Dubai, the desert jewel

Dubai is one of those destinations that is very common on most travellers' lists. Just because you would have heard about it forever, there is a high likelihood that you would have visited it sometime or the other. But surprisingly, I had never visited it till now. It was midway on my way from London to India, so I always thought I would stop there on some trip to/from India. And that took more than 10 years to happen:).

It happened this spring - a couple of my friends were planning to get together in Dubai. But even though the plan fell through, I still got a chance to visit and explore this desert jewel. I stayed there for about two and a half days and was very impressed with what the Sheikh of Dubai had built.

It is not that Dubai is an amazingly touristy place - in many ways, it is pretty average. But its more about the vision that you see in the city which impresses you. Building this huge and luxurious residential, entertainment and commercial hub right in the middle of the desert is not easy.

The whole Dubai experience started for me with my Emirates flight. Its definitely one of the better airlines around and you can see luxury the moment you are on it. The seats are better than even the business class of British Airways when you fly within Europe. And this luxurious experience continued all the way during my trip.

While landing, there was a lot of fog, which felt weird to me, but apparently this is normal because of the mixture of desert sand with the cold temperature in the morning. From the air, I could see all the houses spread far, with a yellow hue all around. Maybe they were reflecting the colours of the desert?

JBR 3D painting

Once in Dubai, I was met by my friend who stays in Dubai and she showed me around the city in her BMW;-). The first day, we visited two places. In the morning, we went to JBR or Jumeirah Beach Resort - a touristy area next to the beach. It has lots of high rise apartments also located there and apparently most of the expats stay here. Maybe because JBR has a very European feel to it, or maybe its the reverse reason:).

JBR 3D painting

JBR is full of shops and hotels and things for tourists to do. You can see everyone walking around lazily in the sun, exploring the area and clicking pictures. While I was there, there was a street artist display of 3D paintings on the road which we saw. And then had a burger lunch sitting outside. The best part of being there for me though was the sun, especially given this year spring was very very cold in London. I just loved sitting outside, with the sun on my face, enjoying the heat and doing nothing else.

In the evening, we went for a desert safari to the Al Madam desert (in Sharjah). The desert safaris are standard tourism tours offered by many different agents. It starts with them taking you out of Dubai into the desert in their Land Rovers (I think). I did not even realise we had driven into Sharjah by the time we were in the desert! The landscape very quickly changes from the glitz of Dubai to the barren yellow of the desert. On the way the guide showed us many different parts of the city - the location for an artificial indoors lagoon that is being built, the race course for horses and one for camels. We of course did not see the race but would have been fun nevertheless :).

The desert experience starts with dune-bashing, where the guides drive you very fast through the sand dunes. They go up and down very fast and it requires very skillful driving, so that you know where you can take the car on the edge and where not. It was fun (and very scary!!) for the first 5 mins, but then my head started spinning. I don't think I was able to enjoy the whole half an hour they did that, as did a couple of other fellow travellers in the car. But it is an experience to be had at least once. You wouldn't think it is possible to drive on the edges and go up and down the dunes, the way those guides do.

We stopped after that crazy drive in the middle of the desert to take some touristy photos. To be honest, having seen many deserts before, I wasn't too impressed. It was not a desert till where your eyes can see either. Right in front you could see a rock mining location, so wasn't as much in the wilderness as it should be.

Desert safari camp

Sheesha corner

After the dune bashing, we were taken to a desert safari camp for the rest of the evening. It was a huge area with lots of tents set up and different activities happening all around. There was a henna corner; some food stuff; a sheesha corner; desert scooters to drive on the dunes; Arabian carpets being sold; photoshoots dressed up in Arabs costumes and so on to spend time. You have about an hour to experience it all, before the show starts. We got some henna done and then tried some sheesha. My head was too dazed from the dune bashing to try out the desert scooters. But am sure they are fun. Maybe for next time:).

Around 7pm or so, the dance show started. It included about 7-8 different belly dances, by about 5 or so dancers. To be honest, the dancing wasn't really out of this world. The music though I loved. The Arabian tunes all have this mystic and mast feeling about them which I really enjoy.

Dance in trance

The last dance of the day was the most impressive one in my view. It was performed by three men and involved almost being lost in the dance, with the dervishes turns (not sure if that's what its called). The men's costume had lights on it which switched off and on sometimes and they kept on turning and performing for at least half an hour if not more. There was a mystical quality about it which is very difficult to explain. All the dancers seemed to be pretty lost in the moment. And so were the guests all around.

