Staycation on the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is one of our closest beach destinations, and my children and I had a fantastic holiday there back in the searing heatwave in August, staying at the elegant Daish’s Hotel in Shanklin.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN SHANKLIN

We set out for our first ever trip to the Isle of Wight with great excitement! It had been quite a few years since I had taken a car ferry, and I was as thrilled as the children by the half-hour crossing.

We reached Shanklin mid afternoon and spotted Daish’s Hotel easily: its large white buildings with blue trim and spacious lawn are right on the High Street. Inside the hotel boasts wide corridors with cosy nooks and a vast staircase (the children couldn’t resist jumping the last three steps together!)

Now it was time to hit the beach! All three of us love beaches and the sea, and this was a long sandy one with plenty of space. The tide was out, and the children rushed into the sea for a “paddle” but got completely soaked (swimming gear next time!) It was low tide, and my daughter went crazy in the tidal pools and streams.

There was an enormous dinner ready for us back at the hotel. After the first night, guests order their evening meal at breakfast time, and it makes for a swift and efficient meal, which worked really well for us.

DAY 2: TRAINS AND THE SEASIDE

My son is a big stream train fan, so we headed to the Isle of Wight’s steam railway on our first full day. We wandered through Shanklin after a plentiful breakfast; it has loads of independent shops, and the children bought some beautiful purple rocks before reaching the station.

The Isle of Wight has a small railway for modern trains, which meets the stream railway at Smallbrook Junction; even catching a modern train in a new place felt like a novelty! The steam train was as wonderful as expected: beautifully maintained and staffed by cheerful people in old-fashioned uniforms. We alighted at Havenstreet for lunch and a look at some beautiful carriages in different states of repair in the museum. There was also a gift shop (selling train memorabilia – and fake poo: great hilarity!)

Not wanting to miss another beach, we stopped on the way back at Sandown, which is a long sandy beach with a great view of Culver Cliff. We were sweltering, and the sea was a balmy 20 degrees, so it was a perfect spot for a swim.

DAY 3: THE NEEDLES

You can’t visit the Isle of Wight without seeing The Needles up close (I had decided), so that is where we headed today. The row of sharp white rocks lined up in the sea is easy to spot from the mainland and undoubtedly has many stories to tell.

Rugged clifftops with footpaths and a visitors’ centre nearby, showing tasteful displays about the formation and history of The Needles…

Ha! The reality of “The Needles Landmark Attraction” was different: loads of brash attractions completely unrelated to The Needles. Luckily, I was with a 9-year-old and a 4-year-old, and arcades and teacup rides were much more relevant to them than rocks in the sea!

Later in the day we visited Shanklin Beach again. The tide was right in when we arrived, so it looked very different this time. We had fun in the sea and wandered back in time for baths and dinner.

DAY 4: SHANKLIN CHINE AND DONKEYS

Our last full day, and we had a couple of local things to tick off our to-do list. After breakfast the children made a beeline for the nearby sweetshop, a treasure trove of sweets of all shapes, sizes and colours.

Next we continued on foot to Shanklin Chine, an amazing little ravine forged within a crack in the cliff. It was a cool, green oasis and had some wonderful paths and benches on different levels. It is illuminated at night, which must be a magical sight.

Only a short trip by car from Shanklin is the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary, where we headed for a visit and lunch next. The gentle donkeys are all rescue or homeless animals, and they have a large home at the sanctuary in beautiful countryside. One of the highlights for my daughter was galloping around and over jumps on a unicorn hobbyhorse; we had to drag her away with a promise of the beach!

…Sandown was our beach choice again. The weather was cooler and overcast, which was a relief after the heat wave, and there was more sand and sea play before heading back for our last dinner at Daish’s Hotel. It’s amazing how quickly time seems to pass sometimes!

DAY 5: GOODBYE

We woke up to rain and cool temperatures, which made a change. Breakfast and checkout were as slick as we’d come to expect from the hotel, and we were on our way with packed lunches from the hotel coffee shop at 10 o’clock. It was a lovely family break, with lasting memories made.

Visit www.daishs.com to find out more about Daish’s Holidays.