Travel in county Sussex

In a world where we rely so heavily on GPS to get from A to B, it's easy to tune out from the natural navigational clues that surround us.

As I slip out of my clothes, my stomach pinches with fear. The beach – Pevensey Bay in East Sussex – is inky black and eerily empty. The sound of slurping seawater seems noisier than usual, the air smells brinier than it does during the day, and the night breeze feels cool and sharp.

In this series of articles, I talk to a wide range of travel experts, insiders and luxury brands to find out more about the future of travel for next year and beyond. In Part 1, I wrote about the search for authentic travel and how technology can elevate travel experiences. For Part 2, I spoke to Black Tomato about the rise in people wanting to capture special moments through travel experiences. Today, I take a deep dive into the rise of sustainable architecture, the trend of happy hotel design and the quest for the best of sleep science.

Measuring in at just under 6,500 square kilometers, Delaware is the second-smallest of the fifty states—but in spite of its pint-sized stature, this coastal region is home to a massive array of attractions for visitors to enjoy. Incredible seafood, top-tier craft beer, and dazzling wildlife can all be found in abundance across the state, with Sussex County offering all three in one fell swoop. Located roughly thirty minutes south of the capital city of Dover, this sprawling seaside region is a true gem of the Atlantic, serving as the perfect ticket for a truly memorable vacation along the scenic shores of the First State.

Celebrating its 10th birthday this year, Glow Wild at Wakehurst, Kew’s more rural botanic garden in the Sussex countryside, will feature a huge illuminated whale and a projected version of Catherine Nelson’s colourful Planet Wakehurst, one of the UK’s biggest outdoor artworks. There will be thousands of lanterns as always, crafted by local volunteers, community groups and artists. This year’s shapes include buzzing pollinators, leaping fish, raindrops, thunderclouds and tiny seahorses. Wakehurst boasts the UK’s tallest living Christmas tree, a 37-metre-high giant redwood decorated with 1,800 bulbs. There’s an interactive puppet show near the marshmallow-toasting firepit and wishing stars to hang in the trees.Various evenings from 23 November to 1 January, adult from £18, child from £11.50,kew.org

I’m on a bus, hurtling over the hills at exhilarating speed. An oxbow lake flashes into view: while geography was never a passion, the sharp curves of the meandering river as it reaches the sea at Cuckmere Haven demand my full attention. The arresting view has featured in paintings by Eric Ravilious as well as a Hollywood film or two.

It has the same chalky soil as the Champagne region and its wine has the same protected status – and often beats French fizz in blind tastings. Now Sussex has launched a plan to attract many more visitors to its 138 vineyards, aiming to increase the value of wine tourism from £25m today to £283m by 2040.

Tim Chester, Web Editor: From the Turner Contemporary gallery to the proliferation of other indie art spaces, retro shops and cute cafés in the Old Town, Margate now offers much more than its beautifully dilapidated seafront. Dubbed “romantic, sexy and weird” by local girl Tracey Emin, this gem on the Isle of Thanet constitutes one of the highlights of the forthcoming Rough Guide to Kent, Sussex and Surrey for many good reasons.

Yurt and tipi camps have been springing up all over Britain. They range from a single canvas structure pitched in a farmer's spare field to multi-tent sites spread over tracts of woodland and with all the activities and facilities you'd expect at a modern campsite. Here are our top ten favourites.

With international travel rules changing day-by-day, it's no wonder that many of us are hoping to avoid disappointment by holidaying closer to home this year. As summer 2021 shapes up to be the season of the Great British Staycation, there's never been a better time to plan a UK break. Sign up for our newsletter to receive a free chapter of our Rough Guide Staycations Cotswolds — Cotswolds.