I’ve always loved travelling. I was fortunate enough to have parents that took me on hotel holidays abroad and camping holidays in the UK every year and I’m extremely grateful. Some of my fondest and funniest memories are from being on my travels. For instance, that priceless moment when you and your family are soaking up the sun and eating a Cornish pasty on the seafront, then out of nowhere a seagull swoops in and flies off with your grandad’s pasty, leaving you with a smug smile because they never got yours. Or sometimes you have even weirder memories like the time I grabbed my mum’s wine glass to act older than I was so that I wouldn’t have to dance with the hotel reps. Yes, I was a strange child and no, unsurprisingly it didn’t work!
When I left home for Uni, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to travel as much but as soon as I heard that there was such a thing as a Travel Society, I don’t think I’ve signed up to anything so quick in my life!
I’m aware that due to the Coronavirus pandemic, everyone is feeling a little bit edgy and uncertain at the moment. Don’t worry! The only ‘illness’ I’m going to be talking about is the ‘travel bug’ and it’s one that you definitely won’t mind catching. Plus, I’m going to solely focus on UK destinations because of the restrictions on travelling abroad at this time.
Below are some of my favourite spots to explore (in no particular order) and I hope that this will encourage you to at least visit one of them.
1. Snowdonia
I’ve been to Snowdonia twice in my life and both times my family and I decided to climb Mount Snowdon. I’m aware that hiking up a mountain isn’t appealing to everyone and believe me, I am not a pro, but it genuinely still is an unforgettable experience. I would highly recommend at least giving it a go because not only is it an achievement which you can brag about to everyone else but also, the views are breath-taking (although admittedly all I saw was mist on the second time).
So, that’s Snowdonia National Park. Another reason why I love Snowdonia are the coastal paths and scenic trails for those who are slightly less adventurous. Wales as a country is renowned for its beautiful landscapes and fields that can be seen for hundreds of yards and I believe Snowdonia is at the heart of it all.
2. York
York is honestly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited, and I think most people who have been would agree. It is rich in history and culture, incorporating architecture from the Ancient Romans to the Georgian era. I would say that the best way to absorb it all is to either go on a city bus or cruise tour as without those neat little facts, you probably wouldn’t know what you were looking at.
I would also take a look inside York Minster if you can because who doesn’t love a grand church, right? With its stained-glass windows and its significance in Roman history, you just can’t go to York without visiting it.
3. Edinburgh
Now, I’ve only been to Edinburgh once and I was only 10 years-old, but it has clearly left a good impression. One of the must-see attractions is Edinburgh Castle with many exhibitions to explore. Even if you’re not into your history, then I would still make an effort to go purely because of the picturesque views. Just make sure to by-pass the audio headsets when you enter though or else you really will end up spending the whole day there: yes, that is what happened when my dad got his hands on one.
You’ve also got the Fringe Festival which I’ve personally never been to but it’s definitely on my to-do list. It consists of hundreds of people performing to thousands of festival goers each year and the best part of it is, the street events are completely free.
Alternatively, if you would like somewhere to do your shopping then there are plenty of high streets with stores ranging from designer to something more affordable like Primark or New Look. There’s plenty to see!
4. Cornwall
Enjoy coastal walks and relaxing on the beach? If you do, then Cornwall is the place to go! I’ve been countless times with my family, usually with my grandparents too and it never gets old. It’s holidays like this, spending a week during the summer holidays in a tent or caravan, depending on how brave you’re feeling, that make those memories for life. Just take the seagull incident as a prime example!
As a family we always used to do the Camel Trail too which was always fun, despite not being the most confident cyclist. You stop off by a bench and tuck into your packed lunches whilst looking out over the lake. What more could you want?
5. Stratford Upon Avon
It’s the birthplace of Shakespeare – you can visit his house! It’s home to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) where you can watch his plays live too. You can take a boat on the river Avon. Just these three sentences alone should persuade you to visit this beautiful, historic town.
I’ve visited Stratford upon Avon on multiple occasions now and I always want to go back. I had a tour of Shakespeare’s birthplace when I was quite young so I would definitely love to visit again now that I can appreciate it more. I believe I’ve been to the RSC twice, one time to see ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and the other time, ‘Twelfth Night’ and it’s definitely a theatre experience that can’t be matched. You can really tell I’m an English student, can’t you? Anyway, Shakespeare aside, just taking a walk into the town centre and having a look into all of the small, vintage shops is highly enjoyable in itself. If none of that tickles your fancy, which I frankly find hard to believe, then you can always hire out a boat, and you can even hire ones that are named after some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters. I need to stop now…
You may have already been to some of the places, if not all of them, but if you haven’t then I highly recommend that you do. Please don’t just take my word for it; take a look at these links below for each destination which give you a much more detailed description of the attractions and events to see. Now get exploring!
York – https://www.visityork.org/explore
Edinburgh – https://edinburgh.org
Cornwall – https://www.visitcornwall.com
Stratford Upon Avon – https://www.visitstratforduponavon.co.uk