I'm very well qualified to bring you this post today, as I spent six years living in the English seaside town of Bournemouth. While my time in Bournemouth came to an abrupt but needed end in 2009, my memories of the town and its suburbs will linger forever. Rather than bore anyone out there with personal stuff in Bournemouth, this is MY top 5 things to do in Bournemouth - I hope it provides some decent tips for all visitors to Bournemouth, a town which is embedded into my heart...this post has been coming for about 10 years now so it finally sees the light of day.
1. Bournemouth Beach
The main attraction of Bournemouth is the epic coastline and of course Bournemouth is graced with splendid beaches. There are so many different beaches too so it suits all types of travellers. There are beaches to relax, beaches to party, beaches to watch sunset and just beaches! Check out Boscombe beach, Southbourne beach and even Alum Chine. The coastline is wide and varied. The beaches have won awards for their cleanliness too.
2. Bournemouth Pub Crawl
I love pub crawls and I love my quirky bars, promotions and everything that goes with the madness of nights out drinking. In Bournemouth you will find an endless amount of bars, clubs, pubs and restaurants all meeting your required taste. The names of bars and pubs may change a lot and have done since I left there, but my favourites were the Dolphin (Springbourne), The Moon in the Square, The Goat and Tricycle and in the past Jumpin Jaks. These days Bournemouth attracts a lot of stag and hen nights and weekends especially in the summer and the party atmosphere and vibe at night is unrivalled in England.
3. The Famous Wave Balloon
Everybody in Bournemouth knows what the "Wave Balloon" is and you should head there in the summer for epic views of the south coast of England. Situated in Bournemouth's summer gardens, this is unmissable in summer months as it rears itself into the sky. It's a hot air balloon near the seafront. It's attached by a huge cord and is as safe as it is popular. Expect queues, but expect good views!
4. The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery/Museum
A bit of a hidden gem here to be honest, this museum is unique in world terms, something a lot of the locals forget. For its quirkiness, history and "off the beaten track charm" it just had to make my list of top 5 things to do in Bournemouth. Featuring Japanese art and mixing Italian with Scottish architecture in design, this is a top spot. It's down by the beach too.
5. Live Football: AFC Bournemouth
Dean Court stadium which is also known as the Goldstands is home to the local football team AFC Bournemouth. They attract good crowds, especially in the summer months and offer a great value for money standard of football. The Cherries are a great team to watch.
Watching AFC Bournemouth is also a lot more affordable and authentic than watching the Premier League teams.
Getting to Bournemouth
From London you can get a bus or a train easily. They are regular and affordable and only take a few hours.
But a better fact is that Bournemouth has its own international airport!! Not a lot of people know that, they even had flights to New York at one point, and used to fly to Belfast so check what airports fly into it when you're about to head and you might get a lucky cheap deal.
I've written tons and tons about Bournemouth before and will do again, but don't want to overload or make things cliches, this is more for those of you who haven't been there yet. I'd argue if you only ever visit England once, head to Bournemouth (throw in a day trip to Salisbury or Stonehenge though too!).
1. Bournemouth Beach
The main attraction of Bournemouth is the epic coastline and of course Bournemouth is graced with splendid beaches. There are so many different beaches too so it suits all types of travellers. There are beaches to relax, beaches to party, beaches to watch sunset and just beaches! Check out Boscombe beach, Southbourne beach and even Alum Chine. The coastline is wide and varied. The beaches have won awards for their cleanliness too.
2. Bournemouth Pub Crawl
I love pub crawls and I love my quirky bars, promotions and everything that goes with the madness of nights out drinking. In Bournemouth you will find an endless amount of bars, clubs, pubs and restaurants all meeting your required taste. The names of bars and pubs may change a lot and have done since I left there, but my favourites were the Dolphin (Springbourne), The Moon in the Square, The Goat and Tricycle and in the past Jumpin Jaks. These days Bournemouth attracts a lot of stag and hen nights and weekends especially in the summer and the party atmosphere and vibe at night is unrivalled in England.
3. The Famous Wave Balloon
Everybody in Bournemouth knows what the "Wave Balloon" is and you should head there in the summer for epic views of the south coast of England. Situated in Bournemouth's summer gardens, this is unmissable in summer months as it rears itself into the sky. It's a hot air balloon near the seafront. It's attached by a huge cord and is as safe as it is popular. Expect queues, but expect good views!
4. The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery/Museum
A bit of a hidden gem here to be honest, this museum is unique in world terms, something a lot of the locals forget. For its quirkiness, history and "off the beaten track charm" it just had to make my list of top 5 things to do in Bournemouth. Featuring Japanese art and mixing Italian with Scottish architecture in design, this is a top spot. It's down by the beach too.
5. Live Football: AFC Bournemouth
Dean Court stadium which is also known as the Goldstands is home to the local football team AFC Bournemouth. They attract good crowds, especially in the summer months and offer a great value for money standard of football. The Cherries are a great team to watch.
Watching AFC Bournemouth is also a lot more affordable and authentic than watching the Premier League teams.
Getting to Bournemouth
From London you can get a bus or a train easily. They are regular and affordable and only take a few hours.
But a better fact is that Bournemouth has its own international airport!! Not a lot of people know that, they even had flights to New York at one point, and used to fly to Belfast so check what airports fly into it when you're about to head and you might get a lucky cheap deal.
I've written tons and tons about Bournemouth before and will do again, but don't want to overload or make things cliches, this is more for those of you who haven't been there yet. I'd argue if you only ever visit England once, head to Bournemouth (throw in a day trip to Salisbury or Stonehenge though too!).
About the Author:
To find a load more of wonderfully cold articles on Northern Irish backpacking head to Jonny Blair's backpacking in Ulster site for endless advwonderfully.
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