Favourite Family Travel Destination – Isle of Wight

Welcome to my monthly family travel series where you can find out about other Bloggers favourite family travel destinations. Whether it be in the UK or abroad you will find out just why these bloggers love their destination and what you can get up to while there. If you are a blogger and want to take part then you can send us an email and we will send you more information. My next blogger is Fatima from Blogs by Fa.

Favourite Family Travel Destination Series – Mauritius

Destination: Isle of Wight, UK

Age of Children at time of Visit: 3.5 years old.

Where Did You Go?

It was my birthday weekend when my family and I planned to visit the Isle of Wight, the island that is known as the sunniest place in the UK. Established as a separate county in 1890, the IOW is the second largest and 2nd most populated island in England, popular for its mild climate, coasts and the landscapes of fields and chines. Throughout the year, the Isle of Wight has lots of fun activities to offer to everyone and the holiday makers get the choice to explore the beaches, visit the numerous attractions or visit the island to attend fun festivals.

What Places Did You Visit While There?

After the birth of BabyN’, my son who is now 3.5, we ensure we choose a family friendly holiday destination to keep him entertained. This trip was solely a family trip focused on child friendly activities. Our favourite was the Tapnell Farm Park which had lots of options for indoor and outdoor play, it also has farm animals such as lamb, pigs and goats and I personally loved the go-karting experience. We also visited the Robin Hill Country Park mainly to participate in the Isle of Wight Bear Hunt, but also got a chance to explore the toddler play area for kids there. Unfortunately, the little one couldn’t get on the rides as most of them had a requirement of minimum 1.1m height.

We also visited the Isle of Wight Steam Railway to enjoy a train ride, but were quite happy to find out that there were lots of other child friendly activities at the station too, which included an indoor and outdoor play area and a shop. The Pirates Cove located just opposite the Shanklin Beach is also perfect for entertaining kids, and we visited there for playing mini golf, which was a fun and enjoyable activity.

What Were Your Favourite Things About The Destination?

I love the fact that the Isle of Wight offers so many family friendly fun filled activities for kids. We loved jumping on the jumping pillow at the Tapnell Farm Park and we enjoyed being there so much that we visited the park twice during our stay at the island. The weather was amazing and I didn’t have to worry about keeping the bulky jackets which reduced the weight of our luggage a lot, giving us extra space in the car.

Why It Is Your Favourite Family Travel Destination

To reach the Isle of Wight, we boarded our car in the Wightlink ferry which took us from Portsmouth to the island. Since our ferry was scheduled for the evening, we were able to witness some amazing views of the sunset and enjoy some fresh breeze. I didn’t have to work too hard on planning the places to visit because the ferry had a magazine with all the information the visitors could ask for, and that saved our time from researching too much.

Any Top Tips For Visiting Chosen Destination?

It’s advisable to check the weather prior to the visit, so you’re free from the worry of carrying the extra clothes. Most of the beaches at the Isle of Wight are pebbly beaches, so if you’re planning to spend time at any of the beaches, then it’s better to bring along suitable footwear. Flip flops definitely don’t work out because the pebbles can hurt you. Although the island has a mix of pebble (Freshwater Bay, Alum Bay, Needles) and sand beaches (Sandown & Shanklin), I think sand beaches are better for kids to play with their sand toys.

One of the most popular tourist spots at the Isle of Wight called The Needles has a closing time, so make sure to visit during the opening timings.

Mostly, the big grocery shopping stores, fuel stations and child friendly attractions are near Newport and around Shanklin, so the next time I visit the island, I’d like to arrange for a accommodation there instead of anywhere near The Needles.

Parking at the Isle of Wight is mostly free after 6:00 pm and there are many attractions that offer free parking for visitors.

You can also read about East Afton Farmhouse over on Fatima’s blog too.

Thank you, Fatimah for telling us all about your favourite family travel destination.  I have read so many great things about the Isle of Wight and it looks like such a fantastic for a family holiday. You can follow Fatima on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.