All being well, this newsletter has magically landed in your inbox at the usual time of 7:30 on a Friday morning, thanks to technology keeping its promise and allowing me to schedule this post a whole week in advance. Or perhaps my flatmate kindly sorted it out after I sent her a panicked message from a sun lounger in Sifnos, Greece, nursing a pounding hangover from last night’s visit to Loggia Wine Bar.
Apologies for the brag, but I’m finally on holiday after an intense nine months of hustling for my dream career. I’ve been wanting to go island hopping around Greece for the last couple of years, and now I’m finally here, on a trip planned 90% based on my friend's recommendations. I’ve booked most of the restaurants she advised, we’re staying in the areas she suggested, using the modes of transport she vouched for and I’m even planning to visit a pottery shop she recommended.
I love getting holiday recommendations from friends, and they often come to me for the same. Friends' insights offer unparalleled insight, honest feedback, and practical tips on places you might want to visit—or ones you should definitely avoid.
In light of this, I wanted to compile several of your recommendations to share with this community. The internet is often swamped with so many ideas that it can be hard to know where to start. If you go to places recommended on TikTok, you’re bound to spend at least an hour or two queuing for a table or a sun lounger on the beach, and then have to endure being in the background of someone’s video content or the sound of drones swishing overhead as yet another Instagramable video is made.
So where should you go for recommendations then, I hear you ask? Your friends (or a local, but sadly I don’t have access to many of those). While these recommendations aren’t all super detailed and you’ll still need to do some of your own planning, I hope they offer a starting point and a few ideas that might inspire you to plan your next cheeky getaway.
My top holiday tips
As one of my friends once told me “Google maps lie, locals don’t” and she is damn right. Always ask locals for recommendations or if you’re unsure about something. One time my friends and I got chatting to a local man in The Philippines and we got on so well that he took us to his private island to camp there for the evening. This was one of the highlights of my six-month stint of travelling and it wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t of made a bit of an effort with a local. Make sure that your itinerary is flexible so that you can adapt to local suggestions if need be.
Say goodbye to the pillow cover hack and hello to the duty-free bag instead. When you get to the airport, get a duty-free / WHSmith bag to fill with your extra stuff. Always works for me and much easier to lug around!
Switch that “out of office” on! There is nothing better than truly being free from work. You’ve earned this break so you should properly enjoy it, so that means no e-mail checking throughout the day. I personally like to delete social media for some/ all of my holidays too so that I can have a full-blown digital detox, enabling me to be more present with my friends and family.
Your holiday recommendations
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Food: Pluk (for breakfast), Foodhallen (£), Cafe de Jaren (££) or De Kas(£££) (for lunch), Café Twee Prinsen (for orange wine) or Waterkant (fun drinks by the canal ) and Mana Mana in De Pjip or Pesca (for dinner).
Hang-out spots: De 9 Straatjes (the nine streets) and Jordaan for great boutiquey shops and chilling among the canals; De Pjip for young vibes.
Activity: Rent a Mokumboot—the best way to see the city while going up and down the canals (multiple routes and reasonably priced), and you can take a picnic on board while going at your own leisure as you get to drive the boat yourself.
Where to stay: Amsterdam is very small so if you stay anywhere within the A10 ring road you will easily be able to access all the sites, but I would recommend staying around Vondelpark for easy access to the centre, the east and west as well as the city’s very famous park which is great for chilling in.
Insider tip: The best shopping (IMO) is at some of the markets because that is where the real vintage gems and bargains are at so I recommend planing your trip around them. Check out when IJ-Hallen is on (usually last weekend of every month) in particular as this is the biggest flea market in Europe. Other great ones are Noordermarkt, Westergas and Waterlooplein (usually on everyday but Saturday is the best).
Credit: Pixabay
Barcelona, Spain
Food: Empanadas from ‘La Fabrica’ (there are a few) - they make a good walking breaky! Would recommend ham and cheese; Walk down La Rambla and go to Mercado de La Boqueria - insane food market . Get the seafood platter for two at Ramblero restaurant stall inside the market, great vibes sat at the bar (The market is closed on Sundays!); For sups head to Gats for supper delish tapas and great location.
