Family travel

How to visit the European Parliament in Brussels and the EU Quarter

January 31, 2020Screen Free Adventures

With it being the day of Brexit, it seems as fitting a day as any to share with you our trip to the EU Parliament in Brussels. This year for Miss 11’s birthday, she had the choice of a trip or a party- the little traveller chose a trip, so thanks to cheap flights we headed off to Brussels, home of chocolate, waffles, beer, fries and the European Union headquarters. You can read our full itinerary here. We did have a sneaky day off school, but in the words of Miss 11, by lunch time, she surmised that she had likely learnt more than if she had been at School. I’m not allowed to tell her teacher her thoughts though!

325F993D-9688-46E4-A33D-CB51E93F7B2C — Outside the EU Parliament

We stayed very near the EU Quarter in Brussels, as when there is nothing on in the Parliament, the hotels are very good value. It is a fascinating and attractive area of Brussels to see, and when researching a little confusing on how to pay a visit to the key buildings and locations so here is how we did it.

The EU or European Quarter, is also known as the Leopold Quarter. It is a compact area to the south-west of Brussels city centre, about 1.5 miles (2km) from the Grand-Place. In the 1800s the Leopold Quarter was one of Brussels’ most prestigious neighbourhoods, and there are lots of beautiful old buildings left over from those days. During the early 20th century, the wealthy residents of the Leopold Quarter moved further outside the city centre to the new suburbs. Office buildings replaced many of the mansions, and in the late 1950s, new European institutions moved in.

0DA9E647-256E-4FA8-BEC5-6AFF705596C8 — The Future is Europe – street art in Brussels

Today the area is dominated by politics predominately and business but it’s still surprisingly green and attractive, with many beautiful parks and squares to enjoy a stroll around. It is a nice area to be based in, plenty to see and do, and a little more removed from the central more tourist filled areas. The metro and bus routes are easily accessible, around a 30 minute walk will take you in centrally without any difficulties.

The European Parliament

The most significant attraction in the EU quarter is the European Parliament. To visit the European Parliament and the famous hemicycle debating chamber as an individual, you’ll need to take one of the self-guided tours, which run at set times, Monday to Friday. Do check the website here for the opening hours and timings.

To join a tour, go to the rear entrance of the European Parliament building, just off Rue Wiertz. There are clear signs and arrows to get you to the right place from the front of Espace Léopold and Place du Luxembourg (follow the signs for the Hemicyle), but once at the door there’s not a lot to indicate that it’s ok to go in. Don’t worry; if you’re there at the right time just push open the door.

1144665C-7909-47E3-A2CA-30A1CAE0A914 — European Union

You cannot pre book (unless you are a bigger party), and must queue and show your passport/ ID before going through airport style security checks. There’s no photographs allowed at Security, but once you are inside you can take as many as you want. The whole process was straight forward, and much quicker and simpler than our visit to the United Nations in NYC. There is a self-guided tour with a headset rather than a fully guided tour. It is available in all EU languages, you can even download it as an app on to your mobile phone if you would prefer. There are free printed guide books to pick up too.

First stop, a photo op with all the flags of the member states of the European Union, then a model building of the EU and some history about it all.

Onwards, up in a lift and into an atrium full of artistic gifts given from the different member states including this large sculpture, everything on the theme of peace and cooperation.

After you leave the atrium, the next stop is the Hemicycle – the main debating chamber of the European Parliament in Brussels. Each EU member country elects representatives in the same way as they would for a national parliament. These Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) meet here and in Strasbourg. Miss 11 was particularly taken with all the translation boxes and learning all about the role of the translators – it is quite the task ensuring that all 24 languages can hear continually.

Parliamentarium

A great stop for a few hours with children. Miss 11 really enjoyed the informative and interactive style in the Parliamentarium. It is very accessible and free entry. You can collect an information leaflet (in whichever EU approved language you speak) at the entry. You go through security, and are given a free interactive audio tour, which was very good.

The exhibition is made up of several floors (lifts are available) of interactive displays about the work of the EU, and a wonderful 360 degree cinema where you can experience being at the heart of the European Parliament. You might even spot some familiar faces virtually around you. We enjoyed sitting on living room styled sofas and chairs and hearing more about the importance of EU projects from all areas including a few miles down the road for the Peace money given to Belfast to support community work in the Shankill and Falls areas.

There are many displays about the history of the EU, and the numerous projects it has been involved with.

We particularly enjoyed the map room where you could wheel a TV unit over a different place in Europe to find out more about the EU and its impact. We visited quite a few countries. Recommended for a few hours in this part of the city.

Station Europe

The original station buildings of the Brussels-Luxembourg train station now house a welcome centre for the European Quarter. Here you can get your bearings here, pick up a map and plan your visit to the area. There’s also a branch of the official Visit Brussels tourist information centre which is a good place for some more information. There’s a nice public square with chairs set up in circles perhaps facilitating discussions?

