Explore in the evening as well as the day time. Some areas look completely different at night.

The beach huts in st annes.

Best hidden gem was a harbour front bar in Lesvos, who knew squid rings were supposed to be crunchy!

Tucked away from the usual tourist hotspots, this cottage in Ontario was the perfect summer escape. The location was peaceful and charming, with plenty to explore nearby, while still feeling wonderfully secluded.

Mount Kinabalu on Borneo. We climbed halfway on the first day, then woke at about 3am to climb to the summit for dawn and descend the same day. Amazing views and a real sense of achievement.

If in Europe get a plane to one location and leave from another. Drive through multiple countries and let the locals advise where is the best places to explore!

We were on holiday in Thailand and had booked a local river tour to a Palace. We did the tour and had free time but hadn’t eaten and there weren’t any outlets. But we found a large tent and looked inside and they were serving food. There weren’t any non-Thai there and no one spoke English and no indication this was for public use but through gesticulation and thrusting some notes to the cashier we had a very nice undoubtably authentic lunch albeit on plastic plates. 

The majority of my overseas holidays have been in Alcudia, Mallorca.

It was always a good idea to avoid the overpriced tourist restaurants, and search out where the locals eat…some delightful, and delicious food not far out of town.

Not far from the beach, you can find many secluded areas for sunbathing, and taking a dip.

Take a plastic carrier bag with you, when your coming off the beach, fill it with seawater then dip your feet into it before you put your "normal" footwear on to wash off the sand.  Works a treat!

Early wake up for popular touristy areas and find mall local café restaurants start to gather

One of the best hidden gems I’ve discovered was in Gambia. Someone kindly invited me into their home for a meal and made jollof rice for us. I’ve eaten jollof many times in the UK, but honestly, I’ve never had anything like the Gambian version. It was incredible, and what made it even better it was unplanned, and I got to meet a lovely family! We all ate from one big dish, and I’ve been trying to find something similar in the UK since, but failed so far!

When staying in an AirBNB & you find out that they have aircon 👍

My son is autistic and only wants to go to seaside towns with amusement arcades. He loves Blackpool but recently found out about St Anne's. It is lovely and looks better than the notoriety of Blackpool.

My wife !!!

My wife.

A gem if a camp site is retro staycations, hazelgrove farm I.O.W. it was very competitive on price, toilets,showers,farm shop. Im going to book again.

Always pass by the local supermarkets to buy local products.  Best advice ever.

Speak to locals they know the best places to go.

The best hidden gem whilst on holiday to Thailand is Koh Kradan, a quiet island in the Trang province. It has soft white sand, clear blue water. You can swim right off the shore to see colourful coral reefs and fish. 

Llubjana, Slovenia.

Charming castle on the hill, river trips, town centre walkabouts, super food and drink.

When on holiday in Ibiza, we took a boat trip to neighbouring Formentera, expecting a simple day at sea, enjoying the sea breeze. When we docked, there was a tourist bus offering a tour around the island, so we hopped on - my husband, myself and our two children age 14 and 12 at the time. The bus dropped us at a beach, and we were told we had a couple of hours free time there. This day was totally unplanned, but turned out to be the highlight of our holiday when we got on a boat, then took turns at parascending the bay, and being pulled back in on a line. We had just about enough money for the 4 of us to do this and also have a drink and an ice-cream. This was 1999, and using credit cards abroad was not as common as today.

Sometimes, the best days are those where everything just falls into place, and this was definitely one of them. 

I found a market in Bangladesh which was a cafe and snooker club!! It was called coffee club and it was the best place to kick your feet up to enjoy coffee whilst also chatting with friends and family. 

According to Opinium, one third of UK holidaymakers have reported a surge in travel scams on social media this year. That means digital security is just as important as packing your passport! 

A few smart phone habits can be the difference between a holiday to remember, and a fraud claim you’ll have a hard time forgetting.

The good news? You don’t need to be a tech wizard to stay protected. A little know-how and the right tools go a very long way. The even better news? We’ve done all the research for you. Plus, stick around until the end of this post for a chance to win our latest summer giveaway!

 

Spot fake public Wi-Fi hotspots.

