Your ultimate guide to a stress-free summer holiday

1. Take your holiday in the UK

We’re starting with the Big One. If you haven’t already booked, now is the time to ditch those complicated foreign travel plans and opt for something closer to home. If you have already booked a holiday abroad, book a UK holiday too to give yourselves an easy going break later in the summer.

Think of the stress that comes out of the equation the minute you decide to holiday in the UK:

• No need for your passport, and no panic about whether you can use it with only 3 months left on it (spoiler alert: probably not)
• No two-hour airport queues at four in the morning
• No worrying about whether your suitcases are over the, frankly miserly, weight limits
• No exorbitant airport parking charges or taxi fares to and from the airport
• No uncertainty over what the Covid restriction are on the flight or in the country you are travelling to and no uneasy feeling that they might change while you’re there
• No worries about currency, roaming charges, plug sockets, car hire scams, driving on the right – the list goes on…

At Lakeview Manor, our little slice of Devon Heaven in the foothills of the Blackdown Hills, we find our guests arrive, yes, a little tired and maybe ready for a drink but generally speaking, pretty chilled and ready to unpack everything from their favourite pillow to the kitchen sink (or so it sometimes seems). Staying in the UK seems to work marvellously for them.

2. Choose a holiday in Devon – it’s glorious

Now you’ve made the decision to lose all the stress of a foreign holiday, where’s the best place for a UK holiday? We’re biased of course, but having lived the Devon life for so long, we can’t think of anywhere better. Devon ticks all the boxes for a perfect summer holiday: a mild climate, high average sunshine hours, not one, but two coastlines and 700km of it to boot. Wherever you stay, you are less than an hour away from the seaside. And if you stay at Lakeview Manor, you’re only half an hour away.

It’s not just about the seaside though. Devon finds space for two National Parks, Dartmoor and Exmoor, which offer endless opportunities for hiking, biking and wildlife watching. This picturesque county also has more than its fair share of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, including the Blackdown Hills, right beside Lakeview Manor.

For days out, you’re spoilt for choice: seaside trips to the Jurassic Coast, the wonderful Eden Project or Pecorama, a steam railway, playpark and garden paradise. There are lots of nearby activities to get the adrenaline pumping, from high ropes at Go Ape on Dartmoor to Scuba diving among shipwrecks off the Devon coast.

And, as stress reduction is our aim, Devon ticks another important box – it’s easy to get to; less than 3 hours from London and the Midlands. In the time it takes to get to Devon, you’d still be waiting for your flights at the airport if you were travelling abroad.

It’s settled then. The best place for holidays in the UK is Devon.

3. Wake up to nature

All that sunny weather in the Mediterranean is very nice, but it does rather scorch the earth. By contrast, the Great British summer is lush and verdant, with wild fuchsia in the hedgerows, dappled sunlight through ancient oak trees, skylarks and swifts playing on the air currents, purple heather on the moors – ooh, we’re getting quite emotional now.

Evidence is growing – as if we needed science to tell us – that contact with nature has a positive effect on our wellbeing. In the rush of modern life, it’s something that we often lose sight of as we step in and out of our cars, walk on hard pavements and work in air conditioned buildings. Nature has such a positive effect on us that it’s even being prescribed by the NHS. A pilot is underway, called Green Social Prescribing, which links patients to nature-based activities, such as local walking schemes, community gardening and food-growing projects. Our physical and mental selves need nature.

At Lakeview Manor, it’s interesting how quickly our guests unwind and relax, surrounded by greenery, lakes and woodlands. Close by, the Blackdown Hills are great for walks in the fresh air and simply standing still and taking in the views is enough to bring about a sense of peace and calm.

The great outdoors is also a great big playground, and that leads us onto our next tip…

4. Please everyone, and please yourself

Family noun: a group of people who are related to each other, such as a mother, a father, and their children

Holiday noun:  an extended period of leisure and recreation

A family holiday can be difficult to get right. There’s a group of you, all together with time on your hands, potentially including parents, a bunch of kids, grandparents, maybe a baby, and, of course, the dog. Whatever the combination, that can be a lot of different people to please, with different likes and dislikes, different levels of energy and ability, different personalities. And it’s a group of people who know how to wind each other up – that’s family, for you. The trick is to choose a holiday that has something for everyone and also brings you all together to create family memories.

A lodge holiday at Lakeview Manor could be your perfect getaway. With a choice of two and three bedroom lodges peacefully situated in a 45-acre wildlife-rich estate, it lends itself to an easy, loosely-planned holiday that can please everyone, with lots to do onsite and a host of entertainment and activities nearby. The anglers can spend their afternoons catching carp at the lake’s edge, where fishing is exclusively for guests and is free. There’s free bike hire too, so you can explore the local area on two wheels. Don’t forget all the amazing activities and days out from the Tip 2 above – everyone from the thrill-seekers to shell-seekers has something to please them. And we’ve already mentioned the walks, from the moors to the beautiful Blackdown Hills, so make sure you bring the dog – who can stay free of charge.

Now. If you are the holiday booker, bottle washer, chef and all-round people-pleaser, make sure this is your ‘extended period of leisure and recreation’ too. Bring the books you’ve been meaning to read, drop some of your favourite tipple into your shopping basket, and book a lodge with a hot tub, where you can sink back into the bubbles and stare at the skies. And hand over the cooking to someone else. At Lakeview Manor you can enjoy delicious breakfasts, dinners and weekend lunches, prepared from local seasonal ingredients at the Dabbling Duck Restaurant and Bar. Catching up on the day’s adventures over a relaxed family meal is one those special times that make you remember why you do this whole holiday thing.

5. Chill out, you’re on holiday

Finally, and this one covers the whole experience from booking, to travelling to every day of your holiday: Chill out…go with the flow…let the mood carry you. You took a wrong turning, so what? Just turn around and get things back on track. You brought the wrong shoes – it’s truly not the end of the world. Get some new ones, or just wear your flip flops everywhere. And most importantly, switch off your work self. It will all wait until you’re back. The world will keep turning and you need a break.

A stress-free holiday is what we all want. Follow our tips and it can be yours on a Devon holiday at Lakeview Manor. Feel the tension leave your body as you sit back and watch the sunlight shimmering on the lake, with your family around you. Take a few moments to realise you’re actually on holiday and it’s going to be wonderful. Relax…and we’ll see you up at the restaurant later.

Book your chilled-out, stress-free summer holiday today.