Heavenly Staycations: Part Two – Salcombe and Hope Cove
Let’s keep this short and sweet. I know it’s not breaking news that Devon and Cornwall are gorgeous, especially when the sun is out but have you ventured along the South West Coast Path lately?
This Easter I visited my parents and they decided we ought to take an impromptu trip down to Devon, as you do! Actually it made a lot of sense, we all had a few extra days and the weather was forecast to be sunn… er, good oh and my husband was on a stag do! The main reason however was that my parents are doing the South West Coast path, bit by bit, in fact I joined them on a section just before I got married almost 4 years ago, so it’s been no small commitment for them.
The stretch of coast in the south west is breath taking and in some parts you can peer into stunning, seemingly untouched beaches which must only be accessible by boat if at all. There are stretches, of course, covered up in people, sheep, horses, cows, dog walkers and the odd farmer all of whom will most likely smile and say hello, moo, baa, woof.
So why am I telling you about this? We live in such a busy world and sometime we need to escape. I am developing a real passion for doing this by exploring the beauty of the country I live in and, much like Port Lympne in Part One, it makes you stop and appreciate the fact that you don’t have to board a plane or venture too far to discover something truly special. These walks along the coast path feel really exceptional and give you the opportunity to visit little towns and places that you might otherwise never know about. It is a relatively well marked path although my parents always come with a map and guide book so that always helps. A deep breathe of sea air, a bitter shandy and the sun on my face felt like a real treat!
Walking not your thing? No problem, locally to Salcombe and Hope Cove there are plenty of pubs to try, fish and chips, cosy independent shops filled with treats and gifts not to mention a tractor bus to transport you to the island that inspired at least two of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, of which I am a massive fan. Speaking of which the bed and breakfast we stayed in had a bit of an Agatha Christie feel, it had a coastal themed bar and a traditional style, if a bit chintzy and a real personal touch which just goes to show it can be more fun trying less commercial and off the beaten path accommodation.
Even if you can’t drive all the way down to the south west coast, why not venture out and visit somewhere new near you?
Next up, we’ll be taking it back to tea and maybe cake!
Heavenly Staycations: Part One – Wild Glamping
Heavenly ‘Staycations’: Part One
For someone particularly light on holiday funds I have been very fortunate, recently, to have enjoyed several top quality ‘staycations’ on our lovely island this year alone! It just goes to show that there is actually a whole lot to discover on our own doorstep, something I have always known but not taken enough advantage of. So pack your bags and get ready to explore from the comfort of your own home and then maybe you’ll fancy heading out there too!
First up some wild glamping! I love making life long memories with my friends and what better way to do that than to head off for an adventure. Glamping is nothing new but, and this will probably come as no surprise, we were after something a bit different so we chose the Elephant Lodge at Port Lympne Safari Park near Hythe in Kent. Port Lympne is one of two wild animal parks run by the Aspinall Foundation down in Kent, this year they celebrate 30 years of conservation, and the work they do with wild animals is wonderful, more on that later.
On arrival we received a warm welcome and made ourselves at home in our new abode, the safari tent which slept 8 of us including the sofa bed. These tents are no ordinary tents, they have, first and foremost, a flushing toilet, hot shower and a kettle! Not only that but they have a log fire, bunk beds, hidden beds, a kitchen, living area and a porch. I couldn’t think of anything else we really needed in our tent, yes ladies, you can plug in your hair dryer, they even provide a mirror oh and a fridge for the Prosecco! There were plenty of logs to burn, so our men folk got to play cave man and we were all kept toasty and warm at night. We got lucky with the weather, being the last weekend in March we could have had anything but we enjoyed sunshine and even broke out the sunglasses! In addition to Elephant Lodge, elsewhere in the park, they also have Livingstone Lodge, romantic tents for two with poster beds and if you’re still not convinced about getting in a tent they also have a lovely cottage, Livingstone Cottage.
Our tents overlooked the Elephants who did a good job of hiding until our last day but we also overlooked a family of cheetahs who were beautiful to watch. Oh and did I mention the sneaky little meerkats who live in the campsite to, they have their own quarters of course and are so funny to watch!
There was so much to do we didn’t know where to start, a safari tour is included in your visit as is access to the parks but on our first evening we decided to go on the small cat feeding. This was such a treat and I recommend doing this tour if it is available. Our guide was friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable, we got to [if you’re a bit squeamish/vegetarian maybe don’t read the end of this sentence] feed baby chicks to some of the wild cats and even got to see the Pallas Cats who have incredible faces and a talent for camouflage (can you spot one in the picture below?), they often hide during the day and had we not done this tour we would never have known how awesome they are! The Caracal and Ocelot are also wonderful cats to see. We didn’t see the Caracal on the other days either, which was a shame as they are beautiful, but it is their speed and agility which is so impressively displayed during the feeding that you don’t want to miss.
After our evening adventure in the park we had a table booked in the Club House Restaurant which is situated in the camp making it very handy for getting back to bed. I took advantage of the Mongolian Grill where you get to pick the ingredients and sauce for your meal and then either watch it be cooked or, if you ask nicely, they let you cook it on the hot pit yourself (excuse my excitement in the picture). Breakfast is also served here, a continental breakfast is included or you can upgrade to a cooked breakfast, we enjoyed both on separate days.
The next day we got to meet a Rhino up close and personal. They are quite simply incredible animals and it shocked me that they are so close to extinction purely due to the selfish nature of a few ignorant people increasing the demand for rhino horn. We couldn’t have been more impressed with our guide who gave us a real insight into rhino’s and is clearly passionate about the animals.