Berlaymont Building

While you can’t go inside the Berlaymont Building, it’s an impressive sight and is probably the most iconic building of the European Quarter. The Berlaymont Building is the home of the European Commission, where the day-to-day work of the EU is carried out. We stayed right beside it in the NH Brussels Berlaymont Hotel, which made it very easy to get around the area.

House of European History

For an exploration of Europe’s turbulent history, and the events that led up to the formation of the European Union, visit the House of European History in Léopold Park. It aims not to tell the story of each individual country in Europe, but to draw together the themes that European nations have in common. The permanent exhibition covers Europe as a global force in the 19th century and the two World Wars that shattered the continent, before examining the political divisions of the second half of the 20th century. The exhibitions are free to visit, and a multimedia tour is available in all the EU languages.

Outside you can spend some time in Léopold Park

We especially enjoyed reading all about the history of the zoo in the area and ostrich sculptures marking the spot. It is green, beautiful, and even houses bits of the Berlin Wall with the accompanying historical information.

All the European Union visitor areas are free, which makes for a very budget friendly day spent in the European area of Brussels. It is interesting and informative and gives you good insight into the development of the EU.

Other things to see and do nearby

I’ve also noted some of the other sights and museums in the nearby area that you might want to visit when you are nearby:

Parc du Cinquantenaire – an enormous triumphal arch, reminiscent of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The arch itself is slightly more recent but the buildings either side were built for the 1880 National Exhibition which celebrated the Belgian nation’s 50th birthday. The park itself is a very pleasant place for a walk, with lots of flowers, trees and lawns, and it’s a popular place for tourists and Brussels residents alike to relax.

Royal Military Museum – occupies the left-hand side of the Cinquantenaire buildings., holding an impressive collection of arms, armour, vehicles and aircraft. There are also two galleries dedicated to the First World War which devastated much of Belgium. For an incredible view of the European Quarter and the surrounding area, take the stairs inside the Military Museum up to the viewing gallery on top of the arches.

Autoworld – On the right-hand side of the Cinquantenaire arch houses a fantastic museum dedicated to cars and driving. Among the gleaming permanent exhibits and fascinating temporary exhibitions you’ll find information about Belgium’s contribution to automotive history.

Arts and History Museum -also on the right hand side of the complex. More informative than an art gallery, more inspiring than a history museum, the unique collection eventually wants to be as well known as the British Museum or the Louvre.

Cauchie House – If you’re interested in architecture, and especially if you’re a lover of Art Nouveau, you can’t miss the Cauchie House. Artist couple Paul and Carolina Cauchie built the house in 1905 and decorated the front as an advertisement for their businesses; graphic design for him, art lessons for her. In the centre of the facade you can read the words “Par Nous, Pour Nous” – “By Us, For Us”. The house is at the top of Rue des Francs, just across the road from Parc du Cinquantenaire.

The Museum of Natural Sciences is also nearby, but you can read more about that in our post over here.

Planning a cheap* family adventure

December 26, 2019December 30, 2019Screen Free Adventures

*cheap as in best value – obviously depending on where and when you want to go it will cost different amounts! Sometimes we travel very budget (think hostels in Moscow for £20) and sometimes we splurge a bit more such as Atlantis in Dubai (however this was a good deal too!)

Christmas is over, it is time that many people start to plan out the year, especially those holiday ideas and suggestions. Apparently one of the most common times to book a holiday is over the Christmas break, Christmas Day itself being one of those top times. If you’ve been reading along, you will know, we do love an adventure, near or far, and are always looking for ways to stretch the pennies as far as they go. I’ve put together our top tips to get the best value break for 2020.

Do-it-yourself holidays with cheap airlines and securing good value accommodation has opened up the world for us. However, there can be the occasional location that a package holiday can work out better value. For us, Cuba was better value via a package, and when we had 2 under 2s it could work out much simpler and cost effective to go on a package trip. However, I generally prefer to be able to see more of a country, and do not like to stay in the one location for the whole duration. It is up to you and your own likes or dislikes. Some things like Lapland can save you thousands by booking it all independently. We got 8 days in Lapland for the price of a day trip from Belfast here.

If you have the right insurance, and book using a credit card you will be covered should anything like a company failure happen. In light of the Thomas Cook and other disasters this year, do be very careful to ensure that you are protected. I do sometimes like pricing up my trip via a travel agent, then doing it myself and feeling great about how much money I have saved. For example if we had booked our Oman adventure via an agent on a tour we would have spent at least 6 times the amount we did!

