At the end of May, my Japanese wife and I are heading back to the UK for a three-week homecoming trip! We are very excited to spend quality time with family and friends while embracing the true spirit of slow travel across the British countryside.
Using New Milton in Hampshire as our main base, our itinerary includes road trips and train journeys to the historic city of Cambridge and the scenic Norwich and Norfolk area. Alongside sightseeing, we have a specific UK shopping list ready. Interestingly, despite the UK’s reputation for being expensive, everyday essentials like high-quality sun cream, local herbal teas (rooibos and chamomile), and authentic Indian chutneys are actually much cheaper here than in Canada! I am also looking forward to potentially upgrading my waterproof walking shoes for the British weather and enjoying local real ales at traditional pubs.
Whether you are looking for hidden gems for a UK day trip or wondering what to buy at a British supermarket, here are the 11 things we can’t wait to do on our upcoming journey home.
🇯🇵 この記事を日本語で読む: 【2026年5月】イギリス人の夫と3週間帰省！私たちが現地で絶対にやりたい11のこと＆リアルな滞在計画
- Introduction: Heading Back to the UK for Three Weeks!
- Reconnections: Visiting Family and Friends Across the Country
- 1. Spending Quality, Cosy Time at My Mum’s House
- 2. Heading to Cambridge to See My Brother and Family (with a Little Sightseeing)
- 3. Reconnecting with Old Friends in the Norwich and Norfolk Area
- 4. A Classic Night Out: Catching Up with Local Mates at the Pub
- 5. From Indonesia to England: Meeting Our Travel Friend in the UK for the First Time
- Shopping List: Essentials We’re Buying in the UK (That Are Cheaper Than Canada!)
- Pubs & Hidden Gems: Embracing the British Way of Life and Day Trips from New Milton
- Conclusion: Cherishing Roots, Connections, and the Joy of Returning Home
Introduction: Heading Back to the UK for Three Weeks!
Our upcoming journey spans about three weeks from the end of May to mid-June. It is arguably the most beautiful time of the year to experience the British summer, with long daylight hours and the countryside in full, vibrant green. The kids are still at school too!
Our Base in Hampshire and the Travel Schedule
For this trip, our home base will be New Milton, a charming, lesser-known town in Hampshire. Nestled perfectly between the ancient woodlands of the New Forest National Park and the sweeping coastline of Barton-on-Sea, it is the perfect spot for a relaxed stay. From this southern base, we plan to travel across the country to visit a few key locations:
- New Milton & the New Forest (Our cosy home base in Hampshire)
- Cambridge (Visiting my brother and his family in the historic university city)
- Norwich & Norfolk (Heading east to see old friends in one of my favourite rural regions)
Instead of rushing from one tourist hotspot to another with a packed itinerary, we are opting for a slower pace. We will be using local trains, buses, and country walks to explore, allowing us to truly absorb the local atmosphere at each stop.
Why We Love Slow Travel: Sharing Everyday Life with My Japanese Wife
Returning to the UK is always special, but doing it alongside my Japanese wife, Mai, adds a wonderful new layer to the experience. For us, a homecoming trip isn’t about ticking off famous landmarks. It is about slowing down and sharing the simple, beautiful everyday moments of British life with the people we love.
I am excited to share with her the quiet magic of my hometown’s routine—whether that is having a proper cup of tea with my mum in the garden, catching up over a home-cooked dinner, or introducing her to the local characters at our local pub. Seeing my own culture through her eyes always helps me rediscover the charm of the UK.
At the same time, as global travellers currently living in Canada, we love comparing notes on different countries. We will be keeping a keen eye out for things that the UK does best—from high-quality supermarket finds to beautiful public footpaths.
Without further ado, here is our travel list of the 11 things we are most looking forward to on this trip!
Reconnections: Visiting Family and Friends Across the Country
The absolute heart of this three-week trip is catching up with the people who matter most. We are planning a mini-road trip across England, moving from the south up to the east, to reconnect with family and friends after far too much time apart.
1. Spending Quality, Cosy Time at My Mum’s House
For the majority of our stay, we will be settling into my mum’s house in New Milton. There is a distinct comfort in returning to a family home, and we are both looking forward to a very relaxed, unhurried pace here.
