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February 25th, 2010 Ashley
In the first part of our top 10 essentials for any UK Family holiday we talked about picking your accommodation, preparing for both good and bad weather, researching the area you are visiting, taking a camera with you and finally keeping the children busy.
In the article we will talk about the next 5 things we consider essential for your UK family holiday.
6. Plenty of clothes
Unless you are an expert planner then you will never be completely sure about how you will spend your holiday. One of the benefits of having a holiday in the UK is that you do not have to conform to airline budget allowances, so you can theoretically take your whole family’s wardrobe if your transport allows it.
Kids are notorious for getting clothes dirty, so make sure you pack enough outfits and back up outfits to ensure your children don’t end up walking around with dirty clothes.
7. Your Dog
For real animal lovers, one of the hardest parts about going on holiday is leaving your beloved pet behind. The beauty of taking your holiday in the UK is the ability to take your pet with you providing the accommodation allows it. Many holiday parks and campsites offer pet friendly holidays and it will save you some money on cattery and kennel bills.
8. Emergency Pack
If you have active children then you will know the probability of one of them falling over and hurting themselves is quite high. So taking a small first aid kit with you is always a good idea so you can patch them up and send them on their way with relatively little fuss.
9. Suitable footwear
Most UK Holidays will involve some form of walking during your stay. People have a tendency to just pack flip flips and sandals for summer holidays and these are notorious for causing problems with extended periods of walking. If there is any possibility you will be partaking in walking during your stay, make sure you pack some comfortable footwear for both the adults and children.
10. A sense of adventure
When travelling with children it is important to create a fun and exciting atmosphere to make sure that they have a holiday of a lifetime, and a sense of adventure will be a great help. If it’s raining and you have your waterproofs, why not go exploring in some nearby woodland. Caravan Holidays in Devon can provide great adventurous holidays for the whole family.
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February 23rd, 2010 Ashley
So you have decided that a family holiday in the UK is for you this year, maybe even a family holiday in Devon. You might be a seasoned veteran in taking time off in your own country, but for many tourists who usually travel abroad; having a holiday in the UK will be a change. In this article we will look at some handy tips to make sure you get the most from your experience.
1. Picking the right accommodation
The first step to having a great holiday in the UK is choosing the right accommodation for you and your family. Some people will prefer staying in a hotel or bed and breakfast for their stay, but perhaps the most cost effective accommodation comes in the form of holiday parks and campsites. Try and strike a balance between what the adults want from a holiday and what the children want. Many find that a family holiday park is an ideal compromise.
2. Suncream /umbrella
Everyone realises that even in the summer the weather in the UK can be a bit unpredictable. So it is best to take solutions for both outcomes; suncream and hats for when the weather is good and umbrellas and waterproofs for rainy weather.
3. Researching the area
Depending on what type of people you are depends on this next tip. Some families like to be spontaneous and see what each day will bring. But if you want to make the most of your time in your holiday destination, then some basic research of what’s in the area will give you an idea of what you can do during your stay.
4. Camera
It seems like an obvious essential to take, but you would kick yourself if you forgot it. With the modern low cost digital cameras with large amounts of memory, there is no excuse for not taking lots of pictures. Why not buy a cheaper camera for your children to make a photo album of their stay with.
5. Something to keep kids busy
It is inevitable that all children will get a bit bored at some point on any holiday. You may have booked a holiday at a holiday park where they have kids clubs but even then, there will be times when the children may not have much to do. Taking a portable DVD player, board game or hand held consoles will be invaluable if you want to get some peace in the slower parts of your holiday.
Due to size constraints we will split this blog into two parts, be sure to check back for the second half of our “Top 10 Essentials for a UK family holiday”
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February 18th, 2010 Ashley
It’s that time of year again. Now that winter is over and the New Year has begun, it’s time for a change of season and setting. You may have noticed that cabin fever is already setting in at your home. One of the easiest and best ways to combat this is to begin planning your next holiday. Even thinking about getting away and having new experiences is likely to help perk you up. And this year, when you are thinking and planning that perfect summer holiday, consider bringing an oft forgotten family member along: your dog or cat. Pet Friendly holiday parks are great accommodation for taking your pet on holiday.
Why Bring Your Pets?
Well, animals appreciate holidays for much the same reasons that you do: they provide opportunities for stimulation, bonding, and relaxation.
- Holidays are fun. Pets enjoy the stimulation of a new setting with new people, animals, and territories to explore and get to know.
- Your pets are happiest when you are together. They are bonded to you and though boarding or pet sitting may not actively hurt them it can still cause a certain amount of distress.
