Jane Haynes review 25 Sep 2011
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Arriving at our holiday cottage and discovering it exceeded our expectations in every way. Also the wonderful sunset whilst having supper at the Sun Inn in Hulverstone.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Bring your walking boots as the island is so full of footpaths which are clearly marked. Also the buses are frequent and well-supported by locals and holiday-makers alike so try leaving the car behind and come over by ferry as a foot-passenger. A car-free holiday would be wonderful and is really possible here. Do the walk from Freshwater Bay (have coffee first at the Dandelion Cafe) to The Needles on a blue-sky day for stunning views.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes definitely. We shopped locally on a daily basis (didn't go near a supermarket the whole holiday). The Welcome Pack and key collection arrangement from our local shop certainly encouraged this. We walked to our local pubs and ate there. We visited local open gardens on foot and supported venues such as Ventnor Botanic Gardens and The Garlic Farm. Found all the staff at these places friendly and welcoming. Within our cottage we followed the recycling system and took on board the suggestions to conserve water and save energy. If the cottage was mine I would remove the bath with the shower attachment overhead and fit a walk-in shower only to further conserve water and heat.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
10 out of 10 at least!! We cannot wait to come back soon. The Visitor's Book in our cottage was full of praise for the cottage.
Christopher Vasey review 16 Apr 2011
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The shear enjoyment of walking the lovely Isle of Wight countryside and sea shore and visiting some of the islands excellent hostelries.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
If possible try to use the local bus services, They are not particularly frequent but by intelligent use of the Vectis timetables, you can visit everything on the island without any difficulty.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
By not taking our car we feel we benefitted the local environment. As we were self catering we shopped locally in Brighstone and ate at local pubs. We made sure we observed all the recommendations in the cottage brochure regarding saving water, energy etc and tried to recycle as much as possible.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We had a lovely time. My parents took me to the island nearly 60 years ago, we brought our children here and they loved it and it is still a great place to go.
Jennifer Geraghty review 23 Oct 2009
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The coastal walks, Roman villas and trip to Osborne house.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
To check bus timetables before going as they finnish early.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
It benefited the local people as we used the local shop very often and visited the museum there. The property was a short walk away from the village and had messages reminding you of the environment all over the property.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We had a good time on the Island and would like to explore the Island more.
John Spiegelman review 28 Mar 2008
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Walking along the seaside cliffs near the cottage.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Bring your raingear!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
We gave the town business (through the pubs, etc.), so it benefited the people and we also did not use a car for 8 days.
Read the operator's response here:
It does not always rain on the Isle of Wight - a survey to determine the quality of life across Great Britain has named the Isle of Wight second only to Eastbourne as the sunniest place in the country. The study, undertaken by the Halifax, noted that the Isle of Wight enjoyed an average of 34.2 hours of sunshine a week.
