Laura Rutherford

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Our Jersey break with Condor Ferries

28th October 2018 By thatmummysmile Leave a Comment

Condor Liberation first official visit to Guernsey and Jersey.

Condor Liberation first official visit to Guernsey and Jersey.

This half term we were treated to a family holiday to Jersey curtesy of Condor Ferries. Jersey has been one of those destinations I have always been keen to go to but have never been, so when we were asked if we wanted to take the Ferry over for a two night stay on the island during the October half term, we jumped at the opportunity!

We woke the boys up at 5.30am on Monday and loaded them half asleep filled with holiday excitement into the car to begin our drive down to Poole to catch our morning ferry. Despite it being so early, the boys were adamant they weren’t going to go back to sleep! We arrived at the ferry port as the sun was rising, with plenty of time before needing to board. A couple of cups of tea and bacon sandwiches  from the port cafe sorted us right out after two and a half hours in the car, with the kids asking if we were nearly there yet. IMG_6400

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Driving onto the ferry and making our way up to deck was an adventure in itself, or at least as far as the boy’s are concerned! Harry took it upon himself to locate our ‘reclining seats’ we had been allocated in the ‘Ocean Plus’ lounge. Then after about 5 minutes of Tye, myself and Harry trying to get our heads around the seat numbers in the thousands (maths isn’t our strong point hahaha), lo and behold the 4 seats bang at the front of the ferry were ours- BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE 😉 In order to get into the Ocean Plus lounge, you had to type in a 4 digit code at the door, so in true Harry style, he needed to ‘go to the toilet’ once in a while so he could independently type the code in… James Bond style!IMG_6407

The sun was up and the weather was absolutely perfect for sailing across the channel. We were seated, laptop plugged in, boat departing from the dock and all round a family of happy chappies. That was until about 40mins into our 4 hour journey when I suddenly remembered my issues with sea sickness!!! A slight minor issue I had overseen, because our usual ferry crossing from Dover to Calais for our summers in France, is so short that by the time I begin to feel sick, we’re pretty much docking! Discovering I felt best when I wasn’t walking around the boat, and plotted on a seat a few rows back away from the amazing views, made all the difference. Having a cooked breakfast and cup of tea on board actually helped too. Stanley and Harry were thrilled with their sausages and scrambled eggs- this was certainly a breakfast with a view like no other!

Half an hour before arriving at Jersey, we stopped off to let passengers alight at Guernsey. Another island we’ve yet to travel to and yet heard so many wonderful things about (..next time!). When we pulled into the dock at St Helier in Jersey, we loaded into our car and made our way to The Mayfair Hotel in St Helier, only a 5 minute drive from the port. IMG_6609

We were welcomed and shown to our suite, to find a  two double bedroom, two bathroom family room, perfectly more than adequate for our stay! Harry and Stan were thrilled they had their own space, with hot chocolate facilities and their own TV. We of course were just as thrilled to have our OWN space and large walk in shower! On our bed was a Visit Jersey welcome pack curtesy of the hotel, containing some tourist information, x4 Jersey passes for complimentary entry into attractions and caps and sunglasses for the boys. IMG_6432

It had been a long day of traveling but spirits were still high and Tye had already pre-booked our evening meal, so we had a couple of hours to relax, unwind and get ready to head back out for supper. As we were staying in town, and roughly knew were the restaurant was, we decided to go for a walk and see what was around. The pretty high street was literally on our doorstep, lined with fairy lights and conveniently in the direction of the nearest beach! Discovering the beach was the highlight of our long day. The boys were quick to run off in different directions and once again be at one with the sea air, sand and open space they crave so often. They really are at their happiest when they are on a beach- wherever they are in the world. We could only really spare about 45mins before making our way to The Quayside restaurant opposite the marina for supper. Give us a menu full of fresh fish and we are in our element. Luckily for us, the boys also love fish, so we went all out and indulged. We can highly recommend eating here, the food was utterly delicious! IMG_6433

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The following morning we woke up and discussed over our hotel breakfast what our Itinerary was for the day. Having been given some great suggestions from friends ahead of our trip, the agenda was to visit the Jersey War Tunnels and check out the beach at St Ouens. The Jersey War Tunnels is 100% worth a visit. They are beyond fascinating, incredibly enlightening and moving. Tye and I felt pretty emotional walking around them and reading all about the German occupancy during WW2, when Hitler was in power. You are educated about what life was like during those years on the island, and read first hand accounts from those living there during the War and experiencing such harrowing times. Stanley was too little to understand of course, but Harry was the perfect age to TRY to understand, although it was a lot of information to absorb. Even now, sitting here typing this, I continue to think about it, and want to know more.IMG_6497