Hang-out spot: Go to Le Terreza sunset open air party 6-12pm. It is so fun and the music is usually techno. Buy tix in advance!
https://laterrrazza.com/
Activity: Spend the afternoon walking around the Gothic quarter and El Born and go to the Picasso museum or Mocco museum (modern art) ; hire scooters for 4 hours from here (should be 25 euros each) https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZWUq9mWuwfhECdzH8?g_st=ic and go down the beach to the W hotel where you can have a cocktail at one of the bars there and then scooter up to La Sagrada Familia for some Gaudi action (even just froM the outside it is insane!) and then go across to Casa Batillo (I would recommend getting tickets to one of them- they are insane inside!)
Where to stay: Stay in El Born for easy access to the whole city.
Berlin, Germany
Food: Com viet - this place is a sweet vietnamse place with the best Pho/ spring rolls, the psring rolls are 1 euro!!; Mustafas kebabs - this is a absolute MUST for berlin, there is lots of franchise shops and they are all so so good.. must for lunch or supper !! Especially good after a few drinks…
Hang-out spot: Day time drinking spot = Cafe Cinema, very Berlin esq spot, graffiti and benches outside, chilled vibes and good in the summer, also in Hackensher marc which is a fun area to go to bars and chill by river for day time; Night time drinking spot = Cafe Mano - in Kreuzberg, can play games, low lit bar and good, tasty cocktail; Cafe: Shakespeare and sons - bagel spot in Friedrichshain, also a book shop, this place is super duper cute and great spot for bagel and coffee
Activity: Rent electric scooters and go round Templehof park, especially good in the summer, can even have a BBQ there with some tinnies from the Spati! Also electric scooters great way to see the city especially in the summer; If you visit in the summer, you MUST go to the lakes, get a 30 minute train out of berlin and find a sweet space to sunbathe and dip in the amazing fresh water lakes!
Where to stay: Friedrichshain - favourite with cool bars and restaurants nearby, anywhere in the east is good to be honest. Kreuzberg is also very popular and there are lots of nightclubs.
Insider tip: Spatis in the summer are soo good - its like an english off license, go inside and get a 1 euro beer and sit on the benches outside!
Bologna, Italy
Food: Trattoria Fantoni (restaurant), Mo Mortadella Lab (yummy sandwich shop)
Hang-out spot: Bivio enoteca - vini naturali (natural wine bar), Vía Mascarella (whole street of fun bars)
Activity: Walk the Portico di San Luca or thrift at Piazza Otto Agosto market
Where to stay: Anywhere central as it’s a walkable city, but the east is the student area if you want fun!!
Insider tip: Try the sparkling red wine it’s amazing (lambrusco I think lol) !
Budapest, Hungary
Food: Brunch at Cirkusz; grab a slice of pizza from Pizza Me (they are everywhere)
Hang-out spot: Tiki Bar is the best bar for cool cocktails
Activity: Go on a cruise down the Danube River - best views of parliament; check out the Fisherman Bastion for good views of the city
Where to stay: Stay in District VII if you want nightlife and hostels but if you want somewhere a bit quieter, District V.
Insider tip: Don’t check your ticket on the tram so just jump on (side note: I probably shouldn’t be encouraging this).
Cape Town, South Africa
Food: The Stranger’s Club! By far my most favourite spot in Cape Town. Does the yummiest breakfast/brunch/lunches within a beautiful indoor/outdoor courtyard setting. It also doubles up as a shop that sells a curated blend of locally sourced brands and products ranging from dresses, jewellery, candles, sunglasses and more, alongside a wider array of African art and artisanal products. It’s the best.
Hang-out spot: During the warmer summer months, Saunders Rock Pool definitely is a frequent go-to. Known by many as the Cape Town watering hole, Saunders offers a ‘refreshingly’ cold dip during the scorching summer weather – although I have one too many times lost all feeling in fingers, arms , toes and legs – the Edinburgh North Sea has nothing on the level of cold we’re dealing with here…
Activity: I have two. The first, hiking up Table Mountain – an obvious Cape Town must. The views are next level but it’s definitely not for the faint-hearted. The first time I climbed to the top, I went up Platteklip Gorge on the front face of the mountain, which is basically just an endless set of steps that climbs almost vertically all the way to the top. By the time we summitted, my legs had given up on me and were uncontrollably shaking like jelly. The other would be taking a weekend morning trip to Kalk Bay, a little fishing town a short drive from Cape Town. There you can swim in Dalebrook tidal pool, followed by coffee and freshly baked croissants at either Olympia Bakery or Salt.
