In case you missed it: here is my first blog post for #OMGBLegends, explaining about the 5W of the trip (read here). Also, please do watch my short recap video of the trip as well, (click here). I really hope that you will enjoy it.
Without further do, let us start our adventure in the United Kingdom!
I flew Emirates Airlines from Kuala Lumpur, transit in Dubai and another over-7-hour flight to Manchester International Airport. Man, that was long and quite tiring. Luckily I was entertained by various in-flight entertainments to kill the time. Enjoyed the meal, leg room and seat were spacious and comfy.
I arrived in Manchester International Airport at about 7.30 p.m. local time. The immigration process was smooth, got my luggage and the only thing I need during that time was refreshing shower and comfy bed. Then I rode a black cab (Yas, it’s a must when in the UK) to Kingstreet Townhouse Manchester and it cost me £25 for a 15-minute ride.
Below are some of the photos taken at Kingstreet Townhouse Manchester:
Finally reached the hotel at 8.00 p.m. Grabbed my room key and go straight to my room. Cool space, I liked it. I dropped my stuff, quickly freshen up and head down to meet with the others at the welcome dinner. Time to call it a day, I slept at 12.30 a.m.
Vivian Quarry
We leave the hotel at about 9.00 a.m., board on a coach to Llanberis, Wales, which took around 4 hours from Manchester. Again, I didn’t sleep but instead admiring the scenic mountain, sea and forest views along the way. You know what, doing a road-trip to Wales is certainly A MUST.
We reached Llanberis at 1.00 p.m. It is a village in Gwynedd, north-west Wales that has become a major tourist destination attracting travellers out there with its various outdoor activities including walking, mountaineering a mountain biking. Not only that, you could also do water activity such as scuba diving. Visit www.llanberis.com to learn more about this stunning place.
The first place we were brought to was Vivian Quarry. I learned that it is well known as the diving centre in Llanberis. If you wish to dive, there is PADI Divemaster Professional Course held here. Perhaps this could attract amateur and professional divers out there to come and have a diving experience here.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to dive and explore the surface but after reading several articles, I found out that the diving centre’s underwater exhibits some amazing remainings including original memorabilia and a blast shelter. How cool is that?
And oh, did you know that Vivian Quarry is also used as filming location for several movies? Yas, a part of King Arthur: Legend of The Sword movie was filmed here. It was the scene where Charlie Hunnam, played as King Arthur and another stuntman jumped 80ft off the top of Vivian Quarry into the water. If you wonder how the scene looks like, please do watch the behind-the-scene of this movie HERE.
On a side note, I am more than thankful to given this precious opportunity, where I was privileged to visit a place where some of the well-known Hollywood stars like Jude Law, Eric Bana and Charlie Hunnam went for movie shooting.
Mount Snowdon
When I received the official itinerary, I quickly google the places that we are going to visit during the trip. One that grabbed my attention was the highest mountain in Wales and England, Mt. Snowdonia. After Vivian Quarry, we proceed to the next attraction – going up to the summit by Snowdon Mountain Railway.
Located in Snowdonia National Park (or in Welsh is Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri), Mt. Snowdon stands at 1,085 metres above the sea level and dubbed as one of the busiest mountains in Britain. The word Snowdon is from the Old English for “snow hill”. Here, expect to do trekking adventure, witnessing beautiful landscapes and discover the unique flora and fauna species around the mountain.
Mt. Snowdon also associated with the myth of King Arthur. It is said that Mt. Snowdon was the place where King Arthur eliminated the mountain famous resident named Rhitta, a fearsome giant who made his cape out of the beards of his enemies.
According to Visit Snowdonia official website, Rhitta’s corpse was covered in huge stones and placed somewhere at the summit of the mountain. If and only if I knew this earlier, I could have searched for it during the trip. Sobs.
Getting there
1. By train
Simply take the Snowdon Mountain Railway train ride up to Clogwyn Station and enjoy the awe-inspiring mountain views. Click here to check the train schedule and rates. Highly recommended for those that have limited time and prefer to explore the area at a relaxed pace.
Snowdon Mountain Railway
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
2. Trekking
If I have ample time, this is certainly my choice. Mt. Snowdon is described as the friendliest for the beginners to ascend. There are six main paths to the summit of Snowdon. Go for Llanberis Path is you wish to go for the easier walks, Beddgelert Path for the least used routes and Watkin Path for the most challenging walk. Please bring warm clothing, appropriate trekking attire especially shoes and other trekking essentials like a pole, cap, small and light-packed bag.
Caernarfon Castle
Located at about 15-minute drive from Mount Snowdon, there is Caernarfon Castle stands as one of Wales’ most prized architectural treasures. It is located in a royal town called Caernarfon. This 13th-century castle was built by Edward I, during his invasion of Wales, as a fortress to tighten the grip on Wales (a seat of power and as a symbol of English dominances over Welsh). Besides, this castle is also the birthplace of the first English Prince of Wales in 1284.
Different with other typical round towers, Caernarfon Castle was built in a polygonal shape. The Eagle Tower is definitely the most impressive among others.
 |
| Game of Crown – said to be the contest that created the princes of Wales |
Feel free to enter and roam around in the castle – check out some historic medieval collections and tales. Go to the Eagle Tower to admire the panoramic view of Caernarfon.
 |
| Panoramic view of River Seiont |
Reminder
This castle is registered under the No Fly Drone website. Thus, flying out a drone at the area is strictly prohibited.
Opening hours:
1. 1 March – 30 June 2017 (9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.)
2. 1 July – 31 August (9.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.)
3. 1 September – 31 October 2017 (9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.)
4. 1 November 2017 – 28 February 2018 (10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.)
Admission costs:
1. £8.95 (Adult)
2. £26.60 (Family)
3. £5.80 (Children, student and senior citizen).
Caernarfon Castle
Website
awesome pictures…. i think i gonna plane my trip in Wales…
nice sharing..
Lawa tempat ni. Heaven siapa dapat pergi
Hi Faizal, please do! Wales worth to visit especially for those who are into nature, adventure and of course English history!
Hi Mazni, indeed. Memang lawa. Indah betul ciptaan Tuhan! 🙂
Thank you, MKL 🙂
malas nak ckp best dah dkt smua entri pojieee. sbb jeles! haha
4:50 tu kenapa tu lari 😛
Nice trip pojie!
Alahai cantiknya tempat ni.. seronok tengok pojie ..