Photographing landmarks in London and beyond...

[caption id="attachment_2545" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Big Ben seen through the wrought iron gates at the House of Commons[/caption]

 

Landmarks are such special, wonderful places to visit because of the excitement of seeing something so famous right in front of you. Whether it’s the Golden Gate Bridge or the Tower of London, that sense of instant recognition makes the visit particularly exciting.

We’re lucky enough to have visited a number of landmarks over the years but we’ve realised one thing: they’re always busy! So busy, in fact, that it can be hard to cut through the crowds and bustle, and enjoy some time at the place you’ve spent ages getting to.

This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go – of course not. We wouldn’t have missed our views of the Eiffel Tower for anything, nor of the White House. But it does make it very hard to get a good photograph!

However, we think that there are ways round this, ways you can get a terrific picture and enjoy the whole experience. Let us give you some examples, but before we do, we'd recommend a visit to the CEWE Photoworld website, where they have a lovely infographic showing the top 10 most photographed places in the world (perfect for bucket list inspiration)!

[caption id="attachment_2551" align="alignnone" width="900"] The Eiffel Tower reflected in the Seine[/caption]

 

The Eiffel Tower
You can’t get much more iconic that his 300m tall construction, which was built in 1887. When we visited, we weren’t disappointed, although I think we might have been if we’d had to stand in a queue for hours to get in! So, our biggest tip is to book online and then take as many pictures as you want. But, if you want something a little different, you've got a number of options. Our favourites include shots from standing at the bottom (giving you a very different view of such a famous structure) and taking advantage of any special weather conditions. I was at the top of the Tower when I spotted that the sun was positioned so perfectly that I could get a picture of the Tower reflected in the Seine. I think it's very special.



Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament
One of the most amazing things we’ve done together as a family is a tour of Big Ben, and we’ve realised that not many people know this is possible. You have to be a UK resident, and it’s free – all you have to do is contact your local MP who will put you in a ballot (you can read more about this on our blog post). You can’t take pictures while you’re actually on the tour, but you can take some as you exit the House of Commons. This means you can get views which most people simply can’t – from inside the Parliament setting, giving you a totally different perspective to that which most people see as they walk by on the outside.
Here’s one of our favourites, plus another (at the top of this post) which anyone could take, through the wrought iron. I just like trying to frame pictures in different ways.

[caption id="attachment_2552" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Notre Dame Cathedral[/caption]

 

Notre Dame
We’re back in France for this one – surely one of the most famous Cathedrals in the world and situated in the fourth arrondissement of Paris. It’s always surrounded by people, so it can be hard to get a beautiful shot without everyone crowding in. Ours came from a trip on the Seine itself – a different view of a beautiful place, with the bridge crossing it in front.

[caption id="attachment_2547" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Monument (from below!)[/caption]

 

The Monument
We mentioned going down low to get a new perspective on taking pictures and it is a lovely way to get something that bit different. On our trip to the Monument, which marks the Fire of London, I knelt down to take in this vast column which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. If you do visit, it’s also definitely worth walking the 300 steps to the top to enjoy the views.

[caption id="attachment_2548" align="alignnone" width="640"] St Paul's Cathedral, seen from the Millennium Bridge, London[/caption]

 

St Paul's and the Millennium bridge

The Millennium Bridge (which you might recognise from the Harry Potter films) is a pedestrian bridge between Tate Modern and St Paul’s Cathedral, and takes you across the River Thames. I really like this picture of two landmarks together, as I love taking shots which show the old and new sides of a city. London is brilliant for doing this, and one of my other favourite London pictures shows The Shard peeking out from behind the Tower of London.

I also really like this picture because it’s from a different angle, so it’s not too full of tourists!

[caption id="attachment_1347" align="alignnone" width="1712"] We got to take pictures in front of the castle with no tourists around![/caption]

 

Disney’s Magic Kingdom
This is one of our most special pictures from what our children would term our “best ever” holiday. As you can see it’s just us in front of the iconic Cinderella Castle. Why? Because we were incredibly lucky.
We were picked to open the park, one of just 365 families to get this honour in a year, and that meant we were ushered in early and able to take photographs with no one else around. I’d obviously recommend this, but it’s not quite as easy to do as the other examples!

We love taking photographs and we actually print them out and put them in albums (I know, we’re old school). This means we can look at them again and again. Sometimes we have logjams of all the pictures we take, but we never regret taking them. It’s wonderful to have memories which last forever.

Disclosure: we wrote this piece in conjunction with CEWE Photoworld who are running a new travel photography campaign featuring the top 10 instagrammed landmarks around the world. From the Eiffel Tower to the Burj Khalifa, it covers great tips on how to get the best shots around - so please take a look! CEWE can also help you turn your treasured shots into your very own professional looking photo book.

What to do on a family trip to Lanzarote

If you’re craving some winter sun, we sympathise. January can be a hard month – coming down from the festivities of December, and at the same time suffering from short days, wind and rain. So perhaps you should start thinking about where you can spend next winter! We’d say that if you want a fun, family-friendly place with sun, you couldn’t do better than Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. It has everything you might want – and it’s not that far away.

