in Czech magazine. Sadly it didn't get a lot of love, but I am glad I didn't let the "not very nice" comments stop me and I went anyway. My two friends and I were visibly Muslims with our headscarves, but thankfully we didn't get any abuse. People there were friendly and helpful. I also did two days solo before my friends joined me and the treatment was still ok. We were only there for four days, so not a great measure, but I felt absolutely comfortable. Here is an article from Talah Nadeem about Life as a Muslim in Prague. In terms of mosques in Prague, I didn't personally go to any, but when I looked up mosques on Google I got these two main ones: Islámské centrum v centru Prahy and Mosque Černý Most. Both seem to be within a regular building style. 

Day Trip from Prague

I love day trips as you might have noticed! I just don't like to only stay in the city. Venturing out always gives me a better understanding of the place, so when I planned my trip, I knew this is something I wanted to do. There are a few day trips, but many cool places are three hours a way and I didn't want to travel for ages, so I opted for Kutna Hora, which was one hour a way! I have a dedicated post about it coming up! 

Book your tour: Prague Kutna Hora and Bone Chapel Tour

I really hope you enjoyed this post. I think Prague is surly worth a visit. If you want to get a better feel of the city. You are welcome to watch my Prague videos on Youtube! 

Over to you: Are you planning a trip to Prague? What would you like to do/see the most?