WHERE TO EAT

Eat around the backstreet rather than the main strip – goes as saying, but be wary of the shadow-bound men begging you to buy cannabis (will only happen about three times a minute). 

Central market is not just a place for small family run restaurants to source new ingredients, or for local farmers to barter their produce, but is also a large part of the food culture. Natives flood to the stalls for snacks and treats, and it is one of the few places in the heart of the city to feed you genuine Hungarian food. Almost completely devoid of tourists, be prepared to be the only person in the queue to have a camera around your neck.

Városliget City Park, whilst slightly out of the way, is the most gorgeous slice of greenery in the capital. Sit down outdoors and test out your Hungarian as you order lunch surrounded by forestry, sunshine, and a sudden and absolute adoration for the city.

WHERE TO WANDER, CROWD-FREE

It’s all good and dandy to tell y’all to arrive at places at sunrise, or avoid bank holidays and summer vacation – but for the centre of Pest, it’s more about the “where” than the “when.”

Pre-book a sunset Budapest cruise for a personal river tour sailing between Buda and Pest (sometimes stopping at Margaret Island). Snatch up one of the seats at the little balcony of the boat and sit back as live music plays, waiters bring champagne and pineapple juice, and the sun glances your skin as waves hit the side of the boat.

St Stephen’s Basilica during the end of service hours will secure a chance to view the ancient cathedral without much camera clicking from tourists, with the possibility of witnessing divinely dressed priests preaching softly in Hungarian tongue.

Linger around Kossuth Square and catch a glimpse of capital guards patrolling the grounds in traditional military uniform, and see if you can find the chilly underground massacre museum near parliament.

Ride on the Felnott Jegy eye and witness the best view of the city from the comfort of a private chamber on the big wheel.

Visit the Vajdahunyad Castle and grounds – side-stepping the crowds of the fairytale village to the Hungarian Agricultural Museum. Nearing closing time, entry is free, and the museum itself is so silent and empty that your whispers will echo around the stag skulls decorating the walls.

Clamber to the top of Gellert Hill and spot the endless queues of tourists, then look towards the seating on the right and notice the difference. From there, you can clamber up the side of the wall – just out of reach of the other unknowing tourists – and look across the fey city beneath you. My favourite spot in the whole of Budapest, you get a private piece of the capital all to yourself. For just a few minutes, it was all ours, alone.

WATCH OUT FOR

• Train men pocketing the change from the machine without you noticing
• Taxis – hailing is a real monopoly, with a journey one day costing 1200ft, and 5000ft the next
• Restaurants away from the main strip. It goes without saying that it will be more expensive, but when you can only afford one sandwich between two people to suffice as an evening meal, you’ll definitely regret not stopping at the backstreet összejövetel with live music and local cuisine for half the price
• Avoid the fövá Rosi Nagycirkusz! Whilst it’s hilarious and mega entertaining, after visiting we discovered just how thorough their recent exploitation of endangered animals was – and paying to support abuse is never okay
• Beggars are a lot more subtle and friendly than in places like Rome and Antalya – receive an inordinately enlightening book, or a chance to play a violin (badly) to an audience of onlookers, for a small price that is classed as a donation, but also feels like a low-key mugging

Budapest quickly became one of my favourite countries in the world. Maybe it was because the whole place felt like a fairytale, or because I’d visited with someone who was as new to me as the capital, or maybe simply because we’d found a way to see everything without any tourists in the way. Regardless of the reason, I’ve found myself utterly infatuated with the capital – and crave another spontaneous, otherworldly adventure again.

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THE ACCOMMODATION

After reading out the wrong directions so that we accidentally ended up driving the whole course of the resort and glimpsing other lodges, chalets, and little houses that hyped me for the week to come, we found it. Our gorgeous wooden chalet greeted us, featuring an open plan kitchen, living room and dining room, all adorned with high Tudor oak ceilings. We had enough bedrooms to accommodate a whole family – but considering there were just the two of us, the wide open space was perfect.