Let’s start with the distance. Lanzarote, off the coast of west Africa, ticks many boxes for us because it’s only four hours or so by plane (as opposed to double that for the Caribbean or Florida) and is also a cheaper destination to visit than those further afield. It’s beautiful, very family-friendly (no resort is more than an hour away from the airport and many are nearer, which is a boon if you have little ones who’ll be tired after all that travelling) and you’ll be guaranteed some sun (although it’s not always bikini weather). Plus, it's clean and the islanders love kids.

The island has lots of accommodation options, from a number of upmarket luxury hotels to self-catering. When we holiday here I usually want to relax, so go for self-catering, where we can hang around in pyjamas if we want to, and have space to play board games or read on the veranda without anyone bothering us. In Playa Blanca where we usually stay, there are a number of nearby supermarkets which make stocking up very easy, and prices are around the same (or usually a little less) than at home.

Where to stay:

We’d highly recommend Playa Blanca, the southernmost town on the island which has gorgeous sandy beaches (even if the sand is brought in!)

[caption id="attachment_3627" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Jess in Playa Blanca, during a walk along the promenade[/caption]

There you have access to a number of gorgeous beaches, particularly Playa Flamingo, Papagayo and Playa Dorada, plus there is a promenade to walk along which is perfect for little legs and buggies (as well as teen legs and older ones!). It is very well served by shops and restaurants and has a marina at one end (with a market on Wednesdays and Sundays) and the old town at the other – all within around 20 mintues walk. Jess is going to write more on the joys of Playa Blanca very soon, so look out for that, but if you choose to stay here, you won’t regret it – not least the views across the Atlantic to Isla de Lobos and Fuerteventura (where you can take a ferry).

[caption id="attachment_3628" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The beaches in Lanzarote are gorgeous - and the sea is clear and blue.[/caption]

Other family-friendly locations include Puerto Calero (which is only around 10 minutes from Puerto Del Carmen), Costa Teguise (which includes an aquarium and waterpark and has a number of good restaurants and beaches) while Finca de Arrieta, an eco retreat is supposed to be brilliant for kids (we haven’t managed to get here yet though). Puerto Del Carmen is probably the most famous resort on the island, but it wouldn’t be my top choice for a family visit and is better for those looking for busy nightlife, pubs and bars. However, if you are travelling with teens who are looking for more excitement, it may be the right place for you.

Where to go:

[caption id="attachment_3625" align="alignnone" width="675"] A geyser seen at Timanfaya National Park[/caption]

Lanzarote offers a huge variety of places to go and is easy to get around by car (plus petrol is much cheaper than at home). It doesn’t have the most beautiful landscape (Tenerife is prettier to look at) but I always find the barren, volcanic effect of the southern part of the island pretty impressive, while the mountains are a world away from the hustle and bustle of London. I also love the lack of high-rise buildings – this is because of the architect Cesar Manrique who forbade it. In fact, there is only one building on the island which taller than three storeys, and that was built in Arrecife when Manrique was in the US for a few years. There are loads of lovely beaches to visit, including La Santa (for any surfers in the family) and Famara (on the north shore).

[caption id="attachment_3621" align="alignnone" width="675"] Fire erupting from the earth at Timanfaya National Park[/caption]

Timanfaya
Talking of volcanoes, you really should take a trip to Timanfaya, the fire mountain – at least if you have kids from around the age of 4+. Yes, you will face queues, but you will also love the views and the tricks you will see (particularly the way the water steams and shoots up when it’s poured onto the hot ground), and your kids will love the fact that they have seen a real volcano in this moon-like landscape. Very little ones may find the coach tour a little boring, but when we took ours, they were only 4 and 7 and they loved it.
Our tip: Go early or late as it gets very busy and you can end up queuing just to get into the park.

[caption id="attachment_3622" align="alignnone" width="1200"] At the Cactus Gardens (when the children were younger!)[/caption]

Cactus Garden

We first went here when Jessica (who is now nearly 15) wasn’t even three and would highly recommend it. It is basically what it says, a garden full of different time of cacti (more than 1,000 different species), but they are great to walk around and fascinating to look at for all ages. There is also a shop and cafe on site for afterwards. I know it doesn't sound that exciting, but honestly, it's great!

[caption id="attachment_3623" align="alignnone" width="1200"] At the Jameos del Agua,[/caption]

Jameos del Agua
These caves – a natural wonder - are absolutely stunning, and you and your kids will love watching the white crabs (which have no shells) who take on a kind of dreamlike quality due to the light shining on them in the seawater lake. Created by that man Cesar Manrique (again!) it’s all quite enchanting.

El Golfo
This isn’t great for very little children as you need to be really careful along the path, but if your kids are a little older, we’d definitely recommend a visit. Here you’ll see black sandy beaches, stunning views and the impressive sight of the dramatic green lagoon – an effect caused by the algae trapped there by the sea.
If you’re coming from Playa Blanca, it’s a lovely drive past the lava fields.
Tip: The lagoon is not far from Los Hervideros which is also worth a visit for its fantastic crashing waves.

Rancho Texas

This wild west theme park includes a zoo and also has regular bird of prey and sea animal shows which are great fun. It also boasts a small waterpark, so make sure you take a change of clothes!

