I love travelling. Despite being the ultimate Taurus, nothing turns me on like the thought of exploring new places and cultures.
Addicted to adventures, food, and culture; the prospect of staying in England led me to my ‘fainting couch’. Staycation reminds me of summers piled up in the car with my sisters and parents, driving down to Cornwall with dad blasting Phil Collins ,Toto and a fresh Harry Potter book to keep me company. I love these memories and I want to preserve them- if it ain’t Phil I don’t want it.
I know England rather well having spent most summer holidays growing up travelling around most English coastal towns. With that being said, I have complied a list of my favourite spots in the UK- these are places that I feel have sparked my imagination, given me a form of escape and truly presented some breath-taking memories.
Here we have a short list of Akatue Recommends.
SEA
Whitsand Bay
Whitsand bay is Cornwall away from the crowds. This Is one of my favourite beaches in Cornwall if not the UK. Getting down to the beach requires climbing down a quite steep path however once you get down- it is so worth it. The sand is gorgeous, the landscape is totally undisturbed, littered only with rock pools and deserted coves. During the summer it feels like another country; Whitsand bay takes me back to travelling around Cornwall as a teen or visting my sister and best befriend at Uni!
Stay: Sconner down
http://www.sconnerdown.co.uk/camping.html
Truthly, I haven’t been back to Sconner Down for a few years but I have it on good recommendation from my family that’s its just as good as I remember. Sconner down is a family run campsite in Polbathic Cornwall. The Site is perfectly situated as a jumping off point for exploring Cornwall especially the Eden project where you could literally spend days exploring! Its laid back and unpretentious with great views and frequent bonfires!
Snowdonia
I climbed Snowdonia because I was under the impression that it’s the highest peak in the Uk- It is not!
During a Brief reprieve from lockdown in October I mentioned to my friend I was desperate to escape and do something fun.Before I knew it were down the motor way Wales bound in our rental car.
Snowdonia conjures imagery of wild untouched lands, snow, frost bite and Sherpas…I always had an idea of soldering up the tallest mountain in the UK, like a latter-day Steve Fossett but in a chic coat.
See : The summit of Mount Snowdon!
I thoroughly recommended getting an early start on Snowdon! Starting at around 8am or ensures you the most visibility on your climb. I have to say as someone who has completely fallen off any type of exercise.
Mali and I onwards to the summit
Stay : https://www.coldatnight.co.uk/
FForest has three locations to pick from: Farm, Coast, Town. This exquisite venture is brilliant! The founder has a beautiful story behind why he and his wife decided to ditch warehouse living in Shoreditch and move their family to the Welsh countryside. So far sounding typical yuppies, I promise that they are not but don’t take my word for all this magic, check them out!
Eat : https://www.eatinggorilla.co.uk/
Delicious Vegan food in the heart of Penrhyndeudraeth- what is there not to love?
After Climbing Snowdon, I promise you everything you need is at the Eating Gorilla. We had the delicious hot chocolate after our climb, and I had the Vegan hotpot. This is vegan comfort food at its finest.
SEA:
If you’re a fan of the Classic English seaside town, Harlech is your place! A trip to Snowdonia would not be complete without a trip to Harlech, with its spectacular sandy beaches. I went in one of the last weekends of October and it was perfect, we didn’t go swimming however the beach was deserted and extended for miles. The beach is Instagram worthy! The town of Harlech is also really lovely, its built on a hill of course and has a lot of cute seaside shops.
Basketry
Learn a new skill.
Biased yes but I will be signing on to basketry courses this summer. I will be trying my hand at traditional British willow weaving this summer! Most of my recommendations for basket weaving course are run over a couple of days in beauty spots which would be perfect for a little break!
https://annemarieosullivan.co.uk/
Based in East Sussex, Ann Marie O’sullivan and her team grow and harvest the reeds which they use to create their incredible pieces. They actually grow and harvest the reeds and use weaving and binding techniques which have been used for hundreds of years!
Check out the following:
https://www.creativewithnature.co.uk/about-us/
https://norfolkhedge.co.uk/?page_id=10
https://blithfieldwillowcrafts.co.uk/courses
If you find you self in any of these spots over the coming year: my friend abeg bring me gifts 😉