This is a guest post by Love Em.
There are so many gorgeous places to sightsee and visit around the UK. I am lucky enough to live near Cambridge, a historic city filled with fun things to do. Whether you're looking for tours, buildings or thrills, Cambridge has something for everyone in the family to enjoy. Here are some bucket list things you need to do if you visit Cambridge!
Explore Heffers
I recently visited Heffers on a trip to Cambridge, and I was thrilled to have found this gem. Heffers is a bookstore filled with books, stationery and even music. If you want to purchase a ukulele, you can! I have never fallen in love with a bookstore the way I did with Heffers. While it may seem ordinary for some, I loved how cool and quiet it was compared to the busy street. I loved that you can find a range of board games too. The books are reasonably priced, so you can get the books you want without breaking the bank. My favourite section was the stationery as there were lots of affordable cards that I've stocked up.. My partner and I spent a good hour here, and I would highly recommend you do too. It's a lovely place to get out of the heat and get lost in a book.
Skate Around On The Ice Rink
Cambridge has recently built an ice rink! Ice skating may not seem like anything special, but it's a fun way to spend a rainy day. It's different to the cultural activities you may find around the city. It allows you to get active while having fun, and it's away from the busy streets. The ice rink is indoors, and it's affordable too. I love ice skating, and the rink has allowed me to have fun with friends doing something different. If you want an even more magical experience, you should visit Cambridge at Christmas. Cambridge holds a small fair on Parkers Piece around Christmas time. There are rides, stalls and more to enjoy. More importantly, there is an outdoor ice rink that comes to town! Every year I visit with my partner to skate around and have fun. Make sure you bring gloves as this rink is especially cold!
Swim At The Jesus Green Lido
Every year, the Jesus Green lido has a long queue of swimmers waiting to get into the pool. You can see a long line of people running along the river, which is when you know the summer has begun! The lido is a lovely place to relax and take it slow. Before the lockdown, the lido offered a sauna and sunbathing terrace for guests. There is a picnic area and cafe, making it the perfect place to spend a warm summer's day. It's a well-kept pool, and I have found it cleaner than other lidos I have visited. It is also one of the longest outdoor swimming pools in Europe, so make sure you visit if you're going to Cambridge!
Go Punting Down The River
If you visit Cambridge, punting must be on your list of things to do. This Cambridge classing has you pushing a boat along a river. You can choose to have a tour guide or punt yourself. For first-timers, I'd recommend having the tour guide. It was relaxing to have someone push you along and teach you about the history of Cambridge. Many offer an afternoon tea package deal so you can have a slice of cake in a local cafe too! Don't forget to tip the punter! It's not required, but it's a nice gesture as many of the guides are students. Every little helps!
If you have a larger group of friends with you and want to have some fun, you can take the boat yourself. I have never done this, but I have heard it can be quite hard to steer! If you're feeling brave, this is something I'd recommend you try! Bring along a small picnic and enjoy a drink together on the river!
Take A University Tour
Cambridge is famous for its universities. There are many in the location, all with beautiful gardens and tours. If you're visiting Cambridge, why not take a tour around the campuses? There are lots of different tours to try, so you'll find something for everyone to enjoy. There are punting tours, which I have personally taken. The tour guides are lovely and well informed about the history of the universities. You can get guided audio tours and even scooter tours if you want to try something more thrilling.
Cambridge is quite a historic place, and there is a lot to learn about the city. Even if you don't take a university tour, you could try a walking or bus tour of the city itself. Tours are an affordable day out, and you can educate yourself on this beautiful area!
Try One Of The Many Escape Rooms
If you're looking for some fun, why not try an escape room. Although escape rooms aren't exclusive to Cambridge, there are many on offer in the city. An escape room is a perfect way to escape from the bustle of the street. Cambridge can be busy, full of students and cyclists. Sometimes it's nice to duck away for a few hours. The escape rooms can last around an hour to two, so it's a fun way to spend a rainy day. You can have up to 6 players, so it's good if you're visiting with friends. Most escape rooms let you choose the theme/difficulty of the puzzle, allowing you to customise your experience. I'd love to hear how long it takes you to escape!
Enjoy A Slice At Tom's Cakes
I love grabbing a slice of cake wherever I go. For me, it wouldn't be a day out without a sweet treat. If you're looking for a local coffee shop with a large selection of cakes, I'd highly recommend Tom's Cakes. It's a small coffee shop with a rustic-looking interior. They have barstools by the front window, so you can eat while you watch Cambridge go by. There are tables both indoors and outdoors for you to sit at too. As for the food, you won't be disappointed.