Rather than filling the days with hectic schedules, our priority is simply to share everyday life. We can’t wait for quiet morning teas in the garden, casual trips to the local shops, and long, cosy evenings catching up on everything that has happened since our last visit. It’s these slow, ordinary moments that make a homecoming trip so special.
2. Heading to Cambridge to See My Brother and Family (with a Little Sightseeing)
Midway through our trip, we will be making our way up to the historic city of Cambridge to visit my brother and his family.
Cambridge is famous worldwide for its breathtaking university architecture, cobble-stoned streets, and the iconic sight of punts gliding down the River Cam. While the main goal is a wonderful family reunion and a proper catch-up over dinner, we certainly plan to sneak in a bit of local sightseeing around this beautiful, inspiring city.
3. Reconnecting with Old Friends in the Norwich and Norfolk Area
Our journey will then take us further east into the Norwich and Norfolk area, a region that holds a very special place in my heart.
Norwich is a fantastic, historic city with a beautifully preserved medieval centre, and the surrounding Norfolk countryside is wonderfully peaceful. We have a wonderful group of old friends living out here. Heading out to see them, surrounded by the classic English countryside, is a part of the itinerary we have both been counting down the days for.
4. A Classic Night Out: Catching Up with Local Mates at the Pub
You can’t fully experience a return to your hometown without a proper night out at the local pub.
Once we are back in my old stomping ground, I’ll be gathering a few of my closest childhood friends. There is nothing quite like walking into a traditional British pub, standing at the bar and catching up over a few pints of local ale. It is a timeless British ritual, and honestly, it’s one of the moments where I feel most at home.
5. From Indonesia to England: Meeting Our Travel Friend in the UK for the First Time
Finally, we have one incredibly unique reunion planned. While exploring the beautiful islands of Indonesia a while back, we crossed paths and travelled for a while with a couple who happen to live right here in the UK.
We stayed in touch, promised we would meet up on British soil one day, and now it’s finally happening! After sharing adventures on the other side of the world and chatting online, meeting up in a completely different setting—our home ground this time—is going to be a nice story for our travel blog and a testament to the friendships you make on the road.
Shopping List: Essentials We’re Buying in the UK (That Are Cheaper Than Canada!)
There is a common misconception that the UK is an incredibly expensive place to visit. While some things certainly are, we’ve found that everyday essentials at British supermarkets and high-street chemists are often surprisingly affordable. In fact, compared to the rising cost of living we experience daily in Canada, the UK offers fantastic value on specific, high-quality items. Here is the shopping list of things we plan to stock up on during our three weeks at home.
6. Stocking Up on High-Quality, Affordable Sun Cream (Sunscreen)
Sun cream is an absolute daily essential for us, but buying it in Canada can be quite frustrating—the options are often limited, and a good one can be surprisingly pricey.
In contrast, the UK market is incredibly competitive. If you walk into a British chemist like Boots or a major supermarket, you’ll find exceptionally good value products (like Boots Soltan) that meet strict European safety standards and are sold in large bottles for a fraction of the price. We will definitely be clearing some space to bring a good supply back with us.
7. Sourcing Herbal Teas (Rooibos & Chamomile) from the True Experts of Tea Culture
As a nation of passionate tea drinkers, the UK’s tea culture is unmatched, and this is where my wife, Mai, plans to do some serious shopping.
Back in Canada, buying herbal tea can be quite a wallet-pincher—a small box of just 20 tea bags often sets us back around 5 Canadian dollars. However, British supermarket own-brands offer incredible quality at a fraction of the cost. If you walk into Tesco or Morrisons, you can easily pick up a massive pack of 80 herbal tea bags (our favourites are rooibos and calming chamomile) for just £2 to £3!
The incredible value doesn’t stop at herbal blends either. The quality of standard black tea and Earl Grey from British supermarkets is exceptionally high. On this trip, we will be stocking up on “Tesco Finest” Earl Grey. It is a premium, beautifully aromatic blend infused with bergamot oil, and getting a large pack of 80 tea bags for less than £3 is an absolute steal compared to what we pay across the Atlantic. For d8aily relaxation, sourcing our tea here is a no-brainer.
