Enjoy great treats for all good deeds with these Christmas special delicacies like Roast Chicken with Mustard and Mushroom Jus, Turkey Roast, Prawn Cocktail, Crab Salad with Kalamata Olives, Fish in Yellow Bean Sauce, Roasted Chicken tossed with pickle vegetable, Thai Lamb with glass noodles and Smoked Chicken with roasted pepper.
Relish on a variety of Christmas Plum cake, Yule log cake, Bundt Cake, traditional
Dundee cake, Baked Alaska with unlimited champagne for Christmas Special brunch.
Rejoice to the tune of Christmas
carols while kids enjoy the amazing sight of Gingerbread city made of biscuits,
royal icing and candies.
It would be fair to say that the terms “UK” and “on a
budget” regularly go hand-in-hand. After all, up until recently at least,
London was regarded as one of the most expensive cities.
Even though it may have lost that mantle, it’s still not naturally a cheap place to visit. On the plus side, if you arm yourself with some so-called insider knowledge, you can cut costs and still enjoy a fabulous time in the country.
Let’s now take a look at some of the ways you can achieve this.
It doesn’t have to all be about London
This first suggestion might raise a few eyebrows, particularly as we have mentioned London a couple of times already!
However, it doesn’t always have to be about this city. There is plenty
more that the UK has to offer, and if you do place all of your eggs in one
basket, it happens to be the most expensive basket going.
Other areas of the UK are significantly cheaper to visit, and can give you a real insight into local UK life. For example, the hotels around Glasgow are a fraction of the price, yet still, put you inside an exciting city with a whole host of fantastic attractions. Or, if going north doesn’t interest you, the Midlands offers some fantastic retreats – and also allows you to take a dip into the UK countryside.
Use your transport options wisely
Quite often, visitors to the UK use taxis as their primary source of
travel. Well, in the interests of saving money, this needs to stop.
In fact, there are times where the underground metro service is overused as well, and most of the time, the most efficient way is to walk between destinations.
Sure, it might strain your legs, but it will allow you to see more of
the country and save significant sums throughout your trip.
For example, let’s take the most obvious case with museums. Most are
completely free to enter, meaning that you can comfortably spend a day without
spending a dime.
Then, if we turn to private attractions, there are regularly discount
vouchers doing the rounds that can slash your costs in half.
The very worst thing you can do is turn up on the door as in most
cases, a lot of these attractions will offer a discount for just booking on
their website.
Choose your dining days wisely
This is something that is quite commonplace around the world, but if
at all possible, try and make sure you plan to dine out on any day between
Sunday and Thursday.
These are the days in which the locals tend to stay at home, and restaurants often showcase offers which can cut the price of dining. If you leave it until the weekend, these offers evaporate.
While
Dublin Ireland is a great place to visit, it can be an expensive place for
tourists. But don’t let this stop you from exploring this wonderful city in the
Emerald Isle. If you’re planning to visit Dublin soon but you don’t plan on
going broke, check out these 10 budget
travel tricks when getting around, lodging, and dining.
Transportation
1. Get a leap card
If you’re
in town for a few days or weeks, you can save a lot by getting a Leap Card. The
card costs around €5 but it could save you plenty. It can be used to pay for
your travel in Dublin and its surrounding counties on transport services
including buses, trains, and trams.
2. Avoid taxis
A taxi
from the airport to the city centre costs around €25. Don’t waste money on
pricey transportation just to reach your hotel in Dublin. If you’re looking for
a way to get to and from the airport, the cheapest option would be the Airlink
Bus, One-way tickets cost €6 while return tickets cost €11.
The same
goes for getting around the city. Instead of hailing a cab, take the affordable
Dublin Bus to make the most out of your travel budget. The Dublin Bus’ routes
connect all different areas of the city.
3. Pedal your way around
Don’t want
to ride a bus but don’t want to walk either? Riding a bicycle is another fun
and cheap way to get around the city. Check out Dublin’s bike share program. If
you’ll be staying for a while, you may want to get your own bike to save you a
lot of money in the long run.
Accommodation
& Dining
4. Stay at budget hotels and cheaper lodging alternatives
The
average price for a hotel stay in Ireland is almost €150 per night. The hotel
prices in Dublin are higher. If you simply want a decent, comfortable room, be
on the lookout for an affordable hotel in Dublin, offering rates lower than €100. You
may also opt for a hostel.
5. Dine wisely
Next to
buying groceries and cooking your meals, there are other ways to save euros on
dining without sacrificing satisfaction. Seek out markets and street food
stalls. You should also take advantage of the early bird deals on restaurants
6. Avoid tourist traps if you’re out for a meal or drink
If you’re
on a budget, avoid popular tourist traps like Temple Bar and Dawson street.
While the pubs are great, the prices are inflated. You’re better off eating
elsewhere for the same quality but cheaper rates.
You can
wander around the Temple Bar for other reasons including its displays of murals
and artworks, quirky marketplaces, and talented musicians at work, which won’t
cost a penny.
7. It’s okay not to tip
Tipping in
Dublin or anywhere in Ireland is not mandatory. You can leave a small tip for
restaurant servers, bartenders, and taxi drivers when you feel like it – like
if they’ve given you exemplary service for long hours.
Sights
& Attractions
8. Focus on cheap and free attractions
Good news
for art, literature, science, and history buffs: you can skimp on money, but
not on culture. Dublin boasts over 40 museums, galleries, and libraries and
many of them are free to enter.