- It’s good to get away. Pets often live and die by their routine. A holiday can help to vary that routine, improving your pet’s overall quality of life and reducing its daily stress.
Finally, bringing a pet along can actually help to enhance your experiences on vacation. Having someone you love to share your leisure time with, even if that someone is a pet, will make your trip that much more enjoyable. It can even help you get out of a holiday rut. Your dog or cat’s presence will force you to make different choices than the ones you might make alone. This will result in a completely different type of vacation experience for you both. You will see and do new things even in a setting you may have already visited.
Planning a Pet Friendly Holiday
Bringing your faithful companion, canine or feline, along for the ride can be very rewarding to you both, but just remember that it is important to consider their needs when you do so. If you’ve never travelled with your pet before, a camping trip, for example Camping in Woolacombe, may be the best way to test the waters. Make sure that you pack the necessary gear for your pet’s comfort and safety and do your research before you leave.
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December 29th, 2009 Alex
When visiting anywhere, learning the language used is important. This even applies to visiting different areas of your own country. If you visit Yorkshire and can’t understand the accent when talking to a shop keeper, you’re going to look like an idiot, just as if you visit the South West and don’t know how to react when somebody calls you a “grockle” then you’ll also look like an idiot. When travelling with a friend to the Lake District, I had to translate for him if people had too thick an accent, which was intensely embarrassing.
So, with all that in mind, I’ll turn your attention to the Isle of Wight, which has, throughout the millennia, developed a plethora of words which don’t exist on the mainland, many of which are interesting both linguistically and from a general perspective. They’ll also be useful to you, should you ever want to stay at one of the Isle of Wight hotels.
A lot of the pronunciations are similar to those that you might expect to find in the south west of England, but the words are very different; hardly surprising considering the nature of islands to be cut off from the mainland. Hopefully, the pronunciation should not give you too much trouble, but the words… well, you’ll be wanting a little resource that documents Isle of Wight words.
So, this should have armed you with everything you need to make sense of everything you hear on an Isle of Wight holiday, but even if you do know the lingo, we can’t guarantee that you won’t embarrass yourself in other ways.
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December 18th, 2009 Alex
The Scottish Avalanche Information Service is now live for this winter period, monitoring the areas that could be affected by avalanches. People staying near these regions for cottage holidays in Scotland, or any sort of holiday for that matter, should keep an eye on weather reports and this, especially if they’re thinking of venturing into the mountains.
The areas monitored are Lochaber in the Nevis range, Creag Meagaidh, South Cairngorms, North Cairngorms and Glencoe in Argyll, which should provide you with piece of mind if you’re staying in one of the many Argyll cottages anytime this winter.
Posted in Advice, Destinations, adventure, walking | No Comments »
November 29th, 2009 Alex
During winter, remaining safe at the beach is even more important than during summer, as there are not the droves of friendly and ever-helpful tourists on their family holidays about to spot something going wrong. Whilst you might think that it’s easy to stay safe from beach-based dangers by just staying out of the water, this is certainly not the case.
One of the biggest dangers at the beach is getting cut off from the shore. Wandering along the coast is something that is popular at any time of the year, and when you wander too far, only to realise that your route back has become a little more aquatic than it was when you first crossed it, you’re not going to have an enjoyable time.
If you do decide to go in the water, the weather is likely to be far more hazardous than it was in the summer months, and the temperature can do terrible things to your body; shock and hypothermia are killers. Always make sure you’re prepared with a dry suit and enough warm towels to fully dry yourself off after a swim.
Rip tides don’t stop just because there’s nobody in the water. They can sometimes be identified by wave-less, darker sections of water. This video has more tips on spotting a riptide. If you do find yourself pulled into one and nobody else is around, then you’ve made an awful mistake; always have somebody with you when you swim! To escape a rip tide you’re already caught in, swim parallel to the shore, as trying to swim straight back to land will exhaust you and prove fruitless. Once you are back in the normal water, then you can swim to the shore.
Finally, be aware of all the information available from lifeguards or information signs on the beach, which can help you from wandering onto mudflats or quick sand. If you bear all these things in mind, then the beach can make for a great, cheap family holiday.
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October 27th, 2009 Alex
Bath is a lovely city. I know because I’ve visited it. My trip was a little different to that of most holiday makers, as I was there to take part in a stand-up competition.
I didn’t win, but it was still had a great time because, as I said, Bath is a lovely city. Exactly the sort of city you’d walk around and think “Wow. I’d really like to take a short break in Bath.” I know because that’s what I thought when I visited Bath.