Where to stay: If it’s areas, Seapoint is fun because it’s on the Atlantic seaboard, meaning its super easy to just walk out your door and be by the sea. You can walk all the way down the promenade where there are several nice coffee shops along the way. If you want to be more in town, Tamboerskloof is nice suburb close to Kloof street, where you can find tons of nice restaurants and little local shops. If you’re looking for more specific places (and have a nicer budget), Dorp Hotel in the Boa Kaap is suppperrrrr nice. My parents stayed here when they came in Feb. It overlooks the entire city-bowl and has insane views of Table Mountain. Being in the Muslim district, you can’t buy alcohol there but sometimes they ‘gift’ you a G&T on arrival which you can enjoy outside on their roof terrace over-looking the city.
An insider tip- Maybe a bit less fun, but safety is definitely something everyone needs to be aware of. I would recommend only using Uber Black at night, and also never be alone anywhere at night. Another thing to know, is that there’s no public transport anywhere, so everyone is very car-dependant. Uber is fine to use or if you can, rent a car otherwise you’re quite stuck on getting around. (walking around town sadly to be discouraged, unless on the promenade with lots of other people)
With this in mind, traffic is therefore an absolute nightmare, particularly in the busier summer months. So my advice would be to avoid travelling from the town centre to the suburbs from 3:30-6:00pm as you will simply not move for about 2 hours… Another thing to be aware of is Loadshedding. A totally alien concept for me when I first arrived, but the electricity will completely turn off for designated periods each day. No phone charging, hairdryer, kettle, fridge, fan, bedside light - NOTHING. It’s crazy. You can download the ESP app that tells you the loadshedding schedule for each district in the city so you can prepare accordingly (just remember your portable charger…) It can range from 1 hour to genuinely up to 11 hours a day with no electricity. When booking a place to stay, sometimes they say they have generators or invertors, meaning they can keep the power on during loadshedding hours – good to keep in mind.
Final thing, again safety related, but if you have a car - NEVER LEAVE ANYTHING IN IT, especially if you’re parking on the street overnight. Car break-ins is a constant thing so just make sure you don’t leave anything valuable (or just anything at all) in your car to be on the safe side.
Parque Nacional Lagunas de Chacahua, Mexico
Food: On the beach front there are lots of places/ shacks that serve fresh fish each day, but if you go into the square (about 50 meters from the beach) you can find delicious classic Mexican food and its about half the price of the beach front places!
Hang-out spot: Sakamiche - Bary Café for drinks with the locals.
Activity: It’s a surf town so thats obvs a big part of it. You take a boat as part of the travel to get there so you basically get a kinda free (obvs pay for the travel but not much) boat ride around the mangroves. Walk up the hill to the lighthouse for stunning panoramic views of the area. You must do a bioluminescent plankton tour in the lagoon at night - it’s around $5 and one of the most incredible things to see.
Where to stay: Stay in a hammock on the beach or rent a room along the beach.
Insider tip: This haven for surfers is very remote and requires lots of different modes of transport but don’t be put off! The best way to get to Chacahua is to go from Puerto Escondido :
Need to get to the main ADO bus terminal and take the Tur bus to Zapotalito - it should cost 70 pesos to get here
Then get off and take the taxi to the lanchas (the boats) - 20 pesos - tried to charge me 100 but it should be 20
Take the local transportation so the short 10 min boat trip for 50 pesos
Then after this another 50 for another 20-minute drive
Copenhagen, Denmark
Food: Lunch at Polly, sharing small plates (croquettes were insane) and cocktails (amazing orange wine). https://restaurantpolly.dk/en.; Dinner at Camino, Tapas and fire-based cooking, best Margaritas. Would recommend fun for dinner as there is a DJ there till 1 am and loads of fun bars nearby for drinks after. https://restaurantcamino.dk. - MUST BOOK BEFORE YOU GO
Hang-out spot: • The meatpacking district (sounds very odd) but great restaurants, bars and clubs if you want to go out; Indre By - we spent a morning here, has nice cafés to grab a pastry and a coffee. My favourite shops, boutiques and Denish style.
