I’ve always been part of a travelling family – we’ve always had our base in little old Norfolk but have been constantly dreaming of holidays in countries far and wide, dreams that have then become reality. I’m very lucky to have grown up that way and I think a lot of my curiosity about the world has stemmed from my parents’ attitude to travel. At just 18 years old, my dad boarded a plan and flew halfway around the world from his home in Mauritius – leaving behind all his friends and family – to train and work as a nurse in the UK. My mum, for as long as I can remember has always needed to be by the sea and to have a holiday planned and booked so she doesn’t go stir crazy – I was never built to stay in one place. From the moment I was born, I was holidaying across Europe, Africa and the US, but I’ve always had plans for bigger and crazier places, stories and moments. I’m always looking for the next adventure and when I decided to come travelling, my parents were so excited for me to head out on a brand new one. Their support and encouragement meant I never really worried about doing it on my own, it meant I just looked forward to it until it was too late to turn back. That was just what I needed to not feel the fear, to not second guess myself. It was just what I needed to realise that adventure is in my blood and jetting off to the other side of the world is just another step in the rollercoaster of my life.
The more I travel, the more I want to travel. It’s addictive – the people, the sights, smells and sounds – once you start it’s impossible to imagine stopping and going back to what you knew before. Whether you’re backpacking long-term or just on holiday for two weeks, we all have that moment where we ask ourselves – what would happen if we just stayed, if we never went back? But what about those people that never do it? You know the ones I mean – the ones who daydream about sipping cocktails on the beach or walking the Great Wall of China but leave it at that. The ones who talk about doing amazing things and falling in love on a desert island somewhere in the Pacific or dancing until dawn on a beach in Thailand but allow themselves to be put off by stories in the media, or worse, money. I can’t stand when people talk to me about the money of travelling – when they assume that I managed to travel for nine months without working because of daddy. When they don’t realise that I actually worked my arse off for a full year in five jobs and saved every penny, so I could live the dream. When they don’t realise that I haven’t had a full day off from work in weeks because I never turn down a shift in either of my two jobs while I save for my next adventure. I read something interesting the other day about how people who don’t go travelling blame the money for not going, but they also buy lunch for work every day and how this can add up to around £2-300 a month. By saving that money and taking a packed lunch, in around three months you could already afford to buy a plane ticket to almost anywhere in the world. That these people are just too lazy to make lunch.
Most of the backpackers I know are some of the poorest people in dollar but they make up for it in the richness of their character and stories. They will happily live off instant noodles and sleep in bedbug infested hostels to save the money to do amazing things like trek up a mountain or party on a Thai beach. They spend their days working every hour available and all the while are envisioning sunbathing on a gorgeous beach or swimming in waterfalls somewhere, dreaming big gives them the motivation to work and save hard. It’s how I can stand to go and live in the middle of nowhere for three months to complete my regional work so that I get my second year visa – I’m thinking about the long term when I can return to Australia and the road trip I get to do after I finish. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a backpacker or holidaymaker – you should always dream big when you think about your next destination. Whether you fancy stunning Asian beaches, dusty African deserts, the skyscrapers of the US or the quirky history of Europe – there’s something for everyone and it can all be tailored to suit the kind of trip you really want. My dream trip would be to travel around either Africa or South America, discovering the different cultures, foods and traditions that each individual country has to offer. In Africa, I have always dreamt of that hot air balloon ride over the savannah at sunrise or sunset, while South America conjures up visions of improving my salsa skills and spicy food. Both would be incredible and I’m sure that they will happen one day, travelling has made me all the more determined to keep exploring the world around me.
In need of some travel inspiration for your next big trip? Look no further than Wexas! They can tailor the perfect trip just for you, you family or friends – plus they have some great articles from the best last minute deals to the most incredible worldwide trips! Check them out and see where you fancy going next!
What is your dream trip? If you could go anywhere in the world and do anything – what would you choose?
This is was a collaboration with Wexas.
