Cambridge (2015, February)

If Cambridge were a person, I imagine the city to be a beauty with brains.

50km north of London, the city boasts exquisite architecture, gorgeous natural surroundings, and generations of scholars produced by the local colleges all grouped under the world-famous Cambridge University.

When ISH Travel Club promoted their cycling tour here, I was intrigued. The day trip was short, but it was fun nonetheless as we breezed around the city to learn of its history, traditions, and quirky rituals.

Itinerary

See: Check out the map here, under Cambridge.

(Photos will soon be updated)

Cambridge Bike Tour

We departed from London via minibus at 8am and reached Cambridge almost 2 hours later.

As soon as we arrived, we headed straight to Parker’s Piece, where our Cambridge Tour Guide was waiting for us to tour around the city. Most people get around by bicycle here, and I can understand why: the roads are narrow (and sometimes single-lane roads). It's the most practical (and cheapest) mode of transport.

After we got our bikes and safety gear from the shop, we cycled along a route they mapped out for us.

We cycled to  quite a number of major sights in the city:

1. Midsummer Common
2. Stourbridge Common
3. Eights Rowing
4. College Boat Houses
5. Jesus Green
6. Round Church
7. St. Johns College
8. Trinity Great Gate and Court
9. Garrett Hostel Bridge
10. Cambridge University Real Tennis Club
11. The Backs
12. Kings College Chapel
13. Senate House
14. Kings Parade
15. Corpus Christi Clock
16. The Eagle Pub
17. St. Benets Church

Lunch

We ended the bike tour around 12.30pm to have lunch at the Free Press Pub.

As part of our tour package (we had a lunch voucher worth £10), we could order whatever we wanted and top up if the voucher wasn't enough.

There weren't many halal options - which I predicted - so I settled for good ol' fish and chips.

Punting

After lunch at around 1.45pm, we walked our way to the next part of our trip: our punting tour, booked at 2:00pm. When we arrived at the Quayside for the tour, we learnt that the biggest punting company in the city has a massive (over 140) number of punts that are available for hire in the city, along two routes.

Perhaps you are wondering what a punt is. A punt is a boat that is narrow-ended and has a flat bottom and no keel, usually propelled by a driver using a loooong pole (not a paddle!) while standing on one end of the boat. It's a medieval vessel used in areas where the water levels are too shallow for conventional boats.

Punting was introduced in the city during Edwardian times as an activity for pleasure, and it is now Cambridge's favorite pastime. I can understand why. Since there were a few of us on the punt and only one driver, the 3-hour tour was slow, but it was very relaxing.

It was lovely seeing the city through the waterway.

Walking About

After the punting tour, we had about 2 hours of free time to explore the city on foot. We broke off into our own mini groups and walked about on our own, dropping by the markets and cafe and taking in the vibes of the city.


We walked back to our agreed pickup point at 5pm, where our chirpy travel leader huddled us up back on the minibus to take us back to London.

Expenses

I was super lucky that the trip was partially subsidised by the ISH Travel Club, so I only had to pay a small amount for the actual trip and only spent a bit of money on refreshments and souvenirs (postcards and fridge magnets).

In summary:

• ISH tour package = £35 * 
• Lunch = £0 (covered by tour package)
• Snacks = £5 (at the cafe)
• Souvenirs = £15

Total expenses here (my own): £50*

* ISH package as follows:

• Return Minibus transfer from/to ISH
• Bicycle Hire
• Cambridge Half–Day Bike Tour
• Group Lunch Voucher worth £10
• Guided Cambridge Punting Tour
• Full Services of an ISH Group Leader

So yeah.

For more info on travelling here, including transportation options and admission prices, do check out wikitravel.

See: What else I've written about United Kingdom.

Last Updated: 2020-01-08