Waterparks:

Aqualava is based in the area of Playa Blanca and has a number of enjoyable rides, plus a lazy river and wave pool. It is also good value.

Aqua Water Park, Costa Teguise – we have not been here for many years and have heard mixed reviews about the park, but it is the biggest one on the island, and if that’s what would make your kids happy, you should think about checking it out....

Other suggestions would be the seaside village/town of Arrieta where you can enjoy a fish lunch at one of the many restaurants overlooking the sea. On your way back from this, you can actually visit Cesar Manrique’s House where you can not only enjoy his art collection and work, but also see how he designed and built his own house. Young kids may not find this too enthralling (the volcanoes and beaches are better!).

If you like shopping, then you’ll enjoy a trip to Costa Teguise, which boasts the biggest outdoor market in all of the Canary islands. It’s held every Sunday and is well worth a visit.

You can also take a ferry from Playa Blanca to the neighbouring island of Fuerteventura and spend the day there. The boat takes less than an hour.

Plus, you can try out a pedalo from many of the beaches, or even a glass bottom boat or submarine (from Puero Calero Marina).

Be warned that while you will get some sun in Lanzarote, it’s not always baking hot. However, it will definitely be nicer than you will experience at home in December of January!

Final tip: We love hanging around Playa Blanca and enjoying the beaches, food and relaxing. We’d recommend you taking a trip or two, but think you will probably enjoy Lanzarote without having to exert yourself too much by being out and about! And you can always come back again, just as we have....

Read about Siam Water Park in Tenerife and some of that island's stunning beaches

Discovering Welchman Hall Gully, Barbados

Craving some sun? Jess's post may make that even worse......!

Jess, aged 14, writes: Over the summer, I was lucky enough to be invited to stay at my friend's house in Barbados, and I had the most amazing time. We swam in the sea, visited museums, went sailing, and ate lots and lots of food. One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Welchman Hall Gully, a gully full of gorgeous plants and animals right in the centre of the island.

Prior to the trip, I didn't even know what a gully was. It turns out that they only take up five percent of the island, but contain a third of its plants. I was fascinated by this, and ran around trying to identify plants that we had learnt about in geography at school!

[caption id="attachment_3402" align="aligncenter" width="1699"] The gully was absolutely filled with plants[/caption]

As soon I walked into the gully, it seemed as though I was instantly transported to the middle of a rainforest. Plants stretched high above my head, monkeys roamed around me, and nutmeg and mace lined the floor. We kept running around to pick these up, and I delighted in finding a large one to take back with me.

The vast majority of Welchman Hall Gully is taking up by all of the incredible plants, but there were so many other aspects I loved. Upon walking into the gully, I saw a green monkey eating a banana on the feeding platform. At one point, there were lots of birds (I don't know which type) flying above us, and at another, I held a millipede for the first time. I liked sliding down a short section of the gully on a zipwire, and seeing gorgeous views of the island after walking up some stairs.

[caption id="attachment_3403" align="aligncenter" width="1699"] I held a millipede![/caption]

For someone who is really interested in plants and geography, I really appreciated the signs that told you information about the gully - at lots of places I go to, I find myself needing more information, which wasn't the case here. I also appreciated the amount of shade from the plants, as I really struggled in other places in the island.

My favourite part of the gully was a giant bamboo plant, which was definitely the biggest I've ever seen. Estimation is not my strength, but it must have been at least five or six times my height. Each stick was so big that I spent ages simply staring at it, as I never would have thought it possible for a bamboo to grow so big.

We finished off our trip to the gully with a walk through a cave. The gully was formed by the collapsed roofs of caves, and I really enjoyed walking through one. On the way up to the cave, my friend showed me a macaw palm tree, which both fascinated and scared me. It looks the same as a palm tree, except the trunk is covered with spikes. I wondered if I would have touched it, before realising that it was out of the way and the spikes were very visible. It was as very easy walk, although I have been told that there are harder ones! I was excited to see a stalactite and a stalagmite, and liked jumping down from a big pile of rocks.



Overall, I really loved my visit to Welchman Hall Gully in Barbados. It was so serene and tranquil, and everything was absolutely beautiful. I felt really removed from everything, and loved getting close to nature in a way that just isn't possible in London.

Admission to the gully is $12 for adults, with a booklet included. Children aged 6-12 are $6, and children under 5 go free. I was not asked to review the gully and all opinions are my own.

Daleks, Davros, The Doctor and more: The Dr Who Festival (by Daniel)

[caption id="attachment_1989" align="alignnone" width="655"] Robert and Daniel outside the Tardis[/caption]

We're really delighted that another member of the family is writing on Family Travel Times today. This time it's my nephew, Daniel, who's 12, and who is a big Dr Who fan....

"The Doctor Who Festival took place at London Excel. It was a three day celebration of all things Doctor Who including a chance to “Meet the Cast” and interact with monsters, special effects and try out costumes.

We were lucky enough to visit the the event on the second day where special guests included Peter Capaldi (The Doctor), Jenna Coleman (Clara) Michelle Gomez (Missy) and Ingrid Oliver (Osgood).  The event had started a day earlier when Peter Capaldi himself opened the doors at Excel.

