London is a large city. No, that’s an understatement. It’s a massive city, a sprawling metropolis of congested roads, packed tubes, and manic pedestrians. But there is a way to go right through the heart of London which most people barely even know exists: canals. It's so unknown the nearest option I could choose for this entry was 'boat or ferry'.

Not only is it a quiet, more relaxed way to experience London, it also takes you on a route past areas you wouldn’t usually see or think to see. Chugging (the unofficial term for travelling on a canal barge) around the edge of Wormwood Scrubs doesn’t sound glamorous but it had a sense of adventure and discovery that simply taking the tube to Big Ben just can’t provide.

We went all the way to Camden Lock and spent a few days there. A couple of times my brother and I would head to the market to explore, have a drink, and wander back to the barge. Being so close to such a vibrant part of London was amazing but returning to a canal barge at the end of the day somehow made the whole experience even more interesting.

The history of London, a world centre of trade from the 1600s to the present day, is really brought home when you are on the canals – the former main routes of travel for hundreds of years – and added a new perspective to everything we saw.