Travel Tips: UK Alternatives to Foreign Destinations

Since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic last year, it's been, at times, difficult, and at other times, impossible to travel abroad. This has meant that many people around the world have been discovering different places around their own countries on their holidays, and this has been especially true here in the UK.

Speaking from personal experience, over the past year I should have been living in Santiago with my boyfriend, and exploring different places around Chile and Latin America. Instead, I have been living in a small, isolated village in Wiltshire with my parents, and have only left the country once since the first lockdown came into force. I'm not going to pretend that I'm satisfied with this situation, but I've at least tried to make the best of it. One effective source of escapism for me has been to travel to various places around my local area and beyond, in particular those that are reminiscent of foreign countries. 

This has led me to put together a list of some of my favourite UK alternatives to foreign destinations. Some are alternatives to a particular town or city, whereas others are alternatives to entire countries/parts of the world. I hope that it can come in useful for the times when it's not possible to leave the country (though hopefully this never happens again!), or for times when you would simply prefer to have a UK holiday. After all, there are many reasons to travel in our own countries, such as wanting to protect the environment, or not wanting to go through the hassle of border controls and luggage restrictions. 

So with that said, here are my British alternatives to ten foreign destinations!

Foreign Destination: China

Image of Beijing by Magda Ehlers from pexels.com

UK Alternative: Chinatown, London

The Chinatown in London is one of the largest Chinatowns in Europe, and it really does make you feel like you've been transported to China. Not only are there many colourful lanterns, elaborate gateways, and Chinese statues, but all of the shop names are written in Chinese! It's definitely one of the highlights of a trip to London, and it demonstrates just what an international city it is.

Read more here and here!

Foreign Destination: Veules-les-Roses, France

Read more about Veules-les-Roses here!

UK Alternative: Bibury

When I spent part of my Year Abroad in Normandy, I realised just how similar the north of France and the south of England are. Which makes sense really, as they're very close to each other! And when I visited Bibury in the Cotswolds last summer, I was struck by how similar it was to the village of Veules-les-Roses. Both are situated on rivers, and are full of quaint cottages and pretty flowers. In addition, they both have been described as the prettiest villages in their respective countries!

Read more here and here!

Foreign Destination: Viña del Mar, Chile

Read more about Viña del Mar here and here!

UK Alternative: Bournemouth

At the height of summer, the beach town of Bournemouth on the south coast of England really does feel a bit like somewhere more exotic. My boyfriend compared it to Viña del Mar (one of the most popular beach towns in Chile) and I can definitely also see the similarity. They both have plenty of palm trees, sandy beaches and pretty gardens.

Read more here and here!

Foreign Destination: The Netherlands

Image of Amsterdam by Kata Pal from pexels.com

UK Alternative 1: Westbury Court Garden

This has to be one of the most unique destinations I've been to over the last year, as it's the only restored Dutch water garden left in the UK. If you want to see canals, a Dutch pavilion, formal gardens and plenty of tulips, you should definitely visit!

Read more here!

UK Alternative 2: Ashdown House

Ashdown House is another very unique place, as it's a Dutch townhouse located in the English countryside! The house was built in the 17th century and has a very long and detailed history. It's more than worth a visit if you're interested in either history or architecture.

Read more here!

Foreign Destination: North American Lakes

Image of Field, Canada by James Wheeler from pexels.com

UK Alternative: The Cotswold Water Park

The Cotswold Water Park, a small area containing around 180 lakes, is only a short distance from my house, but often makes me think of the lakes of Canada and the north of the United States. Maybe this is because of the large amount of wooden cabins and New England chalets that you can find on the edges of the lakes. In any case, the area is a great place to enjoy nature, watersports and wildlife spotting.

Read more here and here!

Foreign Destinations: Italy and Greece

Image of the Pantheon in Rome by Griffin Wooldridge from pexels.com

Image of the Acropolis in Athens by Mohammed Zarovski from pexels.com

UK Alternative 1: Stourhead

The National Trust property Stourhead is famous for being one of the most beautiful gardens in the country. Its design was heavily influenced by Greek and Roman mythology, and it features several temples and statues of various deities. The highlight has to be the Pantheon (pictured above), which was inspired by the building of the same name in Rome.

Read more here!

UK Alternative 2: Buscot Park

The Buscot Park National Trust property also takes inspiration from Italy and Greece. It has lots of classical architecture, walls painted with frescoes, and even an Italian water garden, making it a very picturesque place to wander around on a summer's day.

