Queen of the Forests

Advantages: Gorgeous location, so much to see and do
Disadvantages: None!

...I've lived in the Forest of Dean my whole life (nearly 33 years) and completely taken it for granted! It's really only been in the last few years, since we had our son, that we have started to enjoy our home, with it's breathtaking scenery, abundance of family activities and friendly atmposphere, so I thought I would share it all with you. Brace yourselves, it's a long one! Here comes the history bit! The Forest of Dean was firstly recognised by the Saxons and covers 110 square kilometers or 27000 acres of woodland. It is one of the few remaining Royal forests left in England and has a rich history as a favourite hunting ground for many of our historical kings. The vast amount of woodland is home to many animals and birds, but Forest pride is mainly given to the beautiful fallow deer. There are about 400 here, of which...

watkins11 29.04.2008 (30.04.2008) · Read review
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Review of The Forest of Dean

I saw some Monkey Business in the Forest!

Advantages: Fascinating to watch monkeys at close quarters
Disadvantages: Poorly designed facilities, cafe expensive, not a whole day's experience

...way that parents could adequately supervise children of different ages. There is no shortage of space available so it seems strange to have been designed in this inconvenient way. In all, it's a shame that the excellent Monkey Forest experience is let down somewhat by some poorly thought out facilities and services. It is expensive for the time you are likely to spend watching the monkeys but it is certainly an entertaining way to spend a few hours. Admission prices (correct at Summer 2009): Adults £6, Children (3-14) £4.50 OAPs £5.50, under-threes are free. It is also possible to purchase a combined ticket which includes admission to Trentham's Italian Gardens and Lake or to use Tesco Deals vouchers for admission. Trentham Monkey Forest, Stone Road, Trentham, Staffordshire, ST4 8AY Telephone: 01782 659845 Opening...

jo-1976 28.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of Trentham Monkey Forest

Magical forests

Advantages: idyllic, beautiful......plenty of woodland!!!
Disadvantages: quiet for those party people!!!

...The stunning forest of dean covers a vast area......as the name suggests it's plenty of ancient woodland with villages and towns dotted inbetween. In fact it covers over 100 square kilometers, and touches upon various counties such as herefordshie, gloucestershire and the borders of wales (the wye valley) Its about 25 mins west of Bristol. Yes so close, but it's like another world entirely.......now buckle up people because this is going to be a very lenghty review.....i'm in love with the place, and by the end of this review hopefully i'll have given you all enough reason and enticement to come dip a toe in my waters!!! ****ABOUT THE FOREST OF DEAN**** The forest of dean is one of the few remaining ancient woodlands remaining in the UK. It was designate as a national forest park in 1983, and is known as "the queens of forests all...

wellibelli 19.11.2006 (26.11.2006) · Read review
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Review of The Forest of Dean

Monkey Forest is Fantastic

Advantages: Different every time you visit, good for kids
Disadvantages: Uphill, not suitable for people with walking difficulties or wheelchairs

...I've been to Trentham Monkey Forest on three occasions and now and I am so looking forward to going again when the weather warms up a little this year. Its a little to cold to wander round at the moment. Initially when I went to the Monkey Forest for the second time, I did actually wonder why I was bothering as I had been before and at the end of the day what's going to be different the second time from the first but it is actually a different experience every time. Trentham Monkey Forest is a 60 acre forest, home to over 140 free roaming Barbary macaques. The Barbary macaque, normally would be found in the mountains of ALgeria and Morocco, possibly Gibraltar and is a tail-less Macaque. The animal is classed as a monkey as opposed to an ape, there is normally confusion over this due to it being tail-less. At the moment there are...

blondgem 12.01.2008 · Read review
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Review of Trentham Monkey Forest

Reign Forest

Advantages: A compelling and interesting read
Disadvantages: It's 883 pages long

...I have read many of Rutherfurd's books and have rarely been disappointed. "The Forest" is no exception and covers the period from 1099 to 2000. The New Forest wasn't touched by all of the historical events of England but Rutherfurd has managed to use the key events that shaped its progress. If you are familiar with the New Forest you will recognise many of the names of villages such as Boldre, Lymington, Brockenhurst and many more. This familiarity adds to the atmosphere of the story. The skill of Rutherfurd is that he creates fictional families that are then woven into the historical facts and legends of the period. In this way you are both entertained and also learn a little of the history of the area. There is always a link from one period to the next, which makes you care about the fortunes of the various characters. You...

