Puffins in Pembrokeshire

[caption id="attachment_4147" align="alignnone" width="1200"] There were puffins nesting on the island![/caption]

Our holiday to Pembrokeshire was wonderful for many reasons – for the natural beauty of the countryside, for the fact that we actually got to relax, because everyone we met was lovely and because of all the brilliant things we did (from visiting Pembroke Castle to climbing trees at Heatherton World of Activities). But it was also brilliant because of the puffins.

When I found out that I would be able to see puffins if I visited this part of Wales, I knew I had to go. I love seeing animals in their natural habitat and, having walked along Horsey beach in Norfolk last year and been overwhelmed by the beautiful seals there, I was very taken by the idea of  seeing puffins for the first time too.

So, we were lucky enough that the concierge service offered by Coastal Cottages, who organised our lovely cottage in Little Haven, included a trip by thousand Island Cruises to Skomer and Ramsey Islands where we would see puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes, Manx shearwater and all sorts of other birds too. Plus, we saw some Atlantic grey seals sunbathing around Ramsey Island too.

We caught our boat near St David’s – the smallest city in the UK which is absolutely gorgeous. If you go, leave time to mooch around here and visit the cathedral - at the St Justinian’s Life Boat station. This is a fair walk away from the centre of St David’s and we drove to a nearby car park, and then walked to the life boat station. There are a number of steps on the way, so it’s probably not suitable for small children or those who aren't very mobile.

We were given warm, thick waterproofs to wear, and although it was grey on the way out, the sun did appear and I (who am always neurotic about sunscreen) did get burned. So, another warning, wear lots of sunscreen!

[caption id="attachment_4149" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert on the boat![/caption]

I’m not a great fan of boats, but the puffins were a real lure for me, so we soon set off and I admired the scenery as we zipped along. We saw some birds on the way and the occasional seal too, but it wasn’t until we neared Skomer that it got really exciting! There we saw hundreds and hundreds of birds, including those gorgeous puffins, blanketing the sea and the cliffs. It was a truly amazing sight.

Skomer is the largest of Pembrokeshire’s islands and only around a mile off the coast. It’s home to a huge variety of wildlife. We did not disembark to look around, but we could still see so many nesting seabirds – particularly guillemots and razorbills lining the cliff ledges. Along with neighbouring Skokholm Island it is the largest breeding puffin colony in Southern Britain.

[caption id="attachment_4146" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Birds near Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire[/caption]

Our guide pointed out the birds we could see and told us about them too which was great as we aren’t really that knowledgeable. I found it all absolutely fantastic – and not like anything I’d ever seen before.

The engine of the boat was turned off so as not to frighten away the wildlife, and we stayed there for around 15 minutes or so. Then we turned round to go back to the coast, but we drove around Ramsey Island which is beautiful, and looked into the caves.

[caption id="attachment_4145" align="alignnone" width="1200"] birds flying around and on Skomer Island[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_4150" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Puffins on the water around Skomer island[/caption]

As a non-boat lover, I found the bumpy journey back a bit hairy – although my son loved it! But I wouldn’t have missed the trip for anything. It was an absolute highlight of our holiday.

[caption id="attachment_4151" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Ramsey Island,[/caption]

Disclosure: Our trip with Thousand Island Expeditions was arranged through Coastal Cottages’ concierge services. It would have cost £48 per adult and £20 per child, but were given it on a complimentary basis in order to write about it. However, neither company had any input into this blog post.

More fun in Pembrokeshire:

Read an overview of our fabulous holiday in Pembrokeshire

A trip to Folly Farm

Read what Robert thought of Heatherton World of Activities

Pembroke Castle (a must-visit!)

A Lakeside Summer Holiday in Zell am See, Austria

Jess, aged 15, writes: Last week, I was lucky enough to spend seven days with my grandpa in Zell am See, Austria. Zell am See is a popular skiing resort in the state of Salzburg, but in summer the snow is cleared, revealing a gorgeous lakeside town surrounded by lush green hills. I really enjoyed our holiday, and think that Zell is a perfect summer holiday destination for families. You can do as much or as little as you wish, and we split our days between walking in the mountains and relaxing by the lake.

