Getting around all those neighbourhoods is half the fun – and if you’re travelling in a group, minibus hire in London makes exploring them a breeze.

If you’re into over-priced shopping sprees, Chelsea is the place to go. If you appreciate good dim sum, Chinatown is your man. For the museum district, head to Kensington. For Buddhist Temples, there’s nowhere better than Wimbledon. With London, there’s always a little something for everyone… and here’s what each neighbourhood offers.

CHINATOWN

Chinatown is probably my favourite London neighbourhood – and with good reason. If you’re looking for traditional dim sum, they have plenty of it, and the word “tea” is met with some of the nicest tea bars around.

The area is filled with stone lions, contemporary art sculptures, and the most divine Qing-era style gates which overlook the whole neighbourhood. I have spent many a day just in Chinatown purchasing beautiful teaware, trying on handmade clothing, and attending the Chinese New Year festivities, which typically happen between January and February and are a hub for spectacular parades and pop-up food and craft stalls.

Located between Soho and Covent Garden, Chinatown is one of the liveliest, most colourful pockets of the city. Whilst the area was originally a head for Cantonese and Southern Chinese cuisine, it is now full of places representing Northern China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Japan, and Thailand. Honestly, my stomach is rumbling just thinking about the delicious food there.

Talking about food, a first-timer to Chinatown will likely find themselves overwhelmed with offers of wonderful places to eat. There’s Korean BBQ, bottomless green tea, broth-filled dumplings restaurants, pho spots, shop windows filled with roast duck, cake shops, matcha cafes, ‘dirty ice cream’ (that delicious salt-and-ice cream sold on the streets of Manila)… it truly is a foodie haven! Some of my personal favourite places to eat at are Lido (best Cantonese food), Gerrad’s Corner (best dim sum), Jen Cafe (best jiaozi), Good Friend Chicken (best… chicken), Happy Lemon (best bubble tea), and Opium (best loose leaf tea).

When you stroll through Chinatown and taste all kinds of food, don’t forget to Custom Lanyards No Minimum to make you more relaxed on the trip.

You can customize the lanyards of different lengths according to the actual use, to hang mobile phones, cameras or other small items. Customized lanyards also support you to choose your favorite cartoon elements, words with special meanings, different colors, etc., to make your design more special.

Using lanyards can make your hands freer, allowing you to touch the scenery or taste food as you wish. Personalized customization can also make you more eye-catching when you walk into Chinatown and increase your sense of happiness during the journey.

SOHO

Soho feels like a world away from anywhere else in London, known for its LGBTQ+ community, risqué vibes, and music scene (with Carnaby leading the way in the 60s). Bordered by Oxford Street, Regent Street, Charing Cross Road, and Chinatown, Soho is a chaotic mis-match of cultures and atmospheres.

One of the biggest things that visitors do in Soho is spend every last penny they own. There are 14 streets in Carnaby which are known for their unique and independent stores showcasing first-class fashion, vintage vinyls, and funky musical instruments that haven’t been seen since the 1600’s. One of the best-known shops in Soho is Liberty, the mock Tudor department store that has been featured in pretty much every single movie ever made about London. Liberty alone is a maze – good luck with the rest of Soho!

Of course, Soho is also filled with delicious food places. Here, you can find everything that your little heart desires – from Lebanese pastries to Spanish tapas to Indian masala chai to American burgers. Of course, there’s also a helluva lot of bars and pubs to hang out in (namely, super funky jazz clubs and gay bars).

Before you leave Soho, you should stop to watch a theatre show, buy a million books at Foyles, wander down to Leicester Square to watch the buskers, and finally stop for tea at Soho Square, and I swear it’ll quickly become one of your favourite places in the city.

COVENT GARDEN

No, Covent Garden is not an actual garden. But it is absolutely filled to the brim with alleys and courtyards and little secret areas to explore, which is equally as cool.

The Jubilee Market is arguably one of the best-known places in Covent Garden, where you can purchase anything from candle-filled teacups to vintage postcards to homemade tarts. It’s a whirlwind, let me tell you.

If you’re looking for books, then Covent Garden will leave you spoiled for choice! For travel books, head to Stanfords. For second-hand books on the soul, check out Watkins Books. And of course, for magical books featuring everything occult, you should find yourself in the Atlantis Bookshop.

Neal’s Yard is one of the prettiest streets in London, where every single business is dedicated to sustainable and ethical commercial practices. It’s one area in Covent Garden that you CANNOT miss!

KENSINGTON

If you’re looking for museums, then London’s Kensington is a museum haven. Be sure not to miss:

V&A Museum: Having first opened in 1852, the V&A (Victoria and Albert) is the world’s leading museum on art and design. Galleries cover everything from mini-skirts to Maharajah furniture, along with a leading treasure being the Ardabil carpet (the world’s oldest). General admission is free. 

Natural History Museum: My personal favourite, the Natural History Museum is filled with the most wonderful exhibitions. There’s a gallery on dinosaurs, mammals, human evolution, meteorites, gemstones, trees, earthquakes, even fossil marine reptiles. Add in the delicious pastries at the Central Cafe, and you have one of the best museums in the world. General admission is free; however, if you want to grab a guide book you’ll need to pay. Thankfully, The London Pass is the best kept secret with just one ticket that let’s you gain access to the top London attractions, including the guide book.

Design Museum: I have memories (or fever dreams, call it what you will) of visiting this museum as a child, and suddenly finding myself enveloped by massive armchairs shaped like baseball gloves, sculptural installations that look like humanoid robots, and lamps triple my height that look just like the one that squished the I in Pixar. It’s a great place to visit. General admission is free.

Science Museum: Suitable for all ages, this museum is perfect for nerds and geeks alike. There’s exhibitions on space, astronauts, trains, medicine… there’s even an IMAX! Their exhibitions range from education to humbling, and all in all, it’s a great place to explore. General admission is free.

SHOREDITCH

Shoreditch is a super trendy area where vintage and design shops are plentiful, artists live in every cafe, and vegan food is always on the menu.

One of the areas that Shoreditch is most famous for is Brick Lane. This little street is known for its vibrant art and fashion student population, who complete their degrees and move straight into opening their own galleries, vintage clothing shops, pop-up event spaces, and independent record houses. Along with that, Brick Lane is a go-to for those who enjoy specialist coffees and independent cafes – believe me when I say that everyone here is off their tits on caffeine.

Another thing that is so great about Shoreditch is its street art. The two go hand in hand, with Shoreditch always setting the standards for the international street art scene. It’s pretty impressive – street art is everywhere, down every alley and on every wheelie bin, and the whole area is just one big canvas for up-and-coming artists and still-and-came artists (namely, Banksy).

If you’re properly bitten by the wander lust craze (like the one that fuels my favourite travel blog of the same name), Shoreditch will keep you wandering for days. There’s always another mural, a hidden café, or an unusual shop just around the corner.

Along with that, if you’re looking for delicious food markets, you’ll be spoilt for choice in Shoreditch. There’s Boxpark (a little food market based in a shipping container), Urban Food Fest (the weekly orgasmic food market), and Old Spitalfields (handmade Portuguese tarts, anyone?).

But the best thing to do in Shoreditch? Go on a Walk Eat Talk Eat food tour with Eddie Weaver.

Last month, I was lucky enough to attend a food tour with Eddie, and quite frankly, it was one of my favourite experiences in London.

