Destinations for a Relaxing Holiday in the UK

I love travelling but most places I've been before have been large cities and urban areas. I also love small villages and countrysides though for their beautiful scenery and relaxed pace of life. I hope to go on more relaxing holidays in the future to get away from the daily stresses of life, unwind, and recharge.
In England, I have only been to London but I've always wanted to explore the rural areas around the country as well (the Cotswolds is very high on my bucket list). This post is sponsored by Great Little Breaks, featuring some of the top destinations for a relaxing holiday in the UK.

When the time comes for a holiday in the UK, it can be incredibly difficult to decide what kind of break you want. You may want to explore one of the many incredible cities and spend your time sight-seeing and soaking up the atmosphere, whilst there is also a temptation to have a relaxing and therapeutic break. Whether it is a romantic break for two or a solo trip, there are many fantastic holiday options for those seeking relaxation.

North Yorkshire: As the largest county in England, North Yorkshire is an area with many great places to explore and home to several beautiful National Parks. There are fabulous hotels and incredible manor estates to stay at, many of which offer fine dining in spectacular surroundings. (Photo: Mike Kipling)

Surrey: Often referred to as the “Garden of England”, Surrey is an area of natural beauty which makes it a terrific place for a relaxing holiday. You can go on leisurely strolls in the countryside or through one of the many scenic villages to take in the sights, before retiring to your hotel for spa treatments, fine dining and complete comfort. (Photo & header photo: Visit Surrey)

Hampshire: An area of breathtaking natural beauty combined with quaint and charming seaside towns makes Hampshire one of the most beautiful counties in all of England. It also has a rich history, being the birthplace of both Charles Dickens and Jane Austen. There is plenty to keep you occupied in Hampshire, but you may find yourself simply unwinding at one of the many luxurious retreats. (Photo: calxibe)

Shropshire: Nestled between the West Midlands and Wales, Shropshire has a handful of charming towns and is one of England’s most rural and sparsely populated counties. This makes it a quiet and secluded area perfect for relaxation and recharging your batteries. After exploring the Shropshire Hills, there are a number of magnificent country hotels and manors to unwind in. (Photo: Barry Samuels)

These are just a few of the many places in England to visit, for those looking for a relaxing holiday. Before making your booking, it is worth contacting specialists in the industry such as Great Little Breaks. These companies can find discounted accommodation and extras that include breakfast, spa treatments, complimentary bottle of champagne, and more. This will ensure that your break is special and that you feel de-stressed and rejuvenated when it's time to head home!

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354. London | Snapshots

I don't know where all the time went. I am already in Paris at the moment, so I figured I should hurry up with the rest of my London posts. I have a feeling the updates from this trip will go on for months and months, which was exactly what I didn't want to happen. I promise to post more frequently from now on. This time I mean it. ;) I'll post more in-depth posts soon; sorry for the lack of descriptions in this post.

I spent about two weeks in London, and was excited to get away. But now that I am actually gone, I really miss the city. I had gotten so used to it the past couple weeks. Now I am in Paris, my favourite city. I am loving it here (obviously) but I do miss the familiarity of London. I will be back in Toronto soon but hopefully back in Europe again very soon.


I really liked walking up and down Regent Street (from Piccadilly to Oxford Circus). Took hundreds of photos along here.





Loved walking on Portland Place as well (would love to live here). On the right is the famous 33 Portland Place





Cocktails at Cafe Royal Hotel with Ronan












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353. Covent Garden

My hotel the first few nights is located in Victoria; perfect location right across the train station. It was about a 10min walk to Buckingham Palace, then another 20 or so to Big Ben. One night I ventured out there late at night. I was the only one at Buckingham Palace. Then I walked through the park to Big Ben (scariest walk ever - it was COMPLETELY deserted, dark, and took forever to walk through to the other side).

I went to Covent Garden for the first time yesterday and loved it! I can't believe it was my first time there. I really like areas like that with lots of boutiques and cafes on cobblestone streets. There really is a lot to see in London. So far everywhere I've been this trip was new to me; I still haven't gone back to the areas I hung around most last year I was here (Knightsbridge, Harrods, Notting Hill, etc). Will leave that for this weekend. I've been quite busy but having a great time so far. Met a couple new acquaintances. Taking lots of pictures. No shopping at all (yet). Trying really hard to update this blog as much as I can, and not have to spread my posts out the entire year like my previous trip - yes, I still have posts from last year's trip around Europe that still haven't been posted. For live updates: INSTAGRAM!
















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327. London | Oxford Circus, Piccadilly, Harrods

I can't believe it's almost been a year since my Europe trip in 2012..and I still haven't finished posting all the pics!! So here is a post on London (the first city I flew into).

I've always wanted to Fly Emirates (thanks to Arsenal & a little crush I had on Van Persie) Unfortunately that was not my plane. It was just there beside my gate. I flew Air Canada, had my flight delayed, had my luggage lost, returned the evening after I arrived, etc. Anyways. Bad start to an amazing trip.


Finally got on the plane..at least I had lots of leg room!

Since I didn't have any luggage with me when I got off the plane, I decided to try the Tube instead of the cab. Got to South Kensington, the station nearest my hotel. I didn't plan it like this but I was in pretty much the perfect location that night. It was the night of the Champions League final, Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich. Chelsea ended up winning. All the pubs were packed and people spilled onto the streets...but I ended up falling asleep quite early that night thanks to jet lag.

I had so much fun taking the Tube. If you're from Toronto/ever used our subway system you'll know how embarassing ours is compared to London's! Before I went I thought I'd get lost for sure since the map looked crazy complicated..& I'm used to the simple Toronto one. But the tube is actually so easy to use and fun to figure out how to get everywhere. I think it was a weekend when I was there..so almost everyone taking it were tourists.


The street of my hotel. I stayed at Blakes, the black one at the end of the street. (My review here)


Ah I love/miss Harrods!

Black Tier card..came with so many perks! Probably the reason why I spent more hours here than I did at my hotel room? Harrods was also my shelter from all the London rain & the hoards of people from the Queens Jubilee.

Besides Harrods I did manage to squeeze in some sightseeing during my short stay in London:










Victoria Station to take the train to Gatwick airport where I flew to my next destination..Copenhagen!

I think this was at Heathrow Airport before flying back to Toronto. All the breakfasts I had in London were better than any breakfast I've ever had in my life. I also started an obsession with "pain perdu" when I was there. If I lived in London I'd definitely wake up in time for breakfast every morning..


Hello Toronto :( (you can see CN Tower on the very right of the pic. My building is somewhere in there too)


I take tons of photos when I go on vacation but sometimes the most memorable moments were times when I did not take a single photo. One of the worst moments in London was at one of the restaurants I went to, and all I have from that experience is the receipt above. Didn't even take any pics of the food (which I usually always do as you know!) because the restaurant owner kept talking to me the entire time. At first I thought he was just being nice. But I was wrong. He kept giving me more tea, dessert, etc while they were closing up for the day. All the other customers were already gone and suddenly the staff members all left together. I realized I was the last one in there with the owner. Won't go into detail of what happened next but I quickly paid and practically ran out of there as fast as I could.
Lesson learned: don't let the staff leave before you do if the owner is a very creepy old man.

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