O perfil de Helbels

We popped in here after visiting a friend in the area as it was the most visible cafe in Millom. I wasn’t too hopeful that we would get a good decent cup of coffee, and that was true, but having said that, the little treat we did get was lovely.

After ordering 2 very frothy lattes served in cups your mum would by from Argo for ‘everyday use’ the owner suggested we sit in the garden, as the cafe was quite full. Scrambling down the assault course style staircase in heels with a big handbag and hot cup of coffee was not too easy, but we emerged into the most magical little garden I have seen.

OK, so it’s not a landscaping or gardening masterpiece, but it was surrounded with cages of animals and birds: goats, chipmunks, rabbits and parrots to name a few.

As we drank our coffee, a little red breasted robin came down to join us, and we wished we had ordered a sandwich as a girl carrying a parrot to a tree on a tennis racket (it was all a little bit Alice in Wonderland by this point!) told us he is tame enough to feed from your hand.

Not really a place your would travel to for the coffee, but if you are ever in the area, and your kids have been moaning in the back of a hot car, its a great little spot to refresh and stretch your legs.

There are no toilet facilities in the cafe, you have to go to the public ones a 30second walk across the road which although are very outdated, are clean and free from vandalism, graffiti and gangs, Millom being a pretty little village.

Blackpool Zoo is a great family attraction, and good fun for adults too. Although I usually ‘borrow’ nieces or nephews to go here, I have once had a really fantastic date here, and I am always surprised at how many couples there are.

The attraction itself is now two in one: the Zoo park and the Dinosaur Safari. You used to have to pay for each attraction, but now your ticket covers entry to both.

Dinosaur Safari is really fascinating, especially to young boys. Gilrs will enjoy it too, but I’ve never yet heard one of the shout ‘wow, look, stegosaurus!’. There’s not loads to see, but what is there is informative and well presented, and a great addition to the Zoo. It kind of starts the story the Zoo is trying to tell, as you walk out of Dinosaur Safari past my favourite residents at the Zoo, the giant tortoises.

Some of the exhibits are quite large, and it can be difficult to spot the animals, but the newer pens: Gorilla Mountian, the Orang-utan and the Sealion pool all have good visibility.

Newest enclosure Pride of Blackpool is another favourite of mine. The lionesses Rachel, Jasmine and Gillian are amazing, and now they have a heated outdoor area, can be seen by many more visitors. Sadly, Negus the lion died at the beginnig of this year, but here’s hoping the Zoo find a suitable male to join the pride soon.

Lemur Wood, Amazonia and the Creepy Crawly experience all give you a chance to get face to face with some exotic animals, and there are regular talks and feeds of a variety of animals throughout the day.

Food, as always, is quite expensive. The Roma coffee shop in the entrance is light and airy and serves hot and cold snacks. I would suggest though, especially if you visit on a sunny day, pack a picnic and take advantage of the stunning grounds on the park.

This stunning Wadi (a series of waterfalls, caves and freshwater pools pouring out of the desert) is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

I was taken up there by friends who live in the country, but the best way to see this magnificent natural phenomenon is by hiring a local guide. The young men who do this are very respectful, and usually speak great English. Your hotel may have locals on their books who can take you there.

One tip when heading up here is to take a s little as possible. If you want to see the most rewarding part of the treck, you will have to be completely submerged at one point of your journey, so loose comfortable clothing and unfortunately for those who have not been there, no camera!

Disappointingly, last time I visited Wadi Shab the evidence of the growing tourism industry was glaringly evident. Large parties of German and American tourists were being guided up in full walking gear with camcorders, backpacks, the lot. Not only were they being screwed over by their tour operators (petrol is only a few pence per litre and they would abviously be unable to see the best bits) but they were leaving litter all around the picninc area at the bottom of the Wadi.

My top tip - visit Oman in the very near future, and contact the Omani Tourist Board to tell them that these kind of trips need to be regulated, NOW.

This Mosque truly is grand in every sense. I have never seen such a beautiful, pristine building which is in use every single day, and the beauty of it is testimony to the faith of the Omani population.

