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A pleasant surprise
PostedFebruary 20, 2013
Linda
From: UK
Purpose:Leisure
Company:Family
General impression
5
/
5
Restaurants
5
/
5
Activities
4
/
5
Shopping
4
/
5
Nightlife
4
/
5
Events
5
/
5
Your tips Lots of warm clothing, gloves, hats, scarves if travelling in winter months. Keep away from buildings when walking along the pavements. The walkways are wide. Huge chunks of snow can fall from rooftops and causes about 20 deaths per annum. Embrace the whole experience and enjoy your trip.
Went for my son's wedding (lst part, registry office). His sister and I were shown around the city and we enjoyed dinner at different restaurants each evening. I would eat at all of them again. His friends are all professionals and part of a tight kit community but their wives and girlfriends are all Ukranian - all of whom I found delightful.
We needed to really wrap up when stepping outdoors but were very very warm when indoors. We enjoyed the churches, history museum, sights and sounds of Kiev and are looking forward to our next trip in the summer for the church and reception part of the wedding.
The metro is very busy and tightly packed with commuters but very cheap to use. There is an underground shopping mall or malls which has different areas representing different countries. We only saw a small section and I didn't realise there were different sections until we had arrived home. It is under the road and has to be used to reach the other side if one wants to look at other shops at street level. There is a street with up market shops ie Louis Vitton, Bulgari, designer clothes and shoe shops and so on for the discerning shopper.
We feel that there is still so much to see and strongly advise others to look on Trip Advisor. My son's apartment is 4 minute walk from the main shopping area and a 3 minute walk from the office. We passed many hotels during our walks so there are plenty to choose from. However, we stayed in his close friend and boss's apartment next door.
Oh, forgot to mention that when stepping into someone's home you will find a mat and have to step onto it and take your shoes off. It is just a matter of courtesy as they don't like the dirt from the pavements to be brought indoors and a Russian phrase book will come in handy.