The Heavens Open Up At Giant’s Causeway

The low, menacing clouds drifted overhead as we arrived at the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland, Giant’s Causeway. The visitors centre was unlike any other tourist attraction we’d seen in Ireland. Uber modern and sleek, it didn’t quite fit into the natural, country cottage feel of the other sites we saw. But we didn’t mind, we just wanted to get out of the rain.

Inside our tickets were £8.50 per adult with both kids free (under 5). Smiling jovially, the staff member behind the ticket counter provided some insiders tips on the best way to see the popular site with kids and transport options. We decided the public bus would be better considering the wet weather. Walking the 700-odd-metre pathway would have been a nice, slower paced option, if it had been a sunny day.

 

Famished, we raided the café for traditional Irish stew followed up with a tasty pie for dessert. With full(er) tummies, we explored the rest of the visitors centre. It brimmed with bright, colourful displays and exhibits, but as expected, the kids headed straight for the giant, wall-sized movie screen. This played a looping video featuring an animated mythological story of the Giant’s Causeway contrasted with the more widely accepted geological history. It was fun and fascinating. I think the kids watched it at least 3 times before we pulled them away, and they locked their tractor beam vision onto some of the interactive exhibits designed for little hands. These shed light on the modern history of the region as well as fascinating animal life on land and beneath the waves. With their hands busy, Erin and I wandered through the exhibits without worrying about where they would run off to when our backs were turned.

In case you were interested, the famous rock formations were caused by ancient volcanic activity in conjunction with erosion by a glacier. There are matching formations in Scotland which led to the legendary story of two giants, one of them building the bridge only to be tricked into thinking the other giant was much bigger. Afraid, he destroyed the bridge on the way back, leaving the left over rock formations we see today. With giant names like Finn MacCool, how can you resist loving a story like that? In fact, if I have another son Finn MacCool would have to be high on the list of proposed names (just don’t tell Erin!).

In most tourist attractions we’ve visited audio guides were offered at an extra fee, however here it was included free. Nice! This was a great idea as we were able to learn more about the stunning rock formations and remarkable history of the region at our own pace. Mia and Caius were given a special kids program so they could relate to the story instead of the verbose verbiage mum and dad were listening to.

The bus ride was £2 per adult for a return ticket (with kids free), and took less than 5 minutes to reach the end of the line. When we jumped out the rain was still coming down hard. Unfortunately there wasn’t any shelter around so we just made the best of the soggy situation. The kids didn’t mind at all, in fact they loved hopping in the plethora of puddles. Since they were already wet, we just let them go for it, no point trying to resist. I tried snapping a few photos, but the relentless rain made it entirely awkward, so I have to apologise for the uncharacteristic lack of photos.

After about 5 minutes of walking on the basalt columns I retreated for what shelter I could find in the shadow of the towering formations and we waited patiently until the bus returned 10 minutes later. And that was pretty much the extent of our pint-sized experience at Giant’s Causeway.

 

Frustratingly enough, the previous day had delivered perfect weather, and even the following day was equally glorious. We just happened to be at the right place at the wrong time. However, I’d still highly recommend this spot for any traveller in Northern Ireland. The visitor centre alone was worth the ticket price. Just check the weather forecast ahead of time and give yourself a few days wiggle room, and you’ll be right as rain… er… or sunshine.

Cliffside Capers At Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, Northern Ireland

Ireland generously treated us to unseasonally beautiful weather for most of our road trip. There was just one fateful day that the skies opened up and it happened to be at the culmination of our Northern Ireland route. But that didn’t stop us - we still had fun anyway.

 

When we arrived at the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge the wind was squally and rain started coming down. Finding shelter in the small café, Erin got comfy with the kids and enjoyed a generous serving of warm, hearty (expensive) soup. I volunteered to take a bullet and venture out into the biting cold rain in order to go where no Bender had gone before. After all, how hard could it be?

I just paid for 1 adult entry (£5.60) and received a handy brochure which included a map of the area and interesting tidbits. I received a friendly warning from the smiling gent in the ticket booth, who looked rather rugged up, that it was a 1 kilometre walk to the actual rope bridge. It probably wasn’t such a bad idea leaving the kids in the café as that would have been a stretch for them.

I pushed against the driving wind on the way there and occasionally picked up my head to enjoy the breathtaking views. The pathway meandered along the cliff face and led straight to the legendary rope bridge.  Swinging over 23 metres above the ocean, it might not sound very high, but it certainly felt that way. Combining the wet, slightly slippery wooden planks, swaying in the wind, it didn’t strike me as particularly child-friendly. I wouldn’t say it was dangerous but the weather wasn’t making it a walk in the park either.