In my seven months of travelling I’ve been lucky enough to experience travelling with all types of people from all walks of life, many of them I know I never would have met if it weren’t for my decision to travel. I’ve travelled with friends from home, I’ve travelled with friends I’ve just met, with natives of the countries I’ve visited, with two-week holidaymakers and long-term backpackers, and most importantly, I’ve travelled by myself. Now, after months of flitting between travelling with groups of friends and going it alone, I’m facing a whole new challenge of travelling with one other person for an extended period of time. It sounds crazy, but the longest I’ve travelled with anyone until now is just four weeks, not two whole months, and I always had the option to go off and do my own thing. Other backpackers will understand, it is different to travel with someone from home to travelling with people you meet on the road – there are greater expectations and more demands placed on you. Suddenly you are a travelling couple rather than the solo traveller you’re used to being. It can be wonderful in so many ways to travel with another person, but you can’t deny it takes a slight adjustment period when you are used to complete independence.
So say, like me, you’ve been travelling by yourself for six months, facing all kinds of situations head on, organising every visa, every ticket and every overnight bus alone. Then suddenly, you have someone else with you who wants to be involved with every decision and plan. It can be difficult at first to let someone else take control from time to time, but don’t forget there can be so many bonuses from having someone else there to lighten the load and take the pressure of from time to time. All you need is a little voice in your head to remind you when you need to let things slide a little bit and let someone else take the reigns. I’ve spoken to a few backpackers in the same situation lately and the same things are brought up again and again. “I feel like I have to look after him all the time and introduce him to people” or “I just never have any space of my own”, even “she doesn’t want me to be friends with everyone, just her”. While it’s okay to get frustrated at times, it’s always important to deal with the problem as soon as it crops up rather than letting it become an issue – but how do you do this?
Remember how awesome they are
It’s easy to forget in the little annoyances how much you love your travel buddy – whether it’s your boyfriend, girlfriend, best mate or someone you’ve known since university. Just remember when you’re feeling irritated, because you will get annoyed at some point, that there is a reason you asked them to come and join you! Reminisce over all those times you laughed until a little bit of pee came out, about those crazy nights out – then go out and make some more memories!
Allow for their feelings too
Don’t forget that they are coming out to meet someone who they think is super cool for having travelled by themselves for so long. It can be intimidating to join your mate in their group of buddies because you feel like you have to impress the group – don’t put too much pressure on them, they’ll already be doing it to themselves. Particularly if this is the first time they will have backpacked – remember how you felt when you first came away!
Appreciate that everyone needs their own space
This applies to both of you – always remember that just as much as you like to have some time to yourself to pluck your eyebrows and play Candy Crush on your phone, they probably want some time to flick through Tinder and listen to music. Everyone needs space – for me, I like to have some quiet time to write blogs for you lovely lot, while Mark likes to catch up on sport and the news. His stuff couldn’t bore me more, and he’s not very interested in blogging unless it’s about him – so it works well.
Be honest
If something the other person has said or done has bugged you for more than 24 hours, it might be a good idea to say something. Some people might think this causes more problems than it needs to, but I think it’s always best to get it out of your system so you can get on and enjoy your day. Often the other person hasn’t even realised you are bothered by what they said or did and will happily apologise. Be a grown up about it and it won’t turn into a row.
Stop being a control freak
It’s hard to stop taking control when it comes to planning and booking your trip, but just remember that as soon as the other person arrives it’s no longer just your trip – now it’s their trip too. You’re so used to organising everything but this is one of the benefits of travelling with someone – they can take the pressure off and book flights for you or choose a hostel. It’s fun to do it all together, and it can be lovely after six months of planning to sit back and let someone else do the work.
My best piece of advice – just enjoy every second, from sleeping in the airport together to dragging your sorry drunk arses home to bed just hours before a white water rafting trip. It’s all important and will become some of the greatest travel memories you will have. Travelling with another person creates a bond closer than just friendship and you will remember your trip together as long as you live – remember it for all the right reasons, not because you were arguing over something silly. Trust me, you’ll miss them when they’re gone and you have to go back to doing laundry with strangers and have to make friends at every hostel.
Who is your favourite travel buddy and why? Have you travelled with a friend or partner – how did it go? Do you prefer travelling solo or with a buddy?
