Hi Corrine

I live and work on the Island and have llived here all my life, just so that I can help you a bit, what sort of things do you like doing and will you have any children with you ?

(I see you have picked the week after TT week, if you had picked the week before you would have seen a totally different Island - one invaded by motorbikes)

Polly

Hi Polly

Thanks for replying. It'll just be me any my boyfriend going - no ankle biters! We're both 30 and like all the usual touristy things - castles, old houses, steam trains, wildlife & nature. I know that we're going to be spolit for choice on the IoM, so if you cold let me know what the 'must-sees' are and if there any any things that are overrated then that would be a great help. It would also be really helpful if you could give us an idea of good places to go to if the weather turns bad! We're not really planning to go out that much at night, maybe to the local pub or into Douglas for a meal, but I would be interested to know if there are any Rock music pubs or clubs around to tempt us.

I've just sent off for the 'All Round Guide to the Isle of Man' so I'm hoping to find some good info in that as well.

Hi

The Island has all of those items you mentioned, if you go to http://www.iomonline.co.im it has loads of info on there. You mentioned rock bands, the site I mentioned has a gig guide that will tell you which local bands/artists are playing where week by week. Look out for Little Miss Dynamite, she is a tiny blonde woman who usually wears a short fringed, charlston type dress, she sings rock/pop.country whatever and she can certaily belt out a song.

The site tells you all about the museums, walks, restaurants etc far better than I can. The Nautical Museum in Castletown whilst not very big I found to be quite interesting, it is actually a house that was once owned if memory serves me right by an influential member of Manx society who had the house "converted" to hide his smuggling activities. The Manx Museum in Douglas and the one in Peel (House of Mannanin) are both good and is a trip round Castle Rushen in Castletown, these can be done on a rainy day. Peel Castle is "open air" and consequently there is not really alot to see but worth a visit to say you have been. Cregneash Village is also very interesting.

Foxdale itself has a pub called The Baltic, I have never been in it so I am afraid I cannot comment on what it is like. Peel has some lively pubs, we were on a works pub crawl down there not so long ago and there was music in The Creek, the Marine and the Whitestone. When visiting Peel, go to Davisons on the Prom, they do lovely ice-cream. If you fancy a swim. Peel has I think a new swimming pool and in Douglas there is an indoor sports facility called the NSC whoch also host a swimming pool, complete with hot tub, and a wave pool, and a pool with a slide, a pool for serious swimmers and the main big pool - website http://www.gov.im/sport/nsc/.

For wildlife a visit to the Curraghs Wildlife Park - http://www.gov.im/wildlife/ is a must.

We have a steam railway, an electric railway and horse trams - website http://www.gov.im/tourism/activities/railways/intro.xml

(I will add some more to this post later)

Polly

Just to say that we will be heading to the Isle of Man in 2 days. Thanks to everyone who has given me help and advice, I'll publish a review when we get back.

Isle of Man & Kionslieu Farm Cottages, Everymann, June 2006

We went to the Isle of Man for a week during June 2006. Here follows a rather lengthy account of our trip - hope it is useful!

The Journey

We travelled by fast ferry from Liverpool, taking our car with us as well. The journey took about 2½ hrs each way and we departed pretty much on time in both directions. The Liverpool check in was open at least 3 hrs before departure, but there was not much to do while you were waiting. The Douglas vehicle check in did not open until 1 ½ hrs before departure, but there is more to see and do in the vicinity. Having never travelled by ferry before, we didn't realise that you couldn't get back to your car during the voyage and accidentally left our food in the car boot on the outward journey. There was a shop, bar and food outlets onboard, although they weren't particularly cheap so it is probably better to bring your own food (and remember to take it with you to the passenger lounges!).

The Weather

The mainland was in the midst of a heat wave when we went so we were hoping for good weather. The long-range forecast wasn't good though, so we packed for all weathers. In the end, we saw a small amount of rain on 2 mornings, but other than that it was dry. It definitely wasn't as warm as the mainland though, even when the sun was shining, there was usually a cool breeze to stop you from over heating. This did mean that, when the sun went in, it was sometimes quite cold and we were glad that we had taken our summer fleeces with us.