[caption id="attachment_4107" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] We loved spending our time by Lake Zell, which shimmered in the sun[/caption]

Grandpa and I stayed in the Hotel Tirolerhof, and we couldn't have wished for a better hotel. It ticked all the boxes: centrally located, spacious, beautifully decorated, clean, great food, and attentive service. We were truly lucky to find such a nice place to stay.

[caption id="attachment_4109" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Our hotel was brilliant![/caption]

A particular highlight was the food. We ate breakfast and dinner at the hotel every day, and the choice was simply staggering. Unable to eat meat, some types of fish, and gelatine, we were always presented with a multitude of different options. We had a five course meal every night, and it was always delicious. A particular highlight was a dessert buffet on the first night. It seemed as though the whole room was filled with treats, and all were fantastic. My only complaint of the week was that the pool wasn't very big, but it was filled with a multitude of water jets which made the experience lots of fun.

Where to go

Sigmund Thun Gorge

[caption id="attachment_4110" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The Sigmund Thun Gorge was absolutely stunning[/caption]

The Sigmund Thun Gorge is about a thirty minute bus ride from Zell, and it definitely was one of the highlights of the holiday. I had wanted to see a gorge ever since studying them in geography class, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. The gorge is 320m long and up to 35m deep, and it was incredible to see the walls of rock towering above the fast-flowing waterfalls. Luckily I didn't get too wet, and even got to see a rainbow. The walk through the gorge took about 25 minutes, and I honestly enjoyed every second. The only drawback of the entire experience was that the walk back to the entrance was steep and quite inaccessible but despite this, it was an experience which I would love to relive.

The Krimml Waterfalls

[caption id="attachment_4112" align="aligncenter" width="800"] We visited the Krimml Waterfalls and the Visitor Centre[/caption]

Another highlight of the holiday was visiting the Krimml Waterfalls. These are the highest waterfalls in Europe, and the fifth highest in the world. Grandpa and I took an easy stroll to the bottom of the falls, and the sheer amount of water displaced was overwhelming. It was a simply magnificent view, and had I not been with someone two generations older than me, we may have done some walking towards the top. We also took a trip to the Krimml Wonder World of Water, which was well done, though mainly in German. While I could translate quite a lot of this, it was difficult and time consuming.

The Kitzsteinhorn

[caption id="attachment_4113" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] At the top of Salzburg![/caption]

The Kitzsteinhorn was probably the most impressive experience of our holiday. We took three gondola lifts up to a glacier, and the experience was simply incredible. Unlike the other gondolas on the holiday, these ones were small, so for some of our journeys it was just me and grandpa in the gondola.

[caption id="attachment_4114" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The gondola lift up the mountain was incredible![/caption]

The views were stunning - towering green hills interspersed with trees and waterfalls. We took walks on the first and second levels, and then took the Gipfelwelt to the top of the mountain. We were at 3029m - the top of Salzburg. The views were incredible, and combined with an exhibition about the national park, we had an excellent time.

Grossglockner

[caption id="attachment_4116" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The views at the Grossglockner were magnificent.[/caption]

We took an excursion to the Grossglockner - the highest mountain in Austria. The alpine road stretches all the way across the mountain, and the views were phenomenal. Unfortunately, on the ascent we mainly found ourselves driving through clouds, but descent was simply phenomenal. The combined views of the glacier and the valley below were amazing to look at, and we even got to see some marmots (cute large squirrels native to the Alps). We were accompanied by a ranger who was extremely helpful and told us some fascinating facts about the road; stopping to answer any questions we had. We stopped multiple times on the journey, and particular highlights were an exhibition on the flora and fauna of the mountain, and one on the building of the road.

Schmittenhöhe

[caption id="attachment_4117" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] When we went up the Schmittenhöhe, we could see down onto lake Zell and Zell am See![/caption]

The Schmittenhöhe is Zell's local mountain. While not as tall as the other mountains we went up on the holiday, it was absolutely perfect for taking walks. The views were sublime, especially those of Zell and the lake below us. We had an excellent time walking around, and even watched people paragliding into the valley.

What to do

There was so much to do in Zell that we didn't manage to experience it all. It only takes three hours to walk around the lake, but we didn't attempt to tackle that. It is also possible to rent bikes, visit the town museum (which was closed for maintenance), and swim in one of the three lidos. There is a Wednesday night summer festival to visit, and grandpa and I enjoyed looking around the Church.

