Travel back through time in Tallinn

Travel back through time in Tallinn’s old town

Did you know Skype was intvented in Estonia? 

Close your eyes on the journey from the airport to the Old Town (unless you’re driving of course) because the grey concrete building and, relics of the Soviet era, are far from aesthetically pleasing and will definitely give you the wrong first impression of this magnificent city.

The Old Town is the heart and soul of Estonia’s capital, a quaint little area where medieval architecture and chic, modern boutiques are neatly assimilated into this eclectic pocket of the city. Due to the turbulent past of the city, with regards to ownership, it is rich in history and it is easy to detect traces of Russian. Swedish, Danish and German culture that has been left behind.

Women dressed up in Draakon

The most striking feature of this town is the slightly OTT devotion to the preservation of Medieval Tallinn. As you step through the gates to the city, cobbled streets splay out under your feet and the smell of cinammon wafts on the cool Baltic breeze as women dressed as medieval maidens sell spiced almonds. Yes that's right, there are workers in fancy dress around every corner. It is part of their job and they probably think it is just as weird as you do. Take it light-heartedly and try not be put off by the fact that the city is kind of like a medieval themed park. 

So what is there to do? You could easily spend an entire day just wandering, soaking up the atmosphere and snapping some kodak moments of the beautiful, old buildings.  If you’re feeling energetic and looking for a spectacular view, you might even want to climb all 115 steps to the top of Town Hall tower where Old Thomas lives, a legend in Estonian mythology. It was believed that he was a peasant boy who won an archery competition in which only nobility could compete and afterwards was dubbed the Guardian of Tallinn. He now watches over the city and leaves sweets under the pillows of the local children. Not in a creepy way. Like a young, beardless Estonian Santa.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite, Tallin has an array of cafés and restaurants waiting for the chance to delight your tastebuds. Although Estonia has no national dishes, they are certainly no strangers to hearty cuisine. H

Gorgeous little streets

ere are a few suggestions of where to go to satisfy your gastronomic needs. Firstly and most importantly is Draakon, where the servers are dressed in tradional medieval costume and the décor is in the same vein. Elk soup is dished up into clay bowls and served alongside meat pies and pickles which you have to spear out of a barrel yourself. The cost of such a meal? A mere €3. At Kompressor, ignore everything on the menu and focus solely on the pancakes, I guarantee they will blow your mind. Choose between savoury or sweet – I defy anyone to tackle both – and enjoy a monstrous meal brimming over with meat or fruit. Finally if you want to splash out, check out the Kolme Konne Grill, a traditional restaurant that serves typical Eastern European meat and potato based dishes as well as all sorts of cakes and pastries. I recommend the pear and coconut cake for something unusual but sublime.

Town Hall

My final piece of advice for getting the most you can out of this unique town is to do a walking tour of the city. They leave every day at 12pm from the tourist information centre and are led by student volunteers. This way you can uncover a wealth of information about Tallinn’s Old Town as told by a local including its military history from the middle ages to present, all sorts of KGB conspiracy theories and how Estonia made its way into the EU in 2004. The tour lasts two hours and the guides work hard for their tips so don’t feel shy about rewarding them!

Wanna CHOMP Some Comfort Food?

In my "How to Survive Bangkok" article I wrote about the importance of easing yourself gently into an Eastern diet but for those who haven't read that I will reiterate my advise now. Going from salt-filled carb-ridden Western grub to nothing but rice and noodles can be pretty tricky even for the most seasoned traveller. Therefore, to avoid feeling rough for your first few weeks, when your body screams out "I NEED A BURGER" you may as well just give it one. Fast-food chains are a-plenty in the bustling capital of Thailand but to be quite honest the quality of the food there is even worse in Asia than it is in Europe. So where do you find some delicious home-comfort food that is still nutritious and not likely to blow the bank? The answer is CHOMP.
My boyfriend and I were stumbling down Sam Sen Road in Bangkok after a very messy outing in Bali the night before followed by an exceptionally uncomfortable 4 hour plane journey desperately looking for somewhere with a menu that would be kind to our still-tender stomachs. After several disappointed glances over menus serving nothing but oriental food we found this little gem on the corner of Soi 1. The first thing we noticed as we approached was the big sign outside advertising BIG burgers and our eyes lit up with pure joy.

Snazzy exterior decor

We rushed inside, grabbed a menu and took a seat, relieved to be off our feet. We were greeted by Gili, the owner, who asked us what we were after before talking us through some of the dishes. My boyfriend explained to her the fragile state he was in and I told her I was after some sort of banana-based drink. She told us she had just the thing and dashed off behind the bar to whip us up some drinks. A few minutes later she returned with what I can genuinely say was the most delicious drink I have ever tasted in my entire 20 years of existence: a banana, coconut and cinnamon smoothie. Everything about it was perfect. For my cusping boyfriend she had concocted what she termed "the ultimate hangover cure" and presented him with what was basically a virgin mojito but with added secret ingredients to make his stomach stop churning. I'd tell you how it tasted but I didn't even get a look in so I'm guessing it must have been pretty fine and he definitely looked a lot less grey by the time he'd finished it.
We both ordered sandwiches as neither of us could handle anything bigger and despite our condition we pretty much licked our plates clean.
When we went the place had only been open for a few weeks and it was still a bit of a work in progress but that didn't stop it from having a fantastic vibe. Gili's children were there at the restaurant with her and it was so lovely to see a working mother who could still spend time with her babies. Her son brought us our cutlery and her tiny little girl amused us to no end with her gorgeous smiles. She told us about how her restaurant came into existence and how hard her and her husband worked and are still working to get it off the ground.
If you are in Bangkok I seriously recommend you hit this place up whether you're craving home food or not. The atmosphere is great and the food is to die for, the perfect combination.
Enjoy!

