I took this photo as I toasted my toes against a roaring log-burning fire.* I had a glass of red by my side and I was about to press play on a DVD. I’d just eaten an enormous Welsh oggie followed by homemade toffee cupcakes I’d picked up from the local bakery. We’d eaten on …
UK
It seem’s I spend all my time seeking beaches on the other side of the world and find myself neglecting the beauty we have here in England. Admittedly, it’s really the weather I’m seeking on the other side of the world but when the sun shines in England… it’s a very beautiful (and rare) thing. Just …
It’s hard to believe that one of the biggest cities in the world doesn’t have an extensive 24-hour transport service. You can feel a little like Cinderella if you’re out past midnight in London, except instead of your carriage turning into a pumpkin you’ll just have to pay an arm and a leg for …
Remember that scene in Hugh Grant’s failing travel bookshop, when Julia Roberts tells him that she’s ‘just a girl standing in front of a boy, telling him that she loves him’? It was this film, named after and set in Notting Hill, that brought a small area in West London into the world spotlight …
“Oooh a country house. That sounds fancy.” My mum and I were searching through the trivago App looking for somewhere to stay for the following night. We were half way through our trivago App Family Challenge whereby trivago had challenged us to use their new app to find family-friendly hotels. We were in North …
In today’s post, Claire takes us on a trip around Oxford to visit the locations that inspired Lewis Carol’s Alice in Wonderland. I lift my hand to my eyes, shielding them from the thick June glare, whilst the sun slowly and evenly toasts my neck. Before me, rise the honeyed buildings of Oxford’s most famous …
I love glamping. You get to enjoy the great outdoors and feel closer to nature but without the nasty side of camping. You know, the bit with cold, leaky tents and deflated airbeds. I love bell tents and teepees, pods and treehouses and now I have a new type of glamping to add to …
I’m suffering from the post- Isles of Scilly holiday blues today. It’s a real thing; I checked and other people are suffering too. I’m missing that fresh, salty smell of the sea and icy blue waters where bright boats bob about. I’m missing the flamboyant flowers that line the wonky roads and decorate the windows …
I’m delighted to welcome Rachel Kershaw to the blog today. Rachel is the blogger behind Life in Geordieland, an awesome blog about Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead in the UK. She’s bringing us an Insider’s Guide to Newcastle, which is the UK’s favourite city. Keep reading to find out why…. Photo credit: Mick_Gallagher_1959 1. Can you …
Ahhh Wales, a country of rolling hills and fresh streams, forests and mountains and lakes and outdoor adventures. And rain. Yes, don’t forget the rain and the general unpredictability of Welsh weather. I grew up in North Wales and now live on the English/Welsh border so I feel like I’m pretty well adapted to these …
Scotland is one of those places where, with the right weather, it’s jaw-droppingly beautiful. You can’t believe you’re just a few hours from home (if you live in the UK that is) and I had the overwhelming feeling the whole of Scotland has been keeping this incredible secret from me. Why did they not tell …
Why is it that as soon as you’re anywhere near London you instantly turn into a manically stressed idiot? Everyone is in a hurry, there’s so much to see, so much to do and we’re all so incredibly important that we have to be there first. We rush around like 5-year-olds on the playground but …
Taking a Sea Safari with Orca Sea Safaris I bet you thought that I’d finished my ranting about how beautifully, awesomely, wonderful Falmouth is hadn’t you. Oh no, I have one more little gem for you that won’t come as much of a surprise if you managed to read the title. Yes, that’s right, I …
There is a level of tranquillity in a hotel that you can never achieve in your own home. At home there is always washing to be done, projects to work on, food to be cooked, a dog to be walked and rooms to be cleaned. But in a hotel you have none of that. Hotels …
The Hotel Du Vin is one of those places where you instantly feel at home…and seriously wish it was your home. According to Wikipedia (aka, the font of all knowledge), ‘This is where the stars stay when in Brighton’, so it has an understandable air of subtle exclusivity without being too flashy. It’s grand, elegant …
