I'm very well qualified to bring you this post today, as I spent six years living in the English seaside town of Bournemouth. While my time in Bournemouth came to an abrupt but needed end in 2009, my memories of the town and its suburbs will linger forever. Rather than bore anyone out there with personal stuff in Bournemouth, this is MY top 5 things to do in Bournemouth - I hope it provides some decent tips for all visitors to Bournemouth, a town which is embedded into my heart...this post has been coming for about 10 years now so it finally sees the light of day.
1. Bournemouth's beaches
Stating the obvious here, but Bournemouth's award winning beach is probably the town's most attractive tourist pull. I've worked on it, drank on it, played football on it and done a few other things on it...the beach stretches far and is split into many different "beaches" (West Beach, Southbourne Beach, Boscombe Beach, East Cliff etc.). The busiest part is the bit by Bournemouth Pier. On hot summer days this beach is honestly as good as England gets beachwise. You'd be a fool to spend any time in Bournemouth without even visiting the beach, even if it's just to curb your curiosity and prove the fact that it's a fantastic beach. It's also very well kept.
2. Bournemouth Pub Crawl
I love pub crawls and I love my quirky bars, promotions and everything that goes with the madness of nights out drinking. In Bournemouth you will find an endless amount of bars, clubs, pubs and restaurants all meeting your required taste. The names of bars and pubs may change a lot and have done since I left there, but my favourites were the Dolphin (Springbourne), The Moon in the Square, The Goat and Tricycle and in the past Jumpin Jaks. These days Bournemouth attracts a lot of stag and hen nights and weekends especially in the summer and the party atmosphere and vibe at night is unrivalled in England.
3. Wave Balloon
Everybody in Bournemouth knows what the "Wave Balloon" is and you should head there in the summer for epic views of the south coast of England. Situated in Bournemouth's summer gardens, this is unmissable in summer months as it rears itself into the sky. It's a hot air balloon near the seafront. It's attached by a huge cord and is as safe as it is popular. Expect queues, but expect good views!
4. Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum
The Russell Cotes Art Gallery and Museum is a bit of a hidden tourist gem to be honest. It's down near the seafront and has a range of art. The museum is also unique as it mixes Scottish and Italian influence in its structure. You can also have a coffee and enjoy the views over the beach and seafront.
5. Live Football: AFC Bournemouth
Dean Court stadium which is also known as the Goldstands is home to the local football team AFC Bournemouth. They attract good crowds, especially in the summer months and offer a great value for money standard of football. The Cherries are a great team to watch.
You will get a more authentic and real life English football atmosphere in the lower divisions, and watching 90 minutes at Dean Court will give you a great experience. You might even fall in love and become a fan, like I did ;-)
Getting to Bournemouth
A bus and train journey from London is the best option. Fast, easy and cheap! You'll be ready to see Bournemouth in a few hours.
Bournemouth also has its own international airport which is worth checking out for flight schedules.
I've written tons and tons about Bournemouth before and will do again, but don't want to overload or make things cliches, this is more for those of you who haven't been there yet. I'd argue if you only ever visit England once, head to Bournemouth (throw in a day trip to Salisbury or Stonehenge though too!).
1. Bournemouth's beaches
Stating the obvious here, but Bournemouth's award winning beach is probably the town's most attractive tourist pull. I've worked on it, drank on it, played football on it and done a few other things on it...the beach stretches far and is split into many different "beaches" (West Beach, Southbourne Beach, Boscombe Beach, East Cliff etc.). The busiest part is the bit by Bournemouth Pier. On hot summer days this beach is honestly as good as England gets beachwise. You'd be a fool to spend any time in Bournemouth without even visiting the beach, even if it's just to curb your curiosity and prove the fact that it's a fantastic beach. It's also very well kept.
2. Bournemouth Pub Crawl
I love pub crawls and I love my quirky bars, promotions and everything that goes with the madness of nights out drinking. In Bournemouth you will find an endless amount of bars, clubs, pubs and restaurants all meeting your required taste. The names of bars and pubs may change a lot and have done since I left there, but my favourites were the Dolphin (Springbourne), The Moon in the Square, The Goat and Tricycle and in the past Jumpin Jaks. These days Bournemouth attracts a lot of stag and hen nights and weekends especially in the summer and the party atmosphere and vibe at night is unrivalled in England.
3. Wave Balloon
Everybody in Bournemouth knows what the "Wave Balloon" is and you should head there in the summer for epic views of the south coast of England. Situated in Bournemouth's summer gardens, this is unmissable in summer months as it rears itself into the sky. It's a hot air balloon near the seafront. It's attached by a huge cord and is as safe as it is popular. Expect queues, but expect good views!
4. Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum
The Russell Cotes Art Gallery and Museum is a bit of a hidden tourist gem to be honest. It's down near the seafront and has a range of art. The museum is also unique as it mixes Scottish and Italian influence in its structure. You can also have a coffee and enjoy the views over the beach and seafront.
5. Live Football: AFC Bournemouth
Dean Court stadium which is also known as the Goldstands is home to the local football team AFC Bournemouth. They attract good crowds, especially in the summer months and offer a great value for money standard of football. The Cherries are a great team to watch.
You will get a more authentic and real life English football atmosphere in the lower divisions, and watching 90 minutes at Dean Court will give you a great experience. You might even fall in love and become a fan, like I did ;-)
Getting to Bournemouth
A bus and train journey from London is the best option. Fast, easy and cheap! You'll be ready to see Bournemouth in a few hours.
Bournemouth also has its own international airport which is worth checking out for flight schedules.
I've written tons and tons about Bournemouth before and will do again, but don't want to overload or make things cliches, this is more for those of you who haven't been there yet. I'd argue if you only ever visit England once, head to Bournemouth (throw in a day trip to Salisbury or Stonehenge though too!).
About the Author:
For further articles like Things to do in Bournemouth head over to the travel nomad website by Jonny Blair for ongoing travel tips and articles!
0 comments:
Post a Comment