As we walked and talked, Eddie filled us in on the journey of the business. Walk Eat Talk Eat started in 2011, when there was only one other company doing food and drink tours in London. Since then, it has grown into London’s best food tour, introducing visitors across London to a load of wonderful little places just brimming with stories and history.

To begin our tour, Eddie took us to Sagardi, a delicious restaurant which specialises in cuisine from the Basque region. We tried all kinds of pintxos, meats, and pimientos, and chatted with easygoing Eddie as though we were old friends. He told us a bunch of facts that I didn’t know (such as that 10% of Basque country is actually in France), and one of the waiters brought out a hunk of beef and explained how exactly it was processed and aged.

Then, we headed to Crosstown, stopping along the way to inspect the intricate and very missable painted gum splats on the floor. We tried the pandan glaze doughnut just in time for Chinese New Year, along with the pistachio glaze with custard. For Eddie this was somewhat bittersweet – when he had picked them up for us before the tour, his rent-a-bike was stolen. Still, he was jovial about the tour, telling us all about the slums that used to flourish around us, showing us photographs and videos from his iPad whilst doing so – something I had never experienced before on a food tour.

He pointed out the colour-coded pubs and underground stations dotted around the area, and explained that they were so that the illiterate knew where to go. He also told us that the fire service used to be privatised, with different houses paying for different services. As such, to mark their designated service, these houses had little plates on the walls – another historical quirk which would have been missed if not pointed out.

Eddie then walked us through Brick Lane, passing by a Banksy and other funky street art, and stopping outside Beigal Bake, a bakery known for its traditional Jewish-style filled bagels. We had a salted beef beigel with pickle and mustard, and frankly, it was absolutely delicious.

We wandered through to one of my favourite places on the tour: Dark Sugars. This shop is run by a Ghanaian lady called Nyanga who initially started small in Spitalfields and Borough Market, selling chocolate from her family’s farm back home. When we walked in, we were surrounded by cocoa pods and West African decor, and oh man, it smelt so good. We picked out some truffles and snacked on them as Eddie took us through to Banglatown.

This area was super interesting, with the street signs both in English and Bengal. As we headed to our next stop, we passed by the London Tea Exchange, an off-tour place that Eddie was keen to take us to once he knew about our tea business. Absolutely massive, the shop was filled with over 800 kinds of tea, and the owner talked to us about the origin of his blends before offering us endless samples of teas that he thought we’d like. It was an unexpected stop that was a whole load of fun.

We then stopped at the RajMahal, a Bangladeshi sweet and snack shop. Eddie had been incredibly careful with my (somewhat endless) food intolerances for the whole tour, making sure that I never missed out on trying any of the food. As such, prior to the tour he tried the Bengali Veg Shingara to make sure that it didn’t contain any onion (it didn’t). It was absolutely delicious, and lasted me to our final stop: Kill the Kat.

Whilst I’m not a big beer drinker, I did enjoy the craft beer tasting. The woman running it was super lovely, and the community aspect of the shop was similar to the culture which I have experienced with tea. It was super interesting to be surrounded by people that knew craft beer like I know handcrafted tea, and it was great to sit down in such a lovely place, chatting more to Eddie. We did all this in Spitalfields – which I know now was previously called Hospitalfields.

All in all, the tour was a clear highlight of my London trip, and I loved every second. Eddie was very easy to talk to and incredibly engaging whilst detailing the complex – and yet largely unknown – history of backstreet London. It was great being able to see this place that I had lived for so many years in an entirely new light – and the food is something I simply can’t get out of my mind.

This is a food tour that I could easily return to again and again.

NOTTING HILL

Arguably, Notting Hill is one of London’s prettiest neighbourhood, where almost every street is lined with bright rainbow-colour houses. Reminiscent of Old Havana, this super vibrant and trendy area is filled with quaint vintage shops, homely brunch cafes, and vintage vinyl shops, and is a place that quickly grows in the heart.

The first ever mention of Notting Hill actually dates back to the 14th century, when it was a teeny tiny village next to London. It was known for its pig farms and brickyards, and it took a while to be swallowed up into London’s drive for expansion. By the 20th century, Notting Hill was made up of slums, and was a horrendous place to live, filled with severe malnourishment, disease, and racial violence.

Eventually, the neighbourhood was completely re-vitalised, partly due to the 1999 film starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, Notting Hill. Now, it’s an incredibly expensive area to live, and only upper middle-class and not-so-struggling artists can afford to live here.

There’s plenty to do in Notting Hill that isn’t just wandering the colourful rows of houses at Portobello Road or Denbigh Terrace. For example, you can take a stroll through St Luke’s Mews, which used to be the stables for London’s richest residents and is now just a beautiful area filled with greenery and mini mansions. You can also check out the beautiful bookstores, eat delicious food at high-end restaurants, or attend the Notting Hill Carnival: a two-day celebration of Caribbean culture that now hosts over two million visitors a year.

GREENWICH

Greenwich has an entirely different vibe to the rest of London. Sitting on the banks of the River Thames, a lot of the things to do in the area are somewhat related to its maritime history. There’s the Cutty Sark ( the restored 19th-century ship), the massive National Maritime Museum, the Old Royal Naval College (and the INCREDIBLE music shows that go on there), and of course, the O2 Arena where Ed Sheeran played that one time.

Greenwich Market is another great place to check out. Open seven days a week, this funky little area is filled with street food from around the world, endless stalls of crafts and antiques, and even seasonal events.

Greenwich Park is one of my favourite places in Greenwich, as it offers absolutely incredible views over the River Thames and the City of London. The park used to be used for hunting deer, and as such, there is still a small herd of deer resident in the park. For a bagel with a view, head to one of Greenwich’s wonderful cafes, and stare longingly at the rest of the million cities within a city that you have left to explore.

This is also where the UK gets its timezone from – GMT, meaning Greenwich Mean Time.

WIMBLEDON

A neighbourhood guide to London would not be complete without mentioning Wimbledon – and namely, Buddhapadipa Temple. This Thai Buddhist temple was the first to be built in the UK, and is a true hidden gem. Whenever I go back to London, I tend to spend at least half of my trip nestled away at this temple, and I couldn’t imagine any better way to spend the holidays.

Home to nuns and monks, Buddhapadipa is a great place to slow down, meditate, and learn about your true spiritual path. Not only can you attend meditation classes where afterwards you’re welcomed into the monks’ house for tea, cakes, and conversation, but they often hold Buddhist celebrations and festivals here. Surrounded by Thai families and one or two white monks, it feels a million miles away from the rest of Wimbledon.

The name Buddhapadipa translates to ‘light of the Buddha’ in the Buddhist canonical language of Pali – and it’s clear how the temple got its name. Walk through the doors and be welcomed with the most incredible murals, depicting endless vibrant and intricate scenes in the history of Buddhism. Believe me when I say that it’s one of the most beautiful sights in the whole of London.

Apparently Wimbledon also has tennis and stuff, but who cares about that?

WESTMINSTER

Of course, one of the main things to do in Westminster is visit Westminster Abbey. Along with being a place of worship, Westminster Abbey is also a house of artefacts and burials. Once you step inside the abbey, I have no doubt that you will be completely blown away by the sheer scale of the place. Having hosted nearly 20 royal weddings and every single British coronation, it has a mighty name to live up to – and that it does with ease.

You can also visit the Palace of Westminster, AKA the Houses of Parliament. Taking a tour around this marvellous building is such an incredible experience – you never realise how truly historical a city London is until you wander through its deepest chambers. Of course, at the end of the Palace of Westminster is Big Ben, that infamous clock that strikes louder than a busker on the underground.

