What is Travel Eyes...? An amazing idea/company that gets visually impaired, blind and sighted…read morepeople together on holiday. The sighted travelers help out the visually impaired. Why, as a sighted person, go on holiday with blind people...? Believe me I was asked the same question repeatedly when I decided to go on my first trip but now I can't wait to save up and go again. First off you get to go at a reduced rate which is always a bonus but mainly it is an amazing experience sharing your sight with someone who has lost or is losing theirs. I can remember my trip so much more clearly because i spent time looking at the interesting things to describe it to my partner of the day. On the other hand some people didn't want or need that much description so I remember encouraging them to do things they wouldn't necessarily do normally. I went to Andalucia with travel eyes and loved it. I got to meet lots of new genuinely nice people and have already received emails from some to stay in touch. We ate good food, I practiced my Spanish translating the menu; visited places, for free jumping queues; wondered around soaking up the atmosphere and of course did plenty of excursions and activities. I would recommend this company to anyone who likes to chat and meet new people... in fact I would recommend this to anyone shy to encourage them to get out of their comfort zone in a safe environment. LOVE IT and CANT WAIT for my next trip :)

Traveleyes are a great concept and I had 3 holidays with them. The first 2 holidays were brilliant…read morebut, logistically, things went wrong with the third. The company was at fault in booking a questionable contractor for our transport, then not being able to sort it out on the ground, and finally adopting a hostile attitude towards those of us who complained on return because of the impact on our enjoyment. Sometimes things do go wrong on holidays. However this company needs to learn basic PR and how to deal graciously with complaints. They have a monopoly on the market for visually impaired holidaymakers, and in my view are complacent as a result.

Peak Cavern is one of four show caves in Castleton, an area famed for its extensive networks of…read morelimestone caverns. Peak Cavern has the largest natural cave entrance of any in Britain, and of the four caves in Castleton is the most natural (the form of the others being partially created by mining). Its historic name was the "Devil's Arse", so called as people in mediaeval times thought the caves as entrances to hell, and the air movement in Peak Cavern during flood made a noise like, well, passing wind! The cave experienced a limited amount of mining, was used as a piggery, and until the early 20th century a small community of rope-makers lived and worked in houses in the entrance. Tourist visits proper began in the 18th Century and really took off in the 19th century. Queen Victoria visited but was too large for the small coffin-like boat used to navigate one of the flooded passages, so miners blasted a new passage - part of today's route. She also had the name changed from its raw mediaeval one... An original boat is now on display, having been naturally excavated during a flood. Mining has in modern times reduced the water levels so, whilst the cave can still flood dramatically, the streams and pools are shallower than historically was the case. Today's tours are all led by a guide and last about 40 minutes. The talk covers the history, geology and natural history - the caves are home to specialised bacteria, water fleas, freshwater shrimp and blind trout. The walk goes through a series of huge chambers, linked by low passages. Sadly, most of the stalactites and stalagmites were cut or shot down in the 19th century, but the grandeur comes from the sheer scale of the chambers. Further in - but beyond the section open to the public - the system contains largest natural cave chambers in Britain - the aptly named Leviathan and Titan - the latter being over 450 feet high. Practicalities: it can be quite cold inside the cave, so carry a fleece or sweater. The cave floor is, in parts, uneven, wet and slippery, so flat shoes with good grip are also recommended. A few of the passages have very low ceilings and require you to duck for some distance.

TAKE THE TOUR!!…read more Listen to what your guide tells you, it is well worth the money. The tour of the cavern is great the information is great from the explanation of the rope making that used to happen there all the way though to the strange rock formations and to why the cavern is also called The Devil's Arse.

Despite what you think of me I like to keep it local and fresh. That isn't an admission to anything…read moreillegal it is purely an innocent fact. So I am partial to the delights of a farm shop and Emleys is a cracking place to indulge. First up the shop itself. You'll find high quality fresh veg here. You can't beat real bundles of asparagus, salad that still has dirt on it and rugged vegetables. It's a good place to stock up on your five a day. It is also a great place to stock up on some treats and for that I'm talking Brymor ice cream, yum. On top of the shop it's also got a pleasant farm trail for the children and a lovely pet's corner. Yes I'm back on the animals again! Throw in a gardener's corner and an activity centre complete with bouncy castle and there is enough to keep the little ones entertained whilst you get some fresh goodies. Oh and a donkey. What isn't to like?

