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If you are here it is sadly likely that your account has been disabled by Instagram. Or locked out, or maybe even hacked. Unfortunately when this happens, Instagram doesn't exactly help you out with any information. 'Your account has been disabled for violating our terms' . Pretty much the sum total of it right? Just a quick google search will offer you an absolute ton of pages offering to help you recover your account, along with plenty of scam messages which you will see plastered all over reddit and Facebook forums (cue the comments on this post too). Let me tell you, if anyone is offering to get your account back, especially for money exchange, do not do it! In this post, I am not here to ask you for anything. I am simply just one of the large numbers of people who have had this happen to them, and I just want to offer you advice from my own personal experience with Meta, and helping countless others, for FREE. Read on for a highly-effective new 2024 method which has worked for many people this year already, and I hope, many more. Table of Contents ● Why did Instagram disable my account? ● Will I be able to recover my account? ● Instagram Disabled Account Appeal Forms ● Meta Verified, and getting your Instagram account back ● I did not violate guidelines; my Instagram account has been hacked ● Protecting your Account ● Any questions? Get in touch ● How to follow our blog Why did Instagram disable my account? There are a number of known reasons as to why this may have happened, with one of the most significant of them being if you have used an unauthorized app to connect to your account, like one of those follow / unfollow ones. Before we continue, from this point on if that is the case, just don't hide it. In any of your communications, be upfront about it, because Meta know . And they are far more likely to forgive and forget if you own up to it straight off the bat, rather than try to plead innocence / ignorance. Here are a few common reasons why your account may have been disabled: ● Connecting an unauthorized application to your account such as insight apps, automated like apps, follow / unfollow apps etc) Tap here for more about this   ● Buying followers (these are usually bots) ● Joining follow loops / follow trains ● Participating in engagement groups ● Sending spam messages to followers and non-followers ● Following & unfollowing in large numbers ● Using Instagram shopping in unlicensed countries ● Providing your login credentials to a 3rd party application or service that is automating actions or scraping information ● Using an app or service to interact with Facebook or Instagram in unauthorized ways ● Your account was shared or compromised / hacked and someone is taking actions on your behalf or without your knowledge ● Changing your location regularly I would highly advise reading the Terms & Conditions of Use  in Instagram's Help Centre  to try and fully understand why the block has happened. Be honest with yourself and do not be afraid to admit any breach of the rules. As you progress with the appeal, and as you will see from my experience, honesty is absolutely the best policy here. I have written an extensive article about this topic, which you can read here . In it I include all of the do's and don'ts around how to stay within Instagram's infamous community guidelines, and how to contact Meta / Facebook through the Meta Business Centre . Definitely worth a read before you formulate your email / plead your case. RETURN TO CONTENTS Will I be able to recover my account? For this post, I am mainly going to focus on a brand new 2024 way to contact Instagram directly through the IG app . Before we get to it, I must stress that the process outlined in my original post about this still stands, and must be followed first, so you can generate your case number (s). It is also important that you have a Facebook account, although with this process it does not need to be a business account, and you do not need an ad account either (although this may help in the long run). Other mitigating factors include the length of time your account has been disabled for. I am hoping you are here because it has only just happened, but there may also be a chance you are here because you are at your wits end trying to recover your account, and have been for a while. Sadly if you are the later, know that you only have 30 days from the point of getting your account disabled to point of recovery. After that time period has elapsed, the account will automatically go into IG's deletion process. From there on in it is game over I'm afraid. RETURN TO CONTENTS Instagram Disabled Account Appeal Forms So assuming you are below the 30 day threshold (the earlier the better), are prepared to own up to any potential infringements of the community guidelines (including follow apps and engagement groups!), let's get started with the process. First things first, here are the links to all of the Appeal Forms you will need to let Instagram know you are appealing the de-activation of your account: ● help.instagram.com/contact/606967319425038 ● help.instagram.com/contact/396169787183059 ● help.instagram.com/contact/437908793443074 ● help.instagram.com/contact/1652567838289083 ● help.instagram.com/contact/1610459702591585 ** June 2024 Update: It appears that Meta / Instagram has removed the functionality of these forms. This may be temporary, or could be a permanent change. Should the links not work, jump straight to Facebook Live Support  or try i nstagram.com/hacked My advice is to complete each of these forms once only and on separate days . You will most likely read and see many people advising you to complete these multiple times a day until you get a response. I did this myself, in total I completed each one 3 times! However I eventually found out that this was to my detriment. After speaking directly with Meta they clearly stated that every submission goes to the bottom of the pile! It seems strange but it kind of makes sense. Think about it, you and I will not be the only ones to assume that the more we fill out the forms, the better chances we will have. They receive thousands on any given day, and so they treat it like a waiting list. You are in a queue, and there is no jumping it I'm afraid. RETURN TO CONTENTS Meta Verified, and getting your Instagram account back Once you have completed the forms, the next stage of the process, which is brand new for 2024, is to get yourself Meta Verified . This is honestly the golden goose in recovering your account, and I have seen countless success through this route having advised many accounts this year about it. A Meta Verified subscription costs $14.99 per month when you sign up on iOS or Android. Or, you can pay $11.99 per month by signing up through the website directly (only available for Facebook). For now, Meta Verified is only available to individuals, not brands or businesses. Now this will work best if you can do it through Instagram. If you have a second account, you can do it on there, or if not, you can set up a new account. There is no following minimum on who can get verified, so that is not an issue. You can also do it through Facebook if you do not want to set up a new account. The important thing is that you use the same information as would be on the account that is disabled. That means the same email, exactly the same name, and ideally phone number too. I cannot stress how important that is to the process. Once you have been verified, you can gain immediate access to Instagram Live Chat Support. There is also a much higher probability of getting your account back as Instagram has now verified your identity. So here is how to get in touch. As with most things Instagram, it is buried in an obscure place in the settings area: or Note that you can also use this area to contact by email, which I would advise to do as a back up option. Be sure to have all of your reference numbers from the appeal from process to hand, as you will need them. When you talk with the support team, be sure to make a genuine case as to why you believe your account should be re-instated. Tell them what it means to you, why you use it and what went wrong. Honesty is the best policy and most of the success I have seen has been through people simply owning up to why, and being genuine about their use on Instagram and the connections they have made through their account. Instagram are not the enemy; as with any business they just want to protect their rules. In all of the cases I have seen this year, this process has gotten the account re-activated. In most cases it has taken less than 24 hours. If there is any reason why it cannot be given back to you, at least here you will find out directly from Instagram themselves. RETURN TO CONTENTS I did not violate guidelines; my Instagram account has been hacked If you have been locked out of your account entirely, going through the process outlined here is unlikely to help. Although I would still suggest giving it a try. Again, if you are verified, it boosts your chances of proving who you are, which is the first major hurdle to overcome. The only place to go in this instance is instagram.com/hacked . RETURN TO CONTENTS Protecting your Account There are a couple of things you can do to help keep your account secure and in good order. All of these options can be found in the settings area of your Instagram account. ⪢ Connected Apps and Websites It is recommended you check this to ensure there are no unauthorized connections to your account or connections you do not recognize. ⪢ Two-Factor Authentication & Data Download I would certainly advise turning on Two-Factor Authentication  on Instagram. Even if you do not 'log in' that often, adding this layer of security will make it harder for hackers to gain access to your account. The Data Download  feature on Instagram is not well known but is an excellent option for keeping your data secure. Once requested you will have 4 days to accept the download from your email. It comes as raw data, so do not expect it to look like your posts do on the app. All of your photos, videos, comments, likes etc will come to you in separate folders which is a bit tricky to navigate and piece together. However this is a fantastic option which helps you protect your content and potentially re-use it should you ever need or want to start a new account. ⪢ Security Check Up Instagram has been adding a number of features over the past couple of years, and if you are using the app, you can utilize the 'security check-up' feature in the settings section. Here you can review all of the key security aspects of your account in one place, including your phone number, associated email address, and that essential two-factor authentication. If you are able to recover your account, I would highly recommend reviewing these settings. Not particularly helpful if you are only reading this because your account is disabled I know, but I wanted to include it nonetheless! Any questions? Hopefully this post, and our complete guide, has given you all of the tools you need to recover your account, with (fingers crossed) success. If you do have any other additional questions on points not covered here however, you are more than welcome to get in touch. You can contact me directly on Instagram , although for the quickest response , please send your message / question here through Closer Lives and we will get back to you within 24 hours.

Inspired by the transformative power of love, this piece looks at the way it rebuilds, renews, and elevates us. It's a tribute to the connection that can transcend stress, distance, and darkness, leaving us fused as one. Fusion explores the way love rebuilds us, piece by piece. It's a reflection on how, even in moments of chaos or darkness, love can be the light that carries us forward. "He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking." - Leo Tolstoy. Love always manages to find its way, even when you're feeling down. It's like a little pick-me-up that brings good vibes into your life. Whether you've met your soulmate or not, there's someone out there meant for you. Love has a funny way of showing up when you least expect it, no need to go hunting for it. That's just what I think! Fusion Tickle my senses Go on an offensive This love is relentless A treat for my synapses Constantly changing My nerves are tingling Lust intermingling This is a real thing It makes me nervous Sometimes I'm just stressed Often mindless Just the usual mess Yet your love shines through No matter what you do Be it here or across oceans You were always you You rang me Sang to me Supported me Cherished me You made me feel whole Reborn with a soul No longer a puppet A soldier to coin You rebuilt my peace Piece by piece You gave me hope Confidence galore Confiscated darkness Threw it to the floor Stomped on it Squished it Made it no more Even then I knew not What you had in store The reserves Of hope Of peace and love Warmth in your berth I can't get enough So beautiful you are From near or from far That is just you You are the star Like a rocket We launched And damn did we fly Fuelled by love My oh my We reached the sky Above and beyond Despite what is said The darkness was gone A universe sparked Atoms vibrating Sensationally charged Never abating Just two hearts Fused by the sun Two soul's linked Bonded as one © Leon Gregori 2025 What does love mean to you? Have you experienced a connection so powerful it felt like fusion? Let me know in the comments! If you enjoyed Fusion, you might also like: Rise: Redefining Falling in Love - Reimagine love in Rise. Explore the transformative journey of love as an ascent to new heights, breaking free from the gravity of past hurts. About me I have been writing poetry since I was in my mid-teens and find it completely natural to express myself through written word. I am from the UK but I am now a full time slow traveling digital nomad after meeting my amazing fiancé Jenn on Instagram, as part of my journey as an author. My writing has always been unpredictable and without structure; it is freestyle from completely random moments when I feel compelled to write. My content is mainly long form and focuses on love, heartbreak and life. Let's stay in touch Come and connect with me over on IG! Along with poetry, I share stories, highlights, tips and tricks from four years of full-time travel. I also like to drop facts and interesting things to know about places too! Would be great to meet you over there. or

Is life a carefully woven tapestry, or do we truly have control over our path? These are the questions I explore in this poem, Woven. It delves into the intersections of destiny, manifestation, and human connection. These are the thoughts, this is the poetry! Questions Woven into the Fabric of Life Is there a predetermined path for us to follow? Do our desires and aspirations materialize as we wish? Can we make things happen? Since my youth, I have sensed something... a quiet whisper... an unseen communication. Is this reality? Is life a complete mystery or is there room for understanding? Are events truly 'meant to happen'... does luck really play a role in our lives? Can we shape our own destiny or is it merely fate that has always been set? Within our subconscious, are we influenced by the universe? Do we truly have free will or is it all preordained? Did we all originate from a single source? Whether through science or faith... the beginning or the smallest particle... without disregarding any belief system, are we all fundamentally connected? Interwoven? Our steps follow the paths of countless others who came before us... spirits traversing through past and future generations. We are continuously broadening our perspectives... pushing the boundaries until the thread unravels. Or is it simply handed down to the next generation? Woven Going about my daily business I am but merely a bespoke witness To this carefully choreographed plan I feel forced to be a fan To this invisible tapestry That feels like fantasy Yet is truly a reality Working with destiny It has its way with me All of my decisions Choices and such They feel like freedom Like I have control I have my goals Moments and aspirations I work towards them Celebrate when I achieve But am I really doing this Is it really me Or is it just the plan That is 'meant to be' Did I take that chance Or did the chance take me Did I go because I wanted to Or was I just pushed to see The stitches The fabric Of what I am presenting The path I am following Winding through my mind All of the things The gifts of life Like magnets to my soul On the tip of a knife Pin point accuracy This is not a fallacy It is the truth I have known since my youth Maybe I can manifest My deepest desires Maybe I can hope for the best Possess what I admire Maybe I can own it Call out its name For all that I know It is only the same The same as it's written In invisible ink The same as I am told To do as I think Whatever I do I follow the path The instinct The gut The senses I have It can be altered I can force a change Add little moments But it ends up the same Who I meet What I foresee Where I am at What I can see All I know When my one becomes two Is the only truth That I was always going to Are we all just inter connected? I can't help but agree with this perspective My life is a directive It should all be expected All of the things With all that it brings This stunning sweet symphony The people that come to me Those that I go to The voices I listen to This journey I am on Where I came from All interwoven In the threads of others Stitched in the fabric Of life and the universe So I document in words Write down a verse Detail my legacy For all to remember me Before it all ends Not a moment too soon Before the thread runs out And only the box looms So when all is done When the path is all trodden The tapestry complete The start long forgotten My name will be carved My life in a box Lid on tight Sealed with a lock My vessel will vanish End up as dust All that I lived Gone as it must Only memories will survive Thoughts and mementos To those I had touched Or loved the same So my point is This is not a game We are all on a path Forged in our names We all have questions Of why what and who But that is just human It is nothing new Those questions will be answered Upon leaving this life Maybe the path remains One can only hope for an afterlife But in the meantime We are all interconnected This is my thought My only perspective I will wake up tomorrow And continue this journey Find what is next See what becomes of me Meet and greet Search and explore Follow my path Follow my tour I don't need a guide For my soul leads the way Just like these words And all that I say © Leon Gregori 2025 What do you think? Is life a predetermined journey, or are we shaping our paths every step of the way? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. 'Life is so short and the years pass so quickly, we live our lives like we're on a rollercoaster and before we know it many things are missed out, not done, and sometimes, too late to catch up on. You are in the prime of your life now, enjoy every moment of happiness you have, because that is the fruit of life and you are blessed' That was from my Mum, part of a message she sent to me after she finished reading my book (thanks Mum). I guess it is so apt to place it with this piece... it really meant a lot to me. As writers we are blessed with the ability to leave our souls behind on paper... but let us not forget to enrich our souls and keep feeding them every day - while we still can. Stay connected guys! Until next time... If you enjoyed Woven, you might also like: Fusion: When Two Souls Become One - Fusion explores the way love rebuilds us, piece by piece. A reflection on how, even in moments of chaos or darkness, love can be the light. About me I have been writing poetry since I was in my mid-teens and find it completely natural to express myself through written word. I am from the UK but I am now a full time slow traveling digital nomad after meeting my amazing fiancé Jenn on Instagram, as part of my journey as an author. My writing has always been unpredictable and without structure; it is freestyle from completely random moments when I feel compelled to write. My content is mainly long form and focuses on love, heartbreak and life. Let's stay in touch Come and connect with me over on IG! Along with poetry, I share stories, highlights, tips and tricks from four years of full-time travel. I also like to drop facts and interesting things to know about places too! Would be great to meet you over there. or

By definition conscience is our moral sense of right and wrong. A space where gut feelings, instinct, empathy and compassion combine to (hopefully) point us on the right path. In this piece I explore my own, and its subterranean other, piecing it together in the only way I know how; through my poetry. “The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within me. And even though I have to face the prospect of being a minority of one, I humbly believe I have the courage to be in such a hopeless minority.” ― Mahatma Gandhi I love this quote because it really does encapsulate the internal workings of our minds. There is the part in which controls our body and its functions, then there is the part that is 'us'. The 'invisible' voice, which honestly I am not even sure sounds like my actual one. The one that questions, triggers, compliments and critiques. That voice is productive, obstructive and all the in-betweens. Two as one and one as the same... conscience and mind constantly working to balance feelings and decisions. When I wrote this piece I wanted to expose those inner workings, the swing of the pendulum that never seems to rest. So here it goes... welcome to the inner sanctum! Conscience Want to write all about me? Pick me? Fight me? Holding me back A stabbing attack Like a frenzy No befriending Just riled and foreboding You make it an ending Go ahead Lecture me Do your thing Enlighten me See what frightens me Entices me What stops me Sparks me Instant reactions Copious satisfaction Pitchforks swinging Whilst fires rage An open page Or a closed book Neither works Or even should Learn my lesson Through making mistakes Take in information Owning my space I know best You just detest That I don’t always believe Or consider Intrigued I have ignored Been closed Bored Distracted I’ve enacted A type of detachment So my action Decision Natural submission Is to stop Listen With pristine precision Conscience tell me For I want to be listening Deciding Debating Considering Doing our thing Synchronising With conscience my King And Queen My power Personified Progress Intensified Mistakes Rectified With love I happily oblige I shall now believe my honesty The voice that corrects me The one that shows me My values within Though it can harm me Drain and extract me Fill my lungs With an air of uncertainty My conscience is paramount And will guide for eternity As it rinses me out And pinches my heart I have learnt to respect And even in death Never shall we part © Leon Gregori 2025 For me, Conscience is about the dance between instinct and reason, between critique and compassion. It’s a conversation we all have within ourselves, whether we acknowledge it or not. What does your conscience sound like? Do you find it easy to listen to, or does it often conflict with your desires? I’d love to hear your reflections in the comments below. If you enjoyed Conscience, you might also like: Rise: Redefining Falling in Love  - Reimagine love in Rise. Explore the transformative journey of love as an ascent to new heights, breaking free from the gravity of past hurts. About me I have been writing poetry since I was in my mid-teens and find it completely natural to express myself through written word. I am from the UK but I am now a full time slow traveling digital nomad after meeting my amazing fiancé Jenn on Instagram, as part of my journey as an author. My writing has always been unpredictable and without structure; it is freestyle from completely random moments when I feel compelled to write. My content is mainly long form and focuses on love, heartbreak and life. Let's stay in touch Come and connect with me over on IG! Along with poetry, I share stories, highlights, tips and tricks from four years of full-time travel. I also like to drop facts and interesting things to know about places too! Would be great to meet you over there. or

