You’re probably already familiar with the concept of the fashion or beauty dupe: an item of clothing or product that resembles in form and function the original must-have item you’re exchanging it for, but that often costs significantly less without at the expense of quality. This trend has swept across TikTok (of course) and has now expanded into the realm of travel. The idea is to exchange a popular destination for one that has similar qualities, but is often overlooked and fewer people know about.
In this climate of overtourism, ‘destination dupes’ should definitely be encouraged: who wants to fight through the crowds to get to a particular landmark or restaurant, or even just walk down the street? So destination dupes are just as travel-worthy as their tried-and-true doppelgängers, but you’re more likely to have them to yourself – and, ideally, because they’re off the beaten track, they might not be as expensive. So why not take a chance on an unexpected spot that promises to be just as fascinating as the place it’s doubling for?
Your old charm: swap the Cotswolds for Tewkesbury
With medieval market towns, ancient castles and even Roman villas, the Cotswolds, in Oxfordshire, has a deserved reputation as one of the most charming regions in Britain. Pretty chocolate box villages are standard, such as Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold and Castle Combe which entice visitors with their cricket greens, duck ponds, tearooms and antique shops.
Buildings are constructed from honey-colored local stone, giving them a sacred, golden glow. But such beauty comes at a price, meaning that on weekends, public holidays and school holidays these small places can become packed with traffic and people, making finding a parking space virtually impossible and creating queues around the corner. for a cream. tea.
Swap these oversubscribed communities for the pretty market town of Tewkesbury, in nearby Gloucestershire. Situated where the Rivers Severn and Avon meet, you will come across many original black and white half-timbered houses, many of which are Grade II listed. You can stroll through historic narrow, winding alleys, take a stroll along the riverbanks or board a boat for a cruise on the Avon. There is also a beautiful Norman abbey from the 12th century, an extensive nature reserve and a museum that tells the story of the city’s fascinating past. This includes the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, a decisive part of the Wars of the Roses. Plan your visit in July and you’ll attend the city’s internationally renowned medieval festival, featuring a major reenactment of this famous scuffle, as well as entertainment, food and music.
Where to stay
Set within 56 hectares of private grounds, Hilton Puckrup Hall offers access to the 18-hole Puckrup Hall Golf Club, as well as an indoor pool and fitness centre. On site is the original Puckrup Hall Manor House. It is a Grade II listed building, with 16 bedrooms and a croquet lawn, and is suitable for larger groups and events.
Mountain walks – swap the Pennines for Snowdonia
Often referred to as “the backbone of England”, due to its length and location in the north of the country, the Pennines range runs from Derbyshire and Staffordshire in the North Midlands to Northumberland in the northeast. It covers the Peak District, the South Pennines, the Yorkshire Dales and the North Pennines, giving mountain enthusiasts plenty of opportunity for beautiful walks and hikes.
The landscape includes dry stone walls, rocky outcrops, rolling hills and winding streams, and the landscape ranges from deep valleys to dizzying mountain ridges. You can even walk the Pennine Way, a challenging but beautiful 270-mile route that stretches from Derbyshire to the Scottish border. As you can imagine, all this beauty makes the Pennines incredibly popular, and it is estimated that the Peak District alone attracts more than 13 million visitors every year.
Leave the hordes behind and head instead to Snowdonia, in north-west Wales; the Eryri National Park contains all 15 Welsh mountains over 900 meters high, including Snowdon – or Year Wyddfa – the highest in the country (3,560 feet). The park covers 213,156 hectares (823 sq mi) and is visited by almost 4 million people every year, giving the feeling of more breathing space than in the busy Pennines. If you don’t plan to climb Snowdon, you can explore 11,000 hectares of native forest, walk the 70 miles of coastline or choose from hundreds of walking and hiking trails that take you through lush valleys, past sparkling lakes or near tumbling waterfalls. feed .
Where to stay
Close to the historic walled town of Conwy, Hilton Garden Inn Snowdonia offers a wide range of activities. Hotel amenities include a fitness and recreation center, as well as on-site dining. The adjacent Zip World offers reduced prices for hotel guests – there’s a soft play area for younger children, while for older family members the adventure offering ranges from Altitude Climber to Elevation Indoors.
Rest by the sea – swap Cornwall for Bournemouth
Cornwall is the definition of a victim of its own success. Over the past few decades, this peninsula in the far west of Britain has evolved from a collection of sleepy fishing villages to a bouji holiday destination and a magnet for second home owners. This means that in high season the roads and villages are completely clogged, to the increasing anger of the local population. It’s not much fun for visitors either.
Take the road less traveled to an underrated seaside resort in Dorset, on the south coast of England: Bournemouth. It boasts seven miles of sandy beaches, lined with traditional beach huts, as well as attractive parks and gardens and plenty of entertainment.
You can enjoy invigorating walks along Bournemouth Bay and take in panoramic views from the cliffs, as well as discover the extensive marshes and marshes and diverse wildlife of Hengistbury Head Nature Reserve. Don’t miss a trip to the fascinating Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, a well-preserved late Victorian family villa with many period features.
If you’ve had enough of the coast, Bournemouth has the added bonus of being just a short drive from the New Forest. This breathtaking landscape is home to the most extensive moorland in Europe, as well as iconic New Forest ponies and rare birds such as the nightjar. The New Forest has inspired great works of literature, from Sherlock Holmes to Alice in Wonderland, and is a place where you can lose yourself – both figuratively and literally.
Where to stay
Take your pick from Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth, a small, centrally located outpost close to the beach, or its big sister, Hilton Bournemouth, close to Bournemouth Gardens, with a rooftop bar with city views and a full-service spa.
Prehistoric caves – swap Cheddar Gorge for Kents Cavern
A striking, naturally formed limestone gorge in the middle of Somerset’s Mendip Hills, Cheddar Gorge is famous for several things (not least the sharp-tasting, hard cheese that gives it its name). Here you’ll find the Cheddar ‘show caves’, where Britain’s oldest complete skeleton, estimated to be around 10,000 years old, was found in 1903.
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The caves, carved out by an underground river over thousands of years, contain fascinating stalagmites and stalactites, and visitors can explore two of them. Gough’s Cave, named after Richard Cox Gough who discovered it in 1890, contains a variety of large rock chambers and formations, and the area attracts around half a million visitors a year, putting a strain on parking spaces and creating queues or timed entry for visitors. the caves.
So swap Cheddar Gorge for Kents Cavern, an ancient cave system near Torquay in Devon, said to be Britain’s oldest human settlement. A prehistoric fragment of jawbone discovered here in 1927 was found to be a whopping 44,000 years old. Despite this kind of history, Kents Cavern only attracts around 80,000 visitors a year, so chances are you’ll even have the place – with all the stalagmites and stalactites you could ever need – to yourself.
Where to stay
Hampton by Hilton Torquay is just a few minutes’ drive from Kents Cavern and overlooks the English Riviera. Torquay Marina, Princess Pier and Torquay Beach are close by. Hotel amenities include a fitness center and meeting rooms.
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