St James’ Park is a 23-hectare park in the middle of Westminster, where you can spend hours upon hours wandering its grounds or relaxing in the shade of one of its many trees. I’ve had some of the best picnics of my life in this wonderful park.

As everyone knows, Buckingham Palace is the official home of Queen Elizabeth, and you can actually visit the palace staterooms between July and October. The Palace is a must-see on any visitor itinerary, and I’m yet to see a weeb bucket list that doesn’t mention witnessing the Changing of the Guards, where the Queen’s Guard perform a traditional ceremony in their funky little red coats and bearskin hats.

Another must-visit place in Westminster is Trafalgar Square, home to the National Gallery. IT’s a super busy little square where all kinds of events are held, from outdoor theatres to rallies and demonstrations. Psst: apparently security spend their whole lives trying to stop tourists from climbing atop the lion sculptures at the base of Nelson’s Column… but believe me, it’s a mighty fine view from the top!

Slightly off the beaten track in Westminster are the Churchill War Rooms. This is where Churchill and his cabinet managed the war efforts, and as such, the rooms offer an interesting insight into the history of the second world war.

CHELSEA

I’ll be honest, I’m not too big a fan of Chelsea. It’s all Louis Vuitton bags and 5am fitness fanatics and more plastic surgery than I have draft articles. Saying that, if you’re into posh houses, high-end shopping, popular football clubs, RHS flower shows, and affluent London districts, then this might be just up your street.

Some of my personal favourite places in Chelsea are John Sandoe Books (a super pretty bookstore), Sloane Square (delicious – but expensive – restaurants), and the Saatchi Gallery (a fancy art gallery). The only other things to do in the area is shop and walk purebred poodles.

CAMDEN

Camden is little like a more laid-back Shoreditch – Shoreditch without the steroids. It has the same sort of vibe with its vintage shops, vegan cafes, and beautiful street art, but Camden is a little bit more chill.

Perhaps the vibe is a little different due to the fact that for a hundred or so years, Camden was an abandoned North London town filled with wash-outs and down-and-outs. Apparently, it was a pretty depressing place to live. But then in July 1976, for reasons somewhat unknown, Camden absolutely exploded with the era of punk. For the rest of the 70s and 80s, you couldn’t walk five minutes without seeing a bright green mohican.

Now, Camden still has that low-key punk vibe, which you can clearly tell in the street art and the way that the area is run. If there’s ever a place in London to find denim jackets and motorbike gear, Camden is it!

Take a wander through Camden Town and end up at Camden Lock, where hilarious little barges and narrowboats squeeze down the canal. Across from there is Camden Market. Filled to the absolute brim with trinkets, clothes, and pastries, it’s the sort of indoor market where you will never be able to visit every stall. It gets super busy at lunchtime and on weekends, but imo, that only adds to the experience!

Just down the road from Camden is London Zoo in Regent’s Park, which is conveniently located a five-minute walk from Little Venice. Add the two together, and you have the perfect place to go on a little date.

SOUTHWARK

Sure, Southwark has sights such as the Shard, London Bridge, the Tate Modern, the Globe Theatre, and the HMS Belfast, but I know that what you’re all really here for is Borough Market.

BRIXTON

Brixton is a rugged little London district, filled with international food markets, music concerts, and bustling nightlife.

If you’re into craft beer, gyoza, plantain, and curry, the Brixton foodie scene is the place for you! Brixton Market is one of the best-known food markets, where you can pick up any fruits, vegetables and meats that your little heart desires. There’s a lot of Caribbean stalls, so be prepared to be salivating all day long!

Market Row is a covered Brixton arcade where you can pick up absolutely any type of food you’re craving. After an Italian pizza? They’ve got you. Mexican burritos? Easy. Lebanese falafel? Consider it done.

Some other Brixton highlights are the Ritzy Cinema, Brockwell Park, Brixton Village, and a million and one nightclubs. For a crazy night out in London, Brixton is sure to not disappoint.

RICHMOND

First things first, Richmond Park is absolutely massive. It has an insane 2,500 acres of parkland just waiting to be explored, and you can do so via walking, roaming, running, or cycling. Except to run into at least one family of deer as you do so.

There’s also Richmond Green, which is a fair bit smaller than Richmond Park but is still a cute place to visit. It has been a meeting point since the Middle Ages, where it housed a whole bunch of bloody jousting tournaments. Now, it’s more locals and cricketers, but the overall vibe is still the same.

Richmond Riverside is a super cute walk along the river. Dip into funky restaurants and shops, and enjoy the farmer’s market that pops up every Saturday. They have a whole bunch of quaint little cafes and clothing shops, and all in all, it feels like a very friendly, very middle-class English neighbourhood.

If you’re into flowers and fungi, then boy, do I have the place for you! Just outside of Richmond is an area called Richmond upon Thames, you can find the wonderful Kew Gardens. Not only is Kew Gardens a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but its arboretum also happens to be one of my favourite places in London. Filled with pretty much every single plant you can imagine: from avocados to Asian rice to turmeric to cacti twice my height, it’s such a beautiful place to spend a few hours.

SOUTHBANK

If you’ve ever been a tourist in London, then there’s no doubt that you’ve spent time at Southbank. It’s the London that everyone recognises from the movies, with an exciting mix of both historical and Brutalist buildings, picturesque views of the city and river, and endless theatres, art galleries, and buskers.

One of the best things about Southbank is the fact that whilst on a stroll along the riverside, you will undoubtedly stumble past both food and second-hand book markets. In the winter, a massive market is erected, with Germanic wooden huts covered in glitter and fairy lights, where the air smells like mulled wine and sausage. It almost makes me like Christmas.

There’s a million different types of art in Southbank, with different genres for different art connoisseurs. For example, street artists may visit the Leake Street Tunnel for its graffiti showcase, whereas vegan art students might head over to the Hayward Gallery for its funky exhibitions.

This is also where you can do some of the big touristy sights in the city: the London Eye, SEA LIFE Centre, London Dungeons, Shrek’s Adventure.

And so, that summarises my neighbourhood guide to London! I hope you guys have enjoyed reading about the city that never stops giving, and that it has given you some ideas for your next city trip. If it has BLOWN your mind on what London can be, let me know in the comments below!

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BUT BEFORE YOU DO – WHY NOT SHARE THE LOVE AND PIN THIS POST?

Regardless, Manchester wins the award for most overlooked British city – after all, who in their right mind chooses London over this Northern gem? The land of the Mancs is rich with culture, history, science, and art (how do, Lowry!), and honestly, I wasn’t expecting to fall for it the way I did.

As Tony Wilson once said, ‘This is Manchester, we do things differently here.’ Or at least, I think he did. The accent was a little bewildering.

THINGS TO SEE IN MANCHESTER

NORTHERN QUARTER

Of course, I’m going to kick this guide off with perhaps one of the most iconic Mancunian pastimes – taking a stroll around the Northern Quarter.

Best-loved for its vegan cafes, thrift stores, and indie record shops, this trendy and chic collection of backstreets makes up the backbone of urban Manc culture. A lawless blend of architectural styles, the NQ features Edwardian mills, Victorian pubs, Gothic fashion houses, and Contemporary nightclubs – and everywhere you look, something hectic and beautiful is happening.

If you’re planning your Manchester itinerary around live events, it’s also worth checking availability for Man City Tickets so you can experience the electric atmosphere of a match before heading out to explore the Northern Quarter’s buzzing bars, cafés, and nightlife.