When I met Jenn not only did I find true, epic love but I was also met with an incredible dose of inspiration, creativity and energy. It was in full force when we met and it is just as strong now, manifesting in our art and our reality! This piece takes us back to the beginning, as we were crossing continents to see each other with every opportunity. Many nights we spent together, many nights we spent apart. I wrote this after an evening walk alone, in the midst of a very empty feeling after Jenn had flew back to Canada. The distance was tough, but tough moments make you stronger and this was no different. " Distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold. It’s for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It’s for those knowing a good thing when they see it, even if they don’t see it nearly enough ." - Meghan Daum Thankfully for us the 'distance only lasted for 6 months before I packed up and left England behind for Canada. It worked out amazingly well given 3 months after my arrival the country shut down due to Covid-19. I am so glad I was there when it happened because it was a good 12 months before they reopened the borders again! The Force was with us from the moment Jenn joined my poetry live on Instagram and sent me her poetry. We felt a tether and a connection immediately. That tether stretched not just from Canada to the UK but across previous lifetimes too! More on that in another post! It was all just part of the plan falling into place. A love greater than we even knew at the time. But we knew that we were meant to be together and we knew this was the right moment, the right place, the right time. Our love has been thriving ever since... The Force remains as strong as ever! The Force Born on a continent So far away Distance no match The force came our way It rode the tides Through stormy seas Under cloudy skies It found the cliffs Of our distant shores It climbed with no harness As it made it to land The force grew stronger As it searched for our hands When it made it to us It knew what it must What it must be Between you and me The force found us Through our poetry It gave us the key To know what to see We delved into our screens With unanimous security No apprehension Or insecurity We always knew The force was there Bringing us closer With vision and flair Ocean's divide Yet love flies There is no chance Or reason why I am yours You are mine Was always coming This is our time A single rhythm A passion A schism A moment written All is forgiven Unfurling the ribbon This present is a given The gift to our hand I finally understand An effervescent plan Because it can Our moment rises The gap closes A coming together We are chosen Reach for the stars Is not the phrase The stars came to us With our patience paid Sadness gone Our pasts laid Future set We are here to stay The sun has risen A new horizon It will never set In our infinite vision Distance no match There was never a catch Only the fact We were due to attach Fusing our souls Conjoining our goals Sharing our spirit Becoming one whole A force to be reckoned It found its home We are the force And this is our tone © Leon Gregori 2025 The Force isn’t just about love; it’s about destiny, creativity, and the inexplicable tether that brings two souls together. For Jenn and me, poetry was our introduction, but love was our ultimate bond. If you enjoyed The Force, you might also like: Rise: Redefining Falling in Love  - Reimagine love in Rise. Explore the transformative journey of love as an ascent to new heights, breaking free from the gravity of past hurts. About me I have been writing poetry since I was in my mid-teens and find it completely natural to express myself through written word. I am from the UK but I am now a full time slow traveling digital nomad after meeting my amazing fiancé Jenn on Instagram, as part of my journey as an author. My writing has always been unpredictable and without structure; it is freestyle from completely random moments when I feel compelled to write. My content is mainly long form and focuses on love, heartbreak and life. Let's stay in touch Come and connect with me over on IG! Along with poetry, I share stories, highlights, tips and tricks from four years of full-time travel. I also like to drop facts and interesting things to know about places too! Would be great to meet you over there. or

'Your account has been disabled for violating our terms'. No doubt that is the reason you are here and believe me, I can relate to how you are feeling right now. I have been there and I am writing this post to share my experience and hopefully help you to recover your Instagram account. I also share tips, tricks, do's and don'ts so you can avoid this happening again in the future. I have been an avid user of Instagram for over 3 years and for those of you who know our journey here at Closer Lives you will know that it is on Instagram that Jenn and I met for the very first time. It has had a huge impact on our lives and indeed our entire story, alongside our travel adventures, has all been shared there. Our Instagram accounts are months, years and even decades of copious amounts of time and energy put into content, follower growth, design and promotion. Not to mention the amazing people and friends that no doubt, like me, you have connected with. The moment I was 'disabled' was like a rug literally being pulled from under my feet and it was a hard moment to take. Just like that, everything I had built was under threat. I had no reason, no understanding and just a deep sense of fear that the journey may well be over. I thought it simply must have been a mistake. Tap the appeal, fill out the very basic information request and wait 24 hours. It will be alright, I have not done anything wrong. I will get it back I told myself. I tried to stay positive and maintain as much patience as I could muster. In the early days of my block I managed it, but by day 3 my emotions were starting to get the better of me. I realised that simply just waiting was not going to be enough. I started to research relentlessly to find out more information, reading countless articles and watching a plethora of videos about it on YouTube. After several hours of this I knew that I had no choice but to fight for my account or risk losing it for good. This is my story, and some of the things I discovered that may just help you to get your account back. Read on to find out how to appeal, what NOT to do, how to contact Meta and ultimately how I recovered my account. First things first... While this may not be the easiest thing to read right now, expect to hear this from friends, family and even Meta themselves. Don't panic! It is indeed sound advice; even if you have violated the community guidelines, your chances of recovering your account are fairly good if this is the first time you have been blocked. You will have to wait ; do not be surprised if it takes up to a month to get things sorted. However, you may just get it back a lot sooner. The truth is, it is highly unpredictable. Table of Contents ● Why has my Instagram account been disabled? ● The first Instagram Account disabled message and what to do next ● Contacting Instagram ● Instagram Appeal Forms ● You've sent your appeal to Instagram - the next steps ● What NOT to do while you wait ● You've waited 7 days and had no response from Instagram - here is what to do next ● Facebook Live Support ● My Ad Account Issue ● What Instagram wanted to know ● Account Recovery Complete! ● Protecting your account ● The final word Why has my Instagram account been disabled? There are many reasons why your account will have been disabled. Instagram's guidelines are very clear, but have you read them? Perhaps not, and honestly, neither had I. Most of my knowledge in terms of what and what not to do had come from word of mouth, and posts from other users who had fallen foul of the rules. To be clear, this post will NOT help you if your account has been suspended (as in you can still log in but cannot like, comment, follow etc). It is only for no longer being able to access / log in to your account . Here are a few common reasons why your account may have been disabled: ● Connecting an unauthorized application to your account such as insight apps, automated like apps, follow / unfollow apps etc) Tap here for more about this ● Buying followers (these are usually bots) ● Joining follow loops / follow trains ● Participating in engagement groups ● Sending spam messages to followers and non-followers ● Following & unfollowing in large numbers ● Using Instagram shopping in unlicensed countries ● Providing your login credentials to a 3rd party application or service that is automating actions or scraping information ● Using an app or service to interact with Facebook or Instagram in unauthorized ways ● Your account was shared or compromised / hacked and someone is taking actions on your behalf or without your knowledge ● Changing your location regularly I would highly advise reading the Terms & Conditions of Use in Instagram's Help Centre to try and fully understand why the block has happened. Be honest with yourself and do not be afraid to admit any breach of the rules. As you progress with the appeal, and as you will see from my experience, honesty is absolutely the best policy here. Hopefully by now you may have identified why your account has been disabled. If not, do not worry, from my experience you may never even know the actual reason. In any case something somewhere was triggered by the system and we are where we are. Whatever your reasons for wanting your account back just know that there is a chance you will be able to do just that. I have seen stories of timelines ranging from 48 hours to 30 days. The key to it all is to be patient, but by all means persistent! Have you seen the Shawshank Redemption? Well I highly recommend it if you haven't! Absolutely fantastic movie. Aside from that, and more to the point, prisoner Andy Dufresne writes a letter a week to the state requesting funding for the prison library. One a week, then eventually two, for six years. Yes SIX! There is so much more to the story that I shall not divulge in case you haven't seen it. But I mention it only through one lens: the power of consistency. The power of persistence. You need to go all out Shawshank on this! This is where your fight begins; lets get to it. The first Instagram account disabled message and what to do next I must admit that in the past I have had a couple of suspensions for too much activity however I have always been able to log in, even if I could not perform any actions for a day or two. This was the first time my account had ever been disabled. My heart was in my mouth the moment I saw these screens. It was in that instance that I realised just how important this account is to me; in the same token the thought of losing it crept into my thought process for the first time ever and it was frightening. Note that in most cases, any actions against your account are enacted by Instagram's system AI and algorithm's. It is highly unlikely that it has been done by an actual human! When the initial block happens, even your immediate appeal is not overseen by a human. 'We will review' most likely means 'our bots will review' When asked to provide your information you will be asked for an email address. You may read or hear that it is important that you leave the email associated with your account, although I would say that it does not really matter. As long as you stick with the same email throughout the process. This is important to demonstrate you are not a bot and are a genuine human. Over two billion people use Instagram once a month, making it the fourth most popular social app worldwide Bots and fake accounts are a thorn in the side of Instagram and unfortunately no matter how big (or small) your account following may be, your appeal will be dropped in amongst hundreds of thousands, if not millions of others. It is hard to imagine just how they tackle this, although sadly the sheer lack of any type of customer support is equally hard to fathom. Contacting Instagram It is easy to understand why Instagram would be overwhelmed should they operate a helpline or email channel. Instagram has never announced any type of customer support since it first hit the app stores in 2010. Nevertheless, here are the details you might find online: Instagram Headquarters: +1 650 543 4800 or +1 415 857 3369 Instagram for business: +1 660 745 3051 support@instagram.com You are welcome to try these avenues but it is highly unlikely you will receive any kind of response. Ultimately the one and only place to look for any type of issue or guidance is Instagram's help centre . It is here that you will be able to complete various forms to begin your appeal process. You will also find a link to one of the forms in the message informing you of your account block on the log in screen. Instagram Appeal Forms Here are the links to all of the Appeal forms I used, all within the first 7 days of my account being disabled / de-activated: ● https://help.instagram.com/contact/606967319425038 ● https://help.instagram.com/contact/396169787183059 ● https://help.instagram.com/contact/437908793443074 ● https://help.instagram.com/contact/1652567838289083 ● https://help.instagram.com/contact/1610459702591585 ** June 2024 Update: It appears that Meta / Instagram has removed the functionality of these forms. This may be temporary, or could be a permanent change. Should the links not work, jump straight to Facebook Live Support or try instagram.com/hacked My advice is to complete each of these forms ONCE ONLY and on SEPERATE DAYS . You will most likely read and see many people advising you to complete these multiple times a day until you get a response. I did this myself, in total I completed each one 3 times! However I eventually found out that this was to my detriment. After speaking directly with Meta they clearly stated that with every submission, your case goes to the bottom of the pile! It seems strange but it kind of makes sense. Think about it, you and I will not be the only ones to assume that the more we fill out the forms the better chances we will have. Having received millions of contact forms over the years Instagram is basically saying 'we have your request, please be patient. It will be seen'. The forms are pretty basic and easy to complete. If you have a business account you will be asked to provide some form of verification. The key is the 'please let us know why you're appealing the decision' section. This is your opportunity to plead your case and I highly advise that you place plenty of time and thought into it. This is my advice for what you should include: ● Why you believe your account was de-activated (be honest, if you know the reason, state it. If you do not know however, that is okay) ● Acknowledge the community guidelines and your willingness to adhere to them ● Explain what you use the account for ● State any other people who may have access to the account ● Briefly detail how you will be using the account going forward should it be re-enabled There is no real need to apologise, although if you know why your account was disabled then perhaps it is not a bad idea. Personally I feel it is best not to until you have more information. You have sent your appeal to Instagram - the next steps Now this is the interesting part. In most cases when contacting a multi-billion dollar mega company with an issue you would come to expect a response that makes you feel like you are being heard, that you are important, and that they will try to resolve your issue as soon as possible. From the 15 forms I submitted, I received an email response to just 3 of them. Yes, just three. It looked like this: No logo and a pretty sketchy email address makes this almost look like a spam email. Indeed that is where I found it - in my spam folder . Needless to say I was checking that folder every few hours in my desperate hopes of a response. So this is what you will receive and the instructions are pretty simple. Grab a pen and paper and do this - I also added my reasons for appealing again, including our website and other information that could verify my identity. What happens after this is a complete mystery though. There was no acknowledgement or receipt of my reply and indeed to this day I have never received any further communication from Instagram itself with regards to this. I persevered with this process for around 2 weeks, filling out forms and just waiting. Waiting, waiting and waiting. The silence was deafening and I knew there had to be something else I could do. What NOT to do while you wait Every day I found myself searching Google , Quora , Reddit , YouTube and even Facebook Groups . With my feeling of desperation ever increasing I found myself turning to the very murky and dark waters of the IG 'hackers' who are ultimately just scammers. Sadly people will prey on your 'desperation' and as tempting and as 'genuine' as it may seem, it will NOT work. All of those apps, comment bots and even YouTubers that recommend taking these steps may have been lucky enough to find some form of success, but the chances are overwhelmingly unlikely and will only lead to more problems. Whatever you do, do not engage in the following: ● Instagram Plus Plus (Instagram ++) ● Instagram Account Recovery Tool Websites ● IG Account Recovery Apps ● Anyone who posts in a group claiming to be a hacker ● Anyone who posts in a group claiming they have been scammed and are genuine ● Anyone who asks for money to recover your account As mentioned earlier 'data scraping' is absolutely against Instagram's terms and all of the options above do just that. Even if they are able to recover your account, the footprint they leave will remain and eventually a bot will pick that up. Then back to square one you go. NEVER give out your log in information, NEVER pay money and STICK with the Instagram / Meta process. It really is the ONLY WAY! You have waited 7-10 business days and had no response from Instagram. Here is what to do next When you request to delete content or your account, the deletion process will automatically begin no more than 30 days after your request. It may take up to 90 days to delete content after the deletion process begins. While the deletion process for such content is being undertaken, the content is no longer visible to other users, but remains subject to these Terms of Use and our Data Policy. After the content is deleted, it may take us up to another 90 days to remove it from backups and disaster recovery systems. - Content Removal and Disabling or Terminating Your Account - Instagram Terms of Use Naturally after reading this, I panicked. From what I could understand, I had 30 days in total to save my account from oblivion. It had already been 14 by this point so I knew that if I did not find another way soon it would be over. Once the deletion process is started there really is no way to restore or recover your data. So after filtering through copious amounts of YouTube videos I kept hearing about Facebook Live Support . I knew if I had any chance of saving the day then talking to an actual human would be the best way to do it! It eventually did just that; here are the steps you can take to access this little known but very helpful feature. Facebook Live Support Most of my sources have suggested this feature is only accessible if you have a Facebook / Instagram Business Account . Fortunately for me, I already had one. If you do not, it is possible to create one on Facebook. You will also need an Ad Account for reasons I shall explain shortly. ⪢ Option One - Contact via Email The Meta Business Help Centre is very useful for all sorts of reasons and I would recommend checking out this article: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/968402779873601 If you are unfortunate enough to be in a country where live chat is not supported, then you can follow these steps for email communication with Meta - At the bottom of the aforementioned article, you will find a small question box asking you if the article was 'helpful'. Click 'no', then follow the steps to explain why. It will then take you to a form asking for your contact information. This report will go directly to the Facebook Marketplace / Pro Team who, unlike Instagram, will respond immediately with a professional and formal email that will look something like this - This was a real 'blue sky' moment for me as it was the very first time throughout this whole process that I actually felt I was in with a chance of getting somewhere. I found that the Meta Pro Team were extremely helpful and on both occasions I dealt with them it felt like they genuinely wanted to help. Even just the basic use of a reference number is far more in keeping with expectations of a company of this size. All email communications were prompt and informative and over the course of a couple of days I was able to obtain a resolution to one of my issues. My Ad account was also disabled and fortunately this was a quicker fix. I was impressed with the efficiency and genuine care they showed and I trust this will be the same for you too should you need it! Read more about my Ad account issue here . If this option still does not result in your account being re-enabled then read on for option two below. ⪢ Option Two - Contact via Live Messenger Support Please note that this option will only be made available to you if you have an active Facebook Ad account AND you place an actual ad . After resolving my ad account issue I successfully placed an ad for £5. After doing so I accessed this feature by requesting help in the Commerce Manager page by clicking the help button in the bottom left hand corner . As I understand it access is restricted to certain countries and the location of this 'chat' option varies from user to user. This is what worked for me and I am currently in the UK. Once you click this look over to the right and this window will appear: Click 'Contact Facebook Support' and from the following screen select 'reporting a technical issue' from the drop-down menu: Then the holy grail! A few more sections to fill out and then the magical moment will arrive where you can talk directly to the Facebook Team. An option will appear asking you how you would like to be contacted, via email or live chat. Tap live and it will automatically route you to Facebook Messenger where you will have the opportunity to speak to the Meta Pro Team . It is important to take the opportunity to plead your case in the message section. Give as much information as you can but bear in mind you only have 1500 characters. Find out more about what Instagram wanted to know . I have read various accounts of success through this chat option. Some people have had immediate success, some have waited a few hours, some a day. For me, I had to wait a couple of days for a decision, which initially came back with me being told to wait for the Instagram Appeal process. I did just that, yet after a further 7 days of not hearing anything, I tried my hand again. another ad later and I was in touch with a very helpful operator, Ezequiel, through Facebook Messenger. He handed my case over to Ana and from there things developed very rapidly! She filed an 'internal ticket' with the Instagram Team and communicated with me via email every step of the way. Two days had passed, within which we had exchanged several emails and I answered a very important questionnaire. Then the moment came; Ana even called me personally to inform me that my account had been re-activated! I am not sure if I was just lucky but Ezequiel and Ana were absolutely brilliant. Why I was not able to get the same level of resolution the first time round I do not know, but as they always say it is the end result that counts the most, not necessarily how you get there! My Ad Account issue Before I was able to access live support I needed to run an ad as I have mentioned and most unfortunately there was a problem with this too! Luckily for me this was a slightly easier fix, but this snag did further complicate things with regards to my Instagram account. My ad account was suspended as I accessed Instagram Shopping while we were travelling in Albania. IG Shopping is not authorized there and it caused a system block. All I did was tweaked a few products and settings in my shop and it was game over. This coincided with my IG block so the two could well have been related. The block was classed as 'suspected fraud' which freaked me out at first, but after explaining that I am a full time traveller and move around often, it was lifted fairly easily after running its pre-programmed course of 2 weeks. Tip: In Facebook Commerce Manager you will find a section on the left-hand side called 'Account Health'. I am not sure how often this is updated but it is a good indicator for any issues and I actually used this screenshot to further help my appeal. Hindsight is 20:20 right? At least now I know what not to do. Here is a list of the countries that support Instagram shopping, with my advice NOT to tinker with it if you are anywhere that is not mentioned. For more information about Instagram's Commerce Eligibility Requirements click here What Instagram wanted to know After finally having my case be seen by an actual member of the Instagram Team I was asked the following questions of which I took plenty of time and great care in answering. I had sent many lengthy statements about what I thought had happened and why I wanted my account back on all of the appeal forms. However I suspect that the information from these questions is the most important for IG; they may help you gain a quicker resolution should you still be formulating your message for the initial appeal process. 1. Which 3rd party apps, tools, or services have you connected with your IG account? 2. Has your account been compromised/hacked in the past few months? 3. What is the primary use of the account? 4. How many people have access to the account? How many actively use it day-to-day? 5. What are the most commonly used features of Instagram that you / your team uses on this account (search, messaging, commenting, etc.)? I think this questionnaire was significant and I would not be surprised if the algorithms are searching for breaches of these types of elements. If you are reading this just for information then it is worth noting to avoid any infractions of your own. Account Recovery Complete! How many times do you check your email only to be rapidly tapping the delete button as most of it is junk? Well not for this one! Print it, frame it and don't make the same mistakes again! This really was one heck of a moment. Victory was assured and with it came a huge mix of relief and elation. Gratitude is most certainly the attitude and it was exuding out of me after this! Protecting your Account There are a couple of things you can do to help keep your account secure and in good order. All of these options can be found in the settings area of your Instagram account. ⪢ Connected Apps and Websites It is recommended you check this to ensure there are no unauthorized connections to your account or connections you do not recognize. ⪢ Two-Factor Authentication & Data Download I would certainly advise turning on Two-Factor Authentication on Instagram. Even if you do not 'log in' that often, adding this layer of security will make it harder for hackers to gain access to your account. The Data Download feature on Instagram is not well known but is an excellent option for keeping your data secure. Once requested you will have 4 days to accept the download from your email. It comes as raw data, so do not expect it to look like your posts do on the app. All of your photos, videos, comments, likes etc will come to you in separate folders which is a bit tricky to navigate and piece together. However this is a fantastic option which helps you protect your content and potentially re-use it should you ever need or want to start a new account. The final word So how about this for some irony? 21 days after my account was restored by the excellent Meta team, I finally received an email from Instagram, the only one I had received throughout this ordeal (aside from the three identity ones I mentioned earlier). At least this one had a bit more of an official look about it with the Instagram logo... Yes, thank you for that Instagram! I am fully aware that my engagement is a disaster given 25 days of August I did not even exist on your platform! So there you have it, that was the tale of my Instagram oblivion and restoration. It was most certainly a lesson learned and if you want to keep your account in good order, respect the guidelines and ensure full and strict adherence to them on your account and across all of your associated accounts too. This has been a humbling experience and one that has only strengthened the importance Instagram has to me. Instagram has been the only social platform I use actively to date and I am passionate about developing and sharing fantastic content. This is integral to me harnessing and growing my skills as a creator and blogger along with developing our website here at Closer Lives! I have the most sincere gratitude that I am able to share this post from the position of recovery. I know many of you reading this may not yet be there, but keep believing and stay positive! Stay strong and manifest your desire but do not shy away from working for it. Your energy will be rewarded and if not, then no doubt the universe will have bigger and better plans for you. Best of luck, and feel free to ask away in the comments if you have any questions!