One of my favourite parts of the day was having the opportunity to go behind the scenes of Doctor Who and see the actual set used in Series 9, where Davros confronted the Doctor.

[caption id="attachment_1991" align="alignnone" width="667"] Daniel wearing the Sychorax mask[/caption]

We also really enjoyed being able to try on masks and costumes. Examples included the "Mire" from the current series and wearing the mask which the Sycorax wore in an earlier series. The team from Millennium FX were there to help explain how the costumes were made.

Also, there were demonstrations showing us how fake snow was made and we then saw "snow" machines make it snow indoors (this is how it is made to seem as though it is snowing during filming). We had great fun shooting Daleks in the snow. We were also able to see the TARDIS.

Another room had loads of costumes worn by different actors in the TV show as well as props like the inside of a Dalek and the Osgood boxes from the current series.

As part of the festival there were 3 different live theatre shows.  We saw the first 2 of these shows.

[caption id="attachment_1994" align="alignnone" width="856"] Peter Capaldi and the Dr Who cast on stage[/caption]

1. Meet the Cast – here the audience was invited to quiz their favourite actors. The panel included all the main characters, as well as chief writer Steven Moffat.  They were all extremely funny. Michelle Gomez said that Peter Capaldi was one of the best actors to play the doctor across the 50 years it has been on TV and wouldn’t hear of a female Doctor. Capaldi himself suggested that toy manufacturers would be hoping for the return of the sonic screwdriver as this always made great Christmas gifts!

2. Special FX show - Mark Gatiss (the writer and actor) and staff from Millennium FX (who create many of the monsters in the TV show) talked us through the Doctor Who monsters. A real highlight was when an unsuspecting audience member had the chance to dress up as a monster called The Ice Warrior. Gatiss himself voiced the creature who processed to parade across the stage under the direction of an actor who had played the monster on screen.  We even were shown a sneak peek of that evening’s episode and got a visit from the monster that appeared in it, The Sandman

3. Meet the Writers - Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss were also on part of the third show (which we didn’t see) where they talked about being writers on the show.

There was so much to do at the festival that we couldn't fit everything in, but other highlights included:

• Lots of merchandise opportunities


• A drama school


• Horror Channel viewings of classic Doctor Who episodes


• Doctor Who fan challenge quiz


• On the Sunday, the first ever live audience recording of “Doctor Who: The Fan Show” took place with celebrity fans such as Carrie Hope Fletcher taking part to discuss and review the previous days TV episode.


• There was a chance to have photos with some cast members and these had very long queues!

[caption id="attachment_1992" align="alignnone" width="940"] Robert meets Davros[/caption]

The whole Festival was amazing for Doctor Who fans and there were loads of people dressed up as their favourite characters.  We had a wonderful day and if the BBC ran the event again, we would highly recommend it (and want to come along)."

Disclosure: Daniel, his dad and Robert were given complimentary entry to the Dr Who Festival in order to write about it for the blog. Family Tickets for two adults and two children are £42.75 each. The festival has just travelled to Sydney, where Australian fans got to see it last weekend.

Read about Finn's visit to the Dr Who Experience in Cardiff.

Enjoying the beaches in Tenerife

When Robert was a toddler we took him to Ireland and he was entranced by the sea. He stood at the side of the water just watching and then started to pick up some pebbles and throw them in. He has loved the sea and the beach, wherever they may be, ever since.

So, when we decided to go to Tenerife over Christmas, we knew that the sea would be a popular destination. However, we didn't know how impressive it would be and how we would all be happy just to sit and watch the remarkable waves, crashing onto the shore.

We stayed in an apartment near the San Miguel golf course, about five to ten minutes from the shore. This was not a beachside location - the terrain near the water was coarse and pebbly. It was also wonderful and a magnificent place for walking.

[caption id="attachment_1024" align="aligncenter" width="940"] We had a lovely walk above the sea, and them made our way down to the water's edge[/caption]

We love walking with the kids, especially when there's no rush and no particular destination! Instead we just traipse along for the fun of it, enjoying the views and the chat. Obviously this has become easier since the children got older, but it really is a great part of family time, and something we don't often get to do together at home in busy London.

So, on the first day, we walked along to the marina and watched the waves crashing as we did so. We had competitions to see who could throw their stones the furthest and enjoyed the sun on our faces.


Another day we walked in the other direction, which was even more impressive. I hadn't expected Tenerife to be so beautiful and we were overwhelmed by the extremely clear water, the endless views and the huge numbers of differently shaped rocks.

Of course we also we couldn't holiday in Tenerife without visiting some "proper" beaches and we loved these too. We'd also recommend both the ones we tried out.

[caption id="attachment_1026" align="aligncenter" width="768"] Robert loved bungee jumping at Los Cristianos[/caption]

We spent one gorgeous hot day in Los Cristianos, about 15 minutes from our apartment. It was a beautiful sea front, with loads of sun loungers and sand. It was also extremely busy, packed with tourists (as you'd expect), but it was all nice and clean and had a fun atmosphere.

