Completely by accident came across a (very) cheap 5 day/4 night holiday in the Isle of Wight for the 2nd week of the Easter holidays. Had a quick chat with the wife and decided it was too good to pass and booked it.
We've never been to the IoW before, though had it recommended by family and friends. We'll be staying in static caravan in Lower Hyde/Shanklin. It'll be wife and I, with 3 kids, aged 15, 13 & 9. Budget is not too restrictive but would like to keep costs down as this is effectively an extra holiday that we never planned for this year. We're driving down and will have our own car for the duration.
A quick google suggests that there are lots to see and do but I was hoping that you would recommend what to see and perhaps more importantly, what to avoid.
Thanks in advance.
The Garlic farm is interesting and the cafe there does great food http://www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/ Also really liked this cafe looking out over the sea near Ventnor http://www.steephillcove-isleofwight.co.uk/
Plenty of walking and a couple of National trust properties that are worth a look. I wouldn't bother with Black Gang Chine Theme Park, Your kids are probably a bit old for it.
Only been once was pleasantly surprised and will probably return one day.
There's a reason for thatOriginally Posted by vagabond
#2 should keep you busy for half of one day and would certainly recommend the short boat trip to the nearby island which has loads to do and occupy the family.
Have a great time.
Paul
Osborne House, where Queen Victoria lived and Carisbrooke Castle are musts (IMHO).
Alum Bay for the kids, take the chair lift down to the coloured sands. Some amusements at the top. If the weathers good, take a boat trip around the needles.
Culver Cliff, by Sandown has fantastic views back over to the mainland.
Godshill, if you've never seen a 'quaint' English village before!
And there's a great Thai restaurant in Shanklin!
As a kid, we frequently holidayed on the Isle of Wight, went back for nostalgia's sake a couple of years back and still really liked it, apart from all of the development at Alum Bay.
I'd recommend Shanklin Chine. Really stunning.
Also went many times as a kid. Many happy memories of seemingly endless sunny days!
Went a few years ago with my young kids who also seemed to enjoy it. Weather wasn't quite how I remembered it but still a few good days.
Most of the stuff I'd recommend seems to have been covered above.
Agree that your kids are now too old for blackgang chine which is a shame as that was a great day out for mine
Thanks guys - please keep them coming.
Being a sceptic at heart, I also thought that it was too good to be true.....but nothing ventured, nothing gained and I have, rightly or wrongly, set our expectations quite low.
Last edited by vagabond; 1st April 2015 at 17:03.
I spent many a week in the summer sailing during Cowes week and it is a fantastic.
Some cracking places to enjoy an evening out dining.
If the weather is nice you will have a good time with the kids...it's only small and you can easily nip about.
And its a very easy way to experience life in the 1950s.
The great thing about the IOW is that there is plenty to do, and the beauty of an island is that one place of interest is not far from another.......
Isle of Wight Glass
Blackgang Chine
Also, I'd quite fancy a ride on the island's train line which uses old London Underground stock!
P.S. I just found this when I was checking if the above two attractions were still in existence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._Isle_of_Wight
Last edited by markrlondon; 1st April 2015 at 17:58.
View from Blackgang. On a clear day, the coastline is spectacular.
https://www.submarine-museum.co.uk/
http://www.explosion.org.uk/
http://brasserieblanc.com/
Not on the IoW, but damn close.
there is also the last hovercraft ferry in service in the world that goes to Southsea, your kids may never get a chance to go on a hovercraft, there is a funfair at southsea or get a bus to Gun wharf quay, shopping for the females and the navel dockyard for the boys, get a boat tour if they are running.
Thanks guys - I think I need to start making a list.........
Ventnor, go to front, turn right, 10 minute walk along shore - crab shacks.
The bus museum in Newport is surprisingly good.
If you want to see something truly bad, I dare you to go to Waltzing Waters in Ryde.
We always enjoy Shanklin, for the seaside early evening stroll to walk off over eating in the Steamer Inn.
Donkey sanctuary is nice on a pleasant day.
Already mentioned, but Osborne House is a must see - easy to see why they fell in love with the place.
We love the IoW - only a few minutes from the mainland but we always feel like we've gone further.
Enjoy it.
Foggy
I love the IoW get a map and just visit everything on it some take an hour some twenty minutes. Great pub food at looking glass or spy glass I can't remember.
Very much depends what you want...
Shankling - candyfloss
Sandown - IOW zoo is far better than you'd expect
Osborne House - at least once, you must
George Hotel in Yarmouth - if the sun comes out, perfect for a long lunch
Appuldurcombe - lovely ruin with a few miles walk associated
Culver down - great views and an ok pub at the top, plus one of the earliest Marconi sites
Newtown - beautiful old village with good pub, oyster quay etc
Freshwater - Dimbola Lodge: the Julia Margaret Cameron museum
Totland - views of Hurst castle and Dorset generally
etc etc
If you would like pub / restaurant / walk / drive recommendations happy to help
Also, for views, just as examples... these were all taken within 5 minutes of my house...
Blackgang Chine is only for very young children (under ten).
The Dinosaur Museum is good. Download their app, then as you go around the island you will find locations where you point your phone at the landscape and augmented reality puts full animated dinosaurs in front of you. My kids loved it.
Osborne House is superb. So is Carrisbrooke Castle.
I would also recommend a visit to Jurassic Jim's shop for fantastic fossils at great prices.
Also, a boat ride out to The Needles is great.
But... but... I want to go back there! Perhaps I need an under ten year to take as an excuse.
Sounds cool.
How truly lovely.
Thanks everyone - got a decent list of stuff and will start doing a bit of planning around that. Cheers.
This. My stag do started with taking the hovercraft over to Ryde, fry-up and then back to Pompey.
A big thanks to everyone that contributed to this thread; just returned from a really lovely 4 days in the IoW.
We managed to pack in quite a lot in the few days along with some chillaxing on the beach and the warmer than usual weather was a real bonus. I would wholeheartedly recommend IoW to anyone thinking of a short break.
A couple of (poor) pics .......
The chairlift at the Needles.......
Osborne House and my holiday watch
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