Bristol, the premier city for the South West of England, serves as the entrance to some of the UK’s most beautiful locations, including Cornwall, Devon and Wales. Having the fifth largest population in England, as well as a rich and eventful history, Bristol has more recently transformed into a vibrant, modern city packed with attractions  and cheap hotel deals to suit every kind of visitor .

The original town was 10th century trading port and the city’s maritime heritage is highlighted by the achievements of Bristol’s most famous son, the great Victorian inventor Kingdom Brunel. He was responsible for the SS Great Britain, which became the first iron-hulled, propeller-driven ship to pass between the UK and America and, of course, the renowned Clifton Suspension Bridge with its breathtaking view of the city.

For those who like shopping, the recently built Cabot Circus shopping complex has propelled Bristol into the top 10 list of UK shopping destinations. With over 100 new shops, in addition to restaurants, cafes and delis, and a state-of-the-art 13-screen Showcase Cinema de Lux, this impressive site guarantees that shoppers will not leave Bristol disappointed. Continue Reading

The convenience of living close to London and the glorious south west offered by Hampshire is one of the diversity few counties can offer. Among the most populous southern English counties, with 1.6 million population and a great place to live and work, Hampshire is a county famous for its countryside,coastline and rich heritage. The M3 and M27 make travelling through the county really easy, so driving from Southampton to London can take less than an hour.

You can relax in many ways during your free time, like walking in the New Forest, sailing on the water, and taking advantage of shopping at West Quay, visit Southampton, shop and dine at Gunwharf in Portsmouth and the town of Basingstoke. Hampshire is certainly the place for you if you want bright city lights, a village from a picture-book, or a bucket-and-spade seaside resort like Southsea.(Places I would highly recommend are Winchester with it’s stunning catherdral~Winchester with it’s lovely cathedral is a place well worth a visit}. (Fordingbridge is a lovely area and is close to the New Forest~Also Fordingbridge, a superb place, amust for all visitors}.

In Portsmouth, Gosport and Southampton you’ll find a lot of literary, artistic and historical attractions and along the coast you will find activity centres, nature reserves and county parks.

Catch the ferry to the Isle of Wight, It takes roughtly 30 to 45 minutes across the water depending on which port you travel from. The ferry is very frequent around one or two an hour which makes it easy to visit the island. Continue Reading