The dinner was quite tasty, with lots of variety in terms of Italian, English and Arabic food. I was very impressed with the overall quality of the whole safari plus the hospitality of the guide and everyone else. And it was amazing being out in the desert at night. The sand felt very soft and cool. The sky was clear and twinkling with the stars. And there was a cool wind blowing, making the temperatures drop to a comfortable level. I really enjoyed this desert safari evening, even though the desert was nothing new for me. A relaxed, calm and cool evening with nothing much to do other than enjoy the sights around is surely welcome:).

One thing I noticed that day and later was that all the people who were working were Indians or Pakistanis - the guides, the henna women and all the other workers. Apparently Dubai has been built by people from the sub-continent. They all come there, work, earn and then go back to their country when they can't as no one can become a citizen in the UAE. The whole Emirates has been built by them, while the locals have it easy and enjoy its results;-).

The second day again we visited two places. First, we drove to the Palm. We've all seen and read about it before - an artificial island created by Dubai in the shape of a palm tree. The central trunk has all the apartments while the semi-circular fronds of the palm are full of independent luxury villas, each with private access to the beach! And the outer crescent has the hotels.

Driving around in the Palm, I saw what opulence and luxury can be about. And splurging money:). The whole area felt so rich - an entire island carved out of water artificially to provide apartments and pretty villas to the moneyed of the world! By this time I had already got used to the opulence of Dubai, so nothing surprised me anymore.

Atlantis on the Palm

We spent the morning at the Atlantis resort, which was right in the middle of the crescent of the Palm. It is a huge resort, similar to its namesakes elsewhere in the world. And is full of shops and restaurants, aquariums and water park (also offering swimming with the dolphins), and beaches and spas and many more things to do. I heard that some people who visit Dubai never get out of the Atlantis, they just spend their entire vacation there:).

Dubai skyline

We sat outside in the sun at the Nassimi beach cafe for some time, admiring the Dubai skyline across the sea. I loved it and couldn't have enough of the sun:). There was plenty of it around! And then we drove around the crescent, with the car top open!! It was fun standing up in the sun with the cool breeze blowing, the sea on one side and the hotels and skyline of Dubai on the other. What a moment!

Burj elevator

In the evening, I visited the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. It is 830 meters high and has 154 floors. I bought tickets for 'At the top' which is a tour allowing you to go up to the 124/125th floors which have observation decks for tourists. The whole experience has been made very touristic, which start with posters detailing the making of the Burj. There is lot of history in the story of how the building came about and that is shared with all. Then you take the elevator which takes you up the 124th floor in just 60 seconds! The lift has also been designed to wow tourists, with lighting and music inside, climaxing when you reach the 124th floor.

Dubai fountains from above

Once there, you can spend time walking around and taking in the views of Dubai. There are two floors open for tourists - 124th with an open observation deck and 125th with glass walls all around. From both floors, you get a 360 degree view of the lights of the city, the city scrapers, and the desert beyond. And this is where you see what Dubai is, like a sparkling oasis with the yellow desert around. I spent almost an hour up there, admiring the views and later on, the sunset. While up there, I also saw the Dubai fountains from above, which run every half an hour after 7pm. I think they looked prettier from above than below :).

Day view from Burj Khalifa

Night view from Burj Khalifa

Dubai mall

The Burj is built on top of Dubai mall, again the biggest mall in the world. I walked around in the mall, which goes on forever. It has all brands possible and tourists from across the world. It also has a huge aquarium and a huge waterfall inside the mall! Once down, I saw the fountains again from ground level and realised they are not really synced with the music. Its like they are flowing independently. We then had dinner at PF Changs and ran into Chunky Pandey:).

Burj al Arab

Thereafter, we went to Kite beach for a walk on the sand after dinner. It was quite isolated and fun to walk on the cool sand, have juice on the beach and enjoy the stars above. You can also see the Burj al Arab from there, twinkling at night signifying all Dubai has built in the last few years. Apparently Dubai is very safe at night too, even for women, which is always welcome.

The third and last day, I had a couple of hours before flying to Delhi, so me and my friend drove towards the Gold Souk in old Dubai but we never made it. The old city is so crowded that we got stuck in traffic, so went to Bastakiya instead which is an art village. We explored it a bit though it wasn't much to see. Driving in old Dubai also made me realise that Dubai is not all high rises. Those are just the touristy and expat parts of town. The rest are like any other - small and not so shiny places.

