TRAVEL
Friday 17th March 2017
@redbricktravel
21
Cheap Trips: Dublin Travel writer Hannah explains an affordable means of exploring Dublin's nightlife, cuisine and attractions in- and outside of the city Hannah Woodbridge Travel Writer @Hannahwoodbridge
Dublin is famous for Guinness, history and good times, and with St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, Dublin is at its liveliest making it the perfect time to visit this small but vibrant city. Travel: The fact that Dublin is so close to Birmingham makes transportation to the city so easily affordable. There are frequent flights from Birmingham airport with both Aer Lingus and Ryanair, from as little as £9 each way and only taking about an hour. It is so quick and affordable, that even a day trip is possible, saving on costly accommodation. The coach and ferry is also a viable alterna-
"...frequent flights from Birmingham Airport from as little as £9 each way" tive for travel to Dublin. Costing a fair bit more at £70 for a return ticket (with Eurolines for a youth fare), it offers overnight travel daily from Birmingham. This gives the benefit of again saving on accommodation and being able to wake up and find yourself in another city. Once in Dublin, the small compact city means that walking is the best and budget friendly way to get around; but if you are feeling lazy (or the rain gets too much) there is a cheap and reliable tram system too.
eccentric and very cheesy place to stay. Decorated with leprechauns, four-leaf clovers and a lot of green, it claims to be ‘completely Irish’. They charge around £17 per night per bed in an 8-bed dorm, but what is best about this hostel is if you stay for two nights and are there on a Monday or Thursday, you get a free coach tour to the Wicklow Mountains, making it the best place to stay if having a longer trip to Dublin. Alternatively, Abbey Court offers charming, traditional hostel accommodation on the banks of the River Liffey. For £18 per night per bed in an 8-bed dorm or £13 in a 24-bed dorm, you get a buffet breakfast and a nightly bar crawl straight from the hostel door. Attractions: Lots of Dublin’s top attractions charge admission, so costs can mount up if not careful. If you are planning on visiting lots of places, it may be worth getting a Dublin Pass. It costs around €70 for a three-day pass, and that includes entry to over 25 attractions with queue skip, an airport transfer and a city sightseeing bus ticket. The Guinness Storehouse is a must visit. This huge brewery meets museum recounts the history of Ireland’s favourite drink, before rewarding you with rooftop views across Dublin from its bar. Your ticket includes a pint of Guinness, certainly making it a cheaper way to have a pint in this city. If whiskey is more your fancy then head to the Old
Jameson Distillery, where you’ll learn how to taste whiskey like a professional and even get a certificate for your hard work. Dublin and Ireland have had a turbulent history, which has helped shape Irish identity today. For a moving and informative visit, head to Kilmainam Gaol. The tour will tell you the journey of the long road to Irish independence, as well as the history and importance of the prison itself. For more history, head to any of the National Museums of Ireland. Scattered across Dublin, these three museums specialise in different aspects of Irish history, so there is bound to be one that takes your fancy, and better yet they’re all free. Dublin Castle is right in the middle of the city centre, it is a large round tower recognisable across the city. Although it costs to visit the state apartments, the grounds and gardens are free to visit and are filled with tons of diverse sculptures by local artists. Another pocket friendly experience while in Dublin is to go on any one of the numerous free walking tours. Although a tip is encouraged at the end, they will guarantee you miss nothing in this city from major sites to hidden gems. Dublin Free Walking Tour or Sandemans are the most popular, but most hostels will also have a particular company that they recommend. Although not a hectic city, if you want a break from Dublin or just the desire to explore some of the famous Irish countryside, head
to the Wicklow mountains. This national park surrounds the south side of Dublin, offering numerous hikes and trails and has even been the site for the filming of many of Hollywood’s blockbusters. The seaside town of Howth is also easily accessible from Dublin city centre. Hop on the tram to this picturesque harbour town, to see seals, have an ice cream and even a swim if you’re brave enough.