Millions and millions of backpackers move through Thailand each year, probably more, all looking for golden sands, cultural experiences, outdoor activities and more. Thailand is a huge centre for us all to forge connections, friendships and to chase that elusive backpacker dream of being the first to discover something amazing all the while treading a path that has Ben walked by billions before us. Yes I have been reading Alex Garland’s The Beach, and yes it is amazingly accurate to several tourists I have met along the way, although it’s definitely not the incredible utopian thriller I hoped for. Anyway, I digress, it’s no surprise that along the way much of Thailand has filled up with tourism agencies, guides and basically all kinds of Thai people who are offering to plan your trip for you and make it all easier… For a cost. Many of the tourism agencies try to outbid each other and in certain areas off the same trip for various prices leaving you to find the best one. In other areas, they all work together to keep the price the same, but still at the added cost for the traveller.
It’s difficult to know whether you are ever really getting a good deal and that’s why so many choose to just organise the whole thing themselves, but others, out of laziness or just misinformation choose to book all the trips on offer, often seriously affecting their budget and limiting their experience of Thailand. I was most definitely one of these people who likes to organise everything myself from the beginning, I hate brag ripped off and would rather shop around or barter for a good deal, but I know there are others who feel less comfortable doing this. So I wanted to share something with you guys, in case you haven’t already discovered it, that might help save you a bit of money and organising. I had never heard of this until I was halfway through my time in Thailand, but it was sheer luck that I found it when I did. And it really helped shape the rest of my trip.
While staying in Bangkok, I walked out of my hostel one morning and not paying attention fell straight over a woman in the street. Of course, in the British way, I was busy apologising profusely while she was far more interested in having a chat with me. She spoke great English so I explained where I was from and what I was planning to do that day, she was really excited about our plans for food and to go visit some of the smaller and lesser known temples. She was really interested in the rest of my trip as I told her my friend was due to fly home in days and I would once again be travelling solo but up to the north this time. I was touched by her interest do siding I had nearly floored her out of nowhere, in my experience Thai people are very friendly, warm and welcoming, but this woman was something else altogether. She was so kind, helpful and clearly wanted us to have the best day in her country, and for me to have an amazing rest of my trip.
Within minutes she had found a government tuk tuk, which is slightly different to all those that drive around manically on the street and overcharge you – but are very hard to spot. They have a licence in the front window that you have to look for, and they charge a hell of a lot less than the rest. She told the lovely tuk tuk driver where to take us – to an amazing little temple with a huge standing Buddha in the centre – with an adorable food market and fair happening outside. After waiting for us to eat and check out the temple, he took us to the Red Mount where he left us to explore but we only paid 30bht! We were so astonished he didn’t ask for any more money for a trip that could normally have cost five times the price, but it was purely because he was working in a government run tuk tuk. I never knew these existed before but it was a revelation and definitely helped our purses over the next few days of exploring.
Inbetween the temples, the tuk tuk driver also stopped off somewhere else at the orders of this amazing Thai woman after she heard about my plans to travel north. The Thai Tourism Agency is a government-run office in Bangkok, just a short walk from Khao San Road, and it is perfect for anyone who doesn’t know where to start when planning their trip, or who is worried about being ripped off. I was greeted straight away by a lovely half Indian and half Thai woman who was eager to help me plan my trip, she straight away booked us on the Floating Market trip for way cheaper than I had seen it elsewhere, we would go the next morning. Then she planned for me a full two weeks of travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for just £250. Doesn’t sound much? Well I’ve been budgeting about £250 a week and this was for twice as long and that price included travel, accommodation, some food, and a three day hill tribe trekking trip. It also meant I would be stopping off in some really amazing places including Sukhothai and Ayutthaya – the old kingdoms – along the way to Chiang Mai. It was incredible that she managed to get it down to such a good price and was promising me air conditioned buses, my own room and bathroom in each place and time to explore with flexibility to move travelling dates at a day’s notice.
Put simply, I was really bloody impressed by the whole thing and when it came to the travelling and accommodation, it really was pretty good. Everything ran smoothly and I met some lovely people along the way who were on the same trip. The hill tribe trekking was so much fun, and I will write another post on it for you. This post was just to say a huge thank you for organising this section of my trip, something I had very little motivation to do myself after two of my friends flew home. It was also to try and help wise travellers up to this huge money saver that is right under their noses. It’s suitable for those backpacking for months or a year like me, it’s suitable for retired couples, for young couples, for friends – for anyone. You can only use this service in Bangkok, but you can organise trips for all over Thailand for a couple in weeks of your whole trip – why not go see them and see how they can save you money?