Aside from
the world-renowned “The Book of Kells” in Trinity College Dublin and The Little
Museum of Dublin, here are other cheap or free attractions worth checking out:
National
Library
National
Gallery of Ireland
National
Museum of Ireland
Dublin
Writers Museum
The
Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle
The
Huge Lane Gallery
Irish
Museum of Modern Art
Science
Gallery, Trinity College
Dublin
Castle’s Garda Museum and Revenue Museum
9. Seek out cheap or free entertainment
Not a traveller who enjoys museum visits and laidback strolling? Fun activities for budget-friendly travellers are just around the corner, from free guided walking tours to cheap pub crawls.
For
traditional music, see O’Donoghue’s on Merrion Row and Doyles just across
Trinity College. If you’re lucky enough to visit on a “match day”, grab a seat
in a pub where they provide free viewing.
10. Time your travel
Save money
by researching on the best times to visit Dublin.
If you
want to visit Dublin when the temperatures are warm (summer season) and the
festivals fill the streets, go for June to August. Just take note that this
period is the most expensive time to visit, with high airfare and hotel rates.
It’s also the most crowded time of the year.
If you want to visit when hotel prices fall and the number of tourists is few, time your vacation during Ireland’s fall (September to November), and winter (December to February). Just prepare for chilly weather and make sure to pack fall and winter clothing.
Author Bio:
Carmina Natividad is one of the travel-savvy writers for IMI Residence Dublin, a modern hotel offering leisure travellers affordable and exceptional accommodation in Dublin Ireland. This frugal young lady believes that travelling shouldn’t be expensive. She loves sharing money-saving hacks on lodging, travelling, and dining.
First of all, NZ has top-quality coffee – wherever you go! Also, NZ cuisine takes the best of Asian and European cuisine and turns it into something unique. Wineries often have a cafe at the cellar door. Check out the menu and you might find something totally unexpected and delicious.
Now to the classics. The most popular takeaway food is Fish & Chips. Any Kiwi knows NZ Fish & Chips are the best in the world! If you had enough Fish & Chips – is that even possible? – there are sausage rolls, as well as a variety of savoury pies that are available at any cafe, corner store (called dairy), and petrol station. These foods are best enjoyed on a beach, of which NZ has plenty.
Paua fritters with kumara chips. Paua is a type of shellfish, kumara is a type of potato found only in NZ. Can be purchased at most local fish and chip shops.
Hangi takeaway. Pork, beef, mutton, root potatoes and cabbage are cooked in a traditional Maori earth oven. The flavour is sublime.
~ Ronnie Hughan, AFF Instructor and Tandem Instructor/Examiner at US Parachute Association (1996-present)
Best New Zealand Food
Hangi and boil up! And quite easy to make yourself or with the help of friends and family for the hangi pit or some land so you can make your own hangi pit. Or you can use a steamer. Ground hangi is the best though.
Hangi is meat and vegetables wrapped in tin foil and cooked in a hole in the ground using coal etc. Or you can steam everything I said above. But it doesn’t have the same taste as a ground hangi. But it’s ka-pai in my opinion!
Boil up is also meat, preferably brisket or pork bones is a fave, and any green vegetable, whether it is watercress, puha, silverbeet, or spinach and you boil it together in the biggest pot you can find. And then you add potatoes. Add some dough bois if you know how to make them.
The Pavlova. It’s a delicious meringue-based dessert.
There is some controversy around the country of origin – the Australians also lay claim to the Pavlova as their own. However, according to Wikipedia, formal research now confirms the Pavlova as a Kiwi dish.
Pavlova dessert with a topping of kiwifruit, strawberries and passionfruit. Hazel Fowler
I’ve just written about this so it’s fresh in my mind and my favourites (after some very serious research) were…
Bluff Oysters – They’re just so good… I prefer them raw with a bit of lemon but they’re not bad battered and fried too
Green-lipped Mussels – I can eat these by the bucketful served. Great with a creamy sauce and lots of garlic
Kumara fries – Kumara (a type of sweet potato) tastes best when served as fries (like most things) with a dollop of aioli on the side.
Kiwi Burger – Beef, onion, cheese, lettuce, tomato, egg and beetroot… The best burger to be found… And I don’t even like beetroot!
Mince and Cheese Pies – Kiwi pies are different from British pies which tend to be served in pans with pastry on the top only. Ours is fully covered (like their pasties but better) and comes in a range of fillings with Mince and Cheese being the best!
Pavlova – Been mentioned a few times already I think with good reason. Light, sweet and beautiful. Made even better with Kiwi, passionfruit, cherry or mandarin toppings.
Roast Lamb – You can buy it in supermarkets around the world but it’s always best at home. Season with salt, garlic, and rosemary and you’re away!
Feijoa – Most people outside New Zealand haven’t even heard of feijoas before but they’re world-famous here and plentiful. Sweet and tangy, they’re quite addictive once you get started on them.
Paua – The steak of the sea and type of abalone – Paua is delicious when cooked as a fritter and enjoyed by the sea!
Whitebait Fritter – Equally good, if not better, are Whitebait Fritters. Kiwi Whitebait is again different to what you get overseas, which are bigger and more like sardines. Ours are the youthful smaller versions with a much more subtle taste of the sea. Yum!
Hungry
writing about all this again so going to leave it at that but feel free to read
my longer version of this with 9 additional New Zealand food delicacies.
~ Yohei Guy, SEO and Content Manager (2018-present)
