Zahra Pettican

As Brits spend more time and money on staycations, 2021 is shaping up to be the year of the beach hut.

The Queen loves it, James Bond loves it, and even commoners like me are quite partial to it. It’s strawberry jam. But not just any anonymous peanut butter and jelly filling. A jam made with special miniature strawberries grown in a small corner of the UK.

Surprising as it may seem, London wasn’t always the British capital. The Essex town of Colchester held that honour for 17 short but prosperous years. The town's full history spans Roman rule, the Norman Conquest, Saxon settlements, the Reformation, the Black Death and the English Civil War and all have left their mark on the landscape.

Like any good spectator sport, royal weddings require a stash of snacks for enthusiastic viewers. But popcorn and hotdogs—no. Royal weddings call for something more occasion-appropriate. Which is why I, actual British person, was called in for snack expertise. Anyone for yeast extract on a crumpet? Bergamot-infused tea with a side order of marshmallow tea cakes?

London is a magical city, but it also has more spooky places than you can shake a sage stick at. Horror, tragedy, and mystery: London’s seen it all over the last 2,000 years. All of this activity has left an utterly eerie atmosphere in some corners of the city where strange goings-on are a part of everyday life.

The most easterly inhabited island in the UK is a low-key beach destination for ‘seafoodies’ and nature lovers. Mersea’s patchwork of meadows, creeks, and oyster and fossil-strewn mudflats gives it a once visited, never forgotten appeal.

In the past, Britons would secure their houses against supernatural forces by burying lucky talismans deep within their walls. Here are some of archaeologists' creepier discoveries…

If you want to feel the fear in Transylvania, give Dracula’s Castle a miss and head to any of the region’s other atmospheric haunts.

If you want to discover London at its most creative, irreverent and fun, head east. The most multicultural corner of the capital has kept its working-class feel despite the arrival of hipsters and ad agencies. The vast area east of Liverpool Street Station and north of the River Thames is constantly reinventing itself. East London’s food, drink and art scenes don’t just push the envelope, they rip it open and invite you to the party. Here are the coolest neighborhoods to check out on a jaunt ...

Colchester has been around for a long time. It was Britain’s first Roman capital and reminders of its ancient past are scattered throughout the town. Museums, restaurants, shops, pubs, and contemporary art venues sit within the longest-surviving town walls in England.

Shakespeare once wrote that all the world’s a stage, but these days it’s more like a movie set. Here are 65 film locations you should check out on your travels.

Cambodia’s second city, Battambang, is often overlooked as people flock to more popular destinations like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. It might not have the big-draw palaces, temples, nightlife and museums of those cities, but it has plenty of surprises to discover below its sleepy surface, especially lately.

Every year on November 5th, Guy Fawkes Night sets Britain’s skies ablaze with fireworks. Also known as Bonfire Night, it’s a tradition dating back more than 400 years.

Queen Elizabeth might have been the world’s most famous introvert, but she had some tricks to make public engagements easier.