Activity: You must go to 2200 København (vintage shopping area)
Where to stay: We stayed in an amazing Air B&B, very central, it was a 5-minute walk from Nyhavn which has great bars and restaurants (Address: Det Teologiske Fakultet, Købmagergade 46, København 1150, Denmark)
Insider tip: We got the subway everywhere, we bought a city pass for 3 days and got us everywhere.
Dublin, Ireland
Food: Get breakfast or lunch at Tang and enjoy a delicious pan-asian dinner at Indo-Chine (a little further out but a great local spot).
Hang-out spot: The streets around Trinty College Dublin and St Stephen’s Green are great to wonder and there are lots of lovely cafés and pubs to enjoy.
Activity: Let’s face it, most people are going to Dublin for a boozy one so get stuck in the pub culture. The Guinness Storehouse is a must as well as The Ginger Man and O’Donoghues Bar - avoid Temple Bar at all costs unless you want to pay ridiculous amounts and be surrounded by TikTokers. If you want to do something non-booze related, check out the National Gallery of Ireland or go for a swim at Forty Foot (featured in the Apple Tv series, Bad Sisters).
Where to stay: South of the river is where most things are going on, so either get an Airbnb or stay in a hostel/hotel around there - don’t expect cheap accommodation.
Insider tip: Walk everywhere or use the trams as they’re very efficient. Don’t forget you are leaving the UK so everything is in euros!
Edinburgh, Scotland
Food: Brunch at Montpeliers in Bruntsfield or The Pantry in Stockbridge, Lunch at Alby’s (unreal sandwiches) and all the restaurants along Thistle Street are brilliant for dinner (personal faves include Noto, Bon Vivant and Dusit) or The Palmerston and Forage & Chatter in the West End.
Hang-out spot: If you don’t have the energy or the time to climb up Arthur’s Seat, go up Calton Hill in New Town instead—just as good 360 views of the city and lots of monuments to sit on to take it all in (perfect for cracking open a G&T can IMO).
Activity: Walk along the Water of Leith, starting in Dean Village and ending in the port of Leith, where there are lots of great pubs (Teuchters Landing is a personal fave) and plenty of places to grab a great fish and chips while taking in this beautiful, historical place. Also, everyone must visit Edinburgh for The Fringe once in their life, as it is when you will see the city in all its glory.
Where to stay: Anywhere in New Town or Old Town will mean you are very central. If you prefer somewhere slightly quieter, opt for Stockbridge (brilliant market on Sundays) and stay at The Raeburn.
Insider tip: You don’t need to get on public transport anywhere (unless from the airport, then the tram is great), so don’t be conned into thinking you need to as the city is very walkable - although the hop-on-and-hop-off bus is fun for seeing the sites and you can get on and off as many times as you would like.
Edinburgh Castle Credit: Pixabay
Istanbul, Turkey
Food: Ciya Sofrasi for dinner, Comedus for wine bar and you must try pide!
Hang-out spot: Vigneron wine house and Hidden Garden
Activity: Tour of the Hagia Sophia and go to the Egyptian Bazaar
Where to stay: Anywhere on the European side
Insider tip: Shopping near the Hagia Sophia is very expensive and you will find much better Turkish rugs, shoes, clothes etc. in the cheap markets instead.
Lisbon, Portugal
Food: Copenhagen coffee (for breakfast), Pastesis de Belem (best pastel de nata / custard tarts), Ponto Final (get the ferry across for lunch), Java or Park (pre-dinner drinks), Restaurante Vicente by Carnalentejana (best steak and red wine) or Fares (delicious Lebanese and v. vibey).
Hang-out spot: Lx Factory (former weaving and textile factory) - great market on a Sunday, fun shops and stunning rooftop bar.
Activity: Visit Ceramicas na Linda - a beautiful pottery shop which is cheap but great quality. Deffo do a free walking tour!