"...explore some of the famous Irish countryside" and "head to the Wicklow mountains" Food: Irish food is not all about potatoes, but it would be wrong not to try some while in Dublin. Right in the heart of Temple Bar, Gallaher’s Boxty House is famous for its inventiveness with the humble potato. Its early bird set menu offers unrivalled value for such good and traditional food and its €11 tasting platter gives you the opportunity to sample their selection of spuds. If you do want to eat something more exotic, Ireland is having a bit of a burrito revolution currently. Numerous local and very affordable chains are popping up across Dublin. The
most popular being Boojum and Pablo Picante, both of which offer meal deals for less than €10. Drinking and nights out in Dublin are certainly not cheap. There are no chain pubs like Wetherspoon and the tons of tourists make prices very high. The cheapest place to drink is in the student bar in Trinity College Dublin. The campus itself is pleasant to wander about, but the bar offers by far the cheapest place to have a drink at €4 for a pint of Guinness. If you do want to drink in Dublin’s liveliest street, Temple Bar, head to The Porterhouse. No Guinness will be served here, but there are a ton of Irish whiskeys and craft beers from around the world and Ireland itself. It will be a traditional Dublin experience with Irish folk music in a bustling pub, but it won’t come cheap. Spending Money: Dublin is not the cheapest city, but for a quick break in Western Europe it’s unbeatable. For two nights accommodation, flights Captions go in the corner of pictures and a three-day Dublin Pass, it and shouldn't be hyphenated will cost around £130. Food can be expensive, but by cooking in hostels and buying food from one of Dublin’s many central supermarkets, you can easily have a weekend away from as little as £150 or £200 if you tactfully eat out, making the most of cheap restaurants and set menus. Dublin is packed full of things to do and it’s all within walking distance, making it the ideal place for a quick and affordable getaway.
Accommodation: Dublin is packed full of places to stay, but to keep costs down a hostel is really the only choice. Paddy’s Palace offers a slightly
Top 3... Free Attractions in Singapore Alys Haswell Travel Writer @alyshaswell
Gardens by the Bay & Marina Bay Sands hotel
The Botanical Gardens
The MacRitchie Treetop walk
As an eco-friendly attraction, the Gardens by the Bay are a great example of Singapore’s tourism industry working to benefit the environment. The high-tech ‘supertrees’ are covered in thousands of plants and are designed to produce solar energy. At night, the structures illuminate to create a spectacular sight during the light shows (7.45pm and 8.45pm daily). Leave a couple of hours to explore the gardens especially if entering the flower dome and cloud forest, at additional costs. The gardens can be easily accessed from the Marina Bay Sands hotel, which has become a popular attraction for its impressive architecture. Browse the designer shops in the mall beneath the hotel to escape the city’s raging humidity.
Singapore’s Botanic gardens are a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the city’s most popular attractions all year round. The 74-hectare site includes an array of themed gardens, a rare section of primeval rainforest, and the symphony lake, which provides a romantic setting for seasonal opera performances. The gardens are also home to the National Orchid Garden which can be accessed for $5. For the most enjoyable experience, avoid visiting during the midday heat. When it comes to Botanic gardens Singapore outshines most others, and considering that Birmingham’s own Botanic gardens have an entrance fee, visiting this expansive botanic wonderland is an absolute steal not to be missed.
The MacRitchie Treetop walk is definitely one of the lesser well-known attractions in Singapore, the treetop walk could prove that the best places of interest are not always those that appear on Instagram or Pinterest. Located within the MacRitchie nature reserve, you need to walk 4.5km from the MacRitchie Reservoir, or 2.5km from Venus Drive to begin the treetop trail. The walk provides a bird’s eye view of the forest canopy, and takes approximately two to three hours in total. Whilst doing this trail it is difficult to imagine the bustling city centre from your viewpoint, with not a skyscraper in sight you feel nestled by nature. Note that the walk is closed on Mondays.