Our Accommodation - Peacock's Rest, Kionslieu Farm Cottages

We chose Kionslieu Farm Cottages from the Everymann brochure as we wanted to stay in the country and they had a cottage that was suitable for 2 people. They also had a 4 star rating and a good website with photos and info about the area (INVALID URL Kionslieu is situated in Foxdale near the middle of the island and is not difficult to get to by car, but I wouldn't recommend it to people without their own transport. When we arrived we were really pleased that Peacock's Rest lived up to and even exceeded our expectations. The cottage has an open plan lounge, dining room and kitchen with all the amenities that you might need. Upstairs we had a huge bedroom under the eaves and a good-sized bathroom. There are 4 other cottages on the farmyard but it was always quiet and peaceful. There are sheep and horses on the farm but thankfully no cockerels to wake you up at the crack of dawn! The owners were friendly and helpful but in a non-intrusive way - the information pack that they left for us was really useful, especially for restaurant recommendations. All in all, we really liked Kionslieu and would recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing, self-catering break.

The Food

This was the first time that we had ever gone on a self-catering holiday, despite having been together for 6 yrs. We stocked up on breakfast and lunchtime picnic food at the Tesco store in Douglas on arrival - it's not far from the ferry terminal. We agreed that we would go out for dinner each night and that we would also take advantage of the numerous tea rooms whenever possible. We bought a copy of the IoM food guide from the Tourist Office for 50p, a worthwhile investment! Here's a list of the places we went to and what we thought of them:

Chillies, Douglas - we had lovely curries at this Indian Restaurant, with a great view of Douglas Bay. Unfortunately the atmosphere was somewhat ruined by the decision to turn off the Indian music halfway through our meal and replace it with the sounds of DJ Otzi and Las Ketchup. If you like bad Europop and Indian food then you'll love it, otherwise there are probably more authentic and therefore nicer places to go to.

Fiesta Havana, Douglas - this is billed as a Cuban restaurant. We went to Cuba at Easter 2006 so were intrigued to see if the Fiesta Havana would be anything like our genuine Cuban Experience. It wasn't of course, it's just a bar/restaurant/nightclub with a Cuban theme, but the food was absolutely gorgeous. It looked like it would be a good place to come to for a night out, even if you weren't eating there.

The Garrison, Castletown - despite turning up at 6pm, we nearly didn't get a table as we hadn't made a reservation. Luckily they fitted us in, and we were very impressed by the variety and quality of the tapas that they served. Would definitely recommend this restaurant - it's just round the corner from Castle Rushen.

The Hawthorn, Greeba - another place where we nearly didn't get a table. We liked it so much that we booked to come back again on the last night of our holiday. The menu has a good selection of dishes, supplemented by daily specials. The sticky toffee pudding was particularly good, although we were so full after the main course that we could only manage to share one between us. It's on the A1 between St John's and Douglas - reservations are essential.

The Highlander, Greeba - a little further along the A1 to Douglas. It's not very big so reservations are essential. The whole place is full of character - the bar area is particularly nice. Not as wide a choice of dishes as the Hawthorn but all beautifully cooked. Another great find!

Wildlife Park Cafe, Curraghs Wildlife Park - nothing too special but a nice break during our visit to the Wildlife Park.

Cregneash Tea Rooms, Cregneash Folk Village - a quaint little tearoom serving a variety of home made cakes and other snacks. We were disappointed that they had run out of cream teas when we got there, but the cakes more than made up for it.

Shore Hotel, Old Laxey - there appeared to be a distinct lack of decent tearooms in Old Laxey so we had to make do with a cup of tea at this rather dilapidated pub.

Home of Rest for Old Horses Tea rooms, Douglas - lots of different home made cakes with proceeds going to the Home. Definitely worth a visit if you are going to see the horses anyway.

Niarbyl Cafe & Visitor Centre, Niarbyl - Definitely the best view that we had while we were eating and great cream tea to boot. Highly recommended.

The Grove Conservatory, Grove House & Gardens, Ramsey - Another good cream tea was had here, the afternoon tea of sandwiches and cakes looked very tempting but we had already had lunch!

The Bay Room, Manx Museum, Douglas - not a very wide choice of food but very nicely done, lovely setting. Worth booking a table for lunch as it's quite small.

Prices everywhere seemed to be slightly higher than the mainland, but that's understandable. Expect to pay £20 a head for two courses excluding drinks. If you have a particular restaurant in mind then it is best to phone ahead and book - phone numbers can be found in the Food Directory etc.