Where to stay: Bairro Alto - right in the hub of everything and easy to walk to the best restaurants, bars and viewpoints (admittedly, I basically ate and drank my way through Lisbon and didn’t do that much culture, but this area was perfect for that).
Insider tip: You will be walking pretty much everywhere so you don’t want to go in prime summer. I went at the end of April and the weather was averaging 28 degrees a day, which was the maximum you would have wanted for trekking around a city all day.
Mexico City, Mexico
Food: Orinoco, Casa Virgina, El Moro and Mercado Roma
Hang-out spot: Mama Rumba - salsa bar/club.
Activity: Get a hot airballon over the Teotihuacán ruins just outside the city - whole day tour including breakfast.
Where to stay: Stay anywhere in La Condesa (Described as Mexico City’s Notting Hill) and La Roma.
Insider tip: InDriver is way cheaper than Uber and nothignn is open during the day or night on Mondays or Tuesdays (other than the museums on Tuesdays but the nights are dead).
Credit: Context Travel
Paris, France
Food: Chez Janou, Dalia, Bambino and Bouillon République.
Hang-out spot: Drinks along the river at Buvette bar - takeaway pints and cocktails.
Activity: The Picasso Museum is a must!
Where to stay: Stay in the neighbourhood of Le Marais or on a cheaper budget, Love and Peace hostel is well located.
Insider tip: Lime biking around Paris is super easy and fun - less sweaty than the Metro and a great way to see the city.
Positano, Italy
Food: La Fontelina in Capri (a MUST!)
Hang-out spot: Drinks at Le Serinuse - really nice rooftop overlooking Positano.
Activity: Defo get a boat to take you around for the day, the beach is so crowded so gives you more space and is so nice. Takes you to really cool caves etc. Go to Capri for lunch as easiest to get there by boat. On the way to or from the airport (if flying into Naples, which is the usual place to go), stop in at Pompeii.
Where to stay: The classic hotel in Positano is La Serinuse which is lovely (but it is £££) so if you aren’t there with a very big budget you can get a lovely airbnb a bit outside.
Insider tip: Don’t drive around in a car yourself, the roads are so narrow with blind corners and you need to be an experienced driver round those areas. Get a taxi from the airport and then once in Positano it’s all very walkable (apart from lots of hills but its a workout without realising it!) and stay somewhere with a pool/sunlounger as it costs £50 plus (I think in peak season it’s like £80 ish) to rent a sunlounger for the day on the beach!!
Credit: Mari on the Map
Seville, Spain
Food: Casa Morales, El Favorito, La Antigua Bodeguita and Cafelito Universal.
Hang-out spot: Calle Mateos Gago is a street next to the cathedral with lots of great bars and tapas and La Terrazza de Eme is a fancy rooftop cocktail bar overlooking the cathedral, which is spectacular but London prices.
Activity: Go up Metropol Parasol - Setas de Sevilla for sunset and incredible views of the city. Also book drinks or dinner (quite spenny though) at Maquiavelo - they put on the most incredible Spanish cabaret show and it is so much fun.
Where to stay: Hotel Don Paco - cheap, great location and has a pool!
Sifnos, Greece
Food: Cantina, Omega 3 and Pelicanos.
Hang-out spot: Kavos Sunrise and Loggia Wine bar.
Activity: Rent a boat or do a pottery class - One of the most ancient crafts practised in Sifnos from the early Cycladic period.
Where to stay: Get an Airbnb (really reasonably priced) in Kastro for stunning views or the busier part of the island, Platis Gialos, where there are lots of bars and restaurants.
Insider tip: There is a really good bus service that goes around the island - deffo recommend using this if you’re not confident on a moped.
Split, Croatia
Food: Zlatana Ribica Street Food.
Hang-out spot: Academia Ghetto Club.
Activity: Take a ferry to Bol for a day trip or do a hike around the outskirts of the city - best views of Split.
Where to stay: Old Town
Insider tip: Split is a really well connected international airport so it ties in perfectly with a trip to neighbouring Bosnia and Montenegro.
I hope you have all enjoyed this slightly different newsletter and that these recommendations have provided a starting point for planning your next well-deserved break!
Please comment any other recs you might have and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram: @rawtalkwithlornaperry
Love LP xx