Have you ever been to Little Venice? No, it’s not part of Italy, but rather a hidden, quaint corner of London, where life is a little more laid-back than in the hustle and bustle of Westminster and the City. Little Venice is a small section of water where the Grand Union and Regent’s Canals meet, which has attracted a number of waterside pubs, cafes, and restaurant businesses over the years to create a quaint community feels in the heart of the city.

There’s a sense of calm here that you don’t get anywhere else in the capital, thanks to the canals, barges, and nearby parks creating a tranquil atmosphere that’s highly unusual for a city center, let alone London. Visitors to Little Venice can enjoy a boat trip along the canal or its towpath, traveling towards the city center from Maida Vale. The trip takes tourists through Regent’s Park and Camden Town, showing them the eclectic variety of shops, bars, and attractions London offers.

• Address: between Blomfield Rd, Warwick Avenue and Warwick Crescent, London, W9 2PB
• Transport: Tube (Warwick Ave)
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4/5

Richmond Park is London’s largest royal park, covering 2,500 acres. It would be quite possible to spend an entire day exploring! However, schedule in a long morning – or afternoon – and enjoy an extensive exploration of your chosen part of the park, plus time to enjoy a meal at one of Richmond Park’s cafes. No trip to Richmond Park is complete without attempting to catch a glimpse of the park’s herd of 650 deer.

Also make time to fully explore the bucolic Isabella Plantation, a 40-acre woodland garden crammed with an amazing variety of Azaleas, Rhododendrons, and Camellias. Take a seat alongside the lake or practice your photography skills capturing those vibrant blooms. If you’re feeling active, make use of the park’s facilities for golfing, horse riding, off-road cycling, and power kiting. Or, go in another direction and treat yourself to afternoon tea at the Pembroke Lodge. After eating, head up King Henry’s Mound in Pembroke Lodge Gardens. This prehistoric burial chamber now provides panoramic views of London including – if you’re lucky – a little peak of St Paul’s Cathedral through a special gap in the hedge.

• Address: Kings Rd, Surrey, London, TW10 5HS
• Transport: Tube (Richmond)
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond-park
• Contact: 020 8948 3209

Among the best otherworldly locations in London is Brixton Windmill. Built-in 1816 and in service until 1934, Brixton Windmill reopened to the public in 2011, after undergoing a £600,000 restoration, and has recently been shortlisted for a Museums and Heritage Award for Excellence. The Windmill holds open days throughout the year. Visitors are reminded that, as a former industrial building, there are potential dangers to visiting the site, including steep ladders, low beams, and heavy machinery.

Brixton Windmill has four floors, plus the cap which sits on top. It's also a small space, so the number of visitors at any one time is restricted. Children are welcome but because of the steep ladders, they are not allowed to go above the first floor if they are less than 1.2 meters tall (kids must be able to climb the stairs by themselves). On open days there are short tours of the building, which don't require booking, and longer tours with access to the upper floors, which must be booked in advance.

• Address: Windmill Gardens, West end of Blenheim Gardens, London, SW2 5EU
• Transport: Tube (Brixton)
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: https://www.brixtonwindmill.org/
• Contact: +44 7587 170029

There’s an impressive 250 years (and counting) of history in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, but they’re also paving the way for the future with not one, but two national bases for research into botanical studies. While you’re strolling through the Victorian Palm House or seeking out the luscious flora, scientists are working away in offices and laboratories behind the scenes.

Nowadays the Gardens stand at a whopping 300 acres. There are many things to see here. Besides grand Victorian glasshouses and the Chinese Pagoda, you can go to east Asia with the perfectly sculpted Japanese Landscape at Kew Gardens. Take a mindful moment in the tranquil Japanese gardens. The neat bonsais and shrubs make for a scene straight out of a willow pattern plate. Take in the ornamental Japanese Gateway, a replica of the Karamon gateway at Kyoto’s Nishi Hongan-ji temple, the stone baths, rustling bamboo, rocky outcrops, and spring-time blossoms. So who needs Kawachi Fuji Gardens?

