Hit me with your Wales must-dos!

[IHeartKingThistle]

We're hiring a campervan for a week in August starting and finishing in Swansea with DC 12 and 9. Probably won't bother with Gower as fairly familiar with that. Don't know Wales outside of that at all!

Need rainy day options and some outdoorsy things - cant do cycling or anything remotely scary as DS hates all that, but we love kayaking and walks. And we're quite keen on mountains (unless scary) and castles and beaches. And the odd museum. And FOOD!!!

Any suggestions gratefully received!

Joe's Ice Cream Parlour! Swansea or The Mumbles. Have a Chocolate North Pole.
We always stop off there if we can.

Ooh yes, Abergavenny great for foodie indulgence!

Drive the Bwlch-y-Groes Pass, linking Dinas Mawddwy, Llanuwchllyn and Lake Vernwy. Some beautiful woodland walks around Lake Vernwy.

Brecon Beacons are well worth a visit. If you like food then Abergavenny is quite foody. I love hay-on-wye, it’s v pretty with loads of bookshops and good cafes. You can hire kayaks in glasbury, upstream, and paddle down the wye onto or past Hay-on-Wye. Absolute heaven on a hot sunny day, it’s such a pretty river (although think sedate rather than whitewater). Nearby (ish), there’s the National showcaves of wales which are brilliant. We also loved the Big Pit coal mining museum in the valleys.
South Wales is massively underrated- enjoy!

If you go to Pembrokeshire you must not miss Marloes Sands, the most beautiful beach in the world.

Pembrokeshire - Pembroke castle, coastal path, rainy day Tudor merchant house Tenby.
Carms - as pp Dinefwr is lovely inside and out, Kidwelly Castle, Pembrey Country Park
Swansea - aberdulais falls Neath, Dan yr ogof caves, rainy day LC2 (book a slot), waterfront museum

www.pembreycountrypark.wales/things-to-do/ Ski, cycle, adventure play, 8mile beach (Cefn Sidan) on the bbc countryfile shortlist for beast beach in Britain, mini golf, camping, horse riding, acres of nature trails and forestry. Approx 40 mins from Swansea. Eat at Whitford in Burry Port 10 minutes away which has a harbour and beach. 10 minutes from Kidwelly Castle. Agree that Tenby is lovely. Carmarthen also lovely little town with some decent places to eat on the way to Tenby.

Don't bother with Oakwood theme park it's overpriced and nowhere near as good as it once was.

Pembrokeshire is lovely as most have said. Lots of castles! Mumbles! Pembrey country park is lovely too, we always enjoy it, there's a beach, wooded area and some activities too. Penllergare Woods lovely walk and waterfall!

YY Penllergare woods is fab and they do lovely cakes in the cafe!

Following

I'd heard Oakwood isn't what it once was. I remember when it opened.

Cresswell Quay.

Bosherston lilly ponds.

Whitesands beach.

If you're there the first weekend in August, The Edge festival is on in Solva.

It's often possible to see porpoises from Dinas Island.

Llangollen - steam railway, canoeing on river, Eisteddford in the summer - has some great acts (not sure dates)

Seconding Dinefwr and Dolaucothi

When at the National Botanic Gardens do a half day's falconry- great fun but you need to book ahead.

Waterfall walks are great but get crowded in summer. There's a really nice, not too strenuous walk from the Brecon Beacons visitor centre at Libanus

Pony trek round Llangorse lake

Medieval castle/house at Tretower

Carreg Cennan Castle- near Botanic Gardens

Watch the red kites being fed at Llanddeusant

Dylan Thomas' house at Laugharne then fish and chips overlooking the harbour

Also second Caerwent Roman museum/amphitheatre etc. Good pub for lunch

St David's cathedral and Whitesands beach

Marloes beach (the most beautiful anywhere- combine with circular coast path walk from car park)

Barafundle, Manorbier

I'd avoid Tenby in summer

Buy some proper OS maps so that you can plan out routes etc. SatNav gets a bit vague/confused or chooses bonkers routes in parts of Wales

I would go to the Brecon Beacons every year if I could- great walks near Crickhowell. Good foodie options in gastropubs round whole Abergavenny area. Élan Valley is absolutely beautiful and a good range of walks. Definitely do the kite feeding

Barry island for an old school beach town. Cardiff city center has some amazing places to eat and Cardiff castle is lovely. The museum if it’s raining, the atmosphere if you can get into the city center on a match day. Over the bay for a walk around the barage. You can hire bike things that are fun. Techniquest is a huge hit with my kids

The angel in Abergavenny does a very special afternoon tea. You will need to book

Pembrokeshire...Tenby, broadhaven south, pub at wisemans bridge does nice food, freshwater west - if your dc are Harry Potter fans - dobbys final resting place. also there is a fab food van in the car park at freshwater west ... absolutely delicious food served. Worth googling it to read about it.

The national showcaves in the Brecon beacons is a brilliant day out. It has caves, a shire horse centre and loads of kids activities.
We got married in cathedral cave there

Carreg Cennen Castle, in Trap, nitbfar from Llandeilo

Head to Llangorse Lake and hire a boat or go out exploring the local area.
Time Team did an episode in Langorse a few years back and I think there's a thing there about it.

Also agree with Tenby and surrounding areas. We go every year and love it.

Folly Farm is great for kids. There's a farm, zoo, old fashioned funfair and huge indoor and outdoor play areas. It's a great day out. Oakwood is good too but I wouldn't pay full price - if you shop at Tesco, you can use Clubcard vouchers via the boost thing to get entry to Oakwood and Folly Farm. We went in August last year and the longest queue at Oakwood was about 20 mins. Most rides you can get on straight away.

Lots of castles to visit near there - Pembroke Castle often does reenactment days which the kids can get involved in.

The beaches in Tenby are fabulous too.

Bluestone is good for swimming - you can use the pool even if you're not staying at the resort, though you have to book in advance and it's quite pricey, although I think they're 3 hour sessions. There's flumes, a wave machine and a lazy river that goes outside.

The dinosaur park is quite good too - although yours might be a bit old for it. There's lots of rides/things to do, all included in the entrance price.

There's Heatherton (no entrance fee but expensive for rides etc and has many the same as the dinosaur park). Also Manor Park wildlife park which is not a bad day out. You can go in with the wallabies and feed them.

Can't really help with food as mine are little and don't eat out much; we tend to take picnics for lunch. We've always had good food and great service at Qube in Tenby.

Can you tell I love that part of the world?!

If you do go to Brecon, I highly recommend this place for food

www.hillsbrecon.co.uk

Delicious!

We ate in an amazing restaurant called Coast, in Saundersfoot. Highly recommend!! 😋

Pembrokeshire - try Celtic camping near st Davids- they have developed the site a bit since we went there I think (check out their Facebook page for the views!) and they have a deal with dragon activity guides, brilliant sea kayaking with them (they do that jumping off rocks thing too, I passed on it). Also try the boat trip to see the dolphins and seals.

Also recommend snowdonia but you might want to stick to the south

Definitely agree with Pembrokeshire- Tenby, Manorbier, Barafundle Bay, Pembroke castle. Further up the coast would recommend Poppit Sands &New Quay- dolphin watching boat trips are great. Inland, Machynlleth for the alternative technology centre. Further north, there are several small steam trains - Talyllyn & Ffestiniog are 2- and lots of castles.