Winter in Bosnia

 I wanted to spend the Christmas holidays in a country nestled between mountains and with plenty of snow. I also wanted somewhere that was not too touristy and full of history and culture! We were also working on a tight budget (as usual). Upon doing a lot of research, I focused on the Balkans (it truly has my heart) and zoomed in on Bosnia and Herzegovina! It didn't disappoint and had a magical 5 days!

As transport was an issue for us, I booked a guide to take us everywhere we want to do. Mirnes (+387603412728) was the perfect guide for us who was patient and put up with all my requests. His rates were very competitive too. Mirnes was always on time and very professional! Bosnia is a Muslim country herefore if you wish to visit any mosque, please carry a head covering for women and no shorts for men! We loved that the food was still very traditional just like we loved it as it is not too touristy. In terms of money, we took euros and then converted to Bosnian Convertible Mark. Except Sarajevo, everywhere lese took cash so always carry cash instead of card. Bosnia and Herzegovina was very cheap therefore you will get your money's worth! Everywhere we visited had entry fees. 

We went at the end of December and it wasn't that cold except when we got to the mountains however it is best to wear show boots as it is very snowy. 

Here was our itinerary: 

- Sarajevo - the capital city is full of charm especially the Old Town with a nice market and beautiful mosques. We visited the Latin Bridge where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated and caused WW1. We visited the Jewish Museum. I have never visited a temple so this was quite opening. The museum is set on 3 floors and details the influence of Jewish people in Bosnia and the local community. We then visited the Gazi Husreq Bag Mosque which was so beautiful. Please bear in mind that during prayer time, usually around lunch time, you are not able to visit inside the mosque. I have never visited a mosque so to visit the oldest Ottoman Empire's mosque in Bosnia was a great life experience! It was so peaceful! A must visit! We then went to the 1992-1995 Genocide Museum. It is a must-visit museum which details the events of the Bosnian war. It will be very heavy as there's video footage and explicit photos depicting violence. If you have young kids, I wouldn't recommend it. My kids found it very evocative and were quite chocked up to read about the horrors! Lucky especially got quite emotional drawing parallel to the Sri Lankan Tamil war. After that heavy visit, we went to eat, There's plenty of places to eat offering lots of traditional cuisine. We also had traditional sweets Baklava which we found a bit too sweet! To round up the day, we visited the Great Hall, which is basically Sarajevo City Hall and you must visit for it's internal architecture. In the basement, there's a museum of when the city hall was bombed during the Bosnian war and its reconstruction. Sarajevo has lots of  museums and galleries to offer! Trebevic Mountain is also nearby where you can get a cable car and see the views of the city. Sunnyland is an amusement park further in the mountains where you can experience an alpine coaster which is perfect entertainment for the whole family. Near Sarajevo airport is the Tunnel of Salvation which takes you through underground tunnels and how people lived during Sarajevo Siege in the 90s a must visit!

- Olympic Mountains - Winter Olympics were hosted in Sarajevo in 1985 and you can still visit the ski sloes and bobsleigh track. Igman mountains has the ski jump course and Bjelasnica is a famous ski resort where you can ski as well as sledding where you can rent traditional sleds to go down the slopes. The kids didn't want to go skiing so we did sledging which was so much fun! The roads can get very snowy and the fog can be very thick so please be careful when driving!

- Visoko,  Travnick and Jajce - can you believe that Bosnia has pyramids??? Well it has and it has special powers too. You can visit the tunnels beneath the pyramids with a tour guide. We went first thing in the morning where there were no crowds. We definitely felt some changes in our body. Mahi had a heavy cough for a couple of weeks and after visiting the pyramids the cough just disappeared!!! The tour took about an hour and was very detailed! We then drove to Travnick to visit the fortress which gave us a stunning view of the snow covered town. I also enjoyed visiting the museum within the fortress! We also visited the coloured mosque which was so beautiful. We weren't able to visit insdte but it is absolutely stunning. Not far from the mosque was the Nobel prize winner novelist Ivo Andric's house which we stopped by quickly to visit. We then drove to Jajce to see the famous water mills. It was right out of a fairytale! Around the corner, was the famous Jajce waterfall which was majestic! it was so beautfiul especially with the different colours around the waterfalls. There's also a museum, fortress and catacombs close to the waterfall! This town has many things to offer and you can easily spend a day in this town.