If you have a family to entertain and want something outdoors and earthy, with a little bit of…read moreeducation thrown in this working farm is a good place to go. For a small price animal feed can be purchased at the farm shop (which also sells a range of produce largely locally produced) to go and feed the animals of various forms that reside on this farm. The are no structure walks around the site so this is somewhere where you have to be engaged and take care of little people that may get nipped or pecked from various creatures. As long as it's not a day like to day (that is absolutely tipping it down with rain) there's a lot that could be got out of a visit here.

What a nice little day trip if you're staying in Nottingham. Walk around the forest where Robin…read moreHood and his gang spent their time. See the old Major Oak where Robin Hood and his Merry Men would hide before they stole from the rich. This tree is about 1000 years old and it's supported by beams. Come check it out!

Could have been so much better. A lovely forest walk, and they've spent a fortune on the shop and…read morecafe, apparently, but apart from the stuff at the shop the only reference to Robin Hood is two statues on a little bridge with Little John and RH himself. A small museum or exhibition would have been welcome. You can find shops and cafes anywhere. And £3 for an ice cream from the van is pushing it. There seemed more to see with the older set up. Not that impressed. Sorry.

Last night in York for a Ghost Walk. Saw the sign that said "Nightly" and "No reservations…read morerequired". Several folks showed up at the allotted time. Guide/Tour Operator never showed up. Not enough time to get to another tour. I would try one of the other several ghost tours that are available in York, before I try this one again. Disappointing.

I enjoyed this Ghost Hunt. The actor stayed in character all the time and took us for a nice hunt…read morearound York. It was a combination of comedy, historical facts and pranks. We met at 730PM in the Shambles. It was $6/adult for the tour and we simply paid the man in the coat. Bring cash, cos there is no ticketing process. We followed him and made stops at various haunted sites and he basically explained the history and wove in some comedy. He held the stage well and had all of us participate in fun activities. For $6, this was well worth the cost and time. I definitely enjoyed this experience, it was fun, and very entertaining.

Before I begin I just want to say WOW ! I've been on a few distillery and brewery tours now and the…read moreone at robinsons blew me away ! Tucked away in the back streets of central Stockport on top of the hill near the church and market you will find robinsons brewery. They have brewed beer here for decades since they upscaled out of the first robinsons pub and it is a brilliant place. They have a brand new visitors centre where you are greeted by friendly staff, light open space, wonderful displays, interactive screens and old fashioned brewery kit. You can also nip in here to buy some great gifts from their shop. You are greeted and given your free beer tokens for the end of the tour, asked to read some health and safety info as you will be wondering around a working brewery, and are then left to your own devices to explore until the tour starts. Tours are brought together in quite small numbers, there were about 15 people on our tour which was great as we could move around easily, hear the tour guide and answer questions as and when we wanted to. The tour lasts about an hour and takes you through the entire robinsons process. Be warned. The process starts at the top of the building so there are LOTS of stairs. There was a man on crutches on our tour though and he managed just fine, but if you aren't confident in your ability to navigate stairs, this unfortunately may not be for you. Once you eventually reach the top, you get an insight into old and new as they have cleverly kept all the original copper brewing kit and have installed the new kit (only since 2010 ish can you believe!) on the same floor levels. This is brilliant as you are effectively learning about two processes, old and new. You are taken down through the floors through each stage of the process, if you are feeling brave you can taste the different Malts and hops (be warned again - some of these are delicious but also some of these are Gross with a capital G) and you eventually end up in the fermenting room. A great vast room which has a beautiful strong aroma of your favourite beers, you can see the yeast working away in each of the huge vats that each batch is kept in. The tour guide we had was brilliant, she kept us all very entertained and knew the answer to every question asked. She told us all the back stories to every beer brewed by robinsons and why changes occur in the market and how robinsons react to these changes. The whole thing was really interesting and she really was very good at keeping everyone engaged, it was fab ! At the end of the tour you finish up in their own bar and restaurant. You can either select 3 1/3 pints from a selection of robinsons beer (we got to try their brand new trial beer voodoo dawn as one of our choices) or you can trade up for a glass of wine / fentimans products which are partially brewed here / tea / coffee etc. To accompany your drink they have also opened a brilliant little restaurant, it isn't huge so if you were planning on coming for a meal it may be worth booking. The menu looked great and the prices were incredibly reasonable (see the photos). We ordered a few things to share which came very quickly and everything was cooked to perfection. They try to incorporate their beers into a lot of the cooking and tend to have a different special or two on each day. If I was to come for lunch in Stockport at any point I would hands down be heading here, it is easily one of the nicest places about ! Overall 5/5. I would give it more if I could. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend to all ! Brilliant place :)