Days Out

Before we went, we ordered a copy of the 'All-Round Guide to the Isle of Man' by Lily Publications. We couldn't find any other IoM specific guidebooks so we were hoping that it would be useful. It does give a good overview of what to see and do in the Isle of Man, along with some background to Manx history and culture, but the style was not as helpful as the Lonely Planet/Rough Guides that we are used to. We also bought the relevant Ordnance Survey map (no 95) - this was invaluable as we sometimes found that the signposting wasn't clear. We went to the main tourist office at the ferry terminal on our first day and got lots of leaflets, which were very useful. You can also get parking discs there, these are needed pretty much any time you park in the towns, but we managed to get ours on the ferry. We found that there was more than enough stuff for us to do for the week we were there, but I think we might have started to struggle if we had stayed for 2 weeks. It is worth buying a 4-site pass if you intend to visit a lot of the Story of Man museums etc, as this will save you some money. Here is a list of what we did and our thoughts on it:

Point of Ayre/The Ayres - it's pretty desolate up at the very north of the island but good for walking. We were particularly fascinated by the gannets, diving headlong into the sea in search of fish. The Ayres Visitor centre is small and only opens in the afternoon. There are no toilets at either the visitor centre or the Point - the nearest ones are in Bride.

Curraghs Wetlands Park - a great place to go for young and old alike. Many of the animals are free to wander around their area of the park so you can get right up close to them. The park is split into different sections for different types of habitat and it's easy to get around - you can pick up a map at the entrance desk. Most of it isn't undercover though so one to visit on a dry day.

Castle Rushen - The long-term car park is not very big so you may have to park a little way out of town. The castle is quite big inside and in very good condition. There are lots of different things to see, from a film, to exhibitions, to recreations of certain rooms and not forgetting the views from the walls. The one set of toilets is by the entrance; allow at least 2 hrs for a visit. Most of it is indoors so good for a rainy day.

Cregneash Folk Village - Due to poor signposting, it doesn't look like there's much to see when you first arrive, but appearances are most definitely deceptive in this case. It's worth looking at all the individual buildings here; the ones that you can't go into are clearly marked. When we were there, there were staff dressed in traditional costume giving demonstrations of baking, spinning and needlework. Cregneash was one of the last strongholds of the Manx language and there is plenty of info about that here. Allow at least 2 hrs for a visit, longer if you intend to visit the tearooms. There are things to see both in and out of doors but it's probably better visited when it's dry.

The Sound - Just a short drive from Cregneash, with a restaurant and visitor centre. Lovely views of the Calf of Man and good for walking. We even saw a couple of seals while we were there.

Laxey Wheel and Mines Trail - Definitely somewhere to visit in good weather - worth climbing to the top of the wheel for the views of the surrounding area. Mines trail is clearly marked out with useful information boards at key sites but directions/timing to individual points of interest aren't well labelled - worth getting a map at the ticket office if you plan to do some extensive exploring.

Snaefell Mountain Railway - The Laxey terminus is at the same place as the Electric Railway station. Better to do this on a clear day to take advantage of the views. Bear in mind that it can be much colder up on the mountain - take a fleece or jumper. The round trip takes 1½ hours - a 30 min journey each way with a 30 min break at the top. There is a motorcycle museum at Bungalow station and a cafe at the top of Snaefell.

Home of Rest for Old Horses - This is on the A5 from Douglas to Castletown, not far past the junction with the A24. It's almost completely outdoors, apart from the shop, small museum and cafe. You can buy bags of horse nuts from the shop if you want to feed the horses and donkeys. Entrance is free, but do bear in mind that it is a charity and therefore funded by donations and revenue from the shop and cafe.

Steam Railway - There is a car park round the back of the station in Douglas and a lovely tearoom inside. There are only 4 trains a day, running every 2 hrs. The return trip is 3 hrs approx - roughly 1 hr each way and an hour's break in Port Erin. There isn't much to see/do in Port Erin, so an hour is more than enough time for a walk along the beach and a quick visit to the museum. The carriages are completely enclosed so you could go on the railway in bad weather, but obviously the views might not be as good. We definitely preferred it to the Electric Railway.

Rushen Abbey - The Abbey ruins are mainly in the open air but there is also a comprehensive exhibition indoors which has various text and audio-visual displays. Allow at least 2hrs to see everything.

Silverdale Glen - Just a short drive from Rushen Abbey. It has tearooms, a small boating lake, playground and various walks. It was quiet when we visited on a weekday afternoon, but would probably be busy at weekends.

House of Manannan - Very well presented museum with lots of films and recreations of Manx History and Culture. Good for children and adults alike and very good value for money at £5 per adult. Definitely one for a rainy day but on a good day you could combine it with a visit to Peel Castle.

Peel Castle - You are given a hand held audio guide to allow you to do a guided tour of the ruins at your own pace. Allow 2 hrs if you intend to follow the guided tour, less if you just want to wander around. There are toilets but they are rather hidden at the back of the site. There is also a RNLI station nearby.

Niarbyl - A great find - fantastic views, lovely tearooms and interesting beaches. Worth doing the short cliff walk to the White Beach to see a bit more of the area. The tearooms also open in the evening, giving you a chance to watch the sun set as you eat.

