48 hours in Manchester #MarinaTravels

Here I am in this beautiful, old city called Manchester, on a rather blissful sunny Morning. Having flown all the way from Hong Kong to England had without a doubt burned out the very last shred of energy left in me. But as I was put on a bus heading to my hotel next to the Manchester Piccadilly Station, upon seeing all the interesting townhouses and Victorian style buildings that bear so much resemblance to the pictures in a fairy tale book, there was only one thing on my mind: I can't wait to explore and see what this city has to offer. So here it is, my 48 hours experience in Manchester, UK.

Motel One Piccadilly
Address: 34 London Rd, Manchester M1 2PF, UK

As I am traveling alone on a budget, I couldn't exactly splurge and stay in a super fancy hotel. But Motel One has definitely exceeded my expectation. It is conveniently located right next to Manchester Piccadilly Station among other famous landmarks in the city. My room is clean, pretty spacious for a single room, and had everything I need and the staffs were all very nice and beyond accommodating. I was dragging my big ass luggage all by myself when checking in and the staff there were more than welcome to lend a hand and helped to carry to my room which was on the 13th floor.

The only downside is that the full-body mirror in my hotel room was a little too far away from the electrical plug, so I kind of had a hard time checking the mirror when I was getting ready in the morning.  Other than that everything else was pretty much perfect, and the buffet style breakfast was really nice as well. I would definitely recommend anyone that's taking a trip to Manchester and wishes to stay in the city center to check out Motel One!

Places I've been......

Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square

Albert Square

I spent my afternoon wandering around Manchester Town Hall and around the Albert Square area, checking out all the beautiful townhouses, parks and monuments. I absolutely loved the Victorian, Neo-Gothic architectures on every corner I turn. With Manchester being an old city rich in industrial heritages, These elaborate building designs sort of gives Manchester a sense of mystery and edginess.

Canal Street

I'd heard of Canal Street long before I even plan on visiting Manchester. As I'm sure you have as well. The street which runs along the west side of Rochdale Canal, is also the center of Manchester Gay Village, with loads of gay bars, restaurants, and cafes. Now I didn't really spend the night partying at Canal Street like some of my friends suggested that I should, but I did go there just to get the overall vibe. It was an artistic and eccentric area. You could easily spot various graffiti and street arts and cool little coffee shops in the neighborhood. I had a nice time just by observing and taking photos of the place.

Piccadilly Gardens

A green square in the center of Piccadilly, Manchester.  Being a major transport hub, youth hostels, hotels and restaurants also populated the area. Piccadilly Gardens is the kind of place where people gather around after work to chill and enjoy the warming sunshine. When I was there, kids out of school were playing by the water fountain, people laughing and sunbathing under the sun.

Museum of Science and Industry 
Address: Liverpool Road, Manchester, M3 4FP

To me, the best thing about traveling to the UK is its rich history and free museum entries. You don't have to spend an excessive amount of money to buy tickets like I did most of the times in the USA. Museum of Science and Industry quickly become one of my favorite museums I've ever visited. I highly recommend everyone planning a trip to Manchester to put this museum on your checklist!

Not only is it a super huge museum with many brilliant exhibitions devoted to science and technology, it's also a perfect representation of this city's industrial heritage and historical achievements in these fields. I kind of wish I had an entire day just looking at all the exhibitions, but I had to catch my train to Liverpool in the afternoon, so I only had a couple of hours at the museum, but still,l it was an incredible experience!

The remarkable displays on transports, power, communications and computing and much more are enough to make you feel like you're standing in the room with the world's greatest inventors and industrial pioneers. Another cool fact is that Museum of Science is situated on the site of the world's first railway station: Manchester Liverpool Road, which opened as part of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in September 1830. The museum also offers steam train rides at weekends and Holidays!

 

After your visit, dont forget to check out the souvenir shops!

Food!
Burgers & Lobster
Address: Ship Canal House, 98 King St, Manchester M2, 4WU UK

I'm not usually the one you'd come for great restaurant advice since I don't purposefully look for amazing restaurant reviews on Yelp before I travel to a new city. But if you are craving for a nice big burger and some seafood, Burgers & Lobster would be an ideal choice! The lobsters here is simply amazing and definitely lived up to their reputation. They also have some good vegan burgers as well.

With that note, it concludes my two days adventure in the city of Manchester. Though I was only in Manchester for merely two days and there were obviously still way too many places I have yet to . This city has undoubtedly captured my heart with its incredible architectures, friendly people and rich history. I will definitely come back to explore Manchester in the near future.

Please look forward to my next blog about my experience in Liverpool. Until then, stay beautiful! xx