Search Results for “london” – Purple Travel Official Blog

A Night Less Ordinary: The Cake Hotel in London

Mar 29 2013

We go around the world to find the most beautiful, weird and wonderful hotels. From Underwater Lodges to converted Airplane Suites, expect the unexpected. This week a hotel made entirely of cake. If you can make it through this post without drooling, you’re better than us. Ladies and gentlemen, let us present to you the Cake Hotel in London… and get ready to drool just a bit.

What’s the gimmick? For most of us, eating out and treating ourselves is part of the fun of holidays. You might check out the hand made pasta in Rome, the cheese in Paris or the Mediterranean cuisine in Greece. However, this is something a little different. A hotel for one night only made entirely of cake. The Cake Hotel in Soho is filled with bright pops of coloured cakes, frothy confections and macaroons as far as the eye can see.

Why stay? The Hotel has eight tasting rooms with different themes including Pirates of the Caribbean, Mardi Gras and more. The brainchild of a sugar cane manufacturer, it certainly set our tastebuds tingling just at the thought of it. The best part is, each lucky guest can eat everything, carpets, decorations, lights and windows. The bedside tables house edible books and the bathtubs are filled with caramel popcorn.

All images via @ designtaxi.com

The WOW Factor? Did we mention everything is edible? The walls are made with 2,000 macaroons, the rugs are made of 1,081 meringues, there are edible pearls in treasure chests and a two-metre-high Easter Island chocolate statue. 14 bakers slaved for 2,000 hours using 600 of sugar to make this hotel taste as delicious as it looks. However, sadly this special hotel was open for one night only, but we can always dream.

A Purple farewell to Prince

Apr 25 2016

It’s been a few hours since another legend passed away, adding to the people who left us in 2016 after leaving their mark. Prince for us was always an idol. A charismatic musician who managed to captivate our minds, souls, eyes and ears through his work. In order to honour him and his music which inspired us more than ten years ago, we decided to name our company Purple Travel partly because of his song Purple Rain. Lots of dreams, fun times, bad times and anything in between could be dressed with Prince’s songs as a soundtrack and still be way exciting.

Apr 08 2016

Choosing a travel blogger to follow rarely comes is uncommon practice among travel enthusiasts. Be it that we love poring over their photos of immaculate exotic beaches or freshly prepared local dishes from faraway destinations, travel bloggers provide people with something to dream about and look forward to while grinding away at their job desk. The website design, luscious write up and sheer passion about travelling is something that we all admire and as such it’s not easy to distinguish amongst our favourites. However, purely in terms of putting things in order we have decided to rate our favourite bloggers and put them into a list because let’s face it; who doesn’t love lists!

The top 5 cheap beach holiday destinations in Europe

Mar 15 2016

Amongst various offerings worldwide, beach holidays are all the rage. The feeling of soft sand getting in between your toes, the sun warming you up and the relaxing sound of waves splashing a few feet away, are amongst the most soothing offerings of nature. Pair that to beach bars serving you fresh cocktails by the seaside and the choice of activities and opting for a beach holiday over any other type of vacation becomes apparent! However not all people can afford the exotic goodness of the Caribbean and as such they have to remain within the confines of Europe. Worry not because if you decide to have your beach holidays in Europe you still have a huge variety of amazing places to choose from!

Holidays in Majorca: 5 historical places to explore in the European tropics!

Dec 18 2015

Thinking about summer holidays usually brings mental pictures of white sands, crystal clear beaches and palm tree branches gently dancing to the sea breeze. Tropical beaches however are only one side of our dream holiday as history has provided us with some of the most amazing sights and monuments. A tropical island with history close to home you say? Well look no further because your tropical paradise might be also hiding some historical treasures and it’s all just a couple of hours away! Read More

Purple 10: best places for holidays at Christmas

Dec 01 2014

Any town or city can hang up a few lights in the city centre and call it a Christmas festival but there are places in the world that put the rest to shame. If you’re fed up of shoddy lights and a sad-looking tree take a look at these places that really know how to put on a show and offer the best alternative places for holidays at Christmas.

Barcelona, Spain

If you’ve got enough holiday to extend your holidays until the 5th of January (Three King’s Day) then there’s no place than Barcelona to spend it with Melchior, Gaspar and Balthasar. On Januray 4th the three king’s touch down at the city’s port on their very own ship – Santa Eulalia and completely kitted up in velvet. Canons are fired, fireworks are let of and as the mayor of the city hands over the keys of the city to the kings, the magic of Magi officially starts. The kings are paraded through the streets in an extravagant procession of floats comprising of camels, elephants and giraffes.

9 autumn holidays

Aug 27 2014

Get more bite from your autumn holidays in Cyprus, where temperatures still top 30 degrees thanks to its southerly location. Coral Bay, a huge horseshoe-shaped beach is your best bet. The water will be nicely warmed from the summer sunshine and limestone cliffs ensure it offers a dramatic swim. Fly to Paphos from Gatwick, Luton, Bristol or Manchester.

