When most people (and especially most Americans) plan their first trip to the UK, a handful of destinations usually end up on their itinerary: London, Stonehenge, maybe Oxford, Edinburgh, the Scottish Highlands, and perhaps a hop over to Dublin since it's so close.
I don't know of very many people who add Wales to their first UK itinerary.
In fact, it took me more than five visits to Britain before I finally spent any mentionable amount of time in Wales. Everyone knows about London, and Scotland does a great job of marketing itself to tourists. Wales, on the other hand, largely gets overlooked.
But I get it. Because there are so many reasons why you should never go to Wales.
First, watch this video from Wales:
Why you should never visit Wales*
Reasons why you should probably never plan a trip to Wales include…
1. Castles, castles, castles
Wales has a ridiculous number of castles – over 600 of them, in fact, which leads many people to call the country the “castle capital of the world.” That seems a bit excessive, doesn't it? I mean, does a small country like Wales really need THAT many castles?
Many of them are in ruins now, and a few are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Seems like a lot of upkeep, if you ask me.
And, really, who wants to drive around and see a castle on nearly every hilltop? Doesn't that get old after a while?
2. All the legends
Wales has a lot of legends associated with it and its history, from dragons to magic swords to holy drinking vessels.
The legend of Merlin, for example, was based on the Welsh legends of the wizard Myrddin Wyllt, and many historians argue that King Arthur isn't a myth at all, but instead a real figure from Welsh history (though perhaps not actually a king). There's the mystery surrounding the Nanteos Cup, too, which many believe to be THE Holy Grail.
But c'mon, Wales. No need to be putting fairy tales in peoples heads.
3. Old language
Go home, Wales: your language is drunk.
The Welsh language is an old one – it dates back thousands of years, in fact, and is likely the oldest language in Britain. And yet the language has changed little despite so many millennia passing. It's still ridiculously difficult to speak (well, for us non-Welsh, at least), and don't even bother trying to read signs in Welsh. It's just futile.
This is seriously a place name in Wales:
It means “The Church of Mary in the hollow of the white hazel near the fierce whirlpool and the Church of Tysilio by the red cave.”
Yes. For real. It's one of the longest place names in the world.
If the place names aren't silly enough, Tolkien also based one of his versions of the Elvish language (Sindarin) on Old Welsh. So yes, it's so strange-sounding and old that it was actually the basis for a made-up fantasy language.
4. The scenery
Wales has all sorts of scenery, from rolling hills (that they call mountains) to crashing coastlines. The roads through some of this scenery are twisting and so narrow that two cars literally can't pass one another. And they're often littered with sheep.
The combination of these two things will probably mean that you'll stop a lot when driving and you'll be late to everything.
And then there are the beaches, which are far too empty and clean compared to ones you'll find elsewhere in Europe. Some have even won awards and stuff, which kind of just makes it feel like Wales is showing off.
5. Adventure sports
People in Wales are a little crazy.
Not only do they do things like surfing and whitewater rafting in frigid mountain water, but they also like to fly down mountainsides on bikes, hurtle over old quarries on zip lines, and even invented a sport that combines swimming, coastal hiking, and cliff jumping in a sport the Welsh have dubbed “coasteering.”
I know of New Zealand as an adventure-crazy country, but Wales may be just as insane when it comes to inventive (and abundant) ways to hurt yourself.
RELATED: 7 Epic Adventures to Have in North Wales
6. Adorable towns
Little Welsh towns – like the ones you'll find in Snowdonia – are unbearably cute. With old stone buildings and cozy low-ceilinged cafes and pubs, it's just too much.
Dial back on the quaintness, Wales. Seriously. You're going to leave people very disappointed when they visit other villages after these.
7. Welsh humbleness
People in wales are far too humble. Whereas in Scotland they are quick to tell you what a town or loch or island is famous for, in Wales you almost have to force it out of the locals.
They also don't like to brag about their famous Welsh residents (like Tom Jones and Roald Dahl) or about cool accomplishments (they built the first traffic suspension bridge) or fun facts (Wales is home to a 4,000 year old tree!).
Stop being so darn sheepish, Wales! (I mean, I know you HAVE lots of sheep, but you don't need to act like them.) A little bragging every once in a while will do you good.
8. Not a lot of tourists
Lastly, since most tourist to the UK go to places like London and Edinburgh, you'll find many parts of Wales virtually devoid of any tourists. You can walk into a pub in many small cities and find only locals speaking Welsh (who will give you a strange look when you start speaking English).
Even the touristy places still feel very quiet.
It's a real shock after visiting so many other parts of the UK where you just find busloads and busloads of tourists.
*I don't hate Wales, folks
To address all the angry people leaving comments on this post… of course I don't actually hate Wales!
In case my snarkiness didn't come through, let me state it plainly: this entire post is written tongue-in-cheek.
These are all reasons why you SHOULD visit Wales. I think Wales is an amazing part of the UK, and I'm frankly baffled over why more people don't visit.
With all the castles, beautiful scenery, outdoor adventure, and the fact that there aren't a ton of tourists, there's really no denying that Wales is a great destination.