8. Finding Authentic, Full-Flavoured Indian Chutneys for Our Dinner Table
As a Brit, one of the things I miss most when living abroad is the incredible Indian cuisine available accross the UK. Thanks to the country’s rich culinary history, British supermarkets stock an amazing array of authentic Indian condiments.
I am on a mission to find some proper, full-flavoured Indian chutneys to bring back to our dinner table. From sweet mango to spicy lime, the complexity and punch of a proper British-Indian chutney are hard to replicate elsewhere, and they are perfect for adding a burst of flavour to our home-cooked meals.
9. Investing in Serious Waterproof Walking Shoes for the British Weather
The British weather is famous for throwing four seasons at you in a single afternoon. Because of this, the UK has mastered the art of outdoor gear. Whether you are navigating muddy countryside footpaths or walking down a rainy high street, you need reliable footwear.
The UK offers a fantastic selection of specialized outdoor brands with advanced waterproof and windproof technologies. Since we love exploring and spending time outdoors, I’ll be using this trip to potentially invest in a new pair of high-quality, durable waterproof walking shoes. Finding the right pair here ensures we get premium technical gear at a much more reasonable price than we would back in Canada.
Pubs & Hidden Gems: Embracing the British Way of Life and Day Trips from New Milton
Shopping and reunions aside, this trip is also about immersing ourselves in the unique rhythms of British daily life. From the historic warmth of a village pub to the stunning natural beauty right on our doorstep, we are planning to make the absolute most of our time in Hampshire and beyond.
10. Pure Bliss: Enjoying Local Real Ales in Traditional British Pubs
You cannot truly experience England without spending time in a traditional British pub. To us, a pub isn’t just a place to grab a drink; it is the beating heart of the community. It’s a place where neighbours catch up, families gather, and the atmosphere is always warm and welcoming.
Since this is by no means our first trip to the UK together, Mai already knows just how much I love our pub rituals, and we both can’t wait to head back to our favourite local haunts. One of the greatest pleasures of returning is walking through those familiar doors to enjoy a proper pint of “real ale” (cask ale) together. Unlike mass-produced commercial beers, these local ales are brewed using traditional methods, serving up rich, complex flavours that you can only truly appreciate straight from the pump. Sitting in a cosy, historic pub with a pint of local bitter or golden ale is, for me, the ultimate definition of being back home.
11. Exploring the New Forest and Beyond: Top Day Trip Spots from New Milton
Our home base for this trip, New Milton, is an absolute gem of a location. It sits perfectly positioned as a gateway to both the countryside and the coast, making it an incredible launching pad for slow, relaxed day trips.
Just a short distance from the town centre, you enter the magical woodlands and heathlands of the New Forest National Park. It is a place where wild ponies, cattle, and deer roam completely free across the landscape, and it’s one of the most peaceful places in the country for a long afternoon walk. On the other side, just a few minutes south, we have Barton-on-Sea and the stunning Hampshire coastline, offering sweeping views across the Solent.
Using local trains, buses, and our own two feet, we plan to take plenty of day trips from New Milton to explore these lesser-known, authentic pockets of England. I can’t wait to discover these hidden gems with Mai and, of course, share all our favourite routes and travel tips on the blog when we return!
Conclusion: Cherishing Roots, Connections, and the Joy of Returning Home
As we put together this mini-bucket list for our upcoming three-week stay, it becomes beautifully clear what this journey is truly about. For Mai and me, heading back to the UK isn’t about rushing around to tick off famous tourist sights; it is about slowing down, cherishing our roots, and deepening the wonderful connections we have across the world.
From the familiar comfort of my mum’s garden in New Milton to cosy reunions with old friends in Norfolk, and stepping back into our favourite local pubs for a proper pint of real ale, this trip is a celebration of the relationships that ground us. Travelling as an international couple and experiencing the UK through our shared, slow-travel lens allows us to appreciate the subtle, beautiful details of British daily life—while making sure we leave plenty of room in our bag for those high-cost-performance supermarket teas and sun creams!
As always, we will be documenting our journey along the way. We can’t wait to share our favourite local finds, travel tips, and supermarket hacks with you all in our upcoming blog posts.
🌐 Return to Our UK Travel & Regional Guides
- Return to the main directory for all UK travel information ➔ The Ultimate UK Travel & Destination Guide
Comment