The real story on the best destinations 2014

Apr 23 2014

It’s official, Trip Advisor the world renowned travel site has awarded a host of awards for best destinations 2014. The annual Traveller’s Choice Awards includes the vast city of Istanbul in Turkey which tops the poll, with Rome, London and Beijing following close behind. Each city or place earned its review through the reviews and opinions of visitors the site. “If you’re looking for trip inspiration, look no further than the Travelers’ Choice Destinations,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. “Our global travelers are the tastemakers for uncovering the best places to visit around the world.” The awards in its 6th year picks out 500 of the absolute best places to visit in the world.

But what are these places really like? I’ve asked some of the Purple Travel family to share their thoughts on the top destinations 2014. Some they loved and some… well, you’ll see for yourself. We’d love to hear what you think, good or bad about the official list!

1. Istanbul, Turkey Fantastic city full of sights and culture. The people are so friendly and eager to help. This place has it all. – Gary
I think the best of the best way to taste the Turkish food, and experience the Turkish mentality, is to eat this giant hot dog with fish and cabbage at the Bosphorus coast on the Asian part of Istanbul. There are cooks on floating boats, preparing the grilled fish, that are then placed on these huge bagel and stuffed that with cabbage, fried potatoes and mustard. You cannot imagine! Also don’t miss the old guy outside the Blue Mosque who sells bagels and gives you for free La vache qui rit portion! – Soso
2. Rome, Italy What can someone say about Rome, about the Italians, their food and their language? I think my best moments in Rome were when we were walking around from the Piazza di Spagna, to the Colosseum, and the Fontana di Trevi. Suggested hotels-the newly built Caravel hotel (just two stops by bus from Piazza di Spagna) with nice big rooms and a lovely receptionist and Hotel Trevi, with its traditional style in the very centre of the city!!! loved them both, love Rome! – Soso
3. London, England Massive dump, ok for day trips but get out before it chews you up. – Gary

Feb 04 2014

Perhaps one of the best parts of planning your wedding is deciding what type of honeymoon you would like! Planning a wedding can be an extremely stressful – not to mention costly – experience, and it is not in anyone’s interests (least of all yours) for you to turn into a ‘Bridezilla’ or ‘Groomzilla’ before the big day! You should make the most of all the available resources to you. There are some fantastic online guides and wedding site directories which are designed to aid with all things wedding, and are a great place start.

It is wonderful to think that the honeymoon will provide a safe haven for the two of you to escape to once all the hustle and bustle of the big day itself is over.

You may already have a fixed idea of what type of honeymoon you would like – but if you are still a little in the dark, or you simply haven’t started considering it yet – here are some tips to get you started. Before you know it you will be jetting off to the holiday of a lifetime, and the first holiday together of your married life.

Jan 14 2014

So January is here, and the whole world appears to be rising from their Christmas slumber and hitting the gym to beat the winter blues – and the consequential weight-gain from too many mince pies! (Apparently we gain on average 5 pounds over the Christmas period – whoops.)

This is the perfect time of year to grab a travel bargain, but also to look at not only your typical European sun holiday but to think outside the box a little. How about incorporating some of your New Year fitness regime into your holiday? Sporty getaways create the ultimate feel good factor, not only do you get some relaxing time off work but you spend time in the great outdoors exercising your mind and body. Doesn’t that sound better than that familiar feeling of needing a holiday to recover from the holiday after a week of excess?!

It’s difficult to discuss sporty getaways in Europe without talking about skiing. European skiing destinations, dominated by the mighty Alps, are some of the most prestigious and challenging in the world – and there are packages to suit all skill levels and budgets. Some of the more famous names are Interlaken and St Moritz in Switzerland and St Anton in Austria, however there are some interesting alternatives – for example Finnish Lapland for something truly unusual! Try Trip Advisor for great starter ideas to get your ski bunny imagination to run wild! After a hard day hitting the slopes you can always put your feet up with a nice hot chocolate.

Image via @ Stuart Madeley

If you would prefer to enjoy your active holiday in a warmer climate, how about trying the winning combination of surf and yoga, offered on the stunning Portuguese coastline by Surf Algarve. This retreat offers 5-7 day yoga and surf programmes, immersed in the clean ocean air to revitalise your body and soul. At Portugal’s first specialised surf and yoga retreat, there are rarely more than 10 guests at any one time, ensuring a personalised and intimate stay. All-inclusive packages vary in price between off-peak and on-peak times, so check the website to see what might be best for you.

Image via @ GO INTERACTIVE WELLNESS

Now for horse lovers among you – have you considered a horse riding holiday in Europe? The perfect way to get some fresh air, great exercise and see some stunning countryside (which you can’t necessarily see by car.) Try In The Saddle for some tips on specialised riding holidays to suit you.

Aspiring jockeys among you – you would like to stay closer to home! – may be interested in the thrill of the race at the renowned www.kempton.co.uk racecourse, located between Sunbury and Hampton Court on the A308, South-West London, Kempton is easily reached by either road or rail from London Waterloo. Racing spectacles are held year-round with a variety of packages to suit all tastes and budgets. This could be a fun day or night out to compliment a horse-lovers holiday, and vouchers for the park make a terrific gift.

So get those endorphins moving with a sporty getaway in Europe this new year – it doesn’t have to mean attending a footie match in Spain!

Search Results For -london