UK Travel Destinations

Britain is pretty small by all accounts and only the traffic jams and the extortionate train tickets make it hard to travel around. Most of the tourism comes for the old castles and churches, anything old, in fact, especially if they’re from the other side of the Atlantic which has almost no buildings prior to 1800 still standing.

London is the obvious hub for travelers and is one of the most interesting cities in the world.

Brighton is a cool town with an alternative feel just an hour south of London.

Bristol also has a cool vibe and is of course home to the trip-hop scene that changed the world.

Cambridge is ye olde England with narrow streets, a beautiful river, privileged students and heavy drinkers.

Wales

Wales is part of the UK but neither the English nor the Welsh would regard themselves as having much in common, even though they both mainly speak the same language and share the same culture.

Swansea is a city with a beach and has come a long way since it was named the ‘graveyard of ambition’.

Cardiff is where you go to see the Welsh national obessession, rugby and then try not to get beaten up afterwards.

The Valleys

The area of South Wales between Monmouth and Swansea is known as the Valleys, because it consists of a long line of valleys, running roughly in parallel from North to South, which were formerly the heart of Wales’ coal mining industry. It is no exaggeration to say that in the late 1800s, Wales was to the Industrial Revolution what Kuwait was to the 1970s – the world’s major source of fuel. Almost every family in Wales had a miner in it during this time, and many families did nothing else for generations, except maybe working in the port or the steelworks.

The hard work, and the poverty caused by strikes and the collapse of heavy industry, meant that local people were physically hard, no-nonsense types, who like a drink, a game of rugby and often liked to have a scrap afterwards. They haven’t changed much, although there aren’t any miners now.

Most people say the valleys towns are grim and nasty, derelict remnants of the industrial revolution, but if you are interested in the history of Wales, it’s essential to go and see some. Some people even see beauty in the little towns perched on the hillsides, and they can certainly be photogenic if the weather is right.

Pembrokeshire

The most Anglicized part of Wales, Pembrokeshire has the most beautiful coastline, and is very popular with sailors, surfers, sea-fishermen and coastal walkers.

Brecon and Powys

Brecon is an old town and was once occupied by the Romans, among others. The local army regiment, the Royal Regiment of Wales, has an interesting museum (a must-see for fans of the film Zulu). The town hosts a summer jazz festival, and has a nice cathedral worth a look. Most people come here to see the Brecon Beacons, the range of mountains nearby, which are great for a walk (but make sure you have the right equipment and clothing – it’s wild up there).

North Wales Coast

This area, stretching from the border with Cheshire to the university city of Bangor (ok – it’s one of Britain’s smallest cities, but, hey, it’s got a cathedral!), is characterized by several well-known holiday resorts – from kiss-me-quick (no thank you!) in Rhyl to the more sedate and Victorian heritage of Llandudno, or ‘Costa Geriatrica’ as it’s referred to locally due to it’s population consisting almost entirely of pensioners. The area includes Colwyn Bay, famous for its mountain zoo, as well as Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr, famous for not a lot.

Anglesey

Anglesey deserves a mention of it’s own as it’s so unlike the rest of north Wales, i.e. it’s flat. Nowadays the island is justifiably famed for miles and miles of gorgeous beaches, the unfinished but still picturesque medieval castle at Beaumaris, the spectacular Menai Suspension bridge, built by Thomas Teloford as well as the tiny village with the longest place name in the world: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch – there, try saying that after a couple of pints of the local ale!

Snowdonia

Arguably some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the UK, as well as the highest peak (at 3,560 feet) in England and Wales, can be encountered in Snowdonia, or Eryri (meaning “the place of eagles”, to give it it’s proper Welsh name. 13 peaks reach over the magic 3,000 foot mark, and, if you’re brave/fit/daft enough, you can even try climbing them. Excellent places to stay include Beddgelert or Llanberis – or, for a real mountain experience, why not try the Pen y Gwryd pub and hotel, near Capel Curig – this is where Sherpa Tensing and Edmund Hillary stayed for some practice climbing before setting off to conquer Everest in 1953. More cheap and cheerful accommodation includes numerous bunk houses or hostels dotted around the area.

Cardigan Bay
To get away from resorts like Rhyl for some peace, quiet and a holiday with some local charm, try staying at any of the towns on Cardigan Bay. Including olde-worlde resorts like Criccieth, with its castle, Harlech (also with its castle), Barmouth or Aberdyfi this area will give you a better taste of Wales, far away from the cities of England but with still plenty of things to do, like some of the best sea or river-fishing in the UK, miles of empty beaches and towns each with its own distinct character.

Llyn Peninsula
For those who really want to get away from it all, there’s the hidden beauty of the Llyn peninsula. Jutting out into the Irish Sea (Ireland is visible on a clear day) this is a small and unaltered part of Wales. You’re more likely to hear Welsh spoken in most of this area than English and will find the pace of life a lot slower even than in other parts of Wales. From the summit of Yr Eifl, where you are surrounded by the remnants of an iron-age fort, you can survey the whole area. Fantastic sea fishing and a spectacular coastline, dotted with whitewashed cottages and fields the size of postage stamps, culminating in views of Bardsey Island (reputedly the burial site of 20,000 saints) characterize this still wild and unspoiled landscape.

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