Days of Summer

The past few weeks have seen our buzzing workplaces slow down to a residual hum, as Londoners make their annual pilgrimage to distant climes, new adventures and a much-needed change of pace. But that’s all over now.

If you’re back from a break and feeling blue, sorry about that. After the early start, horrendous commute and an over-priced coffee that tastes like cigarette ash, it’s a miracle you made it to your desk at all. I find the only way to beat that back to school feeling is to start planning your next bid for freedom. A holiday on the horizon makes everything seem sunnier.

Even if you’re spent out, a little daytrip here and there won’t break the bank. Take advantage of off-peak deals and last minute escapes, or start planning next year’s big vacation. Of course, London is a fantastic destination in itself – just ask one of our 26 million visitors each year – but we wouldn’t be such savvy, metropolitan worldly-wise folk if we didn’t step out of zone 6 once and a while.

Could I tempt you with a Central American tour around some of nature’s most exotic offerings? Visit Intrepid Travel to book a trip that allows you to get up close and personal with the local wildlife while travelling well off the beaten track. A 13-day tour from Costa Rica to Panama will set you back £670 – not bad for a life-affirming experience.

Can’t wait that long? What about some winter sun? The best time to visit Goa is actually from November to March, when temperatures still reach 30C in the day and gently dip to cardigan weather by night.

Or for something really cool, nip off to Iceland for the weekend to check out the Northern Lights. This season is meant to be extra-lovely, so the sky scientists tell us. Icelandair are offering 3-night packages from £299.

This is a new section of The London Word that forgets about a phone signal and wanders the world. Each week, Cath will be blogging about her sneaky getaways and reminiscing about life on the road. Stay tuned for travel trends, cool getaways and hidden gems from Southend to Singapore.

Next time: A Weekend in Jersey… 

Illustration by Liz Pocock