The Northern Quarter is the place to visit for independent bars, shops, and cafes – but be aware to not wander around too late. Historically known for its red-light entertainment and abandoned warehouses, the NQ still has shady characters stalking the streets at night. Unless you want to wind up a statistic, stay away from dark alleyways at night.

If you want to preserve the unforgettable memories of this place, you might as well design Custom Neon Signs. For travel enthusiasts, you can incorporate unique mementos, whether engraved with your travel date, nickname, or even a depiction of a landmark building, to embody your Manchester experience.

Decorating your room with it not only enhances its aesthetics but also serves as a keepsake, evoking memories of your trip every time you see it. Customizing neon signs is very convenient and quick, and you don’t have to wait too long.

THE GAY VILLAGE

Gays from all over the world flock to this here Village located on the bustling Canal Street to meet, celebrate, and chill. The area is a super important part of Manchester’s history, known for its reputation as a safe, welcoming, and friendly space for every member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Each year, they host a gigantic Pride Festival where gays and allies alike meet to dance, drink, and drag in harmony. I hear it’s pretty rad.

Along with being a hub of activity and a great place to grab some delicious food, the area also happens to be home to one of the wildest nightlife scenes in the whole of Manchester. Going out in the Gay Village just hits different – especially with places like G-A-Y, Bar Pop, and New Union ready and raring to go!

As it happens, I visited here with my girlfriend last year and did Sambuca shots with the ex-boyfriend of the barman. Ah man, what a night.

CHINATOWN

Located near to the Gay Village is Manchester’s Chinatown – which just so happens to be the second biggest in the UK and the third biggest in Europe.

Sure, it’s not quite Vancouver’s Chinatown, but it’s still pretty cool in its own right. It features Bao-filled cafes, international supermarkets, and mouthwatering bakeries, along with restaurants serving Chinese, Japanese, Nepalese, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine. 

Manchester’s Chinatown also houses karaoke bars, massage parlours, and the city’s best sake bar, suggesting that perhaps you will never have to leave the UK again.

One of the biggest events of the year celebrates the Lunar New Year. In February, Chinatown has a massive celebration for the annual Chinese New Year Festival, filling the streets with stalls and dancing dragons and parades to rival anything else that England has to offer.

MANCHESTER ART GALLERY

The Manchester Art Gallery was first initiated in the early 1800’s by a group of passionate artists – and since then, it has become a hub of beauty and knowledge.

Featuring paintings by Christian Dior and Adolphe Valette, sculptures by John Cassidy and Henri Guadier-Brzeska, and a collection of pottery that any anthropologist would be itching to study, it’s a pretty sick place to walk around.

‘But do they have any tea-related art pieces?’ I hear you cry. Well luckily for you, sweet child, they actually have nearly 700 tea-related items in their collection. They have everything from red earthenware tea caddies to pear-shaped silver teapots from the 17th century, sketches of Japanese tea ceremony to incredible old photographs of colonisers sitting around drinking tea. Truly, they have everything your little heart desires.

And as it happens, the Manchester Art Gallery is also free to visit.

JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY

John Rylands was a man who truly finessed the Manchester industrial revolution, becoming the city’s first multi-millionaire after becoming the largest textile manufacturer in the UK. When he died, many people mourned the entrepreneur – but none as much as his wife.

Enriqueta Rylands loved and missed him so much that when he died, she commissioned the John Rylands Library. It was then filled with a world-class collection of items, including the oldest known piece of the New Testament, a 1476 version of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and magnificent illuminated mediaeval manuscripts.

Nowadays, this gorgeous neo-Gothic library looks uncannily like Hogwarts – ghosts and all.

MANCHESTER CENTRAL LIBRARY

The Manchester Central Library may not rival John Rylands in terms of history, tragedy, and Potter-esque rooms, but it is pretty epic in its own right.

The perfect place to catch some silence amongst the bustle of the city, the Henry Wolfson Reading Room features a grand dome ceiling surrounded by gorgeous centuries-old books; every last one of them weathered and leathered. I spent many an hour in this room during lockdown, just reading, writing, and staring at the students who had masks slung halfway down their necks. It was an eye-wateringly beautiful experience.

CHETHAM’S LIBRARY

On the topic of iconic libraries that have changed the city for the greater good, we then have Chetham’s Library.

And oh my goodness, what a library it is! I was given the opportunity to meet with the wonderful Siân-Louise to learn more about Chetham’s, and was absolutely blown away with the history of the place.

Fun fact: Chetham’s is actually the oldest free public reference library in the English-speaking world – and by definition, it is also one of the most beautiful. With incredible mediaeval architecture, a collection to rival Oxford, and the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen (some still attached by chains), it’s a truly incredible place to visit.

The building itself was actually built in 1421 to house a college of priests – although it was a lot different back then to how it is now! For starters, it also housed a family of mice, and with that, cats. And with that, teeny tiny cat doors no bigger than my fist.

This wonderful little library was founded in 1653 by the dapper textile merchant and banker, Humphrey Chetham. When the library opened, there were no other facilities for independent study in the north of England, so people of all classes would flock to the library – an oasis amongst poverty, prostitution, and dereliction.

Now, you can sit in the very same booth that Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels studied in preparation for the creation of the Communist Manifesto, you can peruse books older than your known ancestry, you can take a moment to consider why Manchester is one of the greatest cities in England. Honestly, it’s pretty great.

ELIZABETH GASKELL’S HOUSE

I’ll be honest – I didn’t even know that this place existed until Siân-Louise filled me in on the most under-appreciated sites in Manchester. As it happens, this beautiful neoclassical villa is the former residence of the one and only Elizabeth Gaskell.

Gaskell is often regarded as ‘one of the greatest female novelists of all time,’ best-known for writing Cranford, North and South, and the biography of her buddy Charlotte Bronte. She hung out with the likes of Charles Dickens, Florence Nightingale, and Charles Darwin, and you can absolutely see their creative influences throughout the house. Honestly, it’s a part of Manc history that I never would have guessed even existed.

Rumour has it that the house also has a delicious little tea room which serves every little finger food under the sun. If you’re looking for age-old inspiration from this great British writer, why not kick back on a vintage wabi-sabi chair and sip black tea in Gaskell’s old kitchen, surrounded by endless rows of gorgeous leathered books?

VICTORIA BATHS

Victoria Baths is another one of those places that I would absolutely have overlooked had a local not pulled me aside and whispered sweet bath-related things into my ear.

The history of this Grade II* listed building spans over a hundred years. As you walk amongst Hammams, private baths, and Olympic-esque pools, you’ll find yourself transported back to a sunny afternoon in 1906. Alongside the crumbling paint and ghost-like ceramic stair balustrade is beautiful blood terracotta and emerald glaze and intricate tile-work. 

Between March and November, a whole bunch of markets are hosted at Victoria Baths – the most notable being their Creative Makers Fair and their Vegan and Ethical Market. If you’re lucky, a trip to the market will have you stumble upon Lydia Meiying’s beautiful stall, which is filled with the most amazing tea towels, cushions, notebooks, prints, tote bags, and – my personal favourite – funky enamel pin badges. 

THE TRAFFORD CENTRE

The Trafford Centre is, in essence, a gigantic mall – and yet somehow, it also seems to house whole continents. It’s pretty much like Dubai on steroids, with marble sculptures, mini renditions of Italian and Chinese towns, and gilded water features. It took 27 months to build the Trafford Centre, and at a grand cost of £600 million, you can see why Manchester holds it so dearly.

