The beautiful county of Dorset has plenty to offer, but if you fancy getting away from the tranquility of the beaches and the countryside there’s plenty going on in Bournemouth which is a traditional seaside resort. So, if you head into the big smoke, what is there to do for the family?
The Bournemouth Balloon is a great way to see the environs. The helium ballon with its under-hanging gondola will take you up high enough to see for almost 20 miles. This is not a full ballon ride across field and dale, but more of an airborne observation station. For details of launches and ticket prices phone 01202 314539.
Open daily from 10am, Bournemouth Oceanarium is an underwater adventure with tunnels for you and the family to observe the marvels of the ocean close up. If you’re not up for scuba diving this is a great way to watch sea otters, sharks and stingrays. The venue is next to the pier, tickets are valid all day.
For children over 5 there’s the Rock Reef obstacle course which is only part of the activities on offer, many of which are for adults. There’s the world’s first pier to shore zip wire, where you can get to fly over the waves on a wire. There are climbing walls and all sorts of activities on offer, for more details visit http://www.rockreef.co.uk.
Laser Quest Bournemouth is a great bit of fun for all the family. Lets the kids’ (min age 5yrs) imagination run wild as they zip about, and adults be warned if you’ve not played it with kids before prepare for a bit of a surprise.
A holiday resort isn’t really complete without a round with the clubs. Boscombe Chine Gardens Minigolf has 18 holes of fun for all the family, but, this is a serious introduction to the ‘proper stroll’ for the kids. No windmills or frills here, just some serious skills to be practised.
If we’ve missed anything out on the list above please let us know by leaving a comment below. Have a good bank holiday weekend.
By: Gareth Whieldon