Read more here!

Foreign Destination: Japan

Image of Osaka by Bagus Pangestu from pexels.com

UK Alternative: Batsford Arboretum

This arboretum in the Cotswolds is home to the UK's national collection of Japanese cherry blossom (sakura) trees, and is heavily inspired by Japan. Sights to look out for there include the Japanese rest house (pictured above), the statue of the Buddha, and several little red Japanese bridges over streams.

Read more here! 

Foreign Destination: Provence, France

Image by David Bartus from pexels.com

UK Alternative: Cotswold Lavender

Unfortunately, the weather was a bit grim when I visited Cotswold Lavender last year, hence the rather grey-looking photo! But it was still a nice experience to walk around the fields and see and smell all of the different types of lavender. It's probably the closest you can get to having a holiday in Provence without leaving England!

Read more here!

Foreign Destination: The Taj Mahal, India

 

Image by Sudipta Mondal from pexels.com

UK Alternative 1: Brighton Pavilion

The Brighton Pavilion is the most famous Indian-style building in the UK, and was inspired by palaces such as the Taj Mahal. Although it had scaffolding around it when I visited with my boyfriend Claudio last year, it was still a very majestic sight to see. It's definitely worth getting tickets to enter the palace and see the Chinese-inspired rooms inside. I would also recommend viewing some of the other Indian-style buildings around the city, such as the Brighton Dome and the Western Pavilion.

Read more here and here!

UK Alternative 2: Sezincote

In fact, the most direct inspiration for the Brighton Pavilion was this palace located in the Cotswolds, which I would say is even more majestic. Not only is the building itself beautiful, but it also has amazing gardens, including the Persian Garden seen in my picture. Sezincote is definitely one of my favourite places I've visited this year, and it almost made me feel like I was really in India.

Read more here!

Foreign Destination: The South of Chile

Read more about the South of Chile here!

UK Alternative: The Lake District

When I visited the Lake District in the north of England last September, I was surprised by how much it reminded me of the south of Chile, where I'd been in 2018. The mountains may not be so high, but at least there actually are mountains (I don't think we have any in the south of England). Plus, there's a range of lakes, waterfalls and forests to explore.

Read more here and here!

So there you have it: my little world tour that you can take without leaving the UK. (Well, actually, I've just realised that all the destinations are in England, as that's the part of Britain I'm most familiar with, but I'm sure there are some other great foreign alternatives in Scotland and Wales - Portmeirion in particular looks a lot like Italy, and is somewhere I'd love to go to in the future.)

Of course, there is no real substitute for global travel; personally, I still plan to continue discovering the world once it's possible to do so again. But, it's nice to know that there are some places where you can get a little bit of that feeling of being somewhere else, whilst still being here in England!

Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!

Ashdown House: A Dutch House in the English Countryside

Ashdown House was the final item on the original list of local places to visit that I made last year, but as the house itself wasn't open to visitors back then, it didn't seem worth going there yet. However, last month the property fully reopened, and we had the opportunity to visit this Wednesday!

The house is a National Trust property located in the North Wessex Downs, with an architectural style inspired by the Netherlands. For this reason, I had particularly wanted to go and see it, as I'm interested in visiting places that are reminiscent of foreign countries, especially during this period of time in which it's so hard to travel abroad. Ashdown was the second Dutch-inspired place I've been to this year - the first one being Westbury Court Garden, which we went to back in April. Although I found Westbury Court Garden a little more interesting and unique, I still enjoyed our trip to Ashdown House. It's smaller than it looks in photos, but it's a very beautiful building.

We were given a tour of the house, which was very interesting and informative, although I've probably forgotten a lot of it already! But I remember that it was built for the queen of Bohemia in the 17th century, and that sadly, it's original purpose was as a hunting lodge for people to kill deer. I'm glad that it's no longer a place for monarchy or cruelty to animals, and that now it's a place for the public to enjoy.

At the end of the tour, we got to climb up to the roof of the house! From there, we could look out across the estate and the rolling countryside beyond. Interestingly, the house is in Oxfordshire, but it is right next to the borders with Berkshire and Wiltshire, so we had views of three different counties.