 

Once I walked across, the rugged island provided a perfect panoramic view of the cliff face.

In the ocean below I could spot a dorsal fin protruding from the water, slowly making it’s way around the coast of the island. I grabbed a couple more photos of the dramatic coast and island and then made my way back to the bridge. On my way to the entrance I ran into Erin, Mia and Caius who came looking for me. Once they realised there was a 1km walk to the bridge, it made sense why I was gone for so long and we turned back to the carpark. Erin loves adventure and was pretty bummed she didn't get to cross the swaying bridge over shark-infested waters, but the slamming wind and driving rain sealed the deal on heading back. 

We hastily hopped back into the car, cranked up the heater and drove 15 minutes down the road to our next stop, and the main attraction, Giant’s Causeway

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Checking Into London & The Majestic Flemings Mayfair Hotel: A Monopoly Player’s Dream Come True

Getting to London From Gatwick

We caught a 10am National Rail train from Gatwick to London on Saturday morning. It cost around £8 each (AUD$15), which is a bit of a saving on the Gatwick Express train. We endured just one train change to get to Victoria Station and then made our way through the massive yet severely-lacking-personal-space train station. I had been here many times before. My first was in 2001 when I lived in London, my second was in 2007 on a round-the-world trip with my husband. The station was extremely crowded and noisy, a busy meeting place of buzzing human traffic with automated ticket machines and clanking trains rolling to and fro in all directions.

Pre-paid SIM Cards in London

Mobile internet access is an absolute necessity for us, second only to air. A mobile SIM card pop-up booth drew our attention and we stopped to acquire a prepaid SIM. 2x SIM cards for £10 (AUD$17.20), followed by an extra £5 credit each for unlimited data and unlimited calls to each other. That’s roughly AUD$35. A small price for peace of mind.

Victoria Station & the London Taxi

After checking all was working we made our way through the rest of the station, keeping an eye on children while carting our entire luggage, and following the black line on the ground which conveniently directed us where to go – the far side of the complex to find the fabled taxi stand. We had contemplated courageously tubing (underground subway train line) to our hotel, but with all our luggage we figured a short taxi would be our quickest, and sanest, option. Plus, I remembered from our last trip how ghastly the underground stations can be with all the endless sea of stairs and inconceivable lack of lift facilities.

The black taxis in London are surprisingly spacious and we managed to get all our bags, pram and 4 people squished into the iconic cab. It wasn’t long before it was pulling into Half Moon street in the classy monopoly board suburb of Mayfair.

Mayfair Luxury Hotel

Flemings Mayfair presented a suspenseful exterior, giving nothing away. An unassuming entrance, with only the tuxedoed doorman giving away the plush interior that would be awaiting us.

Visualize Alice in Wonderland or Willy Wonka – a world of pure imagination – and you might find lounging around in the restaurants and bar at Flemings Mayfair a close comparison.  The first room to the left of the lobby was the perfect place to wait for our room, where my son fell asleep and I got a feast for the eyes.

The hotel was founded in 1851 and now occupies 6 interconnecting Georgian townhouses. The hotel offers 129 individually designed rooms and apartments, and The Townhouse, a unique 7 bedroom private residence in the heart of Mayfair.

Not only do they have a beautiful hotel, but the concierge team were simply fabulous offering helpful answers to our many questions about London and also conveniently storing our pram for easy access each time we ventured onto the streets.

In London space is a luxury so staying in a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment complete with fully equipped kitchen and living room can be considered royalty. And yes, that is what we were offered at Flemings Mayfair. After a pleasant check-in with the friendly reception staff, it was a short walk through the historic corridors of the hotel and up the library-inspired elevator to our room at number 706. Let’s take a virtual walk through:

The kids were especially thrilled with their slippers, storybooks and presents found neatly piled on their bed along with an invite to call room service for irresistibly sounding cookies and hot chocolate. The children’s restaurant menu was also a fantastic touch with cute frog mascot.

The hotel room would have been perfect for a long stay in London. The only shortcoming we experienced was the Internet. It was very patchy – falling in and out and quite slow when it did work. We did ask reception and concierge several times if there were any problems and were told it was working fine.

Unfortunately for us it was not, which for a luxury hotel in central London I certainly did expect more. We received speeds up to 15Mb/sec in a small budget hotel in Gatwick and 40MB/sec in Stansted airport, while we got a very sporadic 1-2Mb/sec here. But with our unlimited data plan on the SIM cards (albeit without tethering), we relied more on our phones to stay in touch with the outside world.