Have you booked travel with the government-run Thai Tourism Agency? How did your journey go? Have you got any other Thai travel cost cheats to share with my readers?
Alcohol is acceptable at any time of the day – particularly because of the different time zones, totally okay to have a whiskey for breakfast.
Always snag a window or aisle seat – nobody wants to be stuck in the middle of a row unable to get out and stretch their legs or get to the loo. These also usually have the most leg room – even with short legs like mine leg room can make or break a flight! Also, try and ensure you are sat a good distance from the toilets, close enough if you need it but far enough that the flush doesn’t disturb you.
Diets and healthy eating go completely out the window when you’re flying for 14 hours – two airplane meals loaded with salt, additives and all the rest, booze, and somehow fitting in 12 meals in one day.. Whoops! Praying every opportunity because you’re never sure where your next meal is coming from is allowed – plus with all the sleep deprivation you need all the sugar you can get!
Stay hydrated! Nothing worse than eating all this salty food and then being left gasping for a drink – and all that air conditioning just dehydrates you further. It’s amazing the way being dehydrated can seriously affect every aspect of your life – your mood, ability to make decisions and attitude are all influenced by this and yet it is so easy to control. Just try and make sure you have a bottle of water on you all the time and drink a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage as these also dehydrate you.
It’s okay to get a bit emosh watching a soppy movie – yes people will think you’re weird, but who cares? When it comes to films like Marley & Me, and The Fault in our Stars, I reckon the people who don’t cry are the weird ones!
Always think ahead and have a place to stay at the other end and your transfers sorted out, after a long haul flight you are exhausted and more likely to end up in the wrong place or in a vulnerable position – don’t let yourself be a target for those who are looking to take advantage of this. Also – if you are staying in an apartment or self-catering, make sure you will have access to the place, that there will be someone to let you in and that it is secure. In some places there are whole gangs just waiting for people to be directed to the wrong apartment so they can break in and rob you while you sleep – don’t believe me? It happened to me on the first night of a holiday – pretty bloody scary and I was lucky they just took my valuables and didn’t attack me. I consider myself a pretty savvy traveller, and yet I was still a victim of this – don’t let yourself be one too.
Always stick to the time zone you are in when it comes to meals and sleeping – when you arrive at your hotel, if it is dinner time, try and eat dinner. Fight off sleep until it is time for bed there, it will help you adjust quicker and will fend off jet lag – give in and you will find yourself wide awake at 2am and wanting your lunch.
Keep your toothbrush in your hand luggage, after two six hour flights and and a three hour drive, you’ll be feeling a bit grubby and it’s amazing the difference brushing your teeth can make – it will make you feel so much better.
Take plenty of things to keep you entertained – iPad, phone, music, book, magazine – if you end up being delayed these will keep you sane. As will a packet of sweets and a drink. You might also find it helpful to keep your phone charger on you – there are loads of charging points in bars/restaurants these days and you never know when your battery will die on you!
How about you guys – any rules you fancy adding to the list? Leave me a comment with your suggestions!
Photo by Mikhail Koninin
Yesterday marked an official milestone ahead of my travels. My resignation was finally officially passed over to the big bosses (I handed it in a month early to help give them time to replace me before Christmas) – so that means there’s really no going back now. Not that there was even a chance of me cancelling. My leaving party is on the horizon, I’m planning in lots of visits to see people before I go and I’m making sure I fill my boots with all those yummy Christmas foods in case I’m not back by next Christmas. It’s all starting to become a bit real now and I can’t quite believe how little time I have left at work – by the time you read this I will have just four Mondays left on the job! Everyone in the office is really excited for me, they’re all counting down for me as well. It’s such an amazing feeling to know how hard I’ve worked and for how long, and to now finally see that light at the end of the tunnel – that tropical sunlight beaming down at me. I’ve got just one more round of jabs left and everything else is finally falling into place, my plans are made and I’ve even started organising my travel wardrobe. So I thought it was about time I gave you guys an update on my plans for travelling:
My trip kicks off on January 6 when I fly out to Bangkok. After a couple of days sightseeing, shopping and eating in the city, I will head to the beaches and islands off south Thailand. Of course I’ll be taking in the standard backpacker route via Ko Pha-Ngan, Ko Samui, Krabi and Ko Phi-Phi. I’m looking forward to a lot of time spent snorkelling, swimming and pretending to be a mermaid. I’m meeting some friends when I arrive, so I’m sure there will be a lot of partying and fun to be had – the perfect way to start the new year if you ask me, and I’m looking forward to starting my trip with a bang. I’ll be spending a month and a half covering this ground, then for a complete change of pace, and to get my visa renewed, I’ll be heading to Vietnam for two weeks where I plan to travel as much of the country as possible – a LOT of food will be consumed here and I’m looking forward to visiting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Halong Bay looks beautiful and I would love to go on one of the river tours.
