Where would you go for “a true taste of old England”? Maybe to the honey-toned cottages of the Cotswolds, the medieval streets of York or Canterbury’s fabled corners. East Anglia, however, within the nation’s crooked right elbow, may be overlooked. Britons forget, or perhaps don’t know of, Norwich’s two cathedrals and rainbow-painted cobbled streets, Colchester’s past as a Roman capital or the wool trade that brought wealth, and handsome, half-timbered houses to the region’s dozens of market towns.
This collection of four counties – Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex – has long been a holiday afterthought among British tourists. Overseas visitors, meanwhile, may take a day trip to Cambridge – to reflect on the centuries of knowledge imparted in its colleges and to stop for a pint in The Eagle, where Francis Crick and James Watson revealed they had “found the secret of life” (DNA) – but then immediately return to London without considering the area that stretches beyond this small city on the River Cam.
Next year, however, could be one in which East Anglia receives its due appreciation. Lonely Planet has included the region among its “Best in Travel 2025” – a list of the best destinations to visit. It is the only place in the UK to feature. Alongside the opportunity to sample “old England”, the hotlist praises “the beautiful nature reserves for birding, such as Minsmere and Cley Marshes, lively coastal beach towns and picturesque inland waterways.”
As Cornish and Welsh holiday hotspots seek ways in which to reduce the impact of tourism, especially in the peak weeks of summer, England’s east remains relatively free of crowds.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the region received 2.2 million visits from international arrivals in 2023 compared to 20.3 million for London and 4.3 million for the South East. Now is the time to visit, before the buzz spreads beyond the British Isles.
East Anglia’s low-lying counties may not have the drama of the Lakes or the Highlands, but their flatness brings its own beauty. Take, for example, the view of the cathedral that dates to 1083 as you drive towards the Fenland city of Ely, the sparse patchwork of pine trees, sand dunes and reed beds along north Norfolk’s coast and the scenes from the Stour Valley and Dedham Vale along the Suffolk and Essex border.
Seaside towns with Victorian heritage, such as Hunstanton and Southwold, Saxon sites at Sutton Hoo and West Stow, and the marshy tracts filled with natural history offer three routes from which to begin an exploration of the region.
Fans of John Constable’s works might prepare for a holiday in Suffolk with a trip to the National Gallery. Its Discover Constable & The Hay Wain exhibition, running until 2 February, looks at his inspirations for, and his influence on, depictions of the English countryside.
Cambridge may be the obvious choice for a city break, but Norwich also receives a special mention in Lonely Planet’s report. It is a creative place, with a castle, independent businesses lining the Lanes (a network of shopping streets) an off-beat theatre and literature scenes, fed by venues such as the Puppet Theatre and the creative writing department at UEA (the University of East Anglia).
Then there are the oddities of Essex: its estuary islands of mud flats, pastel beach huts, nature reserves and seafood are a left-field choice for weekend breaks – and birdwatching.
And, while beach-side fish and chip suppers may be best savoured on the long nights of summer, now is a peak season for ornithologists along the region’s water sources. Thousands of birds migrate to the east of England from September, into winter. Barnacle geese, golden plovers, pintails and common pochards are among the species to spot on East Anglian coastlines and wetlands.
The rest of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2025
The 10 best cities
- Toulouse
The report suggests that visitors to this “Paris in miniature” time their visit to coincide with the 2023 reopening of Musée des Augustins, a14th-century cloistered convent that has been a beacon of Toulouse’s art scene since 1795.
2. Pondicherry, India
3. Bansko, Bulgaria
4. Chiang Mai, Thailand
5. Genoa, Italy
6. Pittsburgh, USA
7. Osaka, Japan
8. Curitiba, Brazil
9. Palma de Mallorca, Spain
10. Edmonton, Canada
The 10 best countries
- Cameroon
This west African country celebrates 65 years of independence in 2025. Among its lures are the beaches of Kribi, free from the trappings of mass tourism.
2. Lithuania
3. Fiji
4. Laos
5. Kazakhstan
6. Paraguay
7. Trinidad & Tobago
8. Vanuatu
9. Slovakia
10. Armenia
Top 10 regions
- South Carolina’s Low Country and Coastal Georgia, USA
Miles of coast, city stops in Charleston and Savannah and the new International African American Museum helped this southern region take first place.
2. The Terai, Nepal
3. Chiriqui, Panama
4. Launceston & the Tamar Valley, Australia
5. Valais, Switzerland
6. Giresun & Ordu, Turkiye
7. Bavaria, Germany
8. East Anglia, England
9. Jordan Trail
10. Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge region, Oregon, USA
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