I feel a slight sense of accomplishment to have now completed my "bucket list" of local destinations. Travelling to a different place (many of them new to me) every week or two has made what has mostly been a very tough time slightly easier, and has provided some much-needed escapism from the monotony of daily life as it is now. Since I started this little project of blogging about local destinations in May 2020, I've visited an Indian palace, a Japanese arboretum, and a Provençal-style lavender field, in addition to this Dutch house and the Dutch garden I mentioned earlier, as well as countless other interesting places. I've learned that, to a certain extent, it's possible to feel like you've travelled to another part of the world without actually leaving the UK, and this is a topic I plan to write more about in the near future... (Edit: I finally wrote a post about this topic, and here it is!)

Travel Tips: A Guide to the Cotswolds

This guide to the Cotswolds is a post I've been planning for a long time, and now I've finally done all the exploring and research I felt I needed to do in order to write it!

For all of my life (excluding my university years), I've lived very close to the Cotswold region, but I'd never been all that interested in travelling around it prior to 2020, as travelling to far-flung places was always more appealing to me. However, when the Covid-19 pandemic appeared, it put a stop to most international travel and at times even domestic travel. Of course, it didn't put a stop to my Wanderlust, and so I had to find a way to satisfy it somehow! The solution was to take regular day trips to places of interest in the local area, which is something I've been doing with my parents (and for a few months last year, with my boyfriend, Claudio) for well over a year now.

One thing that has surprised me a little bit is how much I've enjoyed exploring the Cotswolds in particular. Seeing it from the perspective of a tourist has made me realise why it enchants so many people from all corners of the world (including Claudio!). This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty spanning six counties and three regions of England is internationally renowned for its pretty villages of honey-coloured stone and its picturesque countryside views. 

So I've decided to use my experiences of exploring the Cotswolds quite thoroughly over the last year or so to create a handy guide to the most interesting cities, towns, villages, castles/palaces/historic houses, and natural spaces in the area. Hope it provides some travel inspiration!

Cities

Bath

Bath, which is located at the southern end of the Cotswolds, has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the UK or even the world. It's doubly recognised by UNESCO for its Roman and Georgian history, and for being one of the great spa towns of Europe. Must-see sites include the Roman Baths (pictured above), the abbey (also pictured above), Pulteney Bridge and the Royal Crescent.

Read more here and here!

Cheltenham

This is technically a town, but I feel it works better as a city for the purposes of this list (the classification of towns and cities in this country doesn't make much sense anyhow). Cheltenham, like Bath, is a spa town filled with Georgian architecture, including its very own Royal Crescent. My favourite attractions include the Neptune Fountain (pictured above), the Imperial Fountain and the Promenade, though to be honest, the entire town is very beautiful. I think of it as a sort of twin city to Bath, as they're very similar places, but Cheltenham is smaller with lighter-coloured buildings. I would definitely recommend visiting both.

Read more here and here!

Towns

Cirencester

Known as the capital of the Cotswolds, Cirencester is a hub for tourism, and many people choose it as a base for exploring the region. But it is worth a visit on its own merits, thanks to its many picturesque streets and attractions such as the castle (pictured above) and the Roman Amphitheatre.

Read more here, here, here and here!

Malmesbury

Malmesbury is the town where I went to secondary school, so I never used to think of it as an interesting place to visit! However, when I explored it on a few different occasions last year, I realised that it's actually a very scenic place. The main highlight, of course, has to be the abbey (pictured above), which has a long history dating back to the 7th century.

Read more here, here and here!

Bradford-on-Avon

Bradford-on-Avon isn't the most famous place on this list, but it's one of my favourites. That probably has a lot to do with the fact that it is home to the Bridge tearooms, a Victorian-style café that does amazing tea and cakes! But the town is also a great place to walk around, with plenty of historic architecture to look at, including the old bridge pictured above, which dates back centuries.

Read more here!

Lechlade-on-Thames

The small town of Lechlade on the edge of the Cotswold Water Park is an ideal destination for walking, rowing or simply relaxing! Its location on the River Thames makes it a very picturesque place to sit and watch the world (and the swans!) go by.

Read more here and here!

Villages

Bibury

The Cotswolds has many pretty villages, but three stand out from the rest. One of them is Bibury, a particularly beautiful village on the River Coln, best known for its famous street of cottages called Arlington Row (pictured above). It also has several other lesser-known photogenic sights, two of my favourites being the Swan Hotel and St Mary's Church.

Read more here and here!