Gili and her husband behind the bar

5 Things You Can Do For Free In Singapore

If you are backpacking around Southeast Asia then Singapore should definitely be on your to do list. You've just spent several weeks eating dubious food, being harassed by tuk-tuk drivers and riding buses that had definitely seen better days. Suddenly you're surrounded by shiny skyscrapers and fast-walking businessmen shouting into their blackberry wifi headsets and you realise you're no longer in Cambodia. For most westerners Singapore is a welcome break from the chaos of less developed countries where they can indulge in some health and safety regulations and actual roads with lane discipline! However, you're now used to spending about $2 on a decent meal and about $5 on a hostel. In Singapore, $2 won't even get you a glimpse at the menu in a proper restaurant and most of the hawker stalls will charge you at least $2.50 for a meal and that will be very basic (but still probably delicious). As for a room, you're looking at about $25 just for a bed in a cramped dorm that smells of feet and is about 4000 miles from the actual centre of Singapore. So you have to splash out a bit to eat and you have to splash out on your accommodation and now your credit card has shrivelled up in protest leaving you with a grand total of $0 to spend on activities. For this reason I have scoured the city and found you 5 things you can do for free to make the most of your time in Singapore.

Get Lost in Little India

This vibrant section of the city is the perfect place to wander around for a couple of hours with your head in the clouds. Take in the colours and the smells while you reminisce over your journey so far or ruminate on the nature of existence. As you glide through the streets lined with fresh fruit stalls and quaint street cafés emitting spicy and exotic aromas, appreciate the fact that even amid the hustle and bustle of the power city that is Singapore, there is still place for these traditional districts where women still dress in dazzling jewellery and saris and where the sense of community is still so strong.

Striking colours in Little India

Explore Chinatown

If you've just spent hours wandering around Little India you might be loath to then do exactly the same in its oriental cousin down the road. However, I cannot stress the difference between the two areas enough! Little India and Chinatown are different enough to make you believe that you are in a different city. "But every city has a Chinatown" I hear you cry, so what makes this one special? Well for starters it is surrounded by skyscrapers and business hubs which make a nice juxtaposition with the hawker stalls and hanging lanterns. Most importantly, though, it is probably the cheapest place in the whole city to grab a bowl of chicken rice!

A wok-ful of delights!

Chinatown by night

Visit Kampong Glam

A beautiful mosque just off a dual carriageway. Stroll down the leafy boulevard lined with cafés and take in the view of the mosque standing majestically at the end of the street. The combination of decorative paving and palm trees give a truly magical feel to this little part of the city. If you haven't thought ahead to cover up before you get to the mosque then fear not, they provide gorgeous full length robes in a very stylish powder blue to visitors free of charge. Read up on Islam once you're inside and take a peek at local muslims going about their prayer routine. Make sure you clean your feet before entering! The inside of the mosque is pretty underwhelming compared to the outside in terms of beauty and splendour so don't feel too disappointed once you're inside. Have a glance around and then come back out and take some photos.

Cover up or you have to wear this...

Pretty gorgeous

Window Shopping on Orchard Road

Orchard Road is most definitely a shopping experience unlike any other and no matter how small your budget may be, you can always afford to window shop. Boasting 22 malls and 6 department stores, this road is right up there with 5th Avenue, Oxford Street and Rodeo Drive and is a haven for hardcore shopaholics. Girls, go and lust over the jewellery and luxury boutiques that mix super-cute Japanese twee with all-American block colour staples to create stand out pieces that are both fierce and unique. Boys, rock on over to the many world class suit makers and take a lot at what they have on offer. You'll find everything from ice-cool black suits to slick gold numbers. Don't actually buy a suit (unless you happen to be a millionaire), instead get a feel for what would suit you, maybe even get measured up and try some on. Really get an idea of what are the current trends in the fashion world (maybe sneak a photo of two if you can do it without getting caught) then head over to Vietnam and get it tailor made for you for about 1/100th of the price! Cheeky? Yes, very, but when it comes to economising, everything goes.

But one of the many, many malls on offer

Watch the Laser show at Marina Bay

So it gets to evening and you've spent about 8 hours on your feet wandering around Singapore in a heat that is less than gentle and now you're ready to collapse. Perfect. Let your legs give way on the steps of the plaza at Marina Bay and watch the laser show outside Marina Bay Sands. Lots of flashing lights accompanied by some emotive music, what's not to love! You can even get that obligatory photo with the Merlion while you're there. Happy days. Just try not to get too jealous of all the expats eating in the painfully expensive restaurants along the strip by the waterfront which you will probably pass on your way there. The food may be top notch, but the bill will turn your stomach.

Major lasers