Category Archives: Travel Tips

An Insider’s Guide to North Norfolk

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North Norfolk, perched on the shoulder of East Anglia, is most famous for its miles of sandy beaches. But this remote corner of England has a cornucopia of other delightful things to see and do. Here’s a potted guide to some of the best.

Glebe Farmhouse B&B, Norfolk (photo courtesy of the owner)

STAY

Glebe Farmhouse, North Creake Run by local artist Mary MacCarthy, this 17th century farmhouse is a flower-filled oasis which you won’t want to leave. Gorgeous gardens, fabulous hosts, delicious breakfasts, and staggering distance from the coast and the local watering holes. Rooms are £85 per night (two sharing), or £80 for two nights or more.

Bagthorpe Treehouse What better way to live out your glamping fantasies than in a splendid treehouse secreted on a North Norfolk estate. This is tree-dwelling in luxury: you even get a copper bathtub. Like Glebe, this sylvan spot is right on the coast, near the popular town of Burnham Market. Prices are from £215 (sleeps 4) per night.

EAT

Wiveton Cafe, Wiveton  Locally grown food, an ebullient owner, resplendent views and classy but simple decor make the cafe a favourite North Norfolk eatery of mine. Walk off your lunch by picking some of the farm’s home grown fruit and veg, including raspberries, artichokes and asparagus. For opening times click here.

The Gunton Arms, Thorpe Market Opened recently to a fanfare of puff and publicity, I have to say that the Gunton Arms does live up to its lofty reputation. Its classy without being snotty, welcoming to locals and ‘foreigners’ alike and stuffed with eye-wateringly valuable artwork. Plus the location, in Gunton Deer Park, is sublime. The head chef’s previous posts include Selfridges and Hix Oyster and Chop. A pedigree place indeed.

The Anchor at Morston An old fashioned pub ideal for a bowl of local mussels after a blustery walk on the marshes. Make sure you get a seat in the bar though, as it’s much cosier than the restaurant. The Seafood chowder, oysters and mussels are not to be missed.

DRINK

The Earl Arms, Heydon If Constable, Miss Marple and Britain in Bloom all collaborated to create the quintessential English village, they’d come up with Heydon. And the Earl Arms, on the edge of the perfect village green, is the quintessential English pub. Old-fashioned, filled with locals and refreshingly devoid of the Farrow & Ball treatment that seems to have beset most English pubs, this is a superb spot to while away a summer’s evening.

The Albatross, Wells-next-the-sea Moored at Wells Quay, this 113 year old Dutch cargo ketch was the last sail driven cargo ship in Europe, only retiring from duty in 2000. Now this beautiful old girl serves as a bar, restaurant, live music venue and B&B. There’s an excellent selection of local ales and live music every weekend. If you’ve drunk too much Wherry to walk the gangplank, you can even stay in one of the old cabins.

SHOP

The Blue Jacket Workshop The Blue Jacket is the sort of place you go in for a nose around, and come out with an empty bank account. Amongst the locally made artistry there’s wonderful woodwork by Nick Hammond, tantalising textiles by Saffron Paffron and stunning mosaics by Nick’s wife Helen. An empty-handed escape isn’t an option. Conveniently, the Blue Jacket has it’s own B&B and campsite and is just over the road from The Anchor pub (see below).

Big Blue Sky, Wells-next-the-sea Big Blue Sky, situated right on the Coast road in Wells, is filled with everything imaginable that’s made in Norfolk: soaps, tea-pots, knitwear, doggy treats, books, honey…. all in a beautiful airy space. A great many cuts above your usual souvenir shop.

The Blue Jacket Workshop, Morston (photo courtesy of the owner)

DO

Go to the beach You couldn’t possibly spend time in North Norfolk and not go to one of its many beaches. My personal favourite is Wells, where you walk out past the row of brightly-painted beach huts, turn left and stroll for miles along a vast swathe of golden sand. Much quieter than neighbouring Holkham beach.

Walk out to Blakeney Point at low tide On a summer’s day, at low tide, a walk out to Blakeney Point is pure magic. Start at either Morston or Stiffkey, make sure you’ve studied the tide table and walk across the marshes and out to the point, home to a colony of common and grey seals. You rarely see another soul out here, and on a sunny day, with nothing but sand and sea for miles, there are few places on earth that beat it.