From my debut book Out of the Shadows, The Game is a reflective piece from Chapter 6, Reborn. It explores the cyclical nature of modern life - eat, work, sleep, repeat - and how this relentless rhythm has shaped our humanity. Written after a long, exhausting day at work, it’s a poem born from the question many of us ask: 'Why am I doing this every day?' "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius For me, The Game is about questioning the systems we’ve built around us. It challenges the pursuit of material success at the expense of our souls and asks whether we’re truly living - or just playing along. The Game This life Our affliction Inhale it like addiction Our distinction Our reason It sets us all apart Different seasons Lands and kingdoms Association Relations Loyalty Respect It pulls us all apart Strangers rule us Whilst money blinds us Beats us down Controlled all around Lifeless Soulless Conscience not making a sound Love defines us Our spirit and our souls Our bodies and our minds Benefit in kind But our desires stretch us Can drive us crazy People like dominoes Our hearts doing the rounds We are superstitious Suspicious Ridiculous At times Its fictitious We are fortuitous To make it through at times Honesty Reminds us Of how we show and tell And its torturous Tumultuous Binds us under its spell And just like a bell It jars us Disciplines us right Because try as we might Our only fight Is hindsight That's right All we get is hindsight It's not right But it's how we learn Because honesty and loyalty Only gets us burned So as we turn It becomes our blindside We learn to ignore And on it goes on This world we create We're regardless We are relentless Our pursuit of happiness Remorseless So release the stress Put to the test The desire to achieve Soulfulness The dream Less the mess No need to impress Happiness The extreme But the reality Is meaningless Mostly nothingness Emptiness Loneliness It cuts deep inside So in our pursuit In this desperate race We step on others Just to save face We try to deny it With rigour and valour But truth be told We know our true colours What we will do What we will hide How desperate we are To jump from this ride Complex souls We each all are Our morals and ethics So so afar We try to hide it We try to agree But we all know that We all can't see So somewhere out there Something must be Must have a plan For all and me This life Our affliction This addiction It holds us We live for each day Know matter what We might say We still get up Ready to play This game And we do Each and every one of you Its our reason Distinction It sets us all apart So no rhyme And no reason We are who we are We humans are a legion An army Of war Drowning in our sorrows Living in the burrows Sinking And sinning But living for tomorrow © Leon Gregori 2025 Do you ever feel trapped by the cycle of modern life? What do you think it takes to break free and live with more purpose? Share your thoughts in the comments below. If you enjoyed The Game, you might also like: Conscience, poetry by Leon Gregori : In this piece I explore my conscience and its subterranean other, piecing it together in the only way I know how; through poetry! About me I have been writing poetry since I was in my mid-teens and find it completely natural to express myself through written word. I am from the UK but I am now a full time slow traveling digital nomad after meeting my amazing fiancé Jenn on Instagram, as part of my journey as an author. My writing has always been unpredictable and without structure; it is freestyle from completely random moments when I feel compelled to write. My content is mainly long form and focuses on love, heartbreak and life. Let's stay in touch Come and connect with me over on IG! Along with poetry, I share stories, highlights, tips and tricks from four years of full-time travel. I also like to drop facts and interesting things to know about places too! Would be great to meet you over there. or

Do we 'fall' in love or 'rise' to love? That is the question! Falling' often feels negative, literally tied to bruises and pain from the impact. But with true love, like what Jenn and I are so blessed to have found, the experience is transformative. It’s about rising to new levels, together. It was a revelation moment when it seemed like a lightbulb was shining just above my head. I realised that I had been getting it wrong all along. I thought of all of the times I had encountered love, recalling sayings like 'fallen in love' and 'falling in love'. In this moment I thought, why would love be subjected to gravity? Why would I fall down when I should be going up ! So I did what I often do in these situations; I grabbed my phone and wrote a poem about it. As one does! Rise The first time our eyes met I knew you were the one Live Life love You are the epitome of fun The moment we met You had my highest regard Damn I fell for you And I fell hard Yet why do we say that ‘I fell for you’ Does ‘falling' end in blissful happiness? Soulful struts and fire and glory Electric connection Energy flying Tingles and sensation Without even trying Is 'falling’ infinite Or does gravity rule? Or do you catch me Before I truly fall? I like the idea Of you catching me For you protect and nurture Nourish and enrich I have always felt safer In the comfort of your arms But I think I shall change it This phrase has to go Maybe in the past I can say I have ‘fallen’ Many a moment I felt my calling I thought I knew The power of love Relationships came And I ‘fell’ Lessons learnt though Can't you tell? Many times I ‘fell’ hard And in hindsight I see That the effective reality Was that I could never get up After my ‘fall’ I was always stuck It almost sounds negative Wouldn't you agree? If the 'fall' is not broken Caught or cushioned Only bruises form The foundation built On a base of pain I never want to feel that Ever again So with you my dear My heart My joy I have not ‘fallen’ No no no I have RISEN This is opposite The spectrum stretched The 'normal’ reversed Carved and etched Spun on a dime You are my rocket Blasted into the Universe There is NO gravity Just weightless endlessness Floating amongst stars With love as our oxygen This Galaxy of us Will never end This moment in time I rose from the ashes Soared through the sky Dove into the spark The twinkle in your eye Higher heights Limitless love The Galaxy and beyond There is no wake up Just dreams On board This love express Endless flight Stunning impress Even with turbulence I am not shaken Merely stoked My heart already taken High above My only station For I only look up I no longer look down There are no stops There is no ground © Leon Gregori 2025 For me, Rise is a celebration of love as a source of strength and elevation. It’s about breaking free from the gravitational pull of past hurts and choosing to soar with someone who lifts you up. What do you think? Do you prefer the idea of 'falling' or 'rising' in love? Share your thoughts in the comments below! If you enjoyed Rise, you might also like: Fusion: When Two Souls Become One - Fusion explores the way love rebuilds us, piece by piece. A reflection on how, even in moments of chaos or darkness, love can be the light. About me I have been writing poetry since I was in my mid-teens and find it completely natural to express myself through written word. I am from the UK but I am now a full time slow traveling digital nomad after meeting my amazing fiancé Jenn on Instagram, as part of my journey as an author. My writing has always been unpredictable and without structure; it is freestyle from completely random moments when I feel compelled to write. My content is mainly long form and focuses on love, heartbreak and life. Let's stay in touch Come and connect with me over on IG! Along with poetry, I share stories, highlights, tips and tricks from four years of full-time travel. I also like to drop facts and interesting things to know about places too! Would be great to meet you over there. or

Have you ever looked at the marvels of ancient civilizations and wondered, ‘How did they do it?’ From the precision of the pyramids to the cosmic alignment of ancient wells, our ancestors achieved feats that still leave us in awe. But have we, in the age of technology, lost something profound in ourselves? These questions form the core of De-evolution - a reflection on humanity’s journey, our potential, and the powers within us. All the while I marvel at the brilliance of our ancestors and all they achieved, from the Sumerians to the Egyptians and all of the other civilizations that have advanced humanity. How did they achieve the things they did? Did they have help from the outside? Or did they tap into their INSIDE and use abilities we don't even know we have? Jenn and I have talked at length many times about these so called 'abilities'. From manifestation to energy to vibes there are just so many ways we can change our realities without any dependence on others. We are fooled into the notion that we need our governments and society to flourish but the truth is that as a collective that favors the few on behalf of the many. Yet there is something that can change the game. Something innate inside of us that once tapped into, can LITERALLY change shape and mold our lives into whatever we desire. Now THAT is something that the 'few' have learnt how to suppress in us. From the outside! Is it possible to carve, lift and shift a giant rock that weighs 300 tonnes like at Baalbek (Lebanon) as part of a construction project? Thousands of years ago? Could it be possible? Maybe the question is not HOW they moved it. More like why. For example, 3000 years ago people constructed a well at Santa Cristina that is aligned with a solar event that occurs once every 18 and a half years. When the moon is at its highest point in orbit it does so directly above this place, shining through a 2ft hole to illuminate a perfectly cylindrical well into a glowing white magical chamber. There are so many questions attached to the reasons this place exists but back to my point... Like damn, they were using their MINDS to do all this stuff I could barely even do in my dreams. I can just about remember my pin number and that's only 4 digits! Me? Move a rock? Manifest my desires? Some how figure out how to build a place that could do who knows what? Well that's a fantasy, a movie, a pipe dream. So they say. But perhaps there was once a time when these powers were unimpeded... Life begets life. Energy becomes energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich - Sarah Bernhardt So this piece is about the connection to our past, our connection with technology today and how we can change our realities in the future. We have the power within us and even if modern living does not encourage that, we can still find it if we search deeply enough! I hope you enjoy the read! De-evolution Egyptian's, Mayans The great civilizations Way back when Way back then Out of nowhere (Relatively) They start building pyramids (Literally) Moving gargantuan stones and rocks Calculating Maths And clocks Precise measurements Pinpoint precision Feats of engineering Innate intuition They changed the face Of humanity They set the bar Of who we are to be Prosperity Art Society Begin Build Legacy A beacon A light Of what we could become Planet masters The best bar none With no tech they mastered this No help They started this Or maybe Who knows Hieroglyphs We know We've studied And wondered Marveled Reveled To this day we visit Their stunning legacy And so what next for us This new humanity What is next What shall we see Well I guess the Egyptians Were the spark They were the start We learnt And built Enhanced their teachings We built new empires Brilliant and fleeting For bad or worse For good or better We learnt from their laws We still write their letters But for us Now maybe The de evolution has begun For way back when Some dude pops up and says hey Let's build a pyramid That will take over a thousand years Untold wealth Staggering masses of humanity Tremendously incredible engineering And a future proof structural integrity For all of humanity To revel and see Now I wonder What is meant to be Are we now losing our abilities Enslaved to technology Is this digital world The future story For have we left behind Our powers to compute In our minds with no assistance Have we now embraced a time Where 'virtual' has no resistance Is this our new Shared existence AI is aligned And will only get stronger And the thoughts that we once thought Get lesser and lesser With less need to compute There is less need to think An even lesser need To use pen and ink So transfer your thoughts To the online device Free your mind From those stresses and vice Let the screen takeover This mini computer It is what we need We need it the most So with my free mind I remembered to see A time I remember Of how it used to be Before the internet you see We had no ability To be connected In any way I remember payphones Were the only way You would remember phone numbers Like it was your last day For you had to memorize To check in or seek help 11 digit numbers Etched into mind Now tech came along And freed that mind Tech came along Oh so kind And the friendly tech Can store and replace The friendly tech Can copy and paste Now I can't even remember A four digit code That comes on a drop down To be entered below I copy and paste For fear of forgetting And getting it wrong So I guess in some ways We have We have devolved Numbed down Just a little Subservient to our master Not the government But the tech pastors Preaching their desires Playing their worth We evolved out of nowhere Got whacked with the intelligent stick Time to pass on the baton We have run our race Let the tech takeover And take our place © Leon Gregori 2025 I believe we have powers beyond our wildest dreams that are vulnerable to being suppressed and dumbed down. I know that is no groundbreaking notion but that's where the poem went towards the end! Tech, fluoride, haircuts, food and water... so many channels into us that can dampen our powers (so I am told). Yet I have come to truly believe in manifestation and positive energy and I genuinely feel desires coming into being every day. I am no expert and I credit these discoveries entirely to Jenn! I love her even more (if that was possible) for it. Learning to understand is literally translation for POTENTIAL. Potential because every moment has potential should the desire to activate it be uncovered. The process is only hard until it is not! To this day I often struggle to believe I have the life I do. Waking up to new vibes every day with the love of my life is a path I imagined in the far reaches of my mind when I was younger. A place like wizard of oz walking hand in hand with my true love down some sort of yellow brick road with birds fluttering and criss-crossing above our heads as the clouds part to reveal a rainbow! That was some dream but now it IS my reality with Jenn and what's more our traveling and path IS the yellow brick road! The more we reduce ourselves to machines in the lower things, the more force we shall set free to use in the higher - Anna C Brackett What do you think? Have we traded too much of our humanity for modern convenience, or does technology simply amplify what’s already within us? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. If you enjoyed De-evolution, you might also like: Conscience: A Poem on Morality and Inner Struggles - Explore the inner workings of the conscience. Delve into the balance between morality, instinct, and self-awareness captured through poetry. About me I have been writing poetry since I was in my mid-teens and find it completely natural to express myself through written word. I am from the UK but I am now a full time slow traveling digital nomad after meeting my amazing fiancé Jenn on Instagram, as part of my journey as an author. My writing has always been unpredictable and without structure; it is freestyle from completely random moments when I feel compelled to write. My content is mainly long form and focuses on love, heartbreak and life. Let's stay in touch Come and connect with me over on IG! Along with poetry, I share stories, highlights, tips and tricks from four years of full-time travel. I also like to drop facts and interesting things to know about places too! Would be great to meet you over there. or

In June 2020, Jenn gave me one of the most unforgettable birthday surprises of my life: an all-expenses-paid weekend at a 5-star hotel in Montreal. From incredible food to countless moments of laughter and love, it was a celebration that I will never forget. Inspired by that weekend, I wrote What She Means to Me as a tribute to her, to us, and to the love we share. It was a special surprise and I will never forget it. I can only hope my words can do justice for the love I feel, for the love we have and the love we will have forever more! Sorry for the sap but I can't help it! "The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love." - Henry Miller These words perfectly encapsulate how I feel about Jenn and our journey together! What She Means To Me Tell my brain No refrain Can’t strain Our domain This is my aim No need to explain She brings me fame Bells and whistles Sparkling and glistening Always listening My sign My symbol She even has crystals Sprinkles and sparkles Her berth is my castle Energy Synergy The things she does to me For me With me She holds me tight Treats me right Every day And long through the night The shadows are cast Far far away We are taken Now is our play Here to stay This is our way Mainstay Each way Anyway Both ways Today For many years And years beyond Will speak these words Our darkness gone Only light Shall shine here now Erase these creases No furrowed brow Our essence is phenomenal Partners complete There is no past That can compete © Leon Gregori 2025 Have you ever felt this way about someone? How do you express your love and gratitude for the people who mean the most to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! If you enjoyed What She Means to Me, you might also like: Rise: Redefining Falling in Love  - Reimagine love in Rise. Explore the transformative journey of love as an ascent to new heights, breaking free from the gravity of past hurts. About me I have been writing poetry since I was in my mid-teens and find it completely natural to express myself through written word. I am from the UK but I am now a full time slow traveling digital nomad after meeting my amazing fiancé Jenn on Instagram, as part of my journey as an author. My writing has always been unpredictable and without structure; it is freestyle from completely random moments when I feel compelled to write. My content is mainly long form and focuses on love, heartbreak and life. Let's stay in touch Come and connect with me over on IG! Along with poetry, I share stories, highlights, tips and tricks from four years of full-time travel. I also like to drop facts and interesting things to know about places too! Would be great to meet you over there. or