I only spent a handful of days in northern Wales, but it was long enough for me to conclude that Wales is very special (and I'm definitely not saying that just because I have a Welsh surname…).
In fact, I think my next trip to the UK might be JUST a trip to Wales!
Who's ready to plan a trip to Wales?
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*Note: I was a guest of Visit Wales and Visit Britain on this trip, but all opinions – along with replies to all nasty comments left by people who haven't actually read this post – as always, are 100% my own.
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
I lived in North Wales for several years and it was great to revisit them in your exellent photos. Can I add a couple of places to see? Gwidyr Castle in the Conwy Valley, Aberdaron on the Llyn Peninsula and St. Winefrid’s Well near Flint. I have also visited Ohio and had a great time. I met the Amish in Lancaster County and paddled down the Tuscarawas River in a canoe. Happy days!
We try to keep it our secret
Wales!
I have lived in Wales and was raised there and still do live there and it does get boring a bit but i love it
I was born and raised in England Joseph – and god am I glad, I still live there – It never gets boring reading these comments
HaHa!
Looks like I found a place to go…….Are their any air flights over to Dublin?
Please advise!
I’m sure there are! I haven’t traveled between Dublin and Wales personally, but I’m sure there are flights to Cardiff during more “normal” times.
I watched a series on Amazon Prime yesterday called “Hidden”. Loved the series but loved even more the scenery of Wales. I got your humour right away. I’m old and worn out but would love to move to Wales. Have lived in north Florida since 1965 and have hated every summer here.
Are you English
A simple click over to my “About Me” page could answer that for you! No, I’m not English.
The weather is really the only thing that deters me
wales look like a great country I have never been there but I’ve heard it’s a great place so what if there are fairy tales and those sports look fun.
Brilliantly stated! The outrageous amount of charm, antiquity, natural beauty, history, lovely people, and freshly made bara brith in cozy tea houses should be illegal. I hope that when I return to Wales, this time for horse trekking, Wales has corrected all these issues.
I think this is a horrible thing to post. I will never come back to this website. The pure disrespect.
There aren’t enough face-palm emojis for me to fully respond to this. But it doesn’t matter if I point our that you clearly didn’t bother to read the full post before commenting, because you’re never coming back anyway!
Thanks. You’ve reminded me how much I miss visiting Wales during the lockdown. 🙁
Wales, is of the same stock as it’s Celtic cousins, Scotland and Ireland. If it were a drink, for example, we would all be of the same type, but having different notes and flavours within that drink. England I would say, would be a completely different drink altogether.
If I were to use Whisky for example, Scotland would have the boldest tastes, they have the highest, mountains. The most rugged landscapes and changeable, often harsh weather. The whiskey analogy becomes very apparent here, as Scotland would typically be a Scotch.
The Irish, again, rich with mountains, emerald green lands, rolling hills and scenic beauty, have very similar tastes present to Scotland, but with some beautiful cultural additions, the singing and pub night life (known as the craic), beautifully eccentric locals etc. I did find in Ireland, however, that things were very tourist focused and particularly askewed towards the myriad American tourists flocking there. This detracted from the authenticity of Ireland for me.
Settled between these two nations geographically, sharing a land border with England and maritime border with Ireland, just 2 hours drive away from London is Wales. Culturally very similar to it’s Celtic cousins, where the Irish have the craic, the Welsh have hwyl. A relaxed yet simultaneously energised (often drunk) passion for party and a sense of fun. This, Celtic cheer, in all three nations, spills over into the pubs and if you can find a folk band you will be in for a great night out. Where Wales differs is in it’s bardic traditions. For hundreds of years to be culturally hailed as a bard in Wales was a great honour and held much prestige. This still continues to this day. The Welsh have always been famous for their celebration of song, so if you can try to visit a male voice choir or folk festival then you will be in for a treat.
https://www.visitwales.com/things-do/events/festivals/music-and-culture-festivals-wales
As for the castles, which are indeed everywhere. It is well worth buying a CADW membership, which I believe can be purchased at most CADW run castles. This will then give you free access to all the castles run by them throughout Wales, saving you some “arian” (Welsh for money)
https://cadw.gov.wales/
As for whisky. If want to sample a Welsh whisky there is only one major distillery in Wales which offers tours and talks
https://penderyn.wales/
Oh and beware the Tylwyth Teg, the Gwyllgi and Arwan 😉
We lived in England (Surrey) for 10 years, 1979-1988, and traveled constantly. We saw every bit of the Island. There is no questions North Wells was a major highlight. Yorkshire is another off the tourist track delight.
I need to get back to Wales to see more – and I need to see more of England, too! I always spend too much time in Scotland whenever I’m in the UK.
i agree with everything here apart from language Welsh is not a difficult language its a myth. if you can speak English the language of the verbally insane then Welsh is easey peasey
this is fucking ridiculous this has made me so angry! welsh is a beautiful language! how dare you say its ‘drunk’! castles are historical sites and are beneficial for historians and tourists who want to explore wales AND ITS ALRIGHT TO HAVE A FEW MYTHS AND LEGENDS! children love learning about folk tales and its alright to have a little imagination! our country is beautiful how dare you insult it!
Sigh. You clearly didn’t read to the end of the post.
????