With my trip over, I had seen most of what was there. The whole of Dubai has only this to offer which can be seen in two days. Other than these places, the Dubai Creek, Spice Souk, Gold Souk, Butterfly garden and Miracle gardens are also supposedly worth visiting. But not necessary. Unless of course you love shopping, because then there is no end!

For me, learning about life in Dubai was more fascinating than the touristic stuff. It seems like a comfortable and convenient place to stay. There are loads of high rises and villas spread out providing plenty of accomodation to everyone. Then there are gardens, parks and green belts all around the city - kept green by drip irrigation system. It feels so unreal given that its a desert and two miles out, nothing grows at all. The infrastructure there is totally amazing. The roads are well maintained. And lot of money is spent on improving the city. Recently, the Metro was completed. And now they are building a canal all along the main road - Shaikh Zayed Road - a la European style cities.

Inside the Atlantis

Hotels abound in Dubai and they all follow the maxim of grandness and luxury. The Atlantis I already mentioned. And we passed through a Le Meridien - its the biggest and most expansive Le Meridien I have ever seen! There were so many garden restaurants and pools sprawled across the campus. We got lost inside the hotel while returning from the desert safari! Space is definitely not a constraint in Dubai. You can just convert some more of the desert into part of the city. And of course, the Burj al-Arab is the most famous of the hotels in Dubai. It looks pretty from outside. We didn't get a chance to go in, as you need a restaurant booking to even go inside!

Aquarium inside Dubai mall

There are malls everywhere to shop. In terms of staying, lot of areas like Emirates Living and Dubai Marina have come up where expats are allowed to buy houses. The villas are the huge independent houses with gardens, which are mostly outside the main city centre, while there are more apartments in the city centre. Earlier only locals could buy most of the villas, but that is changing now and getting much needed cash into the economy (given current oil prices).

You need a car to get from one place to another, as there is limited public transport. Cheap local oil always helps:). The roads are good, though traffic is pretty bad. It takes forever to get anywhere at all. And people don't follow the traffic rules much either. Houses are good. Jobs quite adequate. Help available too. Apparently Dubai also has Sharia law, thought its quite lax especially given the expat community.

There are loads of events always going on in Dubai, some festivals, some conferences and so on. They have an indoor ice rink and are building two new islands - another Palm and the World islands. So lots of money still to spare:). Is definitely a good place to settle, except its too small. And sometimes artificial.

The Indian community is one of the biggest in Dubai, with a separate area where most of the Indians stay. Bollywood stars are also big here given the number of billboards with them on it. You can hear Hindi very often all around. But of course, as I mentioned, they can never become citizens of Dubai. They will always remain foreign workers, which I think is sad.

Dubai's rise has been stellar from a port town based on slave trading to an entertainment, business and tourist centre for the world. Of all the Emirates, Dubai was the only one to transform itself and move so fast to modernise itself. Its truly amazing. I feel that this city is an ode to what the human mind is capable of. And can be a case study on how to make a tourist destination out of nothing:).

Californian winter

This winter, I spent two vacation weeks in San Jose, in the Bay Area of California. To be honest, I thought it would be sunny and warm, as you expect California to always be. However, I realised its actually cold there in the winters:). The temperatures were only marginally better than London, plus it was rainy the first week. The weather did improve later on though and it turned out to be a fun and relaxing two weeks.

Of the two weeks I was there, I mostly spent time with family and a couple of old friends; shopped (a lot of time actually!) and rest of the time relaxed. We did travel a bit too, went skiing in Lake Tahoe, and took quick day trips to the seaside resort towns of Sausalito and Carmel. But most of the time was spent in and around San Jose itself. I also got a taste of life in the Bay Area, and now think it can be another place other than London that I can think of settling in.

Bay Area

I found the Bay Area very relaxing as expected. The whole area is quite open and spread out, and there are apparently 101 cities with about 8 million people living there. This is good on the one hand but then has a bit of a disadvantage too. One, given how distributed it is, you end up needing a car to go anywhere. Second, there is not that much to do in the smaller cities other than shop. There are no parks like in London, or options to just walk to someplace. There are many malls all around but they are also all spread out and you need to drive to get anywhere.

So we ended up shopping a lot, mostly in the nearby mall of Valley Fair (at least 3 trips in two weeks if not more!) plus two trips to the Gilroy outlet mall which is about 45 mins drive from San Jose. The trips were totally worth it as prices in US are much lower than in UK. But it does get boring after a while seeing the same brands everywhere all the time.