Zell is an excellent place to stay in the sense that it's so convenient. There was a multitude of shops, a train station, and lots of different bus routes, which we frequently used.

MS Schmittenhöhe

[caption id="attachment_4118" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] We took a scenic cruise around Lake Zell on the MS Schimmtenhöhe[/caption]

There are panorama cruises of Lake Zell on the MS Schmittenhöhe, which take you all across the lake. It was lovely to experience Zell from the water, and there was also the option of sunbathing and buying food. Information about our surroundings was given, though this was difficult to hear in certain parts of the boat.

Lake Crossing

[caption id="attachment_4120" align="aligncenter" width="800"] We took a ferry across Lake Zell to Thumersbach[/caption]

We took the ferry across the lake to Thumersbach, which is home to a gorgeous park, a lido, and restaurants. The ferry crossing was quick and easy, and Thumersbach was a great place to visit.

Magic Lake Show

[caption id="attachment_4121" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] We loved Zell's magnificent light and laser show[/caption]

Zell am See's water light show takes place three times a week, and consists of fountains, lasers, and lights. We visited on Sunday night, meaning that the theme was "Classic" - classical music. The show lasted for about 20 minutes, and was really enjoyable. The lakefront was absolutely packed, and it was clear that everyone was having a really good time.

One thing which really improved our holiday was the Zell am See summer card. This gave us discounts on almost all of the attractions in the Zell am See area, which was useful as it left us with more money for ice creams! There was even a helpful app which gave us extra information, and allowed us to calculate how much money we had saved. By the end of the week, we had managed to save €165! You cannot buy the Summer Card; it comes free with participating hotels.

In conclusion, Zell am See is a really excellent place to go on holiday. The people were nice, the food was amazing, the views were magnificent, and there were so many great things to do. We could do as much or as little as we wanted, and had a really exciting and relaxing time. I would definitely recommend it for all types of families - whether you want to go for long hikes or just relax by the lake. I would happily go back again next year!

Jess and her grandpa went on a package holiday with Inghams, flying via Ryanair from Stansted Airport to Salzburg and then taking a coach to Zell. They were gifted two "summer cards" from the Zell am See tourism board, but the tourist board had no input into this blog post.

Playing at Lost Jungle London: Europe's Largest Adventure Golf

We travel around a lot to visit places which we think we - and other families - would enjoy. So I cannot tell you what a pleasure it was to find a place which excited us and that is not far from where we live! Lost Jungle London is a brand new crazy golf course, billed as the largest adventure golf course in Europe! It's based in Edgware, north London and has a large car park for those driving there. It also has two 18 hole mini golf courses, a footgolf course and a nine hole short golf course.

So, what did we think.....?

Jess, aged 15, writes: Our family had a fantastic time playing at Lost Jungle London - the largest mini golf site in Europe. The site consists of 36 crazy golf holes with two themes: the Amazon, and the Congo, and a nine hole footgolf course. This was definitely one of the most exciting and well done mini golf courses I've ever been to, and our family has visited lots!

We arrived early in the hope of escaping crowds, and soon descended upon the Amazon themed mini golf course, armed with clubs and brightly coloured golf balls (a different colour for each of us). The course was amazing; every hole was different from the next, and the area was finished with some amazing details. During our game, we passed waterfalls, palm trees, "Aztec" ruins, gorillas, and snakes.These were brilliant touches which definitely made our time more interesting.

A particular highlight of mine was the second hole, in which you had to putt the ball across a path, but if you didn't, it would fall into the water. This was extremely difficult, and me being me, I ended up being the only person in the family to fail at it. Worried that we'd lost the ball forever, we ran around to the other side, only to find that, it had gone through a secret hole and had come out in a great position on the other side!

Sarah says: The space here is fantastic. It's built on the site of an old golf course, so it's very uncrowded and you feel as if you're in the country just being here. We all thought the courses were extremely well designed. We played 18 holes on the Amazon course, but also had a quick look around the Congo one (which has its own wobbly bridge to walk across).



I was impressed by all the little touches, such as informative signs on each hole (anything ranging from the Aztecs to Brazilian spiders) and the waterfalls were great to see too. There were a number of families playing, but also lots of people of all ages. I did think it would be great to do with a group of my friends.
All in all, it was such good fun.