• Address: Royal Botanic Gardens, London, TW9 3AB
• Transport: Tube (Kew Gardens/Kew Bridge rail)
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: https://www.kew.org/
• Contact: 020 8332 5655

Ruislip Lido is among the best otherworldly locations in London that you should try. Ruislip Lido is a 60-acre lake sat on the edge of a lovely 726-acre nature reserve – that’s twice the size of Hyde Park. Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve is mostly bucolic ancient woodland. There are beaches near London, but also there are beaches in London! Ruislip Lido is one of them! There is a small road through the forest to reach the lake. And on the southern edge, you’ll find a miraculous beach! Dating back to the 1950s, this tropical spot has had its ups and downs over the years, lapsing into some heinous disrepair during the ’70s before being returned to its current glory in the 2000s.

Now it’s a popular spot for families, locals, and anyone looking for a bit of faux-seaside fun. And that’s not all. As well as climbing frames, play areas, and a little café for ice creams, there’s even a miniature train that’ll take you on a fun little trip around the lake. There are, however, a couple of important things you ought to point out before you grab your bucket and spade. Swimming and boating are not permitted at the lake. This is because the shock of cold water can make swimming and getting out of the water difficult, the depth of the water changes and is unpredictable, and the swimmer's itch can be caused by an allergic reaction to certain microscopic parasites living in the water.

• Address: Reservoir Road, Ruislip, HA4 7TY
• Transport: Tube
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4/5
• Website: https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/ruisliplido
• Contact: 01895 556000

Crystal Palace Park is a Victorian pleasure ground located in the South London suburb of Crystal Palace. Crystal Palace Park is a welcoming place for all. A place for learning and training, health and well-being, recreation and enjoyment, activities and events. Or you can just bring a book and find a quiet spot. The park contains a free maze. The maze is 160 ft in diameter and occupies a total area of nearly 2000 square yards. The maze was first created around 1870, and it was one of the largest mazes in the country. The park has one of the largest weekly outdoor Farmers' Markets in London. In recent years the park has also played host to organized music events such as Wireless Festival and the South Facing Festival.

The park contains a large bust of Sir Joseph Paxton, first unveiled in 1873. It was sculpted by William F. Woodington and was originally located looking towards the Palace building over the central pool on the Grand Central Walk. The Italian Terraces with their sculptures survive from the destroyed Crystal Palace. The upper and lower terraces are linked by flights of steps with sphinxes flanking each flight. The Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, a group of sculptures of dinosaurs and extinct mammals complete with a 'geological' landscape, are in and around the 'tidal lake' at the southeast side of the park.

• Address: Thicket Rd, London, SE20 8DT
• Transport: Rail (Crystal Palace)
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: https://www.crystalpalaceparktrust.org/

Banya No.1 is one of the best otherworldly locations in London that you should try when you visit here. It’s an old-school Russian massage, which involves being swathed in hot wet leaves and pummeled by venik – a leafy bundle of herbs. It’s meant to reduce muscle tension and stress and it’s the specialty treatment at Banya No 1 – the only traditional Russian bath in London. Experience a range of massage treatments including Deep Tissue, Remedial, or Reflexology. Massage therapists use a combination of kneading, stroking, rubbing, and vibration techniques. The focus is on parts of the body that experience or cause pain.

Unlike conventional saunas, the Banya surrounds you with high levels of steam as water is splashed onto cast iron heated to 700°C inside a brick furnace. Although the banya’s temperature (70°C) is lower than in a sauna the high levels of superheated steam cause the body to sweat profusely and then detoxify. Besides, the plunge pool is a chilling 7-10°C which counteracts the heat of the steam room. Close your eyes, breathe in, pull the rope, and you are drenched in ice-cold water. The sudden change of temperature has a highly beneficial effect on the body – toxins are released, and a feeling of relief and tingling lightness follows shortly afterward. Amid the pummelings, you can also expect plenty of vodka shots and tasty Russian delicacies as part of the Slavonic experience.

• Address: Unit B01, 17 Micawber Street, London, N1 7TB
• Transport: Tube (Angel/Old St)
• TripAdvisor Rating: 5/5
• Website: https://gobanya.co.uk/hoxton/
• Contact: 020 7253 6723

Lee Valley White Water Centre (previously known as Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre) is a white-water slalom center, that was constructed to host the canoe slalom events of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Now, it is open to the public for adrenalin-fuelled white-water rafting, canoeing, and kayaking sessions – riding the rapids that challenged the world's best makes for an action-packed experience. On the center's raft adventure, you'll be high-siding, spinning, and nose dunking on the Olympic Standard Competition course before you know it. In addition to rafting, the lake, Legacy course, and Olympic course are used for a number of kayaking activities catering to everyone from complete beginners to more proficient paddlers.