Castle Combe

Perhaps the most photographed village in the Cotswolds is Castle Combe. Although it doesn't actually have a castle (despite its name), it still draws in crowds from all over the world, thanks to its picture-perfect streets filled with quaint little cottages.

Read more here!

Bourton-on-the-Water

Bourton-on-the-Water is known as "the Venice of the Cotswolds", because of its numerous old bridges crossing the Windrush, the river that flows through the village. It's a very pretty place to wander around, and also has a motoring museum, a model village, and many nice cafés and tearooms.

Read more here!

Castles, Palaces and Historic Houses

Dyrham Park

Dyrham Park, a National Trust property near Bath, is one of the most beautiful stately homes in the country. When you visit, you have to walk down a sloping path to get to the house itself, and there's a point where you turn a corner, and it suddenly appears below the hill, giving you an amazing view. The house is also just as impressive to see up close, and has very pretty gardens.

Read more here and here!

Sezincote

This is a place that is quite different to anywhere else on this list, and I have to say that going there was perhaps my favourite trip out of all of my local trips. This stunning Indian palace was inspired by buildings such as the Taj Mahal, and features beautiful gardens with many interesting design features, including a Temple to Surya (the Hindu sun god). Even though it was cold and rainy when I visited, I almost felt like I'd been transported to India.

Read more here!

Broadway Tower

Broadway Tower is one of the most iconic landmarks in the Cotswolds, and although it's smaller in real life than it looks in pictures, it's definitely worth a visit. Inside this little castle, you can see recreations of historic rooms, and the views from the roof are very impressive, as it is located on the second highest hill in the Cotswolds area.

Read more here!

Blenheim Palace

This palace is one of the grandest country houses in the UK, and has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, for its beautiful architecture, interiors and gardens. The whole estate is so big that you can discover something new each time you revisit it!

Read more here!

Places of Natural Beauty

The Cotswold Water Park

This little area near Cirencester contains around 150 lakes, including Neigh Bridge Lake (pictured above), so it's an ideal place for seeing nature and wildlife. It also has several great cafés to eat in, log cabins and New England-style chalets to stay in, and opportunities to try out different sports, including water-skiing, windsurfing and open water swimming.

Read more here and here!

Batsford Arboretum

One of my other favourite places I've visited over the last year is Batsford Arboretum. It is the owner of Britain's national collection of Japanese cherry blossom trees, and the whole arboretum takes inspiration from Japan. You can find a Japanese rest house, a statue of the Buddha, and many pretty little red bridges there. It's a very peaceful place to spend a day.

Read more here!

That concludes my guide to places to visit in the Cotswolds. It's by no means an exhaustive list, but these are the places that I personally think are the most special in the area. Wherever you choose to visit, you're sure to have a lovely time, as it's a very pretty part of the world.

In other news, I updated my post about UNESCO World Heritage Sites earlier this week to reflect the recent changes to the list (check it out here!). Plus, next week I'll be visiting a new (and very interesting-looking) place in my local area, and a post about it will be on its way shortly afterwards!

Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!

Ladygrove Lakes

At the end of March some Covid restrictions were finally eased, meaning it's now possible to visit family and friends, provided that you meet outside.

My parents and I took advantage of the new rules to pay an Easter visit to my sister and her husband, who live in the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire. We had tea and biscuits in their garden, which was really nice (even though it was very cold!). And then afterwards, we walked to a nearby area of nature: Ladygrove Lakes.

The area consists of two lakes: one very small one, and another slightly larger one. The larger one has a path, so you can walk around it and enjoy the sights of geese (including a unique hybrid goose!), ducks, willow trees, and islands in the middle of the water.

The electricity pylon spoils the view slightly, but it's still a very pretty lake. Overall, it was really nice to do our daily exercise in a new place, as my village doesn't have a park like this, and I've got quite bored of walking or running along the same pavements and country roads every day. The day out in Didcot took me back to my days at university in Nottingham, where I used to regularly walk around two beautiful lakes: one in Highfields Park and one in Wollaton Park. I find it really calming and relaxing to walk around lakes, and it's something I've missed during these past few months of being stuck in the same place.

A few days later, my parents and I went on our first proper sightseeing trip since December. We visited a place that had been on my outdoor outings list since March last year, and it definitely didn't disappoint. It's one of those British places that make you feel like you're in another country, so our visit there felt a bit like a short foreign holiday. I'll be writing all about it shortly...