Sadness can feel like an overwhelming force, consuming and unrelenting. But as an poet and creator, I see it as a canvas - a space to pour emotion, process pain, and create meaning. The Artist reflects my journey through those dark moments, painting feelings from the canvas of my mind. We are all artists, painting our lives upon the canvas of reality. Mix the colors your own way and apply emotion liberally. Don't be afraid to let your brushstrokes show, and above all else, make sure your art has soul - Cristen Rodgers The Artist Sitting Surmising My mind being frightening Like a belt tightening Around my neck This isn't exciting There isn't any lighting The sadness is coming I feel like running Yet the dark is cunning My legs are heavy Like bricks on my feet I guess I'm going nowhere So it is time to meet The internal motors That spark and clash Rip and smash Here is my interpretation My deepest sensation My lungs are heavy There is no challenge And no expectation I sense I know why I keep feeling this way How I look to avoid The hardest thing I've ever had to do To lose my feelings Of love for you I've longed for what we had Dreamt of good and bad My heart goes begging I lusted for the emotion Desired the commotion The feelings that inspired That dizziness Isn't painless It's the torture of my heart Like an art This love It messed with my insides Like a tray of paint Mixed up and colourful Reds greys and yellows Blues and greens The joyous wonder The darkening screams All those hopes Laid to waste Time to be emptied Gone is the taste The potential The drama All things karma My spirits dampen As my heart fades to black The artist has left us Our canvas unfinished The picture is open But thought has diminished Printed forever We will no longer be Our pitch cut off From reaching its ending And whilst I think of this My heart is so torn It feels like my tapestry Just stopped in its tracks And the painting is there The structure and foundation But the sky is unfinished And the house half built Like a bankrupt fighter It leaves much to be desired Everything it hoped for Deep in the mire The mess is clear The solution not so The artist behind the painting Where did he go And so there we are Left unfinished The applicators broken There is no more to write Or paint Or glow Or reach its potential Just no And hard memories plentiful The only hope now Is for a brand new canvas To manifest itself Be born from life's atlas The world is still here Despite all my fears I must top up my ink Empty my tears Refill my pots Regain my strength If I can do that I can make more sense This sadness has owned me Thrown off my game I have to release this Or forever stay the same © Leon Gregori 2025 How do you process sadness or loss? Do you turn to creativity, or do you find solace in other ways? I’d love to hear your reflections in the comments! If you enjoyed The Artist, you might also like: The Game: A Poem on Life’s Relentless Cycle - This piece tackles the cyclical nature of modern life - eat, work, sleep, repeat - and how this relentless rhythm has shaped our humanity. About me I have been writing poetry since I was in my mid-teens and find it completely natural to express myself through written word. I am from the UK but I am now a full time slow traveling digital nomad after meeting my amazing fiancé Jenn on Instagram, as part of my journey as an author. My writing has always been unpredictable and without structure; it is freestyle from completely random moments when I feel compelled to write. My content is mainly long form and focuses on love, heartbreak and life. Let's stay in touch Come and connect with me over on IG! Along with poetry, I share stories, highlights, tips and tricks from four years of full-time travel. I also like to drop facts and interesting things to know about places too! Would be great to meet you over there. or

Thank you for joining us at Closer Lives to hear our story! Here is a short overview of our journey, starting from heartbreak, leading to a remarkable adventure spanning continents, and eventually transitioning to a lifestyle of full-time slow travel around the globe! We were both recovering heartbroken poets on Instagram (cliché we know but it's true) in Feb 2019, where we met and found a fairy-tale of a relationship. It's funny how the universe likes to do these things right!? Jenn was living in Canada and Leon was living in England. We've shared us physically meeting for the first time in Australia for a Royal Caribbean cruise and our story from there with our followers, fans and friends on Instagram. It was a pretty natural and unintentional thing for us to do really, especially after both being quite active members of the poetry community on Instagram prior to us connecting. We actually read poetry LIVE on Instagram and had a community poetry platform page where we featured and shared others' work for years. We only recently stopped this when our full-time travels began as it was too much to manage with our new endeavours. We got engaged at Aphrodite's Rock in Cyprus after four months and a previous one-month long date (imagine a first date lasting one month and covering 5 countries, needless to say we got to know each other QUITE well!). Travel has always and always will be a part of our journey; Leon moved to Canada with me in September 2019. Thankfully we were able to be together throughout the on-goings of 2020; something we are ever grateful for as so many couples were unable to see one another or be together during that difficult time. In January 2021 we decided to make some more major life changes. changing not only our lifestyle but also our careers. We sold, donated and stored all of our possessions and rented out our property to head out for the digital nomadic lifestyle. Go big or go home right?! It's kind of how we do things… It's like our motto.... our entire relationship required so much trust and faith in both one another and the universe... but a life lived boldly and bravely will indeed be one to be remembered... so here we are 5 years later with 42 countries together under our belts... Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey with Closer Lives? We are all about fostering connections with incredible individuals from around the world to exchange enriching experiences. If you resonate with this electrifying vibe, don't miss out on the chance to be part of our tribe by signing up on our website today! While we are fine-tuning the social aspect, you can already dive in and start sharing, posting, and chatting with like-minded souls!

Prior to this, before recording the video you will see later, Jenn and I stood linked armed and mesmerized under the spotlight of a street lamp in the middle of a bend in the road at night. We had just walked out of an alleyway; an impromptu evening walk after a great evening spent with our neighbors and friends. As we turned to go back home, what we saw was something we will NEVER forget. Before choosing this as our path, we had walked in the opposite direction but it was exceptionally blustery and it put us off... as if the wind was blowing against us. We decided to walk down an alley a few blocks back in the opposite direction. As went down the dimly lit alley, we actually had a brief discussion about Jenn leaving her phone at home. Going for a walk, why would I need it Jenn said? At that point Leon remarked how he always carries his phone, just in case. For emergencies, for random things he might see. Jenn agreed, and how apt that conversation was, just moments before our encounter. Just before leaving the alleyway into the clearing Jenn said we should 'turn in the spotlight' and head back. So we did, and as we turned we saw what we can only describe as a bright orange ball of light. Like the orange of the old street lamps before they replaced them with LED's. Imagine that and then amplify it about five fold. This light made no noise, and hovered in the distance at the same height as the ridge of the rooflines of the houses you see past the lamp. We stood there almost static and awestruck as this light ghosted from left to right across the street. It was roughly 20ft away. Stretch your arm out upwards, point your finger, and imagine a fifty pence piece at the end of it. That was how big it was. It moved slowly, and had a circular shape to its right / front. From the back was an almost flat vertical line separating the spectacular orange glow from what looked like a grayish sphere emanating like a tail. It was completely noiseless and was nothing like any drone we have even imagined, let alone seen. As we watched, amazed, it almost looked like it turned, came towards us, then moved back, and continued to the left across to where the alleyway was behind us. At that point, Jenn jilted us out of our almost trance like state, and said to record it. So I grabbed my phone, although invariably by this point it was starting to move upwards, getting faster and faster. It was now moving rapidly away from us into the night sky towards the stars. Jenn went to follow it down the alley as I recorded. Then, as quick as it came, it was gone. This was certainly no floating lantern; the movement, size, and appearance as I zoomed in demonstrates that. As far as we are aware, drones have discernible lights, and noise, and it had none of those elements either. There are many things we were feeling after what we saw; awe, amazement, excitement and wonder. The way it approached us, the way we stood stunned, the way it zipped up into the night sky after its slow hover, it really is something we cannot explain. We have both watched an absolute ton of documentaries about UFO's, studied ancient alien theories, consumed many shows about conspiracies and studied numerous religions and civilizations and their connections to flying objects in the sky. If this was man-made, it is certainly nothing like we have ever seen. Check out the video below and see what you think. Obviously in hindsight we wish we had pulled the phone out earlier! It is really funny as Leon records everything all of the time, being an avid photographer, but seeing this was a real shock and it did not even cross our minds until Jenn snapped us out of it. We have read about many accounts like this. The paralysis is real! This was at 100x zoom, at a distance way closer than the moon of course. Just for context, I filmed this on my Samsung Galaxy s21 Ultra. For those that do not know, the camera has 100x zoom, powerful enough to snap a shot of the moon in incredible detail: This UAP / UFO was MUCH closer than the moon of course. So much so that we would have fully expected my phone to pick up a more detailed image! Furthermore, we celebrated New Year's in Thailand a month later by releasing lanterns into the sky, a traditional activity in the Land of Smiles. When we originally told people about our encounter, many suggested that it could have been a lantern. So this was a great opportunity to take a shot of one in the sky, and compare the footage. Leon took this shot at a much further distance as the photo of the UAP. The night conditions were virtually the same too; it was a clear night sky. As you can see, the lantern is easy to make out (albeit a little blurry). This is most certainly not what we saw. Just for good measure, this was a video from releasing the lantern: On a final note, we have to mention that only days earlier, we had been discussing aliens and UFO's, something Leon has believed in his entire life. We have had so many debates and discussions about this and Leon kept talking about how desperate he was to see something... anything. Jenn said in this discussion 'well okay universe, Leon wants to see one, I want to see one, just do it already'. Two days later and this happened! We really do not believe in coincidences and we know for sure that we are being guided, that we are manifesting all the time, and that our connection to the universe is strong. The whole series of events, from being literally pushed back by a crazy wind, to our discussion about Jenn not having her phone in the alley, from Jenn pointing towards the spotlight at the end of the alley and wanting to turn back, to then seeing this hovering ball of light. It really did feel like we were meant to see this. This happened on October 15th, 2022, at 20:20, in Shortstown, Bedford, England. We felt compelled to come forward after watching The Lost Century by Steven Greer, who also made the documentary Unacknowledged, and is the founder of the CE5 program. We would definitely recommend you check them out. We had a debrief in our back garden when we got back, admittedly super excited and still pretty shocked at what had transpired. Our home was only a few minutes walk away from the spot we saw it up close, and the direction of it as it flew away was directly above our home. As Leon looked up again at the sky, he swears he saw a distinctive light again, almost like a short sharp shooting star; perhaps this was the final push out of the atmosphere. Either way, be it a ball of energy, an orb, a man-made technology or a UFO, we really do feel like we are not alone in this magnificent universe. Now more than ever.

At the Venice Grand Canal Mall in Taguig City, Manila, you can immerse yourself in a Venetian-inspired experience. The standout feature of this mall is the artificial canal that runs through its center, where you can enjoy a gondola ride reminiscent of those in Venice. They are operated by gondoliers who are even dressed in traditional Venetian costumes, and sing too! The mall offers a mix of shopping, dining, and entertainment options, including a variety of shops and boutiques, diverse dining establishments, and live performances. Additionally, the mall features cinemas for moviegoers, picturesque spots for relaxation and photography, and serves as a venue for special events and celebrations. The man-made canal is the centerpiece of the mall, and is the most popular spot for photos and sightseeing. The canal is lined with shops, restaurants, and cafes, along with a pretty good replica of Rialto Bridge. The Ponte de Amore Bridge is also present, a heart-shaped bridge that is a popular spot for couples. The bridge is decorated with lights and flowers, complete with love locks too, and it is a beautiful place to take photos. A replica of St. Mark's Campanile is also at Venice Grand Canal Mall, along with numerous attractions including a carousel, rides for the kids and even pigeon feeding. There really is something for everyone here! Table of Contents ● Our Venice Grand Canal Mall highlights ● The Gondola Ride at Venice Grand Canal Mall   ● Our visit to Juan's Bistro Restaurant ● The history behind Venice Grand Canal Mall   ● How to get to Venice Grand Canal Mall ● Check out our trip to Venice Grand Canal Mall on   YouTube ● Our Venice Grand Canal Mall experience rating More from Jenn & Leon Travel Blog ● How to follow our blog ● Your FREE interactive map of the Philippines ● Explore the Philippines with special offers from Klook ● Your GUIDE to visiting the Philippines Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. Tap here   for more information. Our Venice Grand Canal Mall highlights We had seen a fair few videos on YouTube about this mall, so we were really curious to see what it was all about. It was only a fifteen minute drive from our Airbnb too. The drive was super easy and McKinley Village, where the mall is located, is very well developed and a cool place to check out in general. Just the entrance to the mall alone is beautiful and immediately gives off those Italiano vibes! Also known as the Venice Piazza, this mall is the most visited attraction in the area and we could see why from the moment we stepped inside. We were initially greeted by this incredible bear of roses, and as we made our way through the rose-arched entrance we were drawn to the left, where we first saw the central canal. Sometimes these types of tourist attractions can come off a little tacky, but we have to say that the imitation has been well thought out here. The canal itself is not too big, but long enough to incorporate several bridges, and is lined with restaurants that all incorporate the traditional arch-style Venice facades. The pastel colors and unique architecture do indeed give off a real feel of not just Venice but Europe in general. Having been to Venice ourselves not too long ago, it was actually very alluring! The side 'streets' to the canal are bustling with unique street acts, mainly those wonderfully dressed 'statue' artists that offer awesome photo ops. There are plenty of places to catch that Instagram worthy shot, although it is very busy so not easy to find a bit of space! Inside the mall is also really pretty, with plenty of murals, bright colors and stylish lighting that caught our eye. There are some high-end stores here, but it did feel like it was all about the food to be honest. You will find some fast-food favorites, but it is mostly Italian (obviously) and Filipino cuisine here which we thought was a very good combination indeed. After a wonderful meal at Juan's Bistro (more on that later), we went on to take the Gondola ride. It was something we did not get to do in the actual Venice, so it was seemed cool to try it here. It was a little on the pricey side, but we are glad we had a chance to experience it. We decided to share our gondola and it was awesome because we were accompanied by someone who was from the Philippines but lived in Canada! What were the chances! It was super nice to get to know them, with our Gondolier singing in the background. It is moments like these that make traveling so worthwhile. The ride lasted around ten minutes, and was very comfortable. Included in the price is a free photo at the end too, which is a nice touch. Check out more details on the Gondola Ride in the next section, and be sure to watch our highlights of the ride in our YouTube video later on in this post! The Gondola Ride at Venice Grand Canal Mall The gondola ride at Venice Grand Canal Mall is a 10-minute ride end-to-end, along the man-made canal. The gondolas are operated by gondoliers who are dressed in traditional Venetian costumes, and with great voices, sing too! The Gondola Ride is a popular tourist attraction and a great way to experience the Italian atmosphere of the mall. Here are some things to know if you are considering the gondola ride: ● The gondola ride costs 500 pesos per person for a shared boat. The gondola can accommodate up to 6 people . ● For a private non-shared ride, you must book the whole boat, which costs 2000 pesos. ● The rides are available daily from 11am to 10pm. ● The ride is not recommended for pregnant women or people with mobility issues. ● The ride may be cancelled due to bad weather (the canal section of the mall is open air). ● Arrive early or on weekdays to avoid long queues. Average wait times can be up to 1 hour on weekends. ● When boarding the gondola, a photo is taken which is available for free at the end of the ride. Get one pass for multiple attractions in Intramuros with Klook ● Get access to Intramuros’ top activities with Klook's Intramuros Pass ● The pass includes general entry to your all time favourites - Fort Santiago, Baluarte de San Diego, Casa Manila Museum, Museo de Intramuros, and many more! ● The pass is valid for 30 days and gives you flexibility to pick and choose depending on when and where you would like to go! RETURN TO CONTENTS Our visit to Juan's Bistro Restaurant Juan's Bistro is a Filipino restaurant located at the Ground Floor of Venice Grand Canal Mall. It is a casual dining restaurant that serves a variety of Filipino dishes, including appetizers, main courses, and desserts. It was one of the first restaurants we saw when we got to the mall, and we were immediately drawn to its tempting menu outside as we wanted to try some authentic Filipino cuisine. We are so glad we chose Juan's Bistro; the food was just fantastic! The deep fried half pork leg that we ordered was cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside and succulently soft on the inside. Probably the best pork we have ever had outside of Mexico, which has always been a favorite of ours. Aside from the pork, we tried the Ginisang Sayote, which is vegetables sauteed with mixed pork and chicharron. This was the first time we had tried this in the Philippines and this was also super tasty and we definitely recommend it. We also had a side of Embutido Natin, a fried meat roll with sausage, raisin and egg. This was our least favorite of all what we ordered, it was okay, but we probably wouldn't order it again. There was nothing wrong with it though, and it is still worth trying as a starter. We also tried on of the most famous deserts in the Philippines, Halo Halo. This popular desert is made up of of crushed ice, evaporated milk, and various ingredients including beans, coconut, soft yams in cubes, flan pieces and fruit. It is an exciting desert with lots going on, and is certainly enough for two to share. This was our first try of Halo Halo, and after several recommendations from our YouTube subscribers, we are so happy we had the opportunity to enjoy it! Overall perhaps one of the defining characteristics of this restaurant was not just the great food, but its excellent service. Fast, efficient and friendly, the staff here really made an effort to make us feel welcome and valued. So much so that we participated in a special promotion where we made a Reel for Facebook and Instagram, and were given a 20% off voucher, along with a free re-useable bag and umbrella. Super nice, and a great ending to our time here. We highly recommend Juan's Bistro, and we are sure you will enjoy it just as much as we did! RETURN TO CONTENTS The history behind Venice Grand Canal Mall in Manila Venice Grand Canal Mall is an Italian-inspired lifestyle mall located in McKinley Hill, Taguig City, Philippines. It was developed by Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, a subsidiary of Megaworld Corporation. The mall took just over a year to build and was opened to the public on September 18, 2015. The mall is designed to resemble the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It features a man-made canal that is 200 meters (660 ft) long and 15 meters (49 ft) wide. The canal is lined with gondolas that offer rides to visitors. The mall also has replicas of St. Mark's Campanile in Piazza San Marco, the Rialto Bridge, and the Ponte de Amore Bridge. Venice Grand Canal Mall is home to a variety of shops, restaurants, and services. It is also a popular destination for events and concerts. The mall was awarded the Best Retail Architectural Design at the Philippine Property Awards in 2017, and now attracts over 1.5 million visitors a year, with its popularity continuing to increase. RETURN TO CONTENTS How to get to Venice Grand Canal Mall in Manila There are several ways to get to Venice Grand Canal Mall. Here are some options: ⪢ By Taxi Taxis and ride-hailing services are also available. The fare from Manila to the resort is around PHP 300-400. ⪢ By Bus You can take a bus from any major bus terminal in Manila to the Fort Bonifacio Global City (BGC) bus stop. From the BGC bus stop, the walk to Venice Grand Canal Mall is around ten minutes. This will cost around 12 pesos. ⪢ By Car The Venice Grand Canal Mall in Taguig City, Metro Manila, can be accessed by car from various routes, including EDSA, BGC, and C5 Road. To ensure accurate directions and avoid traffic, we recommend using navigation apps like Google Maps or Waze. The main parking area is located at the back of the mall. The entrance is on Campus Avenue. The parking fee is 20 pesos per hour for the first two hours and 10 pesos per hour for every succeeding hour. The overflow parking area is located on Upper McKinley Road. The entrance is near The Woodridge Residences. The parking fee is 10 pesos per hour. ⪢ MRT / Jeepney Take the MRT south to Guadalupe Station and exit the station northbound. Walk to the jeepney terminal in front of the MRT station and take one bound for Market Market FTI Gate 3. Get off at the McKinley Hill stop; the walk from there to Venice Grand Canal Mall is around five minutes. This will cost around 30 pesos in total. ⪢ Book Your Tickets with 12Go 12Go is an online travel booking platform that specializes in transportation options in Southeast Asia and Europe. It offers a wide range of travel choices including trains, buses, ferries, and even flights. Known for its user-friendly interface, you can easily compare prices, schedules, and book tickets for your desired journey. ⪢ Explore nearby hotels Utilize our interactive map to find the best hotels nearby from the likes of Booking, Vrbo, Expedia, Get Your Guide and Hotels.com. Address: McKinley Hill Dr, Taguig, 1630 Metro Manila Phone: +63 027 624 1971 Website: megaworldcorp.com/malls/venice-grand-canal Opening hours: 11am to 11pm daily RETURN TO CONTENTS Check out our trip to Venice Grand Canal Mall on YouTube We were surprised by the beauty in the Venice Grand Canal Mall and had a great time on the gondola ride! Enjoy our Filipino food reactions to the delicious tastes we tried at Juan's Bistro and make sure to watch to find out what we really thought about the popular Filipino dessert Halo Halo. Help us to grow by liking and sharing this video with your friends and family that might find it of interest! Also don't forget to subscribe if you are interested in watching more of our videos in the future! Our Venice Grand Canal Mall experience rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 The Venice Grand Canal Mall is a really fun experience that we do recommend checking out if you are looking for somewhere a little different in Manila! Manila is famous for its malls and shopping and here is no exception; you can certainly do that. Not to mention the incredible amount of food on offer too. But what Venice Grand Canal Mall does in its own unique way is offer you a romantic taste of Italy, where you can enjoy moments that otherwise you might only ever get to see on social media or somewhere on the internet. Having been to Venice and not taken a gondola ride, it was exactly that for us too! We hope you get a chance to go. Feel free to check back here and let us know your thoughts in the comments below! RETURN TO CONTENTS How to follow our Blog There are lots of ways for you to stay up to date with Jenn and Leon Travel. If you follow us on Instagram , you can join our broadcast channel  for our latest updates and posts. You will also find us on YouTube  of course, or you can simply subscribe to our blog , and we will drop our latest posts straight into your email inbox. It is that easy! Your FREE interactive map of the Philippines Check out all of the places we visited in the Philippines courtesy of this interactive map from Wanderlog. Tap any of the numbers for more information including directions, our blog posts, links to reviews and much more. Wanderlog   is a free travel planning app for iOS and Android devices that allows users to create trip itineraries, organize flights, hotel and car reservations, view places to visit on a map, and collaborate with friends. It is super handy and has made a big impact on our travel planning. It saves time and is super easy to use! Explore the Philippines with Klook Klook offers a wide variety of tours to help you experience the best of the Philippines. Whether you're looking for a sunset cruise, a local attraction or a day trip island hopping, Klook has it all. In addition to their wide selection of tours, Klook also offers great deals on transportation, accommodation, and activities. All tours are led by experienced guides who can help you learn about the history and culture of the Philippines. Klook's tours are all-inclusive too, so you don't have to worry about anything but enjoying your experience! Your GUIDE to visiting the Philippines First time in the Philippines ?   Check out our comprehensive guide  with all you need to know including our latest posts , must-see places , and key information about health & safety , transport , local customs , internet availability  and much more!