Electric Railway - The car park by the station in Ramsey is not very big and we couldn't find any other long stay car parks nearby, so ended up parking in a nearby residential area. The timetable varies during the seasons so you should check timings in advance - timetables are available from the tourist offices amongst other places. The journey is 75 mins each way, with varying lengths of waiting time at the terminuses. We found ourselves getting a bit bored on the way back, so it might be best just to do the stretch to Laxey (in either direction) unless you are a rail enthusiast. There are normally open and closed carriages available and plenty of stop off points along the line.

The Grove - This house gives an interesting look at country house Manx life in the 19th century and is a definite contrast to Cregneash. It has been preserved in its original state so you can see exactly how people lived. The staff there are very happy to answer questions on the house. There is not much for children there; a visit will take less than 2hrs (depending on how long you stay in the tea room!).

Tynwald Mills - If you like buying named brand goods at slightly cheaper prices then you'll love it here, otherwise it's probably not worth a visit.

St John's Wildflower Garden - Just a short walk from Tynwald Mills. Not a very big garden but nice to sit and walk around for a short while.

Manx Museum - There is a long stay pay and display car park not far from the museum. We spent over 3 hrs there (including lunch) but ended up rushing a bit at the end so probably could have stayed there for 4 hrs. They obviously intend you to visit this museum before going to the others, as the introductory film tells you about all the Story of Man sites. We went at the end of our holiday, however, and really enjoyed being reminded of the places we had been to and also getting an overview of how all the sites fitted together.

That was one of the most informative reviews that I`ve ever read. I`ve only been twice to the Isle of Man, and that was in 1960 and 61, so I bet I wouldn`t recognise some places now. We went from Liverpool, but in those days the cars and motor bikes (we went at the time of the TT races) were actually up on deck, and the journey took over 3 hours each way. We stayed in Ramsey each time, at a guest house run by a Mrs. Crellin, I was only 16 and 17, and boy, was she a battleaxe! I remember going to the lighthouse at Maughold Head and going up to the top, it was very windy, but beautiful view! As I said, we were there at the time the TT races were on, when all the roads closed for the races, so if you were going somewhere else you had to get there early on. I had a box Brownie camera, and took what I thought were good photos of the riders whizzing past, but turned out to be just good pictures of the road! I`m going to have to go again!! Is it still true that caravans aren`t allowed on the island?

Many thanks for posting such a detailed holiday report Corinne!

Pippy

No probs - it's the least I could do after all the advice I've had from this site over the years!

numberplease - the tourist office info does say that caravans aren't allowed, although I'm sure we saw one with a Manx number plate while we were there. I expect they are too difficult to bring over on the ferry.

Hi

We are ... mum, dad, son aged 13, daughter and aged 8 (and possibly granny too, aged 80). Thinking of going to IOM this year. Anyone got any practical experiences/advice on how to get there (from London area), where to stay, what to do etc?

We all like doing the beach/bucket & spade thing but are also interested in visiting places of interest. Oh yes .... and the kids like the usual funfairs/rides.

Thanks.

Hi musicman

I have merged your post with several existing topics on the Isle of Man, including a detailed trip report, so you should find some useful information in earlier posts.

luci

Thanks luci ... didn't notice this thread (need new glasses, I reckon). Will have a good read.

MM

Our family is visiting the Isle of Man for the first time this July. Would really appreciate any feedback re places to eat (family welcome and reasonably priced please). Staying near Ramsay but mobile. Also any activities for families that are neat but may not be found in the Tourist Information booklet.

Thanks again!
EDIT: Merged with existing 3 page IOM thread, which may provide some useful info
David HT Mod

Thanks David -I didn't see the thread and appreciate viewing everyone's input - special thanks to Corinne76 for her suggestions posted last year!

Butterfield

Glad to be of service! I expect you'll find it even busier in July than when we went so I'd definitely recommend making restaurant reservations wherever possible. You might be able to get the Tourist Office to post you a food guide if you give them a ring (you'll have to pay for it though). I think you'll find that prices are higher than you would expect on the mainland - but the quality will make up for it.

We had a lovely time there - hope you do too. We are off to Yorkshire next week so I'm hoping for a similar experience.

Thanks Corinne. I'll phone the Tourist office or web the Tourist office for the food book - we usually never travel in July but found a good offer via the same hotel ScouseMouse visited several years back. I would love to visit Yorkshire and the Lake District some day. We were in North Wales two years ago and had a wonderful time.

Enjoy your summer and thanks again! I love this website!