A tour of this magnificent structure will blow you away. From the size of the hand woven carpets in the prayer hall to the giant chandeliers and the ‘floating’ solid gold dome, no expense has been spared in it’s design and construction.

Obviously, tourists can only visit on one of the tours, and women must take care to cover all their hair, neck and shoulders, although out of respect, I would always ensure I cover up entirely with the exception of my hands and feet when in the vicinity of a Mosque.

They sure know how to do luxury in the Middle East!

The Shangri-La is a complex of 3 hotels - 3, 4 & 5 stars, connected by pools, water rides and gardens in a beautiful secluded cove with the private sandy beach and watersports just a minute’s walk away.

I stayed for one night last time I visited Muscat as we went to a US Marines ball being held here, and we had a fantastic time.

The rooms are all fantastically furnished in a modern Arabic style and the bathrooms are gorgeous. We stayed in a 4 star room, but had a tour of the other rooms available in the resort.

Breakfast was delightful. Lots of exotic fresh fruit, cereals and juices. English Breakfast, complete with ‘fake’ bacon - something you have to try if you ever visit Oman - and veggie sausages. Breads from around the world, loads of cheeses and deli cuts, plus, any kind of tea or coffee you can imagine.

We spent the rest of the day by the pools, getting between the three of them on the lazy river, which rivals any I have been on in a waterpark, and taking advantage of the watersports on the private beach.

Definately one to consider if you are looking for hotel accommodation in Oman. The accommodation is not cheap, and the extras you might want to buy during the day are expensive, although like all good hotels in the area, bottled water is free to residents throughout the complex.

TIP try the ice cream bar at the end of the complex - it is the best in the Middle East, I swear!

Grundy is a free entry art gallery which is continually underrated.

As well as showing items from the Blackpol Council collection, the small but perfectly formed gallery regularly welcomes touring exhibits by renowned UK and international artists.

Free to enter, the Grundy is an artistic and cultural gem in Blackpool, and the staff have a great understanding of the resort in it’s heyday. Blackpool’s theatrical history, historical, cultural prominence and position as a favoured holiday destination for generations has allowed Grundy to attract touring exhibts by Rembrandt, display important photographs by John Gay and encourage emerging artists of all mediums to display here.

A small gift shop resides in the beautiful foyer, selling handmade jewellery, postcards, memorabilla from the current displays and more.

We rented the 18th Century Bridge House at Allonby in March 2007 for a friend’s birthday and had a great weekend in a beautiful village on the West Cumbrian coast.

The cottage sleeps 10 easily in 5 quaint and chinzy bedrooms and although some of the decor is admittedly a bit tired and in need of a makeover, the overall feel is comfortable, homely and historic.

Allonby itself is a lovely little village, although the boys who poppd into the pub whilst we (the girls - how sterotypical?) made dinner, said it was a bit of a ‘locals’ pub i.e. everyone stared as the visitors walked in!

The cottage is literally 30 seconds walk from the beach, which is wide and flat and a mix of sand and pebbles with some excellent rock pools, which we explored to the full and learned all about the slimy little creatures as I was with a bunch of teachers!

I would heartily reccommend a BBQ on the beach at sunset. As you will see from the pictures, the views are breathtaking.

Really great waterpark with a giant masterblaster - uphill rollercoaster waterslide, sceirah - really, really, really fast downhill slide, massive lazy river, breakers bay wave pool and two flowriders, amongst other things.

The problem here is that you are in a Muslim country, so usual dress code kind of goes out the window for females, and you find the lifeguards throwing t-shirts at you if the ride is slightly bumpy. Being blonde, I did draw quite a crowd of men when I was on the flowrider - a surfing/bodyboarding machine that creates a constant fake wave - and it was quite disconcerting, but knowing a little Arabic can go a long way to stop unwanted attention!

The food was fast - typical European waterpark stuff that you can never get full off, especially after swimming, so take a picnic if you can!

The best reason to go here though is for the views from the top of Jumeirah Sceirah. This has to be best best vantage point in Jumeirah, apart from the top of the Burj al-Arab to see the amazing Palm Islands.