- Konjic, Buna Spring and Pocitelj- these 2 towns is in the Herzogovina state and was our favourite part of the holiday. The weather is completely different and the landscape very different too! We first visited Konjic. The river was crystal clear with many different hues of blues and greens. We went on the famous bridge and also visited the huge memorial on the hill. We then visited Tito's bunker. You need to book in advance and provide passprt details before visiting as this is a military guarded place. We had to go on  a special transport to the bunker. It takes 2 hours to visit and it is huge! There's of course a guide to take you around and explain the place. It is absolutely mind-boggling to see how they built such a huge bunker in secret and with so much technology in the 50s! We then visited my absolute favourite part of the trip which was Buna Soring! I cannot describe this place to you! It was magical and I didn’t want to leave it! You can also visit the Sufi Hiuse by the Soring!  During summer time, you can go inside the cave by boat too! What a beautiful place and a must visit. We then watched sunset from Pocitelj. During winter, it is completely abandoned and loved the eerie feeling. There’s a fortress and a mosque to visit and sunset was so worth the walk in the dark! 

Mostar and Jablinka - we visited the Mostar bridge both at night time and during daytime too! We loved Mostar and its charming old town and its cobbler streets. We wanted to visit Kajitaz House but it was closed on Monday. This was a house which depicts traditional living during the Ottoman Period. Jablinka is famous for the fallen bridge which was a strategic move by the Yugoslavia army during WW2 so enemies don’t enter important cities. The bridge is the actual bridge. Nearby is the Battle of the Wounded Museum which is another important museum to visit to learn more about the local area.

Overall, we had a great time. The hospitality of the Bosnian people was so heart warming and their resilience despite their recent history is truly awe inspiring! Bosnia is truly a hidden gem and realised my dream of having a white Christmas! The country is so full of culture and history too and we were learning so many things every day! I would also recommend driving through the country as the road trips were just so scenic! A beautiful country to not miss!

24hours in Blackpool

 I have no idea what I thought when I booked this trip but its done and we had a great time. We went at Halloween and did a 1 night overnight stay. We booked all attractions in advance so we could save a couple of pounds. We ravelled by tram using a day pass which to our delight was so convenient and fast! 

We arrived late in the afternoon and headed straight to Ripley's Believe it or Not. This is an attractions with lots of weird things to see and read about. Some exhibits were interactive. Ripley's is located by the Blackpool Pleasure Beach on the Southern Pier. We then headed to the Pleasure Beach theme park. We did the theme park as part of Halloween's Fright Nights and would highly recommend. it wasn't busy and did all the rides (bear in mind that not all the rides were open). It also hosts has the best water ride I have ever been on in my entire life. We were so soaked and highly recommend the ride ( the name is Valhalla). There were also lots of live actors in scary costumes walking around trying to scare you which added a spooky element to the night! The Fright Nights are recommended for kids aged 12 and over but it is absolutely upto you. Passejo del Terror was the best in terms of giving us the scary feeling where we were chased by scary beings through the whole attraction. This attraction is not included in the Pleasure Beach tickets and you will need to pay separately for this! A great night was had at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

During the night, you can see the Illuminations dotted along the beach which were quite nice to see. There's also a lot of game arcades everywhere so do carry coins to get your gambling hat on!

The next day, we headed to the central pier to do some rides and play in the arcade. Mahish loves arcade games and for £10 we managed to do quite a lot of games. The rides came be paid for individually or you can buy tickets for multiple rides which works out cheaper. After this, we headed to Blackpool Dungeon which is located in the Blackpool Tower. We booked combination tickets for the escape room and the dungeon. We first did the jail- themed escape room and unfortunately, after lots of bickering and arguments, did not manage to get out (we are quite bad at escape rooms but love the experience). The dungeons were similar to all the other dungeons with the same set-up but the history is mainly focused on Lancaster!

Before our train, we walked around the town centre which was very big and also had a stroll by the beach (thankfully, the weather was decent!). There's plenty of places to eat at different price ranges. We stayed by Blackpool Tower in Blackpool North with great access to attractions, eateries and transport.

We had a great 24 hours to get our Halloween spirits tamed!

Croatia's Dalmatian Coast

 I feel like it was all a dream because surely the sights we saw could possible be not of this world??!! It's hard to believe that a country can hold so many climates, terrain and stunning views. It was beautiful wherever we turned!

