The New Forest became the first national park in the south of England and is a former royal hunting forest. It covers 220 square miles and has 26 miles of coastline, including Bournemouth and Southbourne’s long sandy beaches. It’s famous for the iconic New Forest Pony together with donkeys, pigs and cattle roaming free. There is something for everyone in the New Forest National Park. Birdwatchers love it because it’s home to a large variety of species of birds of prey. It’s the perfect habitat for buzzards, kestrels and sparrow hawks.

Lyndhurst is one of the largest villages in Hampshire and is well worth a visit for the New Forest Centre which is also home of the tourist information. There is no shortage of good restaurants and Gastro-pubs in the area with meat generally being sourced at local farms and the fish landed at one of the small fishing villages along the coast. The New Forest is the ideal cycling destination for families wanting safe off-road and gentle cycling routes.

We recommend staying at Hill Cottage Farm Camping and Caravan Site in Fordingbridge and Back of Beyond Touring Camping and Glamping Park in Ringwood.

Set on the River Thames in Oxford and famous for the world’s greatest royal rowing regatta, Henley has recently been voted one of the most beautiful towns in England and is a regular winner of Britain in Bloom medals. It hosts the summer arts festival every July and Rewind, for lovers of 80s music in August. You could say it’s a town that knows how to throw a party!

There are many ways to enjoy the River Thames as it flows through one of its most famous stretches at Henley. Hobbs of Henley and Salters Steamers both run scheduled trips down the regatta course and Temple Island throughout the summer months or you can hire a boat yourself (henleyriverboats.com) or even learn to row (Henley Rowing Association). When it comes to walking in Henley, there are short guided historic tours, nature trails, riverside walks and long country rambles. The High Street in Henley offers an excellent mix of shops, cafes and restaurants with Georgian frontages covering period properties and its impressive Town Hall at the top of Market Place. You must visit Berries Coffee, for the best cookie and flat white coffee in town!

We recommend staying at Swiss Farm Touring and Camping Site (info@swissfarmhenley.co.uk) and Hurley Riverside Park. Swiss Farm have an excellent on-site restaurant and bar, Farm Kitchen, which serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and host speciality nights. 10/10!

This region is full of contrasting landscapes, including forests, rolling hills and stunning coastline. Steeped in history, follow the footsteps of Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots or their national poet Robert Burns. Visit the Mull of Galloway, the southernmost point of Scotland. Here, you can climb the Lighthouse Tower and get a stunning view of four countries from the top! The region is home to the Galloway International Dark Sky Park, the first of its kind in the UK, a must for stargazers. The forest offers many activities including fishing, mountain biking and canoeing. The native wild shrub, yellow gorse, is visible everywhere along the Solway coast between Rockcliffe and Kippford, popular with walkers.

Recommended places to stay and contacts:

Castle Point Caravan and Camping Site (castlepointcs@gmail.com)

Sands of Luce Holiday Park (info@sandsofluce.com)

Balloch O’Dee Campsite (theperfecthideaway@live.co.uk)

The Elan Valley is a river valley situated to the west of Rhayader in Powys Wales, sometimes referred to as the Welsh Lake District. It attracts wildlife enthusiasts and walkers as it is famous for its picturesque scenery with over 80% of the valley designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The area is designated as an International Dark Sky Park.

Popular with cyclists of all abilities, visitors can explore the estate on a relaxed ride while the more experienced can get the adrenaline pumping on one of the graded natural mountain bike trails. The Visitor Center is a good starting point for your visit. It’s panoramic windows in the cafe offer an amazing view of the River Elan and the Caban Coch Dam, as does the patio area for sitting outside in good weather.

We recommend staying at Elan Oaks Camping and Caravan Site and Red Kite Touring Park.

The Chilterns is an area of outstanding natural beauty, covering 833 square kilometres of countryside, stretching from the River Thames in southern Oxfordshire up through Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire to Hertfordshire. It is an excellent base for walking and cycling holidays. The Chiltern Cycleway is a 170 mile circular route, providing confident cyclists with challenging steep climbs and descents. For walking enthusiasts, the area offers beautiful routes, for example the National Trust’s Ashridge Estate. Here, you will find beech and oak woodlands, commons and chalk downlands.

These very different landscapes each support a rich variety of wildlife, including carpets of bluebells in spring, rare butterflies in summer and fallow deer that rut in autumn. The Chilterns is one of the best places in the UK to see red kites after their reintroduction into the area 20 years ago.

Here, we recommend staying at Cholsey Grange.

Under the gaze of the three peaks lies the village of Ingleton. It is a picturesque traditional Dales village set in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Holidays here can be as active or as laid back as you like. The Ingleton Waterfalls trail is 5 miles long and is open all year for visitors. Here you will see some of the most spectacular waterfall and woodland scenery in the North of England. The walk is challenging in places but suitable for children.

The commanding Ribblehead Viaduct is one of the great Victorian feats of engineering in England and carries the Settle to Carlisle railway line across the Batty Moss (as it was known when it was built) and is a must see when visiting the area. If browsing round gift shops, enjoying a cuppa and a slice of cake in a cafe or having a pint in one of the many public houses is what you like, then Ingleton has it all to offer.

We recommend Thornbrook Barn Caravan Site.