That was fine for us. Robert built some sandcastles, we all paddled and Jess and I enjoyed lying in the sun (not something we'd be doing back home in December!). Robert also enjoyed trying out some bungee jumping and the assistants there were incredibly friendly, showing him how to do turns and tricks.

[caption id="attachment_1027" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The beautiful beach at Playa del Bobo[/caption]

The second beach was one we visited by chance, as Jess told you in her blog post on when things go wrong on holiday. The Playa del Bobo, on the Costa Adeje was utterly gorgeous. We loved paddling in the waves and the beach was enormous. It was less busy than Los Cristianos, but also surrounded by some lovely shops, restaurants and ice-cream bars. It also featured the most marvellous views and was a real treat.

So, Tenerife went beyond our expectations, despite missing Mount Teide! We thought it was a great place for a family holiday, easy to eat out, with lots to do for all ages and breathtaking natural beauty. It was also so lovely and hot! We'd love to go back.

More on Tenerife:

Robert tells you about Siam Park Waterpark

Jess explains how a trip to Mount Teide went wrong...

We've joined up with the lovely Country Kids this week - pop over there to see more outdoor fun.



 

The trip of a lifetime - South Africa by Lila D

Family Travel Times is usually written by us (Sarah, Jess and Robert), although my lovely niece Ella has made a couple of great contributions too (including this one on Whitstable). Now I'm really delighted to welcome you to another member of the family, my gorgeous young cousin Lila D, who is 8. She went on a magnificent extended holiday a while back and the memories have never faded! Here she tells us about the Start of a Trip of a Lifetime!

"Super South Africa!

Hi! I’m Lila D & I’m going to tell you about the time when I was six and my sister was four
& we went on a trip around the world…..

Imagine my surprise when I found out that we were going on a four month trip to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji & America!!!

It was all fantastic, but I’m going to tell you about our first stop, Karoo in South Africa. It turned out to be sooo much more than I expected.

We started off watching The Lion King on our flight to South Africa, and ended up nearly driving over a real male lion’s tail in the actual country.

Going on safari for the first time in our lives was like having tea with the Queen a million times!

[caption id="attachment_984" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] An orange Throated Long-claw[/caption]

I’ve made a list of only ten of the many animals we saw:

Fork Tailed Drongo
Eland
Acacia Pied Barbet
Orange Throated Long-claw
Bat-Eared Fox
Vervet monkey
Blesbuck
Red Hartebeest
Impala
Wildebeest

We followed a daily routine and most of the time, we stuck to it. We were woken up early every morning by the sound of vicious howling, as a troop of baboons went by. Then our jeep driver would take us on a breath-taking adventure where we might meet up with a herd of elephants (did you know that they are great climbers?) or spot three white rhino hidden in the mist.

After lunch we would go back to the lodge and do some arts and crafts, where, for example, we would paint a leopard lying in the grass ready to pounce, while my Mum and Dad went on yet another game drive.

[caption id="attachment_979" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Vervet monkeys tried to take Lila's food![/caption]

At dinner we chose our meal and while eating we watched the baby warthogs tugging eagerly at  blades of grass, trying to get a taste of their sweetness. If we weren’t careful some of the Vervet monkeys would come and steal our food! Then, when dinner was finished, we would return to our cosy little hut where we would often find little treats lying on our pillow, and then have a satisfying, deep sleep. Well, normally…Once we woke up with a bat in our room, but that's another story... "

Read about our home safari - a visit to Woburn Safari Park!

We've teamed up with the fab #SundayTraveler this week, so please take a look at some of the other great posts on travels from around the world!

When Things go Wrong on Holiday: a supposed trip to Mount Teide, Tenerife...

[caption id="attachment_959" align="aligncenter" width="753"] This was where we were supposed to be going...(pic courtesy of the Tenerife Tourist Board)[/caption]

Jess writes:

Our family visited Tenerife over Christmas, and had a wonderful time. We had been looking forward to the trip for four reasons - the sunny beaches, the opportunity to relax, Siam Park (which has to be one of the best waterparks anywhere) and Mount Teide, which is supposed to have phenomenal views and is a world-famous national park.

We worked out that we should be able to fit all of these in, but sometimes things don't go to plan....

[caption id="attachment_960" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The coach journey didn't start well and it got worse![/caption]

Our trip to Mount Teide was to be a guided tour, which seemed sensible as we had never been to Tenerife before and had heard that the drive itself to the summit was special. If someone else was driving, then we could all enjoy it and mum and dad wouldn't have to worry about navigating!

We found out a little bit about the mountain beforehand and packed all our winter clothes as it sometimes snows at the top. What happened next was unexpected.

We drove to our meeting point where we spent over twenty minutes waiting for our very late coach to show up (no apology was given) before spending over an hour driving in circles to collect the rest of the group.  We later discovered that others had been waiting outside for well over an hour and when the coach finally arrived, they couldn't believe that everyone got off for a toilet break!

Being as British as we are, we were not too impressed when the lady running the trip did not apologise for being late, and instead shouted at us for talking while she was explaining what was happening in French. Everyone was talking quietly, and we all found this very rude and off- putting. Mum said she had never been told off on a coach trip before.