New activities include Hydrospeeding, which is similar to bodyboarding, or Hot Dog sessions, which are held on two-person inflatables and act as a good introduction to kayaking. Corporate and team building days out can be booked and, during the summer, the center hosts canoe polo as well as aquathlons. Those who prefer to sit back and watch the action should head for the licensed café bar, which has a terrace overlooking the course. All rafters must be over 14.

• Address: Station Rd, Waltham Cross, EN9 1AB
• Transport: Rail (Waltham Cross)
• TripAdvisor Rating: 5/5
• Website: https://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/whitewater
• Contact: +44 300 003 0616

Now, you’re not in the ’80s, you’re in the Japan Centre. If you ever find yourself in the position of having to fabricate a trip to Japan, this is the ticket. Head to Panton Street where you can get your paws on some serious sushi, try imported specialty drinks like the alluringly named ‘Pocari Sweat’, and pick up ‘souvenirs’ like Japanese-language books and Manga.

Founded in 1976, Japan Centre started as a bookshop situated in the heart of London on Warwick Street to cater to the Japanese community. The flagship Japan Centre store is now located on Panton Street, Leicester Square. Passionate about bringing authentic and quality Japanese goods to customers in the UK, Japan Centre entered the grocery business, before expanding into Westfield Stratford City in 2011 and Westfield London in 2018 as a food hall and fresh deli. Today, you can enjoy freshly made Japanese sushi and hot Souza food, browse the latest manga and magazines and purchase authentic Japanese cupboard essentials, cookware, and handpicked sake under one roof.

• Address: 35b Panton Street, West End, London, SW1Y 4EA
• Transport: Tube (Piccadilly Circus tube)
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4/5
• Website: https://www.japancentre.com/en
• Contact: hello@japancentre.com

Leighton House Museum is definitely one of the best otherworldly locations in London. Leighton House reopened in April 2010 after a £1.6 million refurbishment which has uncovered and restored many of the decorative schemes and features of the house, as well as a previously unseen staircase. In the 1860s the artist Frederic Leighton commissioned his friend, the architect George Aitcheson, to build him a showpiece house in Holland Park, which he filled with classical treasures from all over the world, as well as his own works and those of his contemporaries. The house was a work of art in itself, with every inch decorated in a high style inspired by the studios Leighton had seen on his extensive European travels.

There were magnificent reception rooms downstairs designed for lavish entertaining, and a dramatic staircase leading to a huge light-filled studio taking up most of the first floor. Four extensions were added over the years, the most striking addition the ‘Arab Hall’, designed to showcase Leighton’s huge collection of sixteenth-century Middle Eastern glazed tiles. The house was created as a stage on which Leighton could play out his role as a great artist, contrasting with the tiny single bedroom, the only private space in the whole house. Today, the house is still an architectural treasure trove that belies its somewhat dour exterior and the museum holds or has on loan, some fine paintings as well as drawings and sketches.

• Address: 12 Holland Park Road, London, W14 8LZ
• Transport: Tube (High Street Kensington)
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: https://www.leightonhouse.co.uk/
• Contact: 020 7602 3316

It's the sort of undertaking that requires faith or a lot of chutzpah. Build the largest Hindu temple outside India, in the finest materials, using master craftsmen with ancient skills rarely found outside the diaspora. Ask unpaid, untrained members of the community to give up their time to work on the site. Building BAPS costs more than £10 million, with no government aid. And it was finished within three years. The Great Pyramid of Giza took 100,000 workers 20 years to assemble its 2.3 million stones, but the Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, also known as Neasden Temple, can stand shoulder to shoulder with it.

Inside, the Mandir is a space of almost blinding whiteness and purity. Every vertical surface is carved with stories from the scriptures (Veda) and lacy motifs. A forest of pillars fills the floor and above them soars the central dome, stepping up in wedding-cake tiers towards the two-and-a-half tonne keystone which drips downwards like a glorious stone chandelier. It is a labor of love and a work of art. Anyone is welcome to look around the mandir, Hindu, or heathen. On Saturdays, it hosts 2,000-strong prayer meetings.