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We heard that the beach at St Ouen’s Bay is GREAT for surfing, so we took a chance by bringing over Harry’s surfboard with us in the car! Unfortunately there was no surf that day, but it didn’t matter, because the boys didn’t need anything other that their spades to dig holes in the soft white sand while Tye and I admired the stretch of the beach in all its beauty. Just set back among the dunes, is Le Braye: a perfectly situated beachside eatery, serving up yummy fish and chips, fresh homemade cakes and all with a great sea view. I had a tasty crab sandwich for lunch which def hit the spot!IMG_6501

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Another beautiful beach we had heard great things about was Beauport Bay, an unspoilt cove in St Aubin, a short drive from St Ouen’s Bay and we were desperate to check it out. It certainly didn’t disappoint. From the minute we parked in the car park and looked over the edge of the cliff at the view, we knew instantly the walk down the many steps onto the beach would be worth it. Bearing in mind this is October and the view took our breath away, I can only imagine what a hot summers day would do to the senses! Arriving onto the bay having mastered the steep walk down was a real treat. Yet again, another beautifully sandy beach, with only one other family there…Stanley running in one direction and Harry heading straight out to the rocks in the sea for climbing. Such true beauty, a beach we will definitely want to visit on our net visit. The photos almost don’t do it justice!IMG_6521

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Back at the hotel, we tried out the indoor swimming pool which was fab, then returned to our room to get ready for our final night in Jersey. Our evening meal on our second night was at El Tico– a highly popular beach cantina with a vibrant and fun atmosphere. It also apparently has stunning views of St Ouen’s Bay, but as we went in the dark, we didn’t get to experience them. Harry ate the largest plate of bbq ribs and rice, while Tye and I both chose curries. IMG_6588

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Wednesday morning came all too soon, as the last day always does when you’re having fun on your holidays! Following a hearty breakfast in the hotel, we packed up the car and headed straight out to Jersey Zoo. Founded and created in 1959 by Gerald Durrell, bound by his passion for saving threatened animals for extinction. This Zoo experience is like no other. Tye and I both agreed that hands down it is the most beautiful Zoo, with its pretty landscaped gardens, winding paths and willow trees, happy animals BIG and SMALL and exciting family of Gorillas which are a MUST SEE! We were blessed with the sunniest and warmest October weather and luckily set aside the whole day to explore all that the Durell Zoo has to offer. If you plan a visit, don’t expect to rush around in an hour or so. It’s a visit that you should dedicate a few hours to, and do at your leisure because it doesn’t disappoint in any way whatsoever. IMG_6613

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We boarded our Condor Ferry home, just as the sun was setting and as we sat back in our reclining seats overlooking the horizon, we reflected over the jam-packed couple of days we had on the magical island of Jersey. Our feet barely touched the ground as we explored and discovered some popular places of interest. Our 2 night’s stay was a wonderful insight into a new destination, not too far from home and yet a lot closer to France than I had first anticipated! Travelling with Condor Ferries was an adventure and added a new dimension to our holiday experience, one that has provided us with new family memories and firm in the knowledge of being certain to visit Jersey again in the near future.

Condor Ferries operates a year-round service to the Channel Islands from Poole with its fast ferry Condor Liberation, alongside a conventional ferry service from Portsmouth. To book and check current prices, visit condorferries.com or call 0345 609 1024.

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by Laura xx

To take a further look, I’ve added links below;

Condor Ferries

The Mayfair Hotel

Visit Jersey

Jersey War Tunnels

Jersey Zoo

 

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Filed Under: Family, Reviews Tagged With: blogger, condor, condor ferries, Durrell zoo, family holiday, ferry, half term, Jersey, jersey war tunnels, jersey zoo, London blogger, mum blogger, that mummy smile, the island break, the mayfair hotel, travel, travelling with kids, visit jersey

Our First Choice Holiday

7th June 2018 By thatmummysmile Leave a Comment

We’ve just returned from a wonderful two week, all-inclusive holiday to Turkey which we booked through First Choice. This was our first family package holiday we’ve ever had just the 4 of us, so it was to be a very special one. Not only for that reason but also because we had planned to see Tye’s dad, who we invited from his home in Istanbul to Antalya and have a long weekend at our hotel. It’s been an incredible 7 years since we last saw him, so this vacation meant so much to us all.  UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_3eb3UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_3b6f

 

We booked to stay at the 5* resort in Antalya ‘Liberty Lara Hotel’. Having spent the weeks running up to it prepping, showing the boys the photo’s on the website and building all the excitement, we couldn’t WAIT to get there.

