Go Visit London: Top 3 Hidden Gems

I have so much to share about my adventures in London and it would be impossible to write everything in an article. So yeah, welcome to Part 2!

Let's start off with London. As everyone knows, Big Ben, London Eye, Tower Bridge or Buckingham Palace are the main highlights of the city. And many tend to forget there's many other hidden gems in London that you should actually go and explore! To make your trip truly unforgettable, check out these places that people don't even know they were existing. The best thing? Most of them are free to visit, meanwhile you can discover a different side of London off the beaten path. Although I've been to London several times in the past, but exploring London is never enough for me. I'd still wish I could pay more visits in the future. 

1. Sky Garden
Just as it's name suggests, Sky Garden is located on floors 34-37 of the building offering you the best panoramic view in London. A very spacious rooftop garden offers 360 degree uninterrupted view across the city of London and beyond.  There was also a cafe bar serving tea, coffee, cocktails with some pastries and muffins available too. Well, the entrance is totally free but booking is required to guarantee a decent slot. Just head over to their website https://skygarden.london/ for your reservations. 

I wandered around the semi-tropical greenhouse garden,  it was very refreshing indeed. After months of cold weather, summer is finally here and London is back with glorious sunshine. Somehow, being an indoor garden, of course the flowers and trees can be kept in bloom all year round in whatever season. 

TIPS:  Whether it be a for a little cocktails, a cup of tea or just sit to watch the world go by, I would recommend you getting a seat near to the Shard window. It was brilliant to see London from this view point, as you'll see all of the famous London landmark and everything look so small from Sky Garden. Wonderful experience! :) 

2. Portobello Road

-Beautiful colored row house- 

OMG OMG! I definitely love hanging out in this place. Portobello Road is famous with its market and charming little stores, selling everything from vintage clothes to artwork and accessories. You can see all the colourful houses lining the way down to the street, I can't get my eyes off from these pretty pastel buildings. On almost every corner you'll find a street performer singing on the street and playing with guitars, it is a live street music experience. I think I wouldn't mind living here forever, I love them all, I want them all. 

How to get there?

The main tube station is Notting Hill Gate, which is easily accessibly via the Central circle and District lines. It's pretty easy, just take the underground from anywhere and hop off at Notting Hill. 

Portebello Market

Address: Portobello Road, 72 Tavistock Road, London W11 1AN

Public Transport: Ladbroke Grove Station

3. Little Venice

I couldn't believe that this unique place actually existed. With all those colourful canals and typical houseboats, you can spend hours- a lifetime exploring it, as it is vast and fascinating. Whilst there, you can talk a walk or either take a boat trip along the canal. Despite being a beautiful area with stunning view, not many people visit. The area was quiet and uncrowded. 

How to get there?

It is a short walk from the tube Station (Warwick Avenue) to Little Venice approximately 5 mins.

I used to dream of living in a houseboat lol.... and I still do.. Wish I own one of them. Who knows? Maybe next time I'll get a small boat, or not..

Little Venice

Address: Maida Ave, London W2 1ST, United Kingdom

Station: Warwick Avenue Station, then walk 5mins to Little Venice

How I saved RM20k for travels in 10 months

How I saved RM20K for travels in less than a year? I was inspired by a travel blogger from Boston. So what about you? Have you every thought of travelling to somewhere else or having a long vacation? Of course you have, we all do! In 2015, I decided just to do that.

I took a year to plan everything. My aim was to earn a RM20k in less than a year which included my living expenses, transportation and foods. I mainly budgeted my airfare around RM3k, travel insurance RM500, passport renewal RM200, and the balance in my bank account those are my living expenses. 

I was told that RM20k is never enough to survive in a country for 3 months. However, I have this to say,  Yes it is more than enough!". I am going to show you how I did it and I am completely 100% honest. I started with very little savings since January 2015, 10% of my full-time income was transferred to my savings account every month. I was a fresh graduate, I have bills to pay just like everyone else, a lot of bills.....:(( 

Monthly expenses:

• Car loan
• Medical Insurance
• Phone Bill
• Education loan
• Foods & petrol 

Let me reveal my saving tips now!

Tip 1. Make money as a blogger

I am often asked how to make a living from blogging? There are many ways such as ad space, affiliate income, products or services. That's how I got paid for every blog-post I've written in the past few years. So I managed to earn from my blog approximately RM400-RM1800 per post . I've been blogging ever since I was 19 and blogging quickly become an obsession. Fast forward a few years, I now have my own travel page on Facebook: Two Footsteps and I do earn from each of the paid advertisement. 

Hotel Review

Food Review

Beauty Review

Grand Opening Ceremony 

So have you ever dreamt of spending your days and doing work that you love so much? Want to be a blogger and start up with your own blog? If you'd like to learn more about this, soon I am coming up with a new blogpost to put together a guide for you! You can pm me on my page-> TWO FOOTSTEPS so I could send u the link and hopping it'll change your life in some ways. 