We headed to the Croatia's Dalmatian Coast after their heatwave, but it was still between 30-35°C so I dread to think how it was like during the heatwave. I always say I was supposed to be born in hot country and so the heat didn't bother me so much but the kids did struggle a bit. Thankfully, we were staying in AC flats and most of the cities we visited were by the seaside so it was cooler than staying amongst buildings. Before I take you through our 2 weeks in heaven, here is some things you should know about Croatia:

-  There's not much of a railway system in Croatia but the bus services were great! I would highly recommend hiring a car to get through to hidden gems and cities but I believe we did quite well with the transport systems we had. Flixbus was our best friend throughout the whole trip and very purse friendly.

- Carry cash as many places accept cards

- It is extremely hard to find authentic Dalmatian food which I was disappointed about. However with lots of advice from local people, we were able to taste some yummy Dalmatian cuisine. For anyone who wants their pastas and pizzas (the regular food basically), you have no shortage of this. Dalmatian cuisine is mainly seafood.

- Croatia is made up of many little islands which I had no idea about. There are ferry services to the main islands but if you want to visit the smaller ones, you might need to hire a skipper or go on an organised tour.

- I booked all day rips and tours we wanted to do beforehand via Viator which was reduced lot of my stress. The good thing with Viator is you don't have to pay until 2 days before and you will free cancellation until those 2 days before.

- The Croatian people are some of the nicest people you will encounter. They were so friendly  and helpful! 

- I would recommend using Bolt or Uber if you need a taxi. If you do take a cab, it will be rip-off. Bolt offers cheaper rates than Uber.

- Always carry your swimsuit with you because the beaches are everywhere and so inviting and you don't know when you will want to jump in! None of the beaches have lifeguards so know your limits!

- Carry water bottles with you as there are no refills stations.

- Supermarkets only sell fruits and vegetables that are in season.

Our first week of the trip was in Split. We stayed in the city centre which was very useful as we had planned lots of day trips so needed easy access to the bus station and ferry port. However, I did struggle with the crowds. It was just too busy for my liking. In Split, we got to know the area so had a little walk around the Old Town. We visited the Diocletian Place which you can walk around from free around its perimeter as the kids didn't want to go inside. There was also the Ethnographic Museum for those who like their museums. We got our history from the boards dotted around the city. There's also free history walk tour that the major cities offer. We shopped at te only UNESCO supermarket too! We also visited the city gates with its nice little park. The city centre was so cite by the Marina and lots of shops. There's also the Marjan Park where I did a nice hike from one end to the other with stunning views of the city. The kids wanted to rest so I did this on my own.  It was a hilly hike. The hike took me through across some churches and some historic sites. My hike ended at Kasjuni Beach. it was such a refreshing swim after about 2 hours of hiking from start to end with lots of stops to take in the views. The colour of the water as different shades of green and blue and you just need to appreciate what you see. I chose Kasjuni Beach, even though there were more popular beaches by the City centre, because it has less people and wanted to swim with views of the hills and greenery.

We did a number of day trips as below:

- Makarska  - This is a beautiful fishing village with the Biokovo Mountain the background. the town centre reminded me of the Mamma Mia village in some parts. It wasn't too busy but thats propable becuase we went in late afternoon. We wanted to walk to the free Botanical garden Kotišina  on the mountain and take in the views but the heat got to the kids and there were no Uber/Bolt available so we skipped it. There is also a skywalk at the Biokov Mountains for those interested in going on top of the mountain. We headed to the Macological Museum as Mahish loves all things shells. The museum was part of a working Monastery and had specific opening times so do check before going. With a small entry fee, the museum hosted shells from across the world and it is amazing to see the designs of nature. We then headed to Osejava Beach which is by the port so the waves were quite strong even for us competent swimmers. It was by the Osejava Forest Park where we took a little stroll after our swim. There's something about swimming against mountains hills. There's also plenty of other beaches but  a little out of town. After dinner, we headed to Makarska Observatory which only opens after 9pm. However, the observatory is very hidden and took us a few false detours to get there. However, due to unforseen circumstances, the Observatory was closed which was  shame as we timed our whole trip around the Observatory opening times. 