If you are thinking of flying, Skyscanner is the place to start. Choose your departure location of choice – think about travelling to one slightly further away as it may open up more options. Usually I start by putting in everywhere and cheapest month- this gives me the starting point of places to explore. If I’m after a certain location- I put it in and then cheapest month and check out those for base line prices. I take a note of this, this is what I compare my other flight prices too.
Set up a tracker on flight prices – I use hopper or kayak alongside skyscanner. This means you will get alerted if prices drop. It also means you can look at previous prices – I then get my click price in my head – the price I’m going to be happy enough to pay.
If you are searching a number of flights/ routes, or even just researching, it can be useful to search incognito as the search algorithm will pick up and potentially increase the price of flights you are keen on. Open a private browser to do so on your device. Signing up to mailing lists such as Holiday Pirates, Jacks Flight Club and Secret Flyingwill also send you alerts of possible good deals.
Play about with dates- going a day early or coming back a day or so later can massively change the price. Also think about trying to go off peak. We went to the Middle East in the Summer, yes it was very warm but we managed fine and we got our prices for everything at a steal compared to when the temperature is lower.
Budget airlines – easyJet, Ryanair etc. tend to be cheapest the moment the flights are released. Keep an eye out for release dates and it’s worth getting up early to book. If you miss them and they start to rise don’t buy that day the will likely drop a bit when the first surge of buying is over. Sometimes you can get sales and reductions which bring them down again. We don’t pay extra to book seats together, and we have never been separated. We check in as soon as we can, and have never had any issues.
Other airlines – if you are not flying via a budget airline then flights are realised around 10 months to a year before travel, they will generally rise in price too as they book out, but by looking at the previous years data it is easy to get a sense of whether it is a good deal or not.
Factor in distance to your departure and arrival airports and the cost of transport/ parking to get there. You might get a much cheaper flight into the outskirts of a city but it might be costly to get in – or the flight times might mean public transport isn’t an option and you end up with an expensive taxi.
Don’t be afraid of a stop over – this can open up another destination to go to. Flying to Florida, you may end up with a day or two in New York on the way? This summer we went to Dubai via Moscow, which made for a great 24 hour stop over on the way home and getting to check out a bit of Russia.
Food on planes – budget airlines provide nothing and can be expensive (as can airports). Bringing snacks will save you some money. Long haul flights will provide food on board – when you book you can request any dietary requirements including a children’s meal. We have found them to be very good, usually they are served first, and have activity packs with them. Often the airline only provides for those pre booked.
Flights booked – great on to accommodation. I like to search on booking.com then check out trip advisor for reviews- it can be worth checking out booking directly or through another third party to get a good deal. Think about booking on a credit card to get your protection if there’s any issues.
We also often stay in Airbnb– be sensible, look at location, read all the listing! Make sure you are getting the full apartment if that’s what you want and not just a room. Check our the area on maps and read the reviews. Think about public transport – is it easy to get in and out of location? Factor in the costs there too.
If like us you like to explore different places you need a rough itinerary before booking accommodation. I like to research blogs, aimed at families travelling to the locations I want to go too. Instagram can be great too- put in some of the hashtags of the locations and you will get lots of gems. It really helped me research our Oman trip, and got me looking at some great options.
Visas – it is really important to do your research about entry requirements into countries as some of these may need applications very early, and if you don’t get them through in time then you’ve lost your holiday and your money. USA requires an ESTA, there’s lots of sites out there charging more so make sure you get the right one, which is here. Do this early, as if you don’t get an ESTA you will need to apply for a visa which requires an interview at an embassy which can be a good few months wait. For other countries, you can only apply a month before you go, and if you are going to a few you need to time it right to get them back and other processed. Our Russian visas were a bit of a headache but part of that was due to passport renewals. Which brings me on to another thing.
Passports – get your passport renewed early, in the weeks before the summer everyone gets it done, therefore longer wait times. Especially if you are applying for anyone in the family’s first passport as the additional checks can increase the time required. If you are applying for Irish ones do take note that with the increased rate of applications due to impending Brexit they may be slower at different times.
Travel insurance – purchase this from the start, incase you need to cancel the booking or something happens. We have annual insurance – you need to think about the amount of coverage especially for things like medical cover. It’s worth having decent insurance- I’ve only ever had to use it once to come home for a family funeral from Brazil. They were super efficient and supportive and despite being the furtherest away we were home in the quickest time.
Airport parking can be cheaper if booked in advance, keep a look out for special offers. It may work out as cheap to spend the night before you go in an airport hotel that has parking included or reduced. If you need to get a train/ bus consider booking those in advance as can be cheaper too.
Getting around your location – this very much depends on where and what sort of trip you are doing. If you are relying on public transport – book bigger journeys in advance such as trains across Europe as you will get them much cheaper. For local transport, check out the tourist options- it might be worth getting a tourist card such as the Salzburg and Brussels ones we used. These not only have lots of entries into places of interest but often include local transport options.
Car hire – again using a number of search engines to check the prices. Read all the small print. There will be often extra charges for excess insurance which hikes the price. You can buy it annually and save some money there. Most airlines allow you to bring car seats for free. We pack those, as local hiring can be expensive and you are never sure of the history of the seats. It does get easier as the children get bigger. We are now into smaller seats compared with the large bulky ones when they were small. Ensure you check where the car hire is, sometimes they can be on the outskirts of an airport and if you are arriving in late this may not work out. Check the regulations for hiring cars in that country, do you need an International Driving Permit – especially with Brexit looming. You can read more about them here. If you are driving from one country to another, check out the rules and what is needed. You may need special paperwork and insurance to make it happen.
Trips, activities and tickets – research, research and more research. Have a good think about what is important for your family. If you are booking theme park tickets, there can be deals for a number together, such as attraction tickets direct which can run sales/ black friday deals at time. For a city break, we often do a walking tour of some sort first as it gives us a good idea of layout of the city and things we might want to do. Sometimes there are ones for a donation only. The kids loved a Harry Potter Themed one in Edinburgh. You can read about our Harry Potter adventures in Scotland here. You don’t need to do it all, plan out what is most important and go from there! Shopping around can save you significantly.
Food – if you are staying self catering making some meals in your accommodation can save you considerably. We will often buy fruit, breakfast, snacks and picnic type things that we can take out with us during the day. We can then cook in an evening, eat out or get a takeaway. We always bring some snacks from home to eat on the way and on the first morning until we get the time to get to a supermarket. When we stay in a resort, often half board can be a good deal – if you eat enough for breakfast you won’t need lunch before dinner in the evening. Atlantis in Dubai worked very well for this.
Water – bring a water bottle, you can fill them up in restaurants and hotels for free and you save a fortune in buying water, and also help save the environment. We love ones like thisthat keep drinks cool for 12 hours.
Packing – airlines like to charge lots of money for checked baggage so keep it to a minimum. Even hand luggage has become increasingly restrictive. We love these 40l bags from Osprey as they fit for all (have not obviously checked every airline but had no issues with Flybe, Easyjet, Ryanair etc). We try to travel with hand luggage only and do some laundry on our locations, and if we need to check anything (such as lifejackets/ snorkel gear etc) we only check one bag. You can buy most things in your location, so we bring some starter toiletries and suncream and pick up extra at our destination.