Firstly, the cakes on offer are high quality and delicious. There are so many to choose from, including a slice of a layered cake, brownies, eclairs, Bakewells and more. There are even some less common options, such as crumble and hummingbird cake. The selection is changed regularly while still having a few classics on offer. They also theme some of their treats to seasons and upcoming celebrations. If you're not a sweet person, you can get a selection of sandwiches, cheese scones and other savoury treats.
Cambridge is full of fun and family-friendly activities. Whether you're there for the day or making it a long weekend, I'd highly recommend all of these activities. It's a beautiful place, so you can get some unique pictures for social media while you're there. What are your favourite things to do in Cambridge? I'd love to hear what hidden gems you've found on your trip!
About the Guest Writer!
Em is a UK blogger focusing on blogging, business & sustainability on her blog "Love, Em". With 4 years of experience in the blogging world, she is keen to share her knowledge. Emily is passionate about helping others, and since leaving college, has decided to put her passions in writing. You can find her over on social media!
Blog - https://www.loveemblog.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LoveEm_blog
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/loveem.blog/
Yay another travel blog! I haven't written one in so long due to the pandemic and travel not really being as accessible anymore, but the future is bright. We may as well start thinking about places we'd like to go as something to look forward to. Or if you're like me, you would have been thinking about travel this whole time.
If you are dying to travel when it's safe again then you should start by checking out this amazing list of cities in Europe that I have lined up for you.
10 cities you need to visit in Europe
1. Amsterdam
I have been to Amsterdam twice now and would still love to go again. There is so much to do and I really loved it there. It's not too far to fly from the UK either and you can usually find reasonably priced flights.
Read more about my trip to Amsterdam.
2. Sorrento
I think Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast are some of my favourite places in the world. Everywhere you go is just so beautiful. Staying in Sorrento, it's really easy to travel to other places along the Amalfi Coast too like Positano, Amalfi and Capri. I love Italy and would love to see more of it, so many Italian cities are on my list.
Read more about my week in Sorrento.
3. Krakow
Krakow is such a beautiful city with a lot of history. It's also really close to Auschwitz Concentration Camp which is the reason I went. It's really good prices to go out for food and drinks there too and again, flights from the UK can be found at reasonable prices a lot of the time.
4. Dortmund
My family and I have been to Dortmund for the last couple of Christmas markets, except for 2020 because of the pandemic. My family used to live there and the Christmas market is amazing so I really love going there, although I haven't been there any other time of year that I can remember. I would definitely recommend the Christmas market though.
5. London
I know London isn't too far for me to travel but I still think it should be included as it is one of my favourite places! There is just so much to do and I keep seeing more and more things I want to add to my list of things to do in London for next time I go. I always have such a good time in London and haven't visited in a while due to the pandemic.
6. Dublin
I have been to Dublin twice now too and I loved it both times. If you want to go somewhere for nice weather then it's probably not the place for you but I really love Dublin it's such a cute city with so much personality and the people are a lot more friendly than in London.
7. Paris
OK I admit I only visited Paris for one day with college when I went to Disneyland but I really enjoyed my time there and would love to visit again for longer. I feel like it's just a classic place to go and if you want to travel around Europe, you need to go there.
8. Cardiff
This is definitely an underrated city and again, it's not very far for me to travel. I only went to Cardiff for a couple of days for work experience but it seems like a good place for nightlife and shopping. Hopefully I will be able to go again soon.
9. Barcelona
Barcelona is one of my favourite cities in the world. It just has it all with beautiful architecture, amazing food and the beach!
10. Budapest
Finally, I would love to travel to Budapest I just think it looks really cool and hopefully I will be able to go soon and say more about why it's a good city to visit.
I might write a list like this of UK cities that you need to visit too, let me know if you'd like to see that.
Related: UK cities you need to visit
Where is your favourite European city?
The return coach journey was a gifted PR service, however, all views are my own.
This week, my boyfriend Joe and I went on a press visit to London with National Express coaches. In this blog post I will be sharing my day with you and what we got up to, while also reviewing my return coach journey.
First of all, we got our coach into London from Bournemouth bright and early at 6:30am. We got into Victoria Coach Station at 9:50am so we could spend a lot of time in London. Our coach had phone charging facilities which was needed for a day out in London, air conditioning, leather seats and a toilet (also needed).