Note: Management have informed us that Flemings are upgrading their internet connectivity next year so this will solve the only small problem we had. I mean the hotel was founded in 1851 so I can imagine the latest technology certainly has it's restraints. 

Conveniently, Flemings Mayfair also features an inconspicuous back door into the hotel, which actually comes in quite handy when you are running from tube to hotel in pouring London rain.

The Grill Restaurant

Downstairs is main event - The Grill. This is where a fresh continental buffet is setup for breakfast with an option for a tasty hot breakfast: silky smooth buttermilk pancakes drizzled in syrup, full English breakfast with sausages and bacon, eggs benedict cooked perfectly and more. 

Also in The Grill we had the opportunity to indulge in a London lunch fit for a king (and queen). We were presented with complimentary appetizers of salmon mousse, Rockford biscuits and mini spring rolls. The kids devoured the spring rolls and while not a salmon lover I actually enjoyed the salmon mousse.

After our appetizer I decided to try something different and went with a duck tain. It was a cold jelly-like substance to spread on crispy focaccia toast. Despite it’s strange appearance and texture, it actually really was delicious.

For our mains Josh ordered a perfectly cooked steak, as you would expect from a first class restaurant, while I indulged in a hearty lamb roast with garlic mash. To wash them down we sipped fruity cocktails – The Istanbul & The Sydney.

After my mains I felt as full as underground train at peak time, but Josh is never too full for dessert, especially when crème brulee is on the books. He found the crème brulee a little more scrambled egg than smooth, creamy dessert. It’s safe to say his steak was in his dreams that night rather than the brulee.

The kids had a choice from children’s menu filled with delicious alternatives. Caius chose pumpkin soup and puff pastry pizza. The first pizza came out uncooked and soggy, but was very quickly rectified by staff with a friendly and efficient manner. Mia ordered garlic bread and perfectly cooked pasta. They both ate the icing off their cupcakes for dessert, but left the carrot cake behind. I’m sure you did that when you were a kid.

The private dining areas of the restaurant are creatively designed, featuring modern décor and lighting and would be an ideal spot for birthday celebration or special event. Of course the location makes it an easy place to find, being just a short stroll from Green Park underground.

If you’ve ever played Monopoly and wondered what it would be like living in one of those little plastic red hotels, trust me when I say it’s even better than imagined. A fabulous location, a inspired interior and space that can only be described as luscious luxury in Central London. I have to admit I only wish we could have spent 2 weeks instead of 2 nights at the Flemings Mayfair.

Booking Details

Family rooms from £245 (excl. VAT) include:

• Under 12s dine for free from the Fleming Frog kids menu
• An exclusive signed copy of the Fleming Frog book
• Hot chocolate & cookies at bed time (Mia got throughly spoiled with this as a finale to our princess day)
• Goodies on arrival including froggy shampoo
• Children's slippers and bathrobe
• 
  

10 Things To Do In London With Kids – 5 Of Them Free!

In 2001 I lived in London, single and alone. In 2007 I visited London, married DINKS (Double Income No Kids). In 2013 we were back and this time with kids. I had never considered London as a children’s destination and were not prepared for the lows (trying to carry a double stroller down underground train stairs) or the highs (two hours in a toy store), but London did not disappoint for kids as much as it didn’t disappoint as a single or couple.

An ounce of preparation…

The first smart move was buying a SIM card for our mobiles so we had mobile Internet access when we were out and about. We got a great deal on the first day so we could stay in touch with each other and hopefully avoid getting lost (£20 for 2 pre-paid SIM with unlimited data, text and calls to each other).

Next we got our Oyster Card to travel public transport freely with no cash needed. Kids under 5 are free in London on all forms of transport – rail, tube, bus, etc. Unlimited transit in zone 1 and 2 for a week was a hefty £33 (AUD$57). The following week we did manual top ups as we travelled less by tube and more on foot. An average tube ride was £2.10 each (AUD$4).

In 2 weeks we managed to cover a lot of territory. Here is what the kids voted for in order:

#10: Thames River Cruise

When purchasing the Original Tour’s hop-on-hop-off pass, it also includes a cruise up the Thames River at any time you wish.  We didn’t realize how long it went, and our jam-packed scheduled caught up with us so we had to abandon ship at Greenwich and catch the tube to our next destination. But it was a fun ride and easy way to see the sites without lugging kids around. There was plenty of room for the kids to run around inside where it was toasty warm, or head upstairs to the open-air deck. The views are unmatched as it passes under the Tower Bridge.

