With the recession still casting a shadow over finances across the globe, 2013 is likely to remain a time of austerity for most families. But saving money does not have to mean missing out on a summer holiday. Instead, you have to start looking a little closer to home. The UK is a beautiful island with a lot to offer, and nowhere has more for children and parents alike than Wales. Here are four places in this country to visit with your family this summer.
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital of Wales, and is quickly developing into a vibrant and metropolitan city. With budget hotels offering cheap accommodation, it will be easy to find a place to rest your head at night. And in the day, you can take your pick of places to enjoy with the kids. Cardiff Bay is a hub of restaurants and bars, suitable for both adults and children. The Cardiff Bay Walking Spy Trail will keep the whole family entertained for nearly 3 hours, and Techniquest offers 160 hands-on exhibits for the youngsters to explore the world of science and technology. The outskirts of the city also have a lot to offer, for example Cefn Mably Farm Park- a huge, all weather family farm attraction.
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is ideal for families that love to enjoy the sea. Whether you are an avid surfer or a new beginner, Pembrokeshire offers miles and miles of beautiful coastline and surf, ready for you and your kids to dive into. You will also be pleased to hear that even the most popular tourist beaches of Whitesands and Newgale only get crowded during the summer months, so it might be worth a trip off seasons to take advantage of the peace and quiet. And if the weather isn’t right for surfing, rest assured there are plenty of other activities to keep your brood happy like mountain biking and horse-riding.
The Gower Peninsula
For outdoor adventures, the Gower Peninsula is the place for you. Have you ever heard of mountain boarding? A cross between snowboarding, surfing and skate boarding, mountain boarding allows you to ride down all sorts of different terrains. If this sounds like something your family would enjoy, make a visit to the Mountain Boarding Centre in Gower- just make sure you are covered by family health insurance in case of any sprains! Alternatively, how about taking a boat trip out to see to enjoy marine wildlife and prehistoric bone caves? If this doesn’t float your boat, you could always relax on one of the Gower’s many beaches and top up your tan.
Aberystwyth
If there are any animal fans in your family, make Cardigan Bay the place to visit in 2013. Cardigan Bay houses only one of two resident groups of Bottlenose Dolphins in the UK, with around 127 dolphins calling it home. You can sail from New Quay to see the Dolphins, porpoise, seals and other fascinating marine life along the Cardigan Bay Heritage Coast in a one or two hour cruise. And it is not only sea life that house themselves in Aberystwyth- the area is home to a number of different species of birds which can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.
Author bio: Chloe writes for http://www.activequote.com, a health insurance comparison website situated in Cardiff, South Wales. At ActiveQuote.com you can compare health insurance quotes from all the leading UK insurers online.