Category: Travel

  • Our Family Holiday at Mullion, Cornwall

    We are home after our trip to Mullion, Cornwall! Holiday’s really make you feel refreshed don’t they? It’s one of the main reasons why I want the ultimate work, life and travel balance. We have just enjoyed a seven night break at Park Dean Resorts Mullion Holiday Park in Cornwall. It was a great week. To watch what we got up to, take a look at my little vlog I put together. Our last holiday like this was on Isle of Wight and we had a lovely time so of course we had pretty high expectations.

    I remember announcing the holiday a while a go as our next family holiday destination. Mullion Holiday park has plenty of mobile homes, caravans and space for pitching and touring. When it comes to camping you want to make sure you have all the right supplies so it’s worth checking out camping equipment reviews to ensure you have the best of the best.

    Park Dean Resorts Mullion Holiday Park Cornwall

    Cornwall isn’t really that far, a few hours by car and we checked out the transport links before we booked. As a non driving family we left around 11.30am on 21st July arriving at the park after many train delays, missing a bus and forking out for a taxi at around 7.30pm where we were greeted by the friendly reception team and collected the key to our caravan. On arriving we were given our holiday admin paperwork, entertainment schedule, pool opening times and activities. We were pretty close to everything which was good as the last thing we wanted to do was look for our holiday home with all the luggage and be right at the other end of the park. The sun had just come out when we arrived, I took this to be a sign of a good week. After putting our luggage in we headed straight over for dinner and enjoyed a tasty pub grub style meal together.

    Mullion Holiday Park Food, Fish n Chips

    I had a lovely fish n chips tea and Adam enjoyed the Steak and Doom Bar Pie. We shared some bread and oils too which were very tasty.

    Mullion Holiday Park Food, Steak Doombar Pie

    We had a pretty busy week planned and were going to be running around Cornwall all week with our family bus pass. It was £52 for a week for two adults and as many kids as you had with you which was pretty good. It saved us a lot of money as we headed out pretty much every day.

    Mullion Holiday Park Outside Swimming Pool

    The holiday park is quite small but features a good sized family resturant, takeaway, shop, indoor heated pool, outdoor pool & splash zone, play park, arcade and evening entertainment lounge. We had a good week, the place was pretty clean and we tried to sample as much as we could really. Mullion holiday park is situated just outside Mullion village, 7 miles south of Helston and around 3 miles away from Lizard Point which is the most south you can get to in the UK. In Helston you’ll find a large Sainsburys, Tesco and Lidl for food shopping which is very handy. We decided we were going to cook most nights so on the Saturday we headed back into Helston for some time at Flambards and a quick shop. We got back later in the afternoon and headed to the entertainment lounge for the kids disco. E really surpised me as she didn’t feel like joining in very much but instead watched what was going on with her slush puppy. She did have a lot of fun with the 2p machines though and won herself some sort of dino fish from one of the grab games.

    Mullion Holiday Park Arcade

    On Sunday we headed down towards Lizard Point for a picnic and the weather was super sunny and lovely. E walked around the rockpools with Adam and they found a family of crabs. E was a bit disapointed because the crabs were too small apparently. Well, pleasing children is pretty hard to do anyway right? There are lots of lovely beaches in Cornwall. Otis and us have some great advice on beach days and rockpooling.

    Picnic Lunch At Lizard Point, Mullion Holiday Park

    We headed back up to Helston after lunch for some ice cream and a play in the big park there by the lake before heading back to Mullion and jumping in the pool. It was lovely to have a swim and a play in the sunshine and I’m pretty surprised I had the confidence to get in to be honest! Monday we spend the day at St Michaels Mount which is absolutely worth a visit. There are loads of places to go hiking around Cornwall so it really does make for an adventurous holiday. With gorgeous, rocky coastlines you want to make sure you have all the right hiking equipmentSt Michael's Mount Causeway Marazion

     

    We ended up missing our bus back from Helston but after grabbing some drinks from Lidl we only had half hour to wait and chose to do that in the park. We stayed a little later in the entertainment lounge and watched some of the show for the night which was a bit of fun. By half nine E was actually tired (never happens at home…) so we headed back to the caravan for the night.

    Mullion Holiday Park, Helston Lakeside Icecream

    We had a lazy day on the Tuesday after a few full on days making use of the facilities on site. A good swim and a play in the soft play area with a costa coffee was just the relaxing time we needed. E headed into the outside park later on in the evening before our regular routine of arcade and evening entertainment. A few times we tried to order some drinks and cocktails but the bar staff in the star gate lounge either couldn’t hear us or just didn’t really understand our orders. This was really frustrating to be honest especially when the entertainment staff and DJ kept recommending drinks and the bar staff couldn’t really complete the order. It’s also worth noticing that there are new menus around and not every drink featured will be available in every park. However, rather than being politely informed about drinks being unavailable we were met with shrugs, blank stares and often rude remarks. It was a real shame to be honest as it’s something we will take away from our holiday and has kind of tarnished it a little. I hope it’s just a teething and training issue with whatever changes are taking place and it was simply a case of wrong place and time.