Langkawi's skyline has a new star: the Maha Tower. Soaring 138 meters above the island, this architectural marvel offers breathtaking views, exciting attractions, and a glimpse into the future of Langkawi tourism. Join us as we explore this iconic landmark. The Maha Tower is designed to be a multi-faceted destination, combining entertainment, relaxation, and shopping under one roof. It's positioned as a central hub for visitors to Langkawi, offering a taste of the island's culture and natural beauty. Looking like a smaller version of the Eiffel Tower of Paris, you will spot the tower almost as soon as you hit the roads outside the airport, and it almost acts as a lighthouse for the island if approaching from the sea. It is certainly a focal point and growing attraction of Langkawi, and is visually stunning the closer you get to it! In this blog post , we will take you on a virtual tour of the outside of the Maha Tower. We will also give you valuable tips to know before you visit including best times , booking information , and how to get there . Let's go! Table of Contents ● The history and construction of the Maha Tower ● What can you do at the Maha Tower? ● Maha Tower Langkawi opening times & ticket prices ● Best time to visit Maha Tower ● Tips for visiting Maha Tower in Langkawi ● How to get to Maha Tower in Langkawi ● Watch our Maha Tower experience and more from Langkawi on YouTube ● Our Maha Tower experience rating More from Jenn & Leon Travel Blog ● How to follow our blog ● Your FREE interactive map of Malaysia ● Explore Langkawi with Klook ● Your guide to visiting Malaysia Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. Tap here   for more information. Skip the line and save money on your Maha Tower ticket with Klook Walk on air with the spectacular glass floor views at the Sky Deck, and be mesmerized by the 360-degree Andaman Sea vista from the Sky Lounge while savoring local delicacies. With an all-inclusive ticket, access both the Sky Deck and Lounge, and enjoy complimentary refreshments.  Book now on Klook for an unbeatable experience that will leave you with cherished memories of Langkawi's splendor. The history and construction of the Maha Tower The Maha Tower is a relatively new addition to Langkawi's skyline. Construction was completed in December 2022, making it a fresh and modern landmark for the island. The tower's name, "Maha," is derived from Sanskrit and translates to "great" or "almighty," reflecting its status as a significant structure. While we found specific details about the construction process hard to come by, it's clear that the tower was designed to be a striking and contemporary building, complementing the island's natural beauty. The project was undertaken to boost Langkawi's tourism industry and provide a new attraction for visitors. The Maha Tower is expected to contribute to Langkawi's economic growth by attracting tourists and stimulating local businesses. As a new landmark, it's become a symbol of the island's modern development while maintaining its natural charm. RETURN TO CONTENTS What can you do at the Maha Tower? The Maha Tower primarily serves as a tourist attraction. Its 138-meter height offers breathtaking panoramic views of Kuah town and the surrounding islands. The tower has a fair bit going on, with cafes, shops, an outside market and of course, the option to head up to its observation deck. ● Observation deck: Visitors can enjoy stunning 360-degree views from the top of the tower (level 33). ● Sky lounge: A space to relax and enjoy refreshments while taking in the views. ● Glass floor: For those seeking a thrill, there's a glass floor section offering a unique perspective. ● Retail and dining: The tower also houses shops and restaurants, including 7 Eleven, Starbucks, Gelato Ice Cream, Heehee and Zus Coffee. More additions are planned for the future. ● Maha Square: Just outside the tower is a large square which hosts markets and events. When you get to the tower, you will find escalators that take you to the first concourse area, which is free to browse. You can still see a good view from here. You will need tickets to visit the tower's main observation deck. Read more: Langkawi Kuah Night Market, a true taste of Malaysia! All you need to know about Langkawi's biggest night market. Learn about the food, atmosphere & history of the night market global phenomenon. RETURN TO CONTENTS Maha Tower Langkawi opening times & ticket prices ⪢ Opening Hours ● Sky Lounge & Sky Deck: 10am to 8pm, 7 days (last entry 6.30pm) ● Retail Shops: 10am to 10pm ⪢ Ticket Prices (applies to Sky Lounge & Sky Deck) Tickets can be booked on the website or on arrival. All major cards are accepted. Admission without MyKad (foreigners) Normal Ticket: ● Adult (13 to 60 years old): RM 78 / $17.43 USD / $24.01 CAD / £13.73 GBP ● Child (3 to 12 years old): RM 46 / $10.28 USD / $14.16 CAD / £8.10 GBP ● Senior Citizens (61 + years old): RM 46 / $10.28 USD / $14.16 CAD / £8.10 GBP Sunset Ticket: ● Adult (13 to 60 years old):  RM 90 / $20.12 USD / $27.70 CAD / £15.85 GBP ● Child (3 to 12 years old):  RM 54 / $12.07 USD / $16.62 CAD / £9.51 GBP ● Senior Citizens (61 + years old):  RM 54 / $12.07 USD / $16.62 CAD / £9.51 GBP Admission with MyKad (Malaysian Citizen) Normal Ticket: ● Adult (13 to 60 years old):  RM 39 / Langkawi Resident: RM 29 ● Child (3 to 12 years old):  RM 23 / Langkawi Resident:  RM 15 ● Senior Citizens (61 + years old):  RM 23 / Langkawi Resident:  RM 15 Sunset Ticket: ● Adult (13 to 60 years old):  RM 45 / Langkawi Resident:  RM 35 ● Child (3 to 12 years old):  RM 27 / Langkawi Resident:  RM 19 ● Senior Citizens (61 + years old):  RM 27 / Langkawi Resident:  RM 19 Please note that the operating hours and quoted prices are correct at time of writing (August 2024). Be sure to check the official website of Maha Tower for the most up-to-date information. Skip the line and save money on your Maha Tower ticket with Klook Walk on air with the spectacular glass floor views at the Sky Deck, and be mesmerized by the 360-degree Andaman Sea vista from the Sky Lounge while savoring local delicacies. With an all-inclusive ticket, access both the Sky Deck and Lounge, and enjoy complimentary refreshments.  Book now on Klook for an unbeatable experience that will leave you with cherished memories of Langkawi's splendor. RETURN TO CONTENTS Best time to visit Maha Tower The best time to visit the Maha Tower is during the week, when it is less crowded. If you are visiting on a weekend, try to book your ticket online to ensure smooth entry and to avoid potential queues. The weather in Langkawi is generally good year-round, but the best time to visit is during the dry season, which is from November to February. During this time, the weather is warm and sunny, with little rain. RETURN TO CONTENTS Tips for visiting Maha Tower in Langkawi Here are some tips we have thought of to keep in mind before visiting Maha Tower: ⪢ Best time to visit For stunning views, consider visiting during sunrise or sunset. ⪢ Photography The tower offers excellent photo opportunities. Don't forget to bring your camera! ⪢ Comfortable shoes Walking around the tower does involve some stairs and escalators. ⪢ Check the weather Clear skies provide the best views! ⪢ Booking It's recommended to book your tickets in advance, especially during peak seasons, to avoid long queues. ⪢ Accessibility Maha Tower offers free wheelchairs (subject to availability), and provides facilities and for elderly and specially-abled visitors. RETURN TO CONTENTS How to get to Maha Tower in Langkawi The Maha Tower is located in Kuah, the main town of Langkawi. It's easily accessible by: ⪢ By Taxi or Ride-Sharing Services Taking a taxi or ride-sharing service, such as Grab or Gojek, is a convenient way to reach Maha Tower. Taxis are available all over the island and drop off right at the entrance. ⪢ By Car Rental cars are available on the island and give you flexibility to explore other parts of Langkawi too. There is plenty of parking surrounding the tower which is free to use. The tower is 18 minutes away from the Langkawi International Airport, 6 minutes from Kuah Jetty and 15 minutes away from Roro Ferry Port. ⪢ By Bike If you’re feeling adventurous, two-wheeler rentals are highly accessible around the island. You can easily reach Maha Tower from either Padang Matsirat or Jalan Ayer Hangat. Address : Maha Tower, Persiaran Mahawangsa, Mukim Kuah, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah, Darul Aman Email : enquiry@mahatower.com.my Phone : (+60) 04 961 0880 Website : mahatower.com.my Instagram : @mahatowerofficial Facebook: @mahatower ⪢ Book Your Tickets with 12Go 12Go is an online travel booking platform that specializes in transportation options in Southeast Asia and Europe. It offers a wide range of travel choices including trains, buses, ferries, and even flights. Known for its user-friendly interface, you can easily compare prices, schedules, and book tickets for your desired journey. RETURN TO CONTENTS Watch our Maha Tower experience and more from Langkawi on YouTube We were so surprised by Langkawi Island (specifically Kuah and Kuah Bay area)! In this video we go and explore and settle into the area surrounding our hotel in Kuah Bay. We check out some local street food shops and walk in a few local and tourist districts. We take a walk over to the Maha Tower and finish things off at the famous Kuah Food Market. If you enjoy our video and want to follow more of our adventures please do like  and subscribe ! Your support truly is invaluable to us and we will always strive to produce the best content we can from around the world! Read more: Langkawi Cable Car (Sky Cab) & Sky Bridge, the steepest and longest in the world ! The Langkawi Cable Car offers breathtaking views of the surrounding 450 million year old Machincang mountain range. This highly popular attraction takes visitors on a journey to the top of Gunung Mat Cincang, which at 708 metres above sea-level is the second-highest peak in Langkawi. RETURN TO CONTENTS Our Maha Tower experience rating Compared to other towers we have seen on our travels, the Maha Tower would not stand out as one of the very best. That being said, it is very attractive and is a really nice focal point for Langkawi. It was nice to visit and walk around, but we felt the price seemed a bit high for going to the Sky Deck, and was perhaps not worth it. Did we miss out? Maybe, but overall we are still glad we got to see the Maha Tower up close, and the view from the free first floor deck was still beautiful! As ever thank you for stopping by, and please feel free to share your experience, or ask any questions you may have, in the comments below. All feedback on the post is welcome too! RETURN TO CONTENTS How to follow our blog There are lots of ways for you to stay up to date with Jenn and Leon Travel. If you follow us on Instagram , you can join our broadcast channel  for our latest updates and posts. You will also find us on YouTube  of course, or you can simply subscribe to our blog , and we will drop our latest posts straight into your email inbox. It is that easy! Your FREE interactive map of Malaysia Check out all of the places we visited in Malaysia courtesy of this interactive map from Wanderlog. Tap any of the numbers for more information including directions, our blog posts, links to reviews and much more. Wanderlog   is a free travel planning app for iOS and Android devices that allows users to create trip itineraries, organize flights, hotel and car reservations, view places to visit on a map, and collaborate with friends. It is super handy and has made a big impact on our travel planning. It saves time and is super easy to use! Explore Langkawi with Klook Klook offers a wide variety of tours to help you experience the best of Langkawi, along with great deals on transportation, accommodation, and activities. Klook is a convenient way to book travel experiences and they often offer fantastic discounts helping you to save while you travel! All tours are led by experienced guides who can help you learn about the history and culture of Langkawi. Klook's tours are all-inclusive too, so you don't have to worry about anything but enjoying your experience! Your Guide to visiting Malaysia First time in Malaysia? Check out our comprehensive guide with  all you need to know including our latest posts , must-see places , and key information  about health & safety , transport , local customs , connectivity , visa information, useful links  and much more!

