rainforest

CORNWALL might be an ‘it’ destination – but it can move over as a pretty alternative is cheaper to visit and is even getting a new RAINFOREST.

Totnes in south Devon is a pretty market town known for its independent shops and huge castle.

Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration @thesuntravel.

And now it is home to a new multi-million-pound rainforest.

Devon Wildlife Trust has created an ‘Atlantic rainforest’ – also called a temperate rainforest that has damp and humid conditions – near the town.

Located at Bowden Pillars Farm, the rainforest sprawls across 75 acres and sits at the edge of the River Dart.

Read more on travel inspo

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

BARGAIN HOL

Travel companies reveal their CHEAPEST spots this summer, with hols from £189pp

In total, over 17,000 trees have been planted including birch, willow and hazel – though don’t expect them to be quite as towering as other rainforests yet as they need time to grow.

And once they are fully grown, they are set to create a mosaic pattern with open meadows nestled among the trees.

Over time the area will become abundant with wildlife as well, including threatened bird species and creepy crawlies.

Just like the rainforests of the tropics, visitors can expect to see moss, lichen and ferns thriving, as well as species of fungi.

Visitors wanting to explore the rainforest can do so via public footpaths but as the rainforest grows over the years, the paths will gradually be removed to allow people to explore the entire forest.

The project is part of a £38million effort to restore 4,336 acres of lost temperate rainforest across the UK.

These ancient jungles once covered a fifth of the country, but now, only a tiny one per cent of them remain.

The rainforest is less than a 15-minute walk from Totnes town.

Though Devon can often be used as a stopping point for those on longer journeys to Cornwall, Totnes is quaint town not too far from the sea that beats a lot of its Cornish counterparts.

In the town centre, the main attraction is the steep high street, with medieval merchant houses on each side.

Around half-way up the high street you’ll come across East Gate, which splits the town into the lower and higher half.

All along the high street you will find independent shops that rival the main towns of Cornwall – there’s no tourist tat here.

Make sure to dip into Penelope Tom for unique gifts, drop by Palmer By Design for stationary and homeware, visit Stag and Seer for witchy incense or head into Butterwalk to explore local makers before grabbing a cuppa.

The high street is also home to Totnes Cinema, which dates back to the 1880s – though, inside it is not your regular cinema.

Instead you can expect rustic, exposed brick walls, tasty cocktails and cosy vibes.

There’s a small museum on the high street as well, which is free to visit.

Don’t miss the market on a Friday and Saturday either – it brings the town to life with antiques stalls, rug makers, food vendors and more.

I always make a beeline for the Lebanese food stall which sells wraps big enough to feed three, stuffed to the brim with fresh veg and chicken or falafel for a tenner.

Before you head off the high street, make sure to stop by Cranch’s Sweets.

Many weekends of my childhood were spent visiting this sweet shop for their traditional treats that they have been selling since 1869.

Off the high street, you can visit the Norman motte-and-bailey castle with views over the town as well.

At the bottom of the high street, I always enjoy wandering along the River Dart for a picturesque walk and picnic.

Or if you prefer an activity, there’s paddleboarding and kayaking on the river as well.

There are tonnes to do in the surrounding area too, with some of Devon’s golden sandy beaches just 15 minutes away.

Unlike Cornwall, where the average stay will set you back between £100 and £120 per night in May, you can stay at the Royal Seven Stars Hotel at the bottom of the high street from just £74 per night in May.

Countryside surrounds the town as well, making it the ideal camping holiday.

A pitch at Gatcombe Park Farm Glamping costs from £34 a night, though if you want to stay in a bell tent or tipi you can do from £97.50 per night.

You can also reach Totnes on the train from London Paddington, taking under three hours and costing from around £24.50 per way.

For more holiday ideas, UK staycations are set for a record high in 2026 – so, here’s our top holiday wish list from trendy beach resorts to historic cities.

Plus, a holiday park expert reveals all her favourite resorts in the UK – plus how to get cheap stays and save money on your break.

SUNDAY may be a day of rest in Europe, but that’s not the case for Puerto Rico. 

The shops were shut, but the city of Ponce was very much awake.  

As I wandered the streets, locals cruised past in their vintage cars, music blasted from lively bars and groups of youngsters burst into spontaneous dance on the streets. 

In the main square, families strolled past colourful murals and beautiful yet crumbling Art Deco buildings, while old men put the world to rights over a leisurely game of dominoes in the main square. 