Tip 2. Freelance copywriter

Freelance, means I am working independently and a job that I can always work from home.  I was employed on a freelance basis to develop contents. Freelancing is good as a side hustle to make extra money, so figure out what you are good at, and work on it. There's are many ways you can send in your resume to hunt for a copywriter job, for example: JOBSTREET.COM. Simply drop them an email to those clients who actually looking for a copywriter. If you're just starting out, I recommend you to draft an email template or resume just to introduce yourself, and of course you can can also include some of your previous article to make yourself to look more outstanding. 

Feel free to contact me if you're looking for a copywriter:

fionev@hotmail.my

Tip 3.  Start your saving plans during Chinese New Year

What could be a better way than using the red packet money to kick start your saving plan? LOL. A lot of FREE cash, from here you can put all the money into your account. 

Tip 4. Make money while travelling- Personal Shopper 

For most of us, travelling is associated as " losing money" where we spent a lot of money on flight ticket, accommodation and entertainment. Is that true? But do you know that you can actually make money while travelling as a personal shopper? Yes 100% true! It is possible. When I travelled to Taiwan, I make money by selling Taiwan's product to people back in Malaysia by charging a small fee to the buyers. I earned RM2500 just in 3 days, and that's enough for me to pay off some of my travel expenses. 

*Keep any eye on my post if you wanna know how to start off your business as a personal shopper!

Tip 5. Contribute small sums of money to your savings regularly 

The easiest way to save money for travel, is try to set aside a certain amount of money immediately after your payday each month. For example: I saved at least RM1000 every month, in time the money will grow into a big amount. 

A word on debt: I have many commitments....

I know I know. But how to allocate your income based on percentages? Follow the 50/30/20 rule. 50% of your income will go to mandatory bills ( insurances, car loan, housing loan, credit cards), and 30% for entertainment ( vacations, movie, shopping) and 20% for savings. So its just up to you on making your own plan. 

Tip 6. Don't spend on unnecessary items

Saving money is ain't easy, the temptation to spend is everywhere and to save money takes determination. I was committed, I rarely spend on any branded stuff and I cut down a lot on entertainment. Instead of shopping, I often choose to be at home and work to keep spending to a minimum.

"Put it back....." 

-EXTRA TIPS-

Tip 7: Refer to my previous post!
Make good use of those online website to search for the best deals, cheaper flight and hotel. CLICK HERE http://www.fionev.com/2016/07/tips-tricks-uk-travel-visa-and-flight_18.html for more. Learn how to calculate your budget and that give you an idea of how much you need to save! Keep them on track, the price may drop in anytime to the price that you able to afford. 

For example: flight to UK were usually costing around RM 3000-RM4000, but I managed to get a promo price at RM2900 instead with Singapore Airline!WOW. 

Tip 8: Investment
Investment is the fastest way to earn, but make sure you find the right one. There's no entirely safe investment, if you cant handle any risk, then you probably shouldn't be investing. Here's my advice: Just invest in small amount of money which help you to accumulate your wealth. But PLAY SAFE and be wise.

Tip 9: Get FREE accommodation if possible 

Don't get me wrong. I am not asking you to stay over in stranger's house! A big NO. Unless if you are lucky to have some friends/relatives in overseas, it's going to be cheaper if you're staying with them. So to all friends in UK, from the bottom of my heart " thank you" for your gracious hospitality during my visit.

You don't have to be rich to travel the world, be smart and spend wisely. 

In short I am not saying that my tips are the best of the best, but it taken me a long time to figure out all of the possible ways to make more money or coming up with a budget travel. So if you want to learn any or all of these thing, keep reading and don't forget to subscribe me! :) cheers!

【Tips & Tricks】: UK travel visa and flight

I recently returned from a 3 months trip to the United Kingdom and Europe. So I would like to share my travel tips, and I thought you might find them useful. I've already been to 13 countries but I haven't satisfy my thirst for travel yet. So I get my first job just like everybody else does after my graduation. I worked hard until I managed to pay my own bills, and finally able to finance myself.  I took a year to plan, includes my saving, research, accommodation, transportation, from A-Z. 

My mom initially objected but I still went after my dream no matter how unattainable others think it was. So far my biggest achievement in 2016 was my solo trip to UK. I flew 3000 miles to England and I travelled for 3 months on my own cost. It was a great experience because life has taught me that nothing is impossible, only you yourself can make your dreams happen. #IMADEIT 

Fly me to the moon

INFORMATION: 

-FLIGHT-

What's it like to fly coach on one of the world's best airline? Again I traveled to UK by Emirates costing me around RM3200 this year. No doubt the airfare ticket was slightly expensive but Emirates is always my first choice. I had a pleasant flying experience with Emirates in 2015, from the crew to the food, the comfort of the seats, the in-flight entertainment, there's no way you'll get bored. 

In flight entertainment: I hardly know any other airline that provide in-flight entertainment as good as Emirates. Every passenger have a personal seat-back monitor, the screen you get is much larger with huge selection of movies that you able to access FOC during your flight. What to ask for more?

Extra legroom: Not forget the mention, Emirates is one of the companies that provide more comfort to passengers in economy class. The legroom in all flights is approximately 86cm, 12 cm more when compared to other airlines. 

