What are the Top Family Holidays to Enjoy Nature and Wildlife?

This post, was brought to you in association with Richardsons Boating Holidays.

When both myself and my husband were growing up, we really enjoyed family holidays, where we could enjoy nature and wildlife.  It’s only now really that I can look back an realise what an impact this had on both of us, and the way we parent and spend time with our own children.

So what holidays in the UK would help you to achieve this? Well how about a trip to the Norfolk broads!

The Broads lie in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in the east of England.  It is Britain’s largest nationally protected wetland and is also a member of the international family of national parks. It has pretty towns and villages, and these are surrounded by rolling farmland and countryside, woods and marshes, and of course the nearby coastline is undoubtedly spectacular!  My Husband (Tall Dad) and I have both spent some time on the Broads, we really do realise how relaxing it is to have a family boating holiday there.  In fact Tall Dad’s family had a boat on the broads that they holidayed, and had weekend breaks on, for over 15 years.  There is something so captivating about these kinds of holidays. Whether you are enjoying the landscape, or enjoying the nature around you. It is a fantastic holiday to relax and unwind.

The Norfolk broads, really feels like an unspoilt idyll, that you can cycle, walk, canoe or sail around.  If you are interested in bird watching or fishing it is an incredibly popular location. It is also a perfect place, to learn and discover, as it has some of the rarest wildlife living in it.

There are many great nature reserves, which are fantastic places to go to, as a family.  You can visit most of these by walking, and going on your very own nature trail.  Amongst these is the very family friendly, Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden.  Fairhaven is 53 hectares (130 acres) of beautiful ancient woodland ( including a 950 year old King Oak) water gardens and a private broad.  You can visit the newly built bird hide, designed for visitors with disabilities. It has a solar powered ‘audio interpretation panel’ which helps visitors identify the names of the different bird species, and even plays their individual birdsong.  There is also a  sensory garden, and many different species of butterflies and dragon flies have been attracted to the area. The swallow tail butterfly, is the largest British butterfly, and is only found in the Broads.

Boating on the broads is one of the best ways to enjoy the area.  You could choose a sail boat or a cruiser.  Its a good idea, if you haven’t sailed before to get a little instruction before hand.  In actual fact the Norfolk Broads is a great place to learn and there are often taster sessions, at local sailing clubs.  Once you know your way around the boat though (you actually will receive instruction once you hire a boat for a holiday) you then can relax and enjoy the landscape as you pass through.  One of the most famous things you will see are the many windmills along the route, some of which are open to the public.

Have I wetted your appetite?