    On Wednesday we headed into Falmouth on the bus which took around 45 minutes from Helston in search for a cream tea. We found the perfect place in Dolly’s Tea Room and Gin Palace. It was a really delicious cream tea and we will absolutely head back to Falmouth for a child free weekend in the future to sample more of those delicious gins on offer.

    We came home to enjoy our evening meal and the evening entertainment. By this point I was starting to feel a little unwell with a scratchy throat. Now I’m home with a full blown cold which is very annoying. Thursday was our final day and another lazy one at that, mostly due to me feeling unwell but we still got out for a play, a swim and packed up our caravan so we could leave bright and early the next morning. Checking out was simple and we left around 8.50 to catch our bus. Reception wasn’t yet open so we dropped our keys into the post box just on the side of the door. It took eight long hours to get home and we’re glad to be back!

    Mullion is a nice little holiday park and has good connection routes with the rest of Cornwall. There is plenty to see and do nearby including some absolutely stunning beaches and I wish we had a chance to get to some of them. We will absolutely visit Cornwall again and I would consider Park Dean Resorts as a good choice for self catering accomodation.

     

  • Our Stay at Withyslade Farm Cottages, Tisbury

    Our Stay at Withyslade Farm Cottages, Tisbury

    Accomodation in Tisbury – Withyslade Cottages

    Withyslade Farm Cottages in Tisbury offer three lovely self catering cottages suitable for families or small groups of friends to enjoy a peaceful break in beautiful surroundings. We booked our weekend away as a result of needing to get out of town, have a bit of a refresh and just enjoy some peace and quiet. Withyslade Cottages offered all of this. We made our booking through booking.com a couple of weeks ago and have been so excited in the run up to ourweek away.

    Withyslade Farm Cottages Tisbury Accomodation

    Our Luxury Cottage at Withyslade

    It really was a beautiful and luxury cottage situated on the beautiful Withyslade Farm in Tisbury, Wiltshire. It is located close to Salisbury and Stone henge so a fantastic choice for those looking for accomodation in the South. Our cottage could very comfortably sleep five with the two bedrooms, spacious kitchen and comfortable sitting area. I was so impressed with the cleanliness, space and fresh decor available. WiFi is complimentary and available in each cottage. Complimentary bottles of water were by each bedside.

    Withyslade Cottages Review, Luxury Cottages Wiltshire

    The luxury Wiltshire cottage was self catering and had all the amenities of a kitchen you’d expect including an electric oven, hob, fridge, toaster and lots of storage space. There were plenty of lovely big mugs, glasses and plates for all of us and a few cooking utensils. Plenty of tea, coffee and hot chocolate is available with a nice big kettle. It was lovely waking up in the morning, enjoying the view and having a big mug of hot coffee. Our cottage didn’t have a microwave but this didn’t affect our cooking.

    Withyslade Cottages South West Accomodation Tisbury

    The sitting area has two comfortable sofas and a chair. The television is flat screen and has a great range of freeview channels available. We found the cottage to be comfortable, light and airy. We didn’t use the heating throughout our stay because it was a very comfortable temperature and opening up a few windows cooled the place down quickly.

    Withyslade Cottages Review

    We had two large bedrooms, one with a twin set up and another with a double and single bed. This would be an ideal family room. There are plenty of places to store clothes, mirrors, chairs and dressing tables upstairs. The beds were very comfy and cosy with fresh linen, extra pillows and curtains that kept out the daylight.

    Withyslade Cottages Twin Room, Tisbury Accomodation

    The lighting throughout the cottage is just right for the size and very modern.

    Withyslade Farm Cottages and Toiletries

    The bathroom features a bath and lovely hot shower with complimentary toiletries. There is only one toilet in this particular property but we didn’t see this to be an issue.

    Our Stay at Withyslade Cottage

    We had a fantastic time. We were greeted upon arrival around 8.30pm by the owners who were welcoming and friendly. We were shown to our cottage and told we were welcome to walk around the farm and which of the animals to avoid. Being on a farm there are horses, sheep and dogs around so pets are not welcome and children might wish to be warned prior to visiting if they are scared of any animals.