Houghton Hall walled gardens Norfolk is awash with staggeringly grand stately piles: Holkham, Blickling, Heydon, Felbrigg and Houghton being a few. Houghton – seat of the first PM Sir Robert Walpole – as well as being a beautiful house, also has arguably the best walled garden in England. In a state of ruin until 1991, the gardens have since been restored to their former glory. See here for opening times and prices.

Ants BK was born and brought up near Blakeney, on the North Norfolk coast. All her family still live there and she visits regularly.

This article first appeared on Wanderlust magazine’s website as an Insider’s Secrets article.

 

Don’t spill the milk or walk over the lasso pole

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A Brief Guide to Mongolian ger etiquette….

A typical Mongolian ger

If you’re lucky enough to be packing your bags for Mongolia this summer, the likelihood is you’ll be spending a night or three in a ger, the traditional felt tents of the nation’s nomads. Ah, the magic of sleeping in one of these fabulous constructions, the bittersweet taste of Airag (fermented mare’s milk), the sight of a million glittering stars peering through the ger roof. But beware! Whilst Mongolians are legendarily hospitable, they are also extremely superstitious, and life in the ger is bound in a complex web of beliefs and traditions. So you don’t offend your hosts or the Gods, here are few pointers as to how to successfully navigate your first ger experience.

  • When you first approach the ger, call out “Nokhoi khor” which literally means, “Hold the dog”. This is the Mongolian equivalent of knocking on the door, and will save you being savaged by the resident guard dog.
  • Go to the left hand side of a ger when you enter; the right hand side is the domain of the family.
  • Be respectful – don’t take photos without asking, don’t touch things in the ger and don’t have long conversations in a language your hosts can’t understand.
  • The first thing that will happen is you’ll be offered food and drink, most likely dairy products (dried curds), salty tea or airag. As gastronomically unfamiliar as this may be to you, never refuse. Even if you touch the tea to your lips and take a tiny bite of the curds, do try something as flatly refusing will cause your hosts offence.
  • If you are male, you may well be offered the snuff box by your host. If you want some, empty a little bit onto your hand and inhale. Even if you don’t want the snuff, just say yes and go through the actions of taking and inhaling some. Occasionally, the snuffbox may be empty. In this case, pretend there is some and again, go through the motions of taking some and look appreciative. Snuff boxes are carried by almost all Mongolian men in the countryside.
  • Every ger will have an altar at the back. Don’t sit with your back or feet towards it.
  • If you have sleeves, keep them rolled down so as not to expose your wrists, particularly when shaking hands or taking food or drink. If you have short sleeves, pretend to pull them down as a symbol of respect.
  • Always accept food or drink with your right hand (or with both if the dish or cup is heavy), with the left hand supporting the right elbow.
  • Take off your gloves when shaking hands.
  • Sit cross-legged with your feet underneath you.
  • Leave a small gift, other than money, for your hosts.
  • If you accidentally kick a Mongolian’s feet, immediately shake their hand. This is not refined to gers – you should do this even if you are walking down the street in Ulaanbaatar.
  • When offered some vodka, dip the ring finger of your right hand into the glass, and lightly flick a drop (not too much – vodka is also sacred) once towards the sky (for Tengri, the god of the sky), once in the air (to the wind), and once to the ground, for Gadzer, god of the earth. If you don’t want any vodka, go through the customs anyway, put the same finger to your forehead, say thanks, and return the glass to the table.
  • Don’t lean against a support column or wall of the ger as they represent stability. You might also confuse a column for the stove pipe, which will burn you terribly if you lean on it.
  • Don’t whistle inside a ger.
  • Don’t stand on or lean over the ger threshold.
  • Fire is sacred to Mongolians so don’t throw rubbish or water on it.
  • It’s disrespectful to walk in front of an older person, so try and avoid doing this.
  • Neither touch other people’s hats nor leave your hat on the floor.
  • Every family will have an urga, a long wooden lasso pole. It’s very bad luck to walk over one of these when they are lying on the ground.
  • Milk is also sacred to the Mongols, so endeavour not to spill any.
  • Don’t touch people (including children) on the head or hold their shoulder, it’s believed to take away that person’s good luck.

However, if you do spill milk, walk over an urga and pat the children on the head, your hosts will understand you’re foreign and won’t throw you out in disgust. But a little perceived effort to respect the nomad’s customs will get you a long way and make for an even more fabulous stay on the steppe.

Ants in Mongolia with a camel

This article first appeared on Wanderlust’s Insider’s Secrets blog.