Last summer, as a bit of a recession busting holiday, we decided to pack the tent in the car and head down south. We had decided on a hiking holiday and to be base ourselves around the coast of Devon. We found a quiet campsite based just outside Ilfracombe, in a little village called Hele Bay. The village consisted of a hotel/bar and a garage, with just one road running through it. In the height of August, the weather was practically tropical and numerous walks along the cliffs meant there was plenty to do.
Maybe the biggest draw though was the amount of ‘real-ale’ pubs available to sample local brews. On the weekend we ventured down into Ilfracombe which seemed to come alive with vast numbers of day-trippers. Also a nice touch, was the French market with traders who had come over and set up their stalls for the day with all manner of different products.
All in all, a nice relaxing short break, with weather to boot !!
Archive for October, 2009
If you have a young child and still want a relaxing beach holiday, I would advise going to Arenal Den Castell, Spain. A friend recently stayed in the Club Agua Marina hotel which was a half an hour taxi ride from the Mahon Airport and gave it rave reviews. She has a 4 year old son and was impressed by the range of children’s activities to amuse him, leaving her to relax in the sun. There is a tennis court, gym, 3 swimming pools, in fact everything you could want on holiday really. The hotel is close to the beach which means you are able to explore the local area, and it is recommended to try out the local seafood restaurants which all do incredible Mediterranean food. Also, if you go, take a boat trip around the coast to see some gorgeous scenery. You probably wouldn’t need to leave the hotel unless you like to explore however, because all of life’s essentials are readily available, including the hotel food which ranges from seafood to Italian to basic English grub such as chips!
Well maybe not Mum, but I recently went out to Iceland to discover more about what is a really interesting island, just a couple of hours north of Scotland. One of the first things you come across upon arrival at the airport in Keflavik is the vast amounts of alcohol in the arrivals lounge. Now you may think this is normal, but up until 1989 Iceland was still in prohibition, with the population celebrating ‘Beer Day’ every year on the 1st March. So it is seen as custom if you are staying or visiting Icelanders to bring alcohol.
The country as a whole is relatively small, but has scenery that will blow your mind. Many films have been filmed in the ‘space-like’ landscape and NASA do some of their training here.
In terms of things to do and see, you can go on one of many arranged guided tours, or alternatively hire a 4×4 and go out into the Golden-Circle yourself. Many different sizes of waterfalls including the magnificent Gullfoss which at 20m wide and 2.5km in length should definitely be top of the list to see.
Finally on your way back to the airport, you can get a bus that incorporates a trip to the Blue Lagoon, your chance to relax in the geo-thermal water, renound for its benefits to the skin.
All in all, a holiday you will remember for life and possibly choose to return, as there is so much to do.
I’m sat here in a stuffy office and the weather outside is beautiful. It’s cold, the sky is bright blue and the sun is shining. Perfect in my eyes and the perfect place, again in my eyes, is Prague. Prague is a fabulous city. A walk along the river and through the oldy worldy streets is a must.
Last time I was there was just before Christmas and the weather really helped to make it. The view from the Castle was amazing as you could see for miles. Tthe bridge which stretches over the river, are artists displaying all their work. The street entertainers and the muscians give the bohemian ambience which makes the trip so worth while!
I went to Dublin a couple of years ago with two friends from University. As we were students at the time we went just for the weekend and we flew on a budget airline, I think it was Ryanair. Anyone who has flown budget knows that it’s pretty much like a stampede, where you can do whatever you want and as long as you get to the right plane at around the time of departure, you’re going to make your flight! We had to walk out on to the runway in a blizzard and climb the stairs up to the plane, rather than walking through the tunnel and boarding the plane in a civilised manner! The main thing to ensure you do before you go on a budget flight is to organise your documents so you can easily reach them. When I went to Dublin I had a clear pencil case with my passport, flight print-outs and tickets in. I kept this in the front of my bag. My two friends were not quite so organised and we ended up being stuck at check in for 20 minutes whilst one of them searched her bag for her passport, only to find it in her pocket. We then almost missed the plane because the other friend left her belt at the metal detector and had to run back to get it. The moral of the story would be to put all your documents in one place and to not wear metal!