Stanford University

One of the afternoons, we made a quick trip to Stanford University and walked around the area. The University is located in Palo Alto, the same area as Facebook is in:). It was a pretty campus, with huge green grounds everywhere. The main building, the Church and the clock tower were impressive (though not as much as Oxford or Cambridge). It felt like such a calm world within the busy urban landscape outside. Would be fun to study there for sure. The area around Palo Alto was nice to drive in too, lots of beautiful houses in the area.

One of the days, I did a Tesla test ride on the P90D too and I must say I loved it! Its also the first time I have ever test ridden a car:). What I loved about it was two things - one, the Ludicrous mode which allows you to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph within 2.9 secs. It feels like you are in one of those sci-fi movies where the rocket is moving ahead very fast. I would definitely recommend everyone to try it. The second of course was how quiet the car was. It almost felt surreal, how can a car not make a lot of noise? The Tesla is designed very well, its very spacious, has two boots and very easy-to-drive controls. Tesla now has an auto-pilot mode too which I did not get a chance to test, but I think is a definite must-do for the next time.

San Jose Gurudwara

The last day of the trip, we visited the Gurudwara of San Jose. Its located on a hill, with a great view of San Jose. We spent some time in the Gurudwara, which was very calming and then had langar there, which was tasty as expected.

Langar

One thing which I found disturbing was this board right in the middle of the langar. Its very clear what philosophy they are propagating - an anti-India feeling. And the fact that a foreigner is behind this quote is not a surprise at all! To be honest, I felt like walking out from there but then thought that its a God's place, and the issue I had was with the people who put up the board, not God. So decided against it.

We drove around a lot in the Bay Area and I was always impressed with the picturesque sunsets every evening. With the sea, the mountains, the clouds, the clear blues of the sky - it always made for mesmerising moments. While driving along the highway, I also saw names of so many companies and startups, whose apps I have used - Avaya, Evernote and so on. The whole startup scene felt so much more real and alive when I saw all those company boards.

House prices in the whole Bay Area have been going up crazily in the last few years, apparently they are now close to London prices! Which is surprising given there is so much empty land all around. Its all the startup and IPO money talking I guess. Plus all the houses there look like they are made of cardboard (because it is an earthquake prone area). I wonder why they are so expensive then?

The traffic here is not too good either as people break the rules all the time. Also service is quite bad everywhere. People talk too much and don't work efficiently. Plus feel much more rude than people in UK. Was an interesting experience to note these differences nevertheless:).

Lake Tahoe

We spent a weekend skiing in Lake Tahoe, though the intial plan was to be there for 4 days. One day was lost when there was a snowstorm there (was good for the snow though) and the other day was lost because of terrible traffic. Even though Lake Tahoe supposedly is 3.5 hours from San Jose, it took us almost 6 hours to reach there. There was just so much traffic on the way, with snow chains and moving very slowly, it took us 3 hours to cover a 40 mins distance! The scenery during this time was pretty to look at - white hills and valleys with snow on the trees all around.

Ski run

There are many ski resorts in the area. We went to Heavenly which is in South Lake Tahoe city. It is a nice little village providing access to multiple slopes. The first day since we reached at 2pm, we just spent some time eating and walking around. It was so cold (-10 degrees) that we were not in the mood for any more walking and promptly checked-in into our accommodation:). We had booked a house very conveniently located about 0.6 miles from the resort. It was shaped round like an igloo and was very cosy and well decorated.

Lake Tahoe from the top

The next two days we skied along the various slopes of the resort. I took lessons on the first day and realised that the slope markings are different and easier than the ones in Europe. The blues here are the second level of slopes but still easier than the blues in Europe which are the lowest level there. Overall the skiing was relatively smooth and easy and there were very few moghuls which is always welcome:). The slopes were fun - lots of easy blues all around, with magnificent views of the lake and I particularly loved the Stagecoach, Ridge Run and the Galaxy run.

This year the snow was good, and a lot of people mentioned that last few years they had not got a lot of snow. It was very cold on the top, almost -18 degrees Celcius with wind chill. The views from the runs were amazing - both of the lake below, as well as all the hills around. All the trees were covered with snow, it was like the white christmas trees we all used to draw on our christmas cards. Lot of times while skiing, I would stop and just admire the view.

You can go up the runs by taking the main gondola from the Heavenly village. One the way up, there is a viewpoint where you can get a birds eye view of the lake. Apparently the ticket till the view point and back costs $65, while the all day ski pass costs about $135 a day. And there are many other lifts going up to other points, the highest of which was about 10k feet high. The food on the top is very expensive, so I would suggest you eat in the village before you go up. We also saw loads of Indians on the top of the gondola, who were not skiing, just clicking photos and leaving back via the gondola:).