    Withyslade Cottages Horses

    My daughter would have absolutely loved this stay. There was a cute yet cheeky little dog named Daisy that came in to see us a few times during our stay for a good stroke and I know Evie would have loved her.

    withyslade farm and cottages review

    We did take the chance to walk around the grounds and say hello to some of the horses. We walked up into the forest at the top which was full of gorgeous bluebells. We also had a walk through a large field and found an abandoned building which was a little spooky.

    There are no shops on site so it’s easier to take everything with you if you do not intend on leaving. We wanted to make the most of being a bit out of the way and in the country so we didn’t feel the need to leave. It truly was a beautiful visit and a place I would happily visit time and time again. What’s really great about staying out in the country is how it can make a great base for walking holidays. Travelling around on foot is a great way to see a bit more of our gorgeous countryside. I loved this post from Birds and Lillies about walking holidays and some fabulous recommendations.

    Our trip has made me so excited for our next holiday in July!

    Save

  • Visiting Alesund, Norway

    Alesund was the second port we visited on our cruise on the Azura around Norway last month. Alesund is a really pretty town with lots of lovely little shops in the centre and a natural canal running through. It’s full of quaint storefronts and fishing boats and the town is made up over several islands.

    alesund, norway, cruise

    We had a lovely time exploring and took advantage of a full day in port by using the Hop On Hop Off bus. The bus took you to several places across the islands and took just over an hour if you were sitting on for the full tour. Once on board you were given some headphones to plug into the information points to listen to the history of the place. The bus stops at ten different points and a bus can be expected at each of these points every 30 minutes when there’s a cruise ship docked.

    alesund norway, cruising in norway, norway fjords cruise, ports of norway

    For unlimited use over 24 hours we paid 275 NOK which is around £27. You can prebook these tickets online though and I think it’s a little cheaper if you pay on a credit or debit card.

    alesund, norway

    The views are stunning.

    alesund norway, coming into port in alesund

    The bus stops at the following places of interest

    1. Cruise Ship Terminal
    2. Sunnmore Museum
    3. Aksla View Point – Fjellstua
    4. Parken Kulturhus &  Shopping district
    5.  Tourist Information
    6. The Art Nouveau Centre & Jugendstilsenteret
    7.  Ålesund Church
    8. Ålesund Aquarium, Atlanterhavsparken
    9. Hessa Viewpoint

    alesund norway, cruising in norway, norway ports

    In Norway Museums and Galleries do come at an extra price so it’s worth checking before you enter. Toilets usually reguire 10 kroner to use but a lot I’ve seen require you to pay by credit or debit card.

    trees, wood, alesund, norway, aksla

    The Atlanterhavsparken is a great place for families with a few animals and wildlife to see and is actually within walking distance but does take around 40 minutes to get there. We heard the seals on our way into dock.

    flowers, bluebells, blue flowers, flower photography, alesund norway

    You can also climb the 400 zig zag steps up the mountain to the Aksla view point for some stunning views as well as seeing the old German bunkers.

    german bunker, alesund, norway

    Browsing along the shops in the town is a lovely way to relax. There were plenty of markets on when we visited and lots of souvenier shops dotted around the cobbled streets. It’s a very pretty harbour town.

    alesund highstreet, shops, norway

    Visiting #Alesund in #Norway, #FamilyTravel on a #cruise and spending a day in the town

  • A Day Out at the Wildest Theme Park

    A Day Out at the Wildest Theme Park

    Our Day at Chessington World of Adventures

    We have had lots of lovely things to celebrate recently which means we’ve been lucky enough to head to some lovely places and have some great family days out. One of which being Mini Kat’s 6th Birthday. I honestly can not believe she is 6 now, it’s gone so fast. She had a fantastic birthday with a party and a trip to Chessington World of Adventures with the family which was so much fun, if a little busy. We are quite lucky that it’s only just over an hour away from us so it didn’t take too long to arrive. Now Evie is getting older I’d love a chance to take her to Thorpe Park. Pink Oddy has a great place on why Thorpe Park is perfect on a hot day.

    There aren't a lot of family photos but the ones we do have I like to treasure, even if we all pull silly faces!

    A group of us headed up with our two for one entry tickets thanks to a lot of Krave cereal over the last few weeks but it was so worth it to get six of us in the park for £138 which is a massive saving. You can, of course, take advantage of the online savings however we weren’t sure if we would make it until the last minute so advance tickets just weren’t an option for us.

    chessington world of adventures, family days out

    We arrived quite late in the morning and parked in the Explorers car park close to the Go Ape field. This is the Tiger Field and a short walk from the Explorers gate. It’s really important to note if you park here you have to leave by this gate. We didn’t know this when it was time to leave as the first time we saw a notice of this was when we left through the main exit and saw a sign in the carpark. It would be really ideal for the ticket gate operators to inform you that you need to leave the way you enter to save a little time at the end of a tiring day.