Imagine strolling along a world famous waterfront promenade, the city skyline glittering across the harbor, alongside a wooden railing where the handprints of cinematic legends are immortalized. This is the magic of Hong Kong's Avenue of Stars! More than just a tourist spot, it's a almost a pilgrimage for film buffs and a must-visit for anyone exploring the vibrant culture of this dynamic city. As you step onto the promenade, you're not just walking; you're stepping into the heart of Hong Kong's cinematic history. With its stunning harbor views, iconic statues, and interactive exhibits, the Avenue of Stars offers an unforgettable experience. Whether you're a die-hard fan or simply looking for a unique outing, this is one place you won't want to miss. So, let's dive in and discover the allure of this star-studded attraction! Table of Contents ● What is the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong, and why should you visit? ● What is there to do at the Avenue of Stars? ● Is the Avenue of the Stars Free? ● Best Time to Visit the Avenue of Stars ● Catch the Symphony of Lights Show at the Avenue of Stars ● How to get to the Avenue of Stars ● Watch our 3 days in Hong Kong on a budget! ● Our Avenue of Stars Experience Rating More from Jenn & Leon Travel Blog ● How to follow our Blog ● Your FREE interactive map of China ● Explore Hong Kong with special offers from Klook ● Your GUIDE to visiting China Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. Tap here   for more information. Explore Hong Kong and save cash on activities with a Klook Pass ● Get access to 2 to 6 attractions with the Klook Pass; choose from over 17 activities for incredible savings! ● The pass includes general entry to your favorite Hong Kong activities - Airport Express Train, M+, Ngong Ping 360, Victoria Peak Tram, Sky 100, Aqua Luna Victoria Harbour Cruise, Palace Museum, Noah’s Ark, Madame Tussauds, ARTE M, Legoland® Discovery Centre, Big Bus, Victoria Harbour Evening Cruise, Cube O Discovery Park ● Also get an optional add-on for Hong Kong Disneyland Resort or Hong Kong Ocean Park and save even more! What is the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong, and why should you visit? The Avenue of Stars is Hong Kong's answer to Hollywood's Walk of Fame, a waterfront promenade honoring the city's cinematic legends. It was envisioned as a public space where locals and tourists could celebrate the achievements of these stars, and this star-studded walkway has since become a major tourist attraction. It offers a unique opportunity to interact with the legacy of Hong Kong's vibrant film industry, featuring handprints and signatures of iconic stars, directors, and producers. The stunning backdrop of Victoria Harbour creates a picturesque setting for leisurely strolls, capturing unforgettable photos, and enjoying the city's skyline. The Avenue of Stars is also seamlessly integrated into the lively Tsim Sha Tsui district, making it a convenient stop for exploring shops, restaurants, and other attractions. Featuring luminaries like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Maggie Cheung, the Avenue of Stars is a must-visit for film enthusiasts and casual tourists alike. Opened in April 2004, the Avenue initially featured the names and handprints. As the concept evolved, it expanded to include statues of iconic figures like Bruce Lee and interactive exhibits, enhancing the visitor experience. The Avenue's strategic location on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, and its breathtaking views, further elevated its appeal as a must-visit destination. Over the years, the Avenue of Stars has undergone renovations to incorporate new technologies and attractions, such as the Symphony Light Show , ensuring its relevance as a dynamic cultural hub. Its evolution reflects Hong Kong's commitment to preserving its cinematic heritage while adapting to the changing times. The Avenue of Stars celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, and expects visitor numbers to hit over 1 million a year by 2025. RETURN TO CONTENTS What is there to do at the Avenue of Stars? ● Stroll along the promenade: Enjoy the scenic waterfront views and soak up the atmosphere. ● Discover celebrity handprints and statues: Spot the signatures and handprints of your favorite Hong Kong stars, and admire the statues of iconic figures like Bruce Lee and Anita Mui. ● Take photos: Capture memorable moments against the stunning backdrop of Victoria Harbour. ● Watch the Symphony of Lights: Witness the dazzling light and sound show that illuminates the Hong Kong skyline every night from 8pm. ● Explore the interactive exhibits: Learn more about Hong Kong's film industry through interactive displays. ● Enjoy the food scene: Find a variety of restaurants and cafes offering delicious local and international cuisine. ● Shopping: There are several upscale malls in the area, including Harbor City (one of Hong Kong's largest shopping malls) and Elements , featuring international fashion brands, jewelry stores, and gourmet dining. Our top suggestion would be the closest one, K11 MUSEA, which along with a plethora of fashion stores and restaurants, offers a fantastic and unique blend of infused art installations across the mall. RETURN TO CONTENTS Is the Avenue of the Stars Free? The Avenue of Stars is completely free to visit. You can enjoy the sights, take photos, and explore the area without any admission fee. RETURN TO CONTENTS Best Time to Visit the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong The best time to visit the Avenue of Stars depends on what you want to experience. ⪢ Daytime: Ideal for leisurely walks, exploring the handprints and statues, and enjoying the vibrant atmosphere. ⪢ Evening: Offers stunning views of the Hong Kong skyline illuminated at night. This is also the time for the Symphony of Lights show, a spectacular light and sound display on the harbor. Peak season in Hong Kong is from October to March , when the weather is pleasant. However, this also means larger crowds. If you prefer a quieter experience, consider visiting during the shoulder seasons (April - May and September - October). RETURN TO CONTENTS Catch the Symphony of Lights Show at the Avenue of Stars A Symphony of Lights is a light and sound show that illuminates the Hong Kong skyline every night at 8pm. It takes place across Victoria Harbour, with the Avenue of Stars being one of the best viewing points.   The show features a blend of music, lights, lasers, and even pyrotechnics, transforming the city's skyscrapers into a giant canvas. It is claimed to be the biggest light show in Asia and showcases Hong Kong's dynamic energy and modern flair. It can get very busy in the key viewing spots, so if you want to secure a good view we would recommend grabbing your spot around 45 minutes before the show is due to start. You can see highlights of the show in our YouTube video . RETURN TO CONTENTS How to get to the Avenue of Stars There are many convenient ways to get to the Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong, depending on your budget and preferences. Here are some of the options: ⪢ Mass Rapid Transit (MTR) This is the fastest and most convenient way to get around Hong Kong. Avenue of Stars is easily accessible by MTR via the Tsim Sha Tsui Station , just a few minutes' walk away. ⪢ Bus An extensive bus network covers Hong Kong. The nearest bus station to the Avenue of Stars is the Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) Bus Terminus. ⪢ Taxi Taxis are readily available in Hong Kong and can be a convenient way to get to the Avenue of Stars, especially if you have luggage. Fares are metered. ⪢ Ferry Taking the ferry is a great way to experience Hong Kong's iconic harbor. The Star Ferry offers a scenic ride across the harbor to Tsim Sha Tsui port. Address: Ave of Stars, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong Phone: +85 229181722 Opening hours: 24 hours Avenue of Stars Website: avenueofstars.com.hk RETURN TO CONTENTS Watch our 3 days in Hong Kong on a budget! Don't miss this INCREDIBLE city! In this Hong Kong travel vlog we spend the day exploring the THINGS TO DO in Hong Kong city! From local flea markets such as the Ladies' Market and Temple Street Market and high end luxury malls like K11 MUSEA you can easily spend a day shopping in Hong Kong and exploring the city on any budget. Join us as we explore the beautiful Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront area in Harbour city, home to the Avenue of the Stars. We also check out the much talked about Hong Kong Symphony of Lights! Also in the area is the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Hong Kong Film Award Statue. Join us in our first impression of all that Hong Kong city has to offer! If you enjoy our video and want to follow more of our adventures please do like  and subscribe ! Your support truly is invaluable to us and we will always strive to produce the best content we can from around the world! RETURN TO CONTENTS Our Avenue of Stars Experience Rating The Avenue of Stars was a nice experience, if not for the handprints, but just for the views along. It is a stunning walk, especially if you time it just before dusk, where you can enjoy the skyline gradually lighting up as night falls. Being free to visit is always an added bonus, and of course if you are movie buffs like us, hunting down the handprint of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee is always going to be fun! It was very crowded when we visited in November, but it is nice and spacious so it did not affect us that much. That being said, if you are looking to catch a good spot for the light show, we would recommend getting there early to claim a good viewing location. The light show itself was a little bit underwhelming, with it quite hard to make out exactly what was going on aside from the music (see what we mean in our YouTube video ). It did not really feel worth hanging around for, but we are glad we got to experience it nonetheless. Overall we would recommend visiting the Avenue of Stars, but you will not be missing out on much if you skip the light show! RETURN TO CONTENTS How to follow our Blog There are lots of ways for you to stay up to date with Jenn and Leon Travel. If you follow us on Instagram , you can join our broadcast channel  for our latest updates and posts. You will also find us on YouTube  of course, or you can simply subscribe to our blog , and we will drop our latest posts straight into your email inbox. It is that easy! RETURN TO CONTENTS Your FREE interactive map of China Check out all of the places we visited in China courtesy of this interactive map from Wanderlog. Tap any of the numbers for more information including directions, our blog posts, links to reviews and much more. Wanderlog   is a free travel planning app for iOS and Android devices that allows users to create trip itineraries, organize flights, hotel and car reservations, view places to visit on a map, and collaborate with friends. It is super handy and has made a big impact on our travel planning. It saves time and is super easy to use! RETURN TO CONTENTS Explore Hong Kong with special offers from Klook Klook offers a wide variety of tours to help you experience the best of Hong Kong. Whether you're looking to explore the largest indoor sports playground in the city, enjoy the Victoria Harbour with a cruise or even visit a trampoline park, Klook has got you covered. In addition to their wide selection of tours, Klook also offers great deals on transportation, accommodation, and activities. All tours are led by experienced guides who can help you learn about the history and culture of Hong Kong. Klook's tours are all-inclusive too, so you don't have to worry about anything but enjoying your experience! RETURN TO CONTENTS Your GUIDE to visiting China First time in China? Check out our comprehensive guide with  all you need to know including our latest posts , must-see places , and key information  about health & safety , transport , local customs , connectivity , visa information, useful links  and much more!

With our epic night at Dr Zombie behind us (see our previous post), we decided to take the morning easy at our hotel. A bit of editing and blogging later, our day two in New Delhi was about become really cool as we were heading to a very special light show at Akshardham Temple. Starting at 7pm, we left at 5, with our travel time expected to be under an hour. Little did we know but that would be nowhere near enough! In this post , we will take you through our second full day in New Delhi. After our Akshardham Temple fail, we eventually grab a rickshaw which gets us to the spectacular India Gate. And what an experience that was; we genuinely felt like celebrities! But why? PLUS find out what KFC looks like in Delhi. We are massive fans and try it out in every country we go to. Are you a KFC fan? Have you tried it in India before? Thank you for stopping by, and a warm welcome to our India series here on Jenn and Leon Travel Blog. We had always wanted to visit, and not only was the time finally upon us, but it came with our good friends and fellow Youtubers' Jackson and Marjo. If you missed day one and two and would like to catch up, head over to our dedicated INDIA page or look out for the links in this blog. Table of Contents ● Akshardham Temple and why we were refused entry ● Getting to India Gate and our highlights ● The history of the India Gate ● Some India Gate facts ● How to get to the India Gate ● Our India Gate experience rating ● What KFC looks like in New Delhi More from Jenn & Leon Travel Blog ● Coming up: An early morning trip to Humayun's Tomb before heading to the train station for Agra, the home the great Taj Mahal ● Follow our India Series ● Our New Delhi Itinerary (interactive map) ● Our India Series on YouTube ● Your GUIDE to visiting India Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. Tap here   for more information. Akshardham Temple and why we were refused entry Akshardham Temple, also known as the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple, is a magnificent Hindu temple complex located in Delhi, India. It is one of the largest and most stunning temple complexes in the world, known for its intricate architecture, intricate carvings, and rich spiritual significance. It was built and inaugurated on November 6, 2005. It is dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The temple's architecture follows the ancient Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra Shastra, two traditional Indian architectural and sculptural principles. The central monument is made entirely of intricately carved, pink sandstone and white marble. The temple features more than 20,000 statues, carvings, and delicate designs that depict various aspects of Hinduism. Akshardham Temple has received several awards for its architecture and cultural contributions, including the 2006 "Guinness World Record for the World's Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple." Aside from admiring the temple, there are a number of activities to do here, and we were interested in checking out the Yagnapurush Kund, a large stepwell and musical fountain where a nightly cultural and musical show called the Sahaj Anand Water Show is performed. It is a multimedia presentation that tells a story from the life of Swaminarayan, and having not long ago seen the fabulous Spectra Light Show in Singapore, we really wanted to try it. Online, the show was advertised to start at 7pm, and we were around 45 minutes away according to google maps. So we left at 5, feeling like we would have plenty of time. Even with the traffic? Well no. Not at all. Our taxi felt like it was parked more than it was moving! It took us an age , and we only managed to arrive at 6.35pm. This was significant however as last entry is at 6.30pm. We literally had no idea as it did not say anything about that online. There was a lot of kerfuffle at the entrance as there were many others being turned away too. We did try to get in and perhaps some of the officials would have let us, but for just a few over-zealous guards. Standing outside the main gate, with the honking and crowds of people, we were admittedly frustrated. This was our only chance to come here, and it was only 5 minutes! The temple looked amazing too. While contemplating our next move, we were approached by a guy who was directing a lot of people but did not seem to have work there or have a uniform on. He had heard that we were looking to get footage for YouTube and kindly showed us a service road just off of the highway that we could walk to and get photos. Maybe even catch a glimpse of the light show. So we thanked him and headed in that direction. It was getting a little late, so we were apprehensive at losing the light, but we went with it anyway. If only to salvage a small consolation from a wasted trip. It was on this service road that we met some locals who wanted photos, something we were about to experience in abundance, and our rickshaw driver. He stopped by and like many others offered us a ride, and to his good credit he seemed nice, and we happily obliged. We were out of options and did not fancy hanging around in the dark! It was he who suggested the India Gate, and so off we went! RETURN TO CONTENTS Getting to New Delhi's India Gate and our highlights When one opportunity is lost, another arises. Perhaps our mishap at Akshardham was meant to happen, to push us in the direction of the India Gate. Or maybe its just that our rickshaw driver really needed the cash. Who knows, but ultimately, we are more than happy it did. The India Gate sounded like somewhere we would usually go see anyway! There was a slightly odd moment as we started our journey there by going past the entrance to Akshardham Temple. Stuck in inevitable traffic, the guy who told us about the service road was still there, and he called out to us. Oddly he said not to trust our driver, that he is a liar, and to be very careful. Ominous indeed. Our driver was quick to emphasize that he was none of those things, and we need not worry. He promised us no tricks and that he would get us to the India Gate. To be honest we did not take the words all to seriously, although now that we are writing about it, maybe we should have been more cautious here? Either way, it did work out fine of course. What would you have done? Would you have got out? With all respect to our driver he operated the rickshaw safely, and navigated the traffic with fewer of the hairy moments we had experienced already up to this point. Being the evening, there was not all too much to see, although we did go through a very nicely decorated tunnel. As lovers of street art we really enjoyed that part. Sure enough, not long after said tunnel, we arrived at the west entrance to the India Gate. There was a small stand with what looked to be a security guard, but other than that just barriers to stop vehicles, and some people milling around. We paid our fare, which was exactly 400 rupees as agreed, and we think we left a small tip too. Our driver was cool, and had it not been for the words of the other guy, we would never have had reason to distrust him. Coming up from the west gate lead us to a beautiful colored fountain, which we duly stopped at for photos and YouTube intros. While we could only see the side of the India Gate, it all still looked pretty spectacular with the bright lights sparkling against the night sky. On the walk up, it did not actually seem all too busy, although by the monument itself, it was packed! We continued our walk around and shortly after made it to the north side of the gate. It was all really nice, with carefully manicured grass, pathways and great lighting everywhere. There were lots of people in this part, and we could instantly sense that there were not all too many (if any foreigners) like us. This observation is important not only because we looked different, but also because we had cameras . So we stood out like a sore thumb (or beacon of light, whatever haha). From that moment on is when we thought we had just become celebrities. Almost as close to what we can imagine being like a celebrity feels anyway. As we got close to the foot of the India Gate, all four of us were being picked off by people asking us for photos. And in most cases, then a photo with their other friends or family. Then of course, more people were coming, and with every few paces we made after one 'photo shoot', another would be requested! At one point, we had been taking so many that our backs had been to the monument for nearly an hour. Nearly an hour! We have experienced this kind of thing before in other countries, but never on this scale. Not even close! It was so much it was almost exhausting! We did actually meet some really nice people, and virtually all of the people wanted to follow and subscribe to our Instagram and YouTube. You can be sure that we offered if they didn't ask already though haha! Of all of the different people we came across, there were a couple of not-so-cool moments. On one occasion, a group of guys asked for a photo just with Jenn, and proceeded to ask her to take her hat off and a few other weird things. Nothing lewd, but still a little strange given we had just met each other. Then there was another moment, where Leon is pretty sure his pocket was felt when taking a photo with some other guys. Fortunately everything was in his 'merse' (man-bag), but it could easily have been a testing situation. When in large crowds, if you are asked for photos, be sure to enjoy it. Why not! But do watch out for scams and distraction techniques. Keep your belongings safe from pickpockets! The important thing to note is that there were far more awesome moments than just those incidents, and the people here overall were some of the nicest we had met in India thus far. Everyone was genuinely interested in meeting us, although we have absolutely no idea what they do with these photos. Seriously though, what do they do with them? We have never really been tagged or contacted by them afterwards either. What do you think? What happens with all of these photos! We have long speculated between us, but it gets tricky to explain when husbands and wives do it, sometimes asking for separate photos too. What the heck is going on there?! Regardless, we totally felt like celebrities walking through here. It was actually crazy how much attention we were getting. None more so than perhaps our best highlight at India Gate, in which Jenn turned around at one point and literally had a baby put into her arms. Yes a baby! The family then asked for photos, even with just Jenn, the Dad, and the baby. It was so interesting! It was a really touching moment though and it was a one that made us truly and deeply resonate even more with CLOSER LIVES. This is exactly what we are talking about! Making connections around the world, bringing people closer together, and sharing our moments to inspire others. As we mingled with locals, took photos and chatted away, we certainly feel like we achieved that at the India Gate. Read on for more on the history of the India Gate, some interesting facts about it, how to get there , and our first KFC India . Plus get a sneak peek into what is coming up next in our series! RETURN TO CONTENTS The history of the India Gate The India Gate is a prominent war memorial located in the heart of New Delhi. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, a British architect, as part of the larger architectural plan for New Delhi, which was then under British colonial rule. The foundation stone was laid in 1921, and the monument was completed in 1931. It was originally constructed as a memorial to honor the soldiers of the Indian Army who lost their lives during World War I. The names of over 13,000 servicemen are inscribed on the monument. These soldiers, hailing from various regions and communities in India, played a crucial role in the British war effort. In 1971, a structure known as the "Amar Jawan Jyoti" (the Flame of the Immortal Soldier) was added to the India Gate complex. It consists of an eternal flame that symbolizes the sacrifice of Indian soldiers in various wars, including World War I and subsequent conflicts. After India gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947, the India Gate continued to be a symbol of remembrance and a site for national ceremonies. It is now a place where India pays tribute to its soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in various wars and conflicts. Not only a symbol of military sacrifice but also a popular landmark in New Delhi, it is often visited by tourists and locals and is especially crowded during national holidays and events. Save for later: Our first scam in India, SIX in a rickshaw, Connaught Place, and a VERY unique restaurant! Experience the chaos and charm of Connaught Place in New Delhi! Join us as we navigate through scams, rickshaws, and a very unique eatery! RETURN TO CONTENTS Some India Gate facts The India Gate is an imposing, arch-shaped monument made of red and yellow sandstone. It stands at a height of 42 meters (138 feet) and bears the inscription To the Dead of the Indian Armies who fell honoured in France and Flanders, Mesopotamia and Persia, East Africa, Gallipoli, and elsewhere in the Near and Far East, and in sacred memory also of those whose names are recorded and who fell in India or the North-West Frontier and during the Third Afghan War." ⪢ Inspired by the Arc de Triomphe: The India Gate's design was inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. Sir Edwin Lutyens, the architect, adapted the arch concept to create a distinct Indian monument. ⪢ Dedicated to several wars: While originally dedicated to World War I, the India Gate now honors soldiers who have fallen in various wars and conflicts, including World War II and the wars with Pakistan and China. ⪢ Guarded by the IAF: The India Gate is guarded by the Indian Armed Forces. Visitors can witness the impressive Tri-Services Guard of Honor ceremony, which is held daily. ⪢ A popular tourist spot: The India Gate is surrounded by expansive lawns, making it a popular spot for picnics and gatherings. The lawns are often bustling with people enjoying the view and the pleasant atmosphere. It is beautifully illuminated at night, casting a radiant glow on the surrounding area. The lighting adds to its grandeur and makes it a popular spot for evening strolls. ⪢ Central point: The India Gate has become a central location for public events, celebrations, and protests. It has witnessed numerous important gatherings and demonstrations throughout Indian history. ⪢ Strategic location: The India Gate is strategically located in the heart of New Delhi, with Rajpath (the ceremonial boulevard) leading from it to the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Residence) and other government buildings. It is a focal point for numerous national events and ceremonies. Adjacent to the India Gate is the National War Memorial, inaugurated in 2019. This museum showcases artifacts and memorabilia related to the armed forces and their history in India. ⪢ Annual Republic Day Parade: India Gate plays a central role in the annual Republic Day parade. The President of India pays homage to soldiers by laying a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, and the parade route passes through the arch. ⪢ One of the most visited monuments in the world: Prior to the Covid pandemic, visitor numbers hit over 20 million people per year. At least 60% of that number is said to be domestic tourism. It is one of the most visited monuments in the world. RETURN TO CONTENTS How to get to India Gate The India Gate is located in the heart of New Delhi and is easily accessible from various parts of the city. If you're starting from the center of New Delhi, you can use different modes of transportation to get to India Gate. Here are a few options: ⪢ Metro: The Delhi Metro is a convenient way to reach India Gate. The nearest metro station to India Gate is the Central Secretariat Metro Station. You can take the metro from any part of Delhi and get off at this station. The India Gate is within walking distance from there. ⪢ Bus: Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses run through various parts of the city. You can check for a bus that has a route passing through India Gate or nearby locations. The area is well-connected by buses, although it is difficult to identify bus stops on the roads so do bear that in mind. ⪢ Auto-rickshaw or taxi: You can also hire an auto-rickshaw to take you to India Gate and you will find one pretty much wherever you look on the road! Simply tell the driver to take you to "India Gate," and they will know the way. Be sure to confirm the fare first. ⪢ Taxi: You can book a taxi through ride-sharing apps like Uber or Ola or find a taxi at various taxi stands throughout the city. Alternatively, you can hire a traditional taxi from the street. Address: Kartavya Path, India Gate, New Delhi, Delhi 110001, India Admission: Free Opening times: 24 hours, 7 days per week Save for later: EIGHT hours at Dr ZOMBIE restaurant on our first full day in New Delhi Yes, it really was eight hours! We were having such a good time here that we just did not want to leave. Check out the food and our review! RETURN TO CONTENTS Our India Gate experience rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 While we had not planned to come to the India Gate we are actually really glad it worked out the way it did. Had we got into Akshardham Temple, it is unlikely we would have even visited it at all. Considering the most part of what we saw on the streets of Delhi, the first thing that stood out to us was how clean it was there. Super busy, even at the late hour, but very clean. So that was nice! The monument itself is as grand and spectacular as they come. It is inspiring to be there underneath the illuminated lights of India's flag colors, honoring the heroes of war who have helped forge India's history. We can totally see why it is so popular and why it was as busy as it was. The best part of being here was no doubt our experience with the locals, the interactions, the photos, the warmth and kindness we received. While it can be tough in the heat, and a tad testing being stopped every few minutes, it really is a humbling experience to be sought out like we were. And that is for sure our enduring memory here; one that will long live in our memories in the Land of the Rising Sun. RETURN TO CONTENTS What KFC looks like in New Delhi We have not really featured KFC in our blogs before, but it is a staple part of out travels and we absolutely love to try it wherever we go. Before we started this travel journey, we had not realised just how different all of the fast food chains can be in other parts of the world. KFC is probably the most consistent, although in India, we did not recognise much at all! The menu does have popcorn chicken, and zinger burgers, along with the typical fried chicken options. However, we must say that the chicken coating is not the KFC taste we are used to at all (not bad at all though), and only comes in a 'crispy' option as standard. They did have a special promotion on skinless BBQ style drumsticks, which were excellent. The wings are pretty much the same as everywhere else though. There were some other notable differences, like the double-down burger, where there is no patties, and also chicken biriani, which makes total sense being in India. We did get that and it was spicy and spot on! The prices were about 30% cheaper than Western pricing, and everything we tried was really good. We both agree that KFC India is perhaps not the best we have ever visited, but it is certainly a good one. 3 out of 5 only because there was not original KFC chicken! RETURN TO CONTENTS Coming up: An early morning trip to Humayun's Tomb before heading to the train station for Agra, the home the great Taj Mahal With the India Gate surprise excursion complete, and full bellies from KFC, it was time to prepare for another travel day. Our next location was Agra , and we had pre-booked our first India train to get there. As our train was leaving in the afternoon, we knew we had time in the morning and we decided to check out the beautiful Humayun's Tomb first. Sadly, Jackson fell ill that overnight, with severe stomach pains and feelings of nauseousness. It is hard to say how or why he was sick, but we have to all give him huge credit for getting up for the Tomb visit, and soldiering on through the train journey and getting to our next hotel. But more on that, a very rundown Agra, and a stay at the only hotel with a rooftop view of the Taj in our next post! This was perhaps one of the funniest moments from our time in Delhi. Even when we close our eyes now and think back to it, the first thing that happens is the constant drone of honking invisibly haunts our ears. To see this sign is like asking Arsenal fans and Sp**s fans to get along. Never going to happen 😆 RETURN TO CONTENTS Follow our India Series There are lots of ways for you to stay up to date with our India series here on Jenn and Leon Travel Blog. If you follow us on Instagram , you can join our broadcast channel for our latest updates including our posts. You will also find us on YouTube , and we can't wait to share some epic footage with you over there! Last, but most certainly not least, you can simply subscribe to our blog right here, and we will drop our latest posts straight into your email inbox. RETURN TO CONTENTS Our New Delhi itinerary We are excited to be launching a brand new element to our travel blogs, after Wanderlog reached out to us to let us know of their user-friendly embeddable maps. It is so easy to use and we have mapped out all of the areas of New Delhi we visited. Tap any of the numbers for more information! Wanderlog is a free travel planning app for iOS and Android devices that allows users to create trip itineraries, organize flights, hotel and car reservations, view places to visit on a map, and collaborate with friends. Please do let us know about this new feature in the comments below. RETURN TO CONTENTS Follow our India Series on YouTube Join us as we visit Connaught Place, Dr. Zombie, ride the rickshaws through the streets of Delhi, visit the Akshardham temple, Delhi Gate, KFC and check out our accommodation. We met so many incredible and friendly locals BUT we also met some pushy ones too! We explore the streets and learn more and more about India! We head to an upscale restaurant that was INCREDIBLE! This is a great series to watch for those also planning a trip to India as we share our map and the path we took along with general prices, places to visit and transportation. If you enjoy our video and want to follow more of our adventures please do like  and subscribe ! Your support truly is invaluable to us and we will always strive to produce the best content we can from around the world! Your GUIDE to visiting India First time in India? Check out our comprehensive guide with  all you need to know including our latest posts , must-see places , and key information  about health & safety , transport , local customs , connectivity , visa information, useful links  and much more!