£15.50 return per adult & kids free Westminster to Greenwich. Or free with Hop-On-Hop-Off ticket.

#9: London Eye

While the Singapore Flyer is the largest in the world, we enjoyed the London Eye much more. The beautiful views across the Thames, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, there is a lot to see. The kids were more interested in staring at the water below and watching how high we went. The Eye also included a ticket to a 4D movie version of the Eye, which the kids wanted to watch again and again.

Online price £17.28 entry per adult & £11.07 per child (4 - 15), under 4 free.

#8: Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus

A fun and easy way to see all the most popular sites in London, including Buckingham Palace. Trafalgar, Square, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge and Big Ben. The map they provide is useful even for walking. Red busses feature a live guide, yellow buses do multilingual audio tours. There are lots of stops around town and they run every 15 – 20 minutes. The Original Tour is our choice because the kids got a little Kids Club bag and they have their own audio station on the tour. They also give out free rain ponchos, which while we didn’t need it uncharacteristically, can be very useful. The open top buses have a handy covered area at the front of the top deck, which is much warmer in cold months, with still awesome views.

Online price £25 entry per adult & kids free (<5). Currently if you buy 24-hour ticket, you get 48 hours until 28/02/14.

#7: Walk Along The Thames River

While I was having fun with Mia in Birmingham, Josh and Caius went for a walk along the Thames, west of the Founder’s Arms, near Southwark tube station. A busker blowing giant size bubbles kept our son entertained for what could have been hours. Add to this some fresh piping hot mini donuts from a nearby food van and it’s a winner.

Free, unless you’re buying fresh, hot donuts. 

#6: Natural History Museum

All the museums in London are free. This makes a fantastic day out, just like the New York one without the fee. I got to meet an old friend and her kids there and they all had a lot of fun viewing the dinosaurs, life-size blue whale and other exhibits. The café, while expensive, is a nice rest with kid-friendly size snacks.

Free, unless you’re spending money at the café.

#5: Theme Parks

We ran out of time to attend, plus the season was closing, but my kids never failed to remind me daily of Peppa Pig World at Paulton’s Park. There is also the Harry Potter studio Tour and many other theme parks. If you’ve got the time, you got to go and tell me how they were.

Prices vary on park and season.

#4: Theatre/Movies/Shows

Mia and I got to visit Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream. A beautiful show with several princess stories all performed on ice, we had a great princess day. Kid friendly shows include Lion King and Willy Wonka. You can get some reasonable movie tickets, but watch out for Leicester Square where the 4 of us were charged AUD$100 to see a movie.

Prices vary, but most kids are at adult prices. 

#3: Diana Memorial Park, Kensington Gardens

The Kensington Gardens are fit for royalty and the playground is no less. A pirate ship, swings, squirrels stealing food from parked strollers, what’s not to love? We met some friends there and had a nice hour of (mostly) peace. The whole place is gated as well, so although you may lose sight of the kids briefly, it is inescapable. There is also a sign on the gate refusing entry to adults without children for extra piece of mind. Located opposite the road from Queensbay tube station.

Free.

#2: Science Museum

Another free museum with a great kids section. Down in the basement is “The Garden”, which features water play area, Lego play, cubby play and a lot more. We met friends here and the kids spent hours playing in the enclosed area while we chatted. On the ground floor there is also a Pattern section, which was hands-on entertainment that the kids enjoyed too. If that fails to impress, seeing rockets and trains hanging from the ceiling surely will.

Free, with optional donation.

 

#1: Hamleys Toy Store

Similar to our visit to FAO Schwartz in New York, we found Hamleys even better. Over 7 floors of “I want’s”, but also boatloads of fun. There were so many toys that the kids could actually play with and enjoy, not just boxed for sale items. Mia had her fingernails painted, hair brushed, Caius pushed a pram around the whole store and heaps more. 2 hours went so fast and finally we were pulling them out the bubble-blowing door.

Free, unless your credit card jumps out of your pocket.

I am sure a city as vast as London has so much more on offer, but here are a few of our favourites. If you never considered bringing kids to London before, I am all for it. While the tube is probably the unfriendliest thing you will find in London, there are plenty of free activities that make up for that.

Tip: Check out The London Pass. It makes siteseeing around London all that much easier. It is a tourist card that includes free entry into over 60+ top London attractions and tours, plus a 160+ page guidebook, and fast track entry. There's also a version of the card which includes public transport, so that's one less thing to organise.