National Express have competitive prices and are often cheaper than trains. It didn't even take much longer than the train journey from Bournemouth to London and it didn't feel too long at all. Coaches are also the most environmentally friendly form of public transport, so well worth considering for your next trip away. I'll be honest, I never really thought of travelling anywhere by coach until this experience but it's definitely worth doing for a day trip like this.
Related: UK cities you need to visit
Exploring London
The first thing we saw when we left Victoria Coach Station was Peggy Porschen cakes. I had seen it all over Instagram so we decided to go in and try a cake. We had the salted caramel and popcorn cupcakes and it was the best cupcake I've had in my life. It should have been for £4.50 per cake but I didn't mind spending that as I enjoyed it so much in the end.
After sitting in Hyde Park for a short while eating our cakes, we decided to go to Covent Garden. We had a walk round there, then Leicester Square and finally China Town. I had to refrain from going into M&M world because I always want to go in but never buy anything. London was actually quite quiet, probably because it was a Monday, but I thought it would be a lot busier than it was being the first day indoor places were open.
Camden Market
We then went to Camden and looked around the market for a while. Of course, we ended up getting food at the market! I got a cheeseburger from Burger and Beyond which was amazing, and mac and cheese from The Mac Factory which was also amazing. We had planned a boat trip on the canal that goes around the zoo and ends up in Little Venice, but we didn't get to go because it started pouring down just as we were about to depart. Classic.
When the weather turned and we couldn't get on our boat trip, we ended up just going inside places to stay and stay dry, and away from the thunder and lightning. Our coach back was at 7pm so we just made our way to Victoria again and went inside pubs to stay dry.
Related: 48 hours in Lincoln
Home time
We then got the coach back and ended up back in Bournemouth at around 9:20pm, it was a lot quicker on the day home due to less traffic. By this point we were so tired from getting up so early, but a good tired as we had a lovely day out. We walked almost 8 miles and over 20,000 steps.
We both went straight to sleep when we got in and I had the best sleep I've had in so long! It was such a lovely day, despite not going quite to plan with the weather, and getting the coach was so easy too. It was also very well socially distanced on the coach which I was happy with, I felt safe due to the limited seating and wearing of face coverings.
Related: 3 days in Suffolk
Thank you to the National Express for a lovely journey, we had a great day.
Have you ever travelled by coach before?
I have been so excited about posting this! I love travelling to different places in the UK but I haven't been to enough cities yet so I asked some bloggers on Twitter to collaborate with me and send me their favourite cities and why. I've included some of my own favourites too. Sorry if your city is missed off, these are just the favourites of some bloggers and myself.
As coronavirus restrictions continue to be lifted in the UK, we may as well make the most out of being able to visit the different parts of the country, as well as being safe of course. Be sure to keep up to date with government guidelines before planning anything.
I have listed the cities and the blogger who wrote about it next to them so be sure to check them out after this post! The ones with no name next to them are my favourites.
Cities you need to visit in the UK
1. London
I love visiting London, there is just always so much to do and I have a great time any time I go there. I feel like everyone in the UK should visit if they can because it's just such a cool place to be and really has everything.
2. Lincoln - Sophia Patel
3. Bristol - Polly's Pad
4. Bath
5. Bournemouth
6. Liverpool - Until Another Day
7. York - Skinned Cartree
8. Brighton - Samanthia Blogs
9. Cambridge - Jess in your Ear
10. Oxford - Rays of Adventure
11. Leeds - Aimsy's Antics
12. Edinburgh - The Learner Mum
13. Belfast - Grace Bee
14. Norwich - Anny's Adventures
15. Swansea - Cruise with Amber
16. Derby - Lovely Local Indie
17. Winchester - The Globe Trotter
18. Salisbury
When I'm not living in Bournemouth for university, I live in Wiltshire, UK. I will always say that there is nothing to do in Wiltshire, so this list as well as for my readers, is for me, to remind me of what there is to do when I'm at home. If you live in Wiltshire or want to visit after the lockdown, then here are some ideas of what to do while you're there.
Things to do in Wiltshire
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Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the introduction of a lot of travel restrictions, I have been much more appreciative of seeing different parts of the UK. In summer, I spent 48 hours in Lincoln and 48 hours in Hastings.
Before the second lockdown, I was able to get away to Suffolk and stay in a lovely house there with my friend Maddie. It was a really old, beautiful house in the middle of the countryside. The house was a short drive away from some pretty beaches and seaside towns so we were able to explore them.
