The Arboretum in question is actually situated right next to Tynwald Hill, it is also known as the Tynwald National Park, it was opened to mark the Millenium Anniversary of Tynwald. It’s actually a very pretty spot with large numbers of ducks and other water fowl present in the large pond. The pond is surrounded bu numerous species of trees and well worn paths provide a guide around the grounds including the bridge that splits the pond in two. If you follow the path to the right of the pond you’ll find a small childrens playground half way up the hill and then further up the hill a shelter which has been known as “The Witches House” for as long as I can remember. As well as excellent views over the Chruch and Tynwald Hill the flat grassy area around here is great for a picnic. There are also benches dotted around the lower part of the Arboretum in case you get tired and need a rest.

Bringing some bread with you is a must and the ducks are extremely friendly so you’ll find no shortage of takers looking to get in on your bread action. It can get quite muddy in certain parts of the park so wellies are probably a good idea if there’s been rain around when you plan to visit. The Arboretum car park is directly of the main road passing through St Johns and there are usually plenty of spaces available. Being on one of the main roads there are also no shortage of buses that pass by and the nearest stop is within not much more than 100 yards. Access is free and the Arboretum is open all year around. Whilst you are there you might want to have a look for the Geo-Cache that is hidden in a certain area of the park.

Feeding The Ducks is a post from: On The Isle of Man

The Camera Obscura on the Isle of Man is situated on Douglas Head, below the offices of Manx Radio near the lighthouse. There is parking nearby and it is an easy walk from the car park. A £250,000 renovation in 2005 has brought this Victorian marvel back to life and it’s now a popular attraction once again. What perhaps makes the Isle of Man Camera Obscura stand out from many others is that instead of only having 1 lense the Manx one has 12, each making up part of a complete 360 degree image. From its prime position you’ll enjoy views of Douglas harbour and bay, the nearby lighthouse and far out to sea.

It might not appeal much to your average 11 year old but for those of you looking for something a bit different and another way of enjoying the views of the Isle of Man then you could do much worse than a visit to the Camera Obscura. It is open weekends only during the summer, Saturday 1pm to 4pm and Sundays 11am to 4pm. Admission is a very modest £2 for adults and £1 for senior citizens (accompanied kids can go in free).

Camera Obscura is a post from: On The Isle of Man

The Isle of Man in particular is very well suited to starting your Geocaching career. Measuring just 33 miles long by 11 miles wide and with over 300 caches you are never far from your next find, I know from experience that some locals have been shocked by just how many hidden caches there are in and around the towns in particular..

Discover Some Of The Secret Beauty Spots On The Isle of Man Like The Real Fairy Bridge

To get started with Geocaching you’ll need a GPS device of some sort. Of course many modern mobile phones come with GPS technology built in but there are even cheaper ways of getting started with Garmin producing several low cost hand held GPS units including those designed for runners which are ideal for locating Geocaches. The next step is to sign up at the Geocaching.com website (which is free) and then search for Geocaches on the Isle of Man (you can use this list of Isle of Man Geocaches if you like). That’s all you need. Once you’ve paid for your GPS this has got to be one of the cheapest hobbies you can do. Who knows, start your Geocaching career on the Isle of Man and you might just want to try it when you get home as well.

Some Cheaper GPS Units To Get You Started With Geocaching

Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Watch – Approximately £140 and does the job as good as anything else. Don’t be scared because it’s worn on the wrist, the GPS receiver in this unit works well even under tree canopy cover.

Garmin 76csx – Great for use on the boat but also a fantastic hand held unit for Geocaching. The ability to add extra map information and a colour display puts this a solid step above the Garmin Forerunner but for around £250 you’d expect it to.

Geocaching is a post from: On The Isle of Man

The main bulk of the park is set out into zones covering various habitats from all over the world. This layout allows the park to make the most of its available area and there are a surprising number of animals on show.

The Pampas (Grasslands located in Argentina) – Lots of bird life in this area including Humboldt Penguins, Chilean Flamingos and Coscoroba Swans.

The African Bush – Here you will find the Marsh Mongoose, Grivet Monkey as well as several species of Pelican.