Ponce (pronounced Pon-say) was the last stop on my Tropical Isles cruise onboard the recently refurbished Marella Discovery. 

It’s a new port for Marella so, like ­Christopher Columbus — who discovered the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico back in 1493 — I was excited to be one of the first people to explore. 

BEST BAR NONE

Enjoy the full F1 Grand Prix plus cruise experience for under £2,000

TAKE THE MEDS

Spanish GP and cruise to Ibiza on 11-night adventure from just £2,149pp

Week-long sailings start and finish in La Romana, in the Dominican Republic, calling at the nearby nature reserve of Isla Catalina, the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan and the US Virgin Islands of St Thomas and St Croix. 

Now I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Caribbean a few times before, but I was still surprised by how green these islands were.  

And while this itinerary gave me plenty of opportunity to sunbathe on white-sand beaches and sample local rum (I recommend Ron del Barrilito), I was still able to go hiking in the rainforest and kayak through beautiful coves. 

Staying active is something I would definitely recommend on a Marella cruise — not just because you’ll miss out on amazing experiences if you don’t, but because you’ll need to burn off all the extra calories you’re bound to consume on board. 

With nine restaurants and seven bars spread over 11 decks, you certainly won’t go hungry or thirsty — especially as Marella cruises are all-inclusive as standard.  

This means your flights, cabin, transfers to and from the ship, drinks, food and entertainment are all included in the price. 

Even your bags go straight from your home airport to your cabin door so you don’t have to worry about collecting them from a carousel or lugging them around. 

Compared to other cruise ships, Marella Discovery is quite small, accommodating up to 1,800 passengers.  

It’s really set up for British tourists, though, with Yorkshire Tea on tap and dishes such as steak and ale pie readily available in the excellent Islands buffet. 

Entertainment-wise, passengers can find their way out of an escape room, play a round of mini-golf or enjoy a musical afternoon tea. Plus there are West End-style shows, quizzes and gameshows galore. 

For better-quality booze and speciality ­coffees, you can upgrade to a Premium All Inclusive package, while speciality restaurants, including the Surf & Turf Steakhouse and Sushi Bar, come at an extra charge. 

But be sure to leave room for some traditional Caribbean delicacies when you leave the ship. At Café Manolin, in San Juan, I joined locals queuing to tuck into giant plates of mofongo, a much-loved Puerto Rican dish of fried green plantain stuffed with meat or veggies. 

Coffee is also big business here — and almost as popular as rapper Bad Bunny, who hails from the island.  

Many coffee plantations welcome visitors to sample their wares but I got my caffeine fix at Hacienda Jacana, in the mountainous region of Adjuntas, where owner Jonathan and his ex-cop father proudly showed off their farm while explaining details of the coffee-making process. 

I was buzzing after a few cups of their delicious Latitude 18° coffee — but it couldn’t possibly compare to the buzz I got in St Thomas after snorkelling with a group of green turtles in the crystal-clear water of Magens Bay. 

Granted, I had to keep reminding myself that I wouldn’t die if I tried to breathe ­normally underwater, but I forgot all about breathing when a metre-long turtle paddled right past my face. Just wow. 

As an animal lover, and a keen traveller missing my two dogs back home, I was also thrilled to stumble across the Ruff Night — Hair Of The Dog Bar in St Croix (pronounced Croy), just steps from where Marella Discovery docked in Frederiksted.

The lively bar, in the courtyard of the Victoria House Inn, is run by volunteers from the Ruff Start STX animal charity who love nothing more than mixing super-strong cocktails and bringing in puppies for punters to cuddle.  

And if that’s not reason enough to visit, all money raised from the bar goes directly to local dogs in need, so go armed with plenty of cash in your pocket! 

I’d certainly worked up a thirst after a morning kayaking in the nearby Salt River Bay, and I enjoyed getting back to nature there almost as much as I did at El Yunque National Forest — the jewel in the crown of Puerto Rico. 

The 28,000-acre site is the only tropical rainforest in the US and it has more than 100 miles of walking trails just waiting to be explored. With enormous trees providing canopies of greenery and exotic birds and frogs creating a cacophony of noise, it was just how I imagined a rainforest to be. 

While mosquitoes are rife here after dark, I managed to avoid being savaged by the pesky wee beasties during the daytime. 

One thing was for sure, though — I had definitely been bitten by the Caribbean cruise bug.