We had time to enjoy the area and lunch before our evening safari. The evening safari was a real highlight of the trip. As the park is closing and much quieter the animals came out and we saw so many of them up close and personal including a family of giraffe! It really felt like we were in the wild and we were given plenty of time to take photos and enjoy the sights. This would be a fantastic experience for young children but I know we all felt in awe of the animals and loved the safari, I would definitely do it again.
You can’t visit the Elephant Lodge and not spend time in the actual park itself, we didn’t make it to Howletts but I would love to go back. Port Lympe is a day out in itself, there are play areas and places to eat and a huge range of animals.
This would be the perfect holiday for families but let me tell you, as a group of, ahem, late twenty somethings we had an awesome weekend too. So, if you have always wanted to go on Safari but never been able to, give this a go to dip your toe in.
To give you an idea of the work and passion behind these parks, below is the Mission of the Aspinal Association, for more information visit, http://www.aspinallfoundation.org/
Our Mission
- To halt the extinction of rare and endangered species in the wild
- To continue to provide the most natural environment possible for the animals in both parks
- To re-introduce these animals back to their wild habitat where this is possible
- To continue to be world leaders in animal husbandry and breeding
- To be a partner and catalyst to conservation efforts at home and abroad
- Increasing public understanding of animals and their welfare and the issues involved in their conservation
- To manage wilderness areas
- To develop sustainable conservation-minded activities which provide economic benefits on a local and national scale.
Lets Rendezvous
We’re going off piste today, taking a little daydream holiday so pack your dream bags and come with us.
You’ve played that game, ‘If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be…?’ and one fabulous bed and breakfast called ‘Rendezvous’ in Palm Springs often pops up when I play it with my husband. We visited back in 2010 so you know it made an impression on us! That said please excuse the few photos I have to offer, I didn’t realise I’d be using them on a blog when we took them.
Should you be lucky enough to find yourself on the West Coast of the States or plan a trip there and stumble into Palm Springs then you might want to check out Rendezvous, but first let’s fill you in on why.
When travelling across America we tried a variety of accommodation from our tent to tall boats and motels to top end hotels. We soon found out that a good American Bed and Breakfast can be a fun, luxurious and special place to stay if you only know where to look and we recommend starting with The Select Registry. The Select Registry is a great little book, pick one up if you see one, it lists all the best Bed and Breakfasts in America and so far we have not been disappointed by any of their selections, including Rendezvous.
We arrived in October having escaped the madness of Las Vegas and looking to relax for a few days before taking on Los Angeles. It was hot. We wanted a place with a pool and bit of something ‘different’. At Rendezvous each of the 10 rooms all open onto the pool and patio area so that was the first box ticked. Now for the special part, Rendezvous has bags of character, being a retro hotel it oozes with vintage style and boasts carefully themed rooms to choose from. The rooms range from Hawaiian Surf’ and ‘Rebel Without A Cause’ to ‘Route 66’ and the ‘Honeymoon Hideaway’. Having a love of old films and all things retro and vintage there was no question that we had to give this place a go and we loved it. Think it sounds good so far? Just you wait…
We stayed in ‘Silver Screen’, and when I spotted a picture of Humphrey Bogart by the bed I couldn’t have been happier, I’m a big fan and even named my first car Bogey after the big man himself. Our room had a comfy king bed but it was the whirlpool bath tub by the frosted glass brick window with the rubber ducky that won me over. That was, of course, before I noticed the jar by the bed which on opening we discovered contained fresh home baked treats! We later discovered these got refilled during the day, on the first day we had a chocolate caramel treat and the next day we had a lemon cheesecake bar. Saving them for later and despite the soaring heat outside it seemed only right to do a little sun bathing. This was the sort of sunbathing where a dip in the pool is not only a must but frequent as it was so hot I’d rather be in the pool.
Now, if for some crazy reason I wasn’t already totally won over we then discovered the free happy hour cocktails and appetisers which are served in the evening by the pool – pure genius! Delicious blue martinis and Mexican style canapés which set us up perfectly for dinner. That evening we enjoyed an excellent fish dinner at The Fisherman’s Market, it has a very casual feel, you order at the counter and the fish is fresh and delicious. We followed this up with key lime pie creation at the Coldstone Creamery which, if you like ice cream, is a must visit and can be found all over the States.
The following morning we had chosen to have breakfast at 8.30am so we could make the most of the day. Breakfast, when staying away from home, can be a hit or miss event but this 3 course delight cooked up by Jake and Betty, hit the nail on the head. We started with a banana bread and a tropical smoothie, followed by cantaloupe drizzled with yogurt and granola and finally Mexican style eggs served with guacamole and salsa. You really can’t beat a fresh, home cooked breakfast made just for you.
There is so much to see and do in the area, even if you just do a spot of shopping or visit a nearby beach and hire a retro bike but the hotel also offers a massage studio, old movie dvds, bike rental and a selection of extras to make your stay special. On our last night we walked to Rick’s Diner, a Cuban American grill and enjoyed plantain, rice, beans, fish and chicken. We genuinely couldn’t fault our stay, the attention to detail at Rendezvous was excellent, the weather was fantastic, the food scrummy, the room was boutique, retro, fun and well thought out, the whole place suited us down to the ground and I’d happily go right now if I could!
You can visit Rendezvous at http://www.palmspringsrendezvous.com/ on Facebook and Twitter.