Day 1
On the first day, we wandered round a town called Aldeburgh and walked along the beach. There were quite a few independent shops there and lots of really cute dogs! We had an ice cream there and then went back to the house. I did some uni work in the house too - the grind never stops in third year.
After going back to the house, we decided to go out for dinner. We went to this Italian / pub called The Angel which I thought was a little strange but the food was delicious. I tried scallops for the first time in my seafood linguine.
Day 2
Similar to day 1, we walked around another little town and beach in Southwold. Again, they had lots of little shops and really cute dogs! Not far from Southwold, we went to this hidden away fish and chip shop called Sole Bay Fish Company. I might even go as far as to say it was the best chippy I've been to. You could get alcoholic drinks there, and you could sit in too. They didn't just have your classic cod, chips and mushy peas. They also had muscles, lobster, crab, you name it. I had muscles and chips and they were amazing!
After that, we went back to the house and played some board games and had an amazing cheese board. I have to shout out to Maddie for this, she really put on an amazing spread!
Day 3
I think Day 3 was my favourite day. We took a trip up to the Norfolk Broads and went on a boat around the broads. I really love going on boat trips, we went on one in Amsterdam around the canals too and that was really fun. It's probably just a novelty for me because it's something I only do when I go away.
There were some amazing holiday homes on the Broads, it was just so relaxing and fun on the boat. It did get really cold really quickly though.
Where is your favourite place to visit in the UK?
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Related Read: 5 Things to do in Wiltshire UK
Wool of the King
Since I have been studying in Bournemouth for the last couple of years, I've visited a lot of nice places in Dorset. We are lucky here to be surrounded by lots of beautiful places, and to be right by the sea. I've put together a list of all of my favourite places in Dorset that I have visited so far. There's still some places I haven't been to and things I haven't done, so I'm going to be making a bucket list for my final year of university. I may post it on my blog and tick it off as the year goes by so keep a look out for that.
Places you need to visit in Dorset after lockdown
Bournemouth Beach
Obviously, I have to put Bournemouth Beach as the first destination on the list as I live in Bournemouth. It's one of my favourite places to go in the country. It's such a lovely beach to visit all year round, that's why it's so popular. There's also lots of things to do nearby like the Oceanarium and the arcade.
Sandbanks
Only 3 miles from Bournemouth Beach, Sandbanks is one of the most expensive places to live in the UK. Sometimes, I like to go there just to drive past the huge houses there. It's half beach, half harbour at sandbanks and it's just an all round nice area.
Hengistbury Head
Still on the beach, Hengistbury head is a great place to go for a walk and you will usually see lots of cute dogs. It's basically just a big hill on the beach and once you get to the top, you can see amazing views of the sea and you can see all the way to Christchurch and Mudeford too.
Poole Harbour
I really love going to Poole harbour and pretending I'm rich and deciding what boat I'd have if I was. Maybe one day, I can dream! They usually run cool boat trips from Poole harbour too, with some going to Swanage and Brownsea Island. I would check that though because of Covid.
Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle had been on my list of places to visit for a while and it's such a lovely village. The actual castle is really high up so has great views of the rest of the village.
Swanage
Swanage is just your typical seaside town which I love. There are lots of little independent shops there and it's just a really pretty place. The arcade there is really fun too!
Sculpture by the Lakes
Earlier this year I was lucky enough to visit Sculpture by the Lakes near Dorchester on a PR trip. It's such a tranquil place and a really great day out. Read all about my trip to Sculpture by the Lakes.
Tyneham Abandoned Village
Tyneham is a village that was abandoned during World War II and no one ever returned. It's an interesting visit but is a very little place so it doesn't take very long to look around. I believe it is only open to the public for visiting on Saturdays but it's really interesting to see.
Durdle Door
Durdle door is one of the most beautiful places in the whole of England in my opinion. I don't feel like I need to explain this one - the picture says it all.
Do you live near any nice places to visit? Until the lockdown is over, stay safe x
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Related Read: 48 Hours in Hastings
Wool of the King
Since I have finished my internship in August, I have had some time to myself over the summer. In that time, I spent 48 hours in Lincoln, and I have also recently been to Hastings in East Sussex.
My boyfriend, Joe, is from Hastings when we aren't at uni together so I go there to visit him from time to time when he's at home and I really like it there.
It's right on the sea and Joe's house is walking distance to everything so I got a lot of steps in. When I drive into Hastings I get to drive along the sea front which is so pretty and it always seems to be nice weather when I go there.
