Bala

Bala is a stunning village situated in Gwynedd North Wales. It’s known for its breathtaking scenery and beautiful lake, which attracts lots of visitors. Bala has a lot to offer including lots of little and interesting shops, accommodation, restaurants, historical walks, Bala Lake, lots of water sports, plus magnificent views of outstanding beauty.

Bala’s most famous attraction is its spectacular lake. It is known as Bala Lake or Llyn Tegid, and It’s Wales’ biggest lake, stretching over four miles long and one mile wide. Bala Lake’s wildlife is protected, and the Lake contains European Perch, Trout, Abundant Pike, Eel, and a rare protected whitefish called the Gwyniad, which is said to be from the last ice age. This fish is no longer found anywhere else in Britain and is becoming increasingly low in numbers, due to its habitat becoming more and more unsuitable.

Bala Lake attracts water sport enthusiast, including kayakers and Sailors.The Lake is popular for its water sports due to the suitable winds which sweep through the mountain valley setting. In the Afon Tryweryn, which joins the River Dee at Bala, white water sports including White Water Kayaking and White water rafting is offered.

Bala Town also holds a popular village market every Monday which has a range of both unique and usual things that you can buy. Bala also has shops, and restaurants surrounding the market, and also offers accommodation. Bala accommodation consists of a wide range of housings both within the village and surrounding areas. Bala Cottages, guest houses, self catering accommodation, hotels, and converted barn houses, are all different types of accommodation which Bala’s visitor can choose from. These offer visitors secluded accommodation, and private areas for quieter recreational activities and peace.

If you really want to see all the beautiful sights of Bala, there are many walking paths, cycling paths, and also a beautiful nine mile train journey alongside Bala Lake and Snowdonia National Park which you can take. This will give you an excellent view of the lake, surrounding woodlands, and historical village. Bala is a highly recommended holiday destination, and is perfect for a weekend getaway for couples, and families.

Bathing Quality at UK Beaches Drops - Where's Safe?

The BBC recently published an article about how in the last year the amount of beaches recommended in "The Good Beach Guide" has fallen.

The amount of beaches recommended by the Good Beach Guide has dropped by 74, the most it has ever dropped in the guide's history.

There are reasons for this, at the time when the study was taken, the UK was in the midst of a very wet summer, which washed pollutants & other undesirables into rivers & streams, which then flowed into the sea.

So what advice does the Marine Conservation Society give?

Mr Bell warned bathers that to avoid health risks, they should pick places to swim in the sea which had a good water quality record.

People are advised to stay out of the water for at least 24 hours after heavy storms and report pollution problems to the MCS.

A full list of beaches and how they scored is available in this PDF, click here to download it.

Of course, the other approach is to take your annual holiday away from the coast, and instead have a holiday within the countryside or a national park. Places like Snowdonia are popular for a idyllic holiday away from the hustle and bustle of normal life - you can check out a Snowdonia Guest House and some Snowdonia Cottages at Bryn Melyn Farm

Increase in UK Tourism in the past year

This year could be a record year for the UK travel & tourism industry, with the weak pound, credit crunch & less money around, people are opting to holiday in the UK rather than abroad. A number of traditional seaside resorts have seen an increase in popularity, with Torquay & Newquay leading the way with a 160% increase in searches since last year on popular website hotels.co.uk.

Furthermore, there has been an increase in searches in Blackpool (140%), Jersey (120%), Llandudno (130%) and Bournemouth (80%).

This is great for the areas mentioned, which has seen a decline in popularity in recent years, with foreign climates proving more appealing. Nevertheless, the hope is that visitors will come and discover these places, find out that they love them, and return year after year.

Furthermore, with the weak pound, tourists from Europe & the United States have been arriving in mass to these destinations. For backpackers especially, now is really the best time to explore the UK.

On a personal note (as a Llandudno resident) I'm glad to see a rise in popularity of Llandudno Hotels & Self Catering Llandudno properies with people having difficult years up to now. Things are looking up!

Caernarfon Town

The Black Boy inn is a listed building which offers Caernarfon accommodation to visitors. It’s situated within the historic town walls of the castle. This beautiful Caernarfon hotel was built in 1522 and presents its visitors with a modest range of rooms starting from as little as £30 per night. This Caernarfon accommodation is situated near the town centre, which is full of activity and attractions. This hotel is also close to other surrounding attractions such as Snowdonia, Anglesey, and Llandudno.

Caernarfon town is mainly known for its very own impressive Caernarfon Castle built by King Edward I. Why not visit here if staying within The Black Boy Inn? The stunning castle with spectacular towers, stands at the beginning of the Seiont River, and dominates the town, and is also one of Wales’ most famous castles. The impressive architectural castle is not the same as other Castles built by Edward I which where used for defence, it was built to symbolise the power, and English dominance over the Welsh, and made sure that his Son was born here on 1284, as the first English Prince of Wales.

This Caernarfon Hotel is also surrounded by beautiful hand made craft shops, a lively town, swimming and sports facilities, a large golf course, tasty restaurants, and breathtaking walks around visually stunning architectures and landscapes. Caernarfon also has a small harbour and a beach at Victoria Harbour. Caernarfon is a major tourist centre and is one of the only few towns that is mainly welsh speaking. The local residents encourage visitors to enjoy there lasting cultural traditional town, and welcome them to learn and enjoy there rich historical past.

The Black Boy inn is also a great Snowdonia Hotel if you are planning on visiting Snowdonia National Park. The Park covers 2,142 square kilometres and offers 60 kilometres of coastline. The park was established in 1951 as the third national park in England and Wales. The park attracts over 6million visitors a year and offers beautiful natural landscapes, and unspoilt forests. It also has the most beautiful lakes, Snowdon activities, and Snowdon itself, the highest mountain in Wales and England. The Black Boy inn is only seven miles from Snowdon, which makes it ideal accommodation for guests who plan to visit both Snowdonia, and Caernarfon.

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