But that was only the start. Our guide then told us the trip, billed as a half-day outing of between three to five hours, was actually far longer than that. She casually dropped into the conversation that we would be unlikely to return for around six hours, and we could see that some of our fellow travellers were concerned. Many had already booked activities for the afternoon.

Our trip certainly wasn't going brilliantly, but we were pleased with our guide's local knowledge and the information she gave us (did you know Winston Churchill used to holiday in Tenerife?). We were also excited when she told us that we were going to stop at Vilaflor, the highest village in Tenerife, so that we could adjust to the higher altitude and changed air pressure. It sounded gorgeous and also necessary, as she said if we didn't stop, we would get terrible headaches when we reached our final destination. Mount Teide is over 3,700 metres high.

[caption id="attachment_961" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Unfortunately, the coach broke down just before a roundabout![/caption]

Things were looking up, but not for much longer. Just as we reached a busy junction, the coach broke down. We weren't given much information, but eventually we worked out that it would be better if we all got off. A replacement coach was called and we were told that it would arrive in half an hour, but this wasn't the case. We kept waiting. Eventually, our tour guide told us that when the coach arrived, we would skip Vilaflor and just take the coach to the top of Teide without stopping.

"Won't we get headaches then?" we asked.

"Yes, but only small ones; it doesn't matter." she responded.

By this point, most of other fellow travellers had already departed, and were waiting for a bus back to their hotels. After some more waiting, we decided that we didn't want to visit the top if we were to get headaches and have a bad-mannered tour guide accompanying us the whole time, so we decided to leave.

"What's the point of doing the trip now?" she exclaimed, when we told her we were leaving. I think she might need to work on her manners....

We had pretty much no idea where we were, but luckily, the bus that we got on went directly to the area where we had left our car and met the coach originally. We felt a bit overdressed as we walked back to the car (I probably didn't need to be wearing thermal socks, but I had been expecting snow!) put our warm clothes away and went to the beach. It was a strange day all round.

[caption id="attachment_962" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Fortunately we ended up at the lovely Playa del Bobo and had a great time[/caption]

Mind you, the beach we visited, (the Playa del Bobo) was the best one we visited in the whole holiday, and we really loved running into the waves and eating delicious ice cream. It was definitely a warmer, and perhaps better, day than it would have been if we continued up Teide! But unfortunately we didn't have time to find out.....

Read about our visit to Siam Park in Tenerife

Do you like winter sun? Read about our trip to Negril in Jamaica

Super Siam Park in Tenerife

We recently returned from Tenerife where we visited a fantastic water park. Robert, who's 9, absolutely loved it - here he explains why...

Siam Park, also known as the Water Kingdom, is said to be the best tourist attraction in the whole of Tenerife and it is also the best park I've ever been to. We went there on Christmas day so I thought it would be quite calm with not a lot of people there, but it was swarming with adults and children. While Jess and Mum relaxed on the beach or on the lazy river, dad and I decided to get some action and go on some proper rides.

Mekong Rapids

The Mekong rapids were one of my favourite rides. Throughout the course of the day we went on it four times and each time it became better and better. We climbed onto a yellow dinghy very high up from the ground and entered a pool of water, then off we went! We were zooming through the tunnels and bumping down the drops - it was brilliant. My favourite bit was at the end when there was a big drop, resulting in a very big splash. The first time we went on it dad was screaming like a little baby as he was going backwards, so if you go on the Mekong Rapids ask your child to go backwards instead of you!

The Giant



For me the Giant was the best looking water slide as it was in the shape of a giant face. Two tunnels came out around where the mouth was and the fun began as soon as you got in. One of the things I liked about The Water Kingdom was that for most rides you could pick if you wanted to go on a one or two person dinghy, and we usually decided to go on a two seater. You could go on the right or the left tunnel, we went on both and personally I preferred the right. The ride started by plummeting us down, then it was like we were being sucked into a plug hole, spinning and spinning then finally being gobbled up by the darkness. After that it was another drop then a soft, wet landing in the pool.

The Volcano and Naga Racer

The volcano was basically the Giant just with a few more drops and turns and a bigger plughole. The only unique thing about it was that it was mainly in the dark and I was a bit disappointed with it. However, the Naga Racer was great.

When you got to the front of the queue the staff member gave you a lane. We lay down on our mats at the lane then when the instructor said "go" we pushed off. It was very fast and very cool as some of the time you were lying on the mat in mid air. The person who got to the bottom of their slide first won the race. It wasn't me or dad any of the times we went on.

Jungle Snakes

[caption id="attachment_935" align="aligncenter" width="940"] All of the Jungle Snake slides[/caption]

The jungle snake slides were all different rides but along the same lines. There were four of them, Boa, Viper, Python and Cobra. For me these were the calmest rides of the park (not including the Mai Thai River) as they were not as quick as the other attractions and had fewer drops. My favourite was the viper as it was the most thrilling of the four. So if you don't think you want to do all of them do that one and if you want a long ride don't go on the Boa it is very short.

At Siam Park all of the staff were really very good at keeping us safe - for every ride there were new rules like if I should be at the front or if dad should. It was forever changing so it was good to know they were looking out for our safety.

