Arreton Barns Craft Village

Arreton Barns is a wonderfully traditional craft village near the centre of the Island that boasts a whole range of shops and attractions.

It's free to visit - just drive in, leave your vehicle in the ample car park and take a look around the gift shops, try your hand at pottery, feed the fish in the carp pond or enjoy a pint of real ale (the Fuggle-Dee-Dum, by Goddards, is particularly appealing) or some of the excellent food on offer at the Dairyman's Daughter public house, where entertainment is also on offer in the evenings.

The shops collectively stock a particularly wide variety of Island produce including season gifts, wines, ciders, beers, liquers and organic farm produce.

There are even a few antique slot machines, specially adapted to take 5p pieces. They're there for a bit of fun, don't expect to get rich on them!

The village is on the main road in Arreton (Sat Nav PO30 3AA). If you are approaching from the Newport direction be careful you don't drive past, it is just on the left after the sharp bend.

Amazon World Zoo Park - a fun-filled educational experience

Amazon World Zoo Park very intelligently combines the "meet the furry animals" concept of the traditional zoo with a superb educational experience. Visitors not only get to see the wildlife which is to be found in this particular area of the world, but also to experience the flora and fauna of the region and to learn about the delicate environmental and ecological issues which exist and in many cases threaten the sensitive balance which conservationists are striving to preserve. Amazon World has developed breeding programs and works with other organisations on research that is designed specifically to assist in the conservation process.

Lemurs, tapirs, meerkats, sloths, big cats and many more mammals are to be seen as well as birds (including a falconry display), reptiles, insects, reptiles, fish and amphibians. There is also a daily Meet The Animals Talk, as well as an Adoption program. Special rates are offered to encourage schools to visit (a teachers' pack can be downloaded from the website here).

Amazon World is situated on the A3056 opposite the Fighting Cocks Roundabout between Sandown and Newport (Sat Nav PO36 0LX). It opens daily at 10am, all the year round.

Well worth a visit.