 

 

Free Wi-Fi at the airport or the poolside café sounds like a dream. But it can quickly turn into a nightmare. Fraudsters routinely set up convincing spoofed networks in busy tourist spots (named things like “Airport_Free_WiFi” or “Hotel_Guest”) to trick you into connecting. Once you’re on their network, they can intercept anything you type: bank logins, passwords, and card details.

Before connecting anywhere new, always ask a member of staff for the exact network name. If it looks even slightly off, trust your gut and skip it entirely.

 

Secure your connection with IPVanish (iD Perks).

 

 

This is where iD Mobile has genuinely got your back. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) acts as a digital shield, encrypting your data. So even if you accidentally connect to a dodgy network, criminals can’t read what you’re sending.

Right now, there’s an exclusive iD Perk offering 83% off the IPVanish 2-Year Essential Plan — that’s unlimited simultaneous connections, so the whole family is covered in one go.

Here’s how to claim it:

1. Open the iD Mobile app and head to the Perks section
2. Find the IPVanish offer and tap ‘Get offer now’
3. A unique redemption link will land straight in your inbox

Job done. You’re shielded before you’ve even left the departure lounge.

 

Watch out for phishing texts and booking scams.

 

 

Criminals are increasingly targeting UK tourists before they’ve even landed. You might get a message from a foreign number quoting your real hotel name and claiming your booking is about to be cancelled. Of course, the only way to stop this is to click a link immediately and enter your payment details.

Landing in an unfamiliar place, it can be convincing. It’s designed to panic you. And it absolutely works - unless you know the signs.

The golden rule here is simple: never click links in unexpected messages, however urgent they seem. If you’re genuinely worried about a booking, go directly to the official app or website and log in from there. Legitimate booking platforms will absolutely never ask you for card details over a WhatsApp message.

 

Outsmart pickpockets and phone thieves.

 

 

Physical theft is still one of the biggest threats in European tourist hotspots. Thieves have become especially cunning. Some use a technique called ‘shoulder surfing’  where they watch you enter your PIN before snatching your device. Once they have your phone and your PIN, your banking apps are wide open.

A few quick wins to stop them in their tracks:

• Switch to biometric logins like Face ID or fingerprint whenever you’re out in public
• Turn off message preview notifications on your lock screen so bank security codes stay hidden from prying eyes

If your phone is stolen, log into your iD Mobile account from another device straight away to block your SIM. This stops thieves running up fraudulent charges

 

Roam safely and save with iD Mobile.

 

 

Here’s the thing: your own mobile data is genuinely more secure than any public Wi-Fi network. And with iD Mobile, staying on your own trusted connection while abroad is easy on the wallet too.

iD Mobile customers save an average of £86 roaming in the EU compared to networks that charge daily roaming fees*. That’s a serious saving you can spend on something far more enjoyable - like tasting some local delicacies.

So rather than hunting down the hotel Wi-Fi password, you can stick to iD Mobile data. It keeps your personal information private and your holiday budget intact. So, you can relax and enjoy your vacation!

*Average saving of £86.76 against UK networks that charge daily for EU roaming on standard plans (EE, Vodafone, Three, Sky Mobile & Voxi) as of May 2026.

 

Giveaway time!

 

 

We've covered how to keep your data secure on holiday, but what about keeping yourself cool? Whether you're enjoying a sunny staycation, recovering from your travels, or just trying to keep that relaxed holiday feeling going at home, we've got the perfect prize. We are giving away 3x SHARK ChillPill FA022UK 3-in-1 Fan, Mist & InstaChill Systems.

It's the ultimate cooling system to help you beat the heat and stay as chilled out as you would on a sun lounger. To enter, simply reply in the comments below with your answer to the following question:

 

What’s the best hidden gem you’ve ever discovered on holiday?

 

The giveaway closes on 1st September 2026 at 9am. One lucky winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries and notified by email or private message on the Community platform shortly after the closing date. Good luck!

