Tag: day out

Resorts World Birmingham – A perfect destination for a day out or date night

Recently I was invited by the Resorts World in Birmingham, one of the perfect leisure destinations in town to experience a spread of their bars, restaurants, spa services, cinema, hotel and fashion labels like H&M, GAP, Next, Nike and so on.

Located near the Birmingham Airport and NEC (National Exhibition Center), Resorts World is a great place when to visit if you are in town for an exhibition or business meeting or don’t want to drive into the hustle bustle of Birmingham for a fun time. It is also a perfect destination for a day out with family, friends or a date night since the mall has so many food, shopping and fun activities.

The mall has a host of options from shops such as Phase Eight, Windsor London, Northface and many more, to eating outlets like Costa Coffee, Nandos, Pizza Express, Andy Waters, Sky Bar, Robata Bar & Grill, Las Iguanas and more.

The Genting Hotel is a good option to spend the night if you have to take a flight next day. They even have a children’s play area so it’s a great place to be with your kids too. But the best part about the property is that it is a lakeside property, it is located next to the Pendigo Lake which gives adds a very serene and calm look.

I started my day with a cup of hot coffee at Costa Coffe and then went on to have a relaxing time at the Santai Spa in the Genting Hotel. I was totally pampered with their services like head massage, facial, and facilities like heated pool, hot bed and outdoor hot tub overlooking the lake.

After my de-stressing spa experience I went with my husband for a date to Robata Bar and Grill for High Tea. Robata is a luxurious fusion restaurant which serves Pan-Asian Delicacies. I had an evening filled with delicious beverages and mouth-water dishes. Then we ended the day with a movie at Cineworld.

Since there is so much to do there you can begin your day with a relaxing spa, have high tea in Robata Bar and Grill and end your day by trying your luck at the Genting Casino. If you don’t want to spend the entire day at Resorts World, then you can also visit with your friends for some retail therapy and a brunch since they have a lot of yummy food options to choose from.

It’s also a great place to visit with your family. You can have lunch at one of the eateries, take your kids to Hamley’s or the play area, watch a movie at Cineworld and end the day.  Apart from this they also have offers and themes running around the year so it’s a good location to go and visit again and again.

Have you ever been to Resorts World? Let me know your experience in the comments below.

My Relaxing Day at Santai Spa, Genting Hotel, Resorts World Birmingham Review

The last couple of months have been quiet busy for me with a lot of never ending work. So when I went to the Resort World, Birmingham, I decided to pamper myself with a spa day. I had been longing to go for a spa to get relaxing beauty treatment for ages and hence the visit to Santai Spa at the Genting Hotel in Resorts World.Santai Spa is a luxury spa equipped with state of the art facilities to relax and rejuvenate your mind and soul. Apart from the traditional spa facilities like body massage, skin rejuvenation, hair removal, facial and more, they have their own ionized salt cave which can be accessed through the outdoor hot tub overlooking the Pendigo Lake. The other facilities at the spa also include a 15-metre pool, sauna, gym and an experience shower.

The interiors are serene with a lot of natural light coming in. They have tiled beds near the outdoor hot tub where you can enjoy the view of the lake. The spa has a very calming and soothing ambience. I had booked for a facial treatment and head massage. It was a complimentary service which I was offered by the hotel.At the reception, I was greeted warmly by the staff and offered a welcome drink with locker facility. Post the formalities I was taken to the changing room which was equipped with everything, from towels to shower gels. The changing room had it all. Brownie points for the place to be super clean. I really enjoyed the treatment.

But the best part is yet come, and that was the heated loungers, pool and the sauna. I thoroughly enjoyed this me time that I got. It was a much-needed break from the daily routine.

Santai Spa has a lot of packages to choose from, like, the taster package (£75), the de-stress package (£150), Tea and Time for Me package (£125) and so on. They even have group packages (£80pp) which is great if you are looking to de-stress and catch up on some gossip with your girl friends.

The Genting Hotel is situated in the outskirts of Birmingham, but the spa experience made me feel like I was away from the hustle-bustle of the city life and had come for a vacation somewhere far away. It was like I was in an entirely different place the moment I stepped into their facility. The staff was super attentive, polite and didn’t disturb you at all.

I am also planning to back again after the New Years eve to have a relaxing day at the spa before heading back to work with full energy in 2017. For me personally, the place is an oasis of calm in the first city life of Birmingham where you have a lovely Staycation without having to worry about airfare and mounting travel costs.

If you are someone who has a very busy schedule and wants to unwind then this is the place to be if for some reason you can’t go on a vacation.

Strawberry Picking – Summer Fun Activity for All

Pick Your Own Fruits – PYOF or PYOS – pick your own strawberry is a very popular British summer activity for families and kids. You go to farms who are open and welcome visitors for this activity and can pick your own fruit and vegetables fresh from the field. These usually include strawberries, raspberry, and so in summer that is in the mainly in the month of July and other fruits like blueberry towards the end of August or September.
Strawberry-picking-uk-1Generally the produce available and other details are listed on the website of various farms. Also, there are several farms in UK that one can visit.

Pick your own fruits holds nostalgic memories for many of us.  Earlier there were thousands of farms in the country but now only a few hundred remain. If you are someone who likes to know where their food comes from and look for seasonal and local produce then pick your own fruits is a perfect summer time activity for you. On a nice sunny day, you can enjoy the fresh crisp air and connect with the nature by picking seasonal delights like strawberries, raspberries, rhubarbs and blueberries in a wide, huge and open field.

It’s a great day out and one a fun and healthy activity for the entire family. We stay so cooped up in the city that a day out refreshes our senses and rejuvenates us all. It’s also a great activity for kids and a fun way to bring them close to the nature. The best part of the entire activity is that you get to take fresh fruits like strawberries back home and make yummy puddings, smoothies, jams and so on with it. Usually the farms provide baskets or containers to pick the produce. There are signposts to spot the crops. And you weigh the produce and are charged per kg for the fruit.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you going to a pick your own farm:

  1. When picking strawberries choose firm and fully red berries because strawberries don’t ripen after they have been picked.
  2. Make sure your feet or knees don’t damage the plants near the edge of the row.
  3. You can help the farmers by removing the defected or damaged berries by placing them in the mud. Because if they are rotten then the rot will spread to the other berries quickly as well.
  4. Try to consume berries immediately after they have been picked. If you plan to store them then try to pick them on a cloudy or cool day. Berries picked in the heat become bruised and soft easily.
  5. Place the picked berries in the shade of a tree or in your car to cool them after picking.
  6. You can store berries in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and maintain the freshness.

Have you visited any pick your own farms? Share your experience in the comments below.