As always the holiday began as soon as we set off for the Airport!!! Our TUI flight was BRILLIANT: Three rows of seats and televisions on the back of each headrest…the boys were in their element! The whole aeroplane was filled with families and the atmosphere was buzzing with everyone’s spirits high for their half term break. Upon arrival we had a private taxi booked to transport us to the hotel. When we arrived at Liberty Lara, Stanley’s face was PRICELESS! It was like walking into some kind of palace, with magical lights, vast open space and champagne on arrival! This was only our first day/ our travel day and there was so much more to come!

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First Choice Holiday’s have exclusivity of this hotel and it was brimming with families. The facilities were second to none. Outside was a generous sized children’s pool, a larger deeper pool,  water slides, an adults only pool with jacuzzi, beautiful landscaped gardens, tennis courts, football pitch, children’s playground, 2x pool restaurants and bars, a pizza cabana, a waffle and ice-cream hut, a stunning outdoor amphitheatre, beach shop, kids club house, giant chess board and long footbridge covering the span of the pool area. Palm trees everywhere you look and pretty open grass banks provide a barrier between the resort and Antalya’s sandy Lara Beach. On the beach there are a large number of sun loungers under a canopy and the piece de resistance has to be the stunning Pavillion Pier heading directly out to sea and home to 8 pretty VIP cabanas for hire.

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Inside of the Liberty Lara Hotel there are a number of restaurants catering for EVERYONE’s culinary preferences with tons of variety, including plenty of children’s food options. Cuisines on offer range from Turkish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, English, Middle Eastern and many more. There is a Spa with indoor swimming pool, hair salon, shops, adult nightclub and games room. The vast lobby is home to the reception and cashier desks as well as the 3 impressive dome glassed lifts with awesome views!

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Being all-inclusive quite literally means you don’t need to spend a penny! Tye and I once went on an all-inclusive holiday when Harry was a toddler and we vowed to never turn back. We’ve always found that when you have children, it’s never a guarantee that they will finish their food at mealtimes and subsequently get peckish between meals, so having the additional options available at various times of the day to get snacks and drinks is essential! All meals, beverages, snacks, pool towels, room mini bar, the Hammam (traditional Turkish bath), sauna, fitness centre and daytime and evening entertainment is included. The beach cabanas are for hire so we did treat ourselves and hire one for the day just to experience the luxury!

We spent most days relaxing by the pools, soaking up the glorious Turkish weather, absorbing the atmosphere and enjoying the pool time activities hosted by the enthusiastic entertainment team. The children’s pool was a PERFECT size for little swimmers like Stanley. Having done a lot of holiday resort research before finding this hotel, it was apparent that ‘good sized’ kids pools were hard to come by, so this one served it’s purpose 100%. The depth of the water, the small play slides and the overall size provide a relaxing and safe environment for the youngest holiday makers. Stan LOVED this pool and by the end of the holiday had gained so much confidence in the water and was independently accessing it under our watch.

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After long sun drenched days together, hot, sweaty and flagging, we had a routine of heading back up to our family room, giant inflatables under arms, for showers and lazy chill out time with the air-con for a couple of hours before dinner. Every night there was an entertainment itinerary offering something for everyone; live music, family shows, outdoor movie screenings and large themed parties. Plenty of FUN to enjoy!

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Our experience at Liberty Lara was thoroughly enjoyable and the service we received from every member of staff was impeccable. There was nothing we could want for. One thing Tye and I would regularly comment on was that there was always someone around and available for you if ever you needed anything. Customer service was PARAMOUNT and we certainly felt it. It was visibly apparent how hard the staff were working around the clock, day in and day out, night in and night out- whether they were catering, housekeeping, maintenance, entertainment, front of house etc. We particularly loved seeing the head chef’s making themselves available at meal times, mingling with guests and likewise the senior hotel staff who would occasionally stroll around meeting and greeting. Each of us felt cared for and looked after, so much so that it has certainly set the standard going forward for our future family holidays.

As a family, we embraced all that was on offer and subsequently had a wonderful time and made everlasting memories for our family. While it was sad for us to leave, we know it won’t be the last time. UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_3d70

Have a look for yourself at this First Choice holiday via the link HERE.

by Laura xx

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Filed Under: Family, Reviews Tagged With: abroad, all inclusive, Antalya, blogger, Family, family activities, family holiday, First Choice, First Choice Holidays, holiday, hotel, Lifestyle blogger, mummy blogger, travel, travel blogger, travelling with kids, TUI, Turkey

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