Five attractions to visit in Birmingham, England

Birmingham is situated in the West Midlands in England and is Britain's second largest city. It's known for its compelling art scene and canals. Exploring the city is easy with its many tours including bus, boat and walking tours so you'll easily find something to suit you.

You've decided to visit Birmingham but what should you do there to make the most of your visit? Don't waste your time looking around for what to do, with the help of this post and its recommendations you can plan your trip before you arrive.

Cadbury World - Linden Rd, Bournville, Birmingham, B30 2LU.
Chocolate! The perfect attraction for chocoholics. This is a self-guided tour and is made up of 14 zones so you definitely get value for money! There are animatronics, films and interactive displays to show you the story of chocolate and how the Cadbury business came to be. Staff are also on hand to give demonstrations and information. Visitors can even create their own type of chocolate and take a ride on 'Cadabra', a slow-moving ride showing you the journey of chocolate. The Bournville Experience is a must-see. Here you can use the interactive exhibits to find out about the founders of Bournville village; Richard and George Cadbury. If you've always wanted to design your own village, here's the place to do it!

Think Tank Science Museum – Millennium Point, Birmingham, B4 7AP.
This is a museum packed with 10 galleries. Just like Cadbury World it's full of hands-on exhibits (over 200 to be precise!). Visitors will have so much fun that they won't even realise they're learning! Anything you could ever imagine is in this building; from full-size trains to exhibitions about the human body. The exhibits are spread out over four floors so you can definitely spend a good chunk of your day in there and it's perfect in case of bad weather (which is quite likely in England).

Electric Cinema – 47-49 Station Street, Birmingham, B5 4DY.
If your feet are hurting after a long day of sightseeing why not put them up at the Electric Cinema. What's particularly special about this cinema is that it’s the longest working cinema in the UK. It opened in 1909 and showed its first silent film on 27th December that year. When you enter the cinema you'll have the choice of a black velvet seat or a large leather sofa. If you get thirsty you can just use the text service built into the seat to order a drink (or absinthe, which the cinema is famous for serving).

Back to Backs - 55-63 Hurst Street/50-54 Inge Street, Birmingham, B5 4TE
This is a different kind of tour. The tour steps back in time and shows you how Brummies used to live. You'll visit houses which are literally back to back around a communal courtyard. The houses have been carefully restored to how they were in the 19th century. The guide will explain how the working class lived and worked. It's a good way of seeing how it was rather than just hearing about it and building a picture in your mind.

Eating out
Birmingham is a very multicultural city with over 27 nationalities calling it their home. This makes for a great selection of food! Birmingham is proud to have three Michelin Star restaurants. It's also possible to satisfy your hunger with little snacks from street markets. If you're not in the mood for going out you can order a mouthwatering takeaway from hungryhouse and have it delivered straight to you!

Bio:

This has been a guest post by Suzanne Southall, writer of many blogs including hungryhouse, the UK's leading online takeaway platform where you can order cuisines such as Thai, Chinese, Italian and many more.

Holidaying in Wales

Wales is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to the east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. The country is rich in history and natural beauty, Wales has a living Celtic culture distinct to the rest of the UK. Wales offers a beautiful landscape including the mountains and coast of its stunning national parks. There is also some great accommodation including Greaves Wharf House in Porthmadog, The Old Stables, Apartment 5 in Aberdovey, and The Coach House in Llanfyllin.

Greaves Wharf House, Porthmadog

During the 19th century Greaves Wharf House was originally the Wharf Master’s office, and more recently was owned by the family of Frances Shand Kydd. The ground floor cottage has been converted into a two bedroom cottage with a lounge/dining room, separate kitchen and utility area, and a bathroom with a bath and shower. Wharf House also has a private car park with space for two cars. The property is fabulously positioned adjacent to the slipway into the harbour.

The Old Stables, Apartment 5, Aberdovey

Apartment 5 can be accessed from the carparking area via a small hardwood bridge leading onto a large hardwood decked terrace, with fantastic views overlooking the estuary. The door leads through to the lounge/dining/kitchen area with oak floors, and underfloor heating. The apartment has two bedrooms, both overlooking the estuary and have a double bed. For your stay bedroom linen and towels are provided for your stay as well as the apartment being wifi enabled.