Christmas in London is a magical affair. As soon as the lights twinkle to life above Oxford Street, the mulled wine begins flowing and the carols start chiming. That’s when the festive season has officially begun. But it can be easy to miss it all by getting carried away with Christmas shopping, office parties and huddling inside …
I’m wandering along a sandy, white beach backed with heather covered cliffsides, with rolling green countryside in the distance. There’s barely a soul to be seen, and the crash of waves on the beach is hypnotising. Sounds amazing doesn’t it? Well it is, but there’s just one problem. It is bucketing it down, and I …
If like me you’re a vegetarian you’ll share my pain of struggling to find good restaurants and cafes to try. Not necessarily dedicated vegetarian places as I don’t think you need to segregate different food preferences and I’m certainly not a preaching vegetarian – each to their own. However, somewhere that offers more than one vegetarian option …
What’s so special about Hadrian’s Wall? After all, it’s just a lump of stones cobbled together, to create a physical barrier. You call that a tourist destination? I mean, I know the Great Wall of China is a tourist attraction, but crikey that’s visible from space, and it’s 13,170 miles long. Hadrian’s Wall on …
As with many British cities, Newcastle has its fair share of galleries, museums, historical attractions and sporting attractions to pick from. But what if you are looking for something a little different? A little less mainstream perhaps? Maybe you prefer the unusual, or downright bizarre. If that is the case, then this post is for …
Hello! It’s me again! Mollie – ‘The Adventurer’. Last weekend, you may have seen on our Instagram @thetravelhack, I headed down to Brighton on a road trip with the RAC for the weekend. #RACstaycation. We were blessed with beautiful weather on the Saturday and one of those ‘grey drizzly days that England does best’ on …
“I can’t believe I made that! Look, look, I made that!” I was beaming with pride like a child who had just painted their first picture. I looked around at my fellow bloggers who had mixed expressions. Some were smiling fondly at their California rolls like proud parents while others looked completely bewildered as their …
If you’re looking for a perfectly located and budget friendly hotel in London then you can’t go wrong with Mercure London Bridge. It’s stylish, friendly, clean and comfortable and most of the rooms have been recently refurbished so they’re modern and sleek. This isn’t a ‘blow your socks off’ boutique hotel, but it’s the kind …
Today’s post comes from Lucy, a journalist, blogger and adopted Brixtonite. Here she presents the insider’s guide to her neighbourhood in Brixton… 1. Can you begin by telling us how/why you’re a Brixton expert? I’ve lived in Brixton for two years and either spend time in Brixton or travel through the area every day. I’ll …
Now that I’ve moved out of London I see it in a whole new light. I’m still in London once or twice a week so it’s enough to not feel like a stranger but not enough to get bugged down with city life. It’s as though a magical pair of rose tinted glasses are stuck …
Eating in the home of a perfect stranger is probably up there with the top ‘worst-nightmare’ situations for the majority of Brits. Dinner parties are awkward enough but dinner parties where everyone is a stranger takes it to a whole new level. I’m always telling myself that life is about trying new things so when …
London: A foodie adventure through East London with Eating London Food Tours They say the best way to get to know a country is through its food. Seeing how people eat and learning about the history of their food gives you a whole new insight into a country or city that you will never learn …
What is Secret Cinema? This was the first question I was aksed whenever I excitedly recounted my night at one of London’s best kept secrets. And with so many social savvy Londoners, it really is hard to keep a secret in this city. “Well…” I begin awkwardly, wondering where the hell to start. “It’s…well…it’s a …
I’d like to begin by thanking the person who came up with the idea of outdoor cinemas. You are an absolute genius. You would think that sitting outside, usually in the cold, on the hard ground while trying to watch a film with 200 other people would be a terrible idea. If the sun isn’t …
If you’ve never heard of St Mawes, it might be because it’s one of those places you feel that you should keep a secret. I’m not even sure if I want to be writing this blog post right now. It’s the kind of place where you could actually forget that you’re in England (you know, …