A SEASIDE town with huge beach is often passed over in favour of nearby larger resorts, despite having an important part in UK history.

Bexhill-on-Sea in Sussex is near the bigger St Leonard’s, and welcomes far fewer tourists.

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This is despite having a long two-mile beach, made of shingle, and with quaint cafes, beach gardens and beach hunts along the promenade.

Some even say it’s better than the nearby Brighton – one tourist wrote: “Compare this to busy Brighton and there’s no comparison if you just want a quiet day on the beach.”

It is also one of the sunniest places in the UK, being along the Sussex coastline.

One of the main seafront attractions is the Art Deco De La Warr Pavilion, built in 1934 and one of the country’s first modernist buildings.

Costing £80,000 to build (working out to £1.8million in today’s money), it is now used as an art gallery.

Bexhill-on-Sea has also been dubbed the ‘birthplace of British motor racing’.

The town hosted the UK’s first motor race in 1902, won by French driver Leon Serpollet with speeds up to 54mph

Petrol heads can now head to Bexhill Museum to learn about it’s motor history, as well as the town’s history in general including dinosaurs and shipwrecks in the area.

While not short of pubs, there is one you should pick that was named one of the best in the country.

Brickmakers Alehouse was listed as one the UK’s top pubs by Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) this year.

Otherwise there is also the The Picture Playhouse, a Wetherspoons pub built into a 1921 cinema.

TV presenter Graham Norton previously lived in Bexhill, putting up his house for sale for £2.3million back in 2017.

Other famous celebs include Eddie Izzard and Spike Milligan.

The town is also getting a multi-million pound renovation, as part of the government’s £20 million levelling up scheme.

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Fancy staying? Most of the places in Bexhill-on-Sea are B&Bs and home rentals although there are a few hotels.

There is the coastal The Relais Cooden Beach, with it’s own private beach, or the boutique The Driftwood with just six rooms.

Trains to Bexhill take just under two hours from London, with routes from St Pancras and Victoria.

Or its an hour’s drive from Brighton, for day-trippers.

Another Victorian seaside town is Frinton-on-Sea in Essex, which was loved by royals and even visited by Winston Churchill.

Or there is Matlock Bath, a ‘seaside’ town that isn’t on the beach – and we sent a reporter down to explore.

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A WINTER sun destination loved by Brits has been named the top destination for 2025 – and TUI has launched more flights and holidays.

The tour operator has added thousands of extra seats this winter as well as new flights and hotels to Thailand.

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The country was named Travel + Leisure’s 2025 Destination of the Year, praising the “best luxury hotels in the world at unbeatable prices” as well as its amazing food scene.

In response, TUI has since expanded its holiday and flights to Thailand, following a boom in demand of 35 per cent.

More than 6,000 seats have been added this winter to both London Gatwick and Manchester.

An extra flight has been added too, with an additional Friday flight from London Gatwick starting next month.

This means families can opt for a 10 or 11 night holiday, alongside the current seven and 14 night breaks.

And for winter 2025, another 9,000 seats have been added with a second London Gatwick flight and a second Manchester flight.

TUI UK&I Commercial Director Phillip Iveson said: “The enthusiasm for Thailand from our customers has been incredible, and we are delighted to be able to meet their needs with more options than ever before.

“We know that many of our travellers are looking for more than just a holiday—they want meaningful experiences and memorable journeys with their loved ones. “

More hotels have been added this winter too, with 13 new hotels now available to book with TUI.

This includes hotels such as Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort and Wyndham Grand Nai Harn Beach Phuket.  

And for winter 2025, more properties are being added across Khao Lak. 

Mr Iveson added: “The Krabi + Khao Lak + Phuket triple-centre option remains the most popular, allowing customers to experience multiple destinations in one trip.

“The tour offerings including the well-loved Elephant Hills tour have also seen strong demand.” This expansion in Thailand reflects our commitment to delivering diverse, family-friendly holiday options in sought-after destinations.”

It’s not just TUI expanding its Thailand offerings in recent months.

British Airways has relaunched flights from London Gatwick to Bangkok – the first time in four years.

Also in Thailand is Chiang Mai, which Lonely Planet named one of the top places to visit in 2025.

We spoke to Emma Baker, a Brit who left the UK for Chiang Mai, about why its so amazing.

Thailand is also much easier to visit, following new visa rules.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) now allows visitors from 93 countries – including Brits – to stay for 60 days without a visa, up from 30 days.

Here’s everything you need to know about the best time of year to visit Thailand.

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A FAMILY holiday abroad doesn’t have to expensive – if you know where to look.

EasyJet holidays has a range of kid-friendly resorts from Spanish islands to Turkey and Tunisia that are great for year-round sunshine and family fun.