There are plenty of places to stay, from hostels to hotels, and everything in between. Bed and Breakfast Bath is one possibility, which is a way of saying that you want a Bed and Breakfast in Bath, rather than Bed and Breakfast in a bath, which would be weird. I stayed in a hostel, but I really wish I’d stayed in a B&B when I’d visited Bath. Did I mention that I’ve visited Bath?
The architecture of the city is probably what wow’d me the most. It really is a beautiful city. I had the pleasure of exploring and finding somewhere to eat on a wonderfully sunny summer afternoon. The parks, the river Avon running through it, and, I know I’m repeating myself but, the buildings, all come together to make one of the most beautiful cities in the UK. I would know, having visited Bath.
This is without even mentioning the baths themselves, too! I’ve never been there though, even though I’ve visited Bath. They’re probably pretty good.
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October 20th, 2009 Alex
Winter in Scotland doesn’t just mean wrapping up warm. As with many places, there are plenty of celebrations and events to chase away the winter gloom.
Glasgow, for instance, has its lights switched on each year in a magnificent display. The Christmas tree, George square and even the sky itself (courtesy of fireworks) are lit up for the gathered onlookers, whilst street entertainers and festive music entertain everybody present.
Afterwards, and until January 3rd, the open air ice rink ‘Glasgow on Ice’ will be open for the public, allowing for a truly wintery experience. Ice skating and cold evenings out watching fireworks are then perfectly complimented by an evening spent in self catering cottages in Scotland, wrapped up cosy and warm.
Skiing is also a possibility during the winter, and Scotland boasts an array of slopes. Glencoe, in Argyll, can offer you days of snow sports and give you a convenient base of operations in one of the many Argyll cottages.
With a higher chance of snow than many parts of England, if you want a real winter holiday, Scotland might be a great choice.
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October 19th, 2009 admin
So much to do and so little time, so you will be forgiven for not having enough time to do everything that is on offer whilst enjoying your Holiday Accommodation Shanklin based break.
There is one thing that I would suggest that you do before you leave to make your trip that little bit special: ‘Brading the Experience’. This is a great chance for you to see first hand some of the most original wax works on the Isle of Wight. This delightful little attraction is run by an Islander who has developed the museum to be a wonderful tourist attraction. The attraction also now includes the World of Wheels, a stunningly themed café serving homemade delights and an outlet store and gift shop.
You will find a wonderful array of famous faces in the wax works that include such figures as Queen Victoria, Princess Diana and Sir Winston Churchill with his last car the 1964 Hilman Husky – a must for anyone keen on the Great British Empire.
The Chambers of Torture is a great place for those wanting something a little more gruesome. Featuring some of the most painful and violent deaths known to man. You will be able to see first hand, severed heads, burning to death. fingernail torture, rat torture, the death pit, and the whipping wheel to name a small fraction of what you can expect.
For all of you who love all things engine related, the museum offers the ‘World of Wheels’. A collection of steam tractors and vintage cars, there is bound to be something for everyone.
Head over to the Isle of Wight for your next holiday and see for yourselves what is on offer.
Posted in Advice, attractions, fun, isle of wight | 1 Comment »
October 13th, 2009 Alex
Cornish pastys (PAST-ies. I heard some American tourists pronouncing it PASTE-ie once) are known throughout the UK and are a staple of a family holiday in Cornwall. But what should really go in a Cornish pasty?
A friend of mine remains adamant that a pasty should never contain carrots, and if it does, it’s definitely not a Cornish pasty. Yet I have had pasties with carrots in advertised as traditional Cornish pasties.
Of course, this friend also maintained that he was a train which people followed to the pub whenever he blew a whistle, so who’s going to believe anything he says?
Throughout the history of Cornwall though, pasties have had whatever was available stuffed in them. You can’t be picky about what you eat when you have to go and mine tin every day! This even resulted in a little piece of folklore claiming that the Devil would never cross the Tamar (the river that marks the Cornish border) for fear he’d be placed in a pasty himself.
This seemed to lose its truth at some point, and for a while all you could buy was one of the many forms of the ‘Traditional Cornish Pasty’, Cheese and Onion pasties, or, occasionally, a steak pasty.
Now though, with shops that sell pasties and nothing else, we’re getting back to being able to shove anything in them. Spicy chicken pasties, chickpea and lentil pasties, pork and apple pasties, I even had a chocolate and banana pasty a few weeks ago, but then I went to a funfair and it, combined with the rides, made me feel a bit ill.
So, anything can go in a pasty, it seems, as long as it stays edible. Why not book a stay in one of the self catering cottages in Cornwall and see what recipes you can make whilst there? Book a Christmas holiday and have mince pasties instead of pies.
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