Break away from the traditional tourist haunts and experience life like a local on your next staycation by following our top five tips to ensure you’re fully immersed in Britain’s hidden beauty.
Eat: Grab a taste of high-quality produce and embrace Britain’s culinary delights on your doorstep (without spending hours scrutinising online ratings. Find a nice old lady in the Post Office willing to share her favourite village bites. Whether feasting on Newlyn’s finest catch of the day in Cornwall, devouring Scottish salmon over Loch Harport on the Isle of Skye or licking your lips after an ultimately British afternoon tea in a tiny Devon tearoom, get old-fashioned and eat with the locals.
See: Eradicate the photo-bombed selfie at bustling landmarks and aim for picture-perfect sights which aren't labelled by a popular hashtag. Gaze out to a plethora of Britain's glorious views from a Martello tower in the Suffolk countryside, labyrinths of less-accessible coves on the south Cornwall coast, or the quaint cottages of Yorkshire un-captured in coffee table books on “quintessential England”. All, of course, shot minus the perspective photography tricks.
Shop: Take a step off the high-street and explore the secrets hidden behind the shop windows of Britain's much-loved towns. Peruse beyond the quirky cobbled streets of Fowey, potter through the treasure trove boutiques of Chester or comb nearby reclamation yards to salvage some rustic home accessories to take home as a souvenir of your ‘off the beaten track’ escape. Britain’s historic towns are a magpie’s haven bursting with local produce and handmade crafts.
Do: Tick the cultural boxes of your wacky to do list; there are a whole host of peculiar traditions and events to partake in when on holiday in the UK. Take the plunge and immerse yourself in swamp swimming, don snorkels, flippers and obligatory fancy dress and you’re geared up to compete in the bog snorkelling championships, held yearly in Wales. Swap your racing car track experience and hop aboard a lawnmower in Sussex, as petrol heads of the lawnmower variety compete in this unusual motor sport which really is a cut above the rest. For the not so fainthearted, attempt to wheedle earthworms to the surface through weird and wonderful tactics by partaking in some traditional Devon worm charming!
Explore: Embrace your wanderlust and explore the lesser-known without walking around with your nose in your guide book, or spending your whole holiday arguing with the SatNav. Stomping off the beaten track will unveil Britain's secret gems. From hidden hills, charming castles and blankets of beaches; wander through ancient oak forests in Somerset, take a fishing trip with an old salty seadog in Anglesey or plunge into Dartmoor’s peaceful wild swimming spots and make your way from A to B Girl Guide/Boy Scout style. Who knows what you may stumble across by using your inner compass to navigate your coastal stomps and cross-country rambles.
