Wonderful Whitstable, by Ella

[caption id="attachment_823" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Sunset in Whitstable[/caption]

Some months ago my gorgeous niece Ella, who is nearly 15, wrote a post about visiting Barcelona. Now she's back with a terrific blog about Whitstable in Kent, her new favourite place....

Over to Ella:

"Holidays in England can often be the best kind. The travelling is easy, the language and customs are familiar, and there are so many cute and quirky little villages to explore. Recently, I’ve been lucky enough to discover one of these; a beautiful fishing town in Kent: Whitstable.

Whitstable is the perfect, picturesque, idyllic small town. It has everything you could possibly want, in terms of location, shops, restaurants and accommodation. Situated in Northern Kent, Whitstable is only a 20 minute drive away from Canterbury, a town rich in history, sites of interest and brilliant shopping opportunities!

When visiting Whitstable, you are certainly not short of shops to choose from. As well as the practical Boots, Budgens, various high street clothes shops and brand new Morrisons, there are some very interesting, unique ‘boutique’ shops, as well as numerous antique shops and a variety of charity shops. Not forgetting my personal favourite – the unbelievably delicious homemade cupcake shop, What’s up Cupcake. If there was one place I wish I could pick up and transport home, it would, without a doubt, be this perfect little shop! There’s no fault to be found in it – the food is incredible, the staff are friendly and welcoming – and even remember who you are and what you’ve previously bought!

The weekend is definitely the best time to be in Whitstable. Saturdays and Sundays are when the town really comes to life – not least due to the opening of the Harbour Village. Open every weekend (until Christmas) Whitstable Harbour Village offers a quirky, cute, alternative variety of stalls – selling everything ranging from oysters, to handmade cushions, to delicious waffles. This really is a brilliant experience – a seaside shopping experience in a beautiful working harbour, with a beautiful view. Whether you’re looking for art, food, gifts, toys, food, furniture or stained glass windows – there’s no doubt you’ll find something you love.

There is a wide variety of accommodation available. Although there aren’t as many B&Bs as one may think, the ones that are found here are certainly no disappointment. In particular, Copeland House is situated right on the beachfront; a perfect location with a perfect view. Many people own second homes in Whitstable, and those that are rented out for short visits make for extremely cosy, comfortable and relaxing places to be. I stayed in Coastguards Cottage, a stylish, well-looked after, comfortable cottage – with a gorgeous sea view.

As well as being a picturesque beach holiday destination, Whitstable is rich in history. Whitstable is famous for its oysters, which have been gathered there since Roman times. In 1830, Whitstable and Canterbury were home to the opening of one of the first railway lines in Europe. The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway was a public railway, and in 1834 the world's first season ticket was issued for use on the line, to take Canterbury passengers to the Whitstable beaches in the summer! There is a museum located in Whitstable town centre, packed with interesting exhibitions and things to do for all the family, including a regular programme of drop-in activities.

The atmosphere found in Whitstable is simply unlike anywhere else I’ve been. It’s a lively and extremely welcoming town; I’ve only encountered a small number of people who HAVEN’T said hello when I’ve passed them! The high street is quirky and vibrant, yet the entire town still has a unique and traditional feel to it; it’s just all-round a brilliant place to be. I can’t recommend it enough."

Read Ella's post about Barcelona and our post on Seven Super Reasons to stay in a B&B

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This week we've linked up with the lovely Coombe Mill at Country kids and also with the Sunday Traveller (just can't write it with one l!).

Seven Super Reasons to stay in a Bed and Breakfast

Outside Becketts B&B

Travelling with children can be expensive and tricky. And depending on the ages of the kids, certain issues - babysitting, cots, large rooms, breakfast times which start early - can become surprisingly important.

But if you are looking for something a little different, and possibly, even a little bit cheaper than a hotel, we would recommend a Bed and Breakfast (or B&B).

We have always been fans of B&Bs even before we had children. When we holidayed regularly in America, we used our travel books (this was pre-internet) to search out recommended B&Bs, and hoped for friendly, informed hosts and delicious breakfast treats. We always got these and for far cheaper than a hotel. In fact, I still remember staying in a wonderful B&B in Newport Rhode Island which also served fresh cookies and sherry for tea every afternoon (all included in the price of course).

B&Bs faded away slightly once we had young children, not least because you become extremely conscious of noise when you are staying in someone's house! However, it was also because of course it meant that you had to go out to eat for supper, which was not always suitable with youngsters. Now the children are 12 and 9 (today - happy birthday Robert!) we love them again. In fact we have loved them again for quite some years. Let me tell you why.

1) The personal touch
Most B&B owners aren't part of a bigger corporation or chain - they do it to earn money and because they enjoy it. This means they really care about their guests' experience, from the breakfast (more on that below) to ensuring that that any information given is up to date and helpful. They rely on good reviews and word of mouth to survive.