A picture perfect paradise in our opinion, this beautiful town on the Bodrum peninsula in Türkiye is a thriving tourist destination for all of the right reasons; 5 star restaurants, resorts and beach clubs with spectacular views, wonderful hospitality and a host of epic sunbathing spots! Perhaps lesser known than some of the other towns on the Aegean coast of Türkiye, Gundogan is 47km away from the Milas-Bodrum Airport and is an active fishing town. Despite its bustling tourist trade in the summer seasons (which run from June to October), Gundogan is known for being laid back and peaceful in comparison to nearby hotspots. We fell in love with it for that reason, and of course its beautiful picturesque views! Table of Contents ● Our Gündoğan highlights ● Gündoğan history ● The weather in Gündoğan ● Gündoğan nightlife ● Food & Restaurants in Gündoğan ● Things to do in Gündoğan ● Our accommodation in Gündoğan ● Our Gündoğan YouTube video ● Our Gündoğan experience rating More from Jenn & Leon Travel Blog ● How to follow our Blog ● Your FREE interactive map of Türkiye ● Explore Bodrum with Klook ● Your GUIDE to visiting Türkiye Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. Tap here  for more information. Take a boat tour in Bodrum with Klook ● Explore Aquarium Bay's crystal-clear waters, teeming with hundreds of fish species, before enjoying a delicious lunch at Tavşan Island or Bitez Bay. ● Experience the unique charm of Camel Beach with an optional camel ride ● Dive into the excitement with a foam party ● Conclude your adventure with a final swim at Divers Cove or Lady Beach before a hassle-free return to the pier with a complimentary shuttle service. Gündoğan, Bodrum: A Two-Month Travel Guide Jenn always does her research and after 5 months in the busy city of Batumi the town of Gundogan ticked all of the boxes - by the sea, great weather, traditional restaurants and a chill vibe! It had everything we were looking for on paper and we couldn't wait to get back to the great country of Türkiye in any case after spending an amazing month in Istanbul last year. It was a great journey from Batumi; we travelled across the land border into Türkiye via taxi and first made our way to the city of Trabzon by coach, and then onto the beautiful mountain lake retreat of Uzungöl . After that we took a domestic flight to Bodrum. It was a lovely warm up for a full return to Türkiye. More on that in an upcoming blog post! Gundogan is well known for its beautiful flowers which flourish practically all year around. We came at the perfect time and it was awesome to watch them fully bloom at every turn! Such vibrant pinks, reds and whites, almost all of the whitewashed homes embrace the beautiful natural plant life of the area and it is lovely to see. We were really impressed with the views, especially as we were staying halfway up the mountain and looking down on the bay. We regularly took strolls on the boardwalk and it is full of nature and wildlife and really peaceful. The mix of palm trees and colorful flowers compliment the soothing sounds of the waves perfectly. It was so calm and relaxing! We spent two fantastic months here, which could have easily been more if not for reaching the limit of our visa! From the wonderful locals we met, to the delicious food and gorgeous daily views and vibes, we literally could not get enough of Gundogan ! Read on for all you need to know including the weather , food , accommodation , things to do and our Gündoğan experience rating . Read more: Galata Tower Istanbul: History, Tips, and Tickets This iconic tower boasts 650 years of incredible history dating back to the era of Constantinople. Your guide to visiting this epic landmark RETURN TO CONTENTS Gündoğan History Gundogan means 'sunrise' in English and it is easy to see why given its location and consistent clear skies. It is located near to the ancient city of Madnasa and it is famous in Bodrum for its old rock formations and cemeteries. Many of the locals believe that there was once an ancient zoo here as evidenced through carvings in old walls that run across the hill tops. Across the bay there is an old Greek Church and remains of a Byzantine settlement on 'Rabbit Island'. We did not visit but perhaps we will next time (we have agreed to come back next year as we loved it so much!). The Nar Tugan Sun monument is a two-language description of a full circular form, while as a whole, it contains two different elements in content. The bottom gray represents the days shortened until December 21st of the sleeping world. The red and curved place on the top represents fire, heat, brightness, and hot times after December 22nd. The observation of the sun and seasons was called Nar Tugan. The slope in the statue shows the slope of the axis that allows us to live through all of these seasons. Its sculptor is Mert Aegean West. There are approximately 4000 inhabitants here today, and along with residents past throughout the centuries the history of the town has been carefully preserved. Most of the houses are painted white and any construction is carefully considered. Many of the houses are surrounded by olive trees, mandarin, palm and oak and have never changed! Aside from the few modern resorts and the varnished docks we were swept up in the traditional style, and a s the incredibly kind locals say, 'Nothing less than history, seaside, nature, sun and friendly people can be found here in Gündoğan ' RETURN TO CONTENTS The weather in Gündoğan May to August are the driest months on average and the typical temperature can vary between 25 - 35 degrees. July is the sunniest month and the rainy season runs from November to January. Most of the activities and restaurants operate from June to October. We just loved heading outside while we were here. It was strikingly quiet and super peaceful even though the weather was a very consistent 25 degrees every day! We definitely expected it to be busier and we were surprised it wasn't given the great climate. It is hard to think of many days out of the two months we were there that there was not pure sun; perhaps one day of light rain, one outrageously windy day and a couple of cloudy ones. Other than that it was perfect! RETURN TO CONTENTS Gündoğan Nightlife We definitely felt we picked a good time to come here. Honestly Gundogan is not a place that is famed for its nightlife and even as it started to become busier towards the end of May that was certainly evident. The restaurants do stay open fairly late and the music and vibe is great but there are only limited options. This actually suited us though; we loved the chilled out feeling and it was really nice to receive such personal service whenever we visited an establishment as they were fairly quiet. We had some great nights sipping Raki with some of the business owners and it really added to the allure of this place! It is worth noting that we did note the volume going up as we approached June; it is a small town so the music carries all around in the wind! To be honest it was often quite nice to relax in our sun room and listen to the different songs and laughs as we wound our evening down. We love to embrace local vibes and we were grateful for that, and also some pretty good sound proofing at our Airbnb when we did want to switch off! RETURN TO CONTENTS Food & Restaurants in Gündoğan There were several awesome restaurants we had the pleasure of visiting and we will be featuring these in more detail in a separate post (get notified directly in your email inbox and sign up here ). But for now here are our top three places to eat in Gundogan : ⪢ Cape Bodrum A luxury 5 star resort, Cape Bodrum is a special part of Gundogan that will take your breath away! Aside from epic accommodations and private infinity pools overlooking the bay, you can also walk right in off of the street and dine by the sea with excellent service and delicious cuisine. There is great music with a DJ and tanning beds await you after you finish your meal. Or you can just go straight for the beds and enjoy your favorite drink! VERY highly recommended! ⪢ Aida Restaurant & Bar If you want a representation of the famous Turkish hospitality then this is the place to be! It was the first restaurant we ate at in Gundogan and it was such a great experience. We quickly got to know the owner and we were treated to some awesome local flavors with great meze, quality tenderloin, delicious fish and our very first Turkish Raki! The atmosphere is wonderful and we even had a couple of great fires after hours. ⪢ Dozo Restaurant Dozo Restaurant was the closest of all to our Airbnb and we visited several times! It has an incredibly beautiful dock with loungers that you can enjoy throughout the day with friendly table service. It has a full bar and also a solid menu which includes traditional Turkish cuisine and some great seafood choices. We spent a lovely evening drinking Raki with the owner here and we loved the ambience of the place! A big shout out to the seating too... they have some really comfortable lounge pods that we almost Doz'ed' off in! RETURN TO CONTENTS Things to do in Gündoğan While evenings may be fairly tame in Gundogan (as mentioned there are mainly just restaurants, a few choice bars and no clubs) there is plenty to do during the day. These are a few things you can try, although bear in mind most of water activities do not get started until June and usually run until September. ⪢ Swimming & Snorkelling Available at various docks throughout, however if you are just swimming you can pretty much dive in anywhere! ⪢ Sunbathing Most docks / sunbathing jetties are either private or owned by the restaurants so you will need to check first. Many do openly rent to walk-in customers and are not exclusive. There is also a fairly good sized sandy beach area which is free to use and located at the centre of the bay. ⪢ Wednesday market & shopping A really good place to check out if you really want to get a feel for traditional Turkish culture! This bustling market pretty much has a bit of everything and is covered by canopies to offer some respite from the hot sun! There are also many independent souvenir and trinket shops around the town centre so be sure to check these out too! ⪢ Boat trips There are daily departures from Gundogan harbour which take you to the two small islands closest to the bay and beyond. We did not try them during our stay but they are very popular with tourists and are no doubt worth a go! ⪢ Wind surfing, sailing & paddle boarding We saw at least two docks with these options and while it is not something for us, this looks like great fun! ⪢ Go to Bodrum and the surrounding towns There are many surrounding towns that are have just as much charm as Gundogan . Of course you can also head to the main port city of Bodrum which is around 40 minutes away by car / bus and is the most popular place on the peninsula. Buses are inexpensive and run every 30 minutes or so and you can catch them from main dolmus station in town. RETURN TO CONTENTS Our accommodation in Gündoğan Our apartment was located about a 15 minute walk away from the main town centre and kept us very fit given it was around halfway up the mountainside! Access to the main boardwalk was very easy and we enjoyed many strolls amongst the docks and palm trees of the bay. We arrived in April which is about two months before peak season and at that time most of the restaurants along the water were closed. On our daily walks it was fascinating to watch them prepare and gradually get ready for the big June opening! By the end of May the empty docks were varnished, beautifully decorated and full of loungers and umbrellas ready to accommodate the expected masses. We booked 2 months in an Airbnb and we were immediately impressed with our host! He picked us up from the airport and was so kind, even stopping off to get us a coffee and doing his best to ensure we were comfortable! The property was great and we had a lovely time there. It had great views of Gundogan Bay and we had no issues at all, apart from some minor hiccups with the internet which was swiftly resolved. Our hosts had a self contained apartment on the ground floor and we were on the second floor. We spent much of our days and nights in the sun room which was super bright and airy. We had everything we needed including our own washing machine which was handy for us as full time travellers! The kitchen was fully equipped and even had a dishwasher. There was no microwave but there was a counter top oven which worked well for us once we figured out how to use it! We also had private access to the rooftop patio where we were even able to catch a glimpse of the Super Flower Blood Moon that graced the skies in the middle of May. It was a great moment and made our time here even more memorable! A minor downfall to the location (as we had no vehicle) was a lack of local amenities within easy reach. The nearest convenience store was a 15 - 20 minute walk away which included THAT hill which we mentioned earlier (yes it was very steep!). We tended to walk there and take a taxi back from town which was fine for a big shop but not great when we just needed something basic like water or a pint of milk (or late night munchies). The taxi cost was on average 50 Turkish lira and it's good to note that the taxi's run on a metered system. Our accommodation rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Overall we would give our hosts a full 5 stars. They were friendly and went out of their way to accommodate us. There is no con that outweighs a pro and it was also excellent value for the months we stayed (please note the price goes up significantly during peak season). We would recommend this place for sure, if you would like any further information at all let us know in the comments and we will be happy to help! RETURN TO CONTENTS Our Gündoğan YouTube video In this 4K video, you'll get a glimpse of some of the amazing sights, sounds and tastes of this beautiful Turkish town. We show you the beautiful Boardwalk and the stunning views from the beach. You'll also get to experience some of those fantastic restaurants we showed you earlier! This video is perfect for anyone looking for a beautiful and relaxing destination. Whether you're a tourist, digital nomad, slow traveller, planning a road trip in Türkiye or a resident of Gundogan, Bodrum! Save for later: Day trip from Trabzon to Uzungöl, the lake village jewel of Turkey (Türkiye) All you need to know about traveling to Uzungöl from Trabzon, including food, things to do, tour info and as ever our hotel recommendation. RETURN TO CONTENTS Our Gündoğan rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Feel free to let us know your thoughts on Gundogan in the comments. We had a fantastic time here and we decided within days that this may well become an annual trip. Be it for a relaxing vacation or a place to vibe while you work, you will not be disappointed. Thumbs up for Glorious Gundogan ! We would love to hear from you and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. We are always happy to help. As always thanks for following along on our journey! RETURN TO CONTENTS How to follow our Blog There are lots of ways for you to stay up to date with Jenn and Leon Travel. If you follow us on Instagram , you can join our broadcast channel  for our latest updates and posts. You will also find us on YouTube   of course, or you can simply subscribe to our blog , and we will drop our latest posts straight into your email inbox. It is that easy! Your FREE interactive map of Türkiye Check out all of the places we visited in Türkiye courtesy of this interactive map from Wanderlog. Tap any of the numbers for more information including directions, our blog posts, links to reviews and much more. Wanderlog   is a free travel planning app for iOS and Android devices that allows users to create trip itineraries, organize flights, hotel and car reservations, view places to visit on a map, and collaborate with friends. It is super handy and has made a big impact on our travel planning. It saves time and is super easy to use! Explore Bodrum with Klook Klook offers a wide variety of tours to help you experience the best of Bodrum. Whether you're looking for a boat trip, jeep safari, or if you want to see some turtles, there are plenty of options available at great prices. Klook also offers great deals on transportation, accommodation, and activities, and all tours are led by experienced guides who can help you learn about the history and culture of Bodrum and Türkiye. Klook's tours are all-inclusive too, so you don't have to worry about anything but enjoying your experience! Your GUIDE to visiting Türkiye First time in Türkiye ? Check out our comprehensive guide with  all you need to know including our latest posts , must-see places , and key information  about health & safety , transport , local customs , connectivity , visa information, useful links  and much more!

