One city; two personalities.
Did you know that Buda and Pest are two different places within Budapest? They're divided by the Danube (river)...
Buda is old; worldly, historic and adorned with castles and statues upon hills.
Pest is new, on even ground, bustling and bourgeois - and brilliant for a night out.
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The jewish quarter, oddly, is the most vibrant hub of all youth, booze and music. It has everything from 'Yo Yiddisha Mammas Bakery' and 'Hummus Brothers Falafel' to traditional Hungarian restaurants with late night live music, clubs and ruin bars. Shout out to my brethren.
Ruin bars are mad cool. They are formed from the disused atrium in an abandoned building - also known as a 'ruin'.
They're decorated by someone who has an imagination like a tripping-out, drunk and disorderly Lewis Carroll.
The ruin bar we went to had the token scary bouncer on the door, a nice array of beers including the Wheat Beer of my choosing, and an old car in the middle with a place for your drinks.
There were rooms hidden within rooms; adorned with televisions for lights, telephone units stuck to doors for door handles, graffiti, wire, lights, a giant moving bunny in a cage and an endless sea of clutter stuck to the walls in the most profoundly baffling attempt at art that somehow worked. Somehow.
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Our hotel was a must stay. Called The Aria, it was music themed and 5*. It was rated No.1 on trip advisor in the whole of Budapest at the time - and boy was it deserved.
The James Brown Suite, where my partner and I stayed, had a huge print of the soul man himself on the headboard. The Nespresso machine, touch operated electric blinds, apple TV, iPad, were all fabulous touches. My favourite 2 things were the recordings of a fireplace coming from the the plasma that was set into a fireplace frame, and the bath. OH EM GEE the bath. It was big enough to fit my 5.8ft self, and my 6.5ft boyfriend in at once, with so much space to spare we could get away with not touching each other! They offered a turn down service with chocolates and water every night.
The spa was HEAVENLY. We fell asleep in the poolside beds with the free cucumber water more than once. Then awoke to the sound of the jacuzzi bubbling away, and decided to wonder into the steam room after a dip in the pool.
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We went to one of Budapest's inamous Exit Games, called MindCrime.It was honestly so fun I would recommend going to Budapest just to do all their Exit Games.
We were shut in a small room with 60 minutes to find the password to set us free. And we escaped with 52 seconds to spare.
I won't ruin it for you - but take my recommendation; if you are in any way excited by challenges, adventure, puzzle solving or escapes you will have the time of your life at an Exit Game in Budapest. And for £6-8 each. Ideal.
Click here for their website
Click here for their website
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My last two recommendations from Budapest are:
1. A restaurant called Kacsa - their website is here and they do the best butterfish and duck in Hungary.
1. A restaurant called Kacsa - their website is here and they do the best butterfish and duck in Hungary.
2. An ice cream shop, right near the Basilica, called Gelarto Rosa - That makes ice cream roses!
That is all from Budapest...goodbye for now and Happy Travelling!