Delicious food: We all know that airplane food is not exactly the most delicious thing, except if you fly with Emirates. I am always looking forward to their meal box which is delicious and tasty. 

5 star services: The service is fantastic. The flight attendant is very friendly and nice, can you believe that? I asked for 2 bottles of liquor or extra blankets, and I get whatever I want. Unlike other airlines, I don't dare ask for more. 

Thank you for the amazing hospitality, it's definitely all worth it flying with Emirates. 

Summary:

Chosen Airline® Emirates
Air Fares Ticket ® RM3200 
Transit: PNG-KL-DUB-LHT
Service: 5 stars

Before you fly

1. If you prefer a quiet seat, pick the front row.

2. Pick aisle seat if you tend to use the bathroom very often, so you don't disturb the deep sleepers beside you

Up in the air:

1. If you are having jetlag or you couldn't sleep, there will be tons of complimentary alcohol you can order :)

During transit:

1. I transited at Dubai airport. The lounge in Dubai is truly a world class lounge, huge and nice. 

2. Unfortunately the WiFi is only available for one hour :((

Bonus TIPS: 

Airline change fares constantly, so timing is everything. Start checking as long as you know you'll be flying, if you found a good deal, go for it! I traveled during March, in between February and March is a low season. So best advise, book in advance otherwise discount seats are likely to sell out quickly. 

Finding Cheap flight:

1. SKYSCANNER

Skyscanner is perfect when you are looking for a cheap flight. Select your destination and dates, here you search for the best deals.

2. MOMONDO

3. KAYAK

A good "advisor" whether you should buy your flight ticket or wait, and the explore feature lets you filter destination by weather, price, flight duration and etc.

4. WHICH BUDGET

A budget travel resources which you can find cheapest and low cost flight.

5. THE POINTS GUY

The best website to travel for free by using frequent flyer miles and credit card points.

-TRAVEL VISA-

I get a lot of message over the months asking me about the UK visa! So I am here to answer your question! Before this, I did my research online. I've called 4 travel agencies, I googled, I asked my friends around, and I probably be the most annoying person on earth. However, DONT BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTION! Ask for what you want, ask for help, ask for advice. 

Question #1. VISA- How long you can stay?

You won't need a visa to come to UK, you're legally to stay in UK for up to 6 months.

Question#2. Documents you must provide

1. Return flight ticket : To prove you'll leave UK at the end of your visit

2. A current and valid passport

3. Bank Statement/ Payslip from the last 6 months :  To prove them you have financial support ( Cash, credit card, cheques)

4. Employee letter : If you are employed ( Start date, salary, role, company name)

5. Insurance card : Buy a protection for yourself

6. Driving license: You need an identification in case you are going to casino/night clubs

Once you have the coveted "Visa" stamp in your passport, don't get too excited! You still have one more test to get over before you can enter the United Kingdom! And that exactly what I worried the most- The UK Border Immigration Officer. You might be questioned, and if they are in any doubt, the officer can refuse entry and send you home on the next plane. WHATTTTT? 

Question #3. What kind of questions are you likely to face at the border control?

1. The dates you're planning to leave UK
2. How long you intend to stay in UK?

3. What is the purpose of your visit? ( Travel? Study? Working?)

4. Are you working or studying?

5. Details of where you'll be staying during your visit. ( Address, Contact No, and relationship to the person who'll be looking after you)

6. How much your trip cost? 

7. How much you earn in a year?

8. Are you travelling to any other country besides UK?

*Bonus tips: Never carry a job application or only purchase one way ticket. They might suspect you for illegal stay. Most importantly, be confident and make your answer sounds convincing

*Sample Answer: 
"I come here for travel.  I have a full time job back in Malaysia and I am taking a sabbatical leaves to travel. I am staying with my family at [address], meanwhile I will be also travelling to Europe."

To do list before you travel:

1. Check PTPTN Blacklist.

For those who applied PTPTN, you are advised to check your immigration clearance status at: http://sspi2.imi.gov.my/ . Internet system is getting widely used now, it's easy to do the checking. When your name is on the list, you will not be able to travel out of the country. So make sure you pay back your loan punctually.

2. Activate your bank card to International Withdrawal

In case you run out of money, you can still withdraw from your Malaysia's bank account.

3. Temporary deactivate your phone line

If you are going for a long travel, and you still want to remain your Malaysia's number. Call to the centre, you can terminate for 3 months without have to pay for your bills.

4. Check the currency

Obligatory tourist photo!

 More red buses please, over Regent Street on a quiet day!

I reached London at night, and I took a cab to my destination. I was dragging my luggage and walking on quiet streets in the midnight. It was exciting because my plan went well. I couldn't describe the feeling I get the day after I reached London. I cant wait to go to his doorstep and surprise him. Yeah that's the plan.. The moment of reunited is the moment for which I have waited for so long. 

-Westminster Abbey-

London is absolutely beautiful, so many reasons to love London. Definitely worth visiting for a break, also you'll discover so beautiful scenic places you probably dint know existed along the way. This trip has been amazing so far, so please stay tuned for my next upcoming post!