The whole concept of the Trafford Centre is pretty insane, honestly. Not only do they have every single branded shop you could think of (Lacoste, Levi’s, Michael Kors), approximately a million restaurants, and a giant IMAX theatre, but they also have a LEGOLAND, a mother-frickin’ Sea Life, and two 18-hole mini-golf courses.

Oh, and they have dodgems.

ALEXANDRA PARK

Alexandra is hands down the BEST park to have a picnic. It first opened to the public 150 years ago, and back then, the design of the park was a little controversial – it contrasted with the rigid geometry of Victorian landscapes to feature those pesky little oval-shaped landscapes and curved pathways.

The park is super pretty, with a massive lake filled with Canadian geese and British swans, green rolling hills that you can wander about on, and a kids’ section where you can abandon your toddlers until you’re ready to deal with them again.

A little bird (probably a duck) told me that they also have a vegan cafe that overlooks the terrapin-filled lake, which is just bursting to the seams with vegan sweet (and savoury) treats. There’s also a little coffee van called Grounded in the North that sells delicious coffee, tea, and little bread pastries. They’re usually open Wednesday to Sunday 9am until around 4pm – you cannot miss it!

So much has happened at this 60-acre park over the years: namely, the first known Independent Labour Party May Day rally, women’s suffrage demonstrations (and bombs planted from said suffragettes), Quakers calling for peace, and hippy music events campaigning against racism and immigration. Now, all you get is a pretty park, a concrete skatepark, and mighty fine coffee.

GRAYSTONE ACTION SPORTS

There are SO many skateparks in Manchester, and they’re all so cool! You can meet the locals, dabble in ramps, vibe at the top of the bowls and watch people wipe out. Even if you don’t skate, a skatepark atmosphere is hard to not get caught up in.

Graystone is quite possibly the finest example of a great Mancunian skatepark. Located in Salford, not only does it have the best indoor ramps you can find (featuring a 9ft drop in which I finally conquered last week), but it is also a great example of a skatepark where you don’t have to skate. You can simply hang out at the viewing gallery, order a delicious meal and some wine, and watch the world go by.

And for dessert: vegan milkshakes.

SALFORD

Salford (which you need to pronounce as sol-ford, not sahl-ford, to avoid falling victim to one of the city’s many shankings) is part of Greater Manchester and considered to be one of the most important parts of the city.

There are so many super cool things to visit in the city, with some of my absolute favourites being:

• The Lowry – An Arts Centre based around Salford Quays industrial past, the Lowry is full of ever-changing galleries and contemporary art exhibitions, along with three fat theatres.
• Salford Lads’ Club – The young Robert Baden-Powell set up the Salford Lads’ Club in 1903 with the ambition to keep young boys in deprived areas out of trouble. Since then, it has been featured in Stephen Wright’s photo of The Smiths for their album the Queen is Dead, and has quadrupled in popularity (for both sexes).
• Salford Cathedral – Anyone who knows me knows that I am a weeb for Catholicism, especially when it comes in the form of a beautiful, Romantic style Grade II* building. I’m sure you’ll love it, too.
• Salford Quays – And last but not least, we have Salford Quays, previously known as Britain’s third busiest port. Opened by everyone’s favourite queen in 1894, it has since been rebranded as a cultural and residential district, with each parallel basin connected by a network of waterways.
• MediaCity – Located at Salford Quays. Home to flawless glass architecture, gigantic production studios, and the sets behind Coronation Street, it’s a great place to wander.

WHAT TO EAT AND DRINK

THE FOUNDATION COFFEE HOUSE

Before I landed in Manchester, my girlfriend proudly exclaimed that our first stop would be the Foundation Coffee House. ‘Why?’ I asked.

‘Because it’s on our Manchester bucket list,’ she replied, somewhat bluntly.

As it happens, one of the first things that I experienced in the city was this wonderful lil’ coffee shop – and it was a great first taste of the city.

They have several locations: Whitworth, Portland, and the Northern Quarter. We visited the one on Portland street which has a clean, industrial look to it, dotted with bright green ferns and bags of the finest coffee.

Of course, I indulged in their cakes and tea – of which, there’s a whole lotta options. They have Chai, Lapsang Souchong, Silver Needle, Honey Orchid, Rooibos, Darjeeling… just about any kind of tea you could imagine! After working my way slowly through their tea selection, we had to run off to explore the rest of the city – but not before my eyes happened upon their 58% Venezuelan hot coco.

I now have plans to revisit the city at the end of the summer – and you can bet your ass that this is the first place I’ll be returning to.

ALTRINCHAM MARKET

Any Northerner will have their ears prick up at the mention of Alty Market. I know how it goes. Their pulse races, their breath thickens, their fingers tremble with the prospect of homemade pies and fermented drinks.

And I get it.

Altrincham Market’s origin begins in 1290 as the region’s best street food outlet, although for a brief while, it dropped off the map completely. In 2010, local legends Nick and Jenny Johnson took it upon themselves to revitalise every last inch of the place – and now, it’s renowned as one of the UK’s finest marketplaces.

A fine example of Manc cuisine, you can order from any of the many market shops and have it all brought to your table. They were super accommodating with my dietary needs (hello, Crohn’s) and brought over the most divine kombucha I’d ever tasted. All in all, it’s a pretty epic place to visit.

Some of my favourite places to eat at Alty are:

• Honest Crust: Serving the most delicious wood-fired sourdough pizza.
• Tender Cow: Specialising in flat iron steak from the feather blade, they offer the lesser-known cuts of beef from the best farms in Britain.
• Great North Pie Co: I hear that this is the best pie place in England, and it’s not hard to see why!
• Market House Coffee: Surprisingly, you can actually get matcha here! It’s thick, it’s sweet, it’s unami… everything you could want from some mashed tencha leaves.
• Reserve Wines: For some sweet and bubbly Hip Pop kombucha, this is the place to be (I hear they also do great wine)!
• Little Window: Believe me, you’ve never had hummus, olives, and flatbread this good.

COMMON GROUND

Located in Altrincham mere inches away from the much-loved Market House, this cafe is the perfect spot to sit amongst the hustle and bustle of the town.

As is usually the case, I wandered the streets with one simple goal in mind: to find a delicious cup of tea and a slice of vegan cake. Luckily, a b-e-a-utiful vegan cherry and chocolate cake and mug of loose leaf green tea was ready and waiting at Common Ground.

The cafe actually specialises in coffee (hence the pun in the name) and is independently owned and run by husband and wife, Damian and Julie Besbrode. Their mission was to create a vibrant coffee community in the heart of Altrincham – and man, did they pull it off!

The place is super warm and laid-back, with friendly staff and a lofi playlist to boot. Sitting beneath the sun as hoards of foodies wandered past, a dog at the nearby table looking longingly at the avocado toast beside us, it felt like one of those rare cases of ‘right place, right time.’

HIP POP

I’ve mentioned them before and I’ll mention them again – Hip Pop is hands down my favourite British kombucha company. Several weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to visit the headquarters of this renowned booch – and boy, was it interesting!

The Hip Pop brewing sheds are situated on this super cool working farm near Manchester, surrounded by rich countryside and beautiful old buildings. Despite visiting endless distilleries and wineries in the past, I’d never actually visited a brewery that creates a drink that I enjoy. As such, it was so refreshing to be able to walk into a brewery and finally enjoy the smell of the air, the taste of the samples, and understand all of the hard work that goes into it.