Photo by Jessica Morales
When I head back to Thailand, I’m heading straight to Chiang Mai in the North, where the experience of a lifetime awaits me. I have booked to spend a week volunteering at an elephant sanctuary where I will be caring for, feeding and bathing elephants for the week. It is a dream come true to get to do this and I am beyond excited. I’ve not even set out yet and already I know this will be a highlight of the trip for me! My week there will be followed by another week or two in Chiang Mai, followed by a trip further north to Pai. I’m really looking forward to Pai – I know already from everything I have read and seen of the place that it is definitely somewhere I will be wanting to stay for a while. The next leg of my journey will be to visit Laos for a week or two spent relaxing, taking in the scenery, visiting temples and dolphin spotting. After Laos, I’ll be heading to central Thailand, particularly the national parks and Sukhothai Historical Park. And then I might give myself some more time in Bangkok before heading to Cambodia for a few weeks for another huge highlight of my trip. I’m planning on staying at a yoga, meditation and health retreat for 10 days where I will be trying out a vegan diet, will be visiting the Cambodian temples, spending a bit of time just looking after myself and treating myself to a few massages. I’m really looking forward to this part of the trip and I’m pleased that there will be opportunities for me to explore the country further. I’ll have to head back to Thailand to catch my flight to Oz for the next leg of my journey – at the moment I plan for this to be around May but that is open to change.
Australia is very unplanned at the moment, but I know I have a lot of friends to meet and catch up with – plus I have several people coming out to meet me for stages of my trip here so it’s going to be a busy few months! I’m planning to travel around as much of the country as possible, and I’m hoping my friends will be quite scattered so I can use them as a guide for my travels. I’m really looking forward to checking out the surfing – my goal is to learn to stand up on a surfboard without help. I’m also looking forward to spending some time in the cities, particularly Melbourne, and of course the beaches – Bondi looks amazing! And I do have a little dream in the back of my mind of doing a bit of a Golden Coast road trip, but I’ll definitely need some friends to keep me company. I haven’t decided yet if I will need to work while I am in Oz – I will assess my funds along the way and will see if I want to pick up some more cash. I had planned for three months there, but I already know I’ll be extending it to at least four months.
In New Zealand, I will again be visiting a few people, old family friends, but I’m also looking forward to having some time to myself to explore. I haven’t got a plan yet, but I’ve definitely got a few things I really want to do – like visiting the glow-worm caves, whale and dolphin spotting, I would love to see the Southern Lights, I fancy a lot of outdoor activities, so more surfing, walking and climbing would be good. While I’m in NZ, I’ve also decided that I simply have to get a flight and go to Fiji, no matter how much it costs me. It just looks like paradise and I think I need a little taste of heaven. I have an idea in my head that if I can find a job in Oz or NZ to raise some more cash – I would love to raise enough to stay the full year and to fly back to Australia for new year to watch the fireworks at Sydney Harbour before catching my flights back to the UK via Dubai on January 6. Whew. Quite a trip huh?
I’m still researching places and working out my exact route, so if you have any suggestions or advice, please do leave a comment!
PS. I’d love if you would vote for me in the UK Blog Awards by clicking here and here.