The Asian Swamp – The Short-Clawed Otters are the firm favourite in this area but other species include Fisahing Cat, Sika Deer and Red Panda. Like the other areas of the park there are also a large number of habittat specific waterfowl present.

Other areas covered include the European Marsh, Amazon Forest and the American Trail (Complete with Raccoons).

Besides the more tropical ares of the Wildlife Park there are a couple of locally centered attractions, namely the Nature Trail and Butterfly Trail. The WildLife park is situated in the most important nature reserve on the island so both these trails offe great opportunities to see natural flora and fauna. Although not likely to be seen, the Curraghs in which the park is situated contains one of only a handful of wild Wallaby populations in Great Britain, they escaped and seem to have done really well for themselves!

As you’d expect with any modern attraction there is plenty of car parking space, toilet facilities and a visitor cafe. Public transport links are provided vis the bus service. For children there is a minature railway, play area and petting farm. The Wild Life park is open from Easter until the end of October daily and then at weekends over the winter period. As has been said before it’s not like the larger more traditional Zoo’s found elsewhere which may take several days to see everything, but for a nice family afternoon out where you’ll not have to walk your feet off Curraghs Wildlife Park provides great value for money (Only £18.50 for a family day ticket – 2 adults + 2 children) and a chance to see something a little different on the Isle of Man.

Curraghs Wildlife Park is a post from: On The Isle of Man

On gaining entry to Castle Rushen you are immediately faced with 2 options. You can either walk around the outer area which is mainly grass complete with various ye olde wooden buildings. This outer area has several cannons and stocks and it’s also possible to walk around the curtain wall. The other option is to head over the drawbridge for the main inner part of the castle. Each room within the main castle building has been updating to reflect a certain period within the castles history. On a sunny day it’s nice to be able to spend some time outside but on days when the weather isn’t so great the main part of Castle Rushen provides ample shelter making it a more suitable site to visit than the other main castle on the island, Peel Castle. So if the weather is looking a little dodgy then a visit to Castle Rushen may be a better bet than Peel Castle. As mentioned above the castle is in very good condition and gives an amazing opportunity for insight into times gone by.

Castle Rushen has a long and interesting history, it has changed hands between the Scots and English and served many functions for the Isle of Man, including in the 18th century acting as a prison. All this is detailed in great detail by the various guides that operate within the castle though so I don’t want to go in to too much detail here, it’s far better experienced first hand! Climbing to the very top battlements also gives fantastic views of Castletown.

As a site to visit Castle Rushen is easily accessible but there are some limitations. There are a large number of busses that go through Castletown (Look for number 1 and 2 routes), the traditional steam train stops in Castletown or if you prefer there is parking very close by in the town square. As part of the Story of Mann entrance for adults costs £5 and £2.50 for children. It must be said that as you would expect for castle ruins the site is not easily accessible for the disabled or very old. Castle Rushen has plenty of stairs to walk up and down so please keep that in mind. Whilst the lower levels can be seen, to get the most from Castle Rushen you really need to be able to travel further into the building.

Once you’ve finished in Castle Rushen, Castletown has several pubs that serve traditional pub lunches. There is the harbour to visit which has the Boat Museum by its north entrance. However a lot of people prefer to just grab a sandwich or picnic and head for the gardens which surround the castle.

Castle Rushen is a post from: On The Isle of Man

If you’ve never played Lazer Blast before then let me explain a little bit about what you’re in for. If you take Star Wars and cross it with the games of soldiers that we used to play as kids then you’re on the right lines. You’ll enter a dark battle arena either as individuals or as 2 teams and it’s then up to you to shoot the enemy. Because of the dark room and smoke you do get to see the lazers, very Star Wars! It’s then a case of racking up as high a score as possible. It’s fantastic fun. For such a small island the Isle of Man has a great Lazer Blast setup, it’s located in a barn as you travel out of Onchan towards the Liverpool arms. Lazer Blast is on your right hand side about half way down the straight towards the Liverpool Arms. All the equipment you need is provided and there are refreshment facilities on site, just make sure you dress comfortably.