I could have never considered what goes in to making kombucha like this – imagine big steel drums, massive bags of organic tea leaves, and more smiles than I have Marketplace listings. I was shown around by Emma, one of the founders of Hip Pop, who told me about their processes and introduced me to the team. It was so interesting being able to learn about this 2,000 year old beverage from one of the people who know it best, along with being told the company’s origin story first-hand.

The basic idea goes like this: Emma first heard about the beverage when living in America (booch is super popular over there) and after experimenting with other fermented food and drinks, tried her hand at crafting her own kombucha. When Kenny first told her about his stomach issues, she recommended he tried some of her booch – and it actually made him feel better! And so, she created a tiny microbrewery in their garage and began to sell the kombucha at local farmers’ markets – and from there, it grew!

They have so many delicious flavours of kombucha, although my favourites have to be the Apple Elderflower and the Ginger Yuzu. They also have Blueberry Ginger and Strawberry Pineapple which both look so delicious, I keep having to stop myself from bulk buying the brews and shipping them back to Wales.

MALMAISON MANCHESTER

If you find yourself thinking, ‘oh my, Manchester sounds wonderful, but it could be even better if they also had a delicious afternoon tea,’ then think no further!

The Chez Mal at Malmaison is the HOME of indulgent afternoon tea, featuring soft, fluffy scones, perfect little cream sponges, and bubbly Champagne that burns your nose when you laugh. And with a killer selection of tea (I’m talking Darjeeling, Jasmine, Chamomile, Peppermint, Blackberry + Raspberry) what’s not to love?

The Malmaison building itself is pretty spectacular, with a bougie industrial interior and Victorian Neo-gothic architecture. All in all, it’s a pretty cool place to stop for lunch.

THE EIGHTH DAY

When my stomach decided to opt out of digesting food, I turned to my girlfriend and told her that I needed to get my hands on some kefir. The only issue was that the only type of kefir that I can consume comes from goats’ milk – and as you might assume, that isn’t awfully easy to get a hold of.

Luckily, she knew the perfect ethical and vegetarian store to get it from. Enter, The Eighth Day Co-op.

Since purchasing my much-needed goat kefir, the Eighth Day has become a favourite stop in the city, and I’ve visited here so many times for kombucha, kefir, and luxury chocolate that I feel as though I know the whole place backwards. The staff is always super nice and patient with all the endless and ridiculous questions I throw at them. Namely: ‘Do you have any kefir specifically made from Beddgelert Welsh mountain goats?’

BIRD AND BLEND

Bird and Blend (formerly Bluebird Tea Co.) has the largest range of creative tea blends in the UK – and after a trip to their Manchester store, I can certainly understand how!

With over 70 blends, there was a lot to choose from whilst browsing their isles. Each store feels a little like a treasure hunt – not only do they have all of these delicious tasters, but they also have collections of cool postcards and infographics.

The staff were all super friendly and told me all about their tea as I sipped a delicious ‘Digester tea’ (made from Chinese pu’erh, Chinese oolong, ginger, orange, ginseng, and fennel) and my girlfriend tried their ‘Nearly Nirvana’ (a blend of white tea, jasmine, and spearmint). FYI, both were delicious!

I then tried several of their matcha samples by hosting a little matcha tea-tasting ceremony back home – and it was a lot of fun! Using a traditional bamboo chasen, spoon, and ceramic bowl, I slowly worked my way through their array of flavours. Of course, they were all pretty good.

STREET FOOD

Sure, Manchester is famous for its Eccles cake, pasty barm, Manchester tart, and Lancashire hotpot – but why not try delicious food from around the globe?

Manchester’s street food scene is unexpectedly vast and thrilling, especially around Piccadilly Gardens. In a single stroll, you can pick up Polish meatballs, Chinese dim sum, Mexican burritos, Japanese nikuman, Spanish paella, Caribbean curries, Yorkshire puddings, and even – rumour has it – London gin. Truly, if you’re looking for the best food in Manchester, you’d better head to the market district…. every Wednesday to Sunday in Piccadilly Gardens.

DAY TRIPS FROM MANCHESTER

CHESHIRE

Tatton Park is both a great place to spend the day and also the perfect introduction to Cheshire. Not only does Tatton have over 1,000 acres of deer park, but it also houses a neo-classical mansion, a mediaeval Old Hall, and a 1930’s farm filled to the brim with rare animal breeds. Honestly, what more could you want?

You can explore the Tatton estate by foot, bike, or horseback, wandering past the red and fallow deer which roam freely across the grounds. There’s a whole bunch of gift stores and cafes where you can grab a drink and sit outside in the sun, and if you take a picnic and stop for afternoon tea, there’s no reason why you can’t spend dawn to dusk exploring the grounds.

One of my favourite things about the park is its Japanese Gardens – often regarded as the ‘finest example of a Japanese Garden in Europe’. It is the most serene, beautiful place, and we spent nearly a good hour merely walking around the lake and taking in the beautiful little houses, pagodas, and rock and plant formations.

You can feed the lambs, walk the pigs out to the fields, meet newborn calves and foals, and hold chicks and ducklings in the Hatchery. There’s even a section of the farm where you can discover the original slaughterhouse and learn about how slaughter was carried out in the past. Or perhaps not, if you’ve come to this guide for my vegan food recommendations…

Plus, in the evenings of May you can go to their outdoor drive-thru cinema! You can order masses of crepes and watch the sun set as you envelop yourself in the wonderful world of old Hollywood.

DUNHAM MASSEY

Dunham Massey is another gorgeous National Trust garden housing a Georgian estate and an ancient deer park. The garden is home to Giant Chinese Lilies and rare late-flowering azaleas, along with a seven-acre Winter Garden that just so happens to be the largest of its kind in the UK.

Take a stroll amongst the historic Pump House, the spicy Orangery, and the remains of an Elizabethan Mount. Or, merely sit down at a bench and take in the pretty birds. Personally, I didn’t expect to go bird watching – I barely even know what a bird looks like – but I did, and it was actually pretty sick. Who knew that winged creatures like treecreepers and nuthatches even existed?

RIXTON CLAYPITS

As you may have guessed by the name, Rixton Claypits is a former clay extraction site which has since been allowed to return to nature. Boulder clay extraction started here in the 1920s to build bricks in the adjacent brickworks – which would have been a cool concept had it not destroyed the rich and diverse ecosystems which thrive in natural claypits.

Now, Rixton is filled to the brim with ponds (look out for those rare Great Crested newts!), pits, wildflower meadows, boardwalks, and woodland. My favourite activity at the pits is wandering along the 80-acre route at sunset, taking in its beauty as butterflies fly about my head, frogs hop about by my feet, and wild grouse do whatever it is that wild grouse do. Simply, this is a place to get lost in and explore.

If you just so happen to visit between April and September, I would absolutely recommend that you wear bug spray. Honestly, I didn’t even know that the UK had biting insects – but after wandering through meadows with short trousers and ankle socks, I now realise that pesky little Manc mosquitos do exist.

LYMM

A charming little village with picturesque  17th century buildings, lovely walks, and delicious pasty shops. The name ‘Lymm’ supposedly comes from the Celtic way of saying ‘a place of running after’ – although honestly, about 99% of their water is still.

There’s a unique breed of people in Lymm: Ramblers. These lil oddballs spend their time walking, briefly stopping off at pubs, and walking some more. Luckily for you, though, they have already paved out the perfect route around the town: Walk through the town centre, follow the Bridgewater Canal, and end up at the dam.