I am sure there are many other important suggestions that I have left out. If you have other top tips please do comment to share them.

Enjoy your holiday planning!

Christmas Markets in Vienna

December 22, 2019Screen Free Adventures

Europe’s Christmas Markets are a wonderful treat for all the senses – especially the taste ones! Miss 11 and I headed off in early December for an Austrian and German adventure to check out as many of the markets that we could manage. First stop was Vienna, the exquisite capital of Austria, home to Imperial history and Baroque architecture, with the musical accompaniment from Mozart and Strauss, and home to Sigmund Freud. Plenty to see and explore. It is importantly also home to over 20 Christmas Markets.

Set in the spectacular backdrops of Vienna, they are an exquisite way to explore the city and feel truly festive. They are an age old tradition, with the forerunner to present day markets from the Middle Ages. The first record of Vienna’s December Market was in 1298, when citizens were grated permission to hold a Krippenmarkt (December Market) during Advent. Early markets started by only selling meat, but evolved to provide other everyday purchases, then eventually seasonal decorations, crafts and treats accompanied with entertainment such as singing and dancing.

Christmas markets received a significant boost in the 16th-century, when the teachings of the German protestant reformer Martin Luther suggested that the birth of Christ was a more appropriate gift-giving day than other saints’ days. This was the beginning of the practice of Christmas gift- buying and festive markets have been popular across Europe and beyond ever since.

Christkindlmarkt Rathausplatz

One of the biggest and most well known Christmas Markets in Vienna, you cannot avoid being in a Christmas mood after this. Here you will find dozens of booths filled with contemporary and traditional Christmas decorations and gifts. Full of live music, it is also full of traditional and classic Viennese cuisine with incredible aromas abounding. There is plenty to do for children, including some amusements and the big wheel. A big hit for Miss 11 was getting to ice skate. The ice rink is fun, with some gradients that allow you to gain some speed which was great fun! It is situated right in front of the City Hall and with a picture perfect backdrop it is a wonderful sight! You can go inside the City Hall where children can make Christmas cookies or candles. As Vienna’s most popular Christmas markets it is also the most crowded, so prepare for that.

Christmas Market, Schloss Schönbrunn

For an elegant Christmas market Schloss Schönbrunn is a perfect setting with the Schönbrunn Palace as it’s background, it presents the most beautiful and magical scenery. There is a spectacular towering Christmas tree that will completely mesmerise you. The market offers the perfect Christmas touch, with handmade Christmas decorations, and gifts that are made using natural materials. Of course, there is a complete food and drinks range including warm Christmas cookies, snacks, and mulled wine. Combined with visit to the Palace and the nearby Children’s Museum there is plenty of things to do in the area. We also met St Nicholas here.

