Booking a Family Holiday?

When choosing a family holiday there’s lots of research which goes into picking that ideal destination.

It’s important to provide the children with as much activity and entertainment, whatever their age.  Pembrokeshire is famed for its glorious beaches and the beach is a great playground for children to make sandcastles, play with a bat & ball or just paddle in the seas surf, but regardless of the strong appeal of the soft sandy beaches there are lots of other fun filled attractions to be explored.

Just outside of the smallest city in the UK, St David’s, there is a 100-acre working farm and Research Centre which is Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm.  It boasts a tropical bug zoo, with extraordinary bugs! A museum, arts & crafts, and a delicious grub kitchen café, which is the first UK’s edible insect restaurant, but don’t despair it also serves non-bug meals too!  There is also a bug farm trail which is not only educating and inspiring but is also great fun! There is a souvenir shop to purchase your chocolate chip cricket cookies, a great treat for your friends back at home.  There is also an indoor rustic play barn for the kids to run around and let off steam.  The bug farm even allows well behaved pets on leads. 

One attraction not to be missed is Folly Farm, a great place to visit rain or shine.  There is a zoo with over 90 different animal species including firm favorites, lions, rhinos, giraffes, and the penguins.  Folly Farm houses the only giraffes in the whole of Wales and it’s a great experience to walk the giraffe heights walkway and look them straight in the eye.  There are also ostriches, camels, lemurs, tapirs, and lots more.  There are aviaries with both familiar and unusual breeds of birds and at Folly Farm interactive it gives you the chance to get close to snakes, tortoises, macaws, sloths, and fruit bats, giving you the opportunity to feed them.  In the ‘Jolly Barn’ there are lots of farm animals, goats, ponies, ferrets, mice, lambs, chickens to name just a few.  There is also a vintage fairground with 17 fairground rides all under cover, so it doesn’t matter what the weather is doing outside.  There is an indoor play area with climbing structures, slides, nets and an indoor soft play area for smaller children. Outside there are play areas one with a themed pirate adventure area, there are diggers, a Ferris wheel and formula 2 go-kart track.  A whole day is recommended for this attraction!

With 2018 being Wales Year of the Sea, all focus is on our picturesque coastline and some of the cleanest waters in the UK.  Head down to Stackpole Quay which is guaranteed to provide excitement and adventure for older children/teenagers.  Kayaking and coasteering are both bound to grip the attention of your adrenaline hungry teenagers. With expert guides who will provide leadership and all the necessary equipment.  Kayaks are a fun way to take in the beauty of Pembrokeshire coastline and you can hire either a single or a double kayak if you don’t feel too confident.  Gliding through clear waters getting up close to all the wildlife is a wonderful way to experience Pembrokeshire.  There is also action packed coasteering, which was invented in Pembrokeshire.  This fun filled pastime involves jumping off cliffs, traversing rocks, exploring sea caves and rock arches.  Enjoy coasteering with an expert guide, and always take safety seriously!

For young adventurers, rock pooling provides a fantastic way to while away the hours and inspiring young minds. Rock pools are rich in sea anemones limpets, shrimps, crabs and starfish. Abide by the rock pooling rules to put back everything you collect, back where you found it and take care on slippery rocks and seaweed.

Surfing is a watersport everyone likes to try.  There are lots of surf schools to get you started, although if you are experienced Freshwater West may be the best place for you.  There are powerful waves with strong under currents with the waves generally a couple of feet bigger.  For all those beginner surfers Newgale, one of the most accessible beaches in Pembrokeshire is ideal for beginners, patrolled by lifeguards in the Summer months, with a surf school and equipment hire.

Paddle boarding is becoming ever more popular, look at ‘Good Trails’ paddle boarding at Coppet Hall beach, Saundersfoot.  You can take lessons as beginners, first starting on your knees and then trying to stand up straight, if you do get the hang of standing up on the board then a SUP safari in Saundersfoot & Tenby may be for you.  The minimum age for a SUP lesson is 8.

Heatherton World of Activities will keep the family entertained for hours!  There are four different zones, family fun, adrenaline, play and golf & bowls.  Admission to this attraction is free, you only pay if you play!  So, if there’s anyone who doesn’t want to have a go and is happier watching, then there is no extra cost to spectate.  The family zone is jam packed with activity, adventure golf, archery, junior Go Karts, a hedge maze, body zorbs and much more.  The adrenaline zone is ideal for teenagers and the parents with tree top trail, Go Karts, paint balling and the Tenby escape rooms.  The play zone has a driving school for kids, Landrover experience, water peddlerz and an indoor play area.  Finally, in the golf zone is an 18-hole golf course, crazy golf, and a driving range.  There is also an indoor green bowls open all year round!

Pembrokeshire has a fine collection of castles and other historical sites, so inspire your child’s imagination by visiting one or two during your stay.  Carew Castle is set in a picturesque location right on the edge of a mill pond, where the water is used to power the tidal mill.  There is a list of events, as long as your arm happening right the way throughout the year. There are ‘prepare for battle’ classes, where the children can make their own shields, crowns, and swords.  Alternatively, your child may delight in the ‘Horrible Histories’ tour, where gruesome tales of castle life are told. There are also days of archery and falconry which are not to be missed.  

Pembrokeshire is the ideal destination for the whole family to enjoy from small toddlers to teenagers.