It’s a good way of whiling away an evening as a family (for ages 5 and up). You can either just turn and up and pay and play or if you prefer (and if there is enough of you) you can pre-book a a group event. So whether it’s team building, a family evening out or just something to do on your holidays when the weather takes a turn for the worse Lazer Blast is great fun.

Lazer Blast is a post from: On The Isle of Man

Several charter boats operate from the port of Peel and each skipper has significant experience in getting you close to these amazing sharks, some of which reach 36 feet in length. Because a Basker feeds right on the surface and has an inquisitive nature sharks will often approach right to the very side of a boat and even rub along side. Again it’s worth mentioning that these sharks pose absolutely no danger to man, they have no teeth so at worst would be able to give you a nasty suck! The Isle of Man has strict rules on how vessels can approach Basking sharks and your skipper will be trained to make sure that the sharks are not disturbed. It’s the sharks inquisitive nature that will bring them close to you ready for that perfect photograph!

The Isle of Mans reputation for Basking Shark watching is well deserved and a Basking Shark Tour should be seen as a “must do” for anybody with even the smallest interest in the natural world. As well as seeing Basking Sharks it’s also not that uncommon to find Dolphins and various Whale species (including Killer Whales) in the waters around the island.

Basking Shark Tours is a post from: On The Isle of Man

Dating all the way back to 1854 Lady Isabella (as the wheel is known) was named after the wife of Lieutenant Governor Hope. Impressively the wheel was designed and built by a local man, John Casement, a resident of Laxey. The Laxey Wheel measures in at a sizable circumference of 227 feet with a diameter of 72 feet and was built for the purpose of pumping water from the Laxey mines. This it achieved with ease managing to remove 250 gallons a minute from the mines situated over 1500 feet below ground level!

Today the wheel is a major tourist attraction, visitors from far and wide come to stand at the top of the Laxey Wheel. The views offered over Laxey are spectacular from the vantage point. Around the Laxey Wheel there are also several other attractions worth visiting including some very nice trails to walk, a picnic area and you can even venture into the entrance of the mines. Overall the Laxey Wheel is a must see for anybody visiting the island.

Depending on your requirements prices to visit the Laxey Wheel range from £3.50 for a single adult ticket to £1.80 for under 16′s however several concessions are available for group and family visits. For example a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children) will only pay £8.50

We’d recommend that if you are going to see the Laxey Wheel that you make an afternoon of it. The electric tram system runs from Douglas promenade to Laxey and from there it’s a short walk to the Wheel. Laxey has the feel of a quite village (well I suppose it is really!) but there are several pubs that do a good pub lunch. The harbour is also well worth a walk around. If you’re on a flying visit though and want to get to the Laxey Wheel by car then there is lots of parking very close by.

Laxey Wheel is a post from: On The Isle of Man

Sea Kayaking trips are typically run over 3 hours or a full day. As you’d expect safety is of paramount importance and all safety equipment will be provided. Courses available include Discover Sea Kayaking, which is run over 4 three hour sessions that aims to cover a different part of the Manx coast with each session. For beginners the Introduction To Sea Kayaking course comprises of 4 two hour sessions where you’ll learn vital skills like control and manoeuvre and how to prevent a roll. The guys at Adventurous Experiences are very flexible though so whether your reason for taking to the water you should contact them to see what they can do for you.

The Isle of Man is lucky to have some fantastic wild life and around our coasts you could see Puffins, Chuffs, Basking Sharks, lots of seals and a variety of sea mammals including dolphins and whales.

Sea Kayaking is a post from: On The Isle of Man

The track operates 200cc BIZ Karts geared to a maximum speed of 35mph, plenty of speed for a lot of fun but safe enough for anyone over 150cm (5 feet) tall to enjoy. Timing is done via transponders so there can be no arguments over who set the fastest time! In keeping with the family orientated nature of the karts the facilities available are top notch. All your safety equipment is provided including gloves, helmets, rib protectors and overalls. There are marshals on track at all times and for those members of the family not interested in taking part a heated viewing gallery will keep them warm. Parking is free and hot and cold drinks are available all day and there are toilet facilities on site. There’s no excuse for not giving Go Karting a go!

Prices range from £14.50 for 10 minutes of racing to £32.50 for a full half hour.

Go Karting is a post from: On The Isle of Man