What to do and where to stay

Compact and easily accessible, South East Wales is only 2 hours from London. Situated on the western side of Britain, the region has excellent transport links include an International airport, rail and ferry links.

There is a wide variety of accommodation in the area, from top hotels to Youth Hostels, and from luxury cottages to camp sites. Accommodation links are given in each of the tourism websites listed below.

The Valleys of South Wales are famous the world over for their wealth of outdoor pursuits, stunning scenery and cultural and historical attractions. The Valleys website gives more information as well as accommodation links.

Swansea is Wales' second-largest city, and sits on the five-mile sweep of Swansea Bay. An ideal base for exploring south-west Wales, there's also much on offer for visitors in Swansea itself. The Visit Swansea Bay website gives more detail on what to do and where to stay in the region. Day 1 will be staged in Swansea.

Two world famous coastlines lie either side of Swansea. To the west is The Gower and Rhossili Beach (voted by TripAdviser as the best beach in the UK and number 10 in the world) and to the east lies The Glamorgan Heritage Coast - 35 miles of dramatic cliffs, golden beaches, pretty villages and traditional resorts, stretching all the way to Cardiff.

Cardiff, Wales's capital, hosts unique attractions, top class entertainment and quality shopping with a difference - all within walking distance. The City centre is mix of new and old. The part Roman, part Norman, part Victorian Castle stands next to the modern Millennium Stadium and modern high street shops and malls are interlaced with old Victorian and Edwardian arcades. The Visit Cardiff website gives many more details.

Cardiff Bay is described as "Europe's most exciting waterfront development" and is home to some astonishing architecture, the Millenium Centre being perhaps the jewel in the crown. More information here.

Merthyr Tydfil, one of the most historically fascinating and beautiful regions of Wales is ideally placed between Brecon Beacons National Park and Cardiff the Welsh capital and would make a good centre for the JK, being within short drives of days 2, 3 and 4. Find out more from the Visit Merthyr Tydfil site and view the promotional video too. You may be surprised by what you see there! Cyfartha Park is worth a visit and there is a permanent orienteering course in the grounds too.

The Brecon Beacons National Park, an upland area rising to Pen y Fan (886m), is home to the highest British mountains south of the Snowdonia National Park. Its relative remoteness has recently earned it International Dark Sky Reserve status. Days 2, 3 and 4 are hosted on the southern edge of the National Park. Find out more about the park here.

What to do in South Wales: the Southern Wales Attractions website describes the top places to visit and lists one-off events too.

Mountain Biking: as well as a huge variety of off road trails, the area contains two of the UK's top ten mountain biking centres in Afan Forest (often rated the best in Britain) and Cwm Carn. In addition, Gethin Woods has opened recently as a "MTB bike park" and is highly rated.

Slide Show of scenes in and around the competition areas:-