• Address: 105-119 Brentfield Rd, London, NW10 8LD
• Transport: Tube (Neasden/Harlesden); Bus (then 206 bus)
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: https://londonmandir.baps.org/
• Contact: 020 8965 2651

Hill Garden & Pergola has a secret that you should know is Hampstead Heath. It is a wild park of woodland and meadows, tucked inside north London’s Zone Two - less than four miles from the center. It sprawls over 800 acres and boasts some of the most spectacular views in the city. This is the park that inspired C.S. Lewis to write The Chronicles of Narnia, that Constable spent his final year painting, and Londoners of all stripes have been coming here to escape the city for over 200 years.

Today, there are few better ways to spend a Sunday in London than with a lazy ramble on the Heath, followed by a pint, or a roast, at one of our wonderful local pubs. The swimming ponds - particularly the ladies and men’s - hold almost mystical status among those brave enough to take a dip. Come to fly your kite on Parliament Hill, bring a picnic, and while away your afternoon. If you can't go to the Hill Garden & Pergola in person, you can visit it through the website. You will find paintings and photographs that span Heath’s history, read about the books, poems, and films inspired by Heath, learn about the past, and so on.

• Address: Inverforth Close off North End Way, London, NW3 7EX
• Transport: Tube; Rail
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: https://www.hampsteadheath.net/
• Contact: 020 7332 3322

The 105-acre Wetland Centre is only four miles from central London but feels a world away. Quiet ponds, rushes, rustling reeds, and wildflower gardens all teem with bird life – some 150 species. There are over 300 varieties of butterflies, 20 types of dragonflies, and four species of bats. At intervals along the serene walkways are hides where you can perch on a bench, push open a small window and gaze at all manner of birds up close through your binoculars.

The center offers all sorts of entertainment for all ages, including tutored bird and otter feeding sessions, wildlife photography courses, and drop-in family activities. You can explore water recycling in the Rain Garden or try the interactive section: pilot a submerged camera around a pond, learn the life-cycle of a dragonfly or make waves in a digital pool. There are lots of places to picnic and a café with an outdoor terrace. A day out in the London Wetland Centre is definitely a day well spent.

• Address: Queen Elizabeth Walk; London; SW13 9WT
• Transport: Rail (Barnes, Barnes Bridge); Tube (Hammersmith); Bus (33, 72, 209 and 485)
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/london/
• Contact: 020 8409 4400

St Dunstan in the East was a Church of England parish church on St Dunstan's Hill, halfway between London Bridge and the Tower of London in the City of London. The church was largely destroyed in the Second World War. After the Blitz of 1941, Wren's tower and steeple survived the bombing. During the re-organization of the Anglican Church after World war II, it was decided not to rebuild St Dunstan’s. In 1967 the City of London decided to turn the remains into a public garden, which opened in 1970.

Since it was bombed out during the war, the picturesque ruins of this medieval church have been overrun by nature, creating an idyllic spot in the heart of the city. St Dunstan in the East Church Garden is a truly unique space set within the ruins of a Wren church. This green oasis has benches and a fountain with greenery draping the historic walls. It’s a little escape from all the suits rushing around outside.

• Address: St Dunstan's Hill, London, EC3R 5DD
• Transport: Tube
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: https://bom.so/X9g4O0
• Contact: +44 20 7405 1929

Perhaps there are no better places to escape London for a bit of tropical serenity than the Barbican Conservatory. The Barbican Conservatory is the second largest conservatory in London, located at the Barbican Centre. It houses more than 2,000 species of plants and trees, as well as terrapins and koi carp. The conservatory covers 23,000 square feet and is located on top of the theatre's fly tower.

You’re in the Barbican, and you definitely aren’t allowed to dip your toes into the fish pond. In the maze of this brutalist masterpiece, the Barbican Centre’s conservatory is a hidden oasis. Filled with species of exotic plants that tumble over the concrete balustrades, it’s made all the more brilliant by how unexpected it is. Visitors can enjoy the unique atmosphere of the Conservatory safely. There is seating for visitors and activities such as sketching, picnicking, and photography is recommended to be avoided. You should spend 20 minutes on your visit. The Conservatory is open on selected days every week, admission is free.

• Address: Beech Street, Barbican, London, EC2Y 8AE
• Transport: Tube (Barbican); Rail/Tube (Moorgate)
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: https://bom.so/U3e3bf
• Contact: +44 20 7638 4141