what is there to do in the Isle of WIght?

[ediemcreedie]

We are thinking of going in the summer holidays. Where is a family friendly hotel to stay in for a night if we went? There would be two adults and 5 kids.

Cheaper but nice - no grotty B and Bs I think.

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We went for the night with my step-daughter and stayed here . It's right on the seafront. The food was lovely, rooms clean and a bar overlooking the beach and sea. I can remember tucking into a lovely rare rump steak and chips, then reading when I got back that I shouldn't have had it as I was pg with dd! We went to Alum Bay for the day where there's a chair lift down to the beach and the cliffs have coloured sand. There's a bit of an amusement park where you can also buy plastic containers of different shapes (bears, pigs, etc) and fill them with the different colours of sand. Dsd loved it.

Have you looked at the cost of the ferry? It can be quite pricey for a day, around £50 I think. Locally the ferry companies advertise a ferry plus admission to one of the island's attractions for around £50.

We took our 3yr old to the steam railway - an excellent afternoon out. It's the nicest one we've been to. We stayed for a week in a farm cottage so can't help you with the hotel sorry.

Surfermum, that looks great, did you stay in the family room?

DId you go to Osbourne?

Yes, we had a family room, I think it was a double and bunk beds. We didn't go to Osborne House this visit. I have been with the school but that was ..... ahem .... probably 30 years ago so I can't remember anything about it!

Any more tips?

Sailing mostly.

Sandpipers Hotel in Freshwater, West Wight, is a nice hotel and very family-friendly. It's not super-cheap but I think a lot of the big hotels on the island are a bit grotty by today's standards. The Shoreside looks nice though!

Osborne House is great but very expensive if you are not English Heritage members.
Blackgang Chine is lovely too, and not far from a family-friendly pub called the Wight Mouse at Chale.

I would recommend staying longer than a day too. There are all sorts of smaller attractions on the island, and lovely beaches and country walks as well. Even taking an open-topped bus along the old Military Road on the south side of the island is terrific fun, and there is also Carisbrooke Castle, Alum Bay, Godstone, the farm and botanical gardens at Ventnor, Shanklin Chine, the Old Battery at the Needles, the railway that jenthehen mentions, etc etc.

Viking festival is on in Peel from the 1-3 of July. Looks like really good fun and I wont be there

BLACKGANG CHINE AND ROBIN HILL You get pay one day get 2nd visit free

and if you buy joint ticket get 4 days brill fun

Osborne House brill

Carrisbrooke castle brill

Absolutely loads and loads to do

about 1001 things. I went with my junior school and had the best time.

Blackgang chine (that's the place with all the knomes right?)
needles
Osbourne House
robin Hill )i remeber a this mad death slide thing that I loved)

oh my God I really did have the best time

roman ruins
what's the place with peacocks was that Obbourne House or is that just by the ferry port, was years ago and memory fading.

romans @ fishborne

robin hill

Take the boat over to Southampton for a day and do some shopping in West Quay (for those rainy days - hope you don't have too many)

Calbourne Water Mill.

17th-century working water mill.
Museum of country life.
Café and gift shops.
Set in landscape valley, ponds, streams and woods.
Hand-tamed birds and peacocks.

calbourne

Gosh what a lot thanks so much !
No, we are hoping to stay the night so we will look at those hotel ideas.

Extreme Play, Drill Hall Road, Newport is good for rainy days, ball pond, drop slides etc.

has anyone mentioned amazonworld

Just remembered Waltzing Waters, Brading, it's a sound and light show to water fountains! Sound a bit odd but is quite hypnotic, worth a visit.

we are going to the isle of Wight next week. THose who went to amazonworld, was it good and can you push a pushchair around it. Just wondered as it said jungle atmosphere?

Also if anyone else has any great ideas for places to go to with a 21mth dd I would be very grateful.
beaches, pubs, restaurants etc etc etc

Went to Amzonworld last year. Not a hippy or anything, but we were really upset by the small spaces some of the spaces animals were kept in. Wouldn't go again. (There was building work going on which might explain it, was still upset tho.

Kids love Blackgang chine every time, but the beach at Nodes Point is my favourite place in the whole world- rockpools and stuff one way, pure family beach the other.

Also the Crab Inn at Shanklin- yum.

You are so lucky to be heading there; we decided tot ake a year elsewhere, and I iss the place so badly!

Amazon World is set up for wheelchair/pushchair access, so shouldn't have any problems - there is also quite a good playground outside. Colemans Farm just outside Newport - petting farm with tractors, playground, barn full of hay bales to jump in, over & under. Good pub in Rookley with an enormous garden chock full of climbing frames (plus toboggan run!) Rare breeds centre over on the South side with petting farm. Pick up the Island Visitor on the ferry on the way over - you won't be able to do everything there is in a week! Oh, and there are of course the fabulous beaches!

I would advise you to find a seafront restaurant in the evening overlooking the Solent, and just sit and watch as the ships go by. we did this at Nodes Point, watching the Queen mary and loads of other boats... just a perfect night