The lux express coach arrived at Riga bus station more or less on time. From there, it is a short walk and across the main street to the Monte Cristo Hotel.
I chose the Monte Cristo Hotel because of its convenient location. Across the street from the bus station. Nearby, there is pizza hut and KFC that open till late. It's pricing is reasonable and I'm glad I stayed there for 2 nights. Its exterior may seem unattractive. But the interior is really a gem!
The hotel has a ship theme. A lot of decor are ship-based.
Even the hotel room doors are specially designed with porthole. The corridors are decorated nicely too!
The room is of fairly large and comfortable for a good night's rest.
Hotel restaurant and morning buffet area. Reminds me of a cave
The restaurant ambience is fantastic ! Definitely worth the price.
After a night at the hotel, we ventured towards the train station. Passing by this shopping mall.
A day trip on the train to Sigulda !
Great looking train with comfortable seats
Sigulda train station with a snowy landscape
For the fun of it haha !
Not sure of the story behind these walking sticks. But they looked great anyway.
One of the attractions in Sigulda
Back to the train station. Sigulda is popular day trip from Riga. It is a compact, walkable town. Unfortunately, the cable car in Sigulda is not running on that day due to the snow. There is a manned tourist information office beside the train station. The staff speaks English, is great and provides me with the map and other useful information. A great day trip for me !
The only minor issue with this day trip is the train ticket. For visitors not knowing the local language, comprehending the ticket could be an issue. I couldn't figure out the platform number or departure time from the ticket. Luckily, there is a big arrivals and departures board in the train station.
After two wonderful nights, it's back to the bus station on lux express to Vilnius !
I'm glad I have visited Riga and Sigulda, a great tourist destination not usually featured in Asia. The Monte Cristo hotel is also wonderful to stay in.