Mai Thai River

The Mai Thai River was very relaxing as all you do is sit back and let the water carry you through; well that's what I did. I couldn't really steer so I let the water control me, maybe that's why I was going the wrong way half the time. At one point in the lazy river there was a set of mini rapids, it wasn't so lazy then. I liked going through the aquarium as you were underneath sharks and exotic fish. I enjoyed it but kept feeling like I was going to fall through the hole in the dinghy as I was so small.

Siam Beach

Siam Beach was great. It had real sand and it didn't stick to your feet, just that was amazing. It also had a giant pool of water which wasn't salty, so it felt much nicer than the sea.

[caption id="attachment_928" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Siam Beach, before and after it becomes a wave machine...[/caption]

Siam Park has the record for the highest man-made wave ever and it is four metres high and the pool turned into a wave pool every hour at 40 minutes past. Mum and dad loved the waves, but personally I hated the big waves as I felt like I was going to drown or die. Even standing right at the edge of the pool 30 metres away from the wave it still managed to push me over into the water. The impact was so big after the wave crashed down and after it went past me that instead of standing up, my head was touching the bottom of the pool. Everyone else seemed to love it so I would say if you are under 10 only go on it a few times.

Kinnaree

The Kinnaree was the scariest ride we went on by far. It went so fast and had the biggest drops. We went up a massive wall and then plummeted back down - it felt like we were going to go upside down. It was the the most cleverly made ride of all.

[caption id="attachment_925" align="aligncenter" width="760"] In front of the Tower of Power[/caption]

There were two rides that we didn't go on - the Tower Of Power the one with the 28 metre drop and the Dragon in which the whole ride is spinning and falling.

I thought Siam Park was amazing and the rides were great. The only bad thing was the tiring trek up hundreds of stairs to get to the attractions. I really hurt my feet climbing up all the rough rocks but it was worth it when we shot off down the tunnels for the slide.

There are also mini versions of rides for little kids like the Lost City and The Sinnaree.

It was a brilliant but very wet day out. We all loved it and mum wants to point out that it was also extremely clean which matters to her!

Here is a video of the park.

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gae1cngJTA" width=500 height=650]

Disclosure: We were offered free tickets to Siam Park in order to write about it for the blog. However, all our opinions are, of course are own. Tickets cost:  €34 (around £26.60) for adults (which includes 12+) and  €23 (around £18) for 3-11s.


There is an awful lot to do in Tenerife (we have more posts coming!) and for more information on this gorgeous island and things to do with the family visit the tourist board website.

We've teamed up with the lovely Fiona at Coombe Mill this week in her Country Kids link-up. There you can read lots of wonderful posts about the outdoors!

 

 

Travelling Times: Our Top Places to visit in 2014

 

[caption id="attachment_904" align="aligncenter" width="940"] On holiday in Tenerife[/caption]

Welcome to the second annual Family Travel Times Travel Awards! Once again, we have been lucky enough to visit some brilliant places, but which ones were our favourites? Welcome to the 2014 award ceremony and our top places to visit...

Best Day Out

Jess says: I definitely think that the "Art of the Brick" LEGO exhibition was our best day out this year. The exhibition, which is travelling worldwide, is composed of over 85 LEGO sculptures and all of them are fantastic. These sculptures ranged from 3D paintings such as The Kiss and The Scream to a giant dinosaur, and from the solar system to the Venus de Milo! We had a brilliant time looking at the sculptures, watching videos and even had a chance to create our own sculptures at the end!

Alternatively, Burghley house in Lincolnshire is a brilliant place to visit - we visited it over the summer and had a wonderful time. The house, which was built by William Cecil (Lord Burghley) is extremely impressive both inside and outside, as we found out when following the Beastly Boring Burghley tour. This tour was probably the best tour aimed at kids I've been to, and it was full of interesting facts. Afterwards, we loads of fun exploring the gardens, which consisted of a maze, Poseidon’s Grotto, sculptures and lots of fountains to run into.

Robert says:  The alligator tours in Florida was my favourite day out in 2014. It's not every day you get to see real life alligators and hold one too! It was a brilliant experience and I learnt many things like how to tell a crocodile from an alligator or how to spot if it is a male or female. I absolutely loved it and could do it again and again.

Brian (dad) says: I loved my visit to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I particularly enjoyed the Rocket Garden, seeing the Space Shuttle Atlantis up close, hearing a veteran astronaut giving a talk, and walking underneath the enormous Saturn V rocket.

Best Overall Holiday

Robert says: My favourite holiday of the year was when dad and I went to Florida as I won a competition to go to Space Camp. Everything was great, from the inventive and exciting activities of space camp to the wonderful warm weather - not mentioning the cups and cups of free drinks. I loved learning all about space at Kennedy Space Center and the rides at Universal Studios were brilliant too.

Sarah says: For me, Austria was a perfect holiday. We all tried something different - cycling - and enjoyed the food, the scenery and the many things to do. I was genuinely overwhelmed by how beautiful it was and don't think it gets better than riding alongside Lake Wolfgang with the wind in my hair. It was magnificent.