Snow covered trees

There are a couple of villages that you can ski down to. So you dont always have to take the gondola down to the Heavenly Village. But it is the biggest of the lot with lots of restaurants around.

We took a package on the first day which was quite reasonable. It costs $175 per day and includes day lift ticket, one 2.5 hour class and ski rental for the day. While if you try to get only a class, it costs about $115 for one day. The service at the Heavenly ski rentals was below par though - they have so many different processes, it took us about 1.5 hours to get our ski rentals!

I have been to Lake Tahoe once before in the summer, it was so different and beautiful then. The lake was blue and the weather warm. Its nice (and rare) to have such a place so closeby which offers both hiking and water activities in summer, and then skiing in winter. Lake Tahoe is definitely a plus for the Bay Area

We ate lunch at Kalani's and dinner at Pizza base camp on day one, and dinner at Fire and Ice on the second day, all in Heavenly village. All were decent places and the food tasted amazing after a long day of skiing. And while coming back to San Jose, we ate Indian dinner in Sacramento at Bombay bar and grill - that was definitely amazing.

Carmel

Carmel high street

We drove to Carmel one day when we were shopping in Gilroy and the weather changed from rain to sun:). Its a nice little seaside town to the South of the Bay Area and has a very European feel to it. We spent a nice afternoon there browsing through some of its (expensive) shops and boutiques, and had a quick lunch at Mediterranean. Then we took a walk next to the sea in the setting sun. It would be very pretty in the summer when its warm. Now though, it was tough to stay out for long. Of course you can never go into the sea as its always cold water (apparently even in summers)!

Carmel beach

Sausalito

Sausalito beachfront

Sausalito is another little seaside resort town north of San Francisco, where we went on the 31st of December. It has a similar European feel like Carmel, with lots of boutiques and galleries and beachfront houses next to the sea. We ate at a small little Italian place and then just walked around checking out all the painting galleries. There was one by Daniel Merriam which was quite interesting and I loved this painting. Too expensive to buy it though!

United Airlines

I flew United Airways to and from SF and I must say they are one of the worst airlines I have flown. The seat did not recline, the food was barely filling or edible, and the blanket or better still, piece of cloth they gave was like something donated for earthquake victims which they passed on to the customers!! They have automated check-in kiosks which dont work most of the time, and then limited staff to deal with the passengers for whom it doesn't. So lots of things to complain about. The only thing that made up for it was the friendly and talkative flight staff, but without them it was a terrible experience.

Overall I loved the trip and look forward to working there sometime. Lets see...

Parks of London

One of the best things about London are its numerous parks. Wherever you are, there is one very close to you. A sanctuary within the city, but in some ways far away from it. A place of sun, water, green, food, relaxation and freshness! A place so close to nature, a place to go to when you want to clear your head, to exercise, to relax, to enjoy the sun, to meet friends, to paint, to sleep, to read - basically anything you want to do outside your house but within London:)!

There are loads of parks in London, each with its own identity and uniqueness. Some offer walks and some games; some offer large expanses of green while some offer colourful flowers; some are huge while some are just the neighbourhood small patches of green. But each of them leaves its own mark on your mind!

I love visiting these parks. Whenever the sun is out (and sometimes when it isn't!), its a pleasure to walk around the parks, taking in all the freshness! So I thought it would be a good idea to pen down my thoughts about the ones visited in recent years. When I am in a park, I don't take many photographs, as it seems so mundane. But now when writing the blog, I realied how few pics I have of them. Still found some pics of the ones close to my house which were visited more often ;-), so at least there is something to post!


Regents Park

Its the park next to my home, and I must be visiting it once a week for sure. Regents Park is one of the bigger parks in London and the best landscaped one in my opinion. Its located between Baker Street, St Johns Wood, Camden and Kings Cross, with a squarish shape. Its got rose gardens, cherry blossoms, landscaped gardens, walking trails, lakes, football and cricket pitches, the London zoo, running tracks, a theatre, cafes and I don't know what else! Its so green in summer,with colours so vibrant that you actually feel that you have come to the woods and left the whole world behind!

The 'Theatre in the park' is one of its highlights - you can watch plays there in summer in an open location, with the sun setting just behind the actors. I have seen two plays there, 'The Sound of Music' and ' To kill a mockingbird' and more than the plays what I remember is the setting and the amazing romantic experience it offers.