Amazing tour, worth every penny and a great rainy day activity with friends! We booked a 3.30pm…read moretour on a Saturday, and although it took a little longer than expected (about an hour and a half) it was a really enjoyable experience. The tour guide, Barry, was engaging and funny - he clearly loved his job and that enthusiasm rubbed off on everyone else. Great insights into brewing past and present, with lots of useful facts and fun stories. At the end of the tour, you get taken through to the bar where you get your choice of three 1/3 pints from the Robinsons collection, so great to try the brews Barry had talked about along the way! There is a restaurant too - menu looked tempting and reasonable prices. Finally, there's a gift shop at the end where you can buy gifts and booze - again very reasonable prices and a good selection of gift ideas. The tour costs £10 each and there's free visitor parking. Would thoroughly recommend.

York is a beautiful town with lots to see, do and shop. Read good things about York's Chocolate…read moreStory. We we travelling with our Bulldog, so we took turns visiting the shop. Got a bunch of chocolate bars (milk, dark and raspberry) and a selection of their pralines. Even though very busy, the staff was very friendly and helpful. Prices are very fair. The chocolate bars were quite good. But maybe not exactly our style. Or maybe I'm biased because I'm Swiss :D But the pralines were divine! Pieces of art. Tasted as amazing as they looked. Really up there with the very best ones we've had yet. All kinds of ingredients and fillings. Just amazingly tasty. Surely we'll be back for more whenever we're back in York.

We attended the guided tour as 2 adults and both really enjoyed the entire experience. There were 2…read moreother families in our group for a total of 8 people. One family had a little girl who was probably 4 years old and she thoroughly enjoyed the entire tour. Our guide was fantastic from the beginning to the end. She was engaging, funny, and knowledgeable. The tour is interesting while giving you historical information about chocolate coming to England, the first chocolate families, as well as giving you a few tastes along the way. At the end you get to make your own white chocolate lollipop to take home. You also get to watch the chocolate kitchen make some chocolates and tested those as well. We thought it was worth the money and glad we did it!

Very nice indoor soft play centre with a pretty good cafe. We stayed for nearly three hours for…read more£6.50 on a meal deal. I think entry only is about £4 for under 3's but they cater for all ages with a range of equipment suited to babies, under 5's and under 12's. Unfortunately the website is a bit out of date so don't trust the prices on-line, call them before to be sure. They also do some themed sessions which are advertised on posters throughout the venue. The staff are friendly and the place is clean and secure with a fair bit of the equipment being reasonably new. Our only criticism was there were not that many free-standing toys to play with and they are a little heavy on the 'additional income streams' with books, toys, etc. for sale. Otherwise they would have scored a 5/5.

the food is up and down can be great can be poor as a…read morefarther of 3 i get the 'joy' of attending many parties there and out of the seemingly hundreds of parties only two members of staff seemed to know what they were doing and had a reason to be employed. The guys who ran the laser party a few weeks ago did an amazing job but this cannot salvage the disaster that was the rest of the place. the play frame was unsafe in various areas with sharp edges and unpadded beams and hygiene is rarely thought upon.