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5 July 2009
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Destinations : Jersey

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Things to do

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			Elizabeth Castle One of the greatest attractions in Jersey is Elizabeth Castle. And when the tide is in you get a boat out there. But when the tide is out you can actually walk there, all the way along the causeway. Your really could spend half a day here. There is just so much to see. In the lower ward there is a very informative museum tracing the whole history of the castle which includes reconstruction showing just how grime the soldier’s quarters where. The puddle duck runs regardless of the tide from 10.00am in the morning with the last one leaving the castle at 5.45 in the afternoon. Entrance fee: Adults £5.10 and Children £4.30
			Gorey Hiring a car is an ideal way to get around the island and see the sights. You drive on the same side of the road as at home and the island is quite small, so you can see a lot of the sights in a day. Suzanne drove along the East Coast towards Gorey. Gorey is a charming village and is very popular with the tourists as it's full of great cafés, bars and restaurants. There is the beautiful medieval Mont Orgueil castle there too with beautiful stunning views from the top. When you drive along the North Coast it's worth taking your time and popping down to some of the little secluded bays. They are really beautiful and calm and peaceful. It’s a lovely spot to come for a bit to eat or maybe a cup of coffee. You can never drive anywhere in a hurry in Jersey, The speed limit across the island is 40mph max. And there are the cycle lanes, which means you have cannot drive faster than the 15mph limit.
			Hiring a Bike While Suzanne got the cushy wee number by swanning around the island in her wee car, Joe decided to do it the old fashioned way and take the bike! In Jersey you don’t have to negotiate the busy main roads because they have the green lanes. Green lanes basically give the priority to bikes, walkers and horses. The speed limit for cars in these lanes is 15 miles an hour. You will know it’s the start of the green lane because there are signs that tell you. It's a brilliant way to get around this place. The scenery is amazing and if the weather is good, you'll have a great time.
			Afternoon Tea After a pleasant drive down the west coast Suzanne headed for the lovely harbour town of St Aubin with its pretty back streets. Suzanne went to the Panorama Tea Garden in St Aubin where they serve you a traditional Jersey tea with home made scones, homemade strawberry jam and fresh cream from the Jersey cow and as you’d expect the teas are served in a bone china cup.
			aMaizin Maze There is a lot to amuse the kids in Jersey. Some things are more high tech whilst some things are more low-fi. Joe went to what looked like an ordinary field of maize. The locals took this field of maize and they cut little paths through it and turned it into a maze making it into the amaizin maze. It’s only here for 10 weeks of the year and then it's harvested. Basically you walk through it, get lost then you eat it two months later for your breakfast! You are given a flag as you go through in case you get lost. It’s all innocent fun and if your kids have never been on a farm, they certainly will get a kick out of it. Entrance fee: Adults £4.90, Children £3.90 and Under 4 go free
			Eating Out Jersey has the reputation of having some of the finest food in Europe. For such a small island there are over 200 restaurants, some with Michelin stars too! Don’t be put off by the more informal and smaller places because you will find that they serve excellent seafood. On first impressions Cockles Restaurant at Harve De Pas in St Helier is very unassuming, but inside it’s bright and colourful and seafood is a specialty. With such an impressive display it will be hard to choose.
			St Malo A great day trip from Jersey is a one-hour boat journey to St Malo which is only 14 miles away. Before you go though, don’t forget your passport! During the summer the ferry leaves every morning and returns in the evening giving you enough time to explore the picturesque and historic town or do a bit of shopping. Remember to put your watch forward by an hour and you will need to bring some Euro as well.
			Water sports Jersey offers a great variety of water-sports which gave Suzanne an opportunity to try out water skiing and as Suzanne got to grips with water-skiing Joe was able to have his own fun on a Jet Ski. Jet Ski costs £25 for half hour and Water-skiing costs £18 per lesson. Find out the best beaches for water sports.
			Jersey Zoo You absolutely must visit Jersey zoo. It’s no ordinary zoo because most of the animals here are endangered species that are near extinction thanks to author Gerald Durrell who set it up 40 years ago. If you are patient you will see tiny monkeys called marmosets, which roam freely in the open woodland at the zoo. Jersey zoo has 79 endangered species in 25 acres of parkland. It has its own organic farm producing much of the fruit and veg for the animals ensuring a chemical free diet. Gerald Durrell hoped that one day this zoo would in fact close and it would mean that all the endangered species here could go back to their natural habitat. Of course circumstances in the wild would mean that this can’t happen at the moment. Admission to the zoo is £9.95 for adults and £7.25 for children.
			Nightlife You may think that the island was geared to the older holidaymaker but you'd be wrong as it's now up and coming for young people. Joe and Suzanne went to the bars and clubs at the waterfront which is the new hotspot in St. helier.

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