[caption id="attachment_4164" align="alignnone" width="1200"] A snake on the Congo course[/caption]

 

Robert, aged 12, writes: Dad and I also had a go at football golf, and I personally enjoyed it more than the golf (although that was really fun, but could get a little frustrating, as well). There were nine holes in the football golf course, each one slightly easier than the next.



We decided to play without keeping score and I found that really good it made it more fun. Football golf is when you try and kick your football into a hole between 30 to 90 yards away. It was really fun and I would definitely do it again. I really loved it.

[caption id="attachment_4168" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The courses are very impressive to look at (and fun to play on!)[/caption]

Jess says: In conclusion, we all really enjoyed our time at Lost Jungle. It really was an excellent morning out, with bright, enjoyable, and unique holes. It really stood out as a fun, exciting place to visit - perfect for all the family. Nothing was too hard or too easy, and the queues weren't massive (although we did visit at 10.30 in the morning!). I would recommend Lost Jungle for anyone in the London area who wants a fun day out, as it was probably the best mini golf I have ever been to.

Lost Jungle London is open seven days a week, from 9am to 9pm (bank holidays 9.30 to 5pm). It costs £9 per 18 holes for an adult, £8 for a student and £7.50 for a "schoolie", aged 5-17. A family costs from £28 (two adults and two kids, or one adult and three kids). If you want to play 36 holes, then a family ticket is £42, and adult is £13.50 and 5-17 £11.25. The foot golf costs £7.50 per adult and for each "schoolie".
Disclosure: We were given a family pass to try the course out, but all the content here is our own and Lost Jungle London had no input into it.

Alice's Adventures Underground

Robert, aged 12, writes about an evening out which we shared - and loved - in London: 

Mum and I went to Alice’s Adventures Underground and it was genuinely the best night out I’ve had in years. Alice’s Adventures Underground is an immersive performance based on Lewis Carroll’s book, Alice in Wonderland. Throughout the show every person has decisions to make that will influence the rest of their personal journey, meaning you can do something completely different to everyone else.  

Near the beginning we saw the White Rabbit and one of the queen's guards eating and drinking. Whenever the two ate, they seemed to grow larger and whenever they drank, the pair seemed to shrink. This led on to the first decision of the night, to eat or drink. Whichever action you choose corresponds to a door you have to walk through and both these doors lead to completely different stories. Mum and I chose to eat (meaning hearts or diamonds) and had a fantastic time but from what I’ve heard, choosing to drink (clubs or spades) is equally great. 

The journeys are split up into lots of sections, each unique to the suit you get after entering the doors (e.g hearts, diamonds…). Most of the scenes and rooms are really hands on and involve loads of jokes. A lot of the scenes also included bits of magic that was genuinely mind-blowing. One of our scenes was quite creepy and another involved a song that was really quite beautiful. 

The sets were so imaginative and amazing. They were all incredibly detailed with small touches that most people don’t even look at but added to the atmosphere of the story. Everything was done at the perfect time like when two suits mixed to see the same thing but were then split up quickly afterwards. Conversations between the characters were written so well, they were exciting and had no boring gaps. One of our section involved spying on another group and the things we saw were important later on, it was things like that made it so fun and exciting. 

Everything was so clever (the lines, plot and props) and I would’ve loved to learn what the other groups did. There were four main possible pathways to the story so you could definitely go back again. All the groups met for a very quirky tea before being escorted to a courtroom with a hilarious court case that involved all the four suits at the end. 

For me it was 90 minutes of sheer brilliance where every section connected to another. I loved it and would really recommend going while you still can.  

Alice's Adventures Underground is on at the Vaults (near Waterloo Station) in London until September 23rd. There are a variety of ticket options available, ranging from a standard ticket for £54 on a weekend evening, to £39 for a weekday evening. There are also cheaper tickets for certain performances if you're under Under-26, and more expensive options if you go for the Premium ticket, which grants you a cocktail, programme and edible treat. You can find out more about all these options on the website.

Disclosure: We were given two free tickets in order to write a blog post, but all the thoughts contained in it are our own.

Do note that there is also a version for the under-10s, which will obviously be very suitable for children. The lovely Nell from Pigeon Pair and Me has written a post on this from when she went to this show. And it also sounds great! It's on until September 3rd.

(In case you are wondering about the lack of photos from the show, you aren't allowed to take pictures during the performance),

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