Deciding to go backpacking is one of the most exciting decisions you will make in your life. You’re giving up everything you know to venture across the world and live a life of freedom and exploration for months on end. All those daydreams are finally becoming a reality. For me, finally booking my flights and quitting my job after months of saving and waiting was pretty special. It meant it really was finally happening – that it wasn’t just a pipe dream or something I talked about with my friends. I walked around for a week or two with a real rosy glow, and nothing could touch my good mood. And then reality hit. I couldn’t go travelling and spend my days visiting temples and lounging by the pool unless I first organised a huge list of REALLY BORING stuff. Dammit. So close. Nobody tells you when you daydream about a gap yah quite how complex it all is to organise, especially if you’re doing it alone!
Doing it all by myself has been hugely exciting so far and I’m really glad that I am because it means I have to take responsibility for everything. But that doesn’t make it any less complicated and long-winded. Thankfully doing a lot of reading of books, blogs and travel websites, and talking to some experts has really helped me to make sure I do all the boring things I just wouldn’t have thought of on my own. There are so many things you don’t even realise you have to do until you start researching, and it is easy to not even realise how much work, effort and time goes into planning your trip. Of course it all pays off in the end, but it can be a lot of work in the meantime, and it all stands between your and the trip of a lifetime. So what exactly do you need to remember? Well I’ve created the boring backpacker to-do list – no bikinis and fancy flip-flops here – just the things you are might forget in your excitement:
RESEARCH
I can’t stress this enough. The more you read and speak to backpackers or travel specialists – the more you will be prepared. They will be able to tell you where to find the best deals, give you recommendations etc. Preparation is key and will make your life a lot easier and a LOT more relaxing on your trip.
VISAS
If you book your flights through a company like Trailfinders (like I did) you will find they have a visa department. Speak to them and find out all you need to know about the different types of visas available – in case you want to work or stay for an extended period – when you need to apply for them and what you need in order to apply for them. All information is available online if not – get these sorted early.
BANK ACCOUNTS
Make sure you have a card you can use abroad that won’t charge you the earth to use. Also, set up a back-up account with another card and make sure you split your funds between them in case your card ends up being nicked or frozen. Make sure the bank are aware you are leaving the country for some time and that they have a log, so your card will not be frozen. Get a credit card, if you can be trusted, and use it for emergencies.
INSURANCE
This is a biggie. Your life will be on your back and I’m sure you’ll be carrying some precious cargo in things like cameras, phones, laptops/iPads – so it is important to make sure they are all covered in any situation. You never know when you’re going to be pick-pocketed and it’s always best to be prepared. Also make sure you are covered health-wise, especially if you are planning on any extreme or winter sports which are often separate.
BACK-UP
Make sure all those photos, documents, blog posts and books are all backed up online. It is so easy these day to back then up not only online but between devices as well just to be safe. For example, I have two cameras, an iPad and my phone – all are connected through WiFi and will automatically copy across everything without me needing to worry. That will save me from any terrible losses.
HEALTH
Make sure you contact your doctors surgery as soon as possible to speak to the travel or vaccinations nurse – they will be able to make an appointment and plan what jabs you need according to your travel plans. The earlier you do this the better as for some jabs you have to have a course of injections – like I did for rabies and hepatitis. They will also be able to advise on and prescribe malaria pills – very important if travelling to parts of Asia.
SECURITY
When packing, make sure you take basic security items – a doorstop under the inside of the door can help you feel safe while you sleep, as can padlocks on your locker and bag. Give family your intended route, keep them updated of changes as you travel, and set up contact (Skype or Facetime, or even email). & a rough schedule – say you’ll check in once a week unless otherwise stated – that will put their minds at rest and keep you safe if anything happens.
So now I’ve thought of all the boring bits for you, you’re free to plan in those jungle treks, yoga retreats, elephant rides and all the rest of the exciting fun stuff you really want to be thinking about…
Can you think of anything I’ve forgotten? Why not comment below and add to the to-do list?
PS. I’d love if you would vote for me in the UK Blog Awards by clicking here and here.