The Coach House, Llanfyllin

A charming, elegant, and welcoming self catering cottage sums up the Coach House perfectly. The property has a large beamed kitchen-dining room, an oil fired Rayburn and fully equipped with modern appliances including an electric cooker with grill, dishwasher and washing machine. The large beam sitting room has an oil burning stove, comfortable sofas, television with freeview and dvd player. The property sleeps 4 and is great for family holidays.

For more information please feel free to contact Travelling Suitcase at:

http://www.travellingsuitcase.co.uk/

Michael Paul Holidays: Irish Escapes

Ireland is an island located to the North-West of Europe. It is the largest is also the twentieth largest on Earth. To the east of Ireland is the Island of Great Britain, from which it is separated by the Irish Sea. There are some great accommodation in Ireland which includes Adare Manor Luxury Villas, County Limerick and Castlemartyr Luxury Lodges, Castlemartyr.

Adare Manor Luxury Villas, County Limerick

Adare Manor Luxury Villas are situated in the grounds of Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort in County Limerick in the south west of Ireland. Located in an unrivalled setting and completely worthy of its world class status. The accommodation is just 40 minutes drive from Shannon airport. The 18th Century Manor that sits on the banks of the River Maigne has been transformed into a 5 star hotel. It is situated within beautiful formal gardens accommodating magnificent trees and 800 year old ruins. The resort is also home to the outstanding Robert Trent Jones Senior golf course.

Castlemartyr Luxury Lodges, Castlemartyr

Castlemartyr Luxury Lodges are located just 30 minutes away from Cork International Airport, the accommodation, which only opened in 2007, is steeped in history going back generations. It was under the stewardship of the first Earl of Cork in the 17th Century that construction of the manor house occurred. The accommodation has now been restored to its full glory, it is the focal point of the resort. Aside from the unusual and pleasing, gently rolling topography of its 18 hole championship inland links golf course designed especially by Ron Kirby, the estate offers various activities including Hawk Walks where you can learn to handle and fly a Harris Hawk, carriage tours in a pony and trap, and fly casting tuition.

For more information about the accommodation please visit their website at:

http://www.michaelpaulholidays.co.uk/

Holidaying in the Peak District with Cottages.co.uk

The Peak District is Britain's most popular National Park for day visitors and even week long holidays. You can find beautiful stone built cottages, and dramatic scenery on your doorstep in places such as, Bakewell and Buxton, and Alton Towers is also situated nearby, the Peak District is definitely a popular location to visit. There are also some great self catering accommodation, such as, Church Barn in Ashbourne, Reedsmere in Bakewell, and The Old Barn in Stoke on Trent.

Church Barn, Ashbourne

This traditional, detached stone barn conversion is situated in the quiet village of Fenny Bentley. Life in Fenny Bentley revolves around, as it has done for years, the pub and church. This quaint village lies 2 miles North of Ashbourne. The Church of St. Edmund dates back to the 14th century and has various charming features. These include the 16th century screens and the alabaster Beresford tomb. Located in the heart of the village is the Coach & Horses, a welcoming coaching inn with real ales.

Reedsmere, Bakewell

This property is a lovely stone-built detached cottage, situated on the outskirts of Rowsley village. Located close to the pretty village of Rowsley is Chatsworth home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. It is also a stone’s throw away from the impressive tudor-built Haddon Hall. Rowsley offers a selection of village amenities including shops, galleries, pubs and restaurants, excellent fly fishing facilities (day tickets available from the historic Peacock Hotel) and in neighbouring Reedsmere is the superb Michelin-starred East Lodge Hotel and Restaurant.

The Old Barn, Stoke on Trent

This detached barn conversion is located in the small village of Farley, neighbouring the Alton Towers estate. The historic village of Farley consists of a small scattering of traditional cottages and farms. Alton Towers is close by and has rides and attractions for everyone, including great white knuckle rides. For the younger guests there is also Toyland, boating on the lake, magnificent gardens and rides on the cable car. The lovely market town of Ashbourne is located nearby, with its eccentric street plan and narrow cobbled alleys, featuring an array of delightful antique stores and a selection of good pubs and restaurants.

For more information contact Cottages.co.uk at:

http://cottages.co.uk/