After unpacking, we believed it too late to try and cram in some activities, so we decided to spend some time relaxing. We sat back on the veranda in the dwindling sunset, chatting excitedly about potential plans as we sipped our fruit teas from the kitchen. We ended up spending several evenings like this, at the little table of our lodge between the trees.

Throughout our stay, returning back to the lodge almost became like a return to the safehaven, away from the havoc and constant flow of activities outside. In the evening, we would return from dinner and just lounge back in the living room, comfy and warm and exhausted. We also had a wetroom, which was perfect for when we would come back from a swim and wanted to indulge in our luxe mini-spa.

The kitchen was fully equipped, which meant that we could cook up some eggs in the morning or throw a salmon in the oven if we couldn’t summon the energy to go out for a meal at night. It was like a little kitsch temporary home, and it was pretty divine. Honestly, I felt just like a proper chalet girl.

THE SURROUNDINGS

As you walk out of the lodge, you’re immediately confronted by the wildness of Wales – overlooking a lake, or a forest, or distant mountains. With local excursions such as many famed beaches, wildlife, and historical places like cathedrals and castles, there’s a lot to do both on the park grounds and beyond.

Within Bluestone, there’s a really cute provincial “village,” which houses cafes and souvenir shops. You can stop for a hot coco by the park, or just wander around the pastel-coloured houses. It’s got an old English vibe to it, which completely contrasts the strong Welsh patriotism evident in the dishes, the first-language of staff, and characters in the shows which the resort puts on.

My favourite parts about the surroundings of Bluestone were the trails – the endless routes of forestry of which you could explore. Wandering amongst the wildlife, there are two main walking routes that you could take – both of which leading to wild rabbits and remote streams and just limitless greenery. It’s such a gorgeous national park, I’m lucky to have remotely been based right in the middle of it.

There are plenty of little restaurants and food places at Bluestone which you can dine at, each with their own quirks. The best by far is Smokey’s, a little old lumberjack shack hidden behind a heavy canopy of trees. They offer plenty of vegetarian options (perfect for my restrictive Crohn’s diet), and they serve the most insanely gorgeous home-made lemonade. They also have an open woodland fire protected by a grill where you can roast marshmallows – a highlight for sure.

THE ACTIVITIES

The most appealing aspect of Bluestone is the fact that you’re able to choose exactly what sort of holiday you want. Fancy a relaxing retreat? Spend your time getting a manicure, basking in the sauna, sitting back in the hydrotherapy room, or visiting the sea salt cave or candle lit sanctuary. Or do you want an action-packed week filled with endless activities? If so, there’s a massive bundle of options to choose from – from zip wiring to axe throwing, rock climbing to kayaking.

Another one of the best parts of my time at Bluestone included a full day lounging about Blue Lagoon – the Bluestone water park. The outdoor slides were the most incredible, due to the fact that they attach to intermediate pools with heavy currents that throw you about until you land in a warm tub of water, high up in the trees with the backdrop of forest life.

I feel like at Bluestone you’re able to discover the type of traveller you are and what sort of holidays work for you. Are you an explorer, always craving hidden woodlands and adrenaline-filled adventures? Or are you a more of a sit back and read a book by an open fire sort of person? I for one found out that my dream itinerary is that of a six-year-old, swinging from trees and spoiling my appetite by snacking on smores all day.

I had a wonderful time at Bluestone, and am honoured that I was given the opportunity to be a #BluestoneBlogger and spend such a perfect week in the best part of the UK. I only live an hour from the resort, but found that other guests had travelled from the other side of the world just for a cosy little retreat in the heart of Wales. I have to say that I completely understand why – I’ve never fallen in love with a home-away-from-home this deeply.

Have any of you guys ever visited the area, or even stayed at Bluestone itself? Let me know in the comments below!

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