Lifestyle / My Top 7 Things To Do In *Bournemouth*

Having lived in Bournemouth for the past three years I have tried to go to as many places it has to offer and I thought for anyone popping down for a weekend break or wondering what to do with their Summer I'd share my top 10 things!

Beach 

If you come to Bournemouth you have to go to the beach! Even if it's raining, just brave it and go for a stroll! If you pop to the pier, don't be surprised to be charged to walk down! Make sure to keep your ticket as you can use them for the entire year (season). At the end of the pier there is a zip wire, if you're feeling brave. There is also a pub style restaurant which has some yummy and reasonably priced food. Then there is an indoor rock climbing and adventure place but this is aimed at children. The arcade is situated before the Pier so that's free entry. Also on the beach they do show films with Luna Cinema on some dates during the Summer. This year they are showing them from the 9th-12th August. The films haven't been revealed yet but just follow them on FB for more info and ticket prices etc.

Town

The Town and Beach are connected by a pretty Garden. It's worth having a wonder through the garden as they usually have live music in the warmer months. There is also Crazy Golf which is great for children and a outdoor open cafes for Ice Creams etc. The town centre is pretty much like everywhere else, Bournemouth is definitely lacking boutiques and quirky shops like Brighton has. However it's always nice to have a mooch about the shops and help the economy ;p

Skinny Kitchen

A new addition to Bournemouth, this is probably the most trendy and instagramable place you'll get whilst in BTown. It's a lovely cafe / restaurant located in the Town Centre (Walk down the side road between Lush and Swarovski). It's really healthy, serving protein waffles and pancakes, wraps, skinny pizzas, diet friendly suppers and amazing smoothies! I've only had the pancakes and smoothies. You get a stack of 6 american style pancakes, but they don't taste anything like the stodgy american pancakes! They're truly delicious and you get a generous amount of which ever topping you choose. The smoothies are also amazing and are served in a pretty cup! Everything is quite pricey, things range from £4.50 to £12. So this is more of an experience or treat rather than a quick snack. I would say, they open at 11:00am but aren't great at time keeping so there is normally a queue still waiting to get in by 11:10am. It is worth getting there early and waiting outside though!

Sprinkles

If you feel like venturing a little outside of the town centre or are coming by train you'll be walking through lansdowne to get to the centre of Bournemouth. lansdowne isn't that amazing, it's just a local high street that to be honest can be a tad scary late at night. In the day time it's perfectly fine and plays host to a fun Ice Cream parlour called Sprinkles. Sprinkles is part of a chain and they are currently located in Bournemouth, Winton, Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton and Swiss Cottage (Finchley Road, London). They are known for serving large portions of crepes, waffles, banana splits, ice cream sundaes etc. Quite the opposite from Skinny Kitchen with the fact that these aren't healthy in the slightest and it's a place for a snack. It's a fun atmosphere with a lot of students and families and you'll leave feeling completely and utterly stuffed!

Hallmark Carlton Afternoon Tea

If you fancy something a little more special and civilised I can highly recommend the Hallmark Carlton Afternoon Tea. I have had a few afternoon teas around Bournemouth, thanks to my mummy and her amazing finds on Groupon! And this one definitely stands out. The hotel is situated on the East Cliff and you have a lovely sea view if sat by a window! They have a few different teas, a champagne tea, an afternoon tea and finally a seaside tea. I had the normal afternoon tea, it was lovely. You get to choose whichever sandwich fillings you'd like and the cakes are really yummy. I sometimes find the cakes with afternoon teas are just a lot of pastry puffed out with cream but they actually served a good selection of 'proper' cakes. The seaside tea was most popular when I went, I think it's just a bit of fun really. It's very similar to the normal tea but includes candy floss, little ice cream cones, marshmallows and childhood sweets. 

Tower Park

If you are coming by car or don't mind a little taxi drive then head over to Tower Park. This is located on the outskirts of Poole but we shall include it in this list! Tower Park is a leisure park and it has a lot of different restaurants to Bournemouth town centre, such as Nandos and TGI Fridays. It also has an Empire cinema, which is a lot cheaper to the Odeon in town. The main reason to go is for the fantastic water park called Splashdown! It's only worth going to this if you're going to spend at least an afternoon (to get your moneys worth) and also if it's sunny, as some rides are outside and will be shut in bad weather. They have a good mix of rides for all ages, I'd say there are only 3 which are 'scary'. Two of which are steep drops outside and the other is the one where you go round and round until you drop. They have a stupidly over priced cafe, which isn't very nice, so bring snacks and eat elsewhere afterwards! There is also a large bowlplex if you've come on a rainy day and want an indoor activity!

Wheels Festival

Bournemouth holds a few 'festivals' throughout the Summer and my favourite is the Wheels Festivals. I have gone for the last two years and I can't wait for this years! It literally gets better every time. It's based around cars, motorbikes, quad bikes, monster trucks basically anything with wheels! They even hold a show with skateboards and people on rollerskates! My favourite part is watching the classic cars drive along the East Cliff and seeing them parked by the Pavilion (on the beach front) . Their owners don't like you to touch them, they're very protective, but they do love you to snap away and ask lots of questions! I also really enjoy that they now have a fun fair with family friendly rides and stalls. It's such a lovely day out. If you are coming to this don't come by car, it's too hectic! This year its the 3rd - 5th June. It's completely free to attend however there a few perks that you can pay for and the fun fair isn't free. Keep an eye on their FB page for more information about the times and places for each show to ensure you don't miss anything.

I hope you enjoyed this post! It was enjoyable to write and hopefully it will give you a few outings to consider.

KEEP SMILING