Bespoke Getaways

For those of you who have more than a day here, we are very happy to work out programmes to suit your requirements. In the busy world in which we live, we know that short breaks as opposed to longer holidays are often the way to go. However, how action packed or relaxing your getaway will be is completely determined by yourselves.

We only organise the planning and guiding elements of your tour – we don’t offer complete packages that are inclusive of accommodation and travel. We can, however, make suggestions as to where to stay and how to get here (see our ‘Getting Here’ page for the latter).

Below is a sample fairly action packed 3-day break that I have decided to share with you. It is one that we arranged around the themes of sailing and the Island’s Victorian and literary connections and features three separate locations. The clients didn’t necessarily visit all the places mentioned here but made choices from this list. In fact, as it was a bigger group, they didn’t always all do the same things. Remember, YOUR programme may well bear little or no resemblance to this one.

Sample Tour

Day 1

 Cowes and East Cowes by day and night

Cowes and East Cowes

Morning in Cowes (West)
Town Walk, sightseeing/shopping
Northwood House,
Sir Max Aitken Museum,
Classic Boat Museum (The Boat Shed)
Crossing to East Cowes via the Floating Bridge

Lunch at The Coast, Cowes or The Folly Inn, Whippingham (East Cowes)

Afternoon in East Cowes
Queen Victoria’s Osborne
St. Mildred’s, Whippingham (the Royal Church)

Dinner at The Smoking Lobster or Heron (Cowes)

Day 2

Ventnor and Bonchurch

Morning in Ventnor
Town Walk – morning coffee at The Royal Hotel
Ventnor Botanic Garden
Steephill Cove

Lunch at Cantina, Ventnor or Bonchurch Inn, Bonchurch

 

Afternoon in Bonchurch
Dickens Literary Walk (also features other famous residents) round Bonchurch village
Visit Bonchurch Pottery

Dinner at The Smoking Lobster or The True Food Kitchen (Ventnor)

Day 3

Freshwater Bay and Yarmouth

Morning in Freshwater Bay
Walk on Tennyson Down
Dimbola Museum and Galleries (home and workplace of Victorian pioneer portrait photographer Julia Margaret Cameron)

Farringford (home of Alfred Lord Tennyson, Queen Victoria’s poet laureate for 40 years)

Lunch at The Rock, Freshwater Bay or The Terrace, Yarmouth

Afternoon boat ride to The Needles from Yarmouth or Alum Bay – here are a few transport possibilities (can be upgraded if required)

Whichever boat you choose, please do take a boat ride if the weather permits. It’s an incredible experience being up close to The Needles – and something we really don’t want you to miss out on!

 

Shopping and looking round the quaint little harbour town of Yarmouth

Dinner at The Rock, Freshwater Bay or The Hut, Colwell Bay

 

Accommodation for this tour – on this occasion our guests enjoyed a memorable stay at Villa Rothsay Hotel, Cowes which we recommend very highly. Anyone preferring to stay in one of the other locations might consider St. Augustine Villa (Ventnor) or Albion Hotel (Freshwater Bay).

Accommodation in general

There is a great deal of accommodation on the Island in varying price categories. We only mention a few on this site (another strong recommendation on our ‘Language Holidays’ page is Foxhills of Shanklin).

Two quirky accommodation ideas for groups of eight or less

The following recommendations came from satisfied customers. The first is ‘The Mission’ in Chale, which is a converted Victorian tin tabernacle and the second is a houseboat in Bembridge called ‘Newclose’.

Where we can, we will always give you private recommendations once we have a feel for what it is that you are looking for.

You will find an example of a longer, more general Island itinerary on our Language Holidays page.

 

 

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