East Anglia has been listed as one of the top 10 regions to visit in the world in Lonely Planet’s new edition of Best in Travel 2025, with the RSPB getting a mention too!
East Anglia came in at number eight in the top 10 regions globally to visit during 2025. The region hosts a number of RSPB nature reserves offering a chance to get up close with nature whilst having a fun day out. If you are in East Anglia or visiting, why not stop by and experience one for yourself? Here’s a bit about the nature reserves you can visit:
Suffolk: From the east to the west of this county, Suffolk holds a number of real gems as far as our nature reserves are concerned, including the Lonely Planet mentioned RSPB Minsmere. The reserve hosts over 6,000 species including birds, mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles and plants. From the iconic Avocet featured on the RSPB’s logo, to the drama of the Red Deer rut, RSPB Minsmere and other sites are managed to benefit wildlife and visitors alike. Other sites dotted down the coastline include RSPB North Warren, Dingle Marshes, Boyton and Hollesley Marshes, Stour Estuary, Cattawade Marshes. Each of these sites play in important part in the legendary bird superhighway the east coast wetlands – vital for migrating birds to stop at and find food and places to rest on their journey to warmer wintering spots. Move inland and you can find Wolves Wood and Lakenheath Fen – the latter is a site famous for its Cranes, Marsh Harriers, Bittern, Hobbys and Bearded Tits.
Norfolk: RSPB Titchwell Marsh nestled between the villages of Thornham and Titchwell on the north Norfolk coast is one of the finest places to visit throughout the autumn and winter. It’s a place of big skies and varied habitats, from saltmarsh, reedbed and beach – a whole host of wildlife calls it home. Birds such as Brent Geese, Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits are just a few of the regulars amongst the many ducks, geese and wading birds spending the winter here. Marsh Harriers can be seen scanning the saltmarsh and Bearded Tits sometimes can be heard 'pinging' from the reeds. A gentle stroll from the car park leads to the visitor centre, which includes a shop and café. A varied events programme is always on offer, incorporating seasonal guided walks, family activities and unique nature experiences.
Bearded Tit (c) Leslie Cater/RSPB Images
Snettisham sitting on the edge of the mighty Wash attracts thousands of over-wintering wading birds annually. It’s a vital service station during this season on the East Atlantic Flyway. This bird superhighway is one of several major global migratory routes used by over 90 million birds and 297 different species each year. The nutrient-rich mud of The Wash Bay is a veritable supermarket for wading birds, whilst the saltmarsh areas provide essential roosting and resting areas.
Essex: RSPB Wallasea Island is a unique and breathtaking landscape. Three million tonnes of soil that was excavated during the construction of the Elizabeth Line in London was brought to Wallasea by ship. The reserve used this to raise land levels and create a new 115-hectare intertidal area of saltmarsh, islands and mudflats, known as Jubilee Marsh. There’s plenty to explore over more than 740 hectares, with six walking trails and three shelters so that visitors can sit back and relax while watching the river. Cattle graze the area to help manage grass length for waders, reptiles and bird of prey. Walk along the seawalls to see the saltmarsh, mudflats and lagoons, where terns dive into the water in summer and huge flocks of waders and wildfowl arrive in winter.
RSPB Rainham Marshes sits on the Thames Estuary within a stone’s throw of Greater London and comes with a rich history. Originally a military firing range, the land was used to distract German bomber planes during the Blitz in WW2. Now a more peaceful landscape, Rainham Marshes is a haven for all kinds of wildlife – birds, Water Voles, dragonflies and more. The reserve is carefully managed to make sure it has the perfect conditions for its wildlife. The reserve graze cattle and manage water levels to create a patchwork of wet grassland habitats and semi-permanent pools. At over 420 hectares the marshes are the ideal habitat for marshland birds such as Lapwing and Redshank as well as for wintering wildfowl, waders and some birds of prey. The ditches are also looked after to help support significant populations of Water Voles, reptiles, amphibians and minibeasts, allowing them to thrive.
Lapwing (c) Ben Andrew/RSPB Images
Cambridgeshire: Famous for its fenland, Cambridgeshire hosts a number of spectacular wetland reserves. From the RSPB Ouse Washes – the largest UK washland (grazing pasture that floods in the winter), to RSPB Nene Washes, Ouse Fen, Fen Drayton Lakes and Fowlmere - which has a rare chalkstream river running through it – one of only 200 found globally. These sites provide food, shelter and a place to raise young for species including Black-tailed Godwits, Whooper Swans, Lapwing, Snipe, Redshank, Spoonbills and many species of wildfowl – to name but a few!
To find out more about the Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel guide 2025 recommendations visit: Best Destinations to Travel in 2025 - Lonely Planet
Top image: Family on boardwalk at RSPB Minsmere (c) NIck Cunard/RSPB Images