Ah, the sweet smell of spring is finally here. Flowers are beginning to bloom, the sun has started to shine and there is hope on the horizon for a great British summer!
I’m sure you’ll agree that spending so many months at home has only made our adventurous, curious hearts grow fonder with a passion for travel and exploration.
I will appreciate my upcoming travel trips so much more, and it has only made my job as travel Editor, and the content in our latest issue, seem even more special than usual!
Lockdown might have put a stop to many things, but it certainly hasn’t stopped the travel industry preparing to ensure a super fun and warm welcome once it is safe for visitors to return. From new hotels and luxury spas, exciting holiday resorts full of adventure and off-grid activities, luxury boutique stays in acres of unspoilt countryside and coastline, brand new attractions to immersive one-of-a-kind experiences – it seems there has perhaps never been a better time to explore the British Isles!
With so much ‘British staycation’ wanderlust flying about we couldn’t resist compiling our Ultimate British Bucket List. Deep in the West Dorset countryside we Meet the Makers behind the world’s only vodka made from cows’ milk. We uncover 10 of the most wonderful places to visit in Yorkshire and discover that there’s much more than just Cheddar Cheese and ancient apple orchards to Somerset’s epicurean offering in The Rise of Food and Drink. In search of beautiful destinations where social distancing is made easy, you won’t find better than a remote Sea Garden Cottage on the white sandy shores of Tresco island, a luxury family stay in the heart of Suffolk’s rolling countryside at The Ickworth or a whisky tour around the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, Islay - the Lord of the Isles.
Wherever, and whenever, you next plan to take a holiday in the British Isles, we hope British Travel Journal continues to deliver as your indispensable travel magazine, and wish you a safe and seamless journey full of wonderful memories.
New resorts CORNWALL Una
New resorts CORNWALL Una St Ives One of the most exciting new launches in the active holiday resorts has to be this £25 million development of a former caravan park above Carbis Bay. There are 30 self-catering eco-houses and Una Kitchen already open, with a further 55-bedroom apartment hotel and around 100 villas and luxurious lodges opening soon. From clifftop ambles and wild sea swimming, to night-sky sessions around the fire pit. Join a morning yoga class, paddle out to surf on Porthminster Beach and head to St Ives Bay for sea-to-fork fresh fish. ◆ unastives.co.uk SNOWDONIA Adventure Parc, Hilton Garden Inn Launching in tandem with the brand new Wave Garden Spa, the Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia, surrounded by mountains, forests, and beautiful natural landscape, makes a family holiday to Adventure Parc even more enticing than ever before. The 106-bedroom hotel is the perfect place to check in and enjoy the surf lagoon and parc activities, including an outdoor adventure climbing centre, zip lines and freefalls, gorge walking, mountain biking, water sports and more. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the stylish bedrooms and Zephyr’s bar and grill make the most of the unique backdrop, and offer big views across the lagoon, where you can enjoy watching surfers catch rolling waves. Home to some of the biggest peaks in Wales, as well as a population of wild ponies there will never be a dull moment to be had here – and when you need some space to relax, indulge in solitude at the adjoining Wave Garden Spa. Think warm vitality waterfall pool, an iconic oversized Himalayan salt sauna, outdoor hot whirlpool, relaxation pods and fire pits. ◆ adventureparcsnowdonia.com 16 BritishTravelJournal.com
CORNWALL Harbour Beach Club, Salcombe 50 spacious bedrooms and suites on the stunning South Sands beach. Think laid back vibes, hammocks between the trees, beanbags to chill out on with a mojito in hand to watch the sunset. Adventures from watersports to wild swimming. harbourhotels.co.uk/harbour-beach-club CORNWALL Three Mile Beach Fifteen new luxury self-catering beach houses opening this Easter, tucked away on Gwithian Towans, an unspoilt part of the stunning Cornish coastline, with never-ending Atlantic Ocean views – this is a surfer’s paradise. From bodyboarding, stand-up-paddle, kitesurfing to surfing, you will not only master your skills on the water, you will also enjoy going off-grid, hunkering down and switching off from the everyday world. This is tranquillity at its very best, with three miles of stunning beach and views over Godrevy lighthouse and the lights of St Ives. Each beach house has its own private deck, sunken hot tub, and barrel sauna. ◆ threemilebeach.co.uk You might also enjoy KENT Leopard Creek Following the successful launch of the soughtafter Lion and Tiger Lodges, Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve are opening their next big cat accommodation, Leopard Creek this April. Choose from a cosy cub hut, stylish family cabin, to luxurious four-person wigwam. Prices to stay in Leopard Creek’s wigwams from £699 a night. ◆ aspinallfoundation.org BritishTravelJournal.com 17