Best in London

Robert says: We have been to some truly amazing things in London this year and my favourite has got to be ClueQuest. We had one hour to find a way to get out of a locked room. Everything was a clue from books to bottles, playing cards to tables. It was so fun and exciting but a bit stressful when we only had a few minutes left. It was an amazing day out that really pushed our minds to the limit.

Best View 

Jess says: The views at the top of the Schafbergbahn in Saint Wolfgang, Austria have to be the best I've ever seen. The summit of the mountain was 1,783m high and there were 360º beautiful views over the lakes Wolfgangsee, Irrsee, Mondsee and Fuschlsee. It truly was phenomenal.

[caption id="attachment_903" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The waves in Tenerife were captivating[/caption]

Sarah says: Obviously I loved the views in Austria, but I could also have watched the waves crashing onto the shore near our apartment in San Miguel, Tenerife, for hours. There were hardly any people around and we just sat and enjoyed the spectacle. They were just so dramatic, such an illustration of nature, that they were incredibly special. We have just come back from Tenerife - posts to come...

Best Place to Stay

[caption id="attachment_513" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Outside the House of Correction[/caption]

Jess says: The House of Correction in Folkingham, Lincolnshire was probably my favourite place to have ever stayed, and I would love to go back. The house belongs to the Landmark Trust and is built on the site of a big medieval castle. The house was a small prison for minor offenders and was initially built in 1611, but replaced in 1808 and enlarged in 1825. It was then closed in 1878. It is absolutely magnificent and only one family can stay at a time, making the experience even more special.

Best Ride

Robert says: I have been to two amazing parks this year which have both been full to the top with amazing attractions, so it was very hard to pick the winner for best ride. Instead I decided to pick three! The first is from Universal Studios in Florida and is the fast paced, scary indoor roller coaster Return of the Mummy. Most of the ride is in pitch black so it added extra suspense as you didn't know when there was going to be a drop. The first time I went on it I was scared out of my skin when we plummeted down into the red steaming smoke.



The next two winners of this category are from Siam Park, the Water Kingdom in Tenerife (post coming soon). Everything there was wonderful but I decided my first pick would be the Mekong Rapids that dad and I went on four times throughout the day. After a long tiring walk up hundreds of stairs we got to a small pool of water where inside we climbed into a yellow dinghy and then zoomed off down the tunnel. It was so fast and very wet. Dad was screaming like a baby the first time as there were so many drops. I loved the next ride, the Kinnaree the scariest ride we went on, but dad definitely didn't. However, it was still loads of fun. Of all the rides we went on this had the biggest drops and at some points we felt like we were going to go upside down. The ride was so cleverly made and I loved it but I don't think the guy next to me who was swearing the whole time did though.

Best Beach

Jess says: We travelled to Tenerife over Christmas, and the weather was lovely and the beaches superb. Although we had a lovely time at Los Cristianos, my favourite was the Playa del Bobo in Adeje. Not only was the sand lovely and soft, but the waves were brilliant and it was perfect for swimming and paddling. It wasn't too busy and was the perfect spot for a walk. There was also a delicious ice cream store nearby!

Best Educational Day Out

[caption id="attachment_171" align="aligncenter" width="504"] The actors at the Drake Fun Day[/caption]

Robert says: As we have been learning about World War II at school as a class we went to the Churchill War Cabinets and Churchill Museum. The audio tours were very detailed and informative. I learnt a lot about where the prime Minister of England stayed during WWII. I preferred the Churchill museum to the war cabinets as it was much more interactive. There was a table that told you what event happened on your birthday during the war, I got to hold Winston Churchill's teddy bears from when he was younger (they were so cute) and I even got to use a typewriter. It was a very interesting and fun day out.

Jess says: We also thought that the Drake Fun Day atop the Golden Hinde II (a replica of the ship which Sir Francis Drake used to sail all round the world) was fantastic. We played games and learned facts from the Captain and his strange assistant, Fart - this was lots of fun and very interesting! The event was two hours long and consisted of firing guns, learning a code and exploring the ship. I would recommend it to children aged 6+.

Best Hidden Gem

[caption id="attachment_151" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Robert at Groombridge Place's Mystic Pool[/caption]

Sarah says: Groombridge was gorgeous - and a surprise! We had gone to Kent for the weekend to visit Hever Castle where Anne Bolyen had lived, and as a Tudor aficionado, that was intended to be the main event. However, we decided we should visit another "attraction" too and that turned out to be Groombridge. We were so pleased we went as it was perfect for families, with gorgeous grounds and in particular many hidden treasures inside the woods. We'd highly recommend it.

Best Food

Robert says: For me the best food in 2014 came from VegFest, the big market where all the food was vegan. I had so many tasters of all the sweets, crackers, dips and drinks and I even had a go at using an electrical massage machine. I ate stuff that I had never seen before like bread crisps and I had salt and vinegar flavoured bread. Everyone was so nice and insisted that I should have more - how could I resist? It was a delicious day and I'll be coming back for more next year.

Thanks for reading Family Travel Times this year and enjoy 2015!

Read our Travelling Times awards for 2013 and let us know your favourites too!