Escaping from the heat and humidity

After many years abroad, a colleague is going nuts in this hot and humid weather in KL, so she had to escape to somewhere cool for a while and ended up in Edinburgh, Scotland. As it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, she and her girlfriend were a bit worried that they might not be able to find any Edinburgh accommodation. Of course, that was the least of their worries as they found that there are lots of Edinburgh hotels from as low as GBP32.

She said Edinburgh is beautiful. She loves the charm of the medieval architecture and the alleyways that reveal ancient courtyards and awesome panaroma along the Royal Mile and the Castle looked spectacular - much better than in pictures, she said.

She made friends with some Scottish highlanders and got their contact info for future visits, just in case. One of the highlights of their trip is a visit to a brewery to see how whisky is made. No, she didn't buy home a set of bagpipes but she did get herself a pretty tartan kilt though.

They then made their way to Manchester. Unlike my other friend, this girlfriend is not into football so visiting Old Trafford was not on her itinerary. Instead they visited museums and gardens.

With its mix of historic and futuristic museums, classic art galleries and famous theatres, Manchester has a lot to offer those seeking a taste of Great British culture.

I read that Manchester has the world’s finest collections of art at the Manchester Art Gallery. It has recently reopened after a four-year, £35 million transformation.

Did you know that Manchester city has a history of firsts so it’s no surprise that the world’s first and only museum dedicated to exploring urban culture, the Urbis, is situated in the heart of the historic Millennium Quarter.

For somewhere a little more peaceful, Heaton Park is the place to visit. It is the largest municipal park in Europe complete with boating lake, horticultural centre and beautiful gardens and and has a wide range of activities for young and old to enjoy.

Just like in Edinburgh, they had no difficulty finding Manchester accommodation. They stayed at a medium-range hotel close enough to all the touristy places.


Of course, Manchester is not only museums. There is the contemporary side of Manchester. There are quite a number of multiplex cinemas in Manchester, all showing variety of Hollywood blockbusters and classic movies. There is an overwhelming choice of clubs and nightspots - live music, comedy shows, theatre and dance performances. Or if you are looking for some adult entertainment, they have some sexy venues you might want to check out.