When I arrived in Hastings, we did our usual walk around by the beach and through the town. We have a little tradition of going to this little local seafood shop by the beach and getting some food so we did that on the first day and sat on the beach for a little while.
I also love to get an ice cream when I'm near the sea so we did that too, after eating our seafood. Hastings has so many local seafood restaurants and fish and chip shops, you really can taste the difference in freshness with it being a seaside town.
In the evening, we went for a few drinks but didn't stay out too late.
The next day, we went to the seafront again and played some minigolf. Joe won, I am still yet to beat him but it's going to happen one day!
After spending the day out again, we went to a seafood restaurant in the old town called Whites. The old town in Hastings, is more individual restaurants, shops and pubs as opposed to the new town with things like Primark and Pizza Express. I really like that they have both options.
We had a huge seafood platter which is unlike me because I'm really fussy with food. I just wanted to try it because we were right by the sea and I thought I'd like most of it. All of it was so nice apart from oysters, I don't think I'll eat one of them again in a hurry.
After we ate so much food, we went for a few drinks on the pier. Hastings pier is quite big and since the social distancing rules have come into place, they put a DJ set on the pier with a bar and tables for drinks. I have never had drinks on a pier before so it was something new for me.
Just before leaving on my last day there, we went on a dog walk at a really pretty country park called Fairlight, it had such amazing views to the sea.
I quite like writing about places that I visit in the UK, so I will definitely be doing more 48 hour style blog posts whenever I go anywhere now.
Where's your favourite place to visit for a weekend away?
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Related Read: 3 Days in Suffolk
Wool of the King
Just a little update on me - I have now finished my year marketing internship ready for starting my final year of university in September. I am trying to get a little bit of a summer by doing things before I go back to studying. The first thing I did after finishing was visiting one of my friends, Robyn, who lives up in Lincoln and goes to university there.
It was very hot there and I had to put sun cream on because
of how pale I am so it kind of felt like a holiday, we’ll call it a staycation
as that’s where it’s at at the moment! If you want to read more about travel,
see my favourite travel destinations. I am living in Wiltshire at the
moment so it took about 3 hours and 20 minutes to drive there, but I felt like
it went pretty quickly.
Day 1 in Lincoln
After arriving in Lincoln, we had a walk along Brayford Waterfront
and took some cute pictures. We then walked up the steep hill to the cathedral.
There is a reason why it’s called steep hill and it is not an exaggeration! But
once you get up there the views are pretty good, and there are lots of cute,
independent cafes on the way up.
It was quite a hot day, so we had to go back to shower and
get ready before going out for the evening. We booked into Zizzi for dinner and
it was a Monday so we got that Eat Out to Help Out discount! After that, we
went to the Slug & Lettuce for some cocktails. That was the first time I
had been out for drinks since the lockdown and it was actually a lot less scary
than I thought it would be.
Bars do seem to be closing earlier now than what they used
to. So, after leaving Slug & Lettuce we got some end of the night food from
a chip shop. I had to try the cheesy chips and gravy because I’d never had it
before being a southerner and they were so nice even though they looked kind of
gross. Proper comfort food. I have to say, the north does takeaways better.
Day 2 in Lincoln
Day 2 was a chill one after a busy first day. We had a lie
in and went to McDonald’s, classic after night out food. After that, we went to
Boultham Park, which was really nice. We sat by the river and saw lots of cute
ducks and swans. Again, I had to put on sun cream for this.
Once we had sat there for a while, Robyn wanted to show me
round her uni so we walked around Lincoln University which was quite cool, it
was really quiet though due to it being summer and Covid-19. I like nosying
around other universities so I can compare them to my own.
In the evening, we just chilled and watched some TV because
I was getting up early to leave the next day. It was one of the hottest days
when I had to leave and my car has no air conditioning so I left at 8am to try
and get home before the hottest point of the day.
I really enjoyed going to Lincoln and really want to visit
more places in the north as I haven’t been to that many places up there. It is such
a pretty place and I hope to go there again soon.
Where is your favourite place to visit in England? Let me know in the comments! Special thanks to Robyn for letting me
stay with her and looking after me so well.
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Looking for more day out ideas in the UK? Read all about my trip to Sculpture by the Lakes in Dorset.
Wool of the King
Join my mailing list for exclusive content and resources here.
I recently went for a day out at Sculpture by the Lakes in Dorset with my friend Kitty, which was organised by Bournemouth Bloggers and Darren Northeast PR. This was actually my first event with Bournemouth Bloggers and I'm looking forward to attending more with them.*Press Visit - all opinions are my own.
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