Weihnachtsmarkt Am Hof

Situated a few streets away from the main tourist zones of Graben and Kaertner Stree. This is a smaller but quality artisan gift market, with ceramics, jewellery, glassware, leather items and hats. The Christmas decorations were splendid. It is also well known for its variety of sausages and ham, along with hot baked potatoes, waffles, and gingerbread.

Weihnachtsmarkt Karlsplatz

Another large scale market with more than 70 booths from local craftspeople and artisans. Situated in front of the baroque Church of Saint Charles Borromeo. It is also a popular area for many live concerts on regular basis. In addition, the Christmas market features many live concerts on a regular basis. It is the place to go for hand made items.

Christmas Market on Stephansplatz

Next to the iconic St. Stephen’s cathedral there is a small Christmas market. It is quite small and overcrowded, but worth a walk around if you are in the area.

One of our highlights was the mugs that they used, you could buy your own mug for around €4, and then when you are finished with your drink, you could keep the mug as a souvenir or return it and get your money back. This meant that there is not wasteful disposable couples. Each market has their own design, and I imagine could turn into fun collectibles for the different markets you visit.

Did you know? Snow globes were invented accidentally in Vienna . Mr Perzy, a surgical instruments mechanic created one in 1900 as the result of an experiment to try and improve the brightness of the newly vented and not very bright electric light bulb. Inspired by the shoemakers of the time, who utilised a glass globe filled with water in front of a flame to get more light from a candle, Perzy tried to re-create this in front of a light bulb. It didn’t work that well. One day he used a white powder, semolina, used for baby food and poured it into the glass globe. It got soaked up by the water and floated very slowly to the base of the globe- the effect reminded him of snowfall. The beginning of snow globe invention. For the first 40 years of production, a church was always added. Following the Second World War, his son added different designs, such as Christmas trees, Father Christmas and snowmen figurines. The company continues, and exports the snow globes around the world. You can visit the Snow globe museum there too, and buy many in the Christmas markets.

Top tips for visiting a Vienna Christmas Market

Pick your favourite market – there are so many to see, so do your research about the ones you want to see. All have stalls with food, Glühwein and cooked chestnuts, but each one has their own distinct style. For kids the to ones are Karlsplatz or Christkindlmarkt Rathausplatz. For excellent photos, Schloss Schönbrunn is superb.
Visit at the right time – they get very busy in the evening, so choose a little before then and be ready to leave when it becomes dark if you struggle with the crowds. It worked for us not to be visiting on a weekend as it was much quieter.

Bring cash – especially small notes. Some stands will accept credit cards but many were cash only, or there were difficulties getting the card reader to connect. Easier and quicker to have cash.

Make sure you try these foods – Maroni (Cooked chestnuts), Kaisekrainer (Sausage with cheese in the middle), the famous Bratwurst (hot dogs), Soup in a Bread Bowl, Pretzels, Waffeln (Waffles), Lebkuchen (gingerbread), Heisse Bauernkrapfen (doughnuts), Glühwein (mulled wine) and Punsch (Alcoholic Punch, if you don’t want to go with the alcoholic version choose Kinder Punsch).

Go to as many as you can – I’ve only been able to cover a few in this blog, but there are many around the city. Check them out as you sightsee and explore, and of course enjoy! Have a Glühwein for me!

Dress warmly – the Markets are mainly outside, and it can be cold, especially with the wind chill from the River so wrap up. Layers, gloves, and hats are important! The hut punsh and Glühwein help too!

Turtle discovery – spending a night on the eco reserve in Ras al Jinz, Oman

September 2, 2019October 13, 2019Screen Free Adventures

We’ve been practising quiet voices for months, not very successfully for some of the smaller members of our adventure crew. It wasn’t just to generally keep the volume down (that would be an added bonus), but in preparation for our adventure to see the turtles near Sur in the Gulf of Oman. When researching Oman as a possible holiday destination I had discovered that they have a protected area of beach where a number of species of turtles including the Green Turtle and Loggerhead turtles come and lay their eggs and return to the ocean. Most days of the year a turtle can be found, however July is turtle season. Both in terms of the Mummy turtles laying their eggs and the babies hatching and making their journey to the ocean. Our quiet voice practice was in anticipation of being lucky enough to do a beach walk and see a turtle. I had some concerns that this little adventure crew would disrupt the annual breeding of this protected species. I need not have worried, the wonderment on the children’s faces when they witnessed the incredible sight of a Mummy turtle laying her eggs in the darkness of night and returning to her ocean home the next morning ensured the quietest of whispers.

61F33A27-05A7-46C9-A2E3-261C107B37A8 — Wonderment

Situated on the coast, near the city of of Sur, Ras al Jinz Turtle reserve is a functioning research centre that seeks to protect the turtles and educate people on how vulnerable the population is.