My favourite thing in Lymm? Spud Wood: A muddy little woodland probably named after the town’s affinity for potatoes.

NEW MOSS WOOD

New Moss Wood (and the surrounding mossland) used to be a massive expanse of lowland bog dating back 10,000 years – but now, this fascinating habitat is barely clinging on.

I’ll be honest and say that before visiting the north of England, I didn’t even know what peat was. As it turns out, the draining of this organic fuel (consisting of partially decomposed plant material) has horrendous effects on the environment. Often used in cheap bags of garden compost and to grow nursery plants, intensive peat mining destroys valuable ecosystems, threatening the lives of the many rare and endangered species which live around peat bogs.

Thankfully, over the years, locals have realised the damage that this was causing to the mosslands and peat extraction here has been scrapped. This means that New Moss Wood has since been allowed to re-grow and flourish, and now, it makes for a truly stunning walk across the countryside. With the beauty and biodiversity gradually returning, New Moss Wood is a wonderful place to explore.

LITTLE WOOLDEN MOSS

This is one of the prettiest nature preserves I have ever visited. Imagine – candy cotton pink sunsets over fields of white fluffy cotton, teeny tiny lizards darting between your feet and dragonflies soaring above your head. At 150-hectares, it’s one of the few remaining fragments of the peatland.

Walking through the moss is such a calming experience – look out for rogue roe deer, merlins perching on rocks and tree stumps, short-eared owls hunting through the skies. With pools of water housing jumping, skimming, and swimming amphibians, reptiles, and insects, the sheer amount of biodiversity is astonishing.

BENTS GARDEN CENTRE

You’re probably thinking, ‘Amy has obviously run out of cool places to talk about, mentioning something so blithe as a garden centre.’ Well, look at the fool, now!

Bents is hands down one of the coolest places in Warrington. This absolutely massive garden centre opened in 1937 and has since evolved into something much bigger than anyone possibly could have imagined.

They sell delicious little cakes and sweet treats, fancy garden-ware, more carnivorous plants than you could imagine, AND they have a mini golf course decorated with giant ‘fake’ dinosaurs. Plus, a restaurant. Like wtf.

CHESTER

Oh my goodness, where do I begin?

Chester is a bewitchingly beautiful little city, with its extensive Roman walls, Tudor-style half-timber alleys, Roman amphitheatre (the largest in the UK!), and beautiful red sandstone buildings. It’s certainly not what you think of when you think of modern-day England!

Founded as a Roman fortress in the 1st Century A.D., Chester is just bursting with history and tragic tales. For example, Viking raiders wreaked havoc across the city, Norman invaders kicked the asses of the Anglo Saxons (AKA conquered), warrior queen Boadicea led an uprising, Roman fighters marched to war. As one of the best-preserved walled cities in Britain, its a gorgeous place to wander.

Previously known as Deva, this city was known across the lands for its strategic position for battle – and even today, the stories of conquered campaigns and unsung victories still whisper through the walls.

Some of my favourite things to do in Chester are:

• Walk along the city walls
• Check out the Georgian Eastgate Clock
• Visit Chester Cathedral (which is over 1,000 years old!)
• Go shopping at the old Tudor-style two-level arcades
• Walk around Chester Castle to soak up the history
• Visit the remains of the Roman amphitheatre
• Wander through the Roman garden

LIVERPOOL

Liverpool is only an hour’s drive or 40 minutes on the train from Manchester, and it’s such a funky city to go for a day trip. As the home of the Beatles, world-class museums, and a hilarious accent, it’s a city that I’ve wanted to visit for ages – and this summer, I was finally able to!

There’s a lot of cool things to see and do in the area, but some of my favourites are:

• Royal Albert Dock: Old Victorian docks dotted with some gorgeous bars and cafes.
• Liverpool Cathedral: An imposing, Gothic-style cathedral.
• The Three Graces: These are the three iconic Liverpudlian buildings that define the city skyline. There’s the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building, and they are each a sight to behold.
• Tunnel Furniture Co: This is such an epic place to visit – even though you certainly won’t find it on any other city guides. It’s a super cool antique store based in the historic stables opposite Edge Hill Station (the first railway station in the world). They offer absolutely everything your heart desires: church furnishings, vintage dolls, porcelain vases from ancient China… anything! The staff are super friendly and patient – even when you go in with oddly precise requests.
• Salt House Tapas: Serves the BEST tapas in the whole of England. Hands down the best calamari I’ve ever had, and alongside other delicious orders of patatas bravas and trout with purple potatoes, it’s a great place to eat. When I visited, I told them about my comprehensive dietary restrictions, and in response, their chef crossed out everything on the menu that could kill me and wrote in delicious alternatives – and honestly, I’ve never felt so taken care of.
• Lovelocks: The best place to stop for tea and cake (and of course, coffee!). This pretty lil cafe has an insane amount of teas available, such as spiced chai, mint, jasmine, green, rooibos, and something called a Hive Latte which consists of Darjeeling tea with honeycomb and steamed milk. Yum!

And so, that concludes the Wandering Everywhere guide to Manchester (and surrounding areas)!

Have you guys ever visited the Cities of the North, or plan on travelling there soon? Let me know in the comments below!

BUT BEFORE YOU DO – WHY NOT SHARE THE LOVE AND PIN THIS POST?

Some of Karl’s best work follows him on journeys to the furthest corners of the globe. He explores the concept of arranged marriages in India, he tries plastic surgery in Los Angeles, he saves a turtle from a restaurant in Japan and keeps it in his bathtub, he tries to feed a biscuit to a boa constrictor in the Amazon Basin – he truly does it all. In my favourite show of his, The Moaning of Life, he traverses the globe to try to undercover, well, the meaning of life. He seeks the answers for life’s big questions – and at the end of the day, aren’t we all a little curious about how other cultures view identity, time, death, and the best ways to live our lives?

I’ll be frank with you and say that he’s probably my favourite traveller. He’s incredibly unpretentious and down-to-earth, but most importantly, he is one of the most honest men on TV. He’s an absolute legend, and nothing short of a household name in the UK.

Karl’s a sick writer and all of his books make for great reads – and I can promise you that you’ve never read travel journals quite like them. They’re so full of personality and written with that classic Karl Pilkington voice that you just can’t help but be drawn in, and I think that we could all benefit from trying to understand the world around us and our place within it.

And so, without further ado, here is my interview with my friend Karl. Or at least, Mancunian guy that replies to me during his morning sh*t.

Firstly, what’s your favourite biscuit?

I’m forever changing. At the minute I’m enjoying Foxes Jam and cream.

You’ve tried to retire a couple of times now, but got bored and went back to creating content. How are you finding this quarantine, and what are you doing to stay busy?

I’m quite happy being at home. I saw a sign last week telling people to ‘stay at home unless you really need to go out’ due to the virus, but that’s the way I’ve always lived. I’m most happy in my own space. I’ve been busy gardening, done some little jobs about the house, I’ve done some short audio animation podcast type things that I’ve been bunging on Facebook and done quite a bit of doodling.

I think people have probably learn’t a lot about themselves during this lockdown. In a quiet moment last week, I counted how many teeth I had in my head. There’s always something to do.

In Sick of It, you highlight issues such as depression and isolation. What do you think of this show as a platform to raise awareness for these issues?

That was never my plan. The stories are based on some of my own little worries and insecurities that I think most people have at some point in their life.  Issues like feeling out of place and not being good enough. I got a few letters and messages from viewers saying they could relate to it so that was good.