There is the usual boating in the lakes, playing games but what I always enjoyed was just walking around its various bridges, small canals and discovering things I had never seen before. Plus the flowers in the park with their vibrant colours, different in every season provide some mystery to what the year's colours would be. The two cafes in the cricket field and the Inner Circle are also a favourite.

Here are a couple of photographs of the park taken over the last 3 years.

Primrose Hill

View from Primrose Hill

Primrose Hill is a very small park just adjacent to Regents Park on its north-east end. There is nothing too impressive about it except that in the middle of the park there is a hill where you can get a birds eye view of London. This place is again a favourite of mine, its great to sometimes just sit there and look at the city - very quiet, very relaxed and very calm!


Hyde Park/Kensington Park

Serpentine

I used to live very close to Hyde Park but not anymore, so my trips there have considerably reduced. But it will always be THE park in London for me. Its a huge park in the middle of the city, surrounded by Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge, Kensington and Notting Hill. It houses two lakes (Serpentine and Lido) is full of birds, the Queen Diana memorial walk, tennis courts, riding area, Albert Memorial, Peter Pan statue, and multiple green areas to walk around and get lost. It is one of the most touristy parks in London, and for a reason! Its just so pretty!

Albert Memorial

There are loads of things to keep you busy - there is a Speakers Corner if you are keen to hear people speak, boating and swimming in the lakes, Kensington Palace on one end which is now a museum to Diana, two cafes (Lido and Serpentine again I think), sunbeds to sit out in the sun, or you can just run/roller blade around the park for a total of 7 kms!

Random crossroad!

There are loads of events too which happen in the parks, two of which I have attended - Proms in the park where thousands of people sit outside in the sun listening to music performances - and Winter wonderland which is a Christmas market plus rides fair during Christmas.

Here are some photographs of Hyde Park in various moods...

Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Health is again a huge park in the northern part of London. Surprisingly, all the parks have a different character to it. Hampstead is almost like a jungle - with hills and dense forests and so on. It has a couple of ponds which are quite popular for swimming in the summer.

Outside Kenwood House

I have been to the park 3 times till now but I never made it to very far. This winter though I finally managed to get farther than before - we went up to Kenwood House, an old English country house which houses a lot of great paintings - the highlight of which was a Rembrandt!! I think there is still some more to explore, maybe next summer...


Paddy Rec

Paddy recreation ground is not really one of the famous parks of London. Its just one example of how every area in London has its own local park, making it very easy to spend time in the open. Paddy Rec is a small park in the Maida Vale area. And even this small park has its own running track, cricket pitch, gym, tennis courts and a wildlife trail! Lots of summer afternoons were spent just exercising in the open or running on the tracks or just watching people play cricket in this small little local park!


St James Park / Green Park

St James Park

Both these parks are near Buckingham Palace and have some kind of a royal feel about them. St James is very well landscaped even though its so small. Even then it has a canal, lots of colourful flowers in spring and walking paths along the way. Green Park is more of the sitting outside in the green variety.

St James Park is full of colourful tulips in the summer. Last summer I went out just to click them all:). It was very very beautiful!




Richmond Park

I have been to Richmond park only once, but people who stay close to it swear by it. Its a huge park in south west London. We went there once in summer, started from one end, walked all across looking for a cycle to rent and ended up spending the whole day just walking:) without ever reaching the cycles! Its a more open park than the rest within the city, has huge wide roads, deer running around and space for a lot more activity than the others. Someday I will make a second visit but till then just memories of its expanse stay with me!

Greenwich Park

Greenwich Park is a huge park I visited 10 years ago, and never ever went back to even though its on my to-visit list every year! The fact that its not the easiest to get to doesn't help either. One day, I will be there:). All I remember of it now is that it was a huge green park next to the Prime Meridian!

Holland Park

Holland Park is a park again near where I used to stay. A smaller cousin to Hyde Park, its often lost in the shadow of the Big Brother. but its a nice place, have been there at least 10 times. There is the usual cafe and games to keep you busy but as I said, Hyde Park is definitely better:).

Bishops Park

Bishops Park

This is a very small park, will be close to where I will stay. I look forward to exploring it further! P.S. (May 2016) Am still waiting for spring to fully arrive, but one of those rare sunny days I got out and explored the park a bit. Its quite picturesque, with fountains and landscaping. Located right next to Thames, it provides pretty views all around. Here are some pictures from this park.

There are many other famous parks of London, like Kew Gardens, Battersea Park, Clapham Commons etc.. I still have to visit them. But if I do, will definitely add onto this list...