- Krka National Park - There are 2 national parks that are must see when visiting the Dalmatian Coast; Plitvice National Park and Krka National Park. I picked Krka as it was chepaer and will be less busy.  And it disappoint! We went as part of a tour so transport was provided. You have to pay extra from the National Park and you are left to do as yu please until departure time at a nearby village. Our tour guide was very good in explaining the area and timings ,etc so it wasn't like we didn't know what to do. We also had a whatsapp group to communicate with the guide should we need her. We did the tour through https://pelicantourssplit.com/. I heard a lot about the beautiful waterfalls of Croatia and hence headed to Krka and it didn't disappoint! Ah the colours and the beautiful views. I cannot describe it but you must visit. It had a lot of waterfalls leading to the mian waterfalls. There's also a square by the main waterfals with food. You cannot swim there anymore unfortunately. Afterwards, we took to boat to the nearby village Skradin where we had a swim in the river until it was time to go. 

- Omis - another easy daytrip from Split. Omis is a beautiful town set along the Cetina River Canyon. It has 2 forts and beautiful beaches. Omis is known for all the adventures it offers such as river rafting, canyoning, paragliding and zip lining across the Canyon. We picked canyoning as it looks more fun and seeing the canyons, its waterfalls and caves up close. We picked our adventure with https://maldukadventures.com/ who answered all the questions I had, patient and very professional. Before we started the advenure, we went through safety intructions and put on our kits. Canyoning is not for the faint-hearted. You need to have a lot of stamina but it was the experience of a life-time. This experience is definitely for the adventurous and the athletic kinds. Children must be aged 12 and over. The groups are quite small The water was so refreshing to jump into after the very steep climb down the canyon. The water was so clear and you can drink from it. As it was the summer, the water levels were low so we mostly walked on rocks instead of swimming. Sometimes, we were sliding down mini waterfalls. It was epic! We couldn't unfortunately finish canyoning as we struggled a bit so it was wise for us to stop and were retraced our steps with another instructor. But it was worth it and like I said a once-in a lifetime experience. 

Klis - For the Games of Thrones fan, the Klis fortress will be a highlight. We went through Solis which is a little town with roman ruins and water mills. All for free. Visiting Klis took us 2 hours as it quite large with well placed information boards. The views were absolutely stunning. The fortress is well maintained but I will recommend good shoes as it is cobbled. 

When our time in Split came to an end, we headed to Zadar for 5 days. Zadar for me was my favourite place to stay. It wasn't too touristy or busy. It is so beautiful with more history than Split, in my opinion. We explore Zadar Old Town- the Roman Forum, the Old Church the markets and the Riviera. The Riviera consists of the Sea Organ which emits music as the waves hit the hole filled walls. It was actual music. Just beind it, is Greeting to the Sun. It is a waterfront light installation that  comes alive post-sunset with a solar-powered display. Imagine your evenings with the sea organ and a beautiful light installation at Sunset. It's pure bliss where you feel grateful to be alive. We also did a half submerged-submarine trip along the city. It took 50 minutes but we didn't see many fishes and th kids lost their patience. It was the only thing throughout our whole holiday that we were disappointed about. Zadar had more authentic Dalmatian cuisine which we were so happy about and it didn't disappoint at all! Other day trips we have done while we were in Zadar were:

- Velebit Mountain - Velebit Mountain Range is the largest mountain range in Croatia. It is the backdrop of Zadar. this was a private tour that I had booked through Airbnb. I like to do things outside the normal and I wanted to see everything that the Croatia offered. When I hear people think about Croatia, they only talk about the beaches. I wanted to explore further and when doing my research came across the Velebit Mountains. There is national park attached to the mountain but apart from from taking a walk through it or doing rock climbing, there wasn't much to do. And that's when I came across Aleksander's rpivate trip to the Velebit mountains as well as everything else we loved - caves and swimming amongst waterfalls  https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/4031758 . Aleksander was the best - his passion for the area and his country was palpable. He was extremely flexible and offered a personalised trip according to our needs and wants which was slightly different  to what he offered. On the day of our scheduled trip, he was on time on picked us up in his Jeep. While on the way, to the mountains, we stopped in beautiful viewpoints such as canyons and bridges. He also explained about the different weathers affecting Zadar due to the mountains such as the strong Burra Winds that Zadar encounters and causes some nearby islands to be cut off from the mainland. When we drove up the mountain, we encountered mild turbulence from this famous Burra Wind. The views as we climbed up were beautiful. As we climbed up, we also came across the Croatian footballer Luka Modrić's childhood home. Aleksander knew the area very well and it showed as he stopped the jeep wherever there nice photographic moments. On top of the mountain we came across graves which were of those soldiers that that were part in the guerilla movement in the 1990 war and used the mountain as their hideaway place. The top of the mountain was indescribable! Obviously the temperature cooled down significantly and the winds were strong but I was living life! You can do a hike up there but we decided not to do it. As we crossed the mountain to the other side, it felt we were in the Austrian Alps. It was amazing the change of scenery and climate. We headed to Croatia's largest cave complex, Cerovac Caves. Bear in mind, you can visit either the Upper cave or Lower cave and you won't know which one you will visit until you get there. They do tours every hour and can only visit the caves on those tours. We visited the Upper Caves which was a 20 minutes walk up. The cave was beautiful with some very impressive stalactites, stalagmites, and stalagnates.  Once we relaxed a bit a the cave, we headed around the mountains to the Zrmanja River to swim. You can swim anywhere along the river which can be very busy. Aleksander took us further down where it was less busy and right by the waterfalls. What can I say? It was one of my reams to swim by waterfalls and I was so glad. We could also do cliff jumping at various heights . We didnt venture too high but did cliff jumping at lower heights. It was such a refreshing swim after such a long day. Aleksander was so great that I organised another personalised trip with him.

- Pag Island - Pag is one of the largest island of Croatia. It is known from its lace, cheese and for the Mars-like terrain! To me, I feel it is one of the must visit places which offered unique experiences. Aleksander was able to fit in all that I wanted to see and do. If he thought there were things we weren't able to do based on our walking abilities under the heat, he would tell us. For example, while researching about Pag, I came across that there was WW2 concentration camp called the Slana Concentration camp. However, it was about a 45mins walk on a hard surface and with no shade from the team. I am glad he told us this advance as we definitely couldn't have done it. But for those who can do it, the concentration camp doesn't have ruins or anything. It just blends in with the landscape but we wanted to see the area. So when we entered Pag, Aleksander's knowledge was impressive. We stopped  on route many times to admire views. We first headed to a working Pag cheese factory called Gigliora which did daily tours at specific times. We were all keen to do this cheese factory tour as we love cheese and we had to know what was special about the cheese. This was a 20minutes tour. You had to wear protective gear and it was a great tour to see all the different cheeses with really interesting flavours. We then had some tasting of the cheese in the shop and had a blast! Definitely recommend for something unique to do. We then headed to the town centre of Pag where there was a salt factory   ( as you drive to the centre, you come across salt pits). However, we headed to the little lace gallery where you can see the famous Pag lace being made. Now, don't expect too much it. It is a one room gallery with a tiny entrance fee. We were lucky that it was opened as when I read the reviewed, past visitors were complaining how the gallery was clsed when it was supposed to be opened. The lady was charming and shared the history of the lace and specialised school where you learned special embroideries with that lace and its patterns. She even gave us a demonstration which was excatly what I wanted to see. It is unfortunately an art that is being lost so I felt very lucky to be submerged into Pag's culture. The town centre is quite small but charming. you can see ladies on the street doing Pag lacing too. Pag island is also known for its party vibes if you are into parties! We then headed to do a little bit of 'Life on Mars' walk and so headed to Rucina beach. This was good stop for us to cool down and swim but also it was closest to  Stogaj which is a vertical rock formation. We walked to it which was 20 minutes from the car park. as i said, the whole island felt we were on Mars so there's no shade from the heat. You also need to have good shoes as the ground is full of loose stones. However, the view were phenomenal. It did feel we were on another planet. After this we visit the Olive Garden which was on the other end of the island. This is more a whole park instead of garden with olive trees as old as a few centuries but were still producing olives. I loved walking among the trees. There's also cute little gifts shops with local produce. The park had the factory and ampitheatre too! Like I said, Aleksander was good at his job and didn't complain once about the long distances we travelled. He was the perfect guide and we had such a great time exploring some of Croatia's hidden gems.

