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!

Island Hopping in Malta

 Malta is a country that I wanted to visit ever since I watched a music video. It's limestone cliffs and clear water was calling to me and it has been on my bucket list every since. So I was over the moon when me and my kids landed in Luqa Airport in this beautiful country! And it did not disappoint (except the public transport).

Malta is an island located between Italy and Tunisia in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of 3 islands - Malta, Gozo and Comino. The island doesn't have a railway system and you can bus it literally anywhere on the island. That is how small the main island of Malta is. However, despite it's small size, it is absolutely stunning and each area offers something different. You can go hiking anywhere and never be disappointed by the views. There are beaches everywhere and can snorkel anywhere and see beautiful sea life! However, beware of jellyfishes. We didn't see any but it can be a big problem, I hear. It's literally a piece of heaven for nature lovers.

Most of the attractions do not need to be booked in advance except the Hypogeum which sells out weeks in advance. The best attractions can be booked via https://heritagemalta.mt/. As mentioned, we used buses to get everywhere and the buses had great connection. We used the Explorer card which allowed us to use it for a week and worked out cheaper for us.  We downloaded the Tallinja app which was very useful to know the buses to get to whatever destinations we needed to go. The buses however do not run on time, even if the app says so! That is the only hindrance to our trip. Uber and Bolt are quicker ways to get around the country. The country is extremely affordable and cheaper than spending in the UK so you definitely get  your money' worth. We stayed at an Airbnb in St Paul's Bay at the north of the country and away from the popular places, as we like it. Eating out was great with great choices! There are no specific Maltese cuisine except Pastizzis which are basically sandwiches. The people are nice. One thing which surprised us was by the amount of Indian people which we were not expecting! This is the 2nd country, outside India, after the UK where I've seen this number of Indians! We went in April and the weather was in the mid-20s with always a slight breeze! English is one of the national languages of Malta alongside Maltese.

Here's what we have done in the 6 days we've been there and seen the whole country including the islands. Do bear in mind, we only did what we wanted to see and do. We only did unusual things as detailed below.

1. South of the Island - Birzebugga. Not too far from the airport, we headed south to enjoy Pretty Bay witH beautiful view of the beach and harbour while munching on really good food in one of the restaurants right by the beach. We then decided to hike to Ghar-ir-Rih with the stunning cave overlooking the sea. The cave itself is quite hard to find but thanks to youtube, I was able to find. The views was absolutely worth it! On the way to Birzebugga, there's the Ghar Dalam cave as well as the Playmobil Funpark for the younger kids. 

2. West Coast - Valetta and The 3 cities. There's so much to see and do with its many museums and art galleries. We did an Underground tour of Valetta which I highly recommend. The tour was in English he literally took us underground to learn about the history of Malta and takes us through WW2 tunnels were civilians took cover. Did you know Malta was the heaviest bombed country during WW2 and that until 1964, it was under the reign of the UK? Do wear suitable shoes as it foes get slipppery. You will be provided with helmets and light. Next, we went to the Grand Master's Palace which is where the current President's Office and was built by the 'founders' of Valetta. The ceilings were what caught my eye. Next to the palace is the National Library which is free to visit. We then walked to Fort Elmo which had significant history going all the way back to Ottoman Empire. The walk was up and down hills but again so do take care. After Fort Elmo we then visited both the Lower and Upper Barakka Gardens with amazing views over The 3 cities. You can take the ferry to the 3 cities and visit Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua by foot.

3. North of Island - Melliaha. There were 2 hikes that you could do. The Xemxija Heritage Trail in Xemji with its roman ruins amongst other things. The Il-Majjistral Nature and History Park overlooking the sea. You can start at Popeye Village which is where the Popeye movie was filmed and well worth a visit with all the different activities your can do. There's a water park which only opens during the summer time. There are also lots of character interactions. The trail will lead you to Golden Sands Bay which is another gorgeous beach. However, it is the busiest beach we have visited as it's very popular with the tourists. However, if you swim further out, which is safe if you are confident swimmer, it is much quieter and best for snorkelling. It was tiring day but I cannot tell you in words how beautiful views were and how calming it was to swim in the clear waters. 

We stayed in St Paul's Bay so aprt from the beaches there was the Salina nature reserve and Bird Park (beware of the smell) and the National Aquarium. There was a water park but it only opens during the summer season.