Three excited adventurers about their journey ahead

Turtles don’t come on the beach during the day due to the heat of the sun. So you need to either join one of the guided tours around 8/9pm at night (check with the reserve on their timings). Or if you stay over you get to do the night time guided walk and an exclusive sunrise walk only for those resident in the facility.

Leaving the Muscat area we travelled for around 2.5 hours (plus a stop in the marvellous Burham Sinkhole) down the coastline to an area called Sur. The mountainous landscape transformed to sandy desert areas into a raised coral reef with crystal clear blue waters along the coast.

Upon arrival at Ras al Jinz, we checked in and experienced a fast speed golf buggy up to our tented home for the evening. Beautifully kitted out with two glorious king sized beds, an air conditioning unit, and adjoining full bathroom with hot water, we were able to relax. Within the complex there were 12 similar tents situated on a cliff above the beach. There are hotel rooms within the research facility as well.

Our home for the night – tents

Inside our tented home

After unpacking, we headed back to the main centre to visit the educational museum that informed us all about turtles, their species and the perils that they experience. With handy audio guides the children were engaged in listening to all the information shared. At the end of the museum there was a little tank, with a tiny turtle that had got lost on his journey to sea, swimming there – he was going to be returned to the sea following sunset that evening. The children were enthralled with him or her, delighted that we had already seen our first turtle. There was a small additional charge for the museum visit. It was a little run down in places, but there was plenty of information and well pitched for the children.

We had time to sample the buffet on site, before preparing for our first accompanied walk in darkness to see if there were any turtles. Some external visitors joined this trip, however we were divided into on-site guests and others. On-site do seem to get priority access, remember your room key as it’s the access to the reserve instead of the ticket.

Following a briefing, about the need to be quiet and not using flashes on cameras due to the impact of confusing the turtle. Our guide led the 10 minute stony route walk to the beach, and as our eyes adjusted to the starry seascape, we began to see a number of turtles working away, digging their holes and preparing to lay their eggs. At first, I thought there was one, but quickly realised that there were numerous stretching across the beach. Incredible.

Under the red lights laying her eggs

Making her nest

The guides ensured that visitors paid attention to the guidelines and were particularly keen to make sure that the children had a good view and knew what was happening. In the darkness, the guides used some red lights (not as harsh as the white light) and explained the behaviours of the turtles. There were two groups and it was carefully managed so that people were quiet, respectful and not shining lights. There’s no flash photography allowed and of course there were one or two who used it despite the guidelines. I was pleased to see that their phones were confiscated by the guides. In some of the reviews I had been concerned about too many people and not well managed. That was not the case for us at all.

E519148A-293B-49CA-A302-D90FE7D49C58 — A mummy turtle working on digging her hole

We learnt that the turtles come on shore, and dig a large hole of around 3 metres. First we saw a turtle working on her hole, spraying sand around us she dug until she had created a large circle of around 2 meters. Next they dig down deep to create an egg cavity, a smaller little nest to lay their eggs.

Mummy Turtle working hard

Up over the ridge

Off she goes

Quietly the guide called us over in small groups and shone his torch through the darkness. Incredibly, we witnessed a turtle laying her eggs into the cavity. Up to 100 can be laid in a small amount of time. Glisining in the moonlight, the brilliant white eggs were carefully covered by the mother turtle. Burying them deep, she then set to work, creating a second hole a few metres in front of this one. This is the ‘fake hole’, amazingly it is a distraction for predators, hoping that the foxes dig in the wrong place.

There are a wide number of predators including birds and foxes, not to mention the possibility of humans trying to take the eggs hence the protection in the eco reserve. The researchers told us that only 2 or 3 out of each 1000 eggs successfully hatch and make it to the ocean. Incredibly low statistics of survival.

The sex of the baby turtles depends on the temperature of the sand. If the eggs incubate at temperatures of 27.7 degrees Celsius and below then the babies will be male and if above 31 degrees Celsius then they will be female. If the incubation happens in between these then some may be male and some female. Suddenly we were able to realise the crisis that is climate change even more – there will be even less male turtles.

As we looked around the beach, in the reflection of the stars on the sea, we could see countless shapes of turtles working away on the beach. Tired, but with our minds alive of the wonder of it all, we returned to our tent and straight to sleep for a few hours, before rising at 4am for a sunrise adventure.

Three tired little people ready for the morning adventure

This guided walk was only open to hotel guests, so at 4.20am with the day beginning to appear on the horizon, a more select number of us made our way back to the beach. It was a little colder, and very peaceful as the bleary eyed small group returned down the stony path. In the pre-sunrise brightness, it becomes quickly apparent just how many turtles had been working all night at the beach. We could also see the marks of the predators widespread with foxes footprints galore.

First we were brought over to watch one turtle dig her way out of the hole she was in. It was incredibly slow work, moving the sand to get over the ridge and return to the ocean. She looked exhausted, flapping the sand out of her way. I was struck by the sheer size of her as she looked me in the eye as she worked away. Suddenly with a few powerful movements she made it over the edge and started on a much quicker descent down the beach to the sea. With the powerful movements, she made it rhythmically down before the only remaining sight was her taking a few breathes before she dived into the Ocean deep.

