US tourists disappointed by idyllic UK region - and the reviews are hilarious

15 March 2024 , 14:15

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The beautiful district confuses many international visitors (Image: Getty Images)

The Cotswolds are known for their idyllic beauty spots - but if you don't know what they are it can sound a little confusing.

Known for the beautiful picturesque streets and the lush green countryside, it's no wonder tourists from all over the UK - and the world - take a visit to the district of historic villages and hamlets. Eager US tourists were keen to see what the fuss was about but were left baffled when they couldn't find the 'Cotswolds' they had been waiting to see and weren't impressed by what they found. They took to TripAdvisor to share their opinions.

One US tourist from Texas decided to visit Castle Combe, a small village in the Cotswolds and often named the most beautiful in the district as they said there "wasn't much to see" and was left pretty miffed they couldn't find the castle - as it appeared they were left confused about the name of the village. They wrote: "There is NO CASTLE in Castle Combe! No castle but there are remains of a castle, but you won't see it. It is overgrown and on private property." As reported by MyLondon.

Another, visiting from Nevada, stated that it had "very little to offer" and said: "We were going to walk the town but after we saw what little it had to offer besides a steep walk down the hill to get there and the return, we decided we would pass and wait for the Cotswolds." However, US tourist didn't quite understand they were already in the Cotswolds.

Due to the size of the tiny villages and hamlets making up the region of the Cotswolds, many people visit for the serenity and escapism of busy life - hence there not being much to do, and one man from Alabama wasn't happy with how quiet it seemed and wondered why the pub was the only activity to do.

'I don't want children staying up late at weekends - I really need adult time'

He didn't realise going to the pub is part of British culture, he wrote: "After a long walk from the car park up on a hill on a Wednesday afternoon, the village appeared to be closed. The short section of the main street that was shown in War Horse is very attractive, but is that all there is? (...) The one pub that was open seemed to have the only town's activity."

One of the main attractions for the Cotswolds is that it is known as an Area of Outstanding Beauty, but another didn't seem to think so. The New Yorker visited the Royal residence of Highgrove, but was not impressed and wrote: "Although [the Royals] have 12 gardeners, it appeared as if they needed many more".

Niamh Kirk