- Dugi Otok - this was another guided trip with Alamar travel https://www.viator.com/tours/Zadar/Dugi-otok-Island-discovery-day-tour-from-Zadar/d22433-278137P2 . I chose this particular trip as it offered a stop at Gobulinka Cave which ater seeing photos of it during my research, I had to see it. Marin was our skipper for the day. It was a small group (10of us). This is a very busy, active day so the disclaimer is if you plan to just relax on the boat, that won't happen. This tour had lots of stops but you had time to relax in the water and learn about the area you were anchored in. We first visited a war tunnel for a little history lesson. To get our dose of white sandy beaches we headed to Sakarun beach to swim and do snorkelling. The colour of the water was just a beautiful turquoise. And the water was so nice and warm. We spent 1 hour swiming and relaxing on the beach. Next was m favourite stop which was Gobulinka Cave. You have to swim to see the sea cave. Marin stopped our boat by the entrance and it is a 5 minute swim to the back of the cave where you can sit and relax. My God, it was a sight! It is so beautiful with different colours of the water and walks coming into play. The waters were clam so the swim wasn't as exhausting as I expected. We stayed in for 30minutes. Do bear in mind that this is a famous stop for kayaking tours so you may come across a lot of kayaks. We got there before it got too busy so we only got the inundation of kayaks when we were leaving the sea cave. Before our lunch tops, we stopped at a shipwreck and swam amongst it which was another box ticked for me. You can touch the shipwreck as it wasn't that deep. Our lunch stop was at Veli Rat with its towering lighthouse and delicous food with fresh seafood. Our last stop was secret away from all people and it was nice to have the area all to ourselves. Marin was great and I even got to steer the boat for a little bit. It was a great experience and enjoyed it so much.

Unfortunately, our trip gallivanting around the Dalmatian Coast came to an end. But it won't be tje ;ast time we will be visiting Croatia. I am absolutely in love with the country and will need regular doses of it for the rest of my life! It was affordable for those that are always on a tight budget like me but I believe, we managed well while staying within budget. We didn't spend money on anything we didn't want to do and we stayed in Airbnbs so we only ate 1 meal outside daily. Most of the things we did were free and the organised trips, were booked in advance which saved us a bit of money!

Corfe Castle

 On a very warm August day, we travelled to one of our favourite corners of England, Dorset. We wanted to visit Corfe Castle and its town for the day.

Why Corfe Castle you ask? You probably think there's only the castle to visit and nothing else! Wrong! There's an adventure park right around the castle called Dorset Adventure Park. The Park has a water park and a mud trail! Therefore that's where we headed. We picked to do the mud trail. We initially thought it will be quite dry as it was quite warm and just some mud puddles. Oh boy, were we wrong! It is literally one of the greatest fun we had and such a unique experience. There's about 50 obstacles across a large area. Some areas were actually swamp where you are covered upto your shoulders. There's also slides where you will literally dunk your whole body into the mud so don't take your phones or take anything with you that could be lost. If you don't want to do any of the obstacles, you can skip them. You have 2 hours to complete the trail and can go as often as you like within the 2 hours. You can do the trail at your own speed. You ill need to wear trainers and old clothes that you don't mind to get extremely dirty. We wore our swim suit underneath as the showers are open and we are not allowed to use any soap or shampoo as these are eco-showers. There are lockers and changing rooms too. There's a seperate company that will be taking photos at a cost but if you have someone who doesn't want to do the trail, hey can follow your progress through a dry route and take photos. The prices were quite cheap for the awesome experience we had! We will definetely return for more fun. The park also has a cafe, picnic table and a little farm where Mahi spotted a white peacock too!

After cleaning ourselves, we headed to Corfe Castle which was located on a hill and provided beautiful views of the Dorset countryside. There is an admission cost but free for National Trust members. The castle is located in the middle of the very picturesque village with its many shops and cafes. If you visit during school holidays, the kids will be entertained with extra activities. 

Close to the castle, there's also the steam railway which will take you to Swanage if you want to spend some time by the beach. The beach is sandy and not too big but we enjoyed the views. There's also a small activity park with crazy golf and other entertainments.

Between the Corfe and Wareham, there is the Blue Pool Nauture Pool. You can't swim in the pool but a nice place to relax and enjoy the views with its beautiful water colour. There is an entrance fee as well.

Altogether we had a great time and definetely will recommend visiting the Dorset Adventure Park if you are in the area!

Forest of Dean attractions

 Situated between 2 countries, Forest of Dean offers so many attractions. The Forest of Dean covers a big area so we targeted just 1 town.

We headed to the town of Coleford to visit Clearwell caves and Puzzlewood. which are just a few minutes walk away from each other and make up for a great day.

