Successful Holidays with Kids

If you have a young baby or toddler, your idea of a great holiday may have to change dramatically. A boutique hotel and city break no longer fits the bill. Instead, why not find a tranquil country retreat where you and the little ones can enjoy the outdoors?
Here are some tips to help you choose a great place to holiday for all the family.

How far can you travel? Think about how your kids cope with long car journeys. How far can they sensibly travel between breaks? Plan in stops at places of interest to make the journey part of the holiday and avoid spending more time than necessary in service stations.

What accommodation do you want? Weigh up the pros and cons of self catering accommodation and bed and breakfast. If you have a baby that wakes early you might prefer a cottage so you won’t need to worry about disturbing the people in the next room!

Where to eat? Mum might enjoy having meals provided and cleared away, but if you are thinking about bed and breakfast find out whether meal time will suit your family. Self catering accommodation owners may also be able to provide meals for some nights of your stay.

Safety first. When choosing any holiday accommodation, have a quick scout round on arrival for toddler hazards. Your home may have stairgates, but most holiday accommodation won’t.

Happy holidays. For your first few holidays with young children don’t over plan. If your child has a routine, aim to stick to it. Do most of your driving at nap times, take familiar foods with you and don’t forget favourite comforters. Pick a beautiful location so once the little ones are asleep you and your partner can relax with a glass of wine and enjoy the view.

If you are visiting Dorset, follow the links to find Self catering accommodation in Dorset and Bed and Breakfast in Dorset.

Unique Sustainable Accommodation in Dorset

If you are holidaying in the UK this year, this might be because you are concerned about sustainable tourism. At Chesil Beach Lodge, we’ve been making sustainability a key part of what we offer, both for the bed and breakfast and for our self catering accommodation. This week you can read a little about food in Dorset and how we use local produce wherever possible.

Dorset, being right on the coast, is a great area for fish. We use locally caught fish as far as possible. Almost all fish that swim in UK waters can be found along the Dorset shoreline. Depending on the time of year you may find whiting, turbot, bream, plaice, sole or dab.

We are well off for farms in Dorset too, so if you are holidaying here make sure you go home with some locally produced cheese. We aim to serve local meat, dairy products and bread and use organic products wherever possible.

To find out more about how Chesil Beach Lodge offers sustainable holidays visit our website.

What’s on In Dorset

Here’s our pick of some Dorset events in the coming weeks.

Coming soon for half term, there’s lots of fun at The Tank Museum, Bovington. You can see the world's best collection of tanks, and join in a free Top Ten Tanks Tour. Young visitors will enjoy the tank history trails or hearing a World War One Tommy will explain why the tank was invented. In the Discovery Centre, you can can learn what life is like for tank crews and elsewhere in the museum see tank model makers demonstrating their craftsmanship, and there will be opportunities for visitors to join in and make models of their own to take home.

On March 5th you can see Henry Dallal's 'Horse Warriors' at Cerne Abbas Village Hall. This is a multimedia show presenting the unique and only mounted regiment - the 61st Indian Cavalry. Last year’s show sold out so book soon. Tickets cost £8 and are available from Weldmar on 01305 215 315 to include a glass of wine.

If you are visiting Dorset, follow the links to find Self catering accommodation in Dorset and Bed and Breakfast in Dorset.