We tried this excellent mulled wine with Jägermeister during our stroll through the Batumi Christmas Market. It was so delicious that we felt the need to share the recipe with you all to add to your festive holiday experience! Check out the recipe below. Then take a peek at our YouTube video from our channel Jenn and Leon Travel, showing us exploring the market and our very first taste test! Did you know that in Georgia national holidays are celebrated based on the Julien Calendar (most of the world uses the Gregorian Calendar). This was proposed b y Julius Caesar in 46 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar and it took effect on 1 January 45 BC. The Julien Calendar is adopted by the Georgian Orthodox Church and so effectively Georgians celebrate Christmas on January 7th and New Years Day on the 14th . However many people simply celebrate on both days! Recipe for Jägermeister Mulled Wine It takes just a few minutes to prepare and then all you have to do is wait! ⪢ Ingredients ● 1 bottle of fruity red wine ● 10 cloves ● 1 mandarin or clementine ● Add other fruit pieces if preferred ● 1 cinnamon stick ● Honey / maple syrup / brown sugar (2-3 tablespoons or as required) ● Jägermeister (1½ - 3 ounces, as required) ⪢ Instructions ● Press the cloves into the mandarin / clementine ● Add all of the ingredients into a pot ● Heat until wine is boiling ● Leave to cool / marinate for 2 hours ● Use a coffee filter to pour the wine into a pan ● Re-heat for a couple of minutes ● Pour into a bottle or glass, serve and enjoy! Let us know in the comments section how you get on if you do try it. We are sure you will enjoy it just as much as we did! Check out our mulled wine experience on YouTube In this episode from our Georgia series we enjoy some mulled wine with Jägermeister from a local vendor at the Batumi Christmas Market in European Square, 2022. We follow it up with some fun and silly shenanigans at Mary's Irish Pub & Bar , in our opinion one of the best bar spots in all of Batumi! If you enjoy our video and want to follow more of our adventures please do like  and subscribe ! Your support truly is invaluable to us and we will always strive to produce the best content we can from around the world! Discover Tskaltubo, an urbex playground of abandoned hotels and sanatoriums We explore this crumbling yet alluring collection of dilapidated spa resorts and bathhouses in our first ever urbex adventure in Georgia 5 reasons why you should head to Batumi, Georgia this summer Five HUGE reasons why you need to plan your summer vacation in the up-and-coming beautiful black sea coastal city of Batumi, Georgia! 10 Awesome places to check out in Batumi, Georgia (the country) Ten best things to see in Batumi including the Alphabetic Tower, Ali & Nino, Europe Square, Astronomical Clock and the Fountain of Neptune How to follow our blog There are lots of ways for you to stay up to date with Jenn and Leon Travel. If you follow us on Instagram , you can join our broadcast channel  for our latest updates and posts. You will also find us on YouTube   of course, or you can simply subscribe to our blog , and we will drop our latest posts straight into your email inbox. It is that easy! Your FREE interactive map of Georgia Check out all of the places we visited in Georgia courtesy of this interactive map from Wanderlog. Tap any of the numbers for more information including directions, our blog posts, links to reviews and much more. Wanderlog   is a free travel planning app for iOS and Android devices that allows users to create trip itineraries, organize flights, hotel and car reservations, view places to visit on a map, and collaborate with friends. It is super handy and has made a big impact on our travel planning. It saves time and is super easy to use! Explore Georgia with special offers from Klook Klook offers a wide variety of tours to help you experience the best of Georgia. Whether you're looking for a wine tasting tour, a private tour of the the mountain villages, or even airport transfers and sim cards, Klook has got you covered. In addition to their wide selection of tours, Klook also offers great deals on transportation, accommodation, and activities. All tours are led by experienced guides who can help you learn about the history and culture of Georgia. Klook's tours are all-inclusive too, so you don't have to worry about anything but enjoying your experience. Your GUIDE to visiting Georgia First time in Georgia? Check out our comprehensive guide  with all you need to know including our latest posts , must-see places , and key information about health & safety , transport , local customs , internet availability and much more!

With our train to Agra scheduled to leave at 2.40pm, we decided to visit Humayun's Tomb early in the morning, along with the famous Red Fort, and then get back to our hotel for 12pm check out. Things did not go exactly according to plan, but we did make the Tomb and it was a great experience. We found out that Humayun's Tomb was the inspiration for the great Taj Mahal, where we were headed to in the afternoon. What were the chances! In what was to be our last stop in New Delhi, Humayun's Tomb turned out to be a real gem. Not just the main attraction, there is also Isa Khan's Tomb and Mosque, and the wonderful gardens surrounding and connecting everything on the site. Gardens which also happen to be the first ever tomb gardens on the Indian sub-continent! Thank you for stopping by, and a warm welcome to our India series here on Jenn & Leon Travel Blog. We had always wanted to visit this country, officially the 7th oldest in the world , and not only was the time finally upon us, but it came with our good friends and fellow Youtuber's Jackson and Marjo. If you missed our earlier posts and would like to catch up, head over to our dedicated INDIA page or look out for the links in this blog. Table of Contents ● Our Humayun's Tomb highlights ● The history of Humayun's Tomb ● Some Humayun's Tomb facts ● How to get to the H umayun's Tomb ● Humayun's Tomb entrance fee & opening hours ● Our Humayun's Tomb experience rating More from Jenn & Leon Travel Blog ● Coming up: Taking the train from Delhi to Agra as foreigners - all you need to know ● Follow our India Series ● Our New Delhi Itinerary (interactive map) ● Our India Series on YouTube ● Your GUIDE to visiting India Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. Tap here   for more information. Our Humayun's Tomb highlights Before we get to the tomb, we first have to mention that Jackson had a pretty rough night of it before coming here. Much of the night spent in the bathroom; he had definitely caught (or eaten) something causing severe stomach and intestinal pain. Even more challenging because of a lack of public bathrooms, he came with us to the tomb wearily. To be fair to him he really pulled on through and tried to make the most of it. We had planned to head to the famous Red Fort in Delhi afterwards, figuring we had enough time before check-out from our hotel. We had arrived at Humayun's Tomb for 9am, but given the condition of Jackson, we did not stay long and we went back to the hotel after to try and catch some rest before the train ride to Agra. The entrance to the grounds has a small ticket office area where you can only pay cash for admittance. We did feel it was a tad expensive at 600 rupees each, but having said that, it is not bad considering how much this site no doubt needs for maintenance. It is big! There is also a very small charge for cameras, 50 rupees, although there is no enforcement of this (so you can easily hide them in your bag). A bit of a sneaky money-grab there so do not be fooled! Upon entering the tomb the you will be given a small token, which you will have to hand back on the way out. Try not to lose this! The main entrance is literally a direct path through well-manicured lawns, heading strait to the grand tomb. This was a walled tomb so you will see that throughout the site if you cast your gaze outwards. It certainly adds to the history and allure, especially given how well maintained they are. Initially we were a tad confused as the first thing you will see is Isa Khan's tomb, which branches off to the right. At first we thought this was Humayun's Tomb itself, not realizing that this was just the first stop on the way. Fortunately we investigated further and found the other tomb; we could have just as easily thought this was it and left after! Luckily we had seen photos and knew there was more to it. So let's take a closer look at Isa Khan's tomb before we get to the star of the show! Isa Khan's Tomb, New Delhi, India Isa Khan's Tomb is a 16th-century mausoleum located in the Humayun's Tomb complex, built in 1547-48 for Isa Khan Niazi. He was a nobleman in the court of Sher Shah Suri, and his tomb is considered one of the finest examples of Indo-Islamic architecture. The tomb is octagonal in shape and built mainly of red sandstone. It is decorated with intricate carvings, lattice screens, and glazed tiles. The tomb is surrounded by a sunken garden, which was a popular architectural feature of the Lodi period. Isa Khan's Tomb is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Delhi. It is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit, and it offers a glimpse into the rich history and culture of India. The tomb is also known as the "Asylum of Paradise" because of an inscription on its entrance. The sunken garden at Isa Khan's Tomb is one of the oldest in India, and it is thought to have inspired the gardens at the Taj Mahal and Akbar's Tomb. We actually did not know this until we made it on site, having had a really nice chat with one of the workers there (which you can check out in our YouTube video). Give we were heading to the home of the Taj later it was a pretty cool surprise! This tomb is indeed really peaceful, and is certainly worth checking out if you have the time. It was an unexpected addition to the trip, and comes as part of the admittance price to Humayun's Tomb with no additional cost. Humayun's Tomb After we figured out where to go, we made our way to the main tomb of Humayun. It is a short five minute walk from Isa Khan's tomb, nicely covered by trees for shade and surrounded by lush gardens. The entrance to the tomb (below) has to be one of the most imposing and attractive entrances we have seen in India, with some beautiful stonework assisted by a tall arch and clay-colored blocks on the corners. Couldn't resist that Instagram shot walking through it! Humayun's Tomb is beautiful, and the inspiration for the Taj can certainly be seen here. Missing just the minarets, the shape itself is very similar, although there is that clay-colored theme here as opposed to white marble. The surrounding gardens are really nice, and there are multiple channels for water, coming in from each direction, converging into what we assume is a fountain at the center point. Unfortunately there was no water, but for a few workers who seemed to be cleaning out the fountain pit. It would have been nice to see this operational, as we are sure it would have added even more serenity and beauty to this place. It did not seem like there was access inside Humayun's Tomb, like there is with the Taj Mahal. You can go up to the second level however, quite the climb on some big steps. That puts you just beneath the entrance, as close as you can get the the distinctive dome which stands tall over the site. It is really pretty, even more so up close. The architecture and design is flawless, and this structure really does give so much more than just a photo opportunity. It is peaceful and calm, traditional and cultural. It holds so much heritage and value, and it is in places like these that you can learn and immerse yourself in the great culture of one of the world's oldest countries. After making our way back from the tomb, we were encountered by one of the biggest trains of schoolchildren we have ever seen! There could have easily been a thousand, all walking in single file towards Humayun's Tomb. We could not believe it! Every one was saying hello (or namaste), running up to us with hi-fives, giggling and laughing. It was almost surreal; the second moment we had felt like celebrities after our India Gate shenanigans. Jenn tried her best to give as many hi-fives as possible! Even after we eventually made it to the exit, there were still coachloads of kids being dropped off. This must have been the most amount of kids we had ever seen in one place. They honestly just kept on coming! Thankfully we made it to the tomb when we did, being able to enjoy the peace but also the lack of people there. It was practically empty! It seemed that everything just worked out perfectly. With that we went back to the hotel for some rest before the train, very much hoping that our travels to Agra (And the Taj Mahal) would work out just as well. Read on for more on the history of Humayun's Tomb, some interesting facts about it, how to get there , plus opening and ticket information. RETURN TO CONTENTS The history of Humayun's Tomb The construction of Humayun's Tomb was commissioned by Haji Begum, the widow of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. Humayun, the second Mughal emperor, died in 1556, and his tomb was built to honor his memory. The construction began in 1565 and was completed in 1572. It was designed by the Persian architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyas. Humayun's Tomb is considered a masterpiece of Mughal architecture and is one of the earliest examples of this style. The tomb's design is inspired by Persian and Islamic architecture, and it is often seen as a precursor to the more famous Taj Mahal. The tomb is situated within a vast garden complex, which was designed in the Persian Charbagh (fourfold garden) style. The garden is divided into 36 squares by a grid of water channels and pathways, creating a serene and symmetrical environment. Over the centuries, Humayun's Tomb suffered from neglect and decay. In the 20th century, it underwent extensive restoration efforts, thanks to the work of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India. The restoration work aimed to preserve and revitalize the monument, ensuring its continued existence as a historical and architectural gem. In 1993, Humayun's Tomb was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with other historic monuments in the area, collectively known as the "Humayun's Tomb Complex." This recognition has helped in the conservation and protection of the site. Humayun's Tomb holds cultural and historical significance not only as a Mughal monument but also for its role in influencing later Mughal architecture, particularly the design of the Taj Mahal. It symbolizes the rich heritage of the Mughal Empire and its contributions to India's architectural and cultural history. Save for later: EIGHT hours at Dr ZOMBIE restaurant on our first full day in New Delhi Yes, it really was eight hours! We were having such a good time here that we just did not want to leave. Check out the food and our review! RETURN TO CONTENTS Some Humayun's Tomb facts ⪢ Taj Mahal Influence: Humayun's Tomb is often regarded as the precursor to the world-famous Taj Mahal. Its architectural design, including the use of white marble, symmetry, and the Persian Charbagh garden layout, served as an inspiration for the construction of the Taj Mahal in Agra by Emperor Shah Jahan, Humayun's great-great-grandson. ⪢ First Garden Tomb in the Indian Subcontinent: Humayun's Tomb is considered the first garden tomb in the Indian subcontinent. The garden, designed in the Persian Charbagh style, was a departure from previous architectural traditions in the region and set a precedent for future Mughal garden-tomb complexes. ⪢ Double-Dome Architectural Innovation: The tomb's architectural innovation includes the use of a double dome. This feature, with a smaller dome placed above the main one, enhances the aesthetics of the structure and significantly influenced Mughal architecture. ⪢ Restored by the Aga Khan Trust: The restoration of Humayun's Tomb in the 20th century was a significant project carried out by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India. The restoration efforts were aimed at preserving the monument and its surrounding garden, and they have been highly successful in bringing back its original grandeur. ⪢ Resting Place of Several Mughal Royalty: Besides Emperor Humayun, the tomb complex houses the graves of several other members of the Mughal royal family, including Empress Bega Begum (Haji Begum), who commissioned the tomb, as well as other princes and family members. The complex contains numerous cenotaphs representing various family members. ⪢ A popular attraction: Humayun's Tomb has averaged over 600,000 visitors every year for well over a decade. In 2018, prior to Covid, it attracted nearly 1 million people, and that growth looks set to resume now the pandemic is over. Read on for details on how to get there , opening times and ticket prices , our experience rating , and our YouTube video! RETURN TO CONTENTS How to get to Humayun's Tomb Humayun's Tomb is located in the southeastern part of Delhi, near the center of the city. Here's how you can get there from the central part of Delhi, such as Connaught Place: ⪢ Metro ● Nearest Metro Station: The nearest metro station to Humayun's Tomb is "JLN Stadium Metro Station," which is on the Violet Line of the Delhi Metro. ● From Connaught Place: You can reach JLN Stadium Metro Station from Connaught Place by taking the Violet Line. The nearest interchange station to Connaught Place is "Rajiv Chowk Metro Station" (also known as Connaught Place Metro Station), which connects to the Violet Line. Board a train going towards "Badarpur" on the Violet Line and alight at "JLN Stadium Metro Station." ● From JLN Stadium Metro Station: After getting off at JLN Stadium Metro Station, you can hire a local auto-rickshaw or take a short cab ride to Humayun's Tomb, which is approximately 2-3 kilometers away. It's a convenient way to reach the monument. From JLN Stadium Metro Station: After getting off at JLN Stadium Metro Station, you can hire a local auto-rickshaw or take a short cab ride to Humayun's Tomb, which is approximately 2-3 kilometers away. It's a convenient way to reach the monument. ⪢ Bus Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses run through various parts of the city. You can check for a bus that has a route passing through India Gate or nearby locations. The area is well-connected by buses, although it is difficult to identify bus stops on the roads so do bear that in mind. ⪢ Auto-rickshaw or taxi You can also hire an auto-rickshaw to take you to Humayun's Tomb and you will find one pretty much wherever you look on the road! Simply tell the driver to take you to the tomb, and they will know the way. Be sure to confirm the fare first. ⪢ Taxi You can book a taxi through ride-sharing apps like Uber or Ola or find a taxi at various taxi booths throughout the city. Alternatively, you can hire a traditional taxi from the street. We had an Uber pick us up outside to get back to our hotel. Address: Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah, Mathura Rd, Nizamuddin, Nizamuddin East, New Delhi, Delhi 110013, India RETURN TO CONTENTS Humayun's Tomb Entrance Fee & Opening Times ⪢ Admission ● Indian citizens: 40 ₹ ● Foreign visitors: 600₹ / £6.07 / $10.15 CAD ● Children up to 14 years: Free ● Filming / camera charge: 25 ₹ Prices stated are accurate as of April 2024. Please check the official website below for the most up-to-date information. ⪢ Opening hours Monday to Sunday, 6am to 6pm Save for later: Celebrities at India Gate Delhi after Akshardham Temple MISHAP, plus our first KFC India After our temple fail, we grab a rickshaw and head to the spectacular India Gate at night, before a unique first time KFC India experience! RETURN TO CONTENTS Our Humayun's Tomb experience rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Much of our excursions in Asia have been at temples, so to see a tomb, especially on the same day we were heading to the incredible Taj Mahal, we were super happy. With all of the noise and chaotic traffic in Delhi, it was also really cool to be able to come in to the Tomb gardens and experience quiet and calm. It really was peaceful. Until of course the schoolkids on the way out! What a moment that was. Both tombs (Humayun & Isa Khan) are absolutely beautiful in their own right. While the Taj may be the one that gets the worldwide acclaim, it is easy to see why Humayun's was the inspiration. This is a classic piece of Indian history that is not to be missed! RETURN TO CONTENTS Coming up: Taking the train from Delhi to Agra in India as foreigners - all you need to know In what was our first train ride as foreigners in India, we take the Vande Bharat Express First Class AC Chair Car directly to Agra from Delhi. In this post we will show you what the train was like, how we got tickets, what to do at both stations, and other things you may need to know. RETURN TO CONTENTS Follow our India Series There are lots of ways for you to stay up to date with our India series here on Jenn and Leon Travel Blog. If you follow us on Instagram , you can join our broadcast channel for our latest updates including our posts. You will also find us on YouTube , and we can't wait to share some epic footage with you over there! Last, but most certainly not least, you can simply subscribe to our blog right here, and we will drop our latest posts straight into your email inbox. RETURN TO CONTENTS Our New Delhi itinerary Check out all of the places we visited in Delhi courtesy of this interactive map from Wanderlog. Tap any of the numbers for more information including directions, our blog posts, links to reviews and much more. Wanderlog is a free travel planning app for iOS and Android devices that allows users to create trip itineraries, organize flights, hotel and car reservations, view places to visit on a map, and collaborate with friends. It is super handy and has made a big impact on our travel planning. It saves time and is super easy to use! RETURN TO CONTENTS Humayun's Tomb on YouTube See even more highlights from this must-see location in New Delhi over on our YouTube Channel! In this video we take you on a full tour of the Isa Khan's Garden Tomb, along with the tomb of Humayun of course! If you enjoy our video and want to follow more of our adventures please do like  and subscribe ! Your support truly is invaluable to us and we will always strive to produce the best content we can from around the world! RETURN TO CONTENTS Your GUIDE to visiting India First time in India? Check out our comprehensive guide with  all you need to know including our latest posts , must-see places , and key information  about health & safety , transport , local customs , connectivity , visa information, useful links  and much more!