That is the last time that Mummy turtles do anything with their offspring. Job done – imagine that! When the little babies hatch they make their perilous journey across the beach and into the ocean running the high number of risks along the way. As we stood, watching other turtles appearing out of their nesting holes and making their way down the beach in awe, the researcher called us over, to see a baby turtle on his or her way. I had thought it was a difficult journey for the Mum, but then I saw this little thing with incredibly fast moving flippers working hard down the beach. He even fell into a footprint one of us had left behind and it took a lot of work to get back out again. Birds circled, but with humans watching they didn’t come near. How easily disoriented these little guys could be at night. We named him Lucky, and he made it to the waters edge. A wave came in and suddenly he was upside down, he righted himself and off he went on his lifetime adventure.

Incredibly, the researchers told us that they have put trackers on many turtles over the years and learnt that they travel wide, they have picked up Omani beach turtles off the coast of Australia, around the Malaysian coastline and towards America too. When they reach around 37-40 years old and are ready to have their own babies, they come back to their beach of birth to lay eggs. Isn’t nature amazing?

We stayed and watched the rise of the sun, all amazed in the wonderment of what we had witnessed. Three little minds exploding with all the information they had learned, and determined to do things diffierenlty when we get home to keep their oceans cleaner and work at stopping the rapid pace of climate change. When it was time to leave the beach, we reluctantly wandered up to the reserve, now that it was fully light, we realise that there were many little baby turtles who hadn’t made on their journey, either their eggs had been opened by predators, or one little guy seemed to go in the wrong direction and when the sun came up he didn’t survive. Cue tears from little middle adventurers, devastated to see the reality of the dangers and adversity they experience. I wonder, in many years to come whether she will be there rescuing the little turtles and ensuring they make it to their destination?

We arrived back for a well needed buffet breakfast, and began to contemplate the amazing sights we had witnessed. I’m not normally emotional about much, but as we reflected on our morning and previous evening activities I was struck by the incredible planet we live on and how nature works. I’d really recommend this experience if you ever go to Oman. It was one of those unforgettable and ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences that I’m sure the children will remember for a long time. I’d really encourage you if you go to Dubai, to take the adventure, go a bit further, explore Oman and get to visit the turtles. Let us know if you make it that way!

We booked through booking.com although you can book directly and do chose one of the tents (well worth a few quid extra in my opinion) and booking was inclusive of the two tours on the beach and a lovely buffet breakfast afterwards. Prices are between £160-300 for the night depending on party size and time of year.

Isle of Skye – Top things to do with kids (or without them)

April 28, 2019May 19, 2019Screen Free Adventures

Isle of Skye is the land of magic, nature and wonder. It has sparked the little imaginations, and we’ve enjoyed learning to hike and explore the countryside more. To the extent, they all want the proper gear, and are ready for their next walking adventure, Irish mountainside here we come. It takes its name from the old Norse sky-a, meaning ‘cloud island’, a reference from the Vikings due to the oft mist covered Cuillin Hills. It’s the second largest of the Scottish Islands, 50 miles in length. Since we met doing Geography degrees, it was the perfect adventure – the children are much preferring the folklore stories regarding the landscape formation than their parents tales!

We enjoyed a 2 night trip to the Island in the Easter Holidays. We were totally spoilt with the weather, it was warm, no need for a coat and we all got a tan! However, be more cautious I do think it is more common to experience some (a lot) rain and wind. These are our top suggestions for an adventure with kids (or indeed without but in that case I’d add some distillery experiences for sure!

You can arrive in Skye by Ferry or by bridge, we did one each way, which brought with it adventure and exploration. Book the ferry in advance from Mallaig with CalMac.

The Fairy Pools

Nestled in the Cuillin Mountain range, and down a long single track windy road, past the numerous breath taking views, and two waterfalls, is the hike to the magical Fairy Pools. It’s about a 30 minute hike (well at our pace) from car park, to the pools, and up some hills. Little legs were tired along the route but as Miss 6 said herself, it was more than worth the hike at the destination. It’s not a difficult at hike, but we saw someone carrying a pram back – not to be recommended at all. Through stream crossings, and over bumpy terrain it was perfect adventuring.

At your destination, there’s crystal clear pools, with some waterfalls and it’s easy to imagine the magic of fairies playing around them all. All three enjoyed dipping their toes in to the freezing cold water and splashing a little. With the sun beating down, the water sparkled blue, and we relaxed taking in the incredible scenery around us. When they were finally plucked away, they running through the gorse back to the valley, before the steepest climb back up to the car. Little tired bunnies by the end, and glad to rest for the drive to our accommodation.