4. East Coast - Mdina and Rabat. The ancient city of Mdina is a must-see. People still live in the Old City. We visited the Mdina Dungeon exploring the dark history of crime and punishment in Malta. We also visited St Paul's catacombs which was a bit eerie. We also spent a small fortune on tasting Maltese snacks which were all yum. There were other catacombs too but this one was the biggest and most complex one. We then took the bus to Dinghi Cliff which was on my bucket list. You can do a 2hour hike from Dinghi Cliffs to the Blue Grotto via Ghar Lapis (a great swimming spot) and Hagar Dim (which is a pre-historic site - fascinating by the way! It is 2 different sites and I find it fascinating how they can build such amazing temples with limited tools but great imagination and skills!) Blue Grotto is like the many other Blue Grottos you have heard however it is cheap. You can't book in advance. You will have to pay in cash for a boat trup which doesn't take long and the rides only run between 9.30-4pm during good weather conditions. Unfortunately, the day we picked was rainy and windy so couldn't do the trip but there's a viewpoint you can see the stunning arch of the grotto.

5. Gozo - The 2nd biggest island has so muchto offer. You can take a sightseeing tour bus which will take you through all the main attractions of the island. You can take a ferry from Malta to Gozo either from Valetta or Cirkewwa and do a day trip if your time is limited. We visited the Salt Pans of Xwejni. We also visited Ta'Pinu Church which is beautoful with it's mosaic depictions. I also love the place where it is overlooking verdant, lush valleys. There are pilgrimages that happen at this church too. Victoria is the capital and so much to do for free such as the Citadel and the Gunpowder Magazines. There are also caves and Azure Window that I wanted to do but didn't have time to do unfortunately.

6. Comino - The smallest of the 3 islands and only inhabited by 2 people (yes, only 2!!!), it was stunning with its many majestic sea caves, hiking trails and of course the Blue Lagoon. The only way to get to Comino was through private ferry. You can easily spend a day there. When researching about the island, I saw there was the Santa Marija Tower and also an abandoned hospital which made up its own hike hence headed there. I cannot describe the view or the colour of the water. We also saw lots of lizards which made Mahi was excited about. You are not permitted to enter the abandoned hospital and it looked very creepy with beds and mattresses thrown around, It also used to be a school so you saw desks too. You can  climb the Santa Marija Tower and overlook the island. Lots of hisotry behind these 2 places. The Blue Lagoon was very busy wit  tourists and boats so we walked somewhere quieter in the island to do swimming and cliff jumping. Again, lots of snorkelling too.

So this was our trip and we loved every minute of it. We needed the sun and hot weather as well as being amongst nature and Malta didn't disappoint. We packed swimming suits wherever we went if the temptation of jumping in the turqoise water was too tempting which was through most of the trip! You won't regret it!

Chatham

 If you are looking for something not too far from London and under a strict budget (like me), Chatham offers quite a lot for children of primary school age mostly. Except 1 attraction, everything else were indoors so a good day out when the weather is not that great. During half-term, there's more activities that each of these places offered. So here what we've done:

 - Fort Amherst - This is an old Napoleonic fort which overlooks the harbour. It is quite big with lots of activities offered at an extra cost. It is not flat-surfaced either but accessible. The activity that was offered when we went there took us through the whole fort so it was nice to do as I'm sure I would have missed some nooks and corners of this place. Thee are also guided tours at specific times for those who don't want to do any activities.

- Chatham Historic Dockyard - This hosts a number of ships that you can visit. These are paid attractions but you can visit for free for upto a year. 

- Royal Engineers Museum - Since Mahi love building things, I thought this it'll be a good place to take him and he really enjoyed the activities that were offered on top of the entrance fee. I also learned a lot  about the role of Royal Engineers during the war, which I wasn't aware of. I also enjoyed the display about the different countries that helped the UK during the WW2. It is a part of history that no one talks about hence I really appreciated this museum in teaching us this side of the war. Mahish really enjoyed building a spitfire and also a nerf gun battle. There is also a little playground on  the grounds,

- To take a break from all the activities, we had ice cream at the harbour and then also did a little bit of shopping at the Pentagon Shopping centre before heading back home.

My teenager didn't enjoy much of it but my 11year old did enjoy some of it hence why I think it is better for kids in primary school. Another town explored and ticked off our list.