    Chessington world of adventures, family travel, days out with kids, family days out, chessington reviews
    Pin This Post

    Before visiting I really recommend downloading the app which helped us to get around. It includes a digital map and uses GPS to see where you are in the park, really helpful when planning where to go next and to see what’s close to you. The app also has all the show times, animal encounters and queue times which is so handy and a great way to plan throughout the day.

    chessington, days out with family
    Evie and Nora the Moose at Chessington World of Adventures, enjoying a little rest.

    We visited on Friday 2nd September and it was very busy. We hoped we would get on the bubbleworks for one final time but throughout the day the queue was a minimum of 60 minutes. Because of the amount of people there it meant we didn’t really get to go on a lot but we saw the Penguins of Madagascar, Operation Cheezy Dibbles which was a really fun show full of music and dancing. Absolutely great for kids and is one a few times throughout the day.

    penguins of madagascar show, chessington

    We missed a lot of the animal shows from being in queues but we did go on the Zufari ride which is completely worth lining up for. It was awesome. It’s very bumpy and you are very likely to get wet on this ride so if you don’t like that then stay away from the end seats. Each row seats five people however the seats are quite small. Luckily you’re only on the ride for about five minutes. You get up close and personal with giraffes, rhino, blesbok, zebra and flamingos and it’s lovely to see them on a safari adventure. Close to the ride is a part of the zoo featuring Gazelle, Meerkats and a whole host of other animals to peek at.

    chessington flamingos on the zufari ride

    There are plenty of seating, grassy areas and picnic benches throughout the park for those that take picnics with them as well as clean toilets situated in each of the lands with smaller sinks for little people. For those that have smokers in the group like we did there are plenty of designated smoking areas scattered throughout the park however there is no smoking allowed in queues.hocus pocus hall, chessington

     

    We managed to get on the Carosel, Bumper Cars, Hocus Pocus Hall, Rattlesnake, Scorpian Express and SeaStorm throughout our day. We probably could have gone on a few more rides if we had planned better but the crowds did make it hard to get from one end of the park to the other and it is so much bigger than I remember. Seeing the animals in the sea life centre and through the trail of the kings was great and Mini Kat was really intrigued by the Gorillas.

    chessington world of adventures
    Look how big I am?!

    We will visit Chessington again as it’s just ride for Mini Kat’s age and size now however I really would like to go on a quieter day to get around a bit more as well as stay overnight in one of the hotels as I think that helps you get around a lot more. They also have a glamping option available there too.

    chessington world of adventures, family days out

    Have you been to Chessington World of Adventures recently? What did you think?

     

    Save

  • Things to do in Stavanger, Norway

    Things to do in Stavanger, Norway

    On our recent cruise along the Norwegian Fjords we visited four ports all with plenty of different things to offer. Our first port of call was Stavanger, a large city with a big harbour for cruise ships like ours was. Stavanger is nicknamed the Oil Capital of Norway because of the boom the country experienced when the Oil Fields in the Norwegian Sea and North Sea were found. Here are a few things you can do whilst in Stavanger to make the most of your time visiting this city. It’s key to note that Norway is really expensive, so if you aren’t cruising like we were and had all our food included, bare this in mind. You’ll need a lot of spending money.

    stavanger, norway, what to do in stavanger with family

    Coming into Stavanger is just beautiful when approaching by boat. Plenty of little islands and mountain backdrops surround the city. It’s completely different to being on the south coast of England which is why we went there in the first place, to experience something completely new.

    shopping in stavanger, norway

    If you are cruising I really do recommend booking one of the excursions as it is a great way to see much more of Norway than staying in the city centre, however if you would prefer to do it yourself then here are a few things you can book alone.

    1. Visit the Norwegian Petroleum Museum
    2. Visit Stavanger Cathedral
    3. Cruise through the Lysefjord
    4. Visit Swords in Rock
    5. Olre Holmegate – really colourful street in the centre that takes you down to the waterfront
    6. Go on a boat tour
    7. See the pulpit rock

    stavanger cathedral

    Each of these attractions comes at a cost but really do help to make the most of your trip in Stavanger and will help to keep the kids entertained. A lot of the guides are English speaking or have an option for you to listen to an English speaking guide. If you do want to wonder around the city there are plenty of historical buildings to see. Museums are not free to enter like they are here so bare in mind that you can’t just walk in and visit. Also bare in mind that visiting public toilets requires, typically, 10 Norwegian Kroner. Some may take a Euro. Some however, might not take cash, and will require you to pay for using the facilities by credit card.

    stavanger, norway, things to see in Norway