2) A delicious breakfast
Hotel breakfasts can be delicious, but are often extremely expensive. At a B&B they are, of course, included, and cooked to order. You will often find all kinds of tempting goodies on offer, including homemade granola or bread, home-grown fruit salad, or delicious freshly poached eggs and sausages. You will rarely go away hungry and the service, because it's not for hundreds of guests, is good.



3) Value
Bed and Breakfasts are nearly always good value - though that doesn't mean they are cheap. Always ring up to find out about the latest offers, and note that not only is breakfast included, with parking often is too.

4) Charm and originality
A Bed and Breakfast is not usually a purpose-built building. Instead you may be staying in anything from a converted barn to an historic manor house(even a castle) or semi-detached home!

5) The opportunity to live like a local
Wherever you go, if you stay in a B&B, you are staying in somebody's home. What better way to find out what it's really like to be in that city - to discover local customs and the best local places to eat.

6) An intimate experience
You won't be sharing your stopover with hundreds of others, which can make it particularly special (and, if you leave the kids at home, even romantic).

7) Options
You might be surprised to find that unlike many hotels, lots of B&Bs have interconnecting rooms for families (read more to find out why I love these types of room). If they don't offer this, then they may have huge family rooms, which are often far more appealing or better suited to the kids than a hotel.

We search for B&Bs whenever we are travelling in the UK and have been extremely lucky with rooms and food (we always warn that we don't eat meat and often arrive to find delicious veggie sausages on offer). We do check tripadvisor for reviews (although that's a dangerous road to travel as someone will always find something negative to say!) and are very rarely disappointed. I can only remember one time in Banbury when the family room was so tiny we were nearly on top of each other as we slept.

That's not to say that B&Bs are for everyone, especially if you are not one for chatting (the flipside of the personal touch) and don't want to share your breakfast table with other guests. In other words, if you are a tad anti-social...

The children's room

Always ring up to find out about prices, rooms and offers. When we went to Kent a few weeks ago, we stayed in a lovely B&B called Becketts in Edenbridge, near Hever Castle. It was particularly exciting for us as the children stayed in a (gorgeous) room which was entirely separate from ours. We felt properly grown-up (and so did they).

Becketts was particularly lovely because, as a converted 300 year old barn, it was genuinely full of character. Our room even had a four poster bed! We also all enjoyed a truly delicious breakfast (toast, poached egg, tomatoes and veggie sausages for us, juice, cereal, toast, mushrooms and more for the kids).

Our four poster bed!

Jess and Rob on the couch in their room

The children's room (which is called the garden twin) is also able to have an an extra temporary bed or cot and prices vary between £85 - £100 for two people depending on midweek/weekend and length of stay.

Read our posts:

In praise of interconnecting rooms

A visit to Hever Castle (just 5 minutes from our B&B!)

You can find out more about Kent from the Visit Kent website.

Seven Super Reasons to stay in a Bed and Breakfast

Outside Becketts B&B

 Travelling with children can be expensive and tricky. And depending on the ages of the kids, certain issues - babysitting, cots, large rooms, breakfast times which start early - can become surprisingly important.

But if you are looking for something a little different, and possibly, even a little bit cheaper than a hotel, we would recommend a Bed and Breakfast (or B&B).

We have always been fans of B&Bs even before we had children. When we holidayed regularly in America, we used our travel books (this was pre-internet) to search out recommended B&Bs, and hoped for friendly, informed hosts and delicious breakfast treats. We always got these and for far cheaper than a hotel. In fact, I still remember staying in a wonderful B&B in Newport Rhode Island which also served fresh cookies and sherry for tea every afternoon (all included in the price of course).

B&Bs faded away slightly once we had young children, not least because you become extremely conscious of noise when you are staying in someone's house! However, it was also because of course it meant that you had to go out to eat for supper, which was not always suitable with youngsters. Now the children are 12 and 9 (today - happy birthday Robert!) we love them again. In fact we have loved them again for quite some years. Let me tell you why.

1) The personal touch
Most B&B owners aren't part of a bigger corporation or chain - they do it to earn money and because they enjoy it. This means they really care about their guests' experience, from the breakfast (more on that below) to ensuring that that any information given is up to date and helpful. They rely on good reviews and word of mouth to survive.

2) A delicious breakfast
Hotel breakfasts can be delicious, but are often extremely expensive. At a B&B they are, of course, included, and cooked to order. You will often find all kinds of tempting goodies on offer, including homemade granola or bread, home-grown fruit salad, or delicious freshly poached eggs and sausages. You will rarely go away hungry and the service, because it's not for hundreds of guests, is good.

Read more »