Note there’s no visitor centres, or toilets. It is a very popular spot and you can swim so bring a towel, your swimsuit and water/ snacks that you need for a couple of hours. Enjoy it is pure magic.

Sligachan Bridge

This is a famous bridge with the Cuillin Hills in the backdrop. The Cuillin Hills are Britain’s most spectacular mountain range. There’s an alpine nature in the landscape, with steep knife edged ridges, naked rocks and scree-filled gullies. It is very picturesque and there’s many an instagram photo from the area. We enjoyed exploring through the rocks, and climbing over the stream. It’s a good starting point for more adventurous trip up the mountains , not for us, we are a bit wee yet for such adventures. There’s a hotel right beside it, with a wonderful pub and traditional Scottish restaurant called Seumas Bar – I enjoyed my vegetarian haggis!

The Fairy Glen – near Uig

Nearby where we were staying was the Magical Fairy Glen. It is situated on the Trotternish Peninsula, but for some reason not that many people venture there. I’m really not sure why, as I think this ranks as one of my top things to do in Skye. There’s lots of fun hills, and valleys to explore, and lots of little stone circles – the kids were enthralled. I was mightily impressed by the just married couple, who where up the top of the rock in full wedding dress (plus hiking boots) getting their photos taken. It was a lovely day, they are going to get some great footage from the drone they had flying overhead!

Quiraing – is situated close by on the way across to the Staffin area. It is a fascinating basalt formation. There’s a 4.5 mile hike to get up close to the cliffs, that is recommended – unfortunately it was a bit much for us this time with all the other things we were doing. Something for next time!

Portree

The main town of Isle of Skye – with the postcard picture along the seafront, we visited for a few hours to get some supplies in the shops, enjoy a fish and chips on the shore, and purchase some lovely artwork for our house! As we enjoyed our fish and chips, a man pointed out the Golden Eagle circling above our heads- amazing!

Old Man of Storr

A short drive from Portree is the picture postcard iconic view of the Isle of Skye, with the spiky pinnacles of rock set up against rolling green hills. We didn’t get to hike up to it, but it is a strong recommendation for a visit if you can manage it.

Kilt Rock, Mealt Falls and Brother’s Point

On further from Old Man of Storr towards Staffin there’s some spectacular coastal scenery. From the viewpoint, if you look north to see Mealt Falls and Kilt Rock, then look south, the scenery is almost as beautiful and you can see Rubha nam Brathairean (Brother’s Point) off in the distance – there’s another interesting easy hike to Brother’s Point.

Staffin Dinosaur Museum

Nearly by Staffin, there’s a really interesting little museum- Staffin Dinosaur Museum. The kids were fascinated with the fossils and history of the dinosaurs of old in Skye. They even have tours to find the often difficult to find dinosaur footprints in Staffin Bay. It is an excellent collection well worth a stop.

Claigan Coral Beach

This beach is another contender for my favourite location on Skye. A short hike (of around 1 mile) and through the now typical Skye coastline and you come across this beauty. It’s not really coral being in Scotland after all, it just looks like it! Fascinatingly it is made from crushed bleached skeletons of Red Coraline seaweed. It makes the water look tropical blue when the sun shines and has a finely crushed white beach. Full of wonderful shells and on a low tide day you can cross over to Lampay island on a causeway! Pure magic!

Dunvegan Castle

On the way to the coral beach you can find Dunvegan Castle and Gardens. There are good reviews about it, due to the gorse fire, we didn’t have enough time to spend to justify the cost! However, would be a good rainy day activity if you need inside for a while.

Also in this general direct is Neist Point – thanks to the fire we didn’t make it this far, but it is recommended as a nice place to visit if you are in the area.

Accommodation in Skye

We stayed near Uig in the wonderful Clouds B&B which has a perfect space for a family room. The details were incredible, it was comfortable, with a delicious simple start breakfast of cereal, yoghurt, breads, cheese, fruits, juice and coffee, and spectacular views especially of the epic sunsets. The little details like toys in the bedrooms, a record player, outside swing and slide set, and comfy blankets made us feel perfectly at home. The family were welcoming and informative. An excellent find – do check it out.

In terms of planning your route, coming from the boat from Mallaig, towards Uig, Sligachan Bridge, and the Fairy Pools are close by each other, and the Fairy Glen is nearby Uig. Dunvegan Caste, Claigan Coral Beach, and Neist Point are the same side of the Island. From Portree the Old Man of Storr is en route to the Staffin area which has Mealt Falls, Brothers Point, Kilt Rock and the Dinosaur Museum. Out of the whole Skye trip, we didn’t pay anything other than £5 for the Staffin Dinosaur Museum.

We ended up with an unscheduled change in our plans when we came across a road closed due to an ongoing gorse fire! It was significant, and there was considerable smoke in the area. Some panic from some nameless little people, the adults were very interested in the whole situation. The next day you could see vast areas scorched. A common problem in summer but apparently this was early on in the season for one!