You say you’re not that confident, and yet you’ve done all of these amazing things and done them well. How do you overcome this, and get on with producing entertaining content?

It’s normally at the point when I still have time to walk away that I’m not that confident. Once I’ve signed a contract that says I’ll have to deliver something, I’m that focused on getting it done that the worry goes away until I’ve finished.

They try and teach kids to be mega confident but too much of it isn’t a good thing. It’s healthy to keep doubting what you are doing and questioning yourself.

I’ve seen a lot of interviews where the audience laughs at every single comment you make, regardless of whether or not it’s actually funny. In one interview with Alan Carr, there’s this point where you talk about the first dead person you ever saw. It’s quite obviously a serious subject, and yet the audience and Jimmy are still absolutely killing themselves over it. Is it incredibly annoying to say what you’re honestly thinking just for people to laugh at you?

I just think the audience has just been primed to laugh. The idea is, if the live audience is laughing, the viewers at home will laugh. It’s a bit lazy. They do it the other way as well, they put sad music on stuff so people will cry. I hate all that. If something is sad and written well, you could put a track from the Crazy Frog over the scene and it should still work.   

Do you think the branding of your older shows, such as An Idiot Abroad, has labelled you as a ‘funnyman’ and stopped you from doing other things you might have wanted to do?

It’s quite hard to control how people see you, and you can’t control what people find funny so I try not to worry about it. I remember it being tough when I had to promote Sick of It though. It’s a totally different tone to the travel stuff which is difficult to get through to people. I’m not that arsed if people don’t like what I do but it would annoy me if someone didn’t enjoy it cos they were expecting it to be something else. A lot of critics were surprised by the look and tone of the series as it’s not what they were used to doing. I have never set out for anything I’ve filmed to be funny, I just hoped people would find something interesting in it.

I think I got labelled ‘funnyman’ because I did stuff with Ricky and Steve who are comedians, so it was easier for people to bundle me in with what they do. I don’t watch that much funny stuff, I prefer stories like Kes. Vic and Bob make me laugh but laughter isn’t something I need loads of in my life.

Did it get annoying to have no control of any of the travel plans in An Idiot Abroad?

I just found it very tiring being on edge all the time not knowing when or even what time someone was going to knock on my hotel room door and shove a camera in my face.  The filming was always easier than the anticipation of the the filming if that makes sense. If someone said they are going to kick you in the bollocks, it’s always worse than someone just kicking you in the bollocks without warning.

What’s the best thing that you’ve experienced whilst shooting one of your shows abroad?

The best bit wasn’t abroad. It was when we filmed a murmuration in Somerset for The Moaning of Life. It’s when thousands of starlings fly in mass. It was really good. Everyone should try and witness it if they can. I first saw one on telly when Bill Oddie did a show about it. Normally telly makes things look better than reality but it was even more amazing in real life. In fact, this goes back to what I was saying earlier about adding laughter or sad music to stuff. They’d put music over it on the Bill Oddie programme and it really wasn’t needed as the sound of the starlings as they whizz about through the air added to the chaos of it.

In what ways do you think travel has changed you?

I think it changed me but I don’t know if that would have happened anyway with age. We’re all changing all the time. Like I said at the start, Jam n cream biscuits are my current favs but last week it was ginger stem biscuits.

You once said that it’s good to do stuff you’re proud of, so that you can sit back and be like ‘wow I did that.’ What would you say is your proudest achievement?

Paying the mortgage off probably. I can remember feeling quite happy that we had managed to do that. Completing the books and Sick of it are up there as good moments. Both things that I never thought I’d never be able to do.

Why is Wales your favourite British travel spot?

I haven’t been for years but when I was a kid me mam and dad had a caravan there on a campsite that had a really good arcade. All school holidays were spent there, and time when I should have been at school as well. I didn’t go abroad until I was about 22 I think.

What would you say are your personal seven wonders of the world?

Mainly nature things. The murmuration I’ve mentioned. Octopus amaze me. Most stuff in the sea is mind blowing. I found out the other day that sharks have been around longer than trees. How mad is that.

Finally, you’ve said that you’re not a planner, and that you’re not the sort of person to knock about with a five-year plan. What sort of advice would you give to people that had it all planned out, and now because of the coronavirus have had to re-plan their entire lives?

I’m not a planner but that doesn’t mean you can’t have dreams. I just don’t understand why you’d put a time limit on something. Why five years? When I was a kid and wanted to work in radio I didn’t put a time on it. I just kept working towards achieving it. If you want something enough just keep going for it. I think I enjoyed the journey more than reaching the goal.

I think that moral of the story is to be open, honest, and curious with everything you do… and when times get a little tough, don’t be afraid to give it a good old moan.

A massive thanks to Karl for the in-depth answers! He once said in another (less cool) interview that he wouldn’t want to continue doing travel docs because he wouldn’t want to exhaust the genre, but no one goes ‘oh that Michael Palin’s off again, he’s starting to take the mick with all this travelling,’ do they? So Karl, if you get bored of trying to retire once again, we’ll be here waiting.

And so, why not go off and watch Sick of It, or re-watch his travel docs? Or whilst you’re at it, read one of his books?

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DON’T DWELL ON THE FACT THAT YOU JUST SPENT 80 HOURS OF WAGES IN ONE GO

And you have nothing to show for it. Honestly, you’ll feel a lot better if you ignore that niggling feeling that you could have seen 16 Broadway shows, bought a decent car off Ebay, or taken your best friend on a two week trip around Poland, because if you think about how one beer there is worth five back home, you’ll end up being completely miserable.

MAKE SURE YOU’RE A MILLION PERCENT COMFORTABLE WITH THE PEOPLE YOU GO WITH

I’m pretty lucky that I’m relatively close with the main person I went with, as that meant we could complain about just how goddam much we needed to crap the whole time. Seriously, after the first day it’s all anyone cares about, and if you’re with someone who you feel awkward with then it’s just going to make it super difficult. Either way, if you’re not particularly close before you go, you’ll know everything about their bowel by the end of it.

So I stayed at  place called the Telawney Guest House, different to all the other places to stay with Trelawney in the title (‘Hotel’, ‘Place’, the list goes on), was run by a lovely woman called Tessa who told me about all the best places to eat the second I arrived, and stocked my room with organic green tea (yaaaas) and National Geographics and other cute things that made me feel safe and looked after – which, on a solo trip, is something that you really want to be feeling.

THE SHOPS

ROLY’S FUDGE PANTRY

I felt like I had to write about this separately, because it was so divine. Basically, it’s a little parlour where you can go in, try some handmade fudge, and watch them actually make it from nothing right in front of you. I walked in when the owner was rolling out the liquid fudge and scraping it out of this massive ass pan, and it was insane. It’s one of the most interesting things to see how your favourite treats are made, and it’s lovely that they put so much love and effort into it. Honestly, even if you don’t end up buying anything (the prices can be quite dear), it’s definitely something you should check out.

GLLYNVASE GARDENS

Look, it’s a spooky Welsh name in the Western part of England, as far away from Wales as you could possibly get whilst still staying in the same country! Anyway, whilst it was cute here with all it’s subtropical trees and the like, I can’t help thinking it would be so much better during Summer, so if any of y’all go then you have to prove me right. It’s also right next to one of the most famous beaches here, so it’s best for long walks where you just want to be with the sea, sand, and palm trees.

GLLYNVASE BEACH, SWANPOOL BEACH, CASTLE BEACH

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