I love to visit cities which share their boundaries with seas and the seas in return share their gossips with them. I think the reason I love seas is their perpetuation and immensity, the secrets they disguise in their depths and how they whisper and thunder those secrets to mankind through their dashing waves and splashing sounds. Well, enough with my immersion with the seas and let’s talk about Bournemouth.
I first heard about Bournemouth when I was researching universities for my Master’s degree. However the first time I visited Bournemouth was in September 2010 and most recently in October 2015. Bournemouth is a wonderful city and I owe it to the city to share my experiences of its allure with fellow travelers.
Bournemouth is located 115 miles from London on the south coast of England
You will find it where the English Channel embraces the Celtic Sea with one arm and greets the North Sea with the other. Depending upon the traffic and the roads you choose to embark on, it would take you around 2 hours and 15 minutes to reach Bournemouth by car. Rail takes approximately the same amount of time. However if you decide to use National Express then you will be in the arms of Bournemouth in around 2 hours and 40 minutes. When last time I visited Bournemouth I used National Express and it delivered me at the Bournemouth Coach Station. From there you can take a walk towards the seaside which holds most of the attractions. The signs on the road easily guide your direction to the place you wish to reach either it’s the Bournemouth Pier or the City Centre. Alternatively you can use navigation tools available on your phone. I like to wonder around aimlessly when I visit a new place and let its road and streets take me places. Upon walking from the coach station to the seaside you would come across few churches which depending on time of the day may let you either make a prayer or take photos of their interiors. Alternatively you can capture their exterior if you’re into church buildings. It would take you around 20 to 25 minutes to reach the seaside depending on how fast and slow you walk and if you make small stops on the way either by walking on the autumn leaves to enjoy their chirping sounds or to examine if you are in the correct direction.
Upon reaching the seaside you can either walk down on a designated path to confront the sea front or take a cliff lift which will deliver you at the beach for a small charge.
I would suggest you to utilise the both options. They both offer pleasant views both for you and your camera. Along the Bournemouth beach you will find lots of cafes, restaurants, bars and amusements shops. When I visited last time there was a Bournemouth Marathon Festival which is held in October every year and anyone, from kids to adults, can participate. In June you can attend Bournemouth Wheels Festival and enjoy riders and drivers entertaining you with their skills on motor bikes and vehicles of different sizes and shapes.
In March you can enjoy Bournemouth Beer Festival, in April Jazz Festival, in July Free Pride Festival and in august you can enjoy Bournemouth Air Festival.
Regardless of time of the year you will always find some sort of festivity entertaining the visitors and locals in Bournemouth. On the Bournemouth Pier there is also a nice restaurant with both inside and outside seating options and has a rich variety of food and drinks on the menu.
Bournemouth Pier is the only pier in the world where you can experience shore zip wire.
The sliding takes 30 seconds and lands you on the beach but the experience is overwhelming. In summer, the cost of one ride per person is £18 and in winter it is £15. They also offer other promotions and packages if you are in a group or decide to take multiple rides.
From the beach you can easily reach the high street by walking in 10 minutes. The high street is not very different from any other high street in the UK but the high street and the beach are segregated by a beautiful park which deserves a walk through it to enjoy beautiful arrangement of flowers and a vertical flight on a hot air balloon. The seafront is also occupied by many B & B to offer you a room with the view but of course at higher price compared to the hotels and B &B which are away from the seafront. I would like to sum up my experience of Bournemouth by borrowing few verses from a poem of Poet Laureate for Bournemouth James Manlow;
“Borough of pines and sea blown peacefulness,
Safe haven for the traveller to take ease”
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