silver40 21.06.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Forest - Edward Rutherford

The Sunflower Forest - Torey Hayden

Advantages: Gripping, Informative, Easy To Read
Disadvantages: Slow To Start

...For those of you who read my last Torey Hayden review "Overheard in a Dream - Torey Hayden," you will know I am a huge fan, so huge infact that I have every single one of her books and am in the shop as soon as the new one is released. So after reading Overheard in a Dream and loving it I decided I would definitely buy her second novel "The Sunflower Forest." I had high expectations as I always do with Hayden's work, however after reading the first 3 chapters of this novel I was disappointed that it wasn't matching up to its predecessor and thus I wasn't really feeling very involved in the book. By that I mean I couldn't really picture the places being described and I couldn't really indulge in the scenarios being portrayed. This worried me and I feared I wouldn't get into the book enough to enjoy the content. However my fears were...

carysb 12.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Sunflower Forest - Torey L. Hayden

Hanging Gardens of Wellington

Advantages: Nice stroll, good plants
Disadvantages: Steep

...If you only can spare time to seek out one plant in New Zealand, it would have to be the most famous of all its plants - the silver fern. If, on the other hand, you are a nature lover and you find yourself with a free afternoon to spend in Wellington (New Zealand's capital city), then I strongly recommend the Botanic Garden for its plants, scenic views and pleasant strolls. For everyone else, I'd still recommend it, but only after you have taken your fill of the Te Papa museum (which is my number one "must-see" recommendation for Wellington). The gardens span some 25 hectares and if you are anything like me, they will fill as much time as you have to spare and then some. People with bad knees or small children be warned though - it's pretty steep and you may struggle a bit! There are some mobility scooters available though. I came here...

beckyXX 28.12.2009 · Read review
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Review of Wellington Botanic Gardens

The Constant Gardener

Advantages: Excellent plot, superb acting, stunning location
Disadvantages: Emotionally draining

..."In Africa there are no murders, only regrettable deaths." The Constant Gardener is an adaptation of a John Le Carre novel, a thrilling adventure of immense social relevance which highlights commercial exploitation and political corruption in Africa, whilst simultaneously celebrating the astounding beauty of the landscape, culture and people. The political focus of this movie is cleverly interwoven with the struggle of a British diplomat to discover the truth behind his wife's murder, to learn who she really was, and to realise a greater love and trust in her than he ever had when she was alive. The Main Cast Ralph Fiennes ...Justin Quayle Rachel Weisz ...Tessa Quayle Hubert Koundé ...Arnold Bluhm Danny Huston ...Sandy Woodrow Bill Nighy ...Sir Bernard Pellegrin Donald Sumpter ...Tim Donohue Archie Panjabi ...Ghita...

VC81 03.11.2005 · Read review
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Review of The Constant Gardener

Busch Gardens

Advantages: read opp
Disadvantages: read opp

..., as long as you get there early. The park is split up into different African theme sections, all of which have different rides, animals, plants and so forth. In total there are 9 different areas, along with 4 animal exhibitions and 22 attraction rides. I will be talking about each section; however I may miss out some rides as I didn't go on them all. Morocco: Morocco is the first African section when you walk into Busch Gardens. When entering this section you can visibly see two sections that stand out from the rest, the Myombe Reserve and the Gwazi roller coaster. The Myombe Reserve is actually one of the best features within the park. It's a lush ground of forest with wild gorillas and chimpanzee can be watched in artificially created habitat. The area is full of lush greenery, and a majestic waterfall, with the mist spraying over...

jaygami1986 30.04.2008 · Read review
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Review of Busch Gardens, Tampa

The New Forest

Advantages: Surrounded by beauty and wildlife
Disadvantages: I haven't come across any yet

...a shipbuilding community in the 18th Century. You can have a 30 minute boat trip down the Beaulieu river from here. Just outside of Beaulieu is a place called Exbury which is a great place to go if you love your garden. It is a beautiful place to visit. You can also get on a steam train here - however, I think this is quite a pricey day out. FOR THE CHILDREN You have Lepe Country Park. This place is located on the edge of the forest near Exbury. Although Lepe is a pebbly beach, it is a lovely place to take a walk, and you can see across to the Isle of Wight. At the top of the beach is a large grass area and a rustic country park for the children. All this costs is your car park fees and refreshments if you choose. MOORS VALLEY This is situated in Ringwood. A fantastic place for the children if you have a dry day. It is...

leighh 19.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of The New Forest (England)