 

1. This promotion is open to all UK residents, including Isle of Man, aged over 18 years. Excludes residents from the Republic of Ireland and employees of Currys Group Limited and their families, agents (including affiliates), suppliers and anyone connected to this promotion.
2. The prize draw is free to enter and no purchase is necessary.
3. All entries must be submitted by registering with the iD Mobile Community and providing an answer to the question on the corresponding topic thread. Only one entry per person is permitted. All entries must comply with the iD Community Standards: https://community.idmobile.co.uk/site/terms.
4. The opening date for entries is 09:00 AM on 1st August 2026. The closing date of the prize draw is 09:00 AM on 1st September 2026. Entries received after this time will not be valid.
5. The entry must be submitted personally by the entrant. Entries by 3rd parties, collective entries or multiple entries will be disqualified. If it becomes apparent that a participant is using a computer(s) to circumvent this or any other condition by, for example, the use of ‘script’, ‘brute force’ or any other automated means, that person’s entries will be disqualified, and any prize award will be void.
6. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for lost or incomplete entries. Incomplete, illegible, invalid, or misdirected entries will not be accepted.
7. One prize will be awarded to three winners: a Shark ChillPill 3-in-1 Personal Cooling System.
8. Three winner will be chosen by random draw within 7 days of the closing date.
9. The winners will be notified by email or by private message on the iD Community platform using the details provided at entry before 8th September 2026 and must provide a postal address to claim their prize. If a winner does not respond to the Promoter within 7 days of being notified by the Promoter, then the winner's prize will be forfeited. The Promoter will be entitled to select another winner in accordance with the process described above.
10. The prize is supplied by Currys Group Limited (the "Supplier"). The Promoter reserves the right to replace the prize with an alternative prize of equal or higher value if the prize in unavailable.
11. The prize for the winner is non-exchangeable, non-transferable and no cash alternative is offered.
12. The prize will be sent to the winner by post within 30 days of being notified of their win.
13. The decision of the Promoter is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered regarding the outcome of this promotion.
14. The Promoter reserves the right to hold void, cancel, suspend, or amend the promotion where it becomes necessary to do so.
15. Promoters must either publish or make available information that indicates that a valid award took place. To comply with this obligation the Promoter will send the surname and county of major prize winners and, if applicable copies of their winning entries, to anyone who sends request at the address below within one month after the closing date stated in condition 4. You can object to any or all of your surname, county and winning entry being published or made available by contacting the Promoter at the address below. In such circumstances, the Promoter must still provide the information and winning entry to the Advertising Standards Authority on request.
16. If you are the winner of this promotion, we may ask for your consent to participate in publicity arising from the prize draw. This will be entirely optional for the winner and the Promotor will only use the winner’s details with their express permission. The Promoter reserves the right to use non-identifiable details for advertising and promotional purposes in connection with the promotion in all media without further notice.
17. The Promoter will at all times comply with data protection legislation when collecting and processing data. The Promoter will only use the personal details supplied for the purposes of administering the Promotion. Your personal details will at all times be kept confidential and in accordance with current data protection legislation. To view the Promoter’s Privacy Policy visit: https://www.idmobile.co.uk/legal/privacy-and-cookies. If you would like to request access to your personal data, or have inaccuracies rectified, please visit the Promoter’s privacy policy for details of how to contact us.
18. By participating in the promotion, entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions. The Promoter reserves the right to refuse entry, or refuse to award the prize to anyone in breach of these terms and conditions.
19. English law applies to these terms and conditions. If any entrants to this promotion wish to take court proceedings, then they must do this within the courts in the United Kingdom.
20. iD Mobile hold the right to change the start and/or end date of the competition at any given time.

Promoter: iD Mobile, Currys Newark Campus, Long Hollow Way, Newark, NG24 2NH

Hidden bars in large hotels in Vegas. Small doors leading to the likes of a ski resort style bar with snow falling. Fantastic hidden gem 

One of the best hidden gems I’ve discovered was a small, quiet coastal village away from the usual tourist spots. The scenery was beautiful, the food was amazing, and the peaceful atmosphere made it feel like a place only the locals knew about. Those unexpected discoveries often make a holiday truly memorable!

A hidden gem was a small waterfall we found after taking a random hiking trail. There was hardly anyone around, and we ended up swimming in the pool underneath it. It felt like we’d discovered our own private little paradise.