Heathrow Airport 2 hr 37
Monkey Haven (12 min) Animals include eagle-owls, gibbons and lemurs, events include keeper talks and marmoset encounters. Robin Hill (12 min) Family rides, tractor train, nature trails, falconry and events, plus a woodland tree house. Mary Rose Museum (1 hr 28) Museum for 16th-century Tudor warship, & King Henry VIII's favourite, built in 1510 & sunk in 1545. Dinosaur Isle (8 min) Animatronic dinosaurs and 1000 of the island's best fossils in a pterodactyl-shaped building. Isle of Wight Zoo (9 min) Home of ITV's 'Tiger Island', with exotic animals, informative talks and 'meet the animals'. Blackgang Chine (20 min) Cowboys, pirates, dinosaurs and fairies in themed spaces, along with roller-coasters and rides. Shanklin Chine (8 min) Leafy, wooded ravine with waterfalls and abundant wildlife, plus arts heritage centre. Isle of Wight Steam Railway (13 min) Outfit preserving railway history via exhibits, train stations & rides on steam-powered locomotives. Brading Roman Villa (10 min) Excavated Roman courtyard villa with well-preserved mosaics and displays of finds from the site. Spinnaker Tower (1 hr 23) Landmark tower with an on-site cafe and a glass-floored platform overlooking Portsmouth harbour. The Garlic Farm (8 min) Home-grown garlic, plus garlic-inspired products and fare in a specialist farm shop with restaurant. Carisbrooke Castle (17 min) Fine medieval castle and museum, where Charles I was imprisoned by Cromwell's Roundheads. Osborne (21 min) Italian-inspired mansion amid lush gardens and filled with Victoria and Albert's former possessions. Ventnor Botanic Garden (16 min) An unusually warm climate for Britain allows sub tropical planting in these naturalistic gardens. Amazon World Zoo (3 min) Conservation-minded venue with over 200 species including tropical birds and meerkats. |