The Sandringham Hotel, Sandown

The Sandringham Hotel along the seafront, overlooking Sandown Bay, provides a seamless fusion of a traditional seaside hotel with all the modern facilities that holidaymakers have come to expect.

A large, spacious lounge abuts an ample ballroom where entertainment is provided on four evenings each week.

The Sandringham offers a full English breakfast and dinner menu with efficient sit-down table service in a large and uncrowded dining area overlooking Culver Cliff.

Bedrooms are en-suite and include colour television and tea and coffee making facilities. There is an option for adjoining rooms or for a superior sea-facing room with a balcony. The hotel also has a small number of self-catering apartments for hire.

JACUZZI AND SAUNA

Elsewhere in the hotel the swimming pool is clean and well used but seldom overcrowded, even during peak season. Around the pool area there is also a jacuzzi and a small sauna. A full-size snooker table, pool table and gaming machines are available for customers, and a small selection of board games can be borrowed upon request - useful for helping to keep the kids entertained whilst enjoying a nice relaxing drink from the bar.

Rooms are good value, especially when taking into account the fact that a free ferry is provided for mainland visitors who book beyond a certain number of nights (always check this at the time of booking). Parking can be a bit of an issue as spaces outside the building are few and using certain of them often results in you being "blocked in", with hotel staff having to rectify the problem. For those who don't mind a short walk the hotel has the use of a larger car park a couple of streets away which customers can use. There is a small charge for this.

All in all the Sandringham ranks amongst the better coastal hotels as the fact that it boasts many returning customers bears out. Our advice - give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Waltzing Waters - a fabulous light show steeped in history

Waltzing Waters is a somewhat unsung star attraction within the Island's portfolio of entertainment venues.

The 40-minute musical light show takes place every hour on the hour throughout the day and has easy access and always plenty of parking. The ample cinema-like rows of seating mean that the auditorium is seldom packed or claustrophobic, and that the experience is always a relaxed and comfortable one.

The first musical fountains were pioneered in 1930 by the German Otto Przystawik and developed by his son Gunter in the USA during the 1960s. Today grandson Michael Przystawik is President of Waltzing Waters Inc. The Isle of Wight venue is one of two currently operating in the UK, the other being in Newtonmore, Scotland.

As well as the light show itself there is a spacious shop in which various souvenirs, ornaments etc. can be purchased and a small, comfortable coffee lounge.

To get to Waltzing Waters, come off the A3055 Sandown to Ryde road at the Tesco's roundabout and pass the supermarket car park on your left (Sat Nav PO33 1QS). Opening hours are 10am till 4pm, with additional late shows at 7.15pm and 8.15pm from late March through till October. Prices are £4.50 for adults, £2.50 for children and £4.00 for seniors and students, with a Free Return Visit thrown in. Special Group Rates are also available, and a £1 internet discount coupon can be printed off from here.

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.

Great beaches on the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a beautiful place, and there's a lot to do there. One of the things that's a favourite of travellers and tourists, though, is to go to the beach. If you're going to be spending a lot of time on the beach, Sandown is among the best choices. The beaches there are very beautiful and they are unspoiled in many ways, so walking along them can be quite an experience. The white sand is the main attraction, but there is a pier there, as well, with amusements. Adults and children alike can have fun on this boardwalk and still enjoy the unspoiled areas of beach. Breweries and many other things are on the Isle of Wight, too, which is also an English county.

There are more than one hundred and forty thousand people who call it home, but they will be happy to welcome you on your holiday adventure. The Isle of Wight has many unspoiled areas along with its beaches, and the countryside overall is amazing, so it's something that you shouldn't miss during your stay. Ocean ferries take you between the mainland and the Isle of Wight, so it's easy for you to get there with no work involved.

Once you get there, you can really relax, because Isle of Wight breaks are some of the best that the UK has to offer. The restaurants, the beaches, and the accommodations are not easy to forget, and they keep people coming back to the Isle of Wight again and again, no matter how many times they've already been to a particular area or seen a particular attraction - and that's especially true of the beaches. Many places have nice beaches, but the area near Sandown, with all of that white sand, is really exquisite. People love to come there with their special someone, with their children, or just with their family or friends. Some come alone, just to be part of nature and at peace for a little while. There are so many miles of coastline and beach that you can get the solitude that you crave or you can spend time with others. The choice is really up to you, and the Isle of Wight offers you both options. It's a great way to keep visitors interested in the area and keep them coming back for more of the beauty of the Isle of Wight each time they take a holiday.


This article was written on behalf of Gurnard Pines a Isle of Wight Holiday Parks perfect for taking an Isle of Wight Holiday. It is reproduced with acknowledgements to Jainsachin Articles Directory.

Back at Rookley - and Small Hope Beach...

Can't believe it's been so long since I last posted (pressures of work) but I was back at Rookley at the weekend with the family, or part of it at least.

Once again there would seem to have been a bit of a shuffle at the top. The mystery of Simon's departure remains and now Danni has gone too, but Charlie is back and seems to be running the entertainment side of things. One particularly good sign is that Island View seems to be holding on to its staff, suggesting that it knows how to look after people which, let's face it, is always good news for the customer. The site also now boasts a tidy fish and chip shop where the little grocery shop used to be.

Another fine carp was landed at the small lake, albeit only 5lbs this time but it put up a tremendous struggle. Sadly I picked the only windy and rainy day from an otherwise glorious weekend to venture forth.

If out and about in Shanklin or Sandown and in the mood for a walk I recommend the two-mile stroll between the two along Small Hope Beach (pictured above), where there are numerous cafés and, if you want to hang around for the day, hundreds of beach huts for hire at about £10-£12 a time.

We're looking to liven this blog up again with regular contributions and features, so if you have anything you'd like to submit, either for review or in the form of an article, then please do let us know.