Budapest

Budapest: August 2016

I spent about 10 days in Budapest in August 2016 timed perfectly to coincide with Sziget Festival. There’s something magnetic about the vibe in Budapest, it feels very fresh with lots of cool stuff going on. It definitely left me wanting more.

The first 5 days I was on my own and stayed in a hostel called Budapest Bubble Hostel which is a cute small hostel turned into a multi day bender thanks to the Australian/Kiwis working and staying there! I came pretty close to not seeing any of the city ha! The last few days I stayed in an Airbnb with some friends in the Jewish Quarter. Three of the days were spent at Sziget music festival, which is a huge week long music festival on an island in Budapest. There are multiple stages and various activities and it attracts big names every year.

When I wasn’t hungover or at Sziget I visited two baths, which Budapest is really famous for. I went to the most famous one, Szechenyi and Gellert which is a less known one. Gellert however was far better then Szechenyi, it was much more beautiful and less crowded. We visited the Ruins Bars, like Szimpla and Instant multiple times (complete with Falafel Kebab on the way home). A really good night out in Budapest starts by climbing up onto the green bridge with some drinks to watch the sunset and then carry on to the Ruin bars and clubs.

Surprisingly I had some really incredible vegan food, special shout out to Veganlove which had incredible Vegan Burgers. Budapest is full of really good restaurants and cafes, the Central Market is also amazing for fresh fruit and other Hungarian delights. There’s so much architecture and beautiful views to discover in Budapest by streets and hills on both sides of the river. If you’re into museums and history (I’m not) then there is also a lot to learn in this city!

I was lucky enough to be able to go to Sziget in 2016 & 2017 when I went back to Budapest for my friend’s mum’s 60th birthday Party. Side note- Hungarians know how to party! And they make sure they have everything documented in great detail (professional cameraman on hand all night). I love going back to the same place twice, it just gives me those amazing nostalgic warm fuzzies!