I’m finally getting round to writing up my posts on my trip to Ireland – it took a little longer this time, partly because things have been so busy at chez moi since getting back and partly because I already had a lot of posts I wanted to share with you first. I’ve got a couple of posts lined up for you guys all about different parts of the holiday and this first one is all about the stunning island we stayed on in the centre of Waterford, where Waterford Castle can be found. After arriving in Dublin, we drove to Waterford and on to the ferry over to the island. It’s a beautiful place, just a small island in the middle of the River Suir and covered in trees, with a huge golf course and sports club, lots of lodges to stay in and of course, the amazing Waterford Castle. Naturally, I took lots of photos as I explored the island and here I wanted to share them with you all, but I’ll save the best for last.
We were staying in the lodges, which were lovely and really decked out with everything you could need in a three-bedroom self-catering house. Three double bedrooms with two en suites and another two bathrooms, plus a nice kitchen and great living space which was perfect for us as there was a lot of other members of my boyfriend’s family staying in the other lodges for the wedding, which was to take place in the castle over the weekend. The lodges were a short walk from the castle and the golf club, both took you along the same road which was lined with old-fashioned street lamps lighting the way under a dense canopy of huge trees. It was the perfect romantic setting for a wedding, and the weather was lovely for a couple of days which meant we were able to really enjoy the island in all its splendour.
The island was teeming with wildlife, with rabbits running everywhere and deer – tamer than any I have seen – just chilling out on the driving range. They let us get so close to take photos and didn’t even seem spooked, they just carried on munching away. Later, a couple of us spotted lots of them just stood out in the open on the golf course after the golfers had gone, it was so strange to me to see them away from the trees like that and just showed how peaceful the island is. We spent a bit of time with family over in the golf club, which was a cosy little bar with food and plenty of places to sit – a must with the Broderick family. When the call is made for a wedding, they come in droves and there needs to be enough room for them all to catch up – it gets pretty loud and Irish, and I love it!
The afternoon of the day before the wedding, a couple of us decided to head out for a wander around the island, and we discovered a tiny path marked “the scenic route”. We couldn’t resist checking it out and we were so glad we did – on what had been a fairly dull but dry day, the sun suddenly burst out from behind the clouds as it was lowering in the sky. We made our way along the path, brushing aside branches and nettles, stumbling over tree roots and rustling through autumn leaves. Then the trees started to thin and we spotted the water, we were right at the edge of the island and the water was lapping against the rocks that lined the shore. The sun was beaming down on us as we walked along and we had to stop and take in the view. The rest of the path led us around the edge of the island, giving a great view of the castle and across the golf course where the groom and some of the wedding party were off playing a New Zealand vs Ireland game.
The path took us back through the woods, where we stumbled across a deserted ramshackle building covered in moss, a secret garden with a gate draped with flowers and more cute little pathways to explore. We climbed the steps back up to the castle and stood in it’s shadow as we tried to work out where the lodges were, while admiring the view back across the lawns towards the river where we had just walked. It was so beautiful and the sun coming out really showed us the island in all its glory. The whole walk we never bumped into a single person and that feeling of solitude and peacefulness was just perfect, it was so tranquil there. Just what we needed before the madness of a big Irish wedding!
Okay, I’ve teased you all enough – here it is, the stunning Waterford Castle. I amazingly later discovered the personal family history of this place – my boyfriend’s grandfather and his wife ran away to be together years ago, they made there way to the island in Waterford where they lived and he worked on the island as a labourer. The family extended and grew within Waterford, which is where many of them still live today. Picturesque and enchanting, the island is said to have been home to monks between the sixth and eighth centuries, as the carving of the monk’s head over the main entrance suggests. In 1978 the island was rented to Roger Shipsey, a Waterford Pedigree Dairy Farmer, who later bought the island outright. Eddie Kearns, who bought the island in 1987, both preserved its past and secured its future by opening the beauty of the Castle and the Island to all visitors by developing it into a luxurious Hotel and Country Club, which now is one of the most impressive Castle Hotels in Ireland.
Just one look at the stone walls, the old fashioned turrets and the gorgeous red leaves spread across the front of the building. I’m sure you understand exactly why I was over the moon to have a chance to not only stay on the island, but to get the opportunity to attend a wedding in this amazing setting. Definitely one of those times you have to release your inner princess, especially when you are half expecting Rapunzel to lean out a window and let her hair tumble down. Check out my other upcoming posts to see more of the wedding and some exploring around Ireland.
Have you been to Waterford Castle before? Have you ever had the opportunity to live out a princess dream?
