Best Travel Destinations - United Kingdom
Canterbury was once a pilgrimage stop on the way from London to Rome. When Thomas Becket was murdered at Canterbury Cathedral in AD 1170 by knights of King Henry II, Canterbury became a pilgrimage site in its own right. With Canterbury just a quick train ride from London, you can be transported back in time, in little more than an hour, to a town with a slower pace, more space, and a higher proportion of old buildings. The Cathedral is located within the old city walls. Narrow, winding pedestrian streets lead to Canterbury Cathedral, with lots of great cafes and shops along the way. A bronze sculpture of Christ in the Archway leading to the gardens makes for a stunning first impression. Wandering through Canterbury ...
Stepping out of the London Underground at Westminster, you may be caught off guard by the sheer size of Big Ben as it immediately confronts you. Although it may seem child’s play to take a photo of such a looming stationary subject as one of the world's largest clocks, it actually involves some photographic tact and maneuvering. Neighbouring the former Palace of Westminster, which was destroyed in 1834, Big Ben was included as part of the new Westminster rebuilt in 1844. Big Ben first rang out over London on May 31, 1859, but the bells cracked just two months later. Rotated and replaced with a lighter hammer, this is the bell we hear today. The name “Big Ben Clock Tower” is really more of a ...
Rising high above the River Thames, and set against iconic architecture that has stood for centuries, the London Eye has provided spectacular panoramic views of London for over a decade. With 3.5 million riders boarding its thirty-two capsules annually, “The Eye” has established itself as the UK’s most popular paid tourist attraction. Situated in Jubilee Park in the South Bank area, the London Eye Ferris Wheel was built as part of London's millennium celebrations. Truly European in construction, the London Eye used mechanical contributions from six countries. Electrical components came from the UK, as was the steel (although it was fabricated in The Netherlands). The cables and glass came from Italy; bearings from Germany; spindle and hub were cast in the Czech Republic; and the ...
Roughly 200 years ago a group of geniuses decided it would be fun to chase a wheel of cheese down the steepest hill they could find. Although there is no concrete information describing how this tumble derby began, or why the Double Gloucester wheel of cheese is its coveted prize, one thing is for sure, the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling Festival is one of the UK's most anticipated annual events. Before the rest of the world discovered the Brit's idea of fun it was attended only by locals, but over the years the popularity of Gloucestershire's cheese rolling has grown immensely and now attracts crazy cheese chasers from around the world. Every May long weekend a bunch of people (drunk, crazy... most likely both) take ...
Over the last couple years, volunteer travel has become extremely popular among college grads and young travelers. Much of this has stemmed from the dissemination of information the Internet provides, making people aware of the volunteer needs and opportunities in other cultures. Such as the case, many people have quickly jumped at the opportunity to travel the world, while also volunteering. One of the most well-known organizations is the World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF); also known as Willing Workers on Organic Farms. Although volunteerism has only gained significant momentum in the last few years, WWOOF has actually been around for almost 40 years, being established in England in 1971. It began on a small tract of land with just one woman who wanted to ...
The white cliffs of Dover have been as important in literature as they have been in history. Significant in the Napoleonic wars and World War II, they have represented England's last line of defence in poetry and literature. In Matthew Arnold's poem, Dover Beach, it's the tide ebbing away from the cliffs that have the significance in terms of a loss of faith. The cliffs of Dover also symbolize England itself, for which Rudyard Kipling is so homesick in his poem “the Broken Men.” Regardless of the symbolic value of the white cliffs of Dover, it happens to be a great place to while away an afternoon. With the Dover castle as a backdrop, you can feel nature take over as you explore the interesting ...
London is a city of overwhelming options. There is so much to see and do that you could spend a year here and not even scratch the surface of its possibilities. From the busy, colourful markets, to the crazy, nighttime party scene and everything in between, it can be difficult to make up your mind about how to allocate your time when you're visiting London, England. A Thames river cruise is a great way to catch a glimpse of many of the main attractions and perhaps whet your appetite for a more in depth look at some of the other things you can see and do in the city. The tour guides are one of the selling features of a cruise on the River ...
London’s Tower Bridge is one of the city of London’s most famous landmark attractions, and is a national symbol that makes you think of the splendours and history of London just from the sight of it. The iconic status of London’s Tower Bridge has seen it featured in several films and television series, including the critically lauded Spice World, the recent remake of Sherlock Holmes, and, lest we forget, the most British of all TV “programmes”: Doctor Who. Tower Bridge opened to the public after eight years of construction in 1894, and quickly became a public icon. However, in order to become the bridge it is today, several changes had to occur, both on the interior and exterior. During World War II, a third steam ...
London is the home of one of the world’s greatest theatre districts—the West End. Like Broadway in New York, London’s West End is synonymous with famous plays, musicals and grand productions. Great shows like Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables have remained so popular, that they have been running non-stop for 24 and 25 years respectively! As popular as they are, these shows are dwarfed by the long-running Agatha Christie play The Mousetrap, which has been running since 1952! London’s West End theatre district can mean a large area of central London, including Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, and other notable places. At the heart of the London West End show scene the corners of Shaftesbury Avenue, Drury Lane, and The Strand stand ...
Explore Georgian palaces, Victorian glasshouses, manicured landscapes, and more than 250 years of history at Kew Gardens in London: the world's most famous botanic garden. Climb up into the treetops, delve deep into rainforest, or discover more on a guided tour. Established in 1802 with the union of the Richmond and Kew estates, Kew Gardens grew from a private exotic garden into a national institution. Today its 300 acres of parkland is home to the world's largest collection of indoor plants, including some of the rarest specimens to be found. Kew Gardens grows over 30,000 species in five glasshouses: the Palm House, Temperate House, Waterlily House, Alpine House, and the Princess of Wales Conservatory. Of these, the Palm House and the Temperate House are ...
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