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HOME AT FIRST's

Wales

TRAVEL TO DREAM DESTINATIONS WITH ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME

—WALES—
BRITAIN'S BEST-KEPT SECRET INVITES DISCOVERY

CAERNARFON CASTLE, NORTHWESTERN WALES, SITE OF THE INVESTITURE OF THE PRINCE OF WALES

Like Castles? Find more medieval castles per square
mile in Wales than anywhere in the British Isles.

Like walking? Like mountains? Like golf? Like trains?
Wales is a great destination for you.

Like horses, food, fishing, antiques, history, mystery?
Yep — Wales should top your bucket list.

HOME AT FIRST HELPS YOU DISCOVER THE WALES OF YOUR DREAMS.

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INTRODUCTION: WHY WE GO TO WALES—

Much more than great scenery,
       hearty food, and legendary castles.

          Probably the most overlooked British travel

destination, Wales offers some of the best food in the U.K. as well as its own distinct music, art, history, and language. Rarely noted is the superb variety of unspoiled scenery of Wales, including three distinct regions worthy of national park status, the highest mountains south of Scotland, and cozy, undiscovered villages.
          Wales is closest to England geographically. Perhaps because of this proximity the Welsh are the most nationalistic and culturally separatist of all the British. The Welsh identity is tied to its history as a Celtic population under siege by their neighbors in England. These original Britons were forced into hiding by invading waves of Angles, Saxons, Vikings, and Normans. They retreated into the rugged, mystical mountains and vales that dominate the Welsh landscape.
          Today the Welsh variety of Gaelic is alive and growing while most other Gaelic languages are disappearing. Welsh cuisine, custom,

AUTUMN IN SNOWDONIA:
Llanrwst Bridge over the River Conwy
Photo © Home At First

religion, music, and mentality all can be said to
be more than just dialectical versions of their English, Scottish and Irish relatives, and each is maintained with the prideful caring due national treasures.

(For more on this theme, see: ST. DAVID.)

HOME AT FIRST offers travel programs to two regions of Wales:

(CLICK ON EACH DESTINATION TITLE TO GET FULL TRAVEL PROGRAM DETAILS & PRICES)

SNOWDONIA
— NORTHWESTERN WALES —

        Home At First's northwestern Wales cottages are in or near Snowdonia National Park, where Britain's highest mountains south of Scotland rise sharply from the sea. Snowdonia's folded landscape offers rugged hiking, expansive beaches, great little steam trains, challenging seaside golf courses, impregnable medieval castles (like Caernarfon, pictured here), and friendly villages with unpronounceable names.

GO TO: SNOWDONIA (NORTHWESTERN WALES)
TRAVEL PROGRAM PAGE

NOTE: For those not wishing to drive themselves in NW Wales, we offer drivers and driver/guides available for hire at most times of year.

DRIVER/GUIDES AVAILABLE IN WALES

Several great castles —
including all four of the U.N. listed
World Heritage Site — are within
easy day-trip reach of Home At
First's cottages in Snowdonia,
Northwestern Wales.
Photo © Home At First

MID-WALES
— NEAR THE ENGLISH BORDER —

        Home At First's Mid-Wales cottages are in the midst of superb scenery between the mountains of Brecon Beacons National Park and the English border. Nearby is scenic wilderness inviting discovery on foot, on horseback, or by car. Search for King Arthur and Merlin here. Cross the border into Shakespeare country and the Cotswolds — easy days away. Another secret — the Welsh may be the friendliest people in Britain.

GO TO: MID-WALES TRAVEL PROGRAM PAGE

NOTE: For those not wishing to drive themselves in Mid-Wales, we offer drivers and driver/guides available for hire at most times of year.

DRIVER/GUIDES AVAILABLE IN WALES

Hay-on-Wye is home to more
than two dozen second-hand
book shops. Like all our Mid-
Wales villages, Hay-on-Wye is
just minutes from the rugged
mountain and white water
streams of Wales as well as
much of Western England.
Photo © Home At First

— HOME AT FIRST —