No 20: London a place of variables along with things that never change

The first part of anyone's dream holiday is, of course, the dreaming. That's why the Herald asked readers where they would most like to go, and to tell us why. The results are in, and the countdown begins, with the number one place revealed on January 13. All the entries selected go into the draw to win $3000 worth of travel from Flight Centre to help them to get to their dream destination.

NO 20: LONDON

Today, Suzzanne Grace Lilith Bennett writes about her love of London ...


I love London. I love the noise, the sights, the smells, the people. I love sitting in a double-decker bus, watching the buildings, listening to the different voices of the passengers, gripping my ticket with the enthusiasm of a child.

It's the atmosphere I find so compelling, along with the history, the art, the eccentricity of the people and the sense that anything is possible.

London is a world unto itself. When I am there I feel as if the world is my oyster, that if I set my mind to it I could become a great writer or a great poet or a singer or an artist or a dancer.

I feel as if my horizons have been broadened and I am capable of broadening with them.

I have so many assorted memories of London. Living in squalor in a squat in Elephant and Castle in the 80s, standing in the rain outside Buckingham Palace for a glimpse of the Queen in the 90s, walking down Leicester Square on a bright sunny day in the summer of 2001, thinking how great it was to be there.

If it wasn't for the weather it might well be the most perfect place on Earth (after New Zealand, that is).

Then again, it wouldn't be the same, would it? London is a place of variables along with things that almost never change; and that is what makes it so intoxicating for me.

FACT FILE

Getting there

Return economy-class airfares ex Auckland and three nights accommodation at the Prince William Hotel from $2699 a person share twin.

Contact Flight Centre on 0800 24 35 44 to book. Conditions apply.

Getting around

Forget hiring a car. Use London's tube and bus network. Best value travel is with a Family Travelcard. These are available for a group of one or two adults and up to four children. Although individual cards are issued, the group must travel together. They are valid for one day and cost £2.70 ($7.30) for adults and 80 pence ($2.15) for children (zones 1 and 2).

Traditional red bus tours and black cabs are also fun to use.

What to see and do

British Airways' London Eye is the world's highest observation wheel and offers passengers amazing views.

Mingle with the likes of Kylie Minogue, David Beckham, Jerry Springer, Brad Pitt and many more in the waxwork world of Madame Tussaud's.

The Changing of the Guard is a must-see event. The Queens' Guard is changed at 11.30am inside the gates of Buckingham Palace.

Visit Britain