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Keeping both adults and younger guest entertained is a tricky balance. This might mean an on-site waterpark and kids club, as well as a great bar and evening entertainment for the older guests.

And many of easyJet holidays resorts are right by beautiful beach towns and cities, so there is more than enough to do outside of the hotels as well.

All of their packages come with return flights, as well as transfers and 23kg of baggage and ABTA and ATOL protection.

We’ve rounded up four amazing destinations that have beaches, attractions and unique nature to keep families entertained – as well as an easyJet holidays resort nearby.

Alanya

Smaller than its neighbour Antalya, the Turkish Riviera’s Alanya still has enough to keep both adults and kids busy.

The town’s main attraction is its 13th century fortress, Alanya Castle which is worth walking round for the views alone (you can get a cable car to keep those with little legs happy).

If you are seeking a day at the seaside, you will want to head to Kleopatra Beach – named after the Egyptian Queen who legend says bathed there. There’s a huge 2km stretch of soft white sand and its great for kids too.

There are all of the facilities you could want from showers and toilets to nearby playgrounds and sunloungers, although some you will need to pay for.

Don’t worry about getting too cold either – the town has 300 days of sunshine a year.

Just because Alanya is smaller, don’t think you can’t have a good night out. Head back to the harbour which is where you will find the buzzing nightlife.

It might be difficult to get the kids to leave your hotel though. The four-star Eftalia Village resort has huge pools as well its own aquapark with tropical tower, pirate ship and water slides on-site.

STAY: easyJet holidays has seven nights’ all-inclusive at the 4* Eftalia Village in Antalya from £332pp including Gatwick flights on April 25, 2025, 23kg of luggage and transfers.

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Tenerife

The largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife has all of the beaches, bars and restaurants loved by British holidaymakers.

But the island has much more to it, from paragliding to hiking up Mount Tiede (the world’s third largest volcano) or exploring Anaga rainforest, the only one on the island.

At the upmarket resort town of Costa Adeje there is a bit of everything if you want a thrill or chill.

Here you can opt for an afternoon wind surfing of jet skiing. Get into the swing of things at Golf Costa Adeje or book a boat tour to spot whales and dolphins.

Don’t forget to visit Siam Park, often voted the world’s best waterpark, with splashing rides and slides that will keep the kids amused all day.

And the three-star Laguna Park is the perfect base – it’s right by the beach and is just three minutes by car to Siam Park.

STAY: easyJet holidays has seven nights’ all-inclusive at the 3* Laguna Park 1 in Tenerife from £387pp including flights from Gatwick on December 3, 2024, 23kg luggage and transfers.

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Fuerteventura

While smaller than Tenerife, the Canary Island’s Fuerteventura is still a contender for amazing weather into the winter, enjoying balmy temperatures in the early 20 degrees.

One of the unique activities is going dune buggying across the Corralejo Natural Park, exploring the volcanic landscape with kids able to take part in the action.

The island is even known for its cheese – so why not go on a goats cheese making experience?

When its time to decompress, the island’s golden beaches are often compared to the Caribbean, with the clear waters stretching out for miles.

One of the most famous is the Popcorn Beach – called Playa del Bajo de la Burra – where the sand looks like, you guessed it, pieces of popcorn (just make sure to leave it behind).

If you want something more peaceful, don’t miss out on a day trip to Costa de Antigua, a quiet town with museums, nature trails and white-washed buildings.

The three-star Elba Lucia Sport and Suite Hotel has all you could want for some activity too, with facilities for tennis, squash, basketball, and the trendy new padel.

STAY: easyJet holidays offers seven nights’ half-board at the 3* Elba Lucia Sport and Suite Hotel in Fuerteventura from £288pp including Birmingham flights on November 21, 2024, 23kg of luggage and transfers.

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Tunisia

Tunisia is seeing a boom in holidaymakers seeking winter sun without the hefty price tag.

The city of Sousse’s main beach is a gorgeous 10km stretch of golden sands lined with palm trees.

But a venture into the city is worth it for a history lesson – there is the 15th century Medina of Hammamet as well as as the huge Sousse Archaeological Museum with an extensive collection of Roman artifacts.

But the smaller travellers may well prefer the thrills and splashing chills at Carthageland, North Africa’s first theme park, with enough water rides to keep little ones cool.

Everyone will be happy with a stay at the Occidental Sousse Marhaba too.

The resort recently underwent a renovation, so expect beautiful new spas and sea-facing pools with slides.

STAY: easyJet holidays offers seven nights’ all-inclusive at the 4* Occidental Sousse Marhaba in Tunisia from £259pp including flights from Gatwick on December 13, 2024, 23kg luggage and transfers.

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