Both attractions have entrance fees but have accessibility issues.

We headed to Clearwell caves which was an old mining for iron. We really enjoyed this as it has a lot of information about the history of the mines but also children working in the caves which I thought made it relatable to my kids. There's also a pool which was beautiful to see. The cave is a one-way system and you will need to wear good footwear as some areas are slippery! Once you come out, there's a nice gift shop, a cafe and also a little play area! This could be done in 1hour.

After lunch and a little play in the play area, we then headed to Puzzlewood.  To go inside the woods, you need to pass through a little farm with ponies, sheep and donkeys. The woods were like you stepped into Hobbiton, which funnily was the inspiration for Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books! It was so green and so weird wit branches twisting in strange way. I totally felt like we were in Middle Earth! It has a quite a lot of different pathways if it gets crowded so you can make walk as long or short as you would like. Once we were done, we headed to the cafe for some ice cream and then the play area. There's also a mini maze. The place has plenty of parking and lots of picnic areas. The only bad thing I have to say is that the price was not really justifiable as it was just walking around the weird woods.

We had a good day at Forest of Dean and loved the views to and from the village from Gloucester!

There's also Perrygrove Railway Adventure and Hopewell Colliery but we didn't want to visit them and couldn't fit all in one day.

Steampunked in Lincoln!

 On a very sunny bank holiday Monday in August, we headed to Lincoln not knowing what was going to welcome us! We walked to the Town Centre which was a really nice town with a river flowing through it. We wanted to visit the Castle and Cathedral so we climbed the very steep hill. It was quite steep!

Now, once we got to the square, we saw a lot of people dressed in costume an found out that it was a Steampunk Festival! From what I understand Steampunk is a combination of sci-fi and Victorian times costumes. We were all quite fascinated by the costumes and robots! Such talent. We visited the castle grounds to enjoy the festival! You can visit the castle, prison, magna carta and walk the castle walls. However, the kids didn't want to visit the castle and wanted to enjoy the festival and its range of events so we did just that. Highly recommend visiting Lincoln during the Steampunk festival! It was truly an experience not to be missed!

We then visited the Cathedral across the Castle. We also visited the Bishops Palace ruins which was beautiful to see. The views of Lincoln were great from there too.

We then visited the Lincoln Museum down the hill which explained the history of the town but also more. It also had an exhibition. There was also a Lego station for kids to build anything!

Another place to visit was the International Bombing Command Centre which is across the town with a small fee to pay. We didn't visit this but it looks like a great place to learn some history from.

Towards the end of our trip, we visited the Lincoln Arboretum which was beautiful and had a calming effect after a hectic day. It also had a nice lake and a great place to have a picnic.

Lincoln must be visited during the bank holiday weekend!

A day in Ramsgate

 If you are looking for a seaside town not too far from London, Ramsgate is a great option with a few things to do on top of relaxing at the sandy beach.

The highlight of our trip was the Ramsgate Tunnels which was a railway tunnel before turning it into a bomb  shelter used during WW2.You will need to book a guided tour before your visit and the tickets were quite reasonable. You will need to wear sensible footwear and carry a cardigan as it can quite cold inside the tunnels. There's a great exhibition explaining the history of the tunnels. Did you know that Ramsgate was the most bombed town during WW2 with 500 bombs within a couple of minutes? But because of the tunnel shelter, the death count was low despite the heavy bombing! At the start of our tour, we saw a little movie about the the tunnels and its role during WW2. It wasn't too long and our guide asked us a few questions which was really good as it kept us engaged. We were told the safety precautions and then headed to the tunnels. Helmets are not mandatory but are there if you need. We really enjoyed the tour which took between 1h30-1h45 with plenty of stops. Where there are no lights, you will be provided with torches. At the end, we got to see photos and hear stories of people who were in the tunnels. It was quote emotional! A great time was had by all of us even by my unenthusiastic teenager.

Next time, we headed to the harbour and visited the amusement arcade and walked around the promenade which was nice! We also walked on Madeira walk with a nice little garden to visit and relax.

There were 2 unusual museums to visit:

1) This Museum is (not) Obsolete -  An interactive Museum Celebrating Experimental,                    Musical And Obsolete Technologies.

2) The Micro Museum - Kent's only Museum of